Locked in time

 

As I type this, in front of me is a Rebelde Titanium watch. A timepiece which represents a significant milestone on the road to independent watchmaking. The first titanium watch was assembled on the 14th of March 2018 and was immediately nicknamed ‘Tito’. I still remember that moment as if it was yesterday: a huge sense of relief that the project was a success, that all the components manufactured by numerous overseas suppliers are not just on my bench, but that they are manufactured to strict tolerances, and they fit perfectly, working together in harmony. TiD was my first attempt to ‘deal’ with titanium. I remember months of correspondence with Japanese titanium case makers, asking dozens and dozens of questions – to which I had no answer. What titanium grade do you require? What finishes? Tolerances? Water resistance of each individual surface; the material properties of Teflon and rubber seals; their expansion properties under pressure and temperature. What type of coating, polish, scratch resistance level? Of course, I knew what I wanted, but I had no technical manufacturing knowledge to communicate my requirements to the Japanese in the way they expected. TiD was not just another white label watch; it was a genuine ‘designed and assembled in Australia’ project, started from scratch. When it comes to the mechanism, Tito took the Rebelde brand to another level. Tanya and I travelled to Switzerland in the search for a movement maker who could offer the highest possible finishes and decoration for the trustworthy Unitas 6497. And we found it, tucked away in an unassuming wooden farm house in the heart of Canton of Bienne, was a movement design studio run by a husband and wife. We clicked instantly. “How many movements do you need”, they asked. “5,000? 10,000?” We needed one hundred. “We can do 100. No problem”. Of course, such a tiny production run came at a significant cost, but Tanya and I replied with ‘no problem’ too. It took the movement maker almost a year to deliver one of the most beautiful honey coloured movements I’ve ever seen, finished with a circular cote de Genève. The solid 18K balance wheel was mesmerizing, perfectly balanced. The kind of movement you find in 1970s Omega watches, built in that very same village 60 years ago. The small production run of only 50 TiD watches cost far more than we ever expected, and definitely more than we could afford, but the sacrifice was well worth it. We were proud to offer a NH watch which was as good as any Swiss watch, at a lower price. Yes, completely designed, assembled and adjusted in Australia. The original release price in 2018 was $3,500. Most of the watches were sold straight away, except for three, which were then priced at $4,000. Since then we’ve moved onto other projects, introducing new models: 45mm was simply too large for many of our customers. The last three watches are firmly locked in time. Today, the production cost of 50 titanium cases would be tens of thousands of dollars. The mechanism of this finish – even more. Actually, the Swiss watch studio which helped us in production is no longer in business. For any small independent makers, life is always on the edge; being exceptionally good means very little in a turbulent world driven by relentless advertising and branding. I am very proud of TiD Tito. I consider myself lucky that it bears my name on the dial. Completing a project of this magnitude in a very short period of time, on a limited budget was only possible thanks to your support; to Australian watch lovers who trusted us and supported our rebellion. If you wish to invest in a watch which upholds all the core values of a true independent brand, then TiD is definitely the way to go. The price is $4,000. If you wish to add a hand made Australian watch box, then please add $275. Delivery is free of charge. Each watch comes with a five year guarantee and a life time of gratitude for your support.