Editor’s Note: This guest post was written by Geert Tibosch, co-owner of the leading Dutch watch platform, DeZinVanLuxe (DZVL), which recently celebrated its fifth anniversary.
The dream of every watch collector: a unique piece, something really special. Earlier than expected, I was going to have the chance to own such a piece; a Lange & Söhne pocket watch, a chronograph from the early 1900’s.
Whether I’d wear such a thing is another question, but owning such a masterpiece would be fantastic. To cut a long story short, at a small auction house in Den Bosch, the Netherlands, they had a pocket watch up for auction. Not just a pocket watch, but the Lange mentioned above. Below you can see the picture of the watch from the catalogue, and below this a picture of the movement, directly from the Lange & Söhne website.
The auction house estimate was set between €350 and €500. This could be a great opportunity to make a dream come true. The week before the auction I collected all possible information about the watch, unfortunately there wasn’t a single comparable watch on the internet.
So we had to make a decision, how much would it be worth to us? Before the auction we looked at the pocket watch once again. Obviously it was special, but how special?
Lot number 6218 was brought into the auction room, we agreed on the maximum amount we were going to bid. The only thing that could help us now was a lack of interest from other bidders. The auction started at €400, to €425, €450… The auctioneer didn’t see my raised hand until another bidder stopped bidding at €700. Now the bidding really began, two candidates with only one goal: bringing in an unprecedented fine Lange & Söhne pocket watch.
Bidding went up quickly to 1,000, 1,500, 2,000, 2,500, 3,000… Phew, we weren’t expecting that. All the literature on auctions says one thing to get the optimum result: decide your maximum bid in advance and do not get distracted by peripheral issues or emotion. No sooner said than done: when bidding reached €3,200 we stopped, however special the pocketwatch seemed to be.
After the lot was sold, the auction was over for us. The winning bidder also left the room and waited for us outside. The only thing we could do, was to congratulate him with this fantastic purchase. We couldn’t resist asking him about his knowledge of the watch.
Dumbfounded he told us this was a really unique piece from Lange & Söhne and he ascribed a value of no less than €25,000 to the pocket watch. We knew it was special, but not that special…
An illusion poorer but an experience richer, the auction ended. We didn’t feel disappointment or regret, only respect for the buyer. With his knowledge and experience he had the key to success!
What an experience!
65mm MEGA watch…pick yours up — in Dubai…
Master watchmaker Antoine Preziuso has a knack for creating incredible watches. Here’s his latest — a 65mm mega watch — the aptly named “Monumental Tourbillon”. With a titanium and pink gold case, Preziuso claims it is the “world’s largest wrist watch tourbillon” and I have no reason to doubt him. The price is MEGA as well — about $310,000. Only 5 will be made. #1 of 5 is probably is sitting in the new Antoine Preziuso boutique in Dubai. More on the watch — the new Dubai Boutique — and Antoine Preziuso — below.
The dial is hand-engraved pink gold. Reportedly the use of titanium metal in the case makes the watch wear-ably light, but I’d be willing to guess it is still quite hefty. Note the serial number is displayed at 12 o’clock.
And here’s the caseback. The movement is built on a pocket watch blank dating back to 1928 (made by the watchmaking school of the Vallée de Joux):
The opening in the caseback of the watch reminds me quite vividly of a famous Dubai landmark — the Dubai Burj Al Arab hotel. I’m not sure if this is a coincidence or not. Do you see the resemblance?
Preziuso created the watch to commemorate the opening of his new boutique in Dubai’s exclusive and very high-end mall, aka Wafi. In this mall he joins the likes of De Grisogono, Chopard, Hublot, JLC, Montblanc, Omega, Parmigiani, Patek Philippe, Piaget, and Rolex, among others. Hey, the man knows where the money is at!!!!
More about Antoine Preziuso. What follows are a few things that I learned about Antoine Preziuso in Masters of Contemporary Watchmaking by Michael Clerizo (a book I reviewed and recommended a couple months ago). From his two-storied building in Plan-les-Ouates Switzerland, Preziuso and his small staff produce less than 1,000 watches annually. About 10% are unique pieces conceived by Preziuso or requested by customers. While many will not recognize his name, he has collaborated on designs with (now bankrupt) German luxury-leather goods maker Goldpfeil, esteemed watch and jewelery brand Harry Winston and New-York based Tiret. Tiret is hip-hop mogul Damon Dash’s exclusive watch and jewelery company. Yes, the same Damon Dash who founded Roc-A-Fella Records along with Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter.
I think it is safe to say that Preziuso’s customers have an average net worth well into the tens of millions of dollars, don’t you?
Partnership renewed, FMF Big Bang refreshed…
The Hublot Big Bang for the Mexican Football Federation (“FMF”) has just been given a nice refresh by the new, Official Watchmaker of FIFA. The original edition (pictured below) was launched in 2007 when Hublot first announced its partnership with the Federation. I say wow, what a difference a few years can make! Bolder use of the official Mexican colors, an openworked dial (ie “Aero Bang”) with red and green accents, and most notably the green gummy alligator strap with red contrast stitching, make this watch a real eye catcher.
44.5mm ceramic case and bezel, limited edition 250 units
The 2007 version:
Incidentally, Hublot’s gummy alligator straps are pretty cool — basically rubber on the inside, alligator on the outside! While these might seem like odd bedfellows, of course they work quite well with Hublot’s “fusion” concept. I can say from experience that the gummy alligator straps have a great feel to them. Personally I’d prefer this watch on a more toned-down black strap!
FMF logo on the sapphire crystal caseback, black PVD clasp
It was “on the pitch” at Estadio Azteca (the fifth largest football stadium in the world seats 105,000), Hublot CEO Jean-Claude Biver presented the very first models of the limited edition series of 250 to the heads of the Mexican Football Federation and to Javier Aguirre, the trainer who will lead the national team in the forthcoming 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
To see more of Hublot’s football partnerships you can check my recent post Huge Bang! Hublot becomes Official Watchmaker of FIFA.
“This is Trieste. We are on the bottom of Challenger Deep. . . . Over.”
– U.S. Navy LT Don Walsh, on January 23, 1960
The watch that is water-resistant to 35,840 feet…in the metal…
Yes, that’s right — 35,840 feet deep, or about 11,000 meters — is how deep the Rolex Deep Sea Special has been. That’s the equivalent of almost 7 miles below the surface. In fact it was to the bottom of the deepest part of Ocean — the southern end of the Mariana Trench known simply as “Challenger Deep” — that the watch and two brave souls went, 50 years ago. It was January 23, 1960, to be precise, and the two brave souls were U.S. Navy LT Don Walsh and Swiss engineer Jacques Piccard. They piloted TRIESTE, a crude vessel known as a bathyscaph, to the “Challenger Deep” and back. And they took a very special Rolex with them. The feat of a human, or a watch, descending to such depths has never been repeated.
Thanks to the great people at Liljenquist & Beckstead of McLean VA (Washington DC), I recently had the privilege and honor to experience firsthand this Rolex Deep Sea Special. As one of the pre-eminent Rolex dealers on the East Coast (among the many other luxury brands they carry — A. Lange, Hublot, Breguet, et al.), Lijenquist & Beckstead was selected to play host to a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the TRIESTE‘s descent aka the “Deepest Dive”.
Specifically, they put on a fine event hosting U.S. Navy LT Don Walsh (co-captain of the TRIESTE) and senior representatives of Rolex USA. And of course, the legendary Rolex Deep Sea Special was front and center.
I must say it was quite an honor to shake hands and chat with LT Don Walsh. If you want to know what a true American Hero is like, you need go no farther than Don Walsh. In my brief conversation with him, Don was wonderful — easy to speak with and clearly full of knowledge stemming from his lifetime of experience in and around the marine environment. I only wish I had more time to question and listen to the stories of his achievement and adventure. Don was gracious to make himself available for several hours at the store, chatting with fans and enthusiasts, signing autographs, shaking hands, and posing for pictures (don’t mind that non-Rolex wearing fellow on the right):
In the below photo, Don Walsh explains the TRIESTE. The sphere at the bottom of the vessel that Walsh is pointing to is where he and Piccard were situated for the mission — about the size of a large refrigertator, according to Walsh. And for **just** 9 hours! Interestingly, as Walsh explained it, the Rolex Deep Sea Special was not technically affixed to the outside of the vessel (though obviously was still exposed to the ocean elements and every bit of the pressure). Did I just shatter a bit of popular watch folklore?
Not surprisingly, Don Walsh has been a Rolex-wearer since 1960. And the man knows how to throw down a wrist shot:
Doing a bit of research on the topic, I came to discover that there are myriad reports of Don Walsh and Jacques Piccard’s famous journey. For example, Jake’s Rolex Blog has extensive writings on the subject. Thus the reason that the focus of this article is on my personal experience with Don Walsh and the Rolex Deep Sea Special and not much more. I will, however, recommend two very recent, very nicely written articles that I came across that I think you will enjoy.
First, Navy honors officer 50 years after voyage to ocean depths, by Michael E. Ruane, The Washington Post (excerpt below):
The sunlight began to fade a few hundred feet down. Shades of gray turned to black. The steel structure groaned as the water pressure increased, and the Trieste sank toward the fabled gorge in the Pacific Ocean floor known as Challenger Deep.
One thousand feet. Two thousand feet. At 2,400 feet, the two crewmen dimmed the cabin lights to let their eyes adjust. At about 13,000 feet, they entered the abyssal zone — “the timeless world of eternal darkness,” one of them wrote later.
At 31,000 feet, they echo-sounded for the bottom. There was no return. At 32,400 feet, a thick window cracked with a bang. Farther down they went. Into the bleak hadal zone, named for Hades, the ancient Greek underworld. Finally, at 35,800 feet, then-Navy Lt. Don Walsh, 28, phoned the surface: “This is Trieste. We are on the bottom of Challenger Deep. . . . Over.”
and Deepest Dive: Geographic Honors Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, by Ford Cochran, National Geographic (exerpt below):
…National Geographic bestowed its highest honor, the Hubbard Medal, on Walsh in a ceremony at our Washington, D.C. headquarters. The U.S. Department of the Navy also awarded Walsh its Distinguished Public Service Award.
“Don Walsh is one of only two people to have visited Earth’s deepest place, and no one else has come close,” said Gil Grosvenor, National Geographic’s chairman of the board. “His accomplishment ranks along with those of our other Hubbard Medal recipients, people like Robert Byrd, Charles Lindbergh, and Robert Ballard.” Jacques Piccard died in 2008, at the age of 86.”
In summary, let me again extend my thanks and congratulations to everyone at Liljenquist & Beckstead for the fine event. And a very special thank you also goes to freelance photographer Dunks Photo for the first class camera work.
50 years later, I and the rest of the world look back in awe and wonder on the inspirational achievement of Don Walsh, Jacques Piccard, and the Rolex Deep Sea Special!
***
Check out Perpetuelle.com’s new pre-owned marketplace:
Onyx…
As I was recently reviewing some of the new watches presented at Baselworld, I came across this beauty from Swatch Group-owned Montres Jaquet Droz – the Grande Heure Minute Onyx. It is said that of all the stones used by Montres Jaquet Droz’s expert dial-makers, onyx is particularly admired. This composition of onyx (dial) and steel (case) is particularly alluring. In a world of intricate and often highly detailed watch designs, this watch really stands apart in a simple, graceful sort of way. Definitely the standout piece in the 2010 Jaquet Droz collection.
“Majestic Beijing”
43mm stainless steel case, Reference J017030201, Centered hours and minutes. Small seconds subdial at 9 o’clock, comes on a rolled-edge hand made black alligator leather strap with matching stainless steel buckle
Price may be in the $15,000 range, but just a guess.
A timeless timpiece…
As I noted in my last post, I am feeling the need for a return to simplicity. And here it is, a beautiful piece from the very soft-spoken Swiss-watch brand H. Moser & Cie. Much like the H. Moser Perpetual Moon that I featured a month ago, the H. Moser & Cie Mayu Marrone is a fantastic watch for those who prefer the classical watch aesthetic. The more I read about H. Moser & Cie the more I come to like and appreciate this relatively recently re-launched brand (2002). With a strong watchmaking heritage, limited total production, in-house movements, emphasis on after-sales service, and timeless design, the brand has a lot going for it, in my view. But more on this later — here is the MAYU MARRONE, in each of the two new variants it will be produced in:
38.8mm three-part designer case in rose gold (9.3mm thin), crocodile leather strap with a rose gold folding clasp
Ref. 321.503-015: CHF 12,500 / € 8,200
Ref. 321.503-016: case in white gold, crocodile leather strap with a white gold folding clasp
CHF 12,500 / € 8,200
Moser Cal. HMC321.503 movement is a hand-wound movement w/80 hour power reserve, modular escapement
H. Moser touts the “pocket watch-style” seconds sub-dial on its Mayu collection. The Mayu collection is, intersingly, a tribute to Heinrich Moser’s first wife, Charlotte Mayu. While the pocket-watch style sub-dial isn’t something I was particularly conscious of, it makes sense upon further reflection — a remnant of traditional pocket watches, this type of sub-dial is not common in wristwatches today. Looking closely you can see that the pocket watch-style seconds sub-dial extends as far as the minute chapter ring (the outer edge of the dial & case). This means that the movement size must be adapted to the case dimensions and that no movement retaining ring between the movement and the case is used. While this seems perhaps a minor detail, it is a in fact a very thoughtful and traditional one. Or as As H. Moser puts it “This is exclusivity in its purest form” — I wholeheartedly agree! Just the kind of fine attention to detail that I like in watches! This stands in contrast to watches whose case diameter far outsizes the movement. Such configurations (placing a small diameter movement into a large case) can create an oddly proportioned dial-to-bezel or dial-to-case ratio as you can see if you click through the link in the prior sentence.
The H. Moser MAYU MARRONE – a perfect watch for the discerning watch enthusiast!
Did You Know?
The first internationally active company founded by Heinrich Moser was the St. Petersburg trading company, H. Moser & Co. From this name, he developed the company signature in Latin and Cyrillic script, which was almost always accompanied by a medallion. Until about 1918, these symbols were the standard signature on all watches supplied by Moser’s watch company. In 1829, Heinrich Moser opened a watch factory in Le Locle, which also bore the name “H. Moser & Co.”.
The Russian operation had to be abandoned in 1917 in the aftermath of the October Revolution. In about 1920, the State-owned “Central Watch Repair Workshop” was formed in Moscow from the remains of the Moser watch businesses, from which a watch production facility of its own would eventually emerge. Moser watches continued to be regarded as synonymous with work of the highest quality for some considerable time afterwards. In 1966, the Government of the USSR presented one of its high-ranking military officers with an original Moser pocket watch in 18-carat gold, dating from the period before the expropriation and bearing an engraved dedication.
The name of Moser also died out in this branch of the family in 1923 with the death of Heinrich Moser’s only son, who had no male offspring. Dr. Jürgen Lange and the great-grandson of Heinrich Moser, Roger Nicholas Balsiger, jointly with private investors, founded the watch company Moser Schaffhausen AG in 2002. Dr. Lange also registered the original brand H. Moser & Cie again internationally.
Another barely tolerable piece unique…
Wow. Flamboyant? Yes. Over the top? Yes. Impressive? Maybe, but how to get past the flamboyance! Would a man actually wear this 48.5mm chunk of gold and diamonds? That’s all I can think of at the moment. I need a return to simplicity! Here’s the new Concord C1 EternalGravity:
48.5mm white gold case, mechanical hand-wound movement, flyback chronograph, tourbillon, power-reserve, 18.5mm thick
403 gems totalling 25.31 carats — black diamonds, white diamonds, carnelians
Nice try…
But is this really the “DNA” that legends are made of?
While others are fine to simply reprint the Romain Jerome press release on this one, I am not. This watch borders on the is absurd. Why? It is way too opportunistic if you ask me. The press release –heck the whole concept — seems all too hastily put together for my liking. Will the finished product even look nearly as spectacular as the press image (below)? I am skeptical. But really that’s beside the point here.
Maybe I am reading too far into this, but is this volcano really such a legendary event in human history to associate your brand with? Show me something positive about what this Eyjafjallajökull volcano has done for the world. In fact it is just the opposite — it has caused great chaos, hardship, economic loss and disruption. It is not a source of pride, at least from my perspective. Actually the Titanic (another RJ concept watch) is not much different in this regard, except it happened almost a 100 years ago, i.e. the pain, suffering and economic loss is well past, and it did in fact become a defining moment in history. As for this event — well who knows how history will record it 10, 15, 20, 100 years from now. Whether Eyjafjallajökull is largely forgotten or not — I think the one (and hopefully only) watch inspired by it will quite quickly lose its meaning and worth.
In a case that was ruled on December 3, 2008 by the United States Court of the Ninth Appeals, the Associated Press reports that the U.S. Supreme Court will hear Costco’s appeal of the Ninth circuit’s ruling that sided with Omega in its attempt to invoke U.S. copyright law to halt the discount sales. Beyond just Omega and Coscto, the case has important implications for discount sellers (e.g. Costco, eBay and others) that form an estimated $58 billion annual market for goods that are purchased abroad, then imported and resold without the permission of the manufacturer — ie the “gray market”.
Be sure to check out the good synopsis and discussion over at Patently-O blog. Or drop a comment with your thoughts below!
If you are not aware…
there is a good series going on right now by my friends over at The Watch Lounge. Titled “How to Move Forwards While Looking Backwards – Innovation In the Watch Industry”, it is a multi-part “Special Series” with two articles published thus far and more to come this week. Please click through to read them – click here for Part 1 which contains some insights from the always interesting Hublot CEO Jean-Claude Biver, whom The Watch Lounge recently sat down with. And stay tuned in, after all, who doesn’t like a good Special Series! Cheers Tom!
