Over the last few years I have written numerous articles about exquisite watches and developed a rare insight into the politics of the industry. So many marketing executives that have worked for the large corporations have subsequently left to pursue careers in entirely different fields. Interestingly these people wanted full editorial control of my reviews, which obviously I didn’t consent to. It wasn’t so much about the fine timepieces but more about the message they wanted to convey. I can relate to this to a certain extent (because at the end of the day it is a business) but there also has to be a degree of passion. This is why I have always gravitated to smaller independent watchmakers like Torsten Nagengast.
On a personal level I have always admired Torsten Nagengast and even though I have never met him we have Skyped several times. I am also connected via Facebook to his wife Victoria, who like me is a fine artist. As a duo they seem like a pretty formidable team and definitely inspire each other. Most of the articles I have written about Torsten involve unique 1/1 pieces with historical Swiss calibers. However, his most recent project veers off in a completely different direction.
A few year ago I spoke to Torsten Nagengast about a carbon composite watch he was hoping to develop. As Torsten had previously worked in the automotive industry he was fascinated by lightweight high performance materials. This was the catalyst for creating a dynamic timepiece called the EXTREME. From conception to completion seems to have taken an eternity. However, based on the visuals I have seen the journey has definitely been worth the wait. This is a superb looking sport inspired watch that will undoubtedly appeal to a broad demographic.
In the world of horology, it is not unusual to see watches fabricated from carbon anymore. Brands like Richard Mille, Audemar Piguet and Hublot have enjoyed enormous success with this amazing textured material. However, the price point of their fantastic timepieces is normally beyond the average consumers reach. Torsten wanted to do something completely different that would be affordable. He also went to extraordinary lengths to keep manufacture exclusively in Germany. Impressively this include the mechanical movement which is handcrafted from aluminum and based on the popular Unitas 6497-1.
Today Torsten is launching his new website with a glossy video to explain the concept. For more information, follow this link
