skyeriding
900
I stopped whatever I was doing when I saw this article out, to read it immediately
May 26, 2019,23:19 PM
Monumental effort; especially having so much information contained in one place! Definitely an article people should be bookmarking for reference.
The more I read up on independents, the more I'm fascinated by the English works. Its a strange amalgamation of a somewhat "rustic" finish in comparison to the Swiss (I am personally one of the "fusspots"), yet still has delicately ornate work especially with dial guilloche and hands. I'm also surprised initially to see that RWS uses a cone and lever mechanism for the power reserve - intrigued to see it in a wristwatch, as it takes up significant height. But in retrospect it doesn't matter much, as he is not afraid to make his watches thick...
Frodsham's watch is also intriguing as he does an overkill solution for the natural escapement, by having two separate geartrains into a wristwatch. Modern manufacturing methods with high precision allows for simpler solutions, so this is a nod to the traditional methods as used by Daniel's pocket watches. Also, from the dialwork photos, the dial printing is some of the finest I've ever seen. But again, the movement aesthetics and finishing is an acquired taste as one usually expects high end Swiss styled finishing.
Of course you are well aware (and better informed than me on this, as with our previous discussions!), but I'd like to make a mention here of Andreas Strehler as an unsung hero, working behind the scenes for a number of brands. Also thanks for mentioning the Opus 7 as its something that usually flies under the radar - its mechanical uniqueness is something that can't really be captured in static photos.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWYo6SBZBv0 . I think it's an awesome watch mechanically, but I'm biased.
I also like how the topic of industrial vs artisanal independent brands are covered, as we usually expect most to fall into the latter. Personally I lean towards coherency - if the watch being offered has a clear consistency of what price point its targeting (value is unfortunately, an unavoidable as everyone has to stay competitive - even within the realm of high horology), with a matching level of dialside and movement work, and the mechanical ingenuity of complications involved.
Again, more people should be reading this article! This will be something I'll share to people who wants to delve deeper into independents
Regards,
skyeriding