The personalization of high end watches will probably always be a hot topic in the watch community. As long as wealthy collectors are buying watches, some will have an urge to completely revamp them to make them their own. By the same token, the collecting community will always have a segment of purists who find that any tinkering with a brand?s original design amounts to a crime against horology itself. Regardless of your personal feelings and taste, however, I think it?s hard to argue that there are a handful of firms offering custom work at an extremely high level, and Artisans de Genève is certainly at or near the top of a very small list. If gaudy and out of control diamond and gem setting is what comes to mind when you think of custom watches, Artisans de Genève is worth a look, as their house style is rooted in traditional aesthetics executed at a very high level.
Because Artisans de Genève doesn?t actually produce and sell their own watches (when browsing their website, you?re reminded at every turn that they aren?t affiliated with Rolex or any other brand, and that they offer custom work for individual clients who provide their own watches), it?s a little hard to get your arms around what they?re working on. That?s largely intentional on their part, of course, but from time to time they will highlight a custom job that is particularly unique or visually beautiful. The Honey Green Project, recently unveiled to the public, is one such example of a Rolex ...