They are stylish and often cost as much as a smaller property, some even a lavish mansion. What are we talking about, you ask? One of the most timeless and practical accessories that will never go out of style - watches! Would you say it's logical that the more glittering gemstones and expensive materials, the higher the price? When it comes to a luxury watch, things aren't quite as simple...
It's not only about the material
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Zlaté hodinky s koženým páskemSource: Pixybay.com/Christine Sponchia
"The price of a watch isn't only about the material, it's mainly about the clock movement, limited edition, exclusivity and workmanship,"
explained Jan Pokorný, General Manager of the regular exhibition Salon Exceptional Watches. Precision of the handiwork, design and exclusivity play a key role.
A dozen of pieces at most
There are several reasons why a watch might have a higher price. One of the guarantees of exclusivity is usually a limited edition.
"These are exceptional in their workmanship, because the introduction of a new limited edition is almost always associated with a design or technological innovation,"
said Adéla Dittmannová, a spokeswoman for the Czech watch manufacturer PRIM. The company has been producing timepieces since 1949. Exclusivity is further enhanced by a strictly limited number of pieces. According to Dittmann, PRIM usually produces between 50 and 100 pieces. However, some editions are so limited that only 10 rare pieces are made!
Tribute to the president
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Hodinky PRIM MASARYK L.E.Source: PRIM
"This year, our exceptional editions included, for example, the PRIM MASARYK limited edition, which pays tribute to the first Czechoslovak president. An extremely interesting construction novelty of this edition is that it uses only one arm to determine the time,"
Dittmann gave a specific example.
The current trend is rose gold
Another sign of luxury, a more obvious one at that, is the use of exclusive materials - gold, platinum and various types of precious stones. The shine almost dazzles one's eyes!
In the case of the brand PRIM, rare materials include mainly gold and platinum.
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PRIM Limitovaná edice REPUBLIKA - růžové zlatoSource: PRIM
"Thanks to our unique housing production technology, we are also able to produce virtually any of our models, typically made of special stainless steel, of precious metals according to the customer's choice,"
Dittmannová explained. She added that one of the current trends was rose gold.
Watches made of golf clubs
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Muž v košili má hodinkySource: Freepik.com/photos/wedding
According to Pokorný, silicon is another material often used in the production of watches.
"Also interesting are materials with a story, such as a specific meteorite or, for example, material retrieved from the Titanic or a golf club that belonged to a legendary player,"
added Pokorný.
A unique clock movement
In the case of PRIM, the exclusivity of a timepiece is also increased by the use of an inhouse movement of a unique design. "The production of an inhouse clock movement is an extremely demanding process, which only a few manufactories in the world ara capable of. We only make about 600 watches fitted with our movement that bear the PRIM MANUFACTURE 1949 label a year,” said Dittmannová.
Pronájem luxusní vily 7+1, Praha - Západ – 373,
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Famous owner
Another reason for the exclusivity of a watch may be the fact that it belonged to someone famous. In terms of world-famous timepieces, we can point out, for instance, the watch of actor and car racer Paul Newman, which was auctioned off in 2017 for almost 400 million crowns. Newman originally got the iconic Rolex watch as a gift from his wife, and during his career of a racer, they could always be seen on his wrist. A similar example is the watch of musician Eric Clapton, which was auctioned off for slightly under 80 million crowns.
