highlights


England: Four out of No.8: new watches and new shops from Asprey

August 2003




London's Bond Street is lined up and down and either side with luxury goods retailers bearing world-famous names, and some of them are distinctly colour-coded. Cartier is a rich and dark red, Hermès is all burnt orange, Tiffany employs a turquoise reflecting warm seas in summer, while Asprey, of which I now write, uses an imperial purple in the same shade as the velvet around the crown of the Queen of England. Asprey fittingly holds a Royal Warrant as 'jewellers, goldsmiths and silversmiths to H.M. The Queen'.

A controlling interest in Asprey (founded in 1781 in Surrey as silk and calico printers) passed out of the hands of the Asprey family in November 1996, at a most handsome price, to his Royal Highness Prince Jefri Bolkiah of Brunei, a younger (and profligate) brother of the Sultan. A period of some turbulence followed.

Today all is well with Asprey. It has shareholders (Edgar Bronfman, Silas Chou and Lawrence Stroll) who are investing heavily in reinvigorating the brand name. The old-established jewellery division, Garrard, now operates separately, while Asprey is to gain a redesigned shop in Bond Street early next year, and a fine New York store opens this November. The last family chairman, John Asprey, had, and happily retains, an abiding interest in watches and clocks, and is a welcome and constant, ever-cheerful and most knowledgeable visitor to annual trade and other events. In particular, John makes it his business not to miss F.-P. Journe happenings.

One of John's legacies to Asprey, the company, is now being called upon, with the launch of a new watch collection. It is being masterminded by a determined team, headed by Gianluca Brozzetti, chief executive officer, Philip Davis, marketing director, and Lord Bruce Dundas, retail director. Brozzetti tells me: “Watches are integral to the positioning of Asprey as the ultimate British lifestyle house. Accordingly we are very proud to be launching the Asprey No.8 Watch. For the first time, Asprey is exclusively designing and producing a watch collection.” Brozzetti is already planning further models for the range.

Four models initially represent it, and very exciting they are. And yet… perhaps 'exciting' is the wrong word with which to describe pieces that are, to use watch industry clichés, understated, classic, formal… they are, well, sort of Blancpain, with an unexpected hint of Panerai.

The No.8 Eight Days wristwatch is undoubtedly the leader of the pack, being a limited edition of just 100 pieces, with each case numbered and accompanied by a certificate of authenticity. It is cased in 18 carat white gold, and does of course have an eight-day power reserve movement. The hand-wound mechanism gives the power reserve at 12 o'clock, a date window at 3 o'clock and small seconds at 6 o'clock. It displays Arabic numerals which are common to each of the four timepieces in the collection, and this model is water-resistant to 30 metres. It is also retailed in a beautiful leather and purple-heart wood case, which contains an additional purple alligator strap. The colour purple is a constant feature in the details of these pieces.

The No.8 Chronograph is available in either stainless steel or 18 carat yellow gold, and has an automatic movement which is visible through the sapphire back. The winding crown is engraved with the classic Asprey 'A'. Most importantly, each piece carries a COSC certificate. The third piece in the collection is the No.8 Automatic which, again, is available in stainless steel or 18 carat yellow gold. Very much a gentleman's watch, but suitable for any lifestyle, it is water-resistant to 50 metres, and is powered by an automatic movement. This piece also carries a COSC certificate, and has, like the other three pieces in the collection, a silvered dial.

This launch collection does of course include a model for ladies, which is sensibly called No.8 Ladies. Again, the choice is a case in either stainless steel or 18 carat yellow gold, but both versions contain the only quartz movement in the collection. It is fitted with a hand-sewn strap in a choice of either brown alligator or calf leather. In addition there is a highly attractive choice of leather straps, one of which would surely suit any occasion, from a Royal Ascot Race Meeting to a day on Swiss ski slopes.

The new No.8 collection from Asprey is apparently named after one of the company's earlier eight-day timepieces, but I wonder if perhaps the ambitious investors in the company have actually looked to the address of Asprey Holdings for its inspiration. It is 8 Grafton Street, London.



PS: Summer weather finally here; very hot some days, making work difficult!