Over the last few months I have featured a broad range of independent watchmakers from around the world. Each of these brands is trying to get a slice of the lucrative watch market. Ultimately this is a lot harder than it seems because they are competing against very well established groups like Swatch, Richemont and LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy). Genuinely when I speak to most people they have still only heard of Rolex, Omega, Breitling, Bell & Ross, U-Boat, TW Steel and Tag Heuer timepieces. For this reason it is imperative that new brands, design watches that will make a bold first impression and really stand out from the crowd.
A few months ago I got in contact with an exciting new watch brand called Savoy. The business is the brainchild of Pascal Savoy and was established in 2004. Currently the company has offices located in Switzerland, Hong Kong, Dubai and Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Pascal originally cut his teeth in the world of fragrances before progressing to the watch industry. Impressively in his role as President of Hublot America he was pivotal in raising the luxury watchmakers profile in the United States. From recent conversations with him he explained that his prime objective with Savoy was to deliver sophisticated designs at affordable prices.
Although Savoy has many attractive collections (Icon Extreme, Icon Midway, Icon Light) my favourite is the stunning Limited Edition Carbon Fiber. Kindly the company shipped it over to Australia for review purpose. My first impression of the watch is the quality and attention to detail. Dimensionally the timepiece has a diameter measuring 43mm but feels a lot larger due to the oversized crown and pushers. Generally I found the watch very comfortable and fairly lightweight on the wrist. Primarily this is down to the stylish case design and use of 316L stainless steel in production. Personally I would love to see a version of this watch constructed from titanium, carbon or ceramic in the future.
Aesthetically the Limited Edition Carbon Fiber has a bold and distinctive appearance. Clearly the watches of Hublot have influenced Pascal Savoy and I can see similarities with the superb Wyler Genève Code R. Nevertheless this is still a really cool watch that has an abundance of stylish characteristics. I love the carbon fiber inserts on the bezel, case side and strap. This gives the timepiece a really high-class sporty appearance. Other successful details include the multi-layered dial with three chronograph counters and open worked hour minute hands. Overall the composition has been well planned and perfectly executed.
At the heart of the watch is a Swiss Made 5040F Ronda 13 jewels quartz movement. I feel this Caliber would be fine on a timepiece at well under the $1,000 threshold but not on a watch costing nearly $1,500. I am disappointed that Savoy hasn’t equipped it with an ETA Valjoux 7750 or equivalent Selita SW500 mechanism. Functionally the Limited Edition Carbon Fiber features hours, minutes, seconds day/date and chronograph facility. The watch is also water resistant to a depth of 100 metres.
The Limited Edition Carbon Fiber has a black silicone strap with carbon fiber inserts and a custom-made stainless steel buckle. Priced at $1,450.
For more information visit the company’s website: http://www.savoycollections.com
