Independents

WHL
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The Wait

It’s excrutiating....

So near, and yet so far....( I know, I’m repeating myself)

I’ve seen numerous posts about people taking delivery of their watches from independent watchmakers. The excitement of the owners is visceral as they tease us with a series of progressively more revealing photograph. A Brink’s bag is opened to reveal a box nested inside of a box inside of a box. Finally the watch is displayed. At long last their watch has arrived!!

Why ship? The wait for a watch from an independent watchmaker is typically a time consuming affair. People have waited years for their Philippe Dufour Simplicity to arrive. The wait for a Voutilainen watch is comparatively short, but still long when compared with a special order watch from a major brand at your local AD. Shipping is quick, sating the desire that gnaws at the collector who chooses to go this route.

I had planned to have my Jean Daniel Nicolas two-minute tourbillon shipped when it was completed. But when I wrote about it being almost complete and my plans to have it shipped, a number of you responded that I should go to Le Sentier to pick it up in person. Great idea!

So, as of March 1, 2010, my watch is ready. It has been assembled and thoroughly tested. Great:

Dear Nicole and Daniel,

Looking at my calendar for the month of March, the only time I would be able to come to Switzerland would be to leave Boston on Sunday, March 21 and to return home on Tuesday March 23. It would  be a quick trip, but I expect it would be unforgettable!!

My fear is that it will conflict with Daniel's commitments at Basel for Maitres du Temps. Please let me know as soon as possible if this time frame works for you as well.
 
Best regards,
 
Bill



Dear Bill,
 
Daniel is truly sorry but, he is going to Basel for Maîtres du Temps from 17 to 25 March and of course, Daniel would be pleased if you could postpone your trip until later.


(insert choice words here)


Well, I’ve proposed another set of dates for April and hope that I’ll get a favorable response from the Roth’s soon. It will have been 35 months from deposit to delivery if this works out!!

So, until such time as I can report on meeting with Daniel and photographing the watch, you’ll have to live with pictures from my personal archive of JDN photographs. Below is a series of photos of the development of the plates of my watch and a comparison shot of some earlier examples (The first watches from JDN were either shipped to Japan or stayed in Europe. Consequently, the movements did not need to be engraved with the its place of origin and the number of jewelers contained within, information which US customs requires). It is interesting to see the various stages of finishing applied over time.

Photo by IanS
This is Piece No O and the original design for the case back that Daniel Roth intended

Two of the earliest photos I received from the Roth's of the plates in rough form.

Daniel's new layout of the additional text.
One of the few things Daniel outsources is the engraving of the plates.

Now with perlage

The assembled watch!!

April 12th is the day!!

Bill