Reaching the end of a story…
Reaching the end of a story…
25th November 2020. 15:00
I'm back at home in my small office, I have just made a trial assembly at Christophe Blandenier's workshop in Plan Les Oautes (Geneva) of the Phoenix watch with the finished dial, hands and case to be sure all is good. (Christophe makes artisanal dials for watch companies using many of the artisanal crafts existing, from engraving to enamelling to stone setting, as well as machining.)
The trial assembly is in order to check the dial feet are correctly aligned on the movement. That the hands are well spaced, vertically between the Phoenix and each other, as well as the second's hand and the Pyrite; ensuring that the movement and dial assembly sit concentrically on the movement and in the case. All obvious things, but after many months of development, a hundred emails, countless WhatsApps and multiple bike rides to his atelier, it's better to be sure all is good before the final assembly is filmed at Mauro's in La Chaux des Fonds. It only requires one 1/10th of a millimetre variation for the second's hand hole to be eccentric and collide with the Pyrite or for the hands to butt against the bird.
The space between the "quote" and the inner bezel is very close, if it is 'out of place', again, eccentric by the smallest measure it will be noticeable.
I worked on a jewellers bench at Christophe's place with a microscope, not ideal for my particular needs but still, it works. I didn't push the hands-on all the way, they will have to be removed, but they were on sufficiently far to check, and all was, is good.
First time assembled, no adjustments needed. Months of work, multiple hands, eyes and heads involved in the process, a hundred points checked, changed and verified, and within 30 minutes I can see that not only is the assembly problem-free, but the result is aesthetically more than pleasing, I am relieved more than happy, and very happy.
The mistaken colour of the quote planned dark blue came out lighter, but it looks elegant and unassuming yet present, better than what I had stipulated. I'm not sure if Christophe did that deliberately knowing it would look better or it was a small area of confusion, either way, it works and looks better than I imagined. The quote was important, it is linked with the reason for the project but could easily become 'kitch' for want of a better word, to some people, not that the idea of the project is to please people, it's to make a statement of sorts in an ever-changing and challenging world. "Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall." –– Confucius. If ever there was a time in many a souls life to be reminded to get up and carry on, now is that time.
At Christophe's place, I called Deborah over, before Christophe, it's his company, but Deborah designed the dial, and she is personally invested in the outcome, having said that, everybody there is personally invested in the project on some level.
Normally clients come with mandates and Christophe executes their requests. The option of a blank page and artistic licence is not present. My request was a phoenix (strong in design), the quote and a result that would explain why -hand made- could be so powerful. Deborah and Christophe proposed a multitude of designs, all of which was an improvement on my own original approach, which was a simple cloisonné or a champlevé dial. I selected what struck me as the strongest of their designs and we, or rather they continued to work and refine that direction introducing Pyrite into the equation for the second's subsidiary dial, why? Because It's an earth element, which means that it resonates with fire energy associating to, the Phoenix from the ashes. Traditionally, it's known as a lucky stone, attracting abundance and the positive elements go on.
The mystical blue enamel backdrop, and simplifying my original design of text, adding the Pyrite, defining the final Phoenix, deciding to add the lacquer shadows to assure a three dimension look plus a patina of age, and removing the markers I had originally added. All of these design elements were between late April and July.
When everybody returned from their holidays late September, at least those that did with the backdrop of Covid ever-present, the project was then officially and physically launched. Christophe linking through me and a WhatsApp group to Luc, Mauro and the team at Schwarz Etienne. Schwarz Etienne, is company and brand producing small numbers of watches under their own name as well as private label for third parties. In this instance, small was perfect for the project, Mauro open, to allow me to manage and direct the project. Developing a synergy between the 3 of us, myself who brought and developed the concept and then directed the project, Christophe managing the production of the dial using enamel on white gold, red gold for the engraved Phoenix and Mauro being the backbone Schwarz Etienne watch brand upon whom the project would be based.
Even though this was a single piece, a unique execution, the initial work required is the same as when making a larger series. There is always and inevitably more time involved than is first calculated. Luc, Mauro's project manager, Mauro being the CEO of S-E, Luc was brilliant in his reactivity and pragmatism. We needed to optimise every possible space we could in order to assure the dimensionality of the dial, combining primarily enamel and engraving together, layered one on top of the other.
It feels like a disproportionate amount of attention, time and energy to make a single piece, but when first Deborah came to view the trial assembly, followed by Christophe and slowly the rest of the team appeared forming a small crowd, circled around the watch I had placed by the window for better light, it was all justified. The sense of pride in what they had done was both touching and somehow gave added reason and purpose to the project.
Deborah with her designs, Damien (the engineer at Christophe's place) working with Luc for the construction of the technical machining, then making of the main-plate for the dial and the contour of the Phoenix. Deborah executing the enamelled sky backdrop, Laura carving the detail on the Phoenix, Dorian who adjusted the dial to fit perfectly in place the pyrite disc and others who played smaller roles but none the less necessary in the process of making the dial. My own part was the easiest in a sense, with many years in watchmaking and the management of countless, projects, unique and in series my job of direction was made easy due to working with a group of professional and motivated individuals. Making the final assembly, is the cherry on the cake, not only seeing the final idea I had six months earlier come to life but to be part of the physical process of watchmaking.
As relevant as an idea may be, the process to execute that idea is the earth, light, water and energy to make it grow and real. Ideas mean nothing without those other resources, and when all of them come together, beautiful things can happen.
Peter Speake
(For information concerning the price of the Phoenix please contact Schwarz Etienne.)