Reply With QuoteHow much ! You can buy a whole village up t north for those prices.
Interesting piece on watchesbysjx: http://watchesbysjx.com/2018/03/char...ristwatch.html "Charles Frodsham Introduces the Long Awaited Double Impulse Chronometer Wristwatch"
Here are the bits that caught my eye, but I would click the link and read the whole thing if I were you, especially if you're interested in technical details:
"...hand-made in England....
"The firm of Charles Frodsham & Co Ltd. – today located at 32 Bury Street in central London, while its workshop with half a dozen craftsmen is about an hour outside the city – is the oldest “continuously trading firm of chronometer manufacturers in the world”.
"...the firm does most of its business restoring and selling historical Frodsham pocket watches...
"...A no-expense-spared wristwatch – with a miniaturised double-impulse detent escapement no less – had always been on the minds of its owners...
"...It’s available in steel, 18k rose or white gold, as well as an unusual 22k yellow gold. Despite the higher purity, the 22k alloy is as hard as 18k gold, because it has been forged and then milled....
"...Much attention was also paid to finishing and construction, exemplified by the three-armed balance bridge that’s rounded and polished. Unlike a conventional straight bridge that can be polished by spinning it on a lathe, the tri-legged construction requires entirely manual finishing...
"£60,000 in steel, £64,000 in 18k rose or white gold , and £65,500 in hardened 22k yellow gold. Prices exclude taxes.
"Only 10 to 12 will be made a year, with the current lead time being 12 months."
How much ! You can buy a whole village up t north for those prices.
If I remember correctly, this watch has taken over 10 years to get right. Good luck to them, something a bit different at least.
Lot cheaper than a Roger Smith though....Originally Posted by MADDOG
There's the details of this in the link
I really like that, though sadly I am not their target market.
I do find it amusing that they bothered to differentiate the pricing of the different case materials, and yet by such a relatively inconsequential amount. Between that, and the hallmark comment, I like the cut of their jib...
I quite like "The firm of Charles Frodsham & Co Ltd. – today located at 32 Bury Street in central London, while its workshop with half a dozen craftsmen is about an hour outside the city...."
An hour from London - Grantham? Leicester? Oxford?
The strap looks a bit cheap.
These days that could be Lille!
I don't think I shall ever be able to afford the price -- but I do like the idea of the "precious metal surcharge" reflecting the real additional cost of the metal, rather than doubling the price as with so many manufacturers.
With the right aircraft you could be in La Chaux-de-Fonds in an hour.
On a more serious note this shows up the Loome watch for what it is.
In the Sotadic Zone, apparently.
Tremendous, thanks for posting.
The movement is very special but the dial really stood out for me. It looks so beautiful in the picture, especially with the Arabic numerals. The unusual way it is constructed, it could stay looking that way for hundreds if years.
I was just about to start a thread on this!
http://frodsham.com/wristwatch/index.php
It is lovely and as Carlton-Browne said it shows up the Loomes watch for what it is.
I think having the hour and minute hand the same length might bug me though.
A friend of mine has just bought the stainless steel version but he was always a cheapskate.
Yep makes his movement "design" seem very amateur in comparison.With the right aircraft you could be in La Chaux-de-Fonds in an hour
On a more serious note this shows up the Loome watch for what it is.
Now that’s what you call a watch to tell the time on. So many watches these days you can’t see the time at a glance, beautiful dial and hands.
Truly beautiful on either side of the case.
I am not a fan of Gold cases but I would be hard pushed to choose a model but unless I win the Euromillions I won’t have to worry as none of them will be joining me!
That's very special indeed and I'd love to see it in the flesh. Sadly, despite my watch obsession taking hold in a dangerous manner recently, I still couldn't afford or justify spending that much.
I'm enjoying their terminology, which differs from that we typically get to read:
The hand-wound two-train 43 jewel movement has a duration of 36 hours and a stop-seconds (hack) feature.
The up-and-down work is based on an epicyclic differential and incorporates a balance brake.
The watch uses modern as well as time-honoured materials for the movement, case and dial, which are autonomously manufactured and constructed in the Frodsham workshops in England.
The cases are finished with a fine grain and polished bezel
Nice, but looks a cheaper 'finish' than a Dornbleuth
Even if I had bucket-loads of money - it'd be a Dornbleuth for me.
That is exquisite. The only thing I'm not liking is the off-centre crown placement. Everything else is stunning. It's also nice to see a reborn watch brand with a quality product that's worthy of the name. Thomas Earnshaw, I'm looking at you...
Last edited by jl smout; 17th March 2018 at 16:48.
I do like the Arabic numeral version.
I like it A LOT.
Its obviously a very well-made thing but, at 42mm, and that price, ld rather buy a sundial...
I was invited to see the watch in January, and have been talking to the directors and staff at Frodshams for the past month. It's wonderful to finally see these watches in production, and being sold. The Daniels double-wheel escapement is essentially the fore-runner to the coaxial, and was used in seven or eight of the Daniels pocket watches. George wrote (in Watchmaking and The Practical Watch Escapement) that it was unlikely to ever make it into a wristwatch as it would be "too complex". The late Derek Pratt and Charles Frodsham & Co have proved him wrong with the Double Impulse Chronometer.
A interesting piece on Derek Pratt - The Greatest Unknown Watchmaker – Derek Pratt
Toward the end is some interesting stuff on his involvement in the creation of the replica of the Harrison H4.
Juicy tit-bit: "Although George could never bring himself to acknowledge his contribution, Derek made many of the components for George’s watches, especially the difficult dual escape wheel at the heart of the Co-Axial escapement."
More relevant to this thread: "It was at Derek’s suggestion that Frodsham decided to incorporate the Daniels double impulse chronometer escapement in its new wristwatch, built entirely in-house."
Interestingly, the price difference in pounds between steel and gold seems (IIRC) to be about a third of that of a VC overseas.
Sent from my iPad using TZ-UK mobile app
I’m not usually one to blow my own trumpet, but if you’d followed my link, you’d have known that already ;)
Lovely watch.
Shame about the knackered screws holding the pinned end of the balance spring...
Dave
A nice looking watch overall, but at that price point, they’re up against some very stiff competition in the form of Grönefeld, Lang & Heyne, and Kari Voutilainen — as well as De Bethune (to a degree), Rexhep Rexhepi (Akrivia), and Romain Gauthier.
At 20 pieces per year, you could argue the similar production numbers of the Grand Seiko SBGD201 is included, or the lesser numbers of the Credor Eichi II.
Maybe at half the price, they could stand alone more, for those buyers where Lange & Sohne, and FP Journe are considered “mass produced”.
Last edited by PJ S; 25th April 2018 at 12:51.
Thanks to the OP & those who supplied additional links to other sources.
Possibly the best thread on Watch Talk this year so far, IMHO.
______
Jim.
I've only just come across this after seeing it here;
https://uk.yahoo.com/finance/news/do...080000317.html
I have to say i really like that.
It is very expensive but one to seriously consider.
I really like that they have made so horological innovation and in a watch that i quite like the look of.
And...from what i can see...it's actually made here.
I have tried it on the wrist and it wears a bit smaller than it’s size suggests. It’s a nice piece and they do not have any trouble selling them to horologists/collectors. It’s certainly in a different league to the likes of Loomes.
(I shot ot for a Telegraph time article) the movement is what attracted me, the dial less so as it’s not really my thing.
I also shot a Czapek, which was stunning.
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