A
small business is like a living organism: constantly changing,
evolving, growing - or at times stagnating or shrinking. For us, the
past few months stretched our limited resources to maximum – and it was
all about just two things: setting up the workshop and learning how to
use machinery. The good news is that we are entering a new financial
year feeling relieved, knowing that the workshop is (almost) completed.
On
the other hand, the side of the business which suffered was the
assembly of rebelde watches. Only 20 watches have been assembled in the
past 6 months. In some cases, the waiting time was 3 months rather than
the 3 weeks promised, but rebelde owners were very sympathetic and
supportive so delivery time was not an issue.
However,
my intention is to spend more time behind the bench and increase output
to at least 10 watches per month. As far as range is concerned: I
am running low on cases for classic Pilots (ribbed bezel, $2,500) steel
model so when the current batch is completed there will be at least a
year before new cases will be manufactured and delivered. The time to
order one is - now.
Our
flagship model F ('fifty' $5,000) has been almost sold out. This
piece is the only watch in the world guaranteed for 50 years where all
servicing, labour and parts are included in the purchase price. Less
than 10 pieces are still available and there are no immediate plans to
offer another batch any time soon.
The
situation is bit more 'comfortable' with W batch (steel, smooth
bezel, $2,500). The latest Titanium batch is the only Titanium model D
in production. It comes with black dial and red seconds hand at 9
o'clock. It is fitted with a 'premium
Swiss movement, swan neck regulator and gold balance wheel - same as in
the fifty model - with a price tag of $3,500. There are plenty of
available serial numbers!
Finally,
I am yet to assemble the last couple of 18K gold pieces. I’m definitely
not in a hurry to get rid of them! When sold, there will be no more 18K
gold watches any time soon: the minimum batch run is 20 watches which
would require an investment of $148,000 in gold alone! Price: $13,980
and your pick: rose or yellow gold.
To
say that we are very proud of our rebelde project would be
an understatement. Over 600 rebelde watches have been assembled in the
past 4 years, and to my knowledge, each and every one is in good working
order. As we proudly say: there is no such thing as a broken rebelde!
So if you decide to invest in a masculine, robust, reliable and fully
reparable watch, designed and assembled in Australia, then I can't think
of any other watch that would fit your requirement than - rebelde.
It
has been 2 years since we've stopped selling Panerai watches. Today,
we made one final, symbolic gesture: we have removed the Panerai
category from our website. Instead, you will find in its place a
permanent listing of 7 rebelde models we have on offer. While our watch
is no
substitute for Panerai, it has stood the test of time and deserves every
right to stand on its own.
Click the link below to be taken directly to our Nicholas Hacko watches:
No comments:
Post a Comment