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2011's fashion statement: Bronze!

Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2011 7:13 pm
by Dancematt
HI all,

Have been wearing my C20 over the last couple of days and it occured to me that the watch itself is actually kind of dull. Not in a bad way as such (all the white mixed with steel gives it a knightly purity of sorts which is very agreeable) but just it needs something a little extra to give it spark. Then it came to me and now i cant get the idea of my head!

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Might be going out on a limb suggesting this but personally i think Bronze watches will be "the in thing" this year (after all we've had military styles, all black, all white even plastic watches were en vogue a decade ago- although obviously not with the WIS crowd) and id love to see the C20 made out of a huge block of bronze :)

Why the C20? well its possibly the only model that may suit the look (perhaps a re-issued C1 might too given its almost victorian like looks- slightly steam punk perhaps?) as i believe to pull the look off you need a watch with angles upon which acidicy hands cannot go and therefore the patina of time would vary across the case, for instance; the 'portholes' on the bezel or the way u cant quite wipe the area under it, not to mention the angles near the strap/ bracelet or around the crown - would make for a range of different colours being built up over time.

Heres a few brands that have taken to the idea already:
Anomino (who may have been the first to use this material- not 100% sure)
Paneria, Drass, helson, benarus, VBII, and errr fossil,

Need further convincing to commit to the idea? i refer to the words of Allessandro of Anomino: 'the bronze patina results from the ph of your skin and takes on a memory of you and your life'. Theres something about that, that builds on the romance of mechanicals which sounds to me like a perfect partnership of case material and movement.

What do you guys think of this refreshing, but inexpensive case material? Fad or a good alternative to steel for when you've just got too many watches and fancy something different?

Re: 2011's fashion statement: Bronze!

Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2011 7:31 pm
by Yoda
This will take you back to the stone age soon!

Re: 2011's fashion statement: Bronze!

Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2011 7:35 pm
by Lamps
Yoda wrote:This will take you back to the stone age soon!

Dont you mean the Bronze age.

Re: 2011's fashion statement: Bronze!

Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2011 7:38 pm
by downer
Is this what you have in mind?

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Re: 2011's fashion statement: Bronze!

Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2011 7:48 pm
by androo
I like bronze. Would love to have a C20 in it and the Helson

Re: 2011's fashion statement: Bronze!

Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2011 7:58 pm
by Dancematt
downer wrote:Is this what you have in mind?

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Thats pretty darn lovely Downer, I was maybe thinking chocolate dial with gold accents and hands perhaps, Ltd edition?

Think some may be put off by its ability to never look perfect again, but when u have alot of steel watches its nice to see something different. Lets face it, all other new materials out there are good ways to make watches more expensive!

Re: 2011's fashion statement: Bronze!

Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2011 8:05 pm
by alphajet
I do like the bronze look, but nobody has made one with a bronze bracelet yet, that would be great. 8)

Re: 2011's fashion statement: Bronze!

Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2011 10:37 pm
by nathanclarinet
This thread made me think of the Jorg Gray watches who do several in 'bronze' including thishttp://www.jorggray.com/jg6500-history. I toyed with the idea of getting one a while back as I like the fairly tidy look of what could have been quite a busy dial. Looking again, I do quite like that bronze!

Re: 2011's fashion statement: Bronze!

Posted: Sun Feb 06, 2011 1:42 am
by Kip
Dancematt wrote:
downer wrote:Is this what you have in mind?

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Thats pretty darn lovely Downer, I was maybe thinking chocolate dial with gold accents and hands perhaps, Ltd edition?

Think some may be put off by its ability to never look perfect again, but when u have alot of steel watches its nice to see something different. Lets face it, all other new materials out there are good ways to make watches more expensive!
I really like that Richard! Nicely done.

Dancematt....when you mentioned the C1 as a possibility my first thought was bronze with the brown dial...I think that would be quite a striling combinatopn.

Re: 2011's fashion statement: Bronze!

Posted: Sun Feb 06, 2011 3:20 am
by Dancematt
Kip, I was thinking the same thing, rather like the dial shown here maybe:

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Did someone say Unitas?

I've started to consider getting the Helson shark diver in bronze but sadly its sold out at the moment with no certainty if it will be made again, the Benarus moray bronze also sold out very quickly so there must be a market for it. I think we'll see more brands using the metal in the future.

Re: 2011's fashion statement: Bronze!

Posted: Sun Feb 06, 2011 5:30 am
by Lavaine
Maybe its my infatuation with the Malverns, but I think a Cream C5 in a bronze case would be luverly. The cachet of a gold case, but less bling. I think it could work.
Downer, any chance of a mockup?
Do any forum members have any pics of bronze watches that have some patina on them?

2011's fashion statement: Bronze!

Posted: Sun Feb 06, 2011 9:53 am
by DSHall
A plea to the Forum LE group - bronze C1 Russell please? 

Re: 2011's fashion statement: Bronze!

Posted: Sun Feb 06, 2011 4:39 pm
by budsbrother
+1 on that looks great!!!! a C1 Russell

Re: 2011's fashion statement: Bronze!

Posted: Sun Feb 06, 2011 4:53 pm
by ianblyth
There was a reason the Bronze Age gave way to the Iron Age which became steel.

Rather than bronze I would rather have rose gold which is much nicer looking.

C5 Rose Gold
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Re: 2011's fashion statement: Bronze!

Posted: Sun Feb 06, 2011 6:04 pm
by Tyke
Dancematt wrote:
downer wrote:Is this what you have in mind?

Image
Thats pretty darn lovely Downer, I was maybe thinking chocolate dial with gold accents and hands perhaps, Ltd edition?

Think some may be put off by its ability to never look perfect again, but when u have alot of steel watches its nice to see something different. Lets face it, all other new materials out there are good ways to make watches more expensive!

No. Actually, HELL NO!

Just my opinion, but I don't think you would get anything like enough people to buy something like this even as an LE. This kind of thing might work as a special order / on off piece with a price tag to match, but it has to be the reason why you don't see this kind of thing available frankly anywhere mainstream - insufficient demand. It would take a very brave maker to risk it for large scale production IMHO.