Check Out This Curator’s Huge Range of Independent Artisanal Watches
Image: @independentintime
The world of Haute Horlogerie or ‘high watchmaking’ is incredibly rich and full of tradition. To the outside observer, it’s a space occupied by a handful of Great Houses such as Patek Phillippe, Vacheron Constantin or Jaeger-LeCoultre. In reality, these watchmaking titans are just a few among many and while they have certainly earned their prestige, their highly visible profiles are in part due to their centuries-old age, production capacity and advertising.
Countless small players, young and old, also populate this high industry, who’s products often go unnoticed by all but the most discerning and dedicated curators of horology. Read on for a close look at one such curator, Tim Jackson of Independent in Time, who forays into this fascinating world have amassed an incredible collection of timepieces and cultivated a relentless dedication to the independent maker.
Who is Independent in Time?
Image: Independent In Time
Tim Jackson is first and foremost a devotee of the artisanal watch. His website and blog, Independent in Time, features his own collection of timepieces as well as news and happenings from the watchmaking industry’s far-flung events, many of which he attends in person.
Jackson’s dedication to the micro-mechanical began when he was a young boy growing up in England. Receiving his first mechanical watch, a Timex, at age ten Jackson was enraptured by its intricate features and fascinated with its hidden inner world. Upon graduating from school, he began working at Boodles, the venerable diamond jeweller of Chester, England, where he deepened his appreciation for the art and craft of horology and jewellery making.
Over the next thirty years, Jackson made a name for himself buying and selling luxury timepieces, and over this time his own artistic and mechanical tastes began to move towards the work of independent watchmakers and their highly limited releases. Independent in Time tells this story in pictures, showcasing Jackson’s current collection and sold pieces which include the work of many independent horologists from around the world.
Why Focus on Independent Watchmaking?
Image: Independent In Time
Jackson’s unabating support for the independent watchmakers of the world comes from his sense of fellowship with them. As a lifelong collector himself, Jackson now prefers to work with independent makers over the industry’s biggest names because of their approachability and a singular dedication to the artistic aspects of horology.
“They create their micro-mechanical horological art for those that appreciate it. They are willing to work with collectors, often times to customize a specific watch, or indeed create a watch from scratch.”
Today, Jackson owns and operates a fine jeweller in Solana Beach on the California coast, Passion Fine Jewelry, that exists as a testament to the fellowship between the independent maker and collector.
Some of the incredible independent watchmakers on Jackson’s radar include:
McGonigle
Irish brothers John and Stephen, and Ireland’s only independent watchmakers
Image: Independent In Time
Vianney Halter
A Swiss watchmaker whose mind-bending creations we’ve previously featured.
Image: Independent In Time
Daniel A. Spitz
Former lead guitarist of the heavy metal band Anthrax and the first American in 100 years to have created an all-new calibre for a timepiece.
Image: Independent In Time
Roger Smith
An independent British watchmaker in the refined and elegant English horological tradition.
Image: Independent In Time
Looking beyond the high-profile headline names in horology can be a rewarding exercise, as Tim Jackson’s career demonstrates. Independent makers can take risks and innovate completely new features and mechanical elements without the need to satisfy a general luxury market. Better still, with such limited release volumes, independently produced timepieces stand out from the crowd and peerlessly express their own unique style.
Be sure to check out the Independent in Time website, as well as Jackson’s brick-and-mortar store Passion Fine Jewelry for a complete look at his collection and experiences in the independent watchmaking world.
Love watches? You need to see these crazy masterpieces by Vianney Halter.