Like I’ve said many times before, I’ve been a watch geek for well over a decade. As a kid I used to insist we pop into every jewelry and watch boutique we passed so I could gawk at pieces, chat with the sales associates, and sometimes leave with a few catalogues. Fast forward 12 years and I’m proud to announce that my first ever watch collaboration is being released to the public in a few short days, on September 1st at 12:00pm EST. The watch in question is my own version of TAWC’s ref.1677, a homage to the Patek Philippe ref.96 featuring more modern technology and proportions.
Valdemar, TAWC’s founder, hit me up over a year ago about doing a watch together and donating all of the proceeds to a charity of my choice. I’ve always wanted the opportunity to design a watch, and contributing to a cause I care about only sweetened the deal. Given the ref.1677’s form factor, I wanted to pull from the era of the ref.96. I’ve amassed a substantial archive of watch imagery after years of obsession - Valdemar and I pinged images back and forth until we started to land on the same page. I’ve always loved sector dials, especially in brushed metal, where the finish changes direction. We combined radial and linear brush patterns to the minute track very legible, and create a beautiful contrast in the light. The applied roman numerals stand out just enough without disturbing the harmony of the tonal finishing. Finally, we shrunk down the TAWC logo, and added my initials at 6 o’clock.
For the case, I really wanted to go the extra mile. I wanted to keep the accessibility of a steel-cased watch, but add the signature heft and presence of a precious metal. Given Copenhagen’s history with silver, and my love of patina, a .925 sterling silver only made sense. We had the cases hallmarked by the Copenhagen Assay, and subtly numerated on the lug from numbers 1 to 25. Out of the box the watch has a bright white lustre which ages into a deep grey with time and wear, eventually displaying a rainbow of tones across the polished and brushed finishings. Accenting the cool tones of the watch, we paired it with a cool grey pebbled strap on a steel buckle (as silver would’ve been too soft). Remarkably we were able to do all of this for an MSRP of under $1000 per piece, making it quite accessible for the average collector. This was in part made possible by the Cal. VH-31 quartz movement - a sweeping hand, battery/powered heart.
While some scoff at quartz movements, the VH-31 was a conscious decision to appeal to both new and seasoned collectors. At an entry level price-point, the service costs of a mechanical movement can sometimes equal or exceed the MSRP of the watch - we wanted to offer reliability, accessibility, and ease of maintenance for those choosing to add this piece to their collection. Mechanical movements will always hold the dearest place in my heart, but a few quartz pieces have more than earned their place in my personal collection.
Finally we come to the foundation. I’m a born and bred Canadian, I spent my childhood exploring the Ontario wilderness, hiking, portaging, and camping from Point Peele to Algonquin. As many know, our forests have been threatened by unprecedented levels of wildfires brought on by climate change. These wildfires threaten communities and habitats all across the country, and decimate air quality across the continent. We decided that 100% of profits from this collaboration should go to the Canadian Wildfire Fund to assist in the response, relief, and recovery from wildfires in Canada.
If you’d like to read more about the collaboration, sign up for early access, or make a contribution to the Canadian Wildfire Fund I welcome you to check out the official website below, and thanks so much for your support!
(NDW and TAWC are independent entities and are not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by the Canadian Red Cross.)
Congrats man and cool looking watch and for a great cause. But I'm very curious how many of these are actually going to move at a grand for a quartz