What do you get when you combine an Overseas dial, Royal Oak lugs, and a Rolex bezel?

May 25, 2020,11:14 AM
 

The new Wempe Iron Walker Chronograph, 10 years in the making, with an ETA movement.

I find it good looking and wholly derivative. 

My wife thinks Wempe has adopted the Michael Kors business model.

Park



More posts: Royal Oak

  login to reply

Comments: view entire thread

 

Not quite what they hoped

 
 By: Park : May 25th, 2020-11:30
Here's what they had in mind: Photo credit: Getty Images. ...  

I get the chills . . .

 
 By: Dr No : May 25th, 2020-12:13
. . . just viewing that photo. Those guys had iron in their guts to do their job without safety equipment. Art

I just visited an apartment on the 50th floor and couldn't imagine living there after standing on the terrace.

 
 By: Spangles - Dr. Tabby : May 25th, 2020-17:06
These guys working on girders with nothing between them and a long fall blow my mind.

I think when we have to use 3 or more separate sources to describe a design's derivation,

 
 By: Spangles - Dr. Tabby : May 25th, 2020-11:28
Then we must admit that the design possesses at least a modicum of its own character apart from being merely derivative. However, that appears to be much more true of the Chopard Alpine Eagle than this Iron Walker.

Having three or more sources shows neither originality nor a character of it's own

 
 By: Park : May 25th, 2020-11:57
I'd find it derivative if a watch brand were to adopt the entirely plagiarized slogan: "To break the rules you must first master them so as to create one of not many and provide a crown for every achievement." Credits: Audemars Piguet, Vacheron Constantin... 

Okay, but " To break a rule, you must first create one for the next generation"

 
 By: Spangles - Dr. Tabby : May 25th, 2020-17:00
Would be...unique! We could call the brand Au-L-Guet

I like it very much . I think of it as similar to the ingenieur as well.

 
 By: Reuven Malter : May 25th, 2020-11:32
I think the time only model is nicely thin and the diver is special too.

Yes

 
 By: Park : May 25th, 2020-12:05
I like them, too, as they've used lots of my favorite design cues. They seem to have done a fine job of mixing and matching. It's just that innovation requires more. Park

Have you seen the other models?

 
 By: India Whiskey Charlie : May 25th, 2020-11:44
The others are quite nice actually (from Monochrome): monochrome-watches.com / ...  

The middle diver

 
 By: Brandon Skinner : May 25th, 2020-12:09
Inner bezel very similar to the most recent IWC Aquatimers, the metal between the crowns are reminiscent of Enicar. Derivative, yes... but at least they are deriving their pieces from nice looking watches.

3-hand blue dial

 
 By: India Whiskey Charlie : May 25th, 2020-11:58
From Wempe's website: ...  

....and an IWC Ingenieur bracelet

 
 By: vitalsigns : May 25th, 2020-13:19
Not bad, though. At least Wempe could be bothered with a dial color matched date wheel unlike the massively more expensive VC overseas.

Exactly re: date wheel [nt]

 
 By: India Whiskey Charlie : May 25th, 2020-13:32

Great point [nt]

 
 By: Brandon Skinner : May 25th, 2020-16:29

Why, O Why? [nt]

 
 By: nafetS : May 25th, 2020-15:00

Looks like the bastard offspring of the Ingenieur and the Overseas.

 
 By: Modernahab : May 25th, 2020-18:24
Does that make it the "Ingeseas?" Or perhaps the "Overnieur." Frankly, either might be better than "Iron Walker." I have to say, my appreciation for the Alpine Eagle grows when I look at this. Can we tell somebody's in a grouchy mood? 🤨

Not sure what to think of this

 
 By: singingbee : May 27th, 2020-08:39
Basically looks like a mash up of parts from other more iconic watches and lack any identity of its own.