Watches bearing the logos of famous prestige automobile brands that equal the engineering, design and craftsmanship are unique in the world of horology. But that’s the challenge Victor Muller, founder and CEO of the Spyker Cars NV which bought Saab from GM, issued to his friend,Thierry Chaunu of Expression D’Artistes International, a fine watch maker in Geneva, Switzerland: create a watch that matches the heritage, cache and uniqueness of the Spyker cars.
In just ten years Muller, a former merger and acquisitions lawyer, has transformed a historic, but inactive Dutch automotive brand into a premiere maker of contemporary designed exceptional vehicles that challenge the more famous high-speed cars from Germany and Italy on the track and at dealers around the world. Automobile aficionados relish the distinctive, exceptional attention to detail that is one of brand’s hallmarks as literally a bespoke maker of vehicles for true automobile connoisseurs.
In a recent interview, Chaunu a former executive of leading luxury brands including Cartier and Chopard, said he promised Muller he would be proud of the new Spyker watch when presented to owners of fine watches and retailers selling them. He said, “There are almost 300 parts inside the Spyker watch, even the screws on the watch are taken from the car. The rotor, the piece of metal that winds the watch with the wearers movements is not one piece of metal, it is crafted of many little pieces so that it looks exactly like the wheels of the Spyker.
Mr. Chaunu has taken other distinguishing hallmarks and characteristic refinements of the car and translated them into an incomparable timepiece. The face of the 44 mm watch, an automatic mechanical a Valjoux 7750 self-winding mechanical movement chronograph — with hours, minutes and second sundials — is reminiscent of the dials on Spyker cars with exquisite perlage engine-tuned steel faces while the hands are the famous Swiss Microbille Acier Bleu design. The watch has a 42 hour power reserve and is water resistant to 100 meters (330 feet). The bezel has the Sypker name and its Latin motto, “Nulla tenaci invia est via” which translates to “For the tenacious no road is impassable.” Other design elements that are sure to please Spyker car owners and admirers are the pushers are exacting detail of tailpipes of the cars while the historic company logo is on the crown. The watch is made entirely in Switzerland but the amazing supple leather straps of i Royal Dutch Hulshof leather in Spyker orange (remember the World Cup’s Dutch team), black anthracite or white blanc de blanc is hand-stitched in France by Bouveret. The adjustable deployant buckle with micro adjustments will fit comfortably most wrists.
As Spyker cars can be custom ordered so Spyker timepieces are crafted in four metals: high gloss steel, 18K grey gold, 18K pink gold and titanium. Each is limited to 100 of a material and is customizable with personalized engraving. The price range from $9,750 for the steel case and leather strap to $30,300 for the gold and Titanium models with deployant buckle. For retailer go to Spykerwatches.com.
