I’ve simply completed reviewing the Girard-Perregaux Free Bridge Meteorite, seen above. It got here with a $5,100 premium over its normal model and was simply $100 in need of a black DLC model with gold elements and onyx inlays. We additionally just lately lined the Bulova Lunar Pilot Meteorite, supplied at a $500 premium over the usual model (however and not using a bracelet). Cool, fairly issues price extra money, and I’m not arguing they shouldn’t; nor am I arguing what that further cost needs to be. And I believe we are able to all agree that meteorite as a fabric — house rock! — is cool and fairly, even when we disagree about whether or not it belongs on a watch dial or not. However as a fabric utilized in watches, calling it uncommon has turn into a stretch.
Think about the meteorite used for the Lunar Pilot, the Muonionalusta meteorite. This octahedrite meteorite (that’s the type with that good Widmanstätten sample you need for a dial) was present in northern Scandinavia in 1906. All the factor weighed round 230kg and is likely one of the oldest recognized meteorites at 4.5 billion years. Which means there wasn’t a lot of it, proper? Nicely, not precisely: the Muonionalusta has been utilized in fashions by Formex, Zelos, Bangalore Watch Firm, Awake, Zodiac, and David Rutten (who used it for your entire case), amongst many others. And Omega simply used it for the brand new Constellation Meteorite — with no point out that the fashions could be restricted! Or take a look at the Gibeon meteorite, which was used within the Girard-Perregaux talked about above and weighs in at 26,000kg: It was additionally utilized by J.N. Shapiro, Rolex, Omega, and Bovet, to call a couple of.
The advertising and marketing copy from manufacturers desires you to assume that not solely is meteorite ultra-rare however it’s additionally distinctive in watches and that its use is a grasp stroke by the model’s design crew. That’s merely not true. The inflow of meteorite watches has turned the uncommon into the frequent. Whereas there’s undoubtedly variation in how manufacturers use meteorite, from full dial functions to small components, doing so not requires ingenuity, and shopping for one not requires searching or saving. Whereas Chanel’s (beautiful) take may need price over $120,000, the Zelos I referenced was priced at $499.
I like meteorite dials. I believe it’s superior to have one thing from house in a watch, and I believe the fabric can add a ton of character. I hope manufacturers hold utilizing it, however I additionally hope they cease pretending that utilizing it’s particular. It’s not anymore, and if/when manufacturers notice that, perhaps we’ll begin seeing it used extra judiciously and to higher impact.
