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Greg D
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Peter Speake-Marin and Me - Part 2

The next step was in late 2003 when Peter was in London and was kind enough to deliver my watch in person.

My post is here, but the pictures have expired - so I hope you'll excuse me re-posting and adding the pictures again.

ahci.watchprosite.com

A Speake-Marin Piccadilly is delivered in Piccadilly
Dec 23 2003,04:16 AM
Peter Speake-Marin was in London last week, and he was kind enough to deliver my watch personally. Peter?s old boss George Somlo generously let us meet in his antique watch shop in Piccadilly Arcade. This was very appropriate: Peter used to run the restoration and repair workshop for George and the Piccadilly is named to honour this part of Peter?s career.



When I arrived Peter handed me a blue cardboard box. I opened it to find that inside was another box, this time finely made in mahogany, with two brass push catches on the front. Pushing the two buttons in revealed the watch whose prototype I?d first seen 18 months ago.



My first impression was of the dial - it really is very beautiful - the attenuated romans are an interesting modern twist on a very traditional design. The watch isn't that large at 38mm - but it looks and feels very substantial. As the watch progressed Peter developed the "over-engineered" feel of the watch with the screwed lugs and buckle. hen I put the watch on my wrist I released that this now extends to the very substantial strap ? not particularly wide, but very thick and heavy. I?d chosen a coarse grained black crocodile - and it looked and felt terrific. This all comes together very nicely to produce a watch that makes a strong statement - it's certainly going to be noticed on your wrist! Even though substantial, the proportions seem right ? the large lugs fit perfectly with the deep case, the strap and crown. I hadn't seen the buckle before but it matches the rest of the watch perfectly.


Examining the face in more detail - the hands are heat blued steel with a very fine second hand which contrasts beautifully with the shaped minute and heart shaped hour hand - clearly inspired by the vintage pocked watches Peter worked on. I particularly like the way the fine second hand extends just past the markers - you feel you could read the exact time very precisely.


(note that this shows a variant with yellow gold crown and shoulders)

Turning the watch over allows you to see the "symmetric" winding weight inspired by the wheel of a topping off tool I?d seen in Peter?s workshop. I remember Peter saying that he'd wanted to avoid just adding an engraved weight to an ETA movement and he?s clearly been successful. The gold plated winding bridge shows off the fine workmanship of the rotor beautifully. The old fashioned winding crown feels terrific - it's almost a shame the movement is automatic.

Peter took me thought the guarantee and service arrangements. He also explained the various documentation and certificates included in a compartment beneath the watch. I was surprised, but delighted, to see that my watch was described as "the first watch of the Piccadilly collection to be made".



We were admiring my watch, and looking at Peter's own watch (a similar while gold version with the automatic plate beautifully engraved by Kees Engelbarts), when a jeweller walked in with a very interesting pocket watch. It had an English lever movement ? but with an external pointer allowing the time to be felt much like a Breguet Montre a Tact. Neither Peter nor George had seen an English watch in that style before and the watch was left for George to investigate more. It was just a hint of the variety of historic pieces Peter must have worked on in his time in Piccadilly

Peter talked a little about his future plans which I probably shouldn't cover here - but rest assured that are many more interesting watches in the pipeline.

As you can probably tell I-m delighted. It's difficult to buy a watch without seeing exactly what you're buying - particularly when choosing from so many dial, case and strap options. However for me it's really worked out - and I'm proud to have such an early piece from a watchmaker I'm sure is going to make many terrific watches.

When I get a chance I'll take some pictures of my own, but for the moment here is another from Peter.

Lastly I'd like to thanks Curtis and the Purists AHCI forum, without them I'd never have heard of Peter Speake-Marin.=============================================================That the old post - so the next chapter will bring us up to date.

- Greg