Speake-Marin - Swiss Time Machine

52 | Independents
An AngloSwiss Affair
In the famous song, Sting lamented life as an Englishman in New York.
6
However, a limey – especially one worth millions – living in the Big Apple has it
relatively easy compared to an English watchmaker working in Switzerland. And
independent English watchmaker Peter Speake-Marin has not only survived a
life far from Albion’s green shores, he has positively thrived in the picturesque
Alpine environment.
Ian Skellern
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It has now been 10 years since Peter
Speake-Marin set up as an independent
watchmaker and today watches from
his Piccadilly collection can be found on
the wrists of passionate collectors the
world over. To describe Speake-Marin as a
‘household name’ may be stretching the
term to, or perhaps beyond, its limit, but
he has certainly achieved very respectable
recognition in the international watch
collector community. But with the recent
introduction of the Marin 1, featuring his
new calibre SM2 in-house movement, Peter
Speake-Marin has taken the first steps in
lifting the Speake-Marin brand to a higher
level, with the aim of evolving from niche
independent into a substantial small brand.
What’s that I hear? “How on earth did a
young English watchmaker end up beside
Lake Geneva and taking on the Swiss at their
own game in the first place?” Well, since
An example of the hand engraving
featured in the Art series.
you ask, after graduating as a watchmaker
in London, Speake-Marin continued his
horological education at WOSTEP, the
prestigious
international
watchmaking
school in Neuchâtel, Switzerland. Returning
to the UK with a serious education and
Eternity from the 1in20 series.
confidence in his skill, he worked for a few
companies before landing the coveted
position as head of restoration at Somlo
Antiques in London’s Piccadilly area.
Somlo Antiques had (and still has) a
world-class reputation in restoration and
Peter immersed himself in the fantasy –
fantasy for a watch lover that is – world
of discovering the secrets of horological
masterpieces by illustrious watchmaking
geniuses including Edward John Dent,
Charles Frodsham, Abraham-Louis Breguet,
Cartier and Patek Philippe. “Working in
antique restoration allowed me to study
many of the different approaches to
resolving a variety of issues, which were
taken by the world’s greatest watchmakers
over the centuries,” he says. “Whether
functional or aesthetic, the solutions were
always very creative and they showed me
that there are many ways to approach the
myriad elements involved in watchmaking.”
After seven years at Somlo, Speake-Marin
moved to Le Locle in Switzerland to take
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The start of independence – the Foundation Watch.
only watches with fired-enamel dials and beautifully
finished automatic movements, to include models with
a single hand, annular calendar, perpetual calendar
and tourbillon. According to Speake-Marin: “The case
The Marin 1.
up an offer to work at Renaud & Papi, a subsidiary
shape of the Piccadilly collection is largely inspired
of Audemars Piguet specialising in very complicated
by the dummy cases we used for handling and testing
watches. His fours years there gave him extremely
movements at Renaud & Papi. I loved the technical
valuable experience in development and production
purity of these cases and their similarity to highly
of new watches. However, while the small town of
functional marine chronometers. My philosophy is to
Le Locle may have looked like a metropolis from a
make beautiful, but reliable and long lasting timepieces
watchmaker’s bench, it was less cosmopolitan from
so functionality in all its forms plays an essential role
Speake-Marin’s wife’s point of view, so in 2000 the
in my designs.”
Speake-Marins moved down to the beautiful village
of Rolle where Speake-Marin began working as an
As with many independent watchmakers – and it
independent watchmaker.
must be said the majority of large brands – Speake-
A solid foundation
Marin used existing high quality Swiss movements
for his watches, which he substantially modified and
The first watch to bear the Speake-Marin name was
hand-finished to his own style and standard. Back
a hand crafted tourbillon pocket watch, which earned
then, the time and expense of developing his own
Peter coveted membership of the AHCI (Académie
base movement was beyond his reach, though not his
Horlogère Des Créateurs Indépendants). That pocket
dreams. But the dream came closer each year and in
watch, which Peter aptly christened the ‘Foundation
2007 Speake-Marins commenced development of his
Watch’, became a template for his wristwatches. You
new calibre SM2.
can still see the shape of its hands and tourbillon cage
in his pieces today.
Calibre SM2
Starting with a clean sheet of paper enabled Peter to
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In 2003 the Speake-Marin Piccadilly Collection was
create a movement that reflected the culmination of
launched and over the following years grew from time
his experience and featured everything he had come
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Independents | 55
The original Piccadilly. Images courtesy Guy Lucas de Peslouan
Marin 1 MkII.
to respect and admire in a timepiece. The movement
the watch that would help launch the Speake-Marin
would be large and over-engineered for maximum
brand into a wider market. To help fund development
reliability and longevity. Ease of servicing would be
of the SM2, Speake-Marin released a subscription-
designed in to make life easier for any watchmaker
only, limited edition pre-series he called ‘1in20’. These
working on the movement and minimise risk of damage
were mainly QPs, aka perpetual calendars, many of
or mistakes. The heart of the regulating system, the
which were unique pieces developed with input from
balance, would feature a traditional large relatively
the commissioning client; however, one 1in20 client
slow – at 21,600bph – beating balance wheel with
desired a time-only watch with a fired-enamel white
Breguet overcoil. Double-ended swan neck regulators
dial of which Speake-Marin says: “I worked with the
not only look good, they enable simple and precise
client to come up with a watch that encapsulated the
adjustment of the rate.
design and elegance of my earlier work, but with a more
contemporary feel. The result became the Marin 1.”
Untreated German silver bridges, traditionally found in
the highest quality timepieces, provide a warmer colour
Peter’s choices of fired-enamel dials and blued steel
than the usual plated bridges and contrast nicely with
hands are a part of his philosophy of designing and
the large jewels and wheels. Even the screws are larger
creating watches that will stand the test of time:
than is usual and there are more of them to ensure
fired enamel is very stable and can look as-new
a solid construction with maximum rigidity. The only
after centuries, while blued steel – the colour the
movement component clearly recognisable from his old
result of careful heating to make the steel stronger
movement was Speake-Marin’s iconic mystery rotor,
– is as traditional as the horological craft. The three
with its distinctive design, inspired by a watchmaker’s
concentric chapter rings for the minutes were inspired
topping tool (used to create gear teeth profiles).
by early pocket watch chronographs.
Marin 1
The case of the Marin 1 is highly polished grade 5
Satisfied that his calibre SM2 was developing into
titanium, a metal chosen for its strength and lightness
everything he had hoped for, the next step was to
as having a more technical nature than gold. It is only
finalise the design of what would be, not only the
recently that the technique was perfected to be able
important first watch in a new collection, but also
to polish titanium to attain a mirror-like finish.
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Speake-Marin on show.
At Baselworld 2010 Speake-Marin also presented the Marin 1 Mk II,
which features a partly cut-away dial revealing the top of the SM2
movement, with a particularly impressive over-sized jewel at 5 o’clock.
By the book
And it isn’t all watchmaking: Peter Speake-Main also found the time
to write a 300 page book called A Passion for Watchmaking that
explains why he does what he does, how he does it, and what he has
done, all beautifully illustrated with large images (available from www.
watchprint.com).
If your preferences run to slimmer, hand wound timepieces and you have
a modicum of patience, the Marin 2 ticks those boxes (well the first two
anyway) is well under development and due to be presented in Autumn
this year.
Another aspect of Speake-Marin’s work that generates less attention due
to the often-discreet nature of the clients that commission the pieces is
the Speake-Marin Art series. These are usually unique pieces made to
The Marin 2 movement. Images courtesy Guy Lucas de Peslouan
order – although some feature designs/art Speake-Marin just wants to
do – and include the work of Master engravers, world-renowned Japanese
Maki-e enamellers and artists to who Speake-Marin offers a dial and case
as a horological canvas. The variety and quality of these Art pieces are
a world apart and offer what a few discerning collectors aspire to, and
many more dream of, i.e. their own unique watch.
“I believe very few contemporary watchmakers and brands have created
an original style and adhered to a philosophy of constant improvement,
beauty and quality that will outlive them. My goal is to be considered
one of them,” he says and, after seven years of carving a respectable
niche for himself in the world of independent watchmakers, Peter
Speake-Marin looks to have everything in place to play his vision of fine
Swiss watchmaking with an English twist. Sting can keep New York,
Speake-Marin is doing just fine drinking his tea in Rolle. 8
Further information: www.speake-marin.com
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