A beautiful watch is so much more than an instrument.
It’s a work of art. An extension of your personality. Something for your progeny to fight over.
So regardless of whether you’re a collector or just looking for one solid piece, it helps to know where to find a one-of-a-kind, heirloom-grade watch.
Today, we’d like to point you in the direction of five local shops that fit the bill, from vintage rarities to made-in-L.A. standouts to a guy who hand-engraves them as if they were pistols.
Weiss Watchmaking Company
Torrance
Price: $1,995.00
Cameron Weiss makes every single nut, bolt and screw that goes into his meticulously crafted field watches — 200 pieces in total. He has machines in the back that cut the pieces, and then he and his team fit them together, polish them and wind them tight by hand. Each watch takes 60-100 hours to make, and they make around 2,000-2,500 a year. He was trained at Wostep, where the Swiss send their watchmakers.
skywatch (3 images)
Skywatch
Manhattan Beach
Price: $495.00 – $595.00
Gabriel Ibarra wanted a watch for all of the outdoor activities we Southern Californians love. But he wanted it to be approachable, Swiss-made and able to perform at depths of 200 meters. The result is Skywatch. These timepieces are made with a poxy cover that creates a domed effect on the bezel unique to each watch. The silicon band never gets gross and can handle sweat, sunscreen and dirt. It’s the perfect watch for your weekend adventures.
ICON Watches
Chatsworth
Price: $11,000.00
We’ve had a huge soft spot for Jonathan Ward’s retooled Land Cruisers, FJs and Broncos for years. But his first foray into watch making has us scratching our heads … where does he find the, er, time? His first release, the Duesey, is modeled after the speed dials on SJ Duesenbergs. Stay tuned for the next release later this year.
craft and tailored watches (5 images)
Craft and Tailored
Downtown
Price: $3,000.00 – $28,000.00+
“It’s all about keeping it original,” says Cameron Barr, the guy behind Craft and Tailored. He scours the globe for the best and most obscure vintage watches out there. “I like to let it patina,” he says. “There’s a romance in that tangibility and era correctness.” And he can spot a fake so well that the jewelers routinely hit him up for verification. Aside from Rolexes and Omegas, it’s the Tudors, Le Jours and the Lemanias — truly obscure finds — that separate him from other collectors.
Huckleberry LTD
Beverly Hills
Price: $30,000.00+
Jason Hoehn makes some of the dopest jewelry a man can rock. But it’s his aftermarket Rolexes that have us over the moon. He works with Nick Potash, a gunmetal engraver who operates out of a van by the ocean so he can surf in his downtime. Jason helps with the design and procuring the tickers. Potash then does the 140-hour task of making them look as badass and singular as an outlaw’s pistol.
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