Would you pay $500 for a slice of wagyu?

 

If you have three and a half hours to kill, here is a suggestion. A Deutche Welle documentary titled "Twenty Japanese businesses making the most expensive products." A match made in heaven: Deutche Welle's masterful cinematography and objectivity showcasing the Japanese pursuit for perfection. And no, the documentary has very little to do with money or price; and everything to do with craftsmanship, patience and time. The Japanese say that it takes 3 years to learn how put a piece of eel meat on a skewer. And a lifetime to learn how to grill it to perfection. A bar of ink takes four years to cure. Made exactly the same way as it has been for the past 400 years, by the same maker. The same level of attention to detail and pride goes into a hand made iron kettle to boil water for ceremonial tea, hand made master chef's knives, and katanas. Our NH55 Timascus project - a watch where we make the entire case, dial, hands, and 80% of the internal components in our own workshop, started as an attempt to showcase our ability to make watches, in Australia, specifically for the Louis Vuitton competition.  A year and a half later, the series of 16 watches is just about to be completed. Those who follow us on Instagram have an opportunity to see first hand how complex and exciting this project is. Yet as we shape Timascus, Timascus is shaping us. We are learning not just about how to make a parts more precise and more beautiful, but also about us; ultimately, about our contribution to the world of bespoke horology. This is both painful and exciting at the same time; the same feeling of a marathon runner batting the last few kilometres of the race. There is nothing to worry about - the feedback is great and support overwhelming. Yet with the every new watch assembled, we are wondering what the NH55 owner is going to look like? A watch enthusiast who already has two dozen Swiss top end watches looking for something unique and different; a local supporter who may find the watch so tempting that he will be ready to sacrifice two or three other watches just to get his hands on it; or perhaps, an overseas buyer who only invests in Independent makers. Or - just someone who will simply fall in love with the beauty of Timascus and say - I'll have it. The truth is: we really don't know who our 'typical' buyer is, nor if such a category of buyer even exists. A number of visitors to our shop who saw the first few NH55 assembled asked "Are you happy?" The answer is - yes. I am personally, as well as the rest of the team. We are happy because the watch does represent what we wanted and intended it to: it represents us. It represents our ability to shape the Timascus to our absolute best ability, at this point in time. Above all, we are happy that the project has demonstrated how serious we are about making watches. Josh's Instagram post from last night sums it up very well: How many watches will be sold, and at what price they are going to be sold is really irrelevant. We focus on perfection. I strongly suggest that you watch this short clip here: https://www.instagram.com/p/C5UbwnePHbW/