It’s hard to find a good watch that looks like a building but it looks like our buddy and podcast friend Richard Paige has done just that. His limited edition, $6,300 piece, the “Chrysler Building,” is supposed to bring to mind men with snap-brim hats and gleaming spires shooting into open space.
Oh, and also gargoyles.
This thing is truly one-of-a-kind. He’s only making seven of these and keeping two for himself. The pieced contains a classic Hamilton pocket watch movement and face and a custom case that “ is a tribute to the crowning glory of the building’s majestic design. On one side is a tribute to the radiating arched terraced with triangular cut outs for the windows. The opposite side boldly integrates the ‘Eagle Gargoyles’ into the watch lugs, using the Eagles eyes as the pin hole.”
From the release:
Designed by William Van Allen, for the Chrysler Automobile Company, the building broke ground on September 19, 1928. When the Chrysler was finished in 1930, it was declared the world’s tallest building. The Chrysler Building is considered a leading example of Art Deco architecture. It is constructed of a steel frame in-filled with masonry, with areas of decorative metal cladding. Approximately fifty metal ornaments protrude at the building’s corners on five floors reminiscent of gargoyles on Gothic cathedrals.The 31st-floor contains gargoyles and replicas of the 1929 Chrysler radiator caps, the 61st floor – Eagles, a nod to America’s national bird. The building is also decorated with Chrysler Car hood ornaments. It is an iconic landmark in NYC, and renowned the world over.
He’s also written a little about the pieces:
The first in this series houses the “Holy Grail” of 12 size Waltham USA pocket watch movements: the 23 jewel “Riverside Maximus”. This movement was hand assembled in 1903 at the Waltham Factory in Waltham, Massachusetts.
The dial is an antique, rare, mint condition, fire enameled on copper in white. The numbers are black Roman Numeral fired into the enamel. At each number is a raised black glass bead fired enameled into the dial.
The hands are our own design: they are there shape of the Chrysler Building. The hands are made of chrome and black enamel with white luminous in the center.
You can only get one by emailing Richard, so drop him a line.
