Independents

I'll play...

 

Independent: I've been attracted to independent watches since I first became aware of them in the early part of this decade. I'm certainly a fan of Dufour's Simplicity and I even took the time to visit him in 2005. But I didn't order one due to the fact that I was a dedicated VC collector. I came to regret that decision and started to look at other independent watchmakers (Dufour had since closed the order book on the Simplicity). Kari had come onto the scene and I was impressed by both his movement finishing and sense of design. But my inquiry about getting an Observatory watch happened between the time when his first stock of Peseux movements had been allocated but before he had received a second batch to make another production run.

I still had the bug and I discovered Daniel Roth's work after he left his eponymous brand. The Jean Daniel Nicolas two-minute tourbillon is what I ultimately ordered, and of course is my "one forced choice." Below is one of Daniel's progress report photographs:

Mainstream: If I begin with the independent watch, I'd like to balance it aesthetically with a contrasting piece from a mainstream brand (whereas many collectors seem to go to independents like Halter, Sarpaneva, MB&F, and Urwerk for the bold and innovative designs as a contrast with the more classical pieces from mainstream brands). I'm choosing Vacheron Constantin and the Quai de l'Ile. I'd take the titanium Date model. I find it versatile as both a dress and sport watch in terms of appearance.




Bill