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ROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEX
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#1 |
2024 Pledge Member
Join Date: Jan 2018
Real Name: Michael
Location: Dotonbori
Watch: Mostly blue dials
Posts: 7,877
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Fleming Series 1
https://www.watchtime.com/featured/a...ming-series-1/
New watch release by Thomas Fleming - The Fleming Series 1 IMG_20240311_235037_(850_x_850_pixel).jpg IMG_20240311_235127_(850_x_850_pixel).jpg IMG_20240311_235139_(850_x_850_pixel).jpg IMG_20240311_235105_(800_x_800_pixel).jpg The Fleming Series 1 is a simple time-only watch that is being launched in rose gold, platinum, and tantalum. The case measures 38.5mm wide and 9mm thick with a 46.5mm lug-to-lug dimension. The Caliber FM-01 was developed with renowned movement maker Jean-François Mojon alongside his team at Chronode. The dial is by Comblémine and they are hand guilloche. The Tantalum version with aventurine dial will be limited to 25 pieces with a price of 45,500 CHF, the Rose gold version will be limited to 7 pieces with a price of 48,500 CHF, and the platinum version will be limited to 9 pieces with a price of 51,500 CHF. My view: the movement is fabulously finished and the watch is perfectly sized. The lugs are pretty and the Comblémine dial never disappoints. This is a very solid launch. I like it enough to start a thread on this watch. |
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#2 |
"TRF" Member
Join Date: May 2019
Location: USA
Posts: 660
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Those lugs and indices are fantastic!
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#3 |
"TRF" Member
Join Date: Dec 2021
Location: Asia
Posts: 810
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Beautiful watches, I'm assuming these are already sold out?
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#4 |
2024 Pledge Member
Join Date: Jan 2018
Real Name: Michael
Location: Dotonbori
Watch: Mostly blue dials
Posts: 7,877
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I'm not certain but there is a link for inquiry in the site:
https://www.fleming.watch/ |
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#5 |
"TRF" Member
Join Date: Oct 2019
Location: Vancouver
Posts: 1,900
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Personally, I feel like this doesn't have much personality to it, it feels bland & uninspired.
The finishing is nice but nothing special. Design is not offensive, but nothing special. Movement is nice, but nothing special. The price point is also very, very aggressive for a new brand. The case, I do like. I can't tell if this is just the pic or if the welds are actually rough: https://www.instagram.com/p/C356grCRSsH/?img_index=1 Can anyone tell? |
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#6 |
2024 ROLEX SUBMARINER 41 Pledge Member
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: USA
Watch: addiction issues
Posts: 37,173
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Attractive but the same old song really. Nothing new. Feels like a czapek for more money.
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#7 |
"TRF" Member
Join Date: Apr 2019
Real Name: Zeus
Location: London
Watch: Ocean 2000
Posts: 1,013
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Production and design of the watch is 100% outsourced, albeit to high-end manufacturers. Although I admire the founder’s passion, the outcome feels generic.
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Lange (ref. Saxonia Thin RG); Vacheron C. (ref. 3110v); Ressence (ref. Type 8); Rolex Explorer (ref. 124270); Rolex Sub (ref. 126610LV); Porsche Design IWC (ref. Ocean 2000); Seiko (ref. SLA039) |
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#8 |
2024 Pledge Member
Join Date: Jan 2021
Location: NY
Watch: Voutilainen (2030)
Posts: 756
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Nice looking watches but at that price point there’s just too many other watches I’d consider.
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#9 |
"TRF" Member
Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: Philly, USA
Watch: PP
Posts: 592
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I think it looks great all around, but lots to choose from at this price range. Would love to see side by side comparisons with Gronefeld, Moritz grossmann, rexhep, etc..
Sent from my SM-S918U using Tapatalk |
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#10 |
2024 ROLEX SUBMARINER 41 Pledge Member
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Cleveland
Posts: 2,116
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The lug attachment to the case reminds me of the unfinished horse meme. Doing well then just mailed it in.
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#11 |
2024 Pledge Member
Join Date: Jan 2018
Real Name: Michael
Location: Dotonbori
Watch: Mostly blue dials
Posts: 7,877
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To be fair, most independents with that level of finishing price their watches beyond CHF 60k. Kari's Vingt-8 is CHF 95k (platinum), and the RRCCII is CHF 130k. The margin for him is not great after paying Chronode for the movement/finishing, and Comblémine (Comblémine could charge more than 5-digit for each dial depending on the specs). Total pieces for the Series 1 are only 25+7+9=41 which are not many.
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#12 |
"TRF" Member
Join Date: Mar 2024
Location: Chicago
Posts: 3
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Agreed, this whole thing is a great example that the whole is not greater than its parts.
Fleming made his fortune from crypto and wanted to be the next Richard Mille, so he basically just tossed money at this project and thought he could pay his way in. This is just an unoriginal product when you combine a movement from the guy that did MB&F / Czapek, a dial from Kari, a case inspired by Vacheron, and a logo made by a design house that worked for Louis Vuitton. If you type all this in an AI image generator you’ll probably get something that looks just like the Fleming. ![]() Goes to show money can’t buy taste. I’ll take a Simon Brette over this any day. Or a Rexhepi, or a Gronefeld, and the list goes on. All of those are actual watchmakers, not just some rich kid who has money to burn. |
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#13 |
"TRF" Member
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: US
Posts: 42
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Lugs are not to my liking…… seem at odds with the rest of the design, they surely arent an afterthought, but that’s how they appear to me from a design perspective.
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#14 | |
"TRF" Member
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: USA
Posts: 1,950
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Quote:
Simon Brette didn't make his own dial. Gronefeld had Andreas Strehler help design their movement, etc. And further, a Simon Brette is not a watch you can get in a reasonable time frame. Traditionally, Swiss watches were made just this way, with many small artisans specializing in movement ebauches or cases or finishing etc. No one has to like a watch. These ones seem pretty nice to me, let's see how it works out for them. |
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#15 |
"TRF" Member
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 55
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The cut aways on the sides look a lot like the treatment on the Czapek Quai de Bergues. A lot...
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#16 |
"TRF" Member
Join Date: Feb 2022
Location: N/A
Posts: 87
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Completely agree with Watcheater, very boring, uninspired and mediocre release.
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#17 |
"TRF" Member
Join Date: Oct 2019
Location: Vancouver
Posts: 1,900
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Aforementioned lugs:
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#18 |
2024 Pledge Member
Join Date: Jan 2021
Location: NY
Watch: Voutilainen (2030)
Posts: 756
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#19 | |
"TRF" Member
Join Date: Mar 2024
Location: Chicago
Posts: 3
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The difference, I think, is that these other independents use suppliers that organically make sense for their need, whether that is cost or a know-how. The issue with Fleming is they couldn’t come up with an enticing or original watch, so their whole platform is “Kari made the dial, MB&F made the movement, VC made the case, so look at us boys, we’re top dog haute horlogerie!”
Hence why I said just tossing money at something won’t make it good. You gotta have creative vision to bootstrap and make something cool. I don’t think Fleming has this, but he does have a lot of bitcoin money. ![]() Quote:
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#20 |
"TRF" Member
Join Date: May 2019
Location: USA
Posts: 660
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There's a video of one of the variants here:
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#21 |
"TRF" Member
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Georgia
Posts: 6,262
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I liked it. Until I saw the price. Then it made me think I really like and would prefer the Cornes de Vache VC
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#22 |
"TRF" Member
Join Date: Mar 2021
Location: Liverpool
Posts: 114
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Good points made.
To be honest, I didn't know of his background but was intrigued by his release. Was following James Kong on IG when he announced that he was joining Fleming and knowing that I had missed out on Ming when it first launched (still need to acquire my first Ming), I didn't want to miss out before the hype train takes off. I knew he had deep pockets with the various names he's outsourced to. Going to watch this for a while first. Like previous posters have said, plenty of other options out there. |
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#23 |
Banned
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: california
Posts: 1,247
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Sorry but the Fleming looks like a Chopard or Laine.
Unlike the upcoming Berneron and Toledano&Chan watches this is nothing new or unique |
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#24 |
"TRF" Member
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Europe
Posts: 3,375
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Not a watch I have been waiting for. Too many similar looking three handers from new brands already. This is getting old.
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#25 |
2024 Pledge Member
Join Date: Jan 2018
Real Name: Michael
Location: Dotonbori
Watch: Mostly blue dials
Posts: 7,877
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They are so beautiful, and at half the price of a Vingt-8.
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#26 |
2024 Pledge Member
Join Date: Jan 2018
Real Name: Michael
Location: Dotonbori
Watch: Mostly blue dials
Posts: 7,877
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These 9 carvings (there are not many watches with this level of hand-finishing). Wish the spokes are 3D instead of 2D but they are behind those gorgeous carvings.
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#27 |
2024 Pledge Member
Join Date: Jan 2018
Real Name: Michael
Location: Dotonbori
Watch: Mostly blue dials
Posts: 7,877
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The lovely fish scales outer ring and radial inner ring. They are Kari's signature. The hands appear 3D to me.
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#28 |
2024 Pledge Member
Join Date: Jan 2018
Real Name: Michael
Location: Dotonbori
Watch: Mostly blue dials
Posts: 7,877
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The carvings behind remind me of the ones in the Logical One. That's a decently high watermark.
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#29 |
2024 ROLEX SUBMARINER 41 Pledge Member
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: USA
Watch: addiction issues
Posts: 37,173
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Elite finishing isn’t even in the top 3 things I look for in a watch but I see significantly better finishing work on the RG compared to this. Night and day on the anglage.
I would be fine with the finishing given my standards if the watch was interesting in any way. This is a ship without a captain. I want there to be a face and name behind the brand that’s a watchmaking prodigy. This is like a kit car. I realize that’s the Swiss way traditionally but we are talking new age independents here not 1980s swiss conglomerates.
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#30 |
2024 Pledge Member
Join Date: Jan 2018
Real Name: Michael
Location: Dotonbori
Watch: Mostly blue dials
Posts: 7,877
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I have probably seen enough RG to order 1 for myself, and no, the anglage is comparable. I am not referring to the Continuum obviously as it is a few steps down from L1.
Being interesting is probably the last thing I look for in a watch. I don't want an oversized frog, bulldog or spaceship on my wrist. Many Rolex owners have multiple GMT, sub and Daytona in their collection, no? They are more or less the same watch but collectors have been buying them over the generations. My point is, not everyone shares the same perspective when it comes to watches and Fleming is only selling 41 pieces. I do not know Thomas Fleming, and whether or not he is a prodigy does not affect how I see his watches. My posts are about his watches not about him. |
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