Happy Rebelde Day!

 

Today is the most important day on our calendar.   We were born on May 17, 2012. On that day, two seemingly unrelated events coincided, creating the cornerstone of what is known as the 'Rebelde movement'. The first event was the final letter from a major Swiss watch brand denying access to spare parts for Australian watchmakers, which simply meant the end of our existence as independent repairers. The second event, which occurred later that day, was the realisation that in order to stay in business and continue our battle for mere survival, we had to start our own watch brand.   The first Rebelde watch was designed in 2013 which marks this year as our 10th year as a brand. We've struggled, but with your help and support, we've prevailed.   As I type this, in front of me is the latest NH watch - just completed - ready to be submitted to the Louis Vuitton Watch Prize competition: "For the makers of the future". As I have always said: our future is yet to come. Yet looking at the watch on my desk, our future is already here. For the very first time in these past ten years, I am entirely pleased with what our small team has achieved. I am proud of them, and I am proud of the watch. Actually, I am so proud of it that if I drop dead today, it would be more than enough to be remembered by this very timepiece alone. A watch you can take to any brand, any boutique, put it on the table and say: this was manufactured in Australia.   We’ve come a long way: from simple hand sketches, placing orders with overseas watch parts manufacturers, assembling hundreds of watches in our small city workshop, training young apprentices, setting our own manufacturing facilities, importing high precision machinery, learning how to make. All that, in just ten short years.   We've stood to what we've promised: to this day, there is no such thing as a broken watch that bears the NH name. Our watches are not just keeping time, but withstanding the brute forces of nature which work against order, withstanding time itself. Robust, reliable and repairable – forever. Rebelde ambassadors love their watches, they hold on to them tightly, respectfully, enjoying the fact that they too, are special, one of a kind watch enthusiasts. What a compliment that is!   I wish I could show you the watch, but unfortunately, this would not be possible until our entry to the competition is officially accepted. I can however tell you that the watch is a truly unique piece, one of a kind. It features a Timascus guilloche dial in the most vibrant colour you've ever seen. This is the first time in the history of horology that a special tri-composite titanium 'alloy' has been guilloched. The watch hands are machined from pure titanium, feather-finished. Mainplate and bridges are also made of Timascus, and winding gears are hobbed in house. What we are extremely proud of, the entire titanium case was manufactured and hand finished – by us. In other words, more than 80% of the entire watch is by our own design, manufactured by us, in Australia.   Again, I wish you could see it, here, right now. However, as of next week, you will be able to see it in person, in our city office. If you are an admirer of fine horology, you will be blown away.   Happy Rebelde day! Nick Hacko

PS: The official name of the new watch is FiftyFive. (LV is 55 in Roman numerals). Here is a link to the jury members who will be judging our watch: https://www.louisvuittonwatchprize.com/committee/ The committee includes master watchmakers, journalists, artisans, artists, collectors, and watch enthusiasts from all backgrounds and nationalities. The first batch of ten NH FiftyFive watches is already in production with an expected release date of December 2023.