Rosneathian
1471
Another fine review: as sober and balanced as these two excellent watches.
Jun 09, 2022,03:15 AM
First thoughts: I've never been a fan of skeletonisation. Call me names but for me front is front and back is back. The tendency towards the "baroque" (as you so aptly put it) also makes to many watches of this kind look like cadavers on the wrist, even if the work involved is of a high order.
These two watches are beautiful, though. There is a fluidity to them that takes full advantage of integration between case and bracelet. They "flow." The use brushed finishing interspersed with high-gloss flourishes tones them down substantially. They both appear much more discreet than they might otherwise be. Nothing blingy about either of them. As for the knurled bezel - long may PF continue to hold on to this as a signature feature of its watches. This too has been toned down over the years from the original two steps to one.
Putting aside my general appreciation of PF of a certain period, I've warmed to this new line. In a matter of months it's filled out impressively and when I speak with merchants they tell me that demand is high. Order books are full for 12 months or more. To put this into context, PF makes roughly 6,000 watches a year, of which about 40 per cent are women's watches (please correct me if there are updated figures here).
As for prices, yes they are high, and way too high for me. Still, judging by the sums some are now fetching on the secondary market PF's approach to preserving "price integrity" seems to be working out (for now at least). These watches are viable and attractive alternatives to oversubscribed models from other brands, with no fatal compromise in quality.