So this video is gonna be more on the topic of custom bespoke watches.
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This video is brought to you by by Designa Individual.
They are the bespoke manufacturer to the world's lightest Daytona just like this one.
They used high quality materials with an incredible fit and finish.
Click on the link below for more information.
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Now, this is an interesting topic and in my opinion, I think the birth of this really
started, if you remember maybe five, six, seven years ago, there was the introduction
of Bamford.
Now, Bamford Watch Co was in my opinion the first brand that really came out and started
to custom tailor watches.
Pretty much what they would do is they would get your favorite watch, put a PVD or DLC
coating on it, which pretty much makes it all black, and then they would do a custom
dial, stamp it with the Bamford logo, and now it's officially a custom watch just for
you.
Now, for the most part that era and that topic didn't have too much criticism because they
were mostly all original made at the manufacturer, but just customized them after by somebody
else.
For example, you get a vehicle and you put a new paint job on it or a wrap, pretty much
the same concept in my opinion.
That's what was going on.
This is something that's more for the people that just want something else than a regular
run-of-the-mill watch.
I mean I for one even back then when the Nautiluses in price, I found it crazy for someone to
PVD completely a 5980.
I was like, damn that's pretty out there!
But so on and so forth, things have continued to evolve and now in 2019 we're seeing a lot
more manufacturers and small companies with some really, really talented watchmakers.
I mean, these guys are pretty much artist.
It's beyond watchmaking, that are creating some pretty unbelievable masterpieces.
So I have here for you today actually a Designa Individual Carbon Daytona.
I'm gonna go ahead and say I love this watch.
This thing is made with a carbon case to the exact specifications of a standard Daytona
steel case, same size, same lug width.
Everything is exactly the same.
Pretty much this watch what it uses still from the original Rolex Daytona is the glass,
the hands, the crown and buttons and the movement, but everything else has been custom made in
their manufacturer with extreme tolerances, tight fitment and finishes.
So aesthetically, I think the watch is amazing.
I mean, you know Rolex would never make you a watch in carbon because God forbid they
use an exotic material or something that won't reach up their expectations.
However, how does it look?
I mean, I think it's stunning.
It's pretty much when a Rolex Daytona meets a Richard Mille.
So then we get to this topic, which is like in my opinion very controversial.
You got the purists going out there and saying, “Well, it's not a real watch anymore because
now it's fake because it's got a fake case.”
Look, I'm gonna go ahead and say this is a “hot rod.”
Now, I'm into Chevys, which is mostly what I like for hot rods and I'm also into Porsches.
And let me tell you that, if you never heard of a company hold, Guntherwerks or Singer,
these guys make the baddest bespoke Porsches in the world.
Where else can you get a 993 Porsche completely in exposed carbon fiber body?
They've gone through extreme development to in-house make you a collectible Porsche, all
bespoke, all carbon, engines that cost $250,000.
So the question is, is a Guntherwerks Porsche really a Porsche?
You see, I don't see anybody complaining and saying that a Guntherwerks Porsche, even though
it costs you $3,000,000, it's not a real Porsche.
Or, for example, a really high end, really, really, high end hot rod built buy Chip Foose
or by Tom Nelson at Nelson Supercar . I mean, these hot rods are beyond this world.
Or how about these guys in Speedcore where they'll make you a Challenger with the complete,
full exposed carbon body?
That's where I think that type of thinking meets the watch world and DIW, in my opinion,
has a flawless execution of that concept.
So the thing is in the watch world, it just kind of brings this whole toss-up because
since in the history of watches, there's always been the fear of buying a fake watch or getting
duped or stuff like that.
That's where it kind of brings in that gray area, where I get it.
When you're buying a vintage 57 Chevy Bel Air, you don't necessarily get sold a kit
car without knowing.
That would be the equivalent to the watch world you getting a fake watch.
But besides all that, if we can overlook all that, these craftsmen have really created
some beauty.
Now, there's other brands out there that are really doing some magic.
Have a look at Artisans of Geneva.
I mean, with the Montoya watch that they're doing or the Barichello, stunning!
Pretty much they're getting a factory Daytona and they're skeletonizing the whole movement.
Guys, this isn't just because you're adding a glass dial.
If you put just a glass dial on one of these Daytonas, you would see a lot of metal.
They're pretty much skeletonizing all the layers of the movement and making it just
a true piece of masterwork.
I mean, these are some serious watches.
Again, they're meant for the guy that already has everything and wants a totally hot rodded
out Daytona or perhaps a Rolex timepiece.
Another one of these companies that's also caught my attention is Mad Paris.
They do some really nice work and pretty much in my opinion have taken it forward to where
Bamford left off.
Really big into the PVD finishes and the custom dials on factory watches.
One of my favorite ones that I've seen that's really unique is an AP 41 that they've done
all black with an all-black dial.
No indicators, no nothing on the dial, just has a real, clean look.
One thing I also wanna mention is that in the past, some of these customizing companies,
which I'm not even gonna go into mentioning, really didn't do that good of a job.
I remember one time in the hype of this PVD finishing, a client brought me in a watch
that hey had paid really good money for.
Let's just say it was a Deepsea and he had paid $25,000.
He brought it in to trade.
When I looped the dial, it look like a 4-year-old had painted the needles and the dial with
some nail polish.
It was pretty disappointing.
On pictures you see something and you think, wow that looks really awesome, but in person,
it's a whole 'nother ballgame, and that's where I wanna get into this Designa Individual
Carbon.
Wow!
The second I saw it in person, homerun!
Out of the park.
I mean, this is the whole new level.
This is something completely different.
This goes straight to what I was thinking when I thought about that Guntherwerks Porsche
or that Speedcore Challenger.
It's just another level.
They took it to another level in workmanship and artistic craftsmanship.
So the first thing that I noticed when I opened up this watch is how closely all the tolerances
and the finishes are.
I sat there and grabbed my loupe and took my time and looked at it.
One thing I wanna tell you is besides the fact that the case is perfect, the end links
are also executed with perfection.
But one of the hardest parts for these guys to execute is the dial.
The finish and the printing on the dial is perfect.
There's no loose paint.
There's no scratches.
There's no distortion.
Everything is fit perfect.
I mean, whoever is behind quality control here, obviously knows what they're doing.
I know that there's some really nice watches I've seen out there skeletonized.
I got a friend of mine from actually from Paris that has started actually doing his
own watches in his basement, which I got some pictures here for you to see.
Great work!
The guy just started and he's on to the right track.
It's the equivalent to a garage hot rodder at home tricking out his own watches.
But back to this DIW.
The finish is amazing.
The lettering on the bezel is crisp.
It looks like it's not so much printing on top of the carbon, but maybe very little bit
sunk in and flush finished with the paint.
The strap of the watch is an exact finish to the Richard Mille.
I don't know if it's made by the same people are they went after the same concept, but
I love the finish of the strap.
Fits perfect and you feel like you have nothing on your wrist.
The caseback is also something that looks very nice to look at.
Very good detail on it with some nice engraved lettering.
I mean, overall this is a special piece.
The box is another thing about this watch.
They really sat there and took their time to execute the finish of the presentation
of the watch.
They didn't just paint a dial and do a couple of things and hand you back your watch in
a zip lock bag.
They really went above and beyond.
Prices on something like this.
This is gonna cost you around $50,000.
These are custom commissioned pieces made just for you.
Now you people will sit there and say about the value.
I mean look, right now I don't know if these watches are going over retail or what.
All I know is is that if you can afford it and you want something different and you're
ready to pay the $50,000 for something like this, you're not gonna get another watch like
this.
I can tell you hundreds and hundreds of different models made straight from brands where their
MSRP is $50,000 and when you go to sell it, you get $10,000.
I would much rather have this even if it's gonna be worth $10,000 because it's so different.
It's so unique and it's definitely a conversation piece.
So pretty much the topic of custom or bespoke watches sits on the hands of the person that's
viewing it and giving their opinion.
Whether it's real, whether it's fake, whether they think it's cool or they think it's not,
it's just like artwork.
It's all depending on who wants to buy it and who sees the beauty in it.
I for one like it because I like to hot rod stuff.
Yes, I like stuff original also, but I am a hot rodder at heart, so this DIW really
hit me at the right spot because it is beautiful.
So feel free to comment below how you feel about customized or bespoke watches.
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My name is Eric, this is Watch Your Style.