Trends come and go. As different kinds of plated cases are now common in the market, it makes sense for the return of watches that are skillfully crafted and set with precious stones.
Founder of WatchCraft, Mr. D, is a watch connoisseur and collector as well as a pioneer. He was tired of customising watches with plating, which was becoming mainstream a few years back, and was on a hunt for the best craftsmen to create unique timepieces for himself. He believes that high-end watches, after all, are about craftsmanship and rarity, therefore the watches tend to be heavily engraved and bejewelled, attention grabbing and never forgotten. Because of the all handcrafted elements, it is almost impossible to copy the watches. Most importantly, each watch is unique and made once only.
WatchCraft is dedicated to customising famous high-end watch brands only, including Rolex, Panerai, Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, Jaeger-LeCoultre and so on. Among them, the popular Rolex and Panerai have the most potential for adapting in different styles of customisation. WatchCraft does not customise watches for customisation’s sake, but plays around with each watch’s characteristics with a dedicated theme. One of the watches shown here is the Rolex Explorer II Ref. 216570 under a poker theme. The case and the bracelet are engraved with hearts, diamonds, spades, clubs and scroll grass patterns, while the King can be found on the the clasp. There are 24 marks on the bezel, retaining the Explorer II’s original 24-hour display. The Panerai Luminor Marina is inspired by the façade of Florence Cathedral. The military watch, originally paired with a rubber strap may not be immediately linked with the gothic building, but in fact the theme is meaningfully selected as a tribute to the art and culture of Panarai’s origin.
In the early days Mr. D simply sold the customised watches to collectors around him, but later realised there was a huge demand for such pieces and founded WatchCraft in Miami in 2016. The watches can be found in The Lavish Attic (3/F Pedder Building Central) in Hong Kong and various retail outlets in different parts of the world. Currently Watchcraft only customises brand new or vintage watches and does not work on any pre-owned watches, but can create a theme based on customer’s requirements. Most of the engravings are done in the United Kingdom, Belgium or France by experienced craftsmen, while diamond crafting and colour changing on any part of the watch are handled in Switzerland. Once the customisation is completed, the watch will be tested on professional watch instruments for a period of 24 to 48 hours. Since customised watches are no longer eligible for their original warranty, WatchCraft offers a two-year warranty on all of their pieces.
