A New Winter Nights Interpretation

From GoS Watches -

Courtesy of GoS Watches

Patrik Sjögren of GoS Watches was kind enough to share a customization of one of his Winter Nights watches.


Patrik explained that The Winter Nights is a model well suited for customization as its original configuration features an untempered dial (without colors).  The hands (made of  white gold) pair wonderfully with  the blue/purple dial.

Welcome Winter!

Endless Summer!

From GoS!

Courtesy of GoS Watches

Point of full disclosure - I represent GoS Watches in North America.  Further point of full disclosure, even if I didn't, I would say that the watches they make are the SHIT THAT KILLED ELVIS!

This is the Nordic Seasons Summer.

A Winning Pair from GoS Watches

Point of full disclosure, I represent GoS Watches in North America, so I am providing you with the scoop straight from the boys at GoS in Sweden -

Courtesy of GoS Wathces

This is the Bifrost – Isblå with matching GoS folding knife 

A Pretty Amazing BaselWorld for GoS Watches

It is important to be clear - I am biased. I represent GoS Watches here in the US and the Caribbean and therefore, well, I'm biased ; )

So in the interest of fairness, I am just going to simply share this amazing image.

What's That Sound? What If - Update Number 11!

Why, that sound is the sound of momentum!

GoS Watches and our first retail store - Catherine Jones of Cambridge!

Thank You!!!

So let's see:

Girard Perregaux, JEANRICHARD, A. Manzoni & Fils, Kobold, Aquadive, ISOfrane, Xetum, Jardur, Gavox, the Oberlin Pen Company, SAVOY, Ressence, Marvin, the Chinese Timekeeper, Tigerlily Skye, GoS Watches and Catherine Jones of Cambridge!

For those of you keeping score at home - that is 17! We are nearly 20% there! C'mon!

What if?

Dear watch companies,

What if?

What if each one of you could take even $5,000 from your annual budgets and donate it to a common cause?  What if the mighty SWATCH, Richemont, LVMH, ROLEX, Sowind, Audemars Piguet, Patek Phillipe, Ulysse Nardin… what if you all came together with a reasonable contribution with the sole goal of trying to fix an "unfixable" problem?

What if 100 watch companies in the world each contributed $5,000 - or more - to fund rangers to protect elephants and rhinos from poachers?  What if based on that, we could then go to people with even more money?  What if your KINDNESS and willingness to do something that was totally selfless then triggered people like Phil Knight of Nike, or Oprah Winfrey, or Bill Gates - I mean, let's aim high here!  What if that all got so much money - and so much attention, that it would be better financially for a father to become a ranger, rather than to become a poacher?  

And what if that action, created a groundswell in China and Vietnam to help people understand that maybe, just maybe the preservation of a species is more valuable than a dubious aphrodisiac?

So, let's name some names - Biver, Hayek, Hoffmann, Sofisti (THANK YOU!), Stern, Marini, Raffi, Stas and all the rest of you -

Are you really interested in doing something great - or is it just talk and PR?  

What am I asking for?  $5,000 if you have it - for some of you big brands, that is WAY less than you spend on a month of advertising.  And as the saying goes, if you can't afford $5,000, give what you can!

Do you really want to make a mark in the world and not just talk about it?  Here is a chance to do it!

Who is in?

Who Do You Love?

So tonight (at least it is night in Santa Barbara), I'm going to take some personal liberty.  Someone from my high school days asked me what watch brand did I hold in the highest regard.  I was stumped - to some extent the same way I am now.  But I can answer the question -

I love the Vulcain Cricket.  Not just any Vulcain, as there have been multiple flavors.  I love the Vulcain Cricket of the "between time".  I love the Vulcain Cricket that was produced and sold by the Paajanen family in Helsinki, Finland in the 90s/ early 2000s.

I love the watches made by GoS Watches.  And point of clarification, I represent GoS watches in North America - but I do so because I respect and admire what they do.

ochs und junior.  Yes, clearly fame is the spur that drives an entrepreneur, but yet and still even though I am smaller than Hodinkee, and Monochrome, I am glad to say that for a brief moment in time (now clearly passed) Tempus Fugit was on ochs und junior's radar.  Fun while it lasted.  I wish them well.  And with the big boys covering them, they should be ready (at least media-wise) to move forward

I love Angular Momentum/Manu Propria - there is something indeed to be said about possessing a beautiful object that is truly "hand made".  Martin is a master.

And something I will say while admitting from the outset - I will never (unless something either terribly tragic, or monumentally wonderful happens) be able to afford one of their wonderful watches - Audemars Piguet.  They are singularly perfect.

So pals and gals, let's try to understand that if you go out of your way to buy a watch - because you LOVE watches - then wear the damn thing.  And wear it and enjoy it because it speaks to you personally.  So many wonderful Seikos, Midos, Poljots and that enigmatic chronograph from Seagull.  We live in a false reality that tells us it must be Patek or Jaeger or whatever… and that is nonsense.  Do you love your watch/watches?  Then enough said.

I own, literally, a handful of watches.  And the ones that I own, they all mean something.  To quote one of basketball's most "quotable" people…
"After everything's been said and done, there's nothing left to say or do!"  Buy and wear what you love, not what you feel you should own and love.

See you on Planet Love-Tron ; )

Hello Beautiful!

A thing of beauty is a joy forever - yes, not mine but John Keats.

This is the Lapland Sky from GoS Watches, in the kitchen at Tempus Fugit /  Oberlin Watch Company HQ.

Behold the Aurora!

Now as I have tried to be very clear about, I do represent GoS Watches here in North America, but like any proud uncle, from time to time I can't be completely unbiased ; )

Courtesy of GoS Watches

Wrapping Up with the GoS Stockholm

So just in time before the close of the year, I am wrapping up my review of the GoS Watches Stockholm.

In the interest of full disclosure, I am the North American agent (US, Canada and the Caribbean) for GoS Watches so I will endeavor to keep this as fair and balanced as I can.

Behold - The Midnight Sun from GoS Watches!

This is the latest offering from GoS Watches -

Courtesy of GoS Watches

The GoS Winter Nights in Action!

This is courtesy of the nice folks at Picciones' -

The Tipping Point

So it was a very interesting day for me today.  I went for a ride on my bici.  The same ride that I take every Saturday (and if I'm lucky) Sunday.  Today I took a right turn where I normally go straight.  And I found myself on this long, steady, beautiful climb.  It went up, and up, and up.  Slowly, steadily I kept   pedaling.  And cheezy as it sounds, for a moment I was somewhere else.  And as often is the case, I got to thinking about watches and how so often both watch brands and us (the people who follow them) we don't take that right turn.  

So tonight I wanted to share some people that I think are taking that right turn, taking us to that unexpected place.  A watch is, ultimately, just a mechanism.  And for better or worse, the world does not NEED any more watches - and to talk to some of the people manning fairly important and senior positions at some of the biggest, most "exclusive" brands, I am often left with the feeling that they might as well be working for a toothpaste company.  There is no spark, there is no passion.  They are virtually inanimate objects.   

So who is passionate?  

Martin Braun for one.  Here is someone who got the "fuzzy end of the lollipop" when his brand became a part of the Franck Mueller group.  It would have been easy for him to wait for another bigger brand to come in, but he had a vision.  And today he is seeing the results of that passion and vision.  Antoine Martin has steadily developed into something special.

Another Martin - Martin Pauli.  I think what I love about Angular Momentum/Manu Propria is that Martin came into the watch world not necessarily by "design", but rather THROUGH design.  These days he has a following of devoted collectors that truly spans the globe.  He is not someone who seeks the spotlight, but rather lets the beautiful designs on his watch dials do the talking.  He could take the easy approach and have someone else simply stamp his dials - but this is a fellow interested in (and practicing) numerous artistic disciplines, and that passion shows through in what he is doing.

Adrien Choux.  The owner of the Chinese Timekeeper although born in France, chose to make his life in Asia - most specifically in Hong Kong.  Consider that this is someone who was steadily climbing the Richemont career ladder with Panerai.  someone holding onto the "golden ticket"... decides to go his own way, to take that right turn and to launch his version of a luxury Chinese watch.  

Patrik Sjögren.  Computer scientist/engineer turned watch maker.  Again - it would have been so easy to carry on with what he was doing.  But there was something more driving him towards the decision to become a watch maker.  And then it went further - to produce his own watches.  And not just any watches.  GoS watches are quickly gaining a very strong following for people attracted not just to the unique cases, but the beautifully finished dials.

So the next time you're going out watch shopping, instead of heading straight to the "usual suspects", take a right turn and check out something unique.  Yes, it is a watch - a micro machine.  But it is something that was conceived, designed and made by a person.  And really, it should be about people.

Glenn Strömberg and GoS Watches

Who better to partner with GoS watches than one of the legends of Swedish soccer?

Glenn Strömberg on the right

With perhaps one of the most impressive playing careers of his era, Glenn Strömberg represents the best of a generation of Swedish soccer players.

A Few Minutes with Patrik Sjögren

Computer scientist, jazz musician, watch maker... and now a few minutes with Patrik Sjögren

Dear Old Stockholm

Courtesy of GoS Watches

Of all the cities that Wendy and I traveled to together, Stockholm is perhaps our favorite.

Farewell Summer - Welcome Autumn!

To quote the Boss -

"As them sweet summer nights turn into summer dreams..."

Courtesy of GoS Watches

You Will Know Him When You See Him

I am a Northern Youth.  I have been at first surprised, then understanding, and now knowing when I encounter a fellow member of my tribe.

So it is with particularly relish that I write to you about my time spent with Patrik Sjögren of GoS Watches this past weekend here in Santa Barbara.  

What is Special?

Almost a year ago now, a long-lost friend of mine from Oberlin, Ohio reconnected with me.  We had a great evening having dinner and catching-up.  And when we were walking back to his car, he asked me what my favorite watch was - asking about the super-expensive/high-end manufacturers.

I smiled and told him that some of my favorite watches weren't crazy expensive, or ultra-complicated.  More than anything else, a watch had to speak with me.

No, that is not a typo.  For me a watch needs to do more than speak to me, it has to speak with me.  Watches tell time, but they also tell a story.  Not just about the person who made the watch, but the person who wears it.  And it is this intersection of stories that fascinates me.

So I thought I'd start something new, and I'd write about what I found to be special so far this year.
The timing is ideal as we are now past both BaselWorld and the annual American fair at Las Vegas.

So lets get started, first up -

Courtesy of GoS Watches

This is the Nordic Seasons Winter from GoS.

Buddhism is a challenging life - I strive not to be drawn by possessions.  But this watch does well and truly call to me.  I spent some time with it (albeit indirectly) today as Patrik is in town to meet with some watch stores.   And tomorrow we will be showing this as well as some other fantastic pieces here in Santa Barbara.

What is striking to me is the dial - a blue, but not just blue.  It radiates an energy and feeling beyond what you'd find in something merely painted or printed.  This dial was, in fact, conjured.  Make no mistake, this is no charlatan's trick.  Heat, and liquid, and tempering.  All brought together to create a singularly perfect dial.  This dial is not an accident.  The process is intentional - each dial that GoS produces is unique.  It is truly one of a kind.  But it is no accident.  An accident would happen once.  True INTENTION and belief and execution - that is what makes the GoS watches SPECIAL. And that is NO ACCIDENT.

True beauty, as I've often heard said, is more than just face value.  The work on the movement is superlative!  The winding action is top shelf.  The hands are unique and made one at a time.  It would have been much easier to buy hands, but that was not the idea.  So these hands were created by the team at GoS.  It would have been easier to make one dial from Damascus Steel and simply take a "copy" and reproduce it like so many Thomas Kinkade "paintings".  But again, that was not the idea. The idea was for something special.  And this is where the stories of creator and owner dovetail.  Because like all great watches, the GoS watches represent a true collaboration between the creator and the owner/wearer.

We have so much in our lives that is made by "committee".  Mass production to match our mass consumption.  I don't eat at McDonald's and I don't want to spend thousands of dollars on a Big Mac for my wrist.  So enough!  If a pair of artisans are ready to put themselves out there to produce something unique instead of something that is safe?  Well then that is something I want to see.

I have experienced four unique Nordic Winters.   And what I did not recognize until the fourth, was that they were so very similar to my own Northern Youth in Ohio.  Little daylight, long and unrelentingly romantic nights. You would walk outside with just a hint of dampness in your hair, and it was frozen - STIFF!  You would yearn for the spring, and almost regret its arrival.  I know that maybe makes no sense.  You reveled in the unrelenting cold - just as you longed for the warmth of May and June.  I would love to tell you that there is something rational in all of this, but true love is like that.  Rational goes out the door and your emotions take over.

And it's hard not to be romantic about watches.

So, if you're within hailing distance of Santa Barbara, join us tomorrow - so we can share with you something that is special.

What's Cool at BaselWorld?

That is the question I keep getting asked. Well, right up there were the watches that
GoS Watches brought and Patrik Sjögren talked to me about.

GoS Winter Nights

This just in -

Courtesy of GoS Watches

Nordic Seasons - Winter Nights - a new model from Gustafsson & Sjögren Watches with a manufacture movement

Gustafsson & Sjögren Watches proudly presents – Winter Nights – a new series of watches that are produced in collaboration with PuristSPro. These are the first GoS watches to feature our own manually wound movement with a 4/5 bridge in solid hand-forged Damascus steel. The series is strictly limited to 10 pieces and purchased through PuristSPro on a pre-order subscription basis. The price is US $19,000 which is the same as previous GoS top models that did not have our own manufacture movement.

GoS draws inspiration from Nordic nature and traditions and the Winter Nights is no exception - it is connected to both sources of inspiration. During the cold and clear winter nights the chances of seeing the spectacular northern lights are the highest and the swirling patterns of the Winter Nights dial is reminiscent of the rapidly changing shapes of the northern lights.

Winter Nights, "Vinternätter" in Swedish, is also the name of an ancient festival that was first celebrated in pre- Christian Scandinavia. The festival marked the end of summer, the start of the winter, and the beginning of a new year. It was a harvest feast and also a time for honoring the ancestral spirits, the spirits of the land, and the powers of fruitfulness, wisdom, and death. The exact dates varied with the regional weather but it usually occurred during the month of October. This heathen tradition was later transformed into what is now called the "All Hallows' Eve" and "All Saints' Day". 

Courtesy of GoS Watches

The GoS movement was created in a collaboration between GoS and Martin Braun (of Antoine Martin/MHO) and is based on one of his new calibers. Our ambition is to show as much of the intricate damacus steel pattern as possible. With this goal in mind, we created a 4/5-bridge and a balance cock made from one piece of solid hand- forged damascus steel. This movement combines Martin Braun's attention to detail and long experience as a movement manufacturer with the craftsmanship and aesthetics of the GoS team. The caliber includes Martin Braun's HPE innovation in the use of Silicium in the escape mechanism to not only extend the service intervals but also increase the overall effectiveness of the mechanism compared to a conventional design.

Courtesy of GoS Watches

Patrik Sjögren finished the movement parts made from damascus steel to give a good balance between the raw damascus steel surface and the traditionally high-gloss polished bevelled edges. Finishing damascus steel is very labour intensive as every part is polished, bevelled and etched several times to achieve the final result. The Damascus steel in the Winter Nights GoS movement is forged into the traditional woodgrain pattern, also known as the ladder pattern. This is one of the oldest known damascus steel patterns and is still considered to be one of the most beautiful and expressive patterns.

Specifications - GoS Winter Nights

Watch series - Winter Nights

• ●  Case: Stainless steel and stainless Damascus steel 45mm × 10.5mm (10atm)
  
• ●  Lug width: 22mm
  
• ●  Glass: Flat sapphire glass with AR coating and the GoS logo printed on the inside
  
• ●  Movement: GoS manufacture caliber
  
• ●  Dial: Hand-forged Damascus steel in Johan Gustafsson's Wildflower pattern
  
• ●  Index ring/rehaut: Solid gold, shaped and polished by hand
  
• ●  Hands: Solid gold, shaped and polished by hand
  
• ●  Crown: 9mm in fine-grained stainless Damascus steel, heavily etched for good winding action,
  double-gasket crown inset
  
• ●  Case finishing: Stainless Damascus steel, high-gloss polish with GoS logo engraved on case side
  
• ●  Case Engraving: "Winter Nights" "for PuristS"
  
• ●  Strap: Handcrafted strap in soft Nubuck leather, fitted with a GoS stainless steel buckle
  Strictly limited to 10cs numbered from 1/10 to 10/10.
  
  Damascus steel movement
  

• ●  GoS caliber 1, a collaboration between Martin Braun and Patrik Sjögren.
  
• ●  Diameter: 36mm diameter
  
• ●  Power reserve: 72 hours
  
• ●  BPH: 18.000bph
  
• ●  Modern escapement: Silicon escape wheel and anchor
  
• ●  Bridges in handforged damascus steel with a woodgrain pattern
  
  Additional features:
  

• ●  Power reserve indicator on back
  
• ●  Screwed Glucydur balance wheel
  
• ●  All wheels in the movement are polished according to the Geneva seal hallmark
  
• ●  Cyclovente teeth on wheels
  Every movement will be unique as it is not possible to duplicate the hand-forged pattern
  
  Presentation box
  

• ●  Individually crafted box using the svepask technique in birch wood
  
• ●  Coloured with natural pigments mixed in linseed oil
  
• ●  Covered with high-grade natural wax and polished to a deep finish
  
• ●  Protection box of black and grey card
  
• ●  Guarantee certificate, two years' guarantee
  
  Purchase details
  The price for the Winter Nights watches is set to US$19,000, which is the same price as the GoS Nordic Seasons with the modified Unitas movement. Future GoS watches with the damascus steel GoS movement will be priced considerably higher. Purchases and option selections are administered by PuristSPro but communication of the production progress, detail discussions and the selection of the final dial for every watch is done directly with Patrik Sjögren or Johan Gustafsson.
  The watches will be produced in two batches were the first five ordered watches are scheduled to be ready in time to be displayed during Baselworld 2013 in April. The watches will then be delivered from Sweden after the show. The second batch is scheduled for delivery in September 2013.
  
  
  
  Note: All Winter Nights pictures are photomontages to illustrate the appearance of the upcoming model. The work is based on Nordic Season photos by GoS photographer Jocke.