Moderately than promoting watches and merchandise that different folks have, standard social media account IFL Watches (with founder Karar Aimer coming from the watch trade) determined (properly) that it wanted one thing unique to promote. That led to a journey of watch modification the place IFL Watches would create aftermarket customizations of standard cheap watches, primarily from Japanese manufacturers similar to Casio, Seiko, and Citizen. The ensuing objects are attention-grabbing and sometimes spirited bespoke watches which can be nonetheless fairly affordably priced. Right this moment, IFL Watches claims to have an in-house crew of artists, and watches like this “Time Is Cash” model of the Citizen Tsuyosa Computerized are achieved by re-painting the dial by the crew’s artists. The idea is enjoyable, and whereas these usually are not for everybody, I believe the thought may be very sound and marketable.
Right this moment, I’d like to take a look at one of many newer IFL Watches Citizen Tsuyosa-based watches, often known as the “Time Is Cash.” IFL Watches has taken an actual liking to this base watch given its combination of cost-effectiveness, basic design, and sturdy structure that permits for the kind of customization wanted. The underlying watch is the Citizen Tsuyosa Computerized NJ015, which has a retail value of $450 USD. IFL Watches sources these timepieces after which creates a value-added course of, and along with portray the dials, ships them in their very own packaging. The ensuing product could be about twice the unique retail value of the Citizen Tsuyosa, however that may be a fairly small value to pay for this sort of bespoke creative originality. If the “Time Is Cash” watch isn’t your factor from a composition standpoint, I like to recommend trying out the assorted different custom-made Citizen Tsuyosa and different watches obtainable from IFL Watches.
Here’s a fast recap of the fundamental tech specs of the Citizen Tsuyosa NJ015 watch collection. These timepieces have a 40mm-wide metal case, flat sapphire crystal (with a magnifier lens for the date), and an identical “President-style” metal bracelet. Inside these variations of the Tsuyosa is a Citizen in-house caliber 8210 automated motion (3Hz operational frequency with 42 hours of energy reserve). The bottom watches have flat, coloured dials and a good quantity of house between the dial and the crystal. This makes for a superb platform on which to color one thing unique since in different watches there merely isn’t house for it or solely new elements have to be sourced. It makes issues a lot simpler when a customizer like IFL Watches doesn’t want to switch any (or too many) elements with non-original parts.
This “Time Is Cash” IFL Watches restricted version comes as a set of 150 items and creates (because the identify implies) a visible dial motif meant to counsel the theme. IFL Watches selected the deep metallic blue model of the Citizen Tsuyosa and hand-paints a standard hourglass, dollar forex with wings, and a pile of gold cash and jewels proper out of the vault of Scrooge McDuck in “Ducktales.” The hour markers, palms, and Citizen emblem are all maintained, and solely the house round them is painted. It’s really fairly enjoyable, and I merely adore the idea of utilizing watch dials as a canvas for creative creations, which is why I attempt to write about a majority of these expressive customized timepieces as a lot as doable.
An attention-grabbing query to ask is how Citizen would possibly really feel about this. Rolex is considerably famend for legally going after aftermarketers who customise its watches, worrying that the ensuing high quality and aesthetics don’t reside as much as their requirements or character. Japanese corporations similar to Seiko, Casio, and Citizen have all had merchandise as the topic of creative reimaginations and seem to both be silent about it or really willingly complicit. Moderately than degrade the underlying watches, the sentiment appears to be that such creative watches elevate the manufacturers and their fashions. None have gone as far as to do one thing extra built-in (similar to what TAG Heuer was doing with Bamford for some time), however there seems to be each a willingness to provide watches to high-quality customizers and a way of pleasure that the merchandise are getting used on this manner. The sensible sentiment appears to be this is only one extra marketplace for these merchandise, and that’s a superb factor.
I believe the one complicating issue is that, except for the bespoke dial work, there’s nothing on these watches to point who did the customization work or that this isn’t a inventory Citizen. For instance, the dial of this “Time Is Cash” Tsuyosa doesn’t say IFL Watches, neither is that indicated wherever on the case or bracelet. I’m not suggesting that buyers need that, however pondering forward, if somebody bought one in every of these merchandise from an unique proprietor and didn’t know the underlying story, it will be considerably difficult to grasp the place the watch got here from. Manufacturers and customizers don’t all the time suppose that far forward, however watch collectors routinely purchase merchandise which can be years or many years previous. I believe it will be very useful if there was one thing on these watches that may assist a 3rd social gathering do a easy web search sooner or later, to find out what this watch is all about and the place it got here from (as phrases like “IFL Watches” or “Time Is Cash”) doesn’t seem wherever on the product (if it isn’t related to the unique packaging supplies that’s). That is one thing for IFL Watches and their contemporaries to consider.
IFL Watches customized timepiece costs begin at about $400 USD and go as much as a bit over $1,000 USD. This limited-edition “Time Is Cash” Citizen Tsuyosa is priced within the upper-middle vary and looks like a good worth. Sure, it’s dearer than the underlying watch, however there’s a whole lot of worth added by IFL by way of the paintings and exclusivity. Little or no about this train feels overpriced in that regard, and I consider that IFL Watches has discovered a really attention-grabbing area of interest. Worth for the restricted version of 150 items IFL Watches Citizen Tsuyosa Computerized “Time Is Cash” is $890 USD. Study extra on the IFL Watches web site.
