The Wessex Peerless Series
The Watch
With the Peerless we sought to create a series of watches that evoke the timeless designs of bygone grandmasters of horology and combine it with our unique design concepts and dial production methods.
The series was launched with the original Peerless in Standard and Premium configurations, which has since been joined by the Model II, the Tsunami, and now, the Peerless Automatic, Auto GB and Auto CLS all visually stunning timepieces with real depth to the dial creating a distinctly architectural feel.
In designing the Peerless collection, ease of dial customisation was at the forefront of our minds. This, together with a choice of cases and movements and the fact that each watch is handmade to order, means that obtaining a unique and personal high-quality timepiece from a British watchmaker has never been easier!
The Peerless, unique watches from a unique watchmaker!
The Dial
From the outset, we wanted to create a dial, not with the illusion of depth, but with real depth! Initially, we tried having the chapter ring, sub-dial, and banners as appliqué, but something was missing and the dial looked just too generic, not at all in keeping with Wessex philosophy!
Then we thought, 'why have only one dial, why not two?', consequently, after much experimentation, the dial for the Peerless Model I was born.
Each of the dials is painstakingly crafted and finished by hand in 925 sterling silver, the base dial machined with a minimum of two different guilloché, the guilloché depends on the model of your choice and can, of course, be customised to make the watch unique for you! The upper dial is meticulously cut-away to reveal the beautiful guilloché, leaving the chapter ring, sub-dial, and banner(s) which are engraved and hand-painted in a deep blue (or just about any colour you want!).
The Movements
The movements available for your Peerless depend upon the model you choose. For the original Peerless and Tsunami models, the engine is either the stunning UT 6497-1 Art Deco Skeleton with either a rhodium or anthracite finish or the UT 6497-1 Élaboré. For Model II it's a UT 6498-1 Élaboré . The Automatic sports the STP 1-11 with a top-grade finish and chronometer criteria regulation.
The Art Deco beauty, running at a stately 18,000 vph, features a beryllium Glucydur balance wheel and Nivarox balance spring, both have a low coefficient of thermal expansion and are anti-magnetic. These are complemented with the Incabloc shock protection system and a Nivaflex NM barrel spring, which means that the movement is particularly resistant to adverse external influences.
The choice of the STP 1-11 for the automatic was a no-brainer, in terms of finish, build quality and specification it is second to none in its class.
Beautifully decorated, perlage finished plates and bridges, a Côtes de Genève finished rotor and blued screws greet you when you look through the rear exhibition window.
Internally the movement features a Nivarox balance spring, Nivaflex NM barrel spring, and Incabloc shock protection.
Running at 28,000 vph and factory regulated in 5 positions (COSC criteria), with final regulation performed by Wessex, you are looking at a movement that performs to chronometer standards!
Pictured here is the UT 6498-1 Élaboré that provides the power for the Model II, a beautifully finished movement that has stood the test of time in terms of reliability and robustness.
All of the manual movements are regulated in 3 positions, with final regulation performed by Wessex, so your Peerless will be accurate to within a very few seconds a day.
The more discreet case for the hand-winding Peerless models measuring in at a modest 43mm has, nonetheless, an equally impressive specification:
Again, precision machined from solid block 316L stainless steel, it is polished to a fantastic mirror finish and features an anti-reflective treated, double-domed sapphire crystal to the front and a flat sapphire crystal on the rear exhibition window.
The Cases
The premium case for the Peerless series is exceptional and very different from the norm in that it is reversible - the lugs rotate so that you can wear it upside down to show off your choice of stunning movement!
It is precision machined from 316L solid block stainless steel and features a beautifully fluted edge with domed sapphire crystals to both sides.
With a diameter of 46mm, it makes a real impact and is a very worthy housing for our captivating premium timepieces!
(As of March 2022 this case is sadly no longer available, we however have one case left in stock!)
The smallest case in the Peerless collection houses the automatic, measuring in at a modest 40mm, this little stunner shares the impressive quality and specification of its bigger brothers.
Once again, precision machined from solid block 316L stainless steel, polished to a fantastic mirror finish, and featuring an anti-reflective treated, double-domed sapphire crystal to the front and a flat sapphire crystal on the rear exhibition window.
The Peerless Collection
Making the Peerless unique for you
The vast majority (over 90%) of watches bought from Wessex have either been bespoke creations or customized versions of our standard designs; this fact was forefront in our minds when the Peerless concept was in its gestation period.
With two dials at our disposal, the possibilities for making a unique Peerless are virtually endless!
The Tsunami (pictured) is a prime example of what can be achieved utilizing the Peerless design concept.
To talk to us about your bespoke requirements or to find out what is possible, just give us a call on +44(0)1249 705 918 or fill out the bespoke/custom enquiry request here.