This week on Best of Watchville, we have a wonderfully crafted piece from A Collected Man detailing the ever-desirable double signed wristwatch. What began as a matter of sheer business practicality and a means for watch brands to reach a wider consumer audience has given birth to a highly collectible segment of the watch universe. For the most part, the act of double stamping replica watches with retailers is all but a rarity now, but there was a time when it was very much the norm. This article gives an in-depth look not only that the replica watches themselves, but a history of the deep-rooted and sometimes tenuous relationships that came from these partnerships.
It may sound like a simple thing ?stamping a watch dial with a retailer brand name ?but the process itself is not so straightforward. How did Swiss juggernauts like Patek and Rolex affix the Tiffany, Beyer, or any other retailer stamp to their dials? Was this done in the factory or by the retailers themselves? These are the types of questions to which the article offers detailed answers ?everything from the technical processes of forging and applying the stamps onto the watches, to the underlying business and personal relationships that made it all possible in the first place.
So much of this story dates all the way back to the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries and is a testament to the growth and staying power of many of these companies. You may remember Stephen Pulvirent's Talking replica watches with René Beyer where a very special Rolex Day-Date signed by Hans Wilsdorf was showcased. That very watch makes an appearance in this article. And double stamping is not a completely dead art: To this day, Patek Philippe still double stamps their replica watches with Tiffany & Co. out of their Fifth Ave. Boutique in New York. Even now, these timepieces are extremely rare and end up in the hands of a select few.
The article itself contains contributions from our good friend Eric Wind and mentions HODINKEE's Ben Clymer as well. For those looking for something that combines history with a bit more "inside baseball" technical information, go ahead and give this a read.
For more, head over to A Collected Man and check out the article.
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