Independents

dxboon
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I gave thought to the issues you raise...

...before I bought a watch from an independent maker.  Obviously, the more complex, proprietary parts or techniques the watch employs, the more likely it is that you will face challenges servicing it in the long term.  However, I do think many Independents are aware of our concerns as collectors, and thinking about how to face these issues.  For example, when I bought my Habring² Jumping Seconds (Admittedly, a less complicated watch than the other multi-complication, multi-tourbillon, etc. timepieces available to connoisseurs nowadays.) it was delivered with several replacement parts for the areas of the watch that most often require servicing.  The idea being that should I need to service my watch locally, having the parts on hand might make that task easier. 

I am without a doubt, a fan of the small, independent craftsman.  The key for me is that I am buying not only the watch, but the watchmaker.  I ask myself, do I believe that this person(s) is looking to the future and making plans now that will assist their clients a few years down the road when the watch needs servicing and they themselves may not be around?  Are the in-house movements they are creating designed to confound future generations of watchmakers, or are they building movements that will facilitate servicing by a well-trained watch repairer 10, 20...40 years into the future? 

Buy the watchmaker, not just the watch.

This is just my opinion, of course.  The future is always uncertain, and undoubtedly buying a watch from a larger company with a long, established history and commitment to making parts available for every model they make for 50 years or more, is probably going to give you more peace of mind in regard to the issues you raised.  Still, despite the uncertainty I know I haven't bought my last watch from an Independent. 

Are you considering a watch from an Independent?  There are so many awesome examples IMO.  Some of my favorites are: Habring² (manual-wind Jumping Seconds and Tourbillon 3D), De Bethune (DB 26), Peter Speake-Marin (Shimoda), Romain Gauthier (white gold Collection Prestige), Roger W. Smith (Series 2), Kari Voutilainen (Observatoire), and the tourbillon from the McGonigle brothers.

Cheers,

Daos 

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