Independents

Just saw this posted on Grönefeld’s IG account ...  

Is this the independent equivalent of empty showcase but watches in the back room 🤔

Their announcement is not only a really good decision it was also so stylish, to do it this way. GEO

I don’t…yet

...  

Cheers!

Their watches are exceptional. While I feel fortunate that I have mine, I feel bad that others have to wait a while. If it's any consolation, it will be worth the wait!

gone are the days when you can waltz into an AD and handle Journe’s, APs, SS Rolexes or Gronefeld’s…before making a decision to purchase. Now, you buy first (if you can) and THEN make a decision after ownership

I tried to order a green dial streamliner during GWD but got a email a few days later that they stopped taking orders . You need to be quick nowadays and say yes first and then think if you want or like it afterwards. Taking the fun out of collecting a bi... 

Wow. No offense to moser, but they make 1500 watches a year. So it’s impressive that demand has outstripped supply so much. A work colleague has one, and he likes it.

before the orders stopped. Maybe I am jinxing it - I have a Remontoire and RW Smith Series 1 arriving next year and both brands have now stopped taking orders!!

are they still accepting order for remontoire? I wonder how many available out of 188?

It was initially scheduled to be delivered this month but due to the pandemic, it is now scheduled to arrive by March 2022. Not much difference to me as I am 'imprisoned' in Malaysia due to the pandemic and am unable to travel to Singapore to collect the ... 

I guess in this hobby to have what we love requires a lot of luck

before the order book closed. In a way I am glad because we can then expect independents like Gronefeld to be with us for a very long time,. I did worry for the smaller less well known independents during the pandemic as many were struggling.

the watch is full of ingeniouity and very very gorgeous, I believe the brother will survive or at the very worst acquired by the Giants

being owned by a large company. Nothing like being the boss of your own outfit. We have seen the effect of large companies taking over independents - nothing good for the independents in the long run.

That’s a cat-and-mouse game that I can’t play 🤣🤣

because I am pretty sure every AD will value your custom!

I’m a David, in Goliath's world

in this passion of ours!

It's like a nightclub with a long line of people outside... It may be empty inside, but the long line outside convinces the average person that it must be good (and crowded) inside.

I speak to a lot of them and know there are more people wanting there products then they can produce in a year .

A lot of these independents are trying to cook up new ways to disguise supply. For instance, let's say they've got 200 watches to sell. Well, if they just put it on their website as "available" then there's nothing special about that. But if they put it o... 

was waiting forever outside and the line went around the building. it was practically empty inside. i really doubt this is the case for gronefeld, otherwise that'd be disappointing.

If you were a business owner, how would you create more "immediate demand" when you needed to? The old luxury methodology is to create something beautiful, a store will pay for an item upfront and stock it for about 6-18 months for it to sell. Now, the ne... 

i admit i've fallen for it too.

And it's something that Silicon Valley understand very well and they've created a WHOLE ARSENAL of weapons that can be used to create and instill that FEAR. Those techies have made social media into a medium to create FOMO. And at the same time they've we... 

I think it’s really hard to find watchmaking skills in the Netherlands, let alone people willing to relocate to Oldenzaal. My friends and I were lucky to have ordered the Remontoire; even then, we waited 3 years for the watches - Covid complications on to...  

I made an order for Principia about 6 months ago and I got an allocation that is around 150. The wait time i was told at that time was 18-24 months. So, I still have 12-18 months to go. From the Gronefeld news today: “Since 2015, we have been working on a... 

My principia is supposed to arrive next summer, and I ordered 2-3 months ago. I just happened to have lucked out and found an AD who hadn’t filled all their slots. That being said, I’m partial to the light blue dial, which may be less popular than the sal... 

About one year ago my AD actually had 2 Principia in stock, but I was not ready. When I was ready, he sold out all his had and had to place a new order. I picked the torquoise dial. I do not mind the wait, as it gives me something to look forward to! Each... 

And you ask good questions. Will they stop taking orders on principia’s for good, or will they limit production to 10-15 pieces a year, to allow for whatever they are currently working on (and the decennium tourbillion)? I had the opportunity to get the s... 

I hope that your turquoise dial gets delivered well ahead of schedule. The wait time for salmon was dramatically longer at the ADs that I’d approached after I put my order for the blue (was inquiring for a friend). And then, magically, 3 weeks ago, there ... 

It seems that the bulk of work is on the movement production due to amount of the handwork. The dials seem simpler to do relatively and should not be the bottleneck. The ADs will usually place orders first and then sell to the customers. You were lucky to... 

I don’t think some of you accusing them of planning things out this way realize how hard it is to scale a skilled operation like that. Downsizing risk is huge too if the economy turns. It’s not like you can just go outside and hire 10 people that can fini... 

I was lucky to receive my Principia last Spring and it is an awesome watch. There may still be one (gold case) available in the US at retail. DM me and I'll point you in the right direction if you missed the boat and want one in your collection.

I wish all of them well, and the Grönefeld Bros in particular, but let’s not ignore the elephant in the room: all of this would not have happened had governments not started printing money. Let’s see how many are strong enough to weather the storm of a su... 

There’s some truth to what you are stating. Time will tell

I believe the gronefeld are in a very good position now thus dont need to rush launch. They are smart and will not launch new piece unless its developed to absolute perfection and at the right timing. There are other independents who are barely borderline... 

One thing is for sure: whatever their next masterful creation will be, I am 100% certain that I won’t be able to afford it. So I’ll settle for my principia 😂😂

To be uniquely gorgeous and desirable is one thing . To be technically ingenious is another thing . To be commercially successful is another different thing. To be all of the above and collector grail is exponentially more difficult 😁

👆🏿💪🏿👌🏿🙌🏿

If not, ever been tempted?

They’d compliment each other well, IMHO.