Luxury watchmakers are prepared to make a custom-made timepiece - for a hefty price
Luxury watchmakers have been discreetly offering their bespoke services to collectors who wouldn't mind a hefty price tag or a year or two of wait
Curiously, however, plenty of the respected watch manufacturers would rather keep the service off the radar, claiming that it's reserved for their most loyal patrons and VVIPs. "We do it very exclusively. It's almost like we don't talk about it," says Jean-Christophe Teigner, Roger Dubuis' global associate director of customer marketing.
The compelling rarity has only fuelled seasoned rare collectors' desire to join the elite club in recent years, and their piqued interest is evident in the amount they're willing to pay for a customised timepiece. At Christie's Geneva Important Watches auction last November, a unique Patek Philippe platinum observatory chronometer especially made for late criminal defence attorney J.B. Champion fetched almost US$4 million - a world auction record for a watch without complications.
Watchmakers have taken note of the growing demand for personalised models. "There has clearly been a trend," says Octavio Garcia, chief artistic officer of Audemars Piguet. "It's due to the relationship that grows between us and our clients as they feel more comfortable with the brand. For us, it opens a possibility to this kind of collaboration."
Arnaud Bastien, regional director (Asia) of high jeweller Graff Diamonds, echoes the sentiment, and Roger Dubuis' Teigner attributes the cause to a more mature base of clientele.
"Clients who buy our watches aspire to more than just the object, but the whole experience," he says. "They want to be part of the story. To be able to have their personal touch is very much in demand."
Vacheron Constantin recognised the importance of this growing demand in 2007 and consolidated its bespoke orders by establishing the Atelier Cabinotiers department, made up of 10 artisans and headed by Dominique Bernaz. The department is an extension to the house's tradition of making bespoke watches since 1755. The department has about 40 bespoke projects on hand simultaneously every year.
"The ability of a watch company to manufacture one-of-a-kind timepieces for a private client is what makes the difference between horlogerie and haute horlogerie," Bernaz says. "It's important for us to keep the bespoke service to show respect to both our clients and our roots."
The level of personalisation starts from simple engravings to a completely tailor-made calibre. In many cases, the latter is what clients are most interested in.