Fastwong
2579
While I agree we have gone too far in prioritizing finishing and finishing isn't watchmaking, I would also argue that maybe the industry was too focused on mechanics previously
In a world of cad and cnc, complications aren't the same summit they used to be and accuracy holds less value than ever. It's not too different with sports cars, while the traditional car makers keep going for more power, 800hp, 1000hp, 1500hp, etc the demand for ultimate restomods like, Singers, Alfaholics, Emory motorsports, simpler cars made perfect has gone crazy. Coachwork and engine building like watch finishing has become huge because hp has never mattered less now that you can get the quartz watch equivalent in a used tesla for less than a minivan.
I don't know where we go from here and technical innovation is still exciting but I think the legacy brands will need to lean more heavily into the artistic and creative side of watchmaking in the future. That doesn't have to mean endless bridge polishing or finishing screws you can't see or going all MB&F with their designs baby steps. There's a whole range of traditional métiers d'art to revive and modernize. Enamel, guilloche, stonework, hand painting, etc updated for today's market. Rolex released the new platinum 1908 with a guilloche dial and they did the cloisonne enamel puzzle dial, if they can figure it out at that scale the other brands can too. Patek has said they want to bring more craft in house, LV just released a flinque enamel guilloche dial, it's happening.... Rolex daytona with a display back, stripes and gold chatons, it's getting craaazy
WARNING: Free-flowing thoughts about horology. Read at your own risk!!!
Moderator Edit: Pic removed Ok, sure, many of us laughed at the Elmo pic above, but what does that really say about not only us, but the horology industry and their clients AS IT RELATES TO modern times? Look, many of us oldtimers agree classic Breguet ti...
Guilty as charged
I have been totally utterly called out. I have Open Works by Moser, MB&F, Armin Strom, Romain Gauthier, Greubel Forsey, even a Christopher Ward Bel Canto, I keep looking at the Breguet and think "Hmm... kinda fits the bill" but then I just don't feel ...
Niiiice and major congrats, you have an exceptional collection driven by passion. []~(￣▽￣)~*
As we are well into the beginning of the 'New Generation', feeling that hard rush may also be a sign of progress in modern horology. Yes, we appreciate Breguet and others, but.....
I wouldn't limit my choices to only
micro independents. Rolex, Patek and the rest of the "establishments" still make desirable watches. A rational collector in my view possess a variety of watches in their collection and enjoy them on their own merits. ...
100% agree, no limits. A classic Rolex (and Breguet) is timeless. Thankfully, we live in a time when there are an abundance of choices.
And am grateful our choices are expanding. New watchmakers, new micros, more watchmakers going out on their own..... The 1900 are gone, the challenging 1970s/80s are gone... welcome to 2025. (〃￣︶￣)人(￣︶￣〃)
💯% agree with you on that .
While i started collecting indies many years ago and a majority of my collection are independent brands i also like to look at and sometimes buy the bigger brands tbh . Recently i am a sucker for older Breguet,s and hope to add a nice PP in the near futur...
Life is like a box of chocolates.
except we always know what we are going to get, when it comes to watches. Honestly, I like the old, I like the edgy and everything in between. If I stick to one thing that one thing eventually get's old. So it's nice to have choices from the plethora of c...
History
I think the men like Breguet, Patek, Constantin, Perregaux, Wilsdorf, Lange, Hattori and many others would say We have laid a solid foundation for you now go forth and create but never forget whence you came. That’s just me.
Exactly, never forget where it all began. Celebrate it, and the history through the decades and past generations.
Same goes for the early 1900s sports cars, ~1700s steam engine designs, how we first constructed tall structures... the Romans contributed to human progress. So do the Swiss Wonder what quantum computing might design in the future... or Stephen McDonnell....
I remember when it was about how many tourbillons can you fit into a movement/dial?
In the last years the new trend focuses (too much) on finishing. It's rare to see a new escapement and most of the time it's just an update or minor improvement of old escapements. Don't get me wrong, there's absolutely a great quality because hand finish...
Maybe
I personally love seeing how far finishing can be pushed - similar to an athletic feat. At the same time, I agree RE: maybe the focus drifting too far towards finishing, but I think MB&F is a good example of a brand that provides unique design, amazing en...
You both make very good points.👍
And agree, wholly love and respect where horology began, being key for more precise navigation, etc. And the 1900s saw more progress. Now in 2025 we have additive manufacturing, laser this, precision CNC that, or forget people and use robotics to make the...
IIRC Dufour told that it takes 5 hours to polish a screw
Nobody will ever look at these screws, except for the screw head, and they are so small that using a magnifying glass becomes extremely tiring after a while, unless you are looking through a microscope camera. All of which is to say that finishing doesn't...
While I agree we have gone too far in prioritizing finishing and finishing isn't watchmaking, I would also argue that maybe the industry was too focused on mechanics previously
In a world of cad and cnc, complications aren't the same summit they used to be and accuracy holds less value than ever. It's not too different with sports cars, while the traditional car makers keep going for more power, 800hp, 1000hp, 1500hp, etc the de...
Agreed, we're able to / it is 'getting crazy' nowadays. Tho there are crazies who love that style / genre of mechanical engineering. Thankfully, progress means moving forward to modern times and modern abilities.
Finally we can all relax since we no longer have to worry about accuracy. With a small bit of regulation effort on my part the $300 Timex here is quite accurate. Of course there will be fun 'retro' timepieces in the coming years, and what we one day may c...
Video: Mods versus Trads.... How the Mod subculture changed society forever.
"History doesn't repeat itself, but it often rhymes" -- Mark Twain Video below.