Posts Tagged ‘rolex’
Rolex Daytona Series 2 and 3 by Project X Designs
Admittedly I am not the biggest Rolex fan and to be perfectly honest there are a number of other brands out there that I would probably be more inclined towards. Having said that, the Rolex Daytona has always, and will always have, a special place in my heart and hopefully one day on my wrist! As such I cannot deny that my curiosity was piqued then when I heard about Project X Design’s take on this timeless classic.
Project X Designs
In a similar vein to Bamford & Sons, Projext X Designs offers both bespoke and limited edition watches, with the latter being created in highly limited runs of just 24 watches which will not be repeated once sold out. Most recently the company has released the Series 2 and 3 Limited Edition Rolex Daytonas which will soon be followed by the release of the Series 2 and 3 Limited Edition Submariners (apparently Series 1 is quite popular with Mr Bond himself Daniel Craig, although he’s supposed to be an Omega man, but that’s another story entirely!).
Series 2
Highly reflective of current trends the Series 2 (pictured above) appears to be the more customized of the two editions, having received the full PVD treatment. I must admit it is quite a stunning piece, if lacking somewhat in creativity, and the red highlights provide an excellent contrast. The rear has also been fitted with a sapphire exhibition case back so that the wearer can peer in at the inner workings of the superb Rolex movement.
Series 3
Series 3 is somewhat a more subdued affair and non-enthusiasts may be forgiven for not realizing that this is a customized piece. Whilst it also looks quite nice with its monochrome design, brushed case finish, carbon coated bezel and white chronograph hand vaguely reminisce of the iconic ‘Paul Newman’ Rolex Daytonas of the 1970s, in my opinion you’re better of with Series 2. The reason being that if you are going to go the extra effort and pay the additional cost to acquire a limited edition piece you might as well get one that people realize has actually been customized! Otherwise you’re better investing in an original.
The Final Word
As far as customized Rolexes go these two are certainly quite nice. They have maintained enough of the watch’s original character that they are easily recognizable and the quality of the work is excellent. Personally I probably would not wear either simply because I am still not convinced about paying a premium for a customized luxury watch you have already paid a premium for in its original form and because I feel that I feel these pieces lose a certain amount of credibility once they are customized.
Nonetheless, I can still recognise and appreciate the quality of the finish on these pieces although I do wonder what it does to the re-sale value?
For more information check out the official website.
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Interview With Denis Giguet, Founder Of Manufacture Contemporaine du Temps
Passionate. Brilliant. Exceptional. These are just some of the words that come to mind when you think of Denis Giguet, the highly successful founder of Manufacture Contemporaine du Temps. At the young age of 39 this incredibly driven French Engineer has already enjoyed a very successful corporate career, first with Rolex and then with Harry Winston Watches where as Head of Production he was closely involved with the highly acclaimed Opus series (from 1 to 6). He then went on to found his own consultancy practice in Geneva where he helped leading brands to realize their own technical goals whilst developing his own ideas and creating his own exciting watch brand.
Today he talks to us about the journey he has been on with Manufacture Contemporaine du Temps and the creation of the truly unique Sequential One, granting us a rare insight into the mind of a horological genius.
TWL: You have had the opportunity to work for several strongly regarded brands throughout your career such as Rolex and Harry Winston. What lessons have you learnt from these highly successful companies that you now apply in your own company?
DG: Where do I start ? Both Rolex and Harry Winston are top companies to work for. Rolex taught me the science of watchmaking combined with high volume manufacturing precision. Rolex are not market leaders for nothing and I retain a huge respect for their stunning watches.
At Harry Winston I was responsible for production of the famous Opus series, Models 1 to 6. Here I had to manage the relationship between challenging, genius designers and a large supply chain in the Swiss mountains. This experience at Harry Winston was invaluable because it taught me how to work effectively and at what is regarded as speed in the world of high horology.
Using this knowledge I was able to design, develop and produce the first prototype of Sequential One in 14 months.
TWL: What inspired you to found MCT Watches and create the Sequential One, a truly unique timepiece?
DG: My grandfather had a very old pocket watch. It was very simple but sometimes, he let me touch this fantastic watch. Fantastic because I was about 10 years old and it was marvelous to open all the covers ; the double back and the face. Discovering the old mechanism on this pocket watch was certainly a big influence behind my later decision to study mechanics and material design.
TWL: The Sequential One was the first watch to be created under the MCT Watches brand. How important was it to you to release a truly exceptional watch to really announce the arrival of an exceptional new independent watchmaker?
DG: Launching a new brand is very high risk and in the current climate that risk is greatly exaggerated. If new watches are not exceptional in their own way, the brand is unlikley to survive for long. For me it was important to design and produce a watch that would be the first of it’s kind, with our own movement. I have to ask others to judge if it is truely exceptional. I am gratified that there has been so much interest in the watch and a strong order book in year1.
TWL: Do you feel that the success of the Sequential One has helped establish MCT Watches as one of the dynamic, new faces of watch-making emerging in Switzerland?
DG: I know that I am enjoying the whole journey I am on. My watches will always make a statement and dynamic visual displays featuring a big hour indication will continue to be part of our DNA. There are a number of exciting young Swiss brands emerging and I hope the media and collectors will count MCT amongst them.
TWL: The Jumping Sequential Hour movement that animates the Sequential One is exceptionally complex and unique. Why was it so important for you to have your own in-house movement and what challenges did you face in engineering this movement?
DG: I believe that for pure authenticity a watch brand must use its own movements. The movement is the heart and essence of any luxury timepiece S1 has 471 component parts with a unique display and movement. The engineering process was extremely complex particularly as I had to think about design with a view to later industrialization, i.e production.
TWL: The Sequential One’s appeal lies not only in complexity but also in its unique design and aesthetic appeal. How long did you, in conjunction with Eirc Giroud, spend designing the watch on paper before you began to move to the production stage?
DG: We spent about 3 months in the detailed design stage but we continued during the whole development project to work on the design. Some production constraints forced us to change the design and sometimes offered us new and fantastic opportunities to improve the design.
TWL: What were the key challenges you faced in bringing your design concept to reality? Did you need to make changes to your original plans in order to make design feasible?
DG: We had to persuade every person involved to think differently to make sure sure they understood my concept and guarantee project cohesion.
I made changes to my original plans because I kept seeing new ways to achieve my aim but that is the beauty of a project like this. It is sometimes tempting to put everything into one watch but i also had to curb my enthusiasm and desire to ensure that we could complete the project on time. But this has given me so many ideas for future designs.
TWL: You have said that the visual displays on your watches will always feature a large and distinctive Hour indicator. Why is that? Is it purely for ease of reading or is this also part of MCT’s visual branding?
DG: A beautiful watch has to create emotion. Every watch I create has to be emotional for me personally. For example, at the beginning of my creation of S1, I wanted to show the time like it has never been shown before -the display of the indication of the hour is the biggest in the world. This is to make the watch essentially easy to read but it will be part of our ongoing DNA too.
I have used a sequence of different moving parts to display the hour but it is also very important that the technology I use can be recognized by connoisseurs as high horology. Before creating S1, I oversaw many complicated watch developments particularly for Harry Winston : OPUS 1-6 and the ‘tourbillon glissière’. The caractéristiques of all of these watches are a combination of design, innovation and tradition.
TWL: What does the future hold for MCT and when can we expect another breathtaking and mind altering timepiece like the Sequential One?
DG: I am of course working on developments for S1. Plus, I must continue to create fascinating new watches. I am working to develop the base of a new movement (don’t forget that at MCT we have our own movement which is very unusual for a small company). Expect exciting news when we attend the Geneva Time Exhibition in January 2010.
For me personally, I am learning to combine watchmaking with business which is a tough challenge. I realize that I must combine my passion and creativity with the reality of managing and building my own watch brand.
Fellows & Son Watch Auction 19th of October 2009!
Whatever you’re doing on the 19th of October, cancel it. Why, I hear you ask? Because our friends over at Fellows & Sons are presenting a Wrist & Pocket watch auction that is not to be missed. This esteemed auction house has already proved that they are capable of delivering some truly stunning pieces, if you don’t remember you can read about September’s auction here.
Auction Highlights:
Once again the highlight of this auction for me is a Rolex Cosmograph (pictured above) , however, this one is not diamond encrusted. A stainless steel manual wind chronograph, the manufacture date of the watch is circa 1970 and the model number is 6265. The auction report provides some promising further details:
“Rolex watch, movement is currently functioning and appears to be in a generally good condition. There are a few scratches and nibbling to screw heads as a consequence of past servicing, scratched numbered to the inside case back indicate dates of previous services. Movement Calibre: 727 inside Case Back Numbered: 6262 Bracelet Numbered: 357 to initial link, 7835 19 to next link model Number: 6265 Serial Number: 3046553 Serial number dates the watch to circa 1970 however dial believed to date to the earlier 6240 model issued in the late 1960’s…”
The estimate is a very healthy £15,000 – £20,000, expect a lot of interest in this one.
Don’t worry if you are working with a slightly more limited budget, there are plenty of other fantastic watches on offer, including but not limited to:
- Jaeger-LeCoultre stainless steel automatic Master Grand Reveil grand complication watch with perpetual calendar and mechanical alarm circa 2000 (my second favorite!)
- Omega Speedmaster Broad Arrow
- Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore stainless steel gentleman’s automatic chronograph calendar
- Breitling stainless steel manual wind Cosmonaute Navitimer circa 1968
There really are too many fantastic watches to list so do yourself a favor and check out the full on-line catalogue.
The Final Word
Once again Fellow & Sons have delivered another stunning line-up that will have watch enthusiasts the world over salivating. Don’t forget the auction is scheduled to take place on the 19th of October and Fellows & Sons have systems in place to allow you to bid if you are unable to attend in person.
What Does Swiss Made Actually Mean?
It is one of the most sought after and highly valued designations in the world of fine watches yet how many of us really know what it actually means? Does it mean the entire watch including case, movement, strap and so forth have all been lovingly constructed in Switzerland? Its a fair assumption to make, however, unfortunately the reality is quite different.
What Does It Mean To Be ‘Swiss Made’ Watch
According to the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry FH:
“Swiss made” embodies a concept of quality that has been forged over the years. It includes the technical quality of watches (accuracy, reliability, water-resistance and shock-resistance), as well as their aesthetic quality (elegance and originality of design).
Essentially it is deemed to be the ultimate stamp of approval for quality made, precision craftmanship thus making it highly desirable. But how hard is it really to get this accreditation? Under Swiss law, a watch can only be affixed with the label ‘Swiss Made’ if it satisfies the following criteria:
- its movement is Swiss and,
- its movement is cased up in Switzerland and;
- the manufacturer carries out the final inspection in Switzerland.
At first reading these requirements seem quite robust but in reality they are not. Although it may not be considered common knowledge quite a few Swiss companies have been known to have watches assembled in China for export to North America, Asia and even Europe. Whilst powered by a Swiss Movement these watches may consist of a Chinese-made case and crystal, a Taiwan-made dial and metal bracelet and Japanese hands. As long as it is all put together in Switzerland then it will satisfy the requirements for ‘Swiss Made’ approval.
Its important to note though that the law does not so much define Swiss made as it pertains to wrist watches, but rather it sets a minimum standard of what is required for a watch to be considered Swiss made. Often the inherent ‘Swissness’ of a watch is largely dependent on the brand and its reputation.
The Industry’s Take
In a world of increasingly shrinking borders it is not surprising that each country is doing everything they can to protect their own unique skills and services. The Swiss watch industry is no exception with many notable brands joining forces with the FH to decry the perceived laxness of the requirements for the ’swiss made’ accreditation.
In 2007 the FH sought political involvement on a new proposal which stipulated that any mechanical watch in which at least 80% of the production cost can be attributable to operations carried out in Switzerland would be considered as a mechanical Swiss watch. For other watches, particularly electronic watches, this rate would be 60%. Technical construction and prototype development would moreover need to be carried out in Switzerland. Raw materials, precious stones and the battery, however, would be excluded from the production cost. This proposal received a favourable reception from the Federal Authorities who have praised the industry’s determination to safeguard the reputation and credibility of the Swiss made label in the watchmaking sector.
Although steps are starting to be taken to increase the robustness of the accreditation no final agreement has yet been reached.
The Final Word
Arguably the ’swiss made’ designation is as valuable if not more valuable than the brand name itself. However, it is important to note that the two work in conjunction together to bring their value offering to the end consumer. Although the above certainly suggests there is some room for further improvement and the value of the label may be more perceived than real, it cannot be denied that this still offers consumers a degree of certainty over the quality of manufacture. As previously mentioned though, the inherent ‘Swissness’ of a watch is often largely dependent on the brand and its reputation and so to ensure that you are getting the best quality product possible its up to you to do your research.
Reading this article was a great start!
Fighting Fakes: Part Two
In part two of my two-part special on counterfeit watches it is my goal to equip you with some valuable hints and tips on how to steer clear of imitators. Unfortunately the rapid progression in the design and manufacturing capabilities of the black market has meant that identifying a counterfeit watch has become far more difficult. However, there are some steps you can take as a consumer to protect yourself. Read on to learn more.
If you missed Part One you can read it here.
There’s fake and then there’s fake!
I think it’s fair to say that most people who buy a counterfeit watch do so with the knowledge that they are not purchasing the genuine article. However, what many consumers fail to realise is that there are two levels of counterfeit watch. The first is an extremely cheap imitation. The watch carries a luxury name but there’s no effort made to copy details of the real watch. Sellers assume a customer who pays $30 on a street corner must know it’s a fake and therefore must know that they’re not getting a “real bargain” on a $2000 watch.
A higher-quality fake is one designed to closely resemble the real product. It may incorporate real gold, diamonds and leather. It may have a case that bears a legitimate model number, but have other parts that are poor-quality substitutes. Such a watch will sell for hundreds or even thousands of dollars, and an uneducated buyer could take it to be genuine. However, it is of inferior quality, made with questionable parts and workmanship. Tips to avoid this situation:
- Only purchase your watch from an authorized dealer or from a trusted source (if you are purchasing second-hand.)
- Do your research. There is abundant information available on the internet on nearly every make and model of luxury watch. Make sure you know what the watch should be made of, the different dial variations, etc. Very often counterfeit watches of luxury brands will bear the same name and branding but the design will be unlike any the watchmaker has ever released.
- Make sure the watch comes with a valid warranty. Even if you are buying online many re-sellers will offer 1 – 2 year warranties.
- If it’s too good to be true it probably is. If there is a highly limited edition watch going for an unbelievable price chances are it’s probably fake. Again though, do your research. There are genuine bargains to be found online and you don’t want to miss out.
Genuine Fakes
Another emerging trend is the practice of misleadingly representing inexpensive watches as if they were fine luxury timepieces. They are sold under their own brand name, so they are not fakes of another company’s brand. But their products are of modest to staggeringly cheap manufacture and have none of the merits of the fine, expensive brands they allude to. The typical scam on these are a combination of:
- An impressive Swiss, German or European sounding name.
- An impressive “retail price” or “RRP” (recommended retail price).
- Fancy verbiage that sounds like what a luxury watch brand would say.
- Impressive comparisons of features to those of “other” luxury timepieces.
- A special price you can buy it for that is incredibly below the retail price.
The deception here is that claimed retail price is a complete lie. These watches sell regularly at prices that are a trivial fraction–often as much as 70-95% off–of their claimed retail value. How can they sell them so cheap? Simple, they are cheap watches. Ones made to be profitably sold in the lower price range of their actual asking price. Any perception that these luxury impostors are even remotely worth their advertised retail price is nothing more than pure marketing bravado and intentional deception. So be aware of big discounts on seemingly ‘high-end’ brands that you’ve never actually heard of before.
The Final Word
The above is only a microcosm of the information that is available on the internet to help you protect yourself from counterfeiters. However, the onus is on you to do your research and be aware of the potential pitfalls of not buying from an authorized dealer. Having said that, as I mentioned before there are plenty of good bargains out there so arm yourself with as much information as possible and make the judgement call.
Does anyone else have any additional hints and tips or experiences with counterfeit watches that they would like to share with other readers?
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