Modding To The Max: The Artisans De Genève Absolute Ruby Surpasses Anything The Watch Workshop Did Before
You may very well be looking at the pinnacle of watch modding. The Artisans de Genève Absolute Ruby is a personalized creation with a price tag of US$550,000 hanging from it. As the name suggests, rubies take center stage in this world-famous chronograph, which initially looked more humble when the client handed it over to the uber-modders in the watch workshop in Geneva.
Some impressive Artisans de Genève creations caught my eye in the past. In particular, those with a distinct restomod theme made an impact. The Honey Green Daytona was beyond sweet, and the Uncatchable GMT-Master II for Frank Abagnale Jr. was smart in every sense. The new Absolute Ruby sits on the other end of the spectrum of the atelier’s capabilities, and that is the realization of dazzling and exuberant one-offs the world has never seen before and will never see again.
The Artisans de Genève Absolute Ruby goes beyond modding
We know who walked into the Artisans de Genève workshop in the center of the watchmaking city, handed over the white gold Rolex Daytona ref. 116509 he’d purchased, and explained his vision for it to the Genevan “modders.” It was Mr. SJL — okay, we don’t know exactly who he is, but we do know that he works in hospitality. In his words, “I wanted a watch that reflected my passion for red, my signature color. I asked for the best, from stones and settings to the most complex techniques, without compromising on understated elegance.”
I would say Artisans de Genève accomplished the mission of bringing Mr. SJL’s passion for the color red to life. It took some time, though. For instance, it took more than a year to find the 36 rare “loupe-clean” rubies you see in the bezel. You typically only see this quality in Haute Joaillerie, not watchmaking. Finding 36 perfectly matched, loupe-clean natural rubies consistent in color saturation and brilliance was nothing short of a quest. Say what you will, but the top-quality gemstones in the bezel match the red sapphire dial, and it took two years of research and development to get the color just right.
Skeletonizing the Rolex 4130 movement
The watch’s caliber 4130 is visible through the semi-transparent ruby-red dial. The chronograph movement wasn’t left untouched, as you probably already noticed. Instead, it was skeletonized. Artisans de Genève has done this many times before, but that doesn’t mean it’s a simple job. Each component must be carefully cut, beveled, and polished to show the movement in its purest, most glorious form.
The same attention to detail went into the oscillating weight. It’s machined in white gold and bears a red enamel X, a symbol of eternity. Even the crown carries a fine, subtle line of hand-applied red enamel.
Extra specs and a few questions
The base is a white gold Rolex Daytona ref. 116509, but it received some extra “toppings” to the owner’s taste. Apart from the 36 rubies mentioned earlier, the case features 52 diamonds. The open-worked caliber 4130 bears a nickel-palladium finish, and you can look at the circular-brushed and decorated rotor through a display case back.
Now that you know what the gemologists, lapidaries, engineers, gem setters, polishers, and watchmakers of Artisans de Genève made, do you like the Absolute Ruby? No matter your answer, it doesn’t matter. Artisans de Genève created the Absolute Ruby for Mr. SJL, so all that matters is that he likes the one-of-a-kind watch. Now, let me ask you another question: if you had the budget to transform something existing into something unique, what watch would you choose as the base? More importantly, what would it look like in the end? Take your time to think things through, and leave your dream watch in the comments section.
