Independents

Greetings Purists,

I'm not really a collector, although I love seeing the incredible watches everyone has around here. Rather, I have a little trio of watches that I love to wear for their uniqueness, variety and versatility. But they aren't anything terribly exclusive or rare.

Nevertheless, and despite my very limited budget, I'd love to pick up something interesting, different and independent. To that end, I've become attracted to the GoldPfeil Regulator by Frank Jutzi. I'd very much like to hear what you think of the watch, it's place in the independent watch world, and whether it would be a worthy addition to my trio. To bring it in, I'd have to get rid of the Chopard LUC Sport 2000, I think, so would it be worth it?

Any thoughts are much appreciated, as are any other suggestions. I guess my main concern is the rather standard movement and the small size. But I love the design (with classic and modern elements), and it's so very different from everything else out there.

Cheers,
Daniel

Current trio, although the current straps are different, with MIH on OEM rubber, Chopard on black croc, and JLC on grey croc:



GoldPfeil Frank Jutzi Regulator (pic borrowed from Collectortime):

The Frank Jutzi is far more interesting than the Chopard. I've owned the Chopard LUC Sport 2000 and it is a wonderfully made watch and a great value proposition, but it is not that interesting. The Frank Jutzi is a fairly classical looking watch but it has a unique charm, especially in the dial and hands; the movement is an ETA base I recall. The only downside is its size which is 35 or 36mm. If you like that size, I think it's a good buy, especially at the current prices they're going for.

- SJX

It's a little small, and the movement isn't anything interesting. I've not seen the watch in person, so it's very difficult for me to know whether the execution and design overcome those limitations.

Does it impress in person? Would it maintain interest over the long run? Would I be better off seeking another Independent?

DJK

As has been alluded to already, the price at which it's selling for now is very compelling and is a big factor in its favour. I can't think of another independent of this quality at this price.

I would concern myself with the 2892 base, there are less interesting watches selling for far more.

In person it has a quiet quality that is only evident on examination. It is not a flamboyant or obvious watch. Over the long run it would probably maintain interest if you prefer more classical watches. If you are the Vianney Halter or MB&F type of person, this would not be exciting at all.

- SJX

..(which in itself is unusual!).

You write that: "It is not a flamboyant or obvious watch. .... If you are the Vianney Halter or MB&F type of person, this would not be exciting at all" .

Speaking as someone who would also tick the Halter/MB&F boxes every time, this watch is, in its own way, quite 'subversive'; idiosyncratic. You know the piece, so you will know what a welcome surprise awaits when you see and feel the pseudo-traditional design in an ordinary round case, but with quite distinctive, almost avant-garde lugs - not entirely unlike the aesthetic tension in PSM pieces, but perhaps even more pronounced. Of course, you then factor in the post-modern hands (which honour the Goldpfeil logo but which 'work' independently of that fact), the placement of the outsize moonphase, the triangular orientation of the subdials and you have a piece which respects tradition, but which messes with its mind.

It is in that sense 'flamboyant' (you can be sure that it rarely goes unnoticed); it is more 'exciting' than very many of the Independents which tread the safe path; it shares a slice of history with Halter and, errrrr, costs less than an MB&F!

Goodness: after re-reading this eulogy it seems like a fine idea to seek out another one!

 

Cheers,

pplater.

God is in the details.... of the dial.

Great thoughts pplater, you make a lot of sense.

- SJX

It really is one of those watches that, as they say, you have to see in the metal to truly appreciate.
 
Take it from a ‘large’ individual and a fan of larger sizes – it wears larger than its size! That may in part be a function of its very open face and the fact that the lugs are so 'square' to the case, in a surprisingly contempoarary way. You don’t see it in pictures, and it is not uncomfortable, but it is a stylish modern quirk. The hands have a tint of French blue - peacock blue - that is almost iridescent. The eye for detail is remarkable (29.5 dots around the moonphase ring, for example) and the hobnail guilloche is finely executed – the previous custodian described the whole design as ‘deconstructed Breguet’ and his point is well made.

 

 

 

 

As a fan of the Independents also, it was necessary to consider which others might have been available in the same ballpark. This one pushed in ahead of the possibility of a Moser, a Pita or a Sarpaneva, for example: that should tell you something, shouldn’t it?  There were several factors which weighed in that decision: the simple elegance of the watch (being more reminiscent of classical watchmaking, and therefore of ‘the craft’); the whole Goldpfeil ‘back-story’ of a privately commissioned and visionary series of pieces (now never to be repeated); the rarity factor (this particular piece, branded as a Jutzi, is apparently 1/1, but even the Goldpfeil badged pieces are few) and, frankly, the opportunity to give a good home to a piece by one of the less prominent (in watch terms anyway) AHCI members.

 

It was also the first regulator in the watchbox. That has taken some getting used to, but it's like seeing your own country before seeing the world, isn't it? Why pursue other eccentric or novel methods of telling the time before acquiring a regulator - the historical mainstay of the watchmaker's atelier and an important piece of regulating equipment?

 

Good luck with the decision-making process!

 

 

Cheers,

pplater.

It was the recent offering of that very watch that introduced me to the model and got me interested in the first place. I am also glad it ended up in such a fine home.

The lug-to-lug length looks relatively long, and the strap width is wide; both must contribute to it wearing more like 38mm or so rather than 36mm, right? Do you have any other pictures or comparisons as to how it feels/looks on the wrist?

I love the versatility of the Chopard, but the Jutzi seems like a whole new order of quality, and the design is wonderful.

DJK

...until the weekend it may be possible to organise some visual comparitors for you.

 

Cheers,

pplater.

But I look forward to your pictures. This one is heading to the top of my list as a reward for a long anticipated goal/achievement. I still have a deep desire for a PSM Shimoda, so that's in competition as well, along with the possibility of having a custom RGM 801 made, with open dial and a single hand...

Cheers,
Daniel

The value is GREAT.

It's under priced.

The work is great.

It's a clock made into a watch in its purest sense.

The movt is "appropriate", and there are few works at the price today.

I am guessing that it costs way low in 2009.

The other piece to consider is the URWERK Goldpfeil.

. . . but hope you won't mind my pointing out that you already have "something interesting, different and independent." Cordially, Art

Although _I_ think the Jutzi regulator would make a nice addition to your collection, it having a completely different esthetic than the others, that is just my opinion.  I gave seen it close up, but never handled it so I don't know how it feels.  For me that is always the most important, and most difficult to portray to others.
Forget all we say here, go on your instincts.
Don

that I saved in my hard drive a few years ago. Hope this helps in your decision making. Cheers!

Jutzi Blink..Blink... nice hah:

Jutzi and Urwerk that Bernard was talking about:

Daniel, here's a few 'quick and dirty' shots which might give you (and others) some sense of proportion for the Goldpfeil/Jutzi regulator moonphase, using a couple of reference pieces which may resonate for you.

You have mentioned your fondness for the Peter Speake-Marin 'Shimoda'. Here, then, is the Jutzi alongside the Shimoda:

 

 

The side-on shots are quite telling, aren't they? You mustn't underestimate the 'presence' [read: 'bulk'] of the Shimoda! Don't get the wrong impression: that is a large part of its appeal. In a similar vein, those lugs stretch out to the sides of the wrist. Quite a signature feature. The lugs on the Jutzi, by comparison, are shorter, lower but equally as 'square': they sit comfortably within the average wrist. Note how they carve a straight line through either side of the round case; a circle superimposed over a rectangle. Complementary tension. (This prose grows worthy of a J*D website!!).

Still, there's a PSM Picadilly Serpent on Collectors' Market at this very moment at a price that approximates the value of the pre-loved Jutzi. It's not the Shimoda, but it would be a tough call to pick between the two. However: Peter is a watchmaker and the Shimoda is one of his signature pieces - you will be able to obtain one for a while yet. Can the same be said of the watch which is a collaboration between a clockmaker and a (defunct???) luxury goods house?

For many, one of the definitive 'smaller' pieces which is highly wearable even in this larger watch climate is the original AL&S 1815. Remember that it is a very clean, open watch when considering the two alongside one another:

 

 

We  have a mutual affection for this next piece, and as it is at the upper end of most people's watch diameter/thickness tolerance it should assist to see it alongside the Jutzi:

 

 

Here together are the three more 'conventional' pieces:

 

 

And for the top to bottom perspective:

 

 

It all comes down to 'wearability', though. doesn't it? Well here they are on the same wrist - form your own view!

 

 

Hopefully this may assist (not complicate!) the decision-making process. It would be interesting to read your thoughts. Again: good luck!

 

 

Cheers,

pplater.

 

This message has been edited by pplater on 2009-11-26 05:11:09

- SJX

.... and what have you done with SJX ??? The real SJX knows that there is no such thing as 'too many' - there is always room for 'just one more'!

Cheers,
pplater.

You have such a marvelous collection!  The Shimoda is my favorite PSM, the 1815 is one of my favorites from Lange, the MIH is one of the best buys out there IMO, and the Jutzi is quirky and beautiful in its own right.  Great watches all!

Cheers,

Daos

You're a great resource in that if we need real time side by side comparison, you're probably the one to call since you have practically every interesting piece ever made. 

And you have to post your shimoda.. Gary's post on his was fantastic and your post now also brings my quest for a single hand watch up the ladder.  It's between the Shimoda and the Pita.. two very different looking wacthes of te same expression of time I know...

Thanks for this comparo post.

Thanks for the kind words, wmf1, but any posting of a Shimoda is rendered obsolete by GaryG's top shelf photos of his superb iteration. Since Gary first began his quest to capture the special violet hand on his watch we have been treated to the first and last word on the topic.

 

Cheers,

pplater

superb writeup. Thanks for sharing not only your collection as well as your artful prose but more so your time to do these comparos. We readers are all the more enlightened by them. Thanks again

I am immensely thankful that you've taken the time to photograph and write about all of these watches in comparison to the Jutzi. It holds up very well in some outstanding company. I find the pictures of the case architecture very helpful indeed--the design works very well from the side angle where the rounded symmetry makes itself known. I still love the Shimoda design and the case is incredible, but I find the movement equally underwhelming and the thickness is a potential handicap for a watch that is ostensibly dressy. From what I can see, though significantly smaller than the MIH, the Jutzi looks quite wearable. The dial is wide enough and the lug design long enough to make up for the size difference, and it seems like the right size for something dressy.

At any rate, you have given me a lot to think and dream about, so thank you. Are there any other options I ought to consider in this range (keeping in mind limited funds and a usual desire to buy second hand to make the most of them)?

I'm really kicking myself for not being able/ready to pounce on the recent GoldPfeil Jutzi that sold for <$5k. Unbelievable deal I'll be chasing for a while...

Cheers,
Daniel

This is not an obvious suggestion as it doesn't seem, at first, to play to any of the themes that appear to run in the collection that you have at the moment, nor the pieces you have parted with or the ones that you lust after.

You will certainly know the brand but you may not have considered it. It has this going for it: Independent; small volume; demonstrably hand made; very attractive (if familiar) movement; comparatively inexpensive; larger size; quite good level of finish; customisable to a degree; robust; dress up/dress down; well supported but well represented in the secondary market. It is any one of the Dirk Dornbluth pieces. This is the 99.0:

 

 

There are several other models and a wide range of case/dial/hand options. You probably know that fellow Purist Douglas Glickman maintains the definitive Dornbluth aficionado site: he has much to offer in terms of opinion on the brand and the watchmaker. There is no hotlink here out of respect for forum rules, but you will know how to find 'glickman'.

 

Cheers,

pplater.

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