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- J. N. Shapiro Stuns With Promise Of Completely U.S. Made Watches, Tutima Introduces A Blacked Out M2 Seven Seas S, Laurent Ferrier Hides The Tourbillon In New Grand Sport Pursuit, AP Appoints New CEO To Diversify From One-Model Lineup
J. N. Shapiro Stuns With Promise Of Completely U.S. Made Watches, Tutima Introduces A Blacked Out M2 Seven Seas S, Laurent Ferrier Hides The Tourbillon In New Grand Sport Pursuit, AP Appoints New CEO To Diversify From One-Model Lineup
Claiming a watch is completely made in the USA is difficult. Does the Resurgence meet this criteria?
Vuk Radic
May 23, 2023 • Estimated Reading Time: 17 minutes
Hey friends, welcome back to It’s About Time and while it does seem to be another slow day, don’t skip the incredible story of the J.N. Shapiro and what it takes to make a complete watch in the U.S.
In this issue:
J.N. Shapiro’s Launch Of The Resurgence Causes Quite A Stir
Tutima Introduces A Blacked Out Limited Edition Of The M2 Seven Seas S
Laurent Ferrier Hides The Tourbillon In Their New Grand Sport Tourbillon Pursuit
Audemars Piguet Appoints Ilaria Resta As CEO To Replace F.H. Bennahmias
And… invite your friends to win a Tiffany PRX
Today’s reading time: 6 minutes and 31 seconds
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👂What’s new
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It’s been almost 60 years since the last hand wound movement was produced in the United States. A lot of hope was put into American watchmaking, with some even claiming that it could threaten the Swiss industry. But with the failure of the Hamilton Watch Company, this dream of American-made watches has died out. At least until yesterday, if you ask Josh Shapiro. The watchmaker announced that they are making what they believe is the first fully "made in America" watch since 1969 and they are calling it the Resurgance.
This was huge news instantly. Not only because it’s a very interesting watch, but also for it’s actually unbelievable claim - that no fully American-produced watches were made since man first walked on the Moon. Following the George Daniels method of watchmaking, Josh Shapiro and his team (including five full-time watchmakers who helped with the creation of this watch) aimed to make a handcrafted, high-quality bespoke watch with traditional tools all in one workshop. After attempting to re-work a vintage Hamilton 731 movement design, the team realized the movement would actually be too small. They again utilized the Daniels method by designing their ideal dial side and working through the center distances of the movement to create something totally new.
This watch is the result of 12 years of experience of Shapiro and his team. It has all of the aesthetic hallmarks of a Shapiro watch. A highly detailed multi level dial, accented with intricate engine turning that has become Shapiro’s hallmark. What sets this watch apart, though, is the movement, which is not only beautiful to look at, with healthy doses of anglage, bridges with a distinct Damaskeening pattern (the American equivalent of Côtes de Genève), and rounded spokes on the caliber’s wheels, but has been designed and fabricated entirely in the United States. Shapiro produced his first movement prototypes in 2019, and that has led to the caliber at work in the Resurgence, which beats at an old-fashioned 18,000 BPH, features a free sprung balance, hacking seconds, and can be custom made with one of three distinct bridge layouts.
Shapiro says that all components of the movement are made in his workshop, with the exception of hairsprings, mainsprings, and jewels. While the hairspring, for example, is not made in house, it is made in the U.S. They sourced a supplier in the United States and bought what the supplier deemed their minimum order - 5.3 miles of material. Enough to make 100,000 hairsprings. Shapiro claims they are working on jewel and hairspring production, and they hope to be making those in the workshop later this year.
The dials feature guilloche patterns in multiple sectors which can be customized to the taste of each client. On the Resurgence, each dial sector is constructed from a different piece of metal, which gives it an almost sector-like appearance and adds a degree of depth not commonly associated with traditional engine turned dials.
Case options are numerous. In addition to the rose gold case, the Resurgence will be available in white gold, tantalum, steel, and dark zirconium. For the first time, Shapiro is offering the option of an engine turned midcase, a design flourish that is inspired by pocket watches, and rarely seen on modern wrist watches. Cases measure 38mm by default, but Shapiro offers some customization options here based on the request of each client. As with other J.N. Shapiro watches, there are multiple opportunities for owners to make unique requests for customization, including dial colors and the type of numerals (Roman, Hindu Arabic, and Hebrew are among the options available).
Prices for the Resurgence series start at $70,000 for steel and zirconium cases, with the tantalum case priced at $80,000 and white and rose gold versions priced at $85,000. The Resurgence is limited by production capabilities deliveries are expected to begin by the end of this year.
The Resurgence itself is a truly exciting watch, and it’s completely understandable why it shook up the watch world yesterday. To make a watch that is completely made in the United States is a unique task. In fact, the good folks over at Monochrome ask the same question as me - is the Resurgence actually the first US made watch since 1969? Go read that for an in depth look at what a manufacturer has to do to qualify for a “Made in the USA” designation.
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Based upon the utilitarian case design of a chronograph that was produced for the German Air Force in 1984, the Tutima M2 collection is the brand’s lineup of durable performance-oriented sports watches. Over the years, the M2 lineup has expanded to include a fairly diverse assortment of different models, and while some lean into a highly utilitarian and purpose-built design ethos, others take the core blueprint of the M2 series and turn it into something that can more easily exist in everyday life. Arguably some of the best examples of the latter variety of models are the 40mm versions of the Tutima M2 Seven Seas S that were released at the very end of 2022, which take the underlying design of the brand’s ultra-robust diver and render it in a more compact and refined overall package.
You can get the Seven Seas in a number of dial and bracelet/strap combinations. But Tutima just released a new version of the M2 Seven Seas S called the Black Limited Edition and the name says it all. It comes with an all black dial, case and strap and is limited to just 250 pieces.
The steel casa of the limited edition remains largely unchanged - 40mm in diameter by 12.5mm thick - but in the limited edition it comes in black PVD. It’s a robust watch, but you also get 500 meter water resistance. The dial is pitch black, with a date display at 6 o’clock. Unfortunately, Tutima did not opt to give it a color matched date wheel, so the white of the date stands out.
Inside is the same movement you would get in a regular Seven Seas S, the Tutima Caliber 330. At it’s core, it’s the brand’s version of the popular ETA 2824 or SW200, and as such, it offers a proven design and the familiar specs of operating at a frequency of 28,800vph (4 Hz) with a power reserve of approximately 38 hours. While it’s not the highest of ends of movements, it works fine in a diver. Although, a diver that’s a bit cheaper than the Tutima. The watch comes on a bicomponent strap made of impregnated, water-resistant leather with a rubber interior.
As said, the watch is limited to 250 pieces, but pricing is a tough nut to crack. Tutima does not have a webshop and they don’t list MSRP on their website. I did, however, find the watch listed on several other websites (as this seems to be the way Tutima distributes their watches) and it seems that it runs around $2,330. This seems in line with the regular Seven Seas S, which sells for $1,980 on a strap or $2,350 on a bracelet. That’s not cheap for a robust, but relatively basic diver.
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There’s nothing more baller than making a watch with a highly-desirable complication like a tourbillon and then hiding it so that only the owner can see it when they take of their watch. Come on! How cool is that? Laurent Ferrier did exactly this with their new Grand Sport Tourbillon Pursuit in which they hid the tourbillon in the back, behind the fantastic pink dial and inside the titanium case.
There is no doubt that Laurent Ferrier makes the highest of end watches. And for years they have ben associated with classically styled watches. However, in 2019 they experimented with 12 pieces of the Grand Sport Tourbillon, a very modern steel watch with a brown dial and a matching rubber strap. This was an instant hit, so LF just decided to keep going. In 2020 they did 12 pieces of another version of the Grands Sport Tourbillon, this time with a gradient blue opaline dial and an integrated steel bracelet, riding that trend. In 2022, they put out a Grand Sport Auto without the tourbillon, also a huge hit for the brand.
Now it’s 2023 and they’re ready to sell out again. The dial of the new watch has gradient shades of pink with an opaline dial. The watch weighs just 118 grams, thanks to the titanium case and bracelet. Inside is the calibre LF619.01, a self-winding movement with a frequency 21,600 vph (3Hz) and a power reserve of 80 hours.
Working with titainum is expensive. When making a lot of watches you can keep costs down with economies of scale. But Laurent Ferrier is doing low production numbers (I couldn’t find how many exactly) so they will have to replace many CNC tools that are destroyed by the titanium, and will have to work slowly, as the material is known to be damaged when manipulated too quickly. This means, of course, that the price will be higher. But looking at Laurent Ferrier watches they are already meant for people in a tax bracket that is not really bothered by costs.
The Laurent Ferrier Grand Sport Tourbillon Pursuit will take 175,000 CHF (excluding tax) out of your bank account.
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I swear, just the other day I remembered the warranty AP was going to offer on their watches to cover theft and thought - why aren’t more CEOs in the watch world so bold with their non-product related ideas. The warranty was announced in the tenure of François-Henry Bennahmias, and Audemars Piguet officially confirmed the departure of its boss at the end of 2023 (at the latest). And now, according to an editorial published in Le Temps, AP will be guided by Ilaria Resta, previously President Perfumery at Firmenich, a Swiss company in the fragrance and flavour business.
François-Henry Bennahmias joined Audemars Piguet some 30 years ago. He began his career at AP in 1994 and became the managing director of North America in 1999. He has led the company as CEO since 2012 and has brought revenue up to about 2 Billion Swiss Francs, making it the fourth player in the Swiss Watch industry below Rolex, Cartier and Omega, with a production of about 50,000 pieces last year.
In an article published yesterday, Swiss newspaper Le Temps has announced the name of the future CEO of Audemars Piguet; Ilaria Resta. According to her biography on the website of her previous employer, Firmenich SA, Ms. Resta was named President, Global Perfumery in March 2020. Her mission was to lead “organizational change and pioneering digital innovation to lead Perfumery into new markets, augment creative excellence, and drive sales for winning performance with our customers.” Always according to Le Temps, “She will join the manufacture next August to ensure a smooth transition with François-Henry Bennahmias and will officially take up her new position on January 1, 2024”.
Despite their recent success, AP is practically based on one product line, and the AP board looked for a female leader in order to diversify their offerings in the market.
🫳On hand
Our selection of the best reviews we stumble upon
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⚙️Watch Worthy
A look at an off beat, less known watch you might actually like
Perhaps the most remarkable thing is that ArtyA Tiny Purity Tourbillon Chameleon represents one of the tamest designs in the brand’s catalog. When you sell watches with tobacco leaves, bullets, and butterfly wings in them, color-changing sapphire doesn’t seem that wild. But put up against other brands that are experimenting with case materials, this watch can truly boast of something unique, with an impressive movement to boot.
⏲️Wait a minute
A bunch of links that might or might not have something to do with watches. One thing’s for sure - they’re interesting
I’m reaching back in time for a couple of long form articles today, but they’re all great. Like, for example, this GQ piece on the Time Bandits, a group of thieves in California who targeted extremely rich people and their extremely expensive watches.
Just the other day I rewatched Mystery Men, the underrated masterpiece with Ben Stiller and William H. Macy. The magician/actor Ricky Jay is in it, which got me thinking about how great he was. Which let me to this article by Michael Chabon, given as an eulogy at Jay’s funeral
I love oral histories and I usually don’t care what they’re about. It’s always interesting and you learn something new. Like, for example, this oral history of Time Inc, a media juggernaut that managed to fail.
👀Watch this
One video you have to watch today
It’s not uncommon to find a bunch of videos and writing comparing regular watches in the $1-5,000 range to watches that go for north of $50,000 and people are often shocked with the lack of differences or, sometimes, with the extreme differences you find at these price points. But have you ever seen a video comparing two watches most people will never own - a 80k Patek Nautilus and a 200k Patek Nautilus. Yeah, we needed a video like this.
💵Pre-loved precision
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Everybody needs a green faced watch in their life. That’s why we have a new giveaway - it’s the Seiko SPB121J1, aka the Seiko Alpinist in a wonderful shade of green. In fact, we’re giving away two of them!
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