sham1
8994
How long is a wait for a watch acceptable?!
Aug 17, 2022,16:04 PM
Of late, the wait list for many of the sought after watches have lengthened considerably. Some wouid be happy to place their orders and leave their deposits and wait for at least five years or more for a coveted timepiece. Others may find waiting anything more than two years way too long. Last year, I placed an order for a Frodsham which will arrive in 2027. This might seem ludicrous for many but I personally am fine with the time frame. Perhaps having had to wait almost 6 years for my RW Smith Series 1 has given me plenty of practise when it comes to patience! Last year I placed an order for a Murakumo by Kikuchi Nakagawa. The wait was slightly more than 12 months then. Not bad for a small independent that produces only eight watches a year. The wait list is now 120 months - yep, that is10 years which Mr Kikuchi himself has admitted is way too long so he will add another watchmaker to the team.
I think when it comes to independent watchmaking, many may not realise that there are quite a number of small independents that produce fewer than 15 pieces a year. Frodsham with an annual production of 12 pieces, RW Smith with 10 pieces a year or perhaps it is slightly more now, Kikuchi Nakagawa with eight pieces and I believe Aaron Bexei produces fewer than five a year! So it is only natural for the waiting list for these brands to be more than five years. But how about the waiting list for a Rolex Daytona, a Royal Oak or a Patek Philippe sports watch - the demand for these far exceed their supply and unlike the independent brands, no dealer would be able to confirm exactly how long one has to wait for one of these coveted watches. Worse of all, many a time the client may be 'obliged' to buy another watch from the brand before being 'allowed' to buy one of these sought after models.
But I recklessly digress - so how long would you be willing to wait for a watch that you really want? 'Really want' should not appear in that sentence because I always feel we should only buy watches that we love in the first place.
The very beautiful Genmon by Kikuchi Nakagawa, their latest creation which has a 10 year waiting list!
Any of these Frodshams can be yours in 2030!
But you will be well rewarded with one of the most beautiful movements in the industry