sham1
9619
Less is more!
I have always been partial to simple two handed or three handed watches and had heard of Christian Klings but have never really seen any of his watches. I believe since he started making watches in 1996, he has only produced two to three timepieces a year. This means there are no more than sixty six time pieces with his name in the whole world. We all know how rare a RW Smith is a an annual production of ten pieces a year so a Christian Klings timepiece is ultra rare. The main reason why only so few pieces are made every year is because all the parts are hand made by Mr Klings himself as he was inspired by George Daniels and Derek Pratt, both of whom were leaders of the totally hand made watch.
I was therefore most keen to read about Christian Kilngs' latest watch known as the Visibility. I have always liked smaller watches and this 37mm timepiece could easily be mistaken for a Breguet at first glance but the short lugs and superlative guilloche work are quite something. The watch is very thin which is quite rare among independents who generally prefer a thicker more robust case. This thinness is accentuated by the narrow case band and lugs, as well as the domed case back. The movement is based on a vintage hand wound movement produced by A. Schild from Switzerland.The prototype in stainless steel has been sold and the production version will be available by the end of this year. The watch to me is a near perfect example of a well finished manual winding three handed wrist watch. The only qualm I would have is the price which is likely to be USD40,000 to USD50,000 which is not insignificant. This is partly due to the low production numbers but for this price, one might be tempted with a Gronefeld or Laurent Ferrier. Both however will not be as exclusive and rare as a Christian Klings timepiece.
Photos borrowed from SJX
Less is more!
I have always been partial to simple two handed or three handed watches and had heard of Christian Klings but have never really seen any of his watches. I believe since he started making watches in 1996, he has only produced two to three timepieces a year...
Very nice report my friend . Did read about the brand in the past but never seen one in person yet .
Looking at the pictures it sure looks very nice . Maybe a bit to small for me but dont know how this watch sits on the wrist .
Thanks my friend!
I think the short lugs will make the watch suitable for the smaller wrist but I think you can easily pull it off. I would interested in buying one but the price is a bit intimidating. Yes I have read about the brand but had never seen one before. I guess ...
Your right about the price my friend .
Thats why you need to spend some time with the watch and brand before pulling the trigger imo .
I think unless one craves for the ultimate in exclusitivity
it would be hard to overlook the offerings from Gronefeld in that price range.
It is a beautiful piece but still too close to breguet to pique defection and splurge. Even UJ, Ophion etc are too close IMO. One...
....certainly wud pay premium for exclusivity but a luxury brand shud have its own salient signature.
Fair comment!
Thanks for the feedback. UJ tends to be on the larger side - that Alfred would be ideal if it was 38mm instead of 42mm. Maybe it is just me but I feel dress watches should be no more than 39mm.
Crazy watchmaker
that surely deserves more attention for his experimental ideas. It would be an honor to have his watch grace anyone's collection, especially if you started collecting in the late 90s and 2000s.
I must read up more about Christian Klings
Unlike you, I have not seen his previous models and would be curious to see his past work.
Christian makes some superb watches..
His Tourbillion Nr 7 looks particularly impressive.,
Anything with a tourbillon in its name
scares the hell out of me but I have little doubt it is an impressive timepiece!
At least you have heard of the AS movement Nico! :-)
All new to me but the end product is pretty impressive.
Hi Sham, this watch was on tour as part of The Watchmakers
So, some purists got to see it. It's very nice. I think it is understated, yet there is something undeniable about its classic charm. You should go after it!
That sounds like the tour that Mike H organised
which I missed out on! Aaargh!!! The timing was bad as I was just about to retire from my job in the UK. I think when we look to spend USD40k to USD50k, we tend to look at what else is out there in the market and I must confess I am partial to a Gronefeld...
Did Mike H organize it? Claudio Proietti was behind it as well.
Daniels and Smith and KV and Klings and Dufour, etc. A Credor Eichi II would fit in this range for you as well.
Ah, good old Claudio!
I missed his exhibition last year on the independent watchmakers. I must stop missing these events!!
Great review
Great review. I can see how the dual at first glance reminds of a Brequet but the case itself is completely different. Price level on one hand seems justified given the fully hand made proces and limited edition. Yet on the other hand, it is so limited th...
Thank you for your feedback!
And I agree with all your points especially that of continuity. The only plus point I guess is that the movement seems quite straight forward to service should the 62 year old Mr Klings not be able to do so. I always feel a bit apprehensive when an indepe...
Very nice dial work and movement finishing.
But this is getting very close to Rexhep Rexhepi entry price levels. In that light, it’s nice but not that nice...
Thank you for your reply!
I agree with you that for that price that there would be stiff competition even among the independents but it all bores down to how much one values the making of a watch without the use of any machinery and also the rarity factor. I must confess I am not ...
Thanks Sham.
You are one of the most seasoned independent collectors here and I highly respect your opinion. If true handcraft without machines is the goal then nothing beats Haldimann H11/H12 I think...even at this price bracket.
You are too generous with your compliment, thank you!
The Beat Haldimann H11 is indeed a lovely looking piece. I think it is priced lower than the Christian Klings and can be ordered in 39mm or 42mm. Lovely hands, lovely thin roman numerals and I like the crown main criticism of this watch is despite the we...
The "Watchmakers - The Masters of Art Horology" exhibition was conceived and organized by the undersigned, through the Maxima Gallery, with the precious partnership of Phillips,
ThePurist was among the media partner. We are preparing the second edition of the exibition for 2020. As for the " Visibility" (the name in the exhibition was different, but the watch is the same, indeed the photos are those of my book) I am pleased to se...
Thanks Claudio for your input!
And I am particularly excited and looking forward to the exhibition you are planning next year! This time I shall not miss it!!!
I am afraid I have
asked for the delivery of the RW Smith to be postponed until 2022!
The man is an unsung genius...
It is a tragedy that he does not get the recognition he deserves in his lifetime. Hopefully that might change soon. There is a strong resemblance here: a design that Christian worked up in 2011: It became this watch: Redcorals says, fairly, that a brand s...
Thank you very much for your acknoledgement
of Herr Klings and his talent. Lovely photos!