Holding two opposing ideas

 

Yesterday, in the midst of the madness created by the release of Seiko Resin, as the phone was literally melting down and while emails were pouring in, a remark by a subscriber caught me by surprise: "Seriously, how low can you really go? $299? Would there be a $99 Seiko next week?" The broader context of this insult hinges on two points: am I really a watchmaker of the reputation I claim to be, and is this Seiko anything more than cheap junk? One thing that separates humans and monkeys is the power of imagination. Imagination is the ability to form mental images; the ability of the mind to build mental scenes, objects or events that do not exist, are not present, or have not happened in the past - or those which will not happen in future. Imagination based on facts is reality, and non factual imagination is just a speculative fiction. It is up to each one of us to strike the balance between the two. In other words: if I find pleasure in selling affordable watches, then that is really just my business and no one else's. Cheap and expensive are just constructs of our imagination. As someone said, "The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposing ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function." So yes, intelligent people can find enjoyment in both cheap and expensive, affordable and exclusive, mass-produced and masterpieces. Because they are intelligent enough to tell the difference between the two.

Yesterday, while we were selling the cool and affordable Seiko, we also bought a wonderfully exciting 1880 single pusher chronograph pocket watch by Nicole Nielsen which is now undergoing a complete restoration. "The high regard in which some of the best watchmakers in London were held is due, in large part, to the work of 'Nicole Nielsen' (Charles Nicole & Emil Nielsen). They could make watches with any escapement and had the ability to supply calendar, chronograph and repeating watches, as well as special complications including tourbillons of the highest quality. In short, Nicole Nielsen's watches are superb." Minutes later, completely unexpectedly, we acquired a collection of 32 Omega railway pocket watches issued to NSW rail - a historically important find. As well as an extremely fine 1950 Omega bumper in completely original condition. Plus Another six vintage Omegas. And on top of that, 18 modern watches, to be listed over the next couple of days.

We can go low, we can go high, and either is fun. Almost forgot: there is a parcel from Seiko on it's way too.

Crown vs. All Watchmakers

This week, a communique addressed as "LETTER TO ALL WATCHMAKERS" and dated July 1994 has been brought to my attention. It is, what we believe, the first written document which directly imposed and introduced a harsh restriction on the supply of spare parts from Rolex. If for no other reason, this is an important document because it reveals a crucial detail: Prior to July 1994, there was no restriction on the supply of spare parts to Australian watchmakers. So what was the reason behind the 'declaration of war'? "It has come to the attention of the Rolex Group of companies that some persons seek to acquire Rolex spare parts and accessories for the purpose of refurbishing second hand Rolex watches and passing them off as new or for passing off counterfeit Rolex watches as genuine Rolex watches. You will appreciate that it is essential that this practice be stamped out as it misleads the public and detracts from the reputation established by Montres Rolex S A in its timepieces."

Australian watchmakers, collectively, have been accused of two sins: repairing Rolex watches to such high standard that they could be passed on as new, and on-selling fake Rolex watches as genuine. This accusation was a downright insult. As Rolex states, in the watchmaking business, reputation is everything. To accuse watchmakers of being dishonest and not considered to be respectable in character or appearance, was simply a provocation. I am not saying that there aren't bad apples in our trade, but as someone who has been in the game for my entire life, I have not come across a watchmaker who is a crook, counterfeiter and forger. If indeed, such a dodgy watchmaker was caught red handed trying to defraud Rolex, then I would be the first to throw a stone. Over the years, Rolex has successfully won countless cases, bringing fraudsters and copyright infringers to justice. Including their fellow Swiss brands (A Marine-r's Odyssey: Rolex vs. Franck Muller). There is an army of lawyers in Geneva who are paid handsomely to protect Rolex's reputation, and rightly so. But to unleash that mighty force on small Australian Independent Watchmakers, the very backbone of the service industry, is simply unthinkable. For obvious reasons, I am not going to fully re-publish Rolex's letter here. The rest of the content deals with specifics in relation to placing an order for spare parts, return of broken parts, right to retain parts (by Rolex) etc. As well as request to 'agree and comply'.    Unfortunately, as we now know in the years succeeding this letter, Rolex's narrative has changed. From being accused of providing a service too good to be true, Australian watchmakers were gradually pushed into the 'too old, too dumb, and unwilling to invest' basket, being accused of providing inferior service to customers. In 2012, Rolex Australia closed the last two spare parts accounts to Sydney independent watchmakers. I have captured that moment in time in a short video purely as a historical reference, and if you are a relatively new subscriber to this newsletter, then you should watch it here: https://youtu.be/GaJvmQtoVjs

Curiously, in 2022, the narrative is changing again. After closing the official service centre in Sydney, faced with an unprecedented load of repairs, Rolex is creating a new alliance, partnering with authorised dealers. New people, willing to invest, expand, and ride on Rolex's wings to infinity and beyond. What that means to you, a watch enthusiast, is yet to be seen.   But when I think of it: for a small watchmaker of independent spirit, being pushed out and forcefully divorced from Rolex is actually a good outcome. Fifty years ago, Rolex was making ordinary watches easily repairable by almost anyone. However since then, things have changed. Australian watchmakers are simply too small and insignificant to be perceived as a partner of relevance. Skilled behind the bench for sure, but legally illiterate and financially miniscule. And the truth is, the new generation of 'watch collectors' no longer sees Rolex as a high precision mechanical device; but purely as an investment vehicle, an extension of a fragile ego, and as a social media status symbol. The last thing they want is to deal with us.   As they say: we all got the reputation and customers we deserve. The King is dead; long live the Crown.

Hate your job but need the money?

Many of our subscribers are fellow small business operators. Today's message is for them. As I type this, Australian businesses are going through unprecedentedly hard times. While demand for products is strong, and profit margins are healthy, the work force is decimated. Workers are quitting, changing jobs or simply not showing up for work. Advertising for a replacement is fruitless, leading to frustration and an inability for businesses to operate efficiently and profitably. It is not just tough; we are on the verge of a meltdown of the very foundations of capitalism. What has caused the problem? There are four reasons which have caused this perfect storm: the government's overreaction to Covid and severe 'stay at home' orders, hyperinflation caused by the governments' decision to print money, extremely low interest rates, and the governments decision to close borders, getting rid of foreign workers and limiting immigration. Which means that an already spoiled and precious Australian workforce now has an upper hand over businesses. Those who always wanted to quit have already quit. And who could blame them? The generous Covid support coupled with stay at home orders proved to actually be a good thing: while in lockdown and on support, they realized that working from home left them with plenty of free time, no direct supervision and no need to commute to work. For them, work was always a burden, and to their surprise, thanks to Government measures , that burden was lifted, literally overnight. But for small businesses, it was not those who left that are a problem. It's those who stayed because they couldn't leave. Workers who have bills to pay, children at school, overburdened with mortgages. Disgruntled, unhappy and unproductive. They call themselves "quiet quitters". If you are not familiar with the term, look it up. "Quiet Quitting" is actually a global phenomenon. Millions of QQ'ers are mushrooming, and the chances are, there are one or two sitting right next to you, right now. How to recognize a QQ? The best way to introduce them is to allow them to introduce themselves: "We are forced to work. We hate capitalist corporate culture, over commitment, climbing up the ladder. We are happy to give 100% but not 1000%." Here are the obvious characteristics of a typical quiet quitter: 1. Physically present at work, but absentminded 2. Happy to do only the absolute minimum to keep their pay check 3. Arrive to work at 8:59 and leave at 5:00 4. Averse to any after hours training 5. Disinterested in new projects 6. Constantly grumpy, easily irritated 7. Disinterested in promotions, or corporate advancement of any kind 8. Impossible to motivate 9. QQ are proud of being quiet quitters, so they actively spread and preach QQ values Quiet quitters are a cancer to your small business.  What can you do about it? There is absolutely nothing that a small business owner can do to calm the storm. The storm was created by the government, not by small businesses. Brace! Instinctively, business owners react to the pain of losing staff by panic advertising for new staff, and offering higher wages. Which is simply pouring fuel on fire. You will be literally hiring someone else's quitter (bad) or someone else's' quiet quitter (really bad). QQ is not a victimless crime The first victim are your customers. If you see any signs of customer dissatisfaction, then you can be sure that your business is already infected. The second victim is the business itself, deprived of the blood which comes from worker enthusiasm and creativity. The third victims are hard working and loyal co-workers who now have to share even more of the burden in order to keep the business afloat. Plan of action Identify quiet quitters, review their performance and if they are not fulfilling their contractual obligations then take the appropriate steps. Going forward It took decades of hard work to build a successful business. Don't let a bunch of quitters tear it down. Hold the helm firmly, weather the storm. 1. Immediately cancel your overseas holiday 2. Be prepared to work even longer hours 3. Reward workers who are loyal and hardworking 4. Cancel all non-profitable projects, focus your energy on high profit activities 5. Be prepared to inject more working capital into the business 6. Remember: In times of crisis, a handful of loyal and experienced workers are worth more than an army of quitters 7. No storm lasts forever. If you survive, you'll come out stronger.  When will the storm be over? When interest rates hit 10% and all the awakened digital nomads, freelancers, smashed avocados, losers and quitters will for the first time in their life find out what capitalism really is. See you in Hobart. Gallup's global workplace report for 2022 showed that only 9% of workers in the UK were engaged or enthusiastic about their work. Also 60% of people are emotionally detached and 19% are miserable.

What is an Omega "Moonwatch" look-alike and why should you stay away from it?

 

Introduced in 1988, the Speedmaster Reduced Ref 3510.50 was offered as the smaller and cheaper version of the Moonwatch. The case size was 39mm and unlike the 'difficult to manually wind Speedy' the reduced was an automatic watch. The dial layout was not a carbon copy of the original, but for most buyers, it was close enough. What really bode well for it: it was a smaller, more compact watch suitable for a smaller wrist. Omega released and sold hundreds of thousands of them. Here are my 5 reasons why you should NOT invest in one: 1. It is overpriced We use to sell them for $2,000. Then price went to $2,200 and stayed there for a number of years. Then it jumped to $3,000. Nowadays you could see them on Chrono 24 advertised for close to $5,000! This is just ridiculous. For $5,000 you can get a much better watch. Much, much better! 2. It is not waterproof Quite frankly, it was barely waterproof even back in 1988. Thirty or so years later, wearing a reduced in the shower -or even washing your hands - is asking for trouble. A vintage reduced is not suitable for any water related activities. Especially a watch with no recent service history. 3. It is complex to repair The Speedmaster reduced is powered by a modular calibre Omega 1140 (later upgraded to 1141 and 1143). Basically, it is an ETA 'sandwich' with the time module and chrono module joined together. A watchmakers nightmare! A complete overhaul on a reduced is more time consuming, more expensive and more complex than on any manual wind moonwatch. While parts are still plentiful, watchmakers capable of servicing modular calibres are hard to find. Your local watchmaker (even a good one!) would most likely stuff it up - or, if he is honest and smart - avoid the job in the first place. We can service it in our workshop - but this is never fun and always expensive. 4. The casing components are flimsy Especially the pushers, which now tend to fall off, leak or simply stop functioning altogether. Unlike the internal parts, external parts are hard to source. A damaged pusher or scratched bezel will set you back big time. 5. It is a 'fake watch' By fake I mean fake looking watch. If you really want a Moonwatch then go for an original manual wind 42mm. If you can't handle that size, go for a smaller watch but of different design. In most cases,   the reduced is sold to total novice watch enthusiasts who (in the past) were attracted to the look of a moon watch, but did not want to pay the price. With the reduced, there is no honeymoon; the moment you put it next to the 'real deal' the marriage is over. Is there an alternative to a Speedmaster 3510.50 reduced? If you really want the same look in a smaller case, and automatic winding is a must then at least, go for a 3593.50, the upgraded version released in 2006. While this is still an ETA 2892 with a sandwich chronograph module by Dubois-Depraz, the reduced 2.0 is more waterproof and comes with a sapphire crystal. Still expensive to repair and crazy overpriced. A much better alternative would be any other Omega chronograph Speedmaster fitted with a Valjoux 7750 mechanism. The 7750 is not regarded as a 'horological beauty' - quite the opposite - but at least, it is easy to repair and fairly issue-free. Most importantly, you won't be hit by the "moonwatch tax". There are plenty of options for dial colour, and water resistance is fairly decent If you look after it, it will serve you well for years to come. And if you do have a speedy reduced, and are thinking of selling it: get rid of it now, thank me later. (No I don't want it!)

MK2 Dial - Part 3

As we discussed in the last installments, the MK2 dial is a complex assembly of small individual elements. All made one by one, finished one by one and assembled and fixed one by one. In this installment of the "behind the scenes" we will show you the process of how the dial elements are made and finished, and how the base dial is anodised to our "topaz blue". First: the end result:

The hour markers, or as we call them "batons" as well as all three hands are faceted. The facet is at 4 degrees, a very small angle, but the effect is massive. In person, the facets on the dial and hands not only dance in the light, but also give a strong visual line down the centre of the hand. The keen eyed of you will have noticed another interesting feature- the 2nd "grain" angle within the facet. We call this technique feathering. The grinding finish that we apply on the hands is angled at 45 degrees to mimic the shape of a feather. The inspiration comes from the coastal birds you see on the Sydney's Northern beaches- seagulls, sea eagles, even sulfur crested cockatoos and lorikeets! There is a massive technical challenge in making this decorative pattern. If the facets are off centre by more than 10 microns or so, your eye begins to pick up the lack of symmetry, so it becomes very important that all the jigs, and raw hand dimensions are checked and kept to a tight tolerance Secondly, the angle of the "feathering" creates a complex compound angle that we have to hold the part on, which calls for a very complex jig-making exercise. But without getting ahead of ourselves, we still have to make all the other parts! The numerals, batons, and hands all start in the same way. Raw material of 0.8mm titanium is glued down to a special pallet. The material itself has been stress relieved and flattened in prior operations. Here you can see the progression of the batons and numerals being milled out. The hands are done in a very similar way.  A special high strength glue is used to hold the parts to the pallet, allowing us to profile the outside and inside shapes. The tools we use to cut these parts are so small that the tip of the tool can get lost in the space between the lines of your finger print! A drop of oil on the 0.2mm drill. The batons and the numerals are not simple 2D shapes, they actually have two little "feet" on the backside. These feet fit inside the holes we drill on the base dial. The diameter of the foot is 0.19mm with a tolerance band for the diameter of +0 microns , -10 microns. The thickness of the batons and numerals is also important, If they are too thin they will distort and twist when assembled on the base dial. Quality control - Measuring the thickness of the numeral and baton. Measuring the diameter of the baton pin. Measuring the thickness of the parts we make is quite tricky. The probe tip we use had to be custom made for us in Germany! Standard probe tips available as off the shelf items are too large and would not allow us to get to the small areas between the pins of the numerals and batons. This custom probe tip is one of the many thousands of dollars of custom equipment we had to either make ourselves, or in this case commission from gauge making specialists. After all this care, time, attention and patience we are left with our raw, ready to be finished parts! The next step is feathering. There are a couple of challenges in this process. The first one is how to hold such a small part. This leads to a complex exercise in jig-making. The jigs used to hold our parts take weeks to design and make. They go through many iterations to land on the right approach.  The feathering is done on a machine called a surface grinder. Surface grinding is an extremely accurate method of removing small amounts of material in a very controlled way. It takes years of expertise to master this machine by tradespeople called "toolmakers". James, our in-house toolmaker is an expert and only after nearly 20 years of experience, is he comfortable with this type of work. The type of abrasive wheel used is a critical part of achieving the right finish. In fact we tried numerous different combinations of wheel and coolant to arrive at our own "titanium feathering recipe". Dial Anodising The base dial is now cleaned and prepared for anodising. Funnily enough your fingertips are some of the best cleaning implements available! The textured surface of your fingers allows for dirt to be trapped and taken away from the surfaces you clean. In combination with soap and detergents we manually clean each base dial. It's imperative that the dials are free from any residual oils, so 99.9% Isopropyl alcohol bath in an ultrasonic cleaner is the final cleaning step. Titanium anodisation is an extremely complex electrochemical process, but in essence a Titanium dioxide (Titania, which is a ceramic!) film is grown on the surface of the material. The thickness and the structure of this film layer is responsible for diffracting light, which gives colour. Titanium can be anodised within a well defined spectrum, but achieving bright vibrant colours that are not "dull" is a strongly guarded trade secret. This is a function of the electrical voltage and current applied during the anodisation process, the temperature of the bath, the quality of the bath, the room humidity, how the raw surfaces have been chemically prepared and the overall process cleanliness... basically chemical magic. Unfortunately this is not something we can share. The faceted and feathered parts as well as the numerals are then assembled onto the freshly anodised dial by very lightly pressing the feet of the parts into the holes in the base dial. These dial feet are then laser welded from behind to ensure that they are secured strongly onto the dial. More on that process in a future installment! Next... Pad Printing (to be continued). NOTE: We have received a number of inquires in regards to the pricing of the MK2. It is obvious that the price will depend on the number of watches produced in a batch. Based on your pre-sale interest, we expect that the production run would be 50 watches at price of $6,900 (plus box and strap). Producing fewer watches would result in a higher price; making any more will choke our manufacturing capacity.  If you wish to register your interest, please send us an email to mail@clockmaker.com.au Unfortunately we are not taking deposits or partial payments. Once your watch is ready for delivery, you will be notified with sufficient time to make a full payment. More technical details will be provided next week, but for now: the MK2 is based on a Swiss made Soprod automatic movement, 40mm stainless steel case, on a leather strap. Titanium guilloche dial, markers and hands, as well as complete assembly is done 'in house'. Manufactured in Australia. A completely assembled MK2 "Curl Curl" topaz blue is available for viewing at our Sydney showroom. To check it out and try the watch on, please make an appointment.