Independents

Baron - Mr Red
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Grönefeld Brothers and the Remontoire - could this be my first Independent?

There are, basically, four mainstream manufacturers dominating my collection of watches. Those four are Rolex, Patek Philippe, JLC and Omega. Across those four, I find my bases are covered. Have I ever considered going maverick with one of the independent watchmakers? No. Not once. The main reason for that is that I have not found one who’s style and engineering ticks enough boxes for me.

All that has now changed. Over a weekend in Haarlem, I was lucky enough to spend some time with the Grönefeld Brothers. They brought a nice selection of their watches for us to play with. I will be honest, my initial expectation was that I would need to be polite and say some nice things about the watches, knowing very well that there was zero chance of me wanting to buy one. Then I put one my wrist and all that logic went out of the window. Superb engineering. Breathtakingly beautiful dial. Novel complication. Perfect size at 39.5mm. The movement is mesmerising. And did I mention, absolutely stunning dial. I think I did. Blue guilloché dial. Each dial is hand-turned on a 100yr old machine, thereby imparting a unique hue to each watch. I was always in trouble with a white metal and blue dial combination. This watch is exceptional. The Rementoire.

What marks it out as so special? Well, one could talk about exceptional finishing. Hand-finishing. Stylish casing. Rarity of production. Yes. Yes. But what about that little spinning thing at 9’o clock? Every 8 seconds it spins. In itself, I just kept starting at it. Every 8 seconds it spins as a means of keeping a constant force mechanism. What does that mean? Well, once the watch is running, the constant movement mechanism is in play. Every 8 seconds, a small spring near the escapement is wound, thereby keeping the mainspring at an optimum torque. The Remontoire’s spring ensures that the escapement receives this consistent “nudge” ensuring it maintains optimum torque. As the power reserve runs lower, the Remontoire is able to maintain its torque. And it is absolutely fascinating to watch! For a time only watch, this is an extremely interesting adjunct.

One other standout feature of this watch is the unique stainless steel bridges. Grönefeld’s steel bridges have a very different appearance to anything I have seen before. Unlike the more typical silver of rhodium-plated bridges, steel bridges have a very different appearance. The centres of the steel bridges have been micro-blasted creating an almost brushed effect that sits in stark contrast to the mirror-like edges and screw heads. It works like a dream.

Awarded best men’s watch in the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève in 2016, the Remontoire is a watch that I need to consider very seriously. It adds something that none of the four manufacturers that dominate my collection can. It is a watch that fits into my collection because it is unlike anything else. Super cool. Ice-cool blue. I could wear this watch casually or with a suit.

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