SARO-Gem is a watch unlike any I’ve come across in my career. Always custom made, while incorporating both a beautiful and practical application of the properties of sapphire. Given how special this handmade timepiece is, I am hoping that this review will both enlighten and perhaps further fuel your enthusiasm. This is truly world class watchmaking, and to my knowledge there is nothing like it in similar price range.
In 1982 and after two years of searching for an appropriate brand name, the brand SARO was created and recorded in the brand register. It stands for:
Sapphire Round Over. The brand gave reference to the intention of the company, namely to produce watches that are overlaid completely with sapphire stones.
In 1998, the SARO brand was changed to SARO-Gem, the addition of “Gem” intended to clarify the company’s aim of the production of precious stone jewelry watches.
SARO-Gem does little to no advertising anywhere in the world, in fact for years it was only sold by word of mouth. Every SARO-Gem is individually made to order so there was/is no such thing as going to a SARO-Gem dealer and buying one out of a display case. I’ve presented it on television a couple of times, and for each event a unique model was created for just that one show, orders taken, and the watch hand built and delivered to the clients several months later. This sales procedure has assured a most exclusive status for the SARO-Gem productions. A buyer selects dial, bezel shape, finishes, diamond content and position, which part(s) are INOX and which are noble metal (18k or platinum), bracelet or strap, etc. Each is covered by a ten year warranty, which is not only stated in traditional documentation but also activated and registered via an included custom programmed USB memory stick.
I thought I’d begin with a segment of a letter recently sent to me from Thomas Huggler, who without question is one of the leading experts on SARO-Gem and its production techniques.
“SARO-Gem is over 25 years old and relatively new to the US market, though its watch-making tradition dating back to the early 20th century (1914). It is impossible to take any pictures of our watches that will accurately depict their beauty, and their brilliant shine. For example, on the BuonGusto 43 model, no camera will pick up the hand-sprinkled gold dust on the dial. It either comes out as red or white dots. On the sapphire bracelet and sapphire watch models, all pictures must be extensively re-touched to take out the glare produced by reflection, so we can adequately depict the shape of the watch in catalogues and on the website. SARO-Gem watches are top class. They are in the league of very exclusive handmade Swiss watches.”
As an ever-inspiring photographer I can vouch that this watch is without a doubt the most difficult I’ve attempted to capture. Its sapphire surfaces and extreme detail of the unique hand wrought dial are true challenges indeed. The accompanying photos are my attempt at illustrating the color and construction of this timepiece, and that said I can further state that this watch is far more stunning in person than any photo I have seen of it, mine or otherwise.
The watch we are looking at is the SARO-Gem BuonGusto 43 mechanical automatic chronograph. When Rolf von Burg (company owner) drew up the concept for this watch, he knew it would be a spectacular timepiece. The case is individually milled from a solid block of Swiss Inox steel, which exhibits similar advantages as 316L stainless steel. Until now SARO-Gem has been mirror finishing their case, but very recently they developed this new matte finish and were kind enough to submit it for introduction here on WatchCollector.net.
Rolf tells me that the original non coated or otherwise pre-processed Inox case is high velocity sand blasted with very fine sand particles the size of 3/10th of a mm., whereas other companies might use a coating and then an abrasive process. There is no abrasion of any coatings occurring in the work steps. SARO-Gem only uses the high velocity of particles shot on to the surface. As a result the finish is properly applied and very even over the entire surface without any of the inconsistencies or issues one might have with artificial coating techniques.
SARO-Gem installs a “custom rotor” on each pure Swiss movement used; in this case a hand finished and custom decorated pure Swiss ETA Valjoux 7750. They are also increasingly custom decorating the movements as well; note the custom set sapphire cabochon stone on the bridge of this particular example.
Given that each watch is custom built for its owner the sapphire content of course varies, but a good approximation of the sapphire weight in the bracelet would be around 63 ct., plus two 2 sapphire crystals (front and back) total out at 12 ct.
One of the highlights of any SARO-Gem BuonGusto is the individually hand created dial. The base material is brass, a plate of 0.40 mm is colored/lacquered, and into the still wet color actual gold dust is added by hand which makes each dial unique. A transparent lacquer finish is applied to protect the dial, finally the printing of the logo etc. is added. Finally, the Top Wesselton (white, VSI) diamonds are set using jewelry baguette settings. The dial seen here is a very rich blood red/black (an equally rich blue/black is another option). Upon completion each dial is signed on the reverse by both the designer and the owner of the company.
Movement: Pure Swiss ETA Valjoux 7750, 25 Jewel Flyback automatic chronograph, high frequency 4 Hz, Incabloc, blued screw rotor, date at 4 o’clock.
Case: 43mm Inox stainless steel 5-part case in custom matte finish with convex sapphire top crystal, and flat sapphire crystal on case-back.
This particular model features a caseback finished brilliantly in 18k yellow gold. Solid 18k case or selected case components are options as well.
Bezel: Inox 316L (Clous de Paris) Half-Moon bezel with custom matte finish.
Dial: Red “Sun Burst” with gold dust and 8 top Wesselton white, VSI, diamonds (0.02ct/ea). Dials are hand signed (reverse of dial) by designer and owner Rolf von Burg himself.
Hands: Gold finished hour, minute, and second hands with Luminox treatment, Luminox chronograph hands.
Website: http://www.saro-gem-usa.com
Watch Highlights
so) of a given version. Each back case ring is individually numbered.
Production Details:
Watch hands: Base metal of hands is brass, being gold plated for gold look for rhodium plated for the silver look, with center being filled with Luminox.
Case: All parts of the case such as Décor bezel, lower bezel/sealing rings, backs/crystal rings are made of solid INOX stainless steel. Unlike other cases, which are typically pressed or cut, SARO-Gem cases are individually milled from an individual block of steel. Milling the case curve is a lengthy and demanding process of extreme accuracy. The lugs can not be milled out of the same piece and are created separately. The cases are hand finished after raw milling. In superb precision, positioned by specifically designed tools and utilizing exact, measured quantity of solder (very important) in order not to have any overflows, the case assembly is then passed through a high temperature oven to fuse/bake. This will ensure an integral fit and make them appear as if they were crafted
as a single sculpted block. Diamonds may be added to the lugs (and/or bezel) at client request.
Sapphire Overlay: A clear, processed sapphire plate is put into a vacuum oven after the plate has been masked with the decor required. The plate is then deposited under vacuum with the base alloy, afterwards etched and then reprocessed to add the other colors onto the glass. The signature crescent seen in each link is a section of either 18k gold or platinum, depending on client’s choice. Special formulated epoxy is used to attach the sapphire to the steel bracelet. It will withstand 800 lbs. of pull force and glue won’t crack after years of use as it is designed to expand and contract to adhere properly. Each link is assigned a unique serial number (see photo), and each bracelet will exhibit a unique sequential series through the links, which is recorded in the company records. The pins used to connect the links is a two piece design with the pin holding a center tube which guides and holds the pin in place, the benefit of which is a fluid movement of the links without risking the pin falling out as the guide pin has a double notch feature. It also assures a sleek side to the bracelet that is high polished, and another design detail which differentiates handmade SARO-Gem designs from mass produced products.
So, on to cost. As previously stated every component is custom crafted with buyer selecting material (INOX, 18k, platinum), finishing (polished, matte, and/or in the instance of steel case components which if any are to be finished with noble metal), diamond amount and application (SARO-Gem will not use anything other than Top Wesselton, white, VSI), finish etc., so price can vary dramatically. I’ve seen models list as low as the 7000 dollar range and have heard of price tags approaching 30,000 dollars, and I know from my contacts on the inside that this brand will be producing pieces in the 75,000 dollar range early next year (2010)! This particular example shipped with both bracelet and strap as well as caseback and selected case components finished in 18k yellow gold and is likely in the 8000 - 9000 dollar range, though it is worth noting that discounts may be negotiated on an order by order basis.
Pros: A true world class exclusive luxury timepiece. Always pure Swiss. Always individually handmade to order. Gorgeous design, with one of the most spectacular dials in the watch industry. Fantastic attention to precision and quality. Spectacular innovative application of sapphire capabilities (bracelet model). Offers custom exclusivity usually associated with timepieces costing far more.
Cons: Somewhat pricey (though in my view, worth it). Some may find the 43mm not large enough if they insist on the current trend of watches north of 44mm. Would have liked to have seen a water resistance certification beyond 50m, especially given the sophisticated gasket application. Difficult to find, given that they don’t use a traditional dealer network (owners may consider that an advantage).
Bottom Line: One of the most exclusive watches in the price range. If you have the means, acquire one; you will never regret being an owner.
George J Von Burg is a fourth generation watch maker currently heading up the company bearing the name of his grandfather (the earliest generation made watches under a different name). GJVB watches are built in a pristine state of the art facility in a small picturesque town in Switzerland, a facility it has been my pleasure to tour twice. Here he builds not only the watches bearing his family name and crest but also for numerous other luxury watch brands.
One of the lesser known facts about this brand is that any product bearing the family name is made /entirely/ in Switzerland (a trait increasingly rare in the industry); even the packaging is Swiss produced, as is the exotic strap (crocodile) when applicable. As such it is among the most affordable options when one wishes to own a pure Swiss creation.
GJVB produces their classic 7750 model in both strap and bracelet examples, with or without gold finishing, and in a variety of dials, with and without texturing. For this review I’ll be illustrating the strap version finished in yellow gold.
weight 94g in 316L steel
case diameter 40mm (44mm with crown)
lug diameter 20mm
thickness of case at bezel edge 12.5mm
thickness at case center, including curve of crystal/back 16mm
water resistance 10atm
This watch is accurately described as a classic dress sport watch. The design is very clean with sharp case lines throughout. The case architecture utilizes both a domed sapphire crystal and bowl shaped back to accommodate the rotor of the movement, hence the multiple case thicknesses listed above. GJVB uses only sapphire crystals treated with glare resistant coatings in their namesake productions. GJVB opts to use only solid backs on this model, and each is bowl style and beautifully decorated and engraved with company, water resistance, and individual serial number. The water resistance is individually tested to 100m (330 ft); the company strongly recommends against attempting to operate the chronograph while under water, and this is sage advice.
One of the case aspects I wish to emphasize is the gold finish. As many of you know, such a treatment can often have an artificial air about it, and while GJVB will not elaborate as to their process, they produce without question one of the richest noble metal finishes I have ever seen. There is nothing to give this watch away from being built from a block of solid 18k gold.
The dial is very crisp and easy to read in every aspect. The numerals, indexes, and day/date complications are beautifully laid out and legible at a glance. This may seem basic, but not every watch design has achieved this and GJVB has achieved one of the most readable classic dials that I know of, and has established this design to work on both textured and non-textured dials in both light and dark colors. GJVB utilizes both tradition light green luminous material as well as the newer white material, depending on the desired overall effect. In this particular case (flat finish navy dial) they have used both. The luminous properties of both is quite good. It is worth noting that they often change out their dial colors and finishes in an effort to limit the availability of any single dial and to prevent the design from becoming predictable and stale.
One aspect of GJVB designs that I especially appreciate is the hand design. As many collectors know, finding a hand design that is both readable and not overbearing is a bit of a trick. Make then too thin so as to not to obscure the dial and they can be difficult to see. Too large and they appear overbearing. The GJVB design is a beautiful balance, and further achieves high marks for finishing the hands so that they are quickly readable in both bright and dim lighting.
The core of this watch is a Valjoux 7750 mechanical automatic chronograph engine, further finished at the GJVB facility. The power reserve is estimated in the 40 hour range, and while I have yet to time this from fully wound to expiration I can share from personal experience that once wound I have never had to touch it again for many days of wear, as the rotor performs beautifully. You can feel it take off for a prolonged “spin” during the course of a typical day wearing this watch.
The screw down crown unseats and re-seats smoothly, with the positions to set both both the time and day/date showing up crisply, with the chronograph being operated by non-screw down pushers at the classic positions of 2 o’clock and 4 o’clock.
As to wearability, there is nothing not to like. The case has a beautiful heft but at a finished weight of 94g (strap model) the piece never plays overbearing and falls perfectly into a classic status. It looks amazing on the wrist, wears very comfortably, and frankly much more high end than the msrp would indicate.
Price: Current retail about $1895.
Pros: Classic dress sport design. Crisp handsome dial easy to read in all lights. Classic durable mechanical automatic engine. All Swiss production.
Cons: Some may consider 40mm a bit small when contrasted in today’s larger trends. Would have liked to have had 200m water resistance.
Bottom Line: If you are looking for sharp looking well made all Swiss mechanical automatic chronograph that successfully rivals productions retailing for thousands more, your search is over. Acquire one immediately.
For more information about this watch, visit http://www.gjvb.com.
This Gevril was built between 1995-1998, arguably the crowning achievement during this resurrection of the brand. Today it is considered scarce, and possibly rare. It was produced in an all 316L stainless version, 18k/stainless, and a very few in solid 18k gold. For this review I will be illustrating the 18k/stainless example.
This model is part of the Gevril series subsequently dubbed “first generation”, a term referring to any Gevril built during the 1990’s era. This is a time in history when Gevril was directly associated with a distributor of luxury Swiss watches, who put considerable financial resources behind the brand. This resulted in some great and internationally patented innovations (two of which are in this model) but some beautifully unique packaging as well. These Gevrils shipped in a cube crafted from a solid block of wood. “Gevril” was engraved into the top, with the watch presented on a spring loaded display on the inside. This packaging was subsequently discontinued due to costs, and is today considered collectible in and of itself.
There are many reasons to prize a first generation Gevril, but one of the key reasons in my estimation is the dial. These dials were hand guilloched in Switzerland (as opposed to stamping) with each taking between one to three days to complete, depending on color and gold content. All indexes were individually sculpted, handfinished, and hand applied. it is displayed beneath a glare resistant sapphire crystal.
Each bracelet was also hand built from hundreds of individually handfinished components. In the case of the 18/steel example it would appear that gold was layered onto what one might perceive as smaller rectangle sections, but such is not the case. First of all, those “sections” are actually precisely milled separate hand finished links that nest into the larger master link. Each part featuring gold used a core of 316L steel, which was then wrapped in a thick sheet of 18k gold before being individually finished and polished. Gevril did not adopt a slight ergonomic curve to the reverse side of these links, so you will only see the overall curvature appearing on the obverse. A dual deployant clasp signed for Gevril was the standard for this series.
One of Gevril’s featured patents is the UCI (Unlocked Crown Indicator) which shows up red on the dial at 3:00 if the crown is not screwed down properly, but disappears seamlessly into the dial color when the crown is properly seated. It is a highly practical complication, one of the few I’ve ever seen that literally involve mechanically interacting with a dial, and one lost on subsequent generations though Gevril maintains the patent. The case is of wonderful heft, crafted in 316L steel with sculpted 18k blocks added to the sides. I especially like the fact that the water resistance is taken to 100m, which is double what many high end Swiss dress watches achieve.
The 15° also offers a second time zone (GMT), which is illustrated by a dedicated hand finished differently from the others and set by a pushbutton at 10:00. It is this complication combined with dual mechanical am/pm indicators that resulted in another international patent. The day/night indicator at 3:00 and 9:00 for each time zone, with the “home” or main dial time’s am/pm status shown at the 3:00, favored by an 18k halo in the case of an 18k/stainless or solid 18k model. Rather than change at midnight in the respective times like most, this complication shows white for sunrise 6:00 a.m., and changes to black for sunset at 6:00 p.m. It also has a quickset date window at 6:00, viewed through a magnifier. This pure Swiss automatic movement was named cal B 0ll0, and was Gevril’s first in-house made movement within this generation.
weight 143 gm
40mm at outer curve
38mm at bezel edge
42mm including crown
10.5mm case thickness
20mm bracelet width at lug area
18k/steel bracelet $1050 list price upcharge (street price was likely a bit less).
As to wearability, I’ve overall enjoyed this watch and find it to be an elegant addition to my collection and a great watch with suits, tuxedo, etc. I do on occasion find that the bracelet version pulls the hairs on my arm and also the links immediately adjacent to the clap tend to play a bit stiff, both of which is a bit disappointing for a hand built Swiss bracelet.
Price: I’ve long lost the original pricing I had. In consulting with Gevril they tell me that this particular version of the 15˚ originally retailed in the $5000 dollar range (am guessing that to mean $4995).
Pros: Elegant handcrafted Swiss mechanical automatic. Handsome classic design. Excellent water resistance. To own one is to possess two innovative patented mechanical developments.
Cons: Some may find the case a bit small by today’s standards. Bracelet occasionally snags arm hair.
Bottom line: Well worth snagging from the secondary market if you can find one. Gorgeous classic design, beautiful hand craftsmanship and two mechanical design patents make it a watch to hold on to.
So.. another BaselWorld, as it’s known, has come and gone. I thought I would take a moment to report on what I’ve learned so far, and also explain the event a bit for the benefit who may not be familiar with its significance.
The Basel Watch Fair, or BaselWorld, has been hosted by Basel, Switzerland for many a year and is simply put, the single most important gathering of watch enthusiasts, manufacturers, and industry leaders in the world. Nothing else even comes close. This is where all trends start or fizzle, and dreams and innovations are both made and broken.
The show is divided among six halls which vary in size but several are the equivalent of a medium size sports arena, and are spread over several city blocks. Opulence is the name of the game in Hall 1 (known as the Hall of Dreams) where Patek’s booth (”booth” in this Hall equates to two and three level buildings) is a scaled down version of the MOMA museum with the front area built of Lalique crystal, Tag Heuer’s is a three story black iceberg, and Breitling suspends a 27 ton fish tank in midair, among many other showcases. Other halls will contain less high profile brands, accessories, boutique luxury brands, OEM manufacturers, manufacturers providing the gear used to make watches and components, etc.
You cannot see the entire show in a day; you cannot see it in two. I have always spent the better part of a week when I have attended and still would never claim to have seen everything. I have attended 9 of the last 11 (for the record I have missed this years and the year of the SARS issue) and the knowledge and insight gleaned from the experience is invaluable. Getting to meet, interview, and even take instruction from some of the finest watchmakers in the world is surely a treat for any watch guy. Having missed this year (the first in years), am especially grateful to have attended nine of the previous ten. I can’t imagine how far out of the loop of real and credible info someone in the industry would be having missed two or even three years running. Reading reports is nice, but obviously there is nothing like being there.
That stated, having yes, missed this years myself, I am going to give what insight I can based on talking extensively to trusted colleagues who did attend, either as a journalist, exhibitor, or buyer, not to mention fan.
The overview seems to be this; attendance was definitely down, as was exhibiting. Not in the big power halls, such as One, or the boutique high end brands, but definitely so in the more mainstream brands. Many companies that I work with and know either curtailed their visit, or eliminated it. The reason of course is the current economy. It was noted at the show that US attendees at the show were down dramatically, though attendance was definitely down from around the world.
Almost in anticipation of this, multiple sources tell me that innovation, specifically investment in such, was held back, at least at the relatively affordable level, though there were definitely some nice mechanical releases unveiled. Once you crossed the line into the “recession proof” ultra high end the story was apparently a bit different, though as yet I’ve yet to hear of a must see star achievement of the show being named.
It is interesting to compare BaselWorld to the Geneva show. Geneva hosts a lesser known but exclusive show that coincides with Basel, a show made up of mid-level (for the most part) luxury brands that for whatever reason prefer the Geneva venue over Basel. There the traffic was down even more, which am told is attributed to the price range of 5000-20000 dollar retail being the predominant spread for Geneva participants.
So… what does all this mean? In a nutshell, it means change. It means that the industry at large with have to move and adapt. I’ll blog more on that at a future date. In the meantime, I trust this gives you at least a bit of insight into the 2009 show, and as always, I thank you for visiting!
Tim
