Watch Made Beyond Its Purpose

Nowadays, watchmakers are making watches beyond its purpose or usage. Only way to differentiate themselves from other watchmakers, each party will manufacture a watch to claim the title of the most complicated watchmaker.

Romain Jerome, a Geneva watchmaking house, has manufactured a watch that doesn't tell time. Now, why would you want to buy something that is called a watch but doesn't tell its time.

The watch is called Day&Night which has two tourbillons working in sequence, one during the 12-hour-day, and the other during the 12-hour-night. During the first twelve hours, only the Day tourbillon will move. It will stop moving after twelve hours and hand over the movement to the Night tourbillon. Selling price - US$300,000.

Just when I thought the first one was complicated, out comes another weird piece.

Manufactured by both Romain Jerome and Cabestan, only six pieces are out in the market. Wondering whether all six have been sold or still being displayed at retail shops.

This watch was made to pay homage to the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Antarctic and Arctic Oceans. The last piece, where tiny weeny parts of the Titanic ship were used, was to commemorate Titanic's shipwreck site i.e. 41° 43’ 55’’ N et 49° 56’ 45’’ W. Such a weird looking timepiece could easily fetch US$173,000.

This watch really makes sense to me now. You see the hour arm at last. François-Paul Journe's La Sonnerie Souveraine but surprisingly this watch has a grand sonnerie, or full strike, which sounds the hours and quarters at each quarter, and a petite sonnerie which sounds only the hour at the hour and the quarters at the quarters. It also has an extremely complicated minute repeater.

Selling price - US$544,000. This is crazy!







So by looking at those prices, I definitely can't afford any of it and can only dream about it. Even if I could have afford it, I may not put US$500,000 on my hand. Why? Because not many people will know what kind of brand are those .......... hehe

My aim is much lower - the Oris Williams F1 Team Chronograph 2008. Nothing unique on this model but it's an automatic winding chronograph that is big in size, 45mm in diameter.

Wondering what's the price in Malaysia?

The joke is that people on the street won't be able to differentiate whether your watch is originally authentic or not. Some friends mentioned that buying a fake one is just as good. The only thing you want to know is ............. simple ............. the time, that was the main purpose.

Reading: Watchmakers pushing the limits - International Herald Tribune
Tags: Watch, Watchmaker, Geneva Watchmaking House, Swiss Made, Swiss Watch, Romain Jerome, Day&Night, Titanic-DNA by Cabestan, Cabestan, François-Paul Journe, La Sonnerie Souveraine, Oris, Oris Williams F1 Team Chronograph 2008