chosenhandle
108
support your local independent watchmaker! Or not...
Gentlemen,
I visit it daily and appreciate the experience and expertise that I find on this site. Thanks for sharing your knowledge! One of these days, I will make a meaningful contribution myself!
Over time, my thoughts on acquiring watches has evolved from buying recognizable names (omega, Ulysse Nardin, Blancpain etc) to supporting small independent makers. It seems clear to me from reading anecdotal accounts and pictures of "production facilities", that purchasing from a small independent will have a more meaningful impact as compared to buying more watches from one of the conglomerates. For the money spent, not only do I receive a beautiful watch, but also the beginnings of a relationship that adds to the value. I am trying not to sound noble or egalitarian, but rather I believe the spirit of watch collecting is alive with those small makers and supporting each other will allow all of us to enjoy our hobby even more. But where does that notion end? Is J.P. Journe no longer a small independent because it does not include those personal touches? It is technically a small independent company. Or, should I put extra weight on selecting a Lang & Heyne watch because Marco Lang has personally connected with me and made recommendations based on our discussion? Both make absolutely world class products and I am sure both will satisfy me for the rest of my life. But is one superior to the other when considering our hobby and keeping it alive? By the way, I am using those two brands as examples only.
So, am I alone in wanting to keep the dream alive? Where do I draw the line on supporting small independent watchmakers?
Thanks for reading my rambling. I really look forward to your thoughts on this. I leave you now with a beautiful shot of the Lang & Heyne Frederich II
Paul
This message has been edited by cazalea on 2018-03-19 16:44:14
Vintage
Explore the unique diamond-shaped dials of the vintage LeCoultre Baron and Patek Philippe Ref. 3413 designed by Gilbert Albert. A must-read for collectors.
2 replies1301 views
Collection
Discover the Lang & Heyne Friedrich III in stainless steel with a cobalt blue dial. Collector hanke reviews this rare independent German watch, comparing its finishing to Patek Philippe, Lange, and Laurent Ferrier.
30 replies6949 views
Independents
Explore Lang & Heyne's connection to the tempus arte group and UWD (Uhren-Werke-Dresden), revealing the extensive in-house manufacturing capabilities of these German independent watchmakers.
3 replies3963 views
New Release
Explore the Chopard Mille Miglia 2018 Race Edition. See live photos, reference details, and celebrate 30 years of automotive passion.
4 replies2869 views
support your local independent watchmaker! Or not...
Gentlemen, I visit it daily and appreciate the experience and expertise that I find on this site. Thanks for sharing your knowledge! One of these days, I will make a meaningful contribution myself! Over time, my thoughts on acquiring watches has evolved f...
Why would you draw a line ?
Just buy a watch you like the most and if there is a nice click with the brand cq watchmaker thats a plus imho . Like you i pref indie brands 🤗. ...
Some time ago I took a survey of the "independent" watches owned by PuristS
Here are the names of watches they own - we could not agree on whether AHCI or not was important; if once independent now brand was important or not. Svend Andersen Soren Andersen Hajime Asaoka Felix Baumgartner Aaron Becsei Robert Bray Vincent Calabrese ...
Indies - They may well be the future of the business...... :-)
You use a couple of good examples at somewhat the ends of the spectrum. Are you suggesting there is some kind of metric that is a cut-off? Like annual production numbers, or turnover beyond which 'they're too big'? They're all an order of magnitude or mor...
Thank you for your thoughts
I think what I was trying to ascertain is what is the value of a relationship I would have with Lang & Heyne as compared to Journe. L&H gives you a world class product and access to the designer, Journe does not (to my knowledge anyway). Does that access ...
There are many reasons to purchase a particular watch. None of the reasons are wrong if they suit you. What may interest me may not ring a bell do you. To me what’s most important is to follow your heart and oen personal logic.
I enjoy many different pieces for different reasons. Most of my watches carry with them a combination of technology, art and story. It is the story that the watch is involved in is what makes the piece a piece u inquest for me. That story can occur with a...
Is there a "soul"?
Personally, when I have encountered this same question, I've looked for the soul of the watch. As obscure a concept in watches as in humans. The question I ask myself is "can I feel the hand of the watchmaker on the watch, the design, the movement, the de...
I’m 100% with you
And switched to that path also. The as you name it conglomerate watches are (some noble exceptions remain) going out of my collection and independents come in. Notably ochs und junior. The fun and satisfaction of wearing something which has a great part o...
For me, it is most important
that I receive excellent before sale and after sale service be it the watch comes from an independent or a large company. It is always an added bonus to be able to speak to the actual watchmaker of course as one feels a closer connection to the brand. But...
excellent point
not only do I want to have a personal connection with my next watch, I suppose I should consider whether the maker will be available to service the watch in the future. Case in point, I have always loved the Svend Andersen Original Secular Perpetual watch...
Quite true BUT
This is exactly one of the main reasons I switched to an independent brand. The service of all the big ones just suck! Their main objective was the shareholder, selling more and more watches. They possibly cannot repair and service ina timely and qualativ...
I too would not tolerate such appalling service
but I have had very good experiences personally with a few of the big brands and I think it bores down mainly to the authorised dealer(AD). If you have a good AD, the brand will appear good. I have had experiences of good and bad ADs with the same brand s...
no "personal touches" from Journe??
Journe is no smarmy salesperson and he's very strong-minded, but he is huge on building relationships with his collectors. Not sure why you would think that's not the case. This is reflected in his company culture on the sales side. Walking into one of hi...
sorry for the late reply, I didn't see this until today
I totally agree that Journe is a top shelf company with respectable people to assist customers. The watch brands mentioned are simply used as an example. In the case I made, if I wanted to interact directly with the designers or Mr. Lang himself at L&H, I...
There is obviously a line to draw...
Not many independents will seek and nurture this very special connection with you. Always there to greet you, always there to advise you, always ready to dream with you and make your dreams come true. With time such a watchmaker becomes a very close frien...