Yes, anyone can take a photo of the Opera
House, but a photo of an operatic performance will be nothing more than a
pale graphic snapshot of multisensory time-transcending artistic
performance.
A photo of a wedding, a sailboat race, or a succulent lamb shank slowly
cooked under a clay pot - as colourful and detailed as it may be, will
never convey the very experience of the event.
The same applies to the NH55 timascus guilloche watches - they are completely and totally une expérience rather than merely a horological device. Not only impossible to present in photos, but impossible to photograph to start with.
The NH55 comes to life when exposed to light in motion.
The play of light on the timascus surface is what creates a unique,
sensory experience to its viewer. The main plates, the contrast between
steel, German silver, titanium, brass and Timascus, the finishes,
details, the motion of the balance wheel; feathered hands and batons on a
timascus guilloche dial, amplified or muted depending on the time of
day, and the light source itself.
All that captured by the viewers own eye, processed by the power of
their mind, and imagination, inevitably filtered or magnified by their
own understanding of horology, their own expectations and ultimately,
their own desires.
This week the first NH55 watches have reached their guardians in the US
and Europe. Watch collectors who couldn't wait to get their hands on
horological pieces manufactured in Australia, by an independent
watchmaker. To say that I was confident that our watch would meet their
expectations would be understatement- not for a second did I have any
doubts that they would be pleased with their decision. Yet it is
important to recognize the obvious: it was them who took a real risk of
investing in a watch that could not be photographed, nor described in
words, and for that alone, they deserve full credit for their bravery.
On the other hand, impressing a watch collector who already has every
watch ever made by every reputable and established independent
watchmaker, plus many dozens of watches from the most prestigious Swiss
brands is simply impossible. Once you see the "Queen of the Night" on
stage, an incarnation of Erika Miklosa, every other diva is just another
Cinderella.
Of course I knew that once we hit a certain price point, the watch will
start attracting the most discerning collectors. And funnily enough,
neither Josh, Andrew, nor myself, not for a second, dreaded their
feedback. With all due respect to them, and to ourselves, the feedback
is simply irrelevant. Which, in itself, is the ultimate makers flex.
I believe in transparency: out of 16 watches, we have already sold
seven. A few more pieces are under negotiation. We are not concerned
about setting and breaking any sales records, nor do we have to sell
them all at once, in a day. We are quite happy to sell them organically-
by allowing them to sell themselves, at their own pace, in their own time. For which we are firmly on track.
The project is not completed. There is one more thing
to be done: a hard-cover book on the NH55 project, depicting in detail
each watch, it’s dial, mechanism, down to the unique hand made box. A
couple of chapters on the ‘manufactured in Australia’ story, references
to previously issued watches, including the ‘rebelde’ line. Plus
a chapter on manufacturing with examples of high precision devices made
by your favourite ‘watchmaker’s team’. We have no option but to lock
this project in time, to preserve it for the next generation – or at
least, as a guideline to anyone else who one day would want to retrace
our footsteps.
(If you would like to be notified once the book is out, please drop
Gemma a line, that would help us determining how many copies will be
printed. Price: $100.)
Now, as an intelligent and sophisticated watch enthusiasts, you are most likely asking yourself one or two questions:
If the NH55 is such a “glowing international success” as I am portraying
it to be, why have we not read a single line about the project from a
local or international media outlet, or even a blogger? Well, for a
simple reason: every time someone approaches us offering a media cover,
and before we even get into promotion details, without any hesitation,
without beating around the bush, I make them aware that such a promotion
will not be paid for by us.
I don’t pay for editorials or media advertising, newsworthy or not.
Immediately they back off. Media is in the business of making money, not
in the business of talking about ‘manufactured in Australia’ or
reporting on newsworthy events. Which is ultimately a loss to their
subscribers and readers, not ours.
The second question: if the NH55 is such a “glowing international
success” as I am portraying it to be, sold at $35,000 a pop, why am I
still selling Seiko watches, cheap pocket watches, and indeed Swiss
second hand watches? Why don’t we focus our entire energy on making our
own watches?
This is a question I don’t have an answer for, at least, not yet. The
‘rebelde’ project started as a rebellion, with a specific reason for
existence: to prove a point that a small independent watchmaker is every
bit as good and every bit as capable as any other brand or watchmaker,
and as such, it should remain relevant and respected. Starting an
independent brand is not only possible, but investing in manufacturing
facilities and developing strategic manufacturing capabilities is good
for other businesses and ultimately for Australia at large. In that, we
have succeeded. We’ve made that point so strongly and so loudly that
even if we never make another watch, we are good, fair and square.
What will the future bring – we shall see.
The remaining few NH55 watches are available for viewing at our office. Please call for appointment.
Happy collecting,
Nick Hacko
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