Selten and Collector Community Watch Ho and Co. Team Up for a New Collaboration in Tahitian Mother of Pearl
Selten impressed me earlier this year with the release of their Grand Feu Enamel series, which features deeply engraved and colorful dials made in a traditional enamelling process. Artistic, craft forward dials made from interesting materials are their stock in trade, so it’s no surprise that they seem to be flourishing at this particular moment, when there’s a real hunger among collectors for watches that offer something a little more daring. As a certified mother of pearl addict (DM me if you need help finding a support group in your area) their latest release, a collaboration with the Hong Kong based watch collecting community Watch Ho & Co caught my eye.
The Jui 聚 (which translate to “to meet, to gather”) features a dramatic Tahitian mother of pearl dial that is CNC engraved to form an elaborate and complex pattern. According to Selten, the design is inspired by ancient China, and the pattern itself is lifted from a motif often used in body armor. Over time, these shapes came to symbolize strength and security, which the brand is now pitching as a testament to the bonds formed within the watch community. This of course is a guiding principle that makes a lot of sense given the collaboration with a community of watch collectors. It’s underscored by the ethos of Watch Ho & Co with an engraving on the caseback reading “Good Vibes Only.”
I’ll be honest, I’ve seen a lot of watches over the years with dials featuring abstract or obscure design motifs that brands throw a lot of meaning into. Grand Seiko may not have invented this, but they’ve certainly made all of us familiar with it after countless releases made to evoke particular micro-seasons, and so forth. I’ve long been on the record, particularly with respect to Grand Seiko, that inserting a deeper meaning into a watch dial in this way is largely irrelevant for the vast majority of people who choose to own one. The “message” of the watch will certainly resonate with a percentage of owners, but I’ve always felt that at the end of the day, most people buy watches because they like the way they look. The storytelling helps a brand get the watch out there in the first place, but if it’s not cool, it doesn’t really matter.
Luckily, the Jui is incredibly cool. I appreciate that Selten is up front in explaining that the guilloche pattern seen here is made with a CNC machine. While this might turn off some purists, I think this is exactly the right application for CNC guilloche. It allows for what is essentially a “perfect” application of guilloche with no flaws, in a unique pattern, that is able to be priced in an accessible way (the Jui retails for $1,099). I also like how they’ve let the dial stand largely alone here. There is a minute track at the perimeter, but there are no logos or indices to obscure the dial’s surface. The hands are even skeletonized to give us a clearer view of the dial.
The Jui’s case measures 39mm in diameter and is 9.95mm tall, including the sapphire crystal. It runs on a Miyota 9039 automatic movement (with a custom rotor) and is water resistant to 5 ATM. It’s mounted to a tan leather strap, and comes packaged in a special box with custom artwork designed by @onehourwatch.
The Jui is a time limited edition. It is available to order now, with delivery expected in one to three months, but after the ordering window closes on Saturday morning, it will not be offered again. More information can be found at the Selten website here.
The post Selten and Collector Community Watch Ho and Co. Team Up for a New Collaboration in Tahitian Mother of Pearl appeared first on Worn & Wound.
from Worn & Wound https://ift.tt/Me69Dc5
Comments
Post a Comment