When Rare Is Not Enough
What you’re looking at is one of the last watches that Christian Klings is likely to make. And, somewhat improbably, it belongs to me.
Christian, originally from East Germany, as it was known in his youth, is a watchmaker. He’s not a brand or a company or a team of craftsmen. It’s him, his two hands, some tools, synthetic ruby and lumps of stainless steel. This piece was designed by the pair of us, not chosen from a range of previous models. Christian has since semi-retired. Over a nearly 50-year career, he has made a grand total of 33 watches. Mine was the 30th. And it came into being through a fortuitous combination of connoisseurship, connections and not a little luck.
Back in 2018, Phillips auction house held a preview in Hong Kong that included an exhibition of independent watchmakers curated by Claudio Proietti of Maxima Gallery. The pieces were fabulous, brimming with beauty and ingenuity. One in particular caught my eye: a simple three-handed timepiece by Christian Klings. I asked to hold it and was struck by a sense of déjà vu.
My day job is cofounder of the Armoury, a men’s clothier in Hong Kong and New York. Part of my work involves representing and commissioning bespoke craftsmen from around the world—specifically Florence, Milan, Naples, Tokyo, Kobe and Osaka—for my clients. These
