tom3
145
Receding soul.....
Without wishing to speak negatively of various brands, it does amaze me how so many watch companies today, be them old school or modern, seem to pay little attention to the 'character' of a watch. For me the majority of watches manufactured today just look like cad animations plonked straight from screen to wrist.
In part, this is because now 'designers' are generic and not item specific which inevitably leads to new offerings being 'soulless' . This coupled with the fact that many of the now established brands have long since sold out to one luxury group or another, who naturally have no real horological culture or lengthy history to speak of, are perhaps the two main reasons as to why watches today suffer from receding soul.
One could also argue that it's far harder for contemporary brands to inject soul or 'character' into their offerings, as this is normally associated with the more old school brands. You know, the type of brands you associate old oak panelled libraries and such like! This however is not so as actually, many of the 'musky wood panelled watches' have indeed lost their va-va-va-voom if you ask me.
So, how is it that Richard Mille seem to have come up with an uber contemporary design yet with all the soul from 'ye days of ole'? One might say that it's Richard himself that injects this but I'm not so sure as he's not exactly steeped in horological history.
What ever the answer, for me the best example is the RM27 which boasts the greatest contrast between contemporary ground breaking design, with it's ultra light toubillon mouvment built upon shock absorbers, to its old school throw back use of a plastic glass. These two contrasting characteristics, when blended together as perfectly as RM seem to now manage, will pass that infamous test of a watches character every time. Be it a vintage Rolex Bubble-back, a 1930s Jaeger Reverso or even a Richard Mille. Does it make you smile?
Receding soul.....
Without wishing to speak negatively of various brands, it does amaze me how so many watch companies today, be them old school or modern, seem to pay little attention to the 'character' of a watch. For me the majority of watches manufactured today just loo...
I quite agree ...
Personally, I like contemporary styles and I'm quite open-minded about design choices, liking classics and in the same time many of the UFOs poping here and there since less than 2 decades. Nevertheless, I would maybe like to add, for the defense of the m...
Great post Tom - and I have to agree...
I have been in the room on a number of occasions when journalists, collectors, or enthusiasts have seen and held the RM027 for the first time. I see the look on the face, and then the smile. A smile that begins with a grin and before you know it, from ear...
Well I for one can say that RM watches are the only brand that's makes me feel real good
And constantly smile and feel real cool I've owned lots of brands APs,PPs and the likes but none have left me feeling the same way as do RM I too believe that RM is the new classic of the modern watch and definetly NOT soulless and quit the opposite It ha...
Agreed, Tom
And I think the 3rd paragraph in Riddler's is a big contributing factor to the 'soul' of RM : "RICHARD is a great person to meet and be with. A true spirit that is pure and energetic which he reflects through his watches" Those fortunate enough to have sp...
