For the layman, getting hold of a steel Rolex Daytona, or a Patek Nautilus is an example of wishful thinking. Yet once you’re at the point when these kind of grail watches are more or less everyday, you can be excused for wanting more, wanting to make these horological classics your own. That’s where Artisans de Genève come in.
If your idea of a custom timepiece is just a blacked-out submariner, then prepare to be enlightened. As the name suggests, the independent workshop is based in Geneva, the spiritual home of horology and gathers a substantial cross-section of the finest independent watchmakers and artisans in the world. This in turn gives them the skill and scope to realize any of your custom projects, no matter how demanding.
Like any bespoke process, it begins with the client. Whether you have a fully fleshed-out vision or just the germ of an idea, the designers at Artisans de Genève will sketch out a few ideas, refining them line by line until you’re happy with it. After something incredibly modern with skeletonization and carbon fiber? Or perhaps something like the recent Honey Blue Challenge with its beautiful 70s looks? It’s all up for discussion.Once that’s settled, Artisans de Genève will realize a series of sketches of the desired modifications. These allow you to see more fully what your finished watch will eventually look like – not to mention any other modifications you’d like – before the work begins on achieving your future Pièce Unique.
From there, there’s a 12 to 16 weeks lead time on the watch, a time period that not only gives the watchmakers the time they need to ensure quality, but allows subtle adjustment of the watch as it’s processed. After all, good things come to those who wait.
During the project, Artisans de Genève will work on every custom part until perfection, finishing and beveling even the most unassuming of surfaces and smallest pieces. The end result is a personalization that goes beyond a collectors’ item to the status of the truly unique – complete with a 5-year international warranty. A thin layer of DLC coating this is not.
Don’t worry about current global crises getting in the way of your dream watch either; Artisans de Genève’s service is exclusively available online. To begin your own customisation project, click here.
It does have to be pointed out that Artisans de Genève work in complete independence and has no direct or indirect relationship with the brands on whose products they work. Rolex for example does not approve customization. That might be enough to put off some purists and to each their own; but the expertise and craftsmanship behind each bespoke timepiece is undeniable.
In short, if you have a unique vision of what your watch could be, one that you’ve written off as an impossible horological dream, give Artisans de Genève a call. If they can’t do it, it truly is impossible.
More details at Artisans de Genève.
