The Amount Of Detail That Goes Into Making These 7 Things By Hand Is Truly Astounding
Craftsmanship is taken to a whole new level.
Published for Mercedes-Benz, 02 Nov 2015, 12:00 PM
1. La Modernista Diamonds Caran dAche. Dubbed the world's most expensive pen, the pen was handmade by master jeweler Robert Perron and took him six months to complete!
La Modernista Diamonds was made by the Swiss company Caran d’Ache in 1999 in homage to Antonio Gaudi (1852-1926), the most famous of Modernist architects. This amazing fountain pen was sold in Harrods, London, for $265,000, becoming the most expensive pen in GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS in 2001.
La Modernista Diamonds is made of rhodium-coated solid silver components. It boasts of an 18-carat rhodium-coated gold nib and is set with a total of 5,072 Wesselton diamonds weighing in at 20-carats, as well as and 96 rubies totalling 32-carats. The pen was hand-made by master jeweler Robert Perron and it took him six months to complete this true masterpiece of writing instruments.
2. The IWC Portofino Hand-Wound Day & Date watch. The premium hand-wound watch will run for exactly 192 hours each cycle, which speaks volumes of its precision.
In the Portofino Hand-Wound Day & Date IWC’s watchmakers have combined the big date with the day display and created a timepiece that is enormously practical in use. The face has a few indicators yet it doesn't overwhelm the watch which speaks volumes of the craftsmanship. Fully wound, the eight-day movement will run precisely for 192 hours.
At that point, the owner will have to supply fresh energy by winding the crown. The power reserve display on the dial indicates when this is necessary.
iwc.com
3. Mercedes AMG-GT. Mercedes Benz practices a "One Man, One Engine" philosophy. Every single part of the car engine is assembled by the same mechanic!
From the company’s beginning more than 40 years ago, every AMG engine is assembled carefully and precisely in Affalterbach by a single AMG master engine builder. Everything from the first piston to the last bolt is the work of one AMG technician and all work stages are subject to the stringent Mercedes-Benz quality criteria.
In the final stage the Master Mechanic personally installs an engraved placard bearing his signature—one man’s personal assurance of quality and the mark of the company’s uncompromising commitment to precision and performance.
mercedes-benz.ca
4. A pair of George Cleverley shoes. Each pair of shoes takes four to five craftsmen to assemble!
A family-run business, and one of the few remaining British shoemaking elite, George Cleverley was originally founded by the man himself back in 1958, after a 38-year tenure at famed bespoke bootmakers Tuczec. So what is it that makes the shoes so special? “Our craftsmanship and techniques are very unique. The process of making just one pair of shoes involves four to five different craftspeople, each of whom specialises in one part of the shoemaking process – on top of that, each part of the process takes approximately three to five years to learn.”
According to Glasgow, “It is very important that our shoes are made by hand today in the same manner as they were 50 years ago.” It’s also imperative that production takes place on home soil: “We have never made shoes outside of England, nor used any materials that were anything but the best in our eyes.”
fashionbeans.com
5. Archibald eyewear. Made from the highest quality acetate that will never tarnish, the eyewear eventually forms to the face of the wearer, making it extremely unique to each individual.
In order to create the most special eyewear possible we work with a group of optical Shokunin - elite Japanese craftsman defined by their rigorous but intuitive approach to creation. Their work involves navigating over 200 manual steps - a making process often described as an “innate emotional involvement in the pursuit of perfection” that is learnt by osmosis from their fellow practitioners, developed over decades as part of an exclusive guild stretching back more than 150 years.
Every Archibald Optics frame is crafted individually in Fukui, Japan (the country’s optical heartland) and is created from the purest Japanese-sourced materials – predominantly either Acetate or Titanium. Using such refined materials, coupled with our unique polishing end treatment – presided over by the senior expert or Sennmu, means that the frames will never corrode or tarnish.
archibaldoptics.com
6. This BNVTT Stop Drop and Roll... Top Backpack. No two bags are the same shade nor colour! Five craftsmen are needed to assemble each bag.
Our bags are handmade using traditional methods by master craftsmen. The leather is hand cut and, depending on the application, machine or hand stitching is used. No robots are used in the making of our bags. We have a team of five skilled craftsmen who, between them, have several decades of experience crafting the finest leather goods for clients the world over.
Each bag is meticulously hand dyed and hand finished meaning there are slight variations in the colour from piece to piece. We feel this adds to the uniqueness of each item. Leather is a natural material and the colours, shade and depth can vary. The colour of the leather will also appear different depending on which light you look at the leather under. Our bags are designed to develop a rich patina over time and the more you use the bag and expose it to sunlight, the richer and darker it will become.
bnvvt.com
7. The Keim Arvak Bicycle. The bicycle has gotten lots of positive attention from cycling enthusiasts who described the machine as an "extension of the human body".
In April 2014, Keim unveiled the “Arvak”-bicycle, combining innovative manufacturing technology and radical design. This bike received a lot of positive attention of those who tested it, giving the brand a special place in the world of cycling.
Keim continues his quest for the perfect bicycle. Research on materials, optimization of the manufacturing process and creation of new models in collaboration with passionate cyclists. A new manufacturing technique opens up new aesthetic horizons. Since its launch, Keim invites talented artists and skilled craftsmen to express their vision of the perfect vehicle, exploring the formal potential of laminated wood.
ALERION was born from a collaboration with Charles Boulnois, rewarded French sculptor. He created a functional sculpture inspired by the mythical world of Pegasus and Hippogriff.
With more than 40 years of experience, Mercedes-Benz has continued to uphold the same level of precision and craftsmanship...
The new Mercedes AMG-GT is a testament to that with each engine being assembled from the beginning to the end carefully by the Master Mechanic. Learn more here.