Benzinger Custom Watch Collection Arrival

m2 · 2021-12-28T15:24:38Z

Explore m2's custom Jochen Benzinger watch, featuring unique hand-guilloché and engraving. Discover the customization process, value, and finishing details.

Jochen Benzinger stands out in the independent watchmaking scene for his distinctive hand-guilloché and engraving. In this review, m2 shares his experience commissioning a custom Benzinger timepiece, offering a rare glimpse into the collaborative design process and the unique value proposition of this German artisan. His insights are particularly valuable for collectors considering a personalized independent watch.

Just received this and thought I’d put a quick review together.

I modified one of Benzinger’s models to reveal the balance - which is just the right amount of skeletonization in my opinion.

Wait time, I think I ordered this in May, and received it today, on Christmas Eve. Pricing was very reasonable too for what I paid.

His guilloche work is awesome, you can tell it’s done by hand and deep. The engraving is great too. If you love engraving and guilloche, then Benzinger is probably the watchmaker for you.

Process wise, he basically drew out different ideas and iterations until we settled on something. He was super patient with me and the process was quite smooth despite the slight language barrier.

The quality of work is quite good. Is it as pristine as something like the Gronefeld Principia or Lange Zeitwerk I’ve had? No. But at the price point and for the level of handwork + features Benzinger is doing, it’s 100% acceptable. It’s basically stuff you would find from other independents around this range. You won’t find thick anglage or extensive black polish here, but that’s not the kind of finishing you’re paying for - it’s all in the engraving.

I am already thinking of a second watch.

Btw he also included a rubber strap which is curved to fit the watch perfectly as well as a Milanese bracelet. I’ll probably keep it on the rubber.

One other thing I’ll mention, his work seems to have improved noticeably from the other pics floating around.

This watch has led me to put my Breguet Marine on the chopping block too. The last thing I wanted to mention is that I’m a lot happier with this watch than others because of how fun the process was with Benzinger. Being a part of that makes it feel much more impactful than watches I’ve had that are 10x the price.

Key Points from the Discussion

The customization chosen by m2, particularly the skeletonization revealing the balance, is highly praised for its aesthetic appeal.
There is community interest in Benzinger offering rubber straps, with a fellow collector eager to see how it integrates with the watch's design.
m2 confirms Benzinger offers rubber straps, noting a recent Instagram post by the watchmaker featuring a blue rubber strap on a watch.

The Discussion

jlux

Dec 28, 2021

The customization you choose looks just fantastic. I still love my Benzinger and I am curious to see pictures of the rubber strap as I was not aware of Jochen offering those. Best, Gerard

Dec 28, 2021

Ill post some once I get it on the rubber strap. The watch he just posted around Christmas time on Instagram has a blue rubber strap on it.

jlux

Dec 29, 2021

The rubber strap really looks good with its integrated look. Looking forward to see your pictures as this rubber strap might be an ideal companion for my Black-Orange Benzinger.

Dec 29, 2021

Love your Benzinger! Would definitely go rubber.

Key Points from the Discussion

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