Horological Meandering

Dear All, Would there be a market for the same watch with different levels of movement finishing? Would you be willing to pay more for this, or even specify hand versus machine finishing - we can currently do that for strap stitching. We already see a for... 

...there are a variety of folks who offer movement engraving for a fee -- the Habrings come to mind here with their "Carinthian" engraving options. PSM added engraving of the automatic winder base plate on my Shimoda as a no-charge option when I bought th... 

... with choices of finishing types. But usually in limited numbers. I wonder if there is a market at the other end? Art’s Omega Seamaster and Speedmaster example is a good one. Although the watchmakers don’t offer this in isolation: you get a solid back ... 

RGM offer different movement finishes in decoration, skeletonisation etc on their traditional range which use old Hamilton pocketwatch movements. TOURBY do the same using the Unitas movements. BENZINGER as well. There are others but i cant think of them o... 

I would pay for premium finishing. However, I think it dilutes a brand to have different levels of a watch on its regular menu. We look at brands in their history when they offered multiple levels of finishing; for instance some brands used to offer a low... 

... when Union Glashütte produced watches with more or less the same movements as Glashütte Original (Union cal. 26 and GO cal. 39), but Union's movements were machine finished, and lacked the swan-neck regulation, compared to the hand finish (except the ... 

but it sounds like I am in the minority.

We all have in mind brands that provide different levels of finishing in there colection (whether for the material or for the engraving, chamfering, hedging quality etc ). JLC is a good example. I think that these differences must be very clearly identifi... 

There are those who refuse to buy watches that are made in precious metals (mainly gold and platinum) if the company offers the watch in steel (or titanium) as well. They feel the availability of the 'cheap' case lessens the value of the precious metal ca... 

I would accept it even if it also exists in steel. But not the finishing working.

I'm in what is probably a miniscule minority: I actively dislike obsessive finishing and consider it detracts from the basic questions - "Does it keep good time? Is it reliable? Can it be serviced easily? etc". I only have one watch with a display back an... 

...get those basics right... then you can decorate to your heart's content. I'm also in complete agreement concerning admiration for the skills involved in the astounding finishes we are fortunate to see, but it isn't something that particularly draws me ... 

I think a watch ,apart from the case material,should be offered with the same finishing ,all the time. I also think that the quality of finishing should be appropriate for the watch at hand, I mean,not all watches required the same finishing. One thing is... 

because it is what is the most time consumming and having different levels of finish would , as Mo says, cheapen the brand. And i wouldn't be ready to pay the premium for finish from a brand which also offers a low end finish, I would rather buy fronm a b... 

NT

Which is EXACTLY what I think. I will be direct and frank, here: A fine watch should be flawessly finished. Finished... Anglages, perlages, cotes soleillées or Geneva, polished screws, and so on... Or is this the apanage of Vintage watches? I am more and ... 

Hi Nico, I understand and agree with your view. Interestingly it was JLC the Cal. 875 in my Reverso Grand Date and the Cal. 879 in your Reverso Septantieme that prompted this question. The finish on the anniversary edition is clearly superior, but of cour...  

I noticed this several years ago and it drove me bonkers. At that time, I didn't want to pay the premium for the platinum limited edition watch to get the perfectly finished movement, and I liked the Grande Reverso GMT in steel for price and appearance. I... 

Even at the asked price, in 2001, I expected something better finished. Not that it is not a very pleasant watch to see, but more anglages would have been much appreciated. Don't get me wrong, I love it for what it is, but I can understand feelings like y... 

Exactly true. When I first saw the pieces, I was still wishing that they were finished to a slightly higher degree. Honestly, if JLC did one small thing, I would've felt better. On the Grande Reverso line, they bevel the edges of the plates, but they don'... 

I had many discussions with them on this topîc... Best. Nicolas

The level of finish of the 70 eme is at a good quality or average for JLC standards especially for its levels in 2001? Why did you have to wait till 2007?

But related to its price, I would have expected better. Keep in mind that in 2002, it was a bit more than... 40 000 Euros! And that now, the retail is above 65 K Euros. I had to wait 7 years before " falling " on an opportunity I could not miss. Best, Nic... 

A real hefty beauty, you are right the price is steep but it s well worth hunting it. Mo

. . . with solid (cal 1861) and sapphire back (cal 1863) movements, which are differentiated not only by the substitution of a metal (cal 1863) for a Delrin (cal 1861) brake, but also by the application of Geneva waves (cal 1863).

I'm a true lover of functional finish (the one that makes multiples parts to work better) and I don't pay too much attention to cosmetical (the finish that only tries to make the movement more "beautiful" - something that is always debatable ) finish. For... 

offering different levels of finishing, and using price points to reflect that, IMHO, is a recipe for disaster. SWATCH group currently offers their raw ebauches with different level of finishing, but thats for "wholesale" market. doing so would also have ... 

I've hesitated posting this, but here goes... I got into watches about a decade ago through wanting to understand how they worked. This led to some intensive reading as I tried to get more knowledge. Then I discovered chronometry which led to precision cl...