The Grail Watch
This watch hobby is a tough one. It’s expensive, pointless, and very difficult to explain to a significant other why a piece of metal and leather is worthy of several thousand dollars. Despite all this, it’s extremely addictive, particularly if you’re interests happen to be directly connected to good design, history and craftmanship.
What I particularly enjoy is when your friends and family discover your hobby. You can expect any, or a combination of, these four reactions:
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Now really, I think all but point 1 is acceptable (ah so totally ok for you to spend $2000 on 2 pairs of shoes, a dress and dinner but I AM the idiot) but what is particularly moving is when your, in this case, colleagues pool their hard earned money to bring some sunshine into your life and buy that illusive watch that you’ve been admiring from a distance.
How special one can be made to feel by such an act. This is what happened to me this week and it moved me to tears. I received a gift that I’ve only read about in collector’s magazines and members only websites and I am so incredibly grateful to now own this piece. Please allow me to share some of the many well thought through and utterly stunning details of this watch. |
My impressions as a privileged owner
Firstly, the wristband.
This is truly something special. For some reason, I’ve been wasting my time with leather, marine nationale straps and metal bracelet when something as simple as a preciously smooth strap, ingeniously designed to fit even my 19cm wrist proves to be the ultimate accessory. I of course tried all my straps on the watch; silver, gold, leather and even my woven unobtanium strap, but I simply couldn’t top the silky feel of the titan coloured strap supplied with the watch. |
I attempted to locate the factory that produced this and praise be, I was successful! However the response was like a cold shower on an icy morning.
“Good Day Esbjorn, thank you for your message. Our 12 artisans that hand make these straps from precious oils and regurgitated earthworm silk are only able to produce one strap every month. We are operating at capacity and whilst we appreciate your interest in our humble operation, please let us inform you that should you ever share the location or contact details of our studio, your body will never be recovered. Regards, Grandmaster ⍒”. Ok, so sometimes you just have to be thankful that you own a piece of irreplaceable art and keep your enterprising spirit to yourself. |
Packaging
I’ve always felt that this is an area where watch makers have an opportunity to create a first impression that has the potential to last a lifetime.
We are greeted here by a branded watch case which I believe is covered in finest musk rat fur, cut short to ensure love at first touch. The solid titanium zip opens with minimum effort, and behold, the watch is held in form fitted, perforated ceramic. A substance I believe pioneered by Nasa, famous for being the first material cushioning the first foot on our Moon. Laser cut grooves ensures the watch is held secure and displayed in perfect symmetry. Truly a triumph and I will never forget this unpacking experience. |
Let us move on to the watch itself.
Where to start. Colour is always one of these things that can risk alienating parts of your intended audience. Should you go with one solid colour or should you choose complimenting colours that work in unison to bring beauty rarely imagined?
Well I’m so pleased to say that this is another area where the artisans behind this piece have truly excelled. I pity the design houses at Rolex, Omega & Grand Seiko since this is truly the peak of watch design. Such deep and beautiful colours would surely be the result of a confidential process. The case design, with its shades of green, outlines the shape and attributes of the dinosaur depiction and you can tell even from some distance that here’s a person with immaculate taste and more than a casual interest in the Jurassic Era. I say person since this piece would be equally complimentary to a man or a woman, but perhaps not the best choice for a child due to their destructive and selfish ways. |
Moving on to the almost photo realistic eyes and teeth, once again, jaw dropping. The Mona Lisa effect is often debated amongst art afficionados, how was it created, is it in the the eye of the beholder etc. The effect of moving around the room yet always feeling like you maintain eye contact, it’s a skill that was perhaps never replicated post Da Vinci’s death. Until now.
I’ve walked down streets and have had strangers half a block away be fixated by the captivating stare of the eye. It’s like they can not help but strike up conversation, just to get one more glance at the watch before they reluctantly move on. Not for the last time, I’m sure, have I heard from strangers of all ages that “It was like it fixated me with its captivating eye, entered my mind and listened to my concerns, desires and aspirations. Thank you Rex for leaving me in such high spirits”. Rex, King in Latin. Clearly a name well chosen. |
Finally, the dial
Grand Seiko get a lot of attention for their dial designs. One of my all time favourite dial design is the Snowflake, so named due to its resemblance to a field of fresh snow glistening in the sunlight.
Would it ever be bettered? I think we have an answer. Now who am I to create a nick name, but if you allow me to indulge, I think I have one. ‘Viridescent Saltopus’. I have studied the face of the watch carefully with my naked eyes, loupes and even an electron microscope and, I can only say this: You can lose yourself forever in this deep and multi-faceted green. After what feels like an eternity, you’re the one being studied and critiqued and that’s when you know that what you must now do, is avert your eyes, bow your head and kneel at the altar of the ‘VS’. |
The titan coloured hands, expertly colour matched to the wrist band, is another stroke of genius. How is it possible to match such perfection despite the difference in materials? It’s mind boggling and words escape me. I can only guess that the process to create these hands is other worldly and not something that a simple being like me could ever hope to understand.
Etched into the dial, with details only visible under a loupe, is a seemingly random coded combination of letters ‘Q-U-ARTZ’. I do not speak or read the dead language of Aramaic, but from hours of researching the toxic depths of the Dark Web, this appears to have a two possible translations. ‘See me, peace be upon you, dust of stars’ or possibly ‘Scrape my face on the way down the slide and I will inflict pain upon thee’. This where my skills unfortunately fail me and I will have to leave it to you, Dear Reader, to interpret the meaning of this sacred inscription. The final stroke of genius, removing the dial from its housing is as simple as a little squeeze and the back of the dial is revealed in all its glory. I can not photograph or share what’s engraved here since I’m bound to silence but it’s a multi-faceted piece of art that I will take with me to my grave. The only known copy of the etching is housed in the sacred vault of the Vatican and there it shall remain, unmolested by the common eye. |
Movement
Case
miscellaneous
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Final Words
There are moments in life that stay with you forever. Your first kiss, your wedding day, the births of your children, travels to ancient cultures in far away lands. Well, here’s a new one for me. Laying eyes upon this watch for the first time and carefully removing it from its packaging to attach it to my wrist, this moment will stay with me forever.
Whilst a watch like this is almost unattainable for the average man, it was made even more special considering my friends and colleagues (sponsored by one person in particular, still unknown to me) pooled their hard earned money to purchase this gift. How could I repay such a debt? Some have suggested that doing precisely nothing would be the only adequate action but this feels wrong to me. However, one must respect the wisdom of one’s elders. Once again, this is a watch that will be difficult, yet perhaps not completely impossible, to remove from my collection. It’s almost too exclusive and luxurious to fit my humble wrist. I am about to embark in a quest to find the next worthy owner, whether this is the future Dalai Lama, the first person to set foot on Mars, or perhaps simply a custom built section in the East Wing of The Louvre – no effort shall be spared to preserve this piece for future generations. Viridium Saltopus Laudat. Cheers, Esbjorn |
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