Having a Signalman I’m quite interested in Schofield, just not sure about how popular a gold plate on brass case will be at circa 3.5k?
A couple of crackers from Giles, very classic design but the gold version looks lovely.
From the press release
The notion of treasure, whether to hoard it or share it has been a Schofield conundrum from the start. One of our many straplines, ‘All we Make is Treasure’ sums up the Schofield vibe of the coast, lighthouses and the romance of something to be discovered. It has been 10 years this November since we launched Schofield to the world with the Signalman. A polished steel case with a black dial. So we consider this new model an anniversary watch harking back to an earlier time with all the wonder we have imagined over the last decade built in.
The Treasure Watch has a stepped black dial and brushed gold handset but two different cases, one fully polished steel, the other is thick gold- plated brass. Gold and silver treasure! The case back shows an X marks the spot, runic script, mountains, rivers and the sky above. Each watch is serialised with the name of a treasure hoard found in the UK. Number 1 is Sutton Hoo, number 2 the Ringlemere Cup and 27 others making a limited edition of 29 watches.
The Schofield Treasure Watch is limited to 29 pieces between both case colours
Price is £3480 including VAT (UK / free shipping) or £2900 (US, Canada, Europe ROW + shipping)
Having a Signalman I’m quite interested in Schofield, just not sure about how popular a gold plate on brass case will be at circa 3.5k?
In the email from Giles announcing this a few weeks ago the rationale for gold plate over brass was that it wouldn’t make it look so bad when the gold plate scratches. I too have a Signalman and think it’s a great watch, this doesn’t excite me. When I spoke to Giles about three years ago he was full of enthusiasm for future projects and was talking about some new pieces with very innovative materials. I’m yet to see any of that and it seems he has stagnated after a very promising start.
If there is a scratch, isn’t it likely corrosion of the brass would lead to lifting of the plating?
I think for pure enthusiasm and from a design concept from a micro brand Giles has excelled in every way possible. From the anniversary pair the polished silver with the black face is quite striking, so possibly will sell out quite quickly, with only 29 of either watch being produced it’s possible they will sell fairly quickly, who knows, only time will tell.
Would have been nice to see the gold produced in solid yellow or rose gold, just to make it a very special release and give the brand a real lift! After all these are “treasure watches”!
Last edited by melhick; 25th November 2021 at 14:13.
I thought this was going to be about Phil coming out, but that's old news
Why do they use the same crown on every watch regardless of the case material? I find it really jarring. The case shape doesn't really float my boat but the crown is all I can look at when I see one.
Last edited by kace; 25th November 2021 at 13:42.
Sorry but there isn't anything about either of those that appeals.
That second hand is rather small.
Not keen on either of these tbh.
The seconds hand seems tiny - why is that?
Prefer the polished steel version put of the two, but the small second hand takes the shine off.
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Giles is fairly "quirky" so looks at things differently to many. It is, technically, a seconds hand but is not intended to be read as such. He calls it the 'Sign Of Life.' It's basically a novel way to know your watch is 'working' or, as he puts it, it "indicates that time is passing without the need for to-the-second time-telling."
It's rather fun, in my mind. It's designed to look like the counter balance to a second hand. If you look at watches of Schofield's with a second hand the counterbalance looks exactly like this.
A similarly silly quirk he's done in the past is use little pictures or icons on the date wheel. No way of telling the date from it unless you memorise the order the pictures come in and personally assign each one to a date in the month. You either like this sort of thing or you don't. If you don't then most of Schofield's newer stuff is probably not for you.
I speak as an early adopter of the Signalman PR and a fan of the brand and its current direction.
I really like what Schofield are doing but alas until they make a watch for smaller wrists I will never get one.
I do think this is a bit tame for a 10th Anniversary though. The Signalman is a standout still within their range and it would have been great to see something equally unique as opposed to somewhat of an evolution of a few previous watches.
I think they are an intriguing brand and an interesting alternative the usual suspects.
As far as this release goes, I’m not keen on gold plate, at all
I struggle with the value proposition, but part of me does fancy a bronze beater. Whether one would get wrist time I’m not sure.
Quirky, but I like quirky
Dave
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My love of the oddball is well, documented, I like watches a little out-there. These though, sorry, but no, they want so desperately to be quirky but they're dull as dishwater. I don't see anything interesting at all.
Just because something is different it doesn't mean is good... or useful.
1) Seconds hand useless for timekeeping.
2) Minutes ring well outside the minutes hand
3) A gilded bronze case that will bloat the gilding once it gets a little rust -just like a cheap wish watch.
4) No mention of size, but I'm going for "behemot"
All of that for just 2.9k...
This fellow just decided to ignore centuries of watchmaking savoir faire to go for a "quirky" watch, I suppose he suceeded.