According to watch retailers, their customers all want the same thing. Sporty-chic watches from well-known brands that can’t be found in boutiques. Prestigious grand complications backed by a narrative of historical legitimacy. Neo-vintage with a “tool watch” twist. All with an unfortunate tendency to converge in terms of style, size and color. Nonetheless, a fringe group of enlightened buyers refuses all things generic and monotone. They want watches resembling them and have a very specific idea in mind. They want a one-of-a-kind model.
Too rare
Brands have long understood that the absence of reproduction is an asset. That is what drives Only Watch, whose 2023 edition is on the horizon. There are numerous Maisons that create watches with such a level of complexity or rarity that the object simply cannot be repeated. When Jacob & Co. manages to assemble 351 unheated baguette-cut rubies of a uniform hue, and the final 35 carats required twice as much in terms of rough gems, one can well imagine that the Brilliant Flying Tourbillon they adorn represents a true feat. When Parmigiani Fleurier created its Les Roses Carrées “Collection Grand Feu”, the amount of work involved in engraving and enameling was such that the brand wished to make just one of them in blue.
Too long
A one-of-a-kind model is above all a matter of customization and what buyers really want is to compose their watch like a bouquet: Vacheron Constantin adopts an approach midway between the two. Its Les Cabinotiers department offers its own creations and executes others to order. In one case, you have to be the first to whip out your checkbook; and in the other, you have to accept delivery times that run into months or even years. Production time is the core issue of ultra-exclusive watchmaking, representing the time required to insert a handcrafted unit into an industrial process that also happens to be currently saturated.
Too special
The offer of single-edition timepieces applies to all segments of watchmaking creation. Projects involving artistic crafts are those most typically involved, since production is in any case done on an individual basis. Jaeger-LeCoultre is the specialist in this field with its Reverso, while Bovet and Louis Vuitton offer customization of their products, which are not always the most sophisticated. Jacob & Co. regularly makes a timepiece that an individual has put together based on the existing catalog. As for Jaquet Droz, the brand has quite simply withdrawn from series-produced watches to focus solely on special orders.
Too beautiful
The desire to meet a customer’s wishes is a philosophy. Cartier discreetly continues to do the same with watches as it does with its jewelry. In addition to its one-off Rare Handcrafts editions, Patek Philippe allows select clients to obtain off-catalog creations. Hublot accepts new variations on its jewelry timepieces, provided it is worth the effort. A richly gemset watch is thus imbued with Haute Joaillerie values in terms of both exclusivity and style. Whether a paving of precious stones, a bezel lit up by baguette-cut gems or a case adorned with orange sapphires, these creations always require individual care. That’s just as well, as ultra-gemset watches are currently enjoying significant momentum.
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