Hororgasm[PuristSPro Moderator]
7545
Completion of Indie Box One
Apr 19, 2022,09:41 AM
Friends, Purists, Collectors, lend me your ears........
51 years ago, almost to the exact day, at the height of the Cuban Missile crisis, in a letter to Chairman Khrushchev, President John F Kennedy ended with "The great revolution in the history of men, past, present and future, is the revolution of those determined to be free". We hear tons of marketing literature from Indie brands, about revolution in watch making, being rebels...yes, Mr. Busser, talking about you ... I have been reading tons of interviews from a lot of independent watchmakers and brands over the last 15 years, a common theme, is being independent and free to explore and create. That degree of "independence" depends on the ability of the watchmaker, the capabilities of the brand, and its connectivity(codependence even) to the rest of fellow Indie watchmakers and supply chain. Even the naming of the very professional grouping AHCI, Academie Horlogere des Createurs Indepedants, carries that message loud and clear.
I started collecting Indies in early 2000s, not as a genre, but as "just another interesting watch". I was subconsciously developing a healthy respect for Indie watchmakers, and that respect and understanding process, back in the late 2000s, were from watch sites like our beloved Puristspro, and back then Indie watchmakers would communicate direct to their collectors....no Zoom, physical meetings when they are in town, and subsequently thru emails. Singapore was then at the forefront of Independent collecting.....luminaries like Dr Bernard Cheong and then Purists moderator SJX were giving a healthy dose of publicity to these Indies locally, supported by ADs like The Hourglass and Sincere Fine Watches that were pioneers in selling Indies locally. That subconscious would become a CONCIOUS, in capital letters, and in 2011, I decided to create a Indie collection that in my humble opinion, spans time, price, complications and history. I am not interested in having 20 Journes(would be nice, doubt I can ever afford it though), or having every Horological Machines created( would be nice, doubt I will be allocated though)....you get the drill. The idea for the Indie box is curating what I think is horologically relevant(very subjective, but then again, its MY box), across price spectrum, creation processes, watchmakers, collaborations, from different eras....subjected to what I can find and afford. Box One also captures the evolution of Indies from a semi cottage industry to a more glamour driven must have mentality of current days.
I am actually half way thru Box Two, and I hope to present it next year this date. I end this post with a quote from the celebrated watch auctioneer Aurel Bacs
"Independence can be a lonely adventure, and only few find success. By signing their work, these makers put their reputation on the line with every watch they produce. They have given their collectors the greatest luxuries, the gift of choice. Their watches are atypical and that is why we love them"
best, and free
Horo