Originally Posted by
Rollon
I greatly regretted at the time, and still, Timefactors' loss of Roland Kemmner's superlative watchmaking talent and skill when this gentleman so unfortunately suffered health problems that forced his retirement. RK manufactured one of Eddie's older designs that is still my favorite of all the watches I am aware of currently available on this earth.
At the same time, I was disappointed by the move of TF production from Germany to Hong Kong, expecting a great decline in quality, materials, and execution of design, etc., etc., and my prejudgment on that was rooted in past experience with a variety of items manufactured in that part of the world.
That was before I had the actual chance to see what Hong Kong watch manufacture could be when I bought an Armida in excellent original condition at a relatively very low price from a good guy member here. Without elaborating a lot, I'll admit that I was immediately shocked at how well this HK manufacture watch was made --- it was beautifully done and now I understand why Eddie took manufacture over to HK to try to maintain the high standards Roland Kemmner had set for TF products.
Personally, and very possibly futilely, I'm still hoping Timefactors makes a "real" Mk XI or Smiths Deluxe GS 6B/542 ('56) someday having the same negative pressure proof internal retaining-ring secured screw-down flanged crystal/ full thickness solid soft iron dial & mov't cover anti-magnetic "Faraday Cage"/ fixed lugbars that twisting NATOs can't "pop", etc., --- in other words, the same complete and unabridged technologically comprehensive British MOD high specification case construction the originals had that I've wanted ever since learning of it when I was first got into watches years ago. And I think Eddie is the perfect one to make it if the demand is there and he wants to do it "all out" like that.
Still, though, as regards what superb workmanship Hong Kong has obviously even to me been capable of up to now, can anybody here that is familiar with the situation comment on what the current Chinese Communist Party Government "crackdown" on Hong Kong portends for things like watch manufacture and free enterprise there in general?