Nano-particles a big deal
Who said super-luxury was on the decline? With a US$480,000 price tag and a limited edition of only 10 pieces worldwide, Concord's C1 Quantum Gravity had better deliver on some serious space-age bells and whistles.
And it does. Boasting the first external biaxial tourbillon, the C1 Quantum Gravity also has the first vertical power reserve, which glows with a liquid made of nano-particles, and a bridge in the dial suspended by wires. You have to see it to believe it.
Alex Grinberg, Concord's new president, picks up the watch to illustrate his point.
'If you see here,' he said, indicating the visual display, 'it has a 3.5 day power reserve that fills up with liquid nano-particles that glow. And as you lose power, the glowing line goes down, prompting you to wind your watch. The case is titanium and it's big but it's light.
'It's not form over function. It's function and innovation leading form. Nobody besides Concord, with our partner BNB, has created a tourbillon that is literally outside the watch case ... no one. By pulling the tourbillon outside the watch, we created space inside the watch to house other functions and complications.'
Joining as president in July, Grinberg is a man raised on watches. A real 'gadget guy' who loves talking about watches, cameras, phones and other hi-tech toys, he is the son of MVI Luxury Group Inc's famed founder, Gedalio Grinberg.
With annual production limited to 2,000 pieces, Concord operates like super-luxury marques such as Rolls-Royce - the elite carmaker has its leatherwork completed by Connolly because it is the finest hand-finisher of quality hide in the motor industry.
Similarly, Concord has partners such as BNB that collaborate on complications, all to create the finest piece of wrist machinery possible.
The arm-hugging design is truly ergonomic, and it is clear upon handling one that Concord watches have been engineered to the highest level of luxury. The C1 Quantum Gravity is a collaboration on par with Ferrari and Pininfarina.
Concord is rightly proud of its various modernisms, but Grinberg is adamant that substance over style drives Concord's history of innovation.
'Concord was founded in 1908, so we have a reliable history of tradition,' Grinberg said.
'But we're edgy - we're rule-breakers. Each of our watches is engraved with the words Audace, Savoir-Faire, Avant-Garde. It means both Concord and the people who wear our watches are audacious, knowing and cutting-edge.'
'We produce just 2,000 watches per year,' Grinberg says. 'This limited production showcases the exciting developments Concord has made in watchmaking, but the serious progress isn't limited to exclusive models such as C1 Quantum Gravity. These evolutions are employed in the core line as well.
'The Champion Series, for example, celebrates the best of the human spirit by designing a limited-edition watch for a certain celebrity and then donating proceeds to that celebrity's charity of choice. It is not a celebrity endorsement; it's a partnership.'
Ronny Turiaf, NBA star and founder of Heart2Heart, which helps children who suffer from heart disease, is Concord's latest Champion. Turiaf had open-heart surgery at age 22, and the C1 Heart2Heart Chronograph has personal touches and symbols incorporated into the design. The limited edition of 25 pieces is sold out.
Other developments include an exciting World Timer with a self-winding Dubois-Depraz movement. The case alone boasts 53 elements.
'Our watches are for those people who understand and want the finest in everything: from innovation to styling, to exclusivity,' the president said.
'Wearing a Concord is a huge statement. Our brand is polarising. You either get it and love it or you don't. It's emotional.'
