Custom-made watches are nothing new; people have been decorating and personalising their timepieces to better suit their taste for decades. However, since its inception, Artisans de Genève has been creating astoundingly customised timepieces for us to feast our eyes on.
Each masterfully-crafted piece that leaves the table tells a vivid story of the watch’s history, of every material used, and of every technique implemented to bring the watch to life.
And once again, the legendary Swiss workshop is here to deliver an elegant piece, a reimagined Rolex Submariner 116610 for its “Heart of Namibia” project.
Borrowing the name from Namibia in South Africa, the dial is made with real meteorite stone that was extracted from the namesake region. With the meticulous control of the Swiss artisans, these extremely fragile stones have been cut and refined to 0.3 mm. Furthermore, the part has also been chemically treated to reveal the natural pattern and striations of the rock.
Further emphasising its connection to the heavens, the special timepiece has a matching in-house moon phase display starring a midnight blue aventurine sky and mother-of-pearl moon. This intricate design, which consists of 28 parts, is created, produced, embellished, and completed by hand at Artisans de Genève.
To match its new colour schemes, a new Dark Night Blue ceramic bezel insert is installed, and portions of the watchcase have grainy laser engravings. It still has its original 3135 Rolex movement, but it has a white gold rotor that was specially made for it and a matching meteorite insert.
It’s a truly one-of-a-kind piece and stands as a testament to the skill and work that Artisans de Genève workers put into their craft. This custom Submariner costs CHF34,520 (~RM181,141) to commission. Every case by Artisans de Genève is uniquely-priced depending on the nature of the customisation.
