‘State of Mind’ by Beijing Watch Factory Nominated in GPHG Tourbillon Category
/ Brad GreenCheck out these first images of the Beijing Watch Factory 'State of Mind’, being considered in the Tourbillon and Escapement category of the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève. There is stiff competition in the category with the likes of Arnold & Son, Zenith, and Ulysse Nardin, to name a few. Beijing Watch Factory has offered something quite unique here, hoping to stand out from the crowd visually. In terms of striking color use and design, I've never seen anything quite so bold from the Beijing brand.
Limited to a run of only 99 pieces, the manual-wind tourbillon movement has a power reserve of 63 hours, which is displayed on the off-centered indicator at the top of the dial. The case is 42.5mm wide by 11.2mm.
There are a lot of insane watches in the category, no doubt, but this watch is straight-up funky. GPHG judges take many factors into consideration, but I hope they'll consider this: among all the watches in the Tourbillon and Escapement category, this Beijing entry is by far the most affordable. Priced at 3'520 CHF or around $3,650 USD, ‘State of Mind’ is nearly 5x less expensive than the next lowest competing watch. The most expensive watch in the category, a Royal Oak Offshore, is 71x more expensive (250'000 CHF, or USD 270,000). One would hope for the sake of BWAF that realistic affordability is taken into consideration.
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