Independent watchmaker Peter-Speake Marin, as well as master engraver and watchmaker Kees Engelbarts, are brilliant talents in their own right, but put the two good friends in a room together and they come up with this magnificent timepiece, a beautiful synergy between two very distinct types of traditional artistry: horology, and the ancient Japanese art of mokume-gane.
The watch – dubbed “Fighting Time” by Speake-Marin, who designed the concept – features on the elaborate dial a conflict which most of us can identify with, the eternal struggle to turn back the clock. This is represented in the dueling dragons infinitely chasing each other counter-clockwise against a blurred background in a valiant yet futile attempt to turn back time. The dragons are hand-engraved in 18 carat gold, then rhodium-plated. With diamonds for eyes, they are a symbolic detail representing eternity, and time – it takes over 100 hours to create the dial alone.
Not only does it look absolutely stunning, with its gorgeous, textured engraving revealing the many layers of precious metal in the dial, but it is also a superbly-handcrafted mechanical watch in the Speake-Marin tradition. The platinum case, signed by Kees Engelbarts, houses the same brilliantly hand-finished hybrid movement that appears in Speake-Marin's other collections.
This particular watch is already spoken for, but collectors should note that this is just the first of a collection of unique pieces that Peter Speake-Marin has planned in collaboration with different artisan friends of his.
