Horological Meandering

SJX : You are clearly a fan of Patek but yet you have some frustration acquiring certain Patek models. The brand says the reason for the scarcity of its watches is due to production constraints. What do you think of that?

Owner: I would tend to agree that due to their high quality control, I imagine that they would encounter said production constraints. Having said that, their recent attempts to identify qualified buyers of their high complications by noting the buyer’s past purchases and current collection seems to be skewed; that is alienating Patek fans - myself included. 

Why is it that legitimate enthusiasts of their watches have to be subject to this sort of classification, sort of a profiling? No problem if they let us know exactly what they want or prefer [in terms of buyer profile], but they don’t. 100% of all my watches are purchased with my name on the certificate and from 2 of their more recognized ADs only and as such, have never paid anything over list price.

An article in their magazine did seem to say what they seem to be looking for [when selecting clients] but an acknowledgement of the letter to the factory [requesting a particular watch] is the least they can do. For after all, we are not asking for free watch but to buy it with our hard earned money.

As such, I am sad to say that I am pretty much fed up with the brand and am happy to have encountered higher horology in the watches of the AHCI members. It is indeed very refreshing to buy watches from people with soul. This allows us to share in their vision of what watches can be. A trait Patek used to have but seem to have lost - at least to this former enthusiast of the brand.

SJX : So now you are moving on to the more esoteric stuff from the AHCI, any watchmaker in particular you’re a fan of? Are there any other non-AHCI brands that have caught your fancy too?

Owner: I am very fond of Kari’s work, his Observatoire amongst his other pieces truly give meaning to a watch with soul. A watch’s basic function is to be able to tell the time and it is also a very accurate one too. Of course, the excellent finish is something to behold as well.

Vianney’s Antiqua holds a very special place in my heart as well since it was my first serious piece from AHCI. [Buying it was] a leap of faith without ever seeing one in the metal, having just from the pictures, as well as listening to Dr Bernard Cheong raving about it. That was enough to convince me on it. Absolutely no regrets. Well, actually one: I should have gotten another one for my wife who shares it with me - sometimes too much. Well, she actually shares the Classic with me so…

Vianney Halter Antiqua in platinum  

Another is the Roger Smith Series 2. The excellent photos on the forums do little justice to this magnificent piece.  Having seen one in the metal, my untrained eyes can see the human side of this watch, the subtle hints of a human touch seen here and there. To others, this might seem a deterrent to buying it but seeing them only enhances its appeal to my eyes.

And of course Philippe Dufour. Again, having only seen this in the metal once, I have no qualms about saying that if I have the good fortune to own one someday, it will be with me for the rest of my life, to accompany me in the incoming vagaries of life as we know it. A keeper for sure. In one word, it is perfect.

Also, Journe. I am quite keen on this brand as well since it does offer a different take on what a classic watch can be. His innovations combined with his flair do show up in his watches and am proud to say am a fan of him and his watches as well.

And Richard Mille. Granted that this relatively new upstart seems to be veering away from where he was a few years ago, I still give this brand and some of the older models a toast. A true vanguard in pushing, extending the limits of how a watch can be used. My wife enjoys the few pieces that we have as well.

And of course the watches of MB&F. I don’t really know if I was attracted to the watches first or the admirable marketing savvy of Max Busser. I have observed from an amateur’s point of view this guy when he was still helming Harry Winston. I immediately liked his style and more so his decision to leave while at the top and forge ahead with his own destiny by leveraging all his personal resources, counting on all his lessons learned while at previous employees and going ahead on pure guts. The resulting watches blew me away. Each model so far has imparted parts of his personality well enough to generate a new legion of fans who are all eagerly awaiting his new creations. I count myself as one of them and am very fortunate to have seen both of his first two creations in the metal and what else can I say… they really are masterpieces with no pretence of attempting to be anything else. An appropriate embodiment of Max Busser’s philosophy.

SJX : You are obviously a discerning collector, you also own the ultra-light ALUSIC RM009 amongst others. Richard Mille watches are regarded by some collectors as being expensive for what they are. Can you tell us your rationale behind that purchase?

Richard Mille RM009 with rose gold Datograph  

Owner : I had just started to get into serious Patek stuff by then and was turned on by the allure of the modern take on luxury being espoused by this brand. By this time, I had associated heaviness as a marker of quality in watches. I was enjoying the lightness of titanium in my 002 so you can imagine my surprise when I finally held [the RM009] in my hand. 

I likened the rush of wearing this piece akin to the feeling when wearing the Datograph, this time without the weight. I had dabbled in triathlon and cycling before so had an idea of alternative materials and have always appreciated composites. So the translation of that into a watch case, coupled with a tourbillon all combined to make this a no-brainer purchase for me. 

SJX : Earlier on you mention the emotional appeal of the Datograph, the rush you get when you strap on one; do you think a watch from an independent has even more emotional appeal since it comes from one person, at least in terms of conception?

Owner : I do get an emotional appeal from wearing an Independent watch. However, am it is more of a stroke or caress, unlike the rush I get from wearing the Datograph. To put it graphically, I feel that I am with a nice simple basic girl when wearing an Independent watch wherein she can accommodate my whims, catering to my idiosyncrasies and moods.