It’s all well and good to have a unique version of a recognisable watch, but just how custom is that? Anyone can ask for the same paint job – and likely will – and then your unique piece is downgraded to a limited edition. Why not instead go for something a little off the beaten path?
Undone
Undone is, to all intents and purposes, an all-encompassing custom watch house. Under one roof they house R&D, production, assembly and sending the watch off, controlling each made-to-order piece every step of the way. The result is one of the few truly tailormade watch brands out there. Their watches may have familiar elements – a tachymeter here, diving bezel there, some vintage-style chronograph pushers – but the overall designs are unique to Undone.
Undone Custom Urban Chronograph
More importantly, the custom options are near-endless. For each style you can choose the case material, hand shape and colour, the type of dial you want, and the strap. You can even opt for a sapphire case back if you want. The end result is a watch that, while not the same quality as a Swiss-made piece of haute horology, is about the best damn custom item you’re going to get for £200.
Mark Gold
Mark Gold Gamechanger 3000m GMT
You can’t help but notice a Mark Gold watch, and from a good couple of miles away at that. They’re not subtle, nor do they pretend to be. These are watches for guys that want to be seen. The Gamechanger as it’s called is like nothing else out there, a huge block of superalloy able, thanks to its unique construction, to reach depths of 3,000m. If there’s a hole in your life for the Rolex Deep Sea Challenge, the Gamechanger would be more than happy to fill it.
More importantly for the bespoke arena, each piece is made one at a time. This means that the process really is a collaborative one. Mark Gold doesn’t just run them off the production line; he builds precisely what you want – provided it’s a variation on the Gamechanger design of course. Mark Gold’s collection isn’t for everyone, but if you like it, you’ll love it.
Baume
We can’t talk about custom watches without mentioning the new big fish in the small pond, Baume. Richemont group’s custom watch brand, don’t get them confused with Baume & Mercier. You can expect a good number of complications, ranging from moon phases to chronographs, and some cool design touches. The so-called Iconic 41mm is particularly cool with a partially openworked dial. Our favourite though has to be the minimalist 41mm Retrograde.
Baume Custom 41mm Retrograde (Grey Dial with Black Stainless Steel)
The prices make custom watches accessible, particularly when you factor in the kind of watchmakers they call stablemates. More importantly – to Baume at least – the brand aims to be as sustainable as possible. Think eco-friendly straps and production methods with as little a carbon footprint as possible. If that doesn’t sway you, the amount of customisation each design offers probably will.
