Does anyone out here own a Romain Jerome DNA watch?

[Rjwareagle]

I'm fascinated by the Titanic. I found the Romain Jerome DNA watch. They are pricy but I like them. Anyone have one? Seen one?

[theloxmyth]

Doc has one and I think this is it, but I could be wrong as I have been wrong before!

[Rjwareagle]

Looks good. Very good. How cool to have a part of the titanic especially the 100th annv. Just want to know the pros and cons of owning. Wonder if it will hold its value or just a fad.. Never heard of the company untill now..

[theloxmyth]

Originally Posted by Rjwareagle

Looks good. Very good. How cool to have a part of the titanic especially the 100th annv. Just want to know the pros and cons of owning. Wonder if it will hold its value or just a fad.. Never heard of the company untill now..

Hopefully, he'll check in, Rollins.

[SaddleSC]

Mosco (Greg) had a couple for sale a few months ago. Do a search on the Sales Forum and you can find some pics.

[Rjwareagle]

Saw those for sale. I want the owners to reply.. I would like to know if its worth buying, movement quantity, or overall watch quality

[WatchTimes]

I looked at one and realized I'd be wearing part of a graveyard and its just gave me a weird feeling.

[djtheot]

Agree with the above, I tried on the titanic and just felt it a bit weird carrying around bits of the boat after what happened. I also tried on their dark side of the moon, which has actual moon dust and bits of the first Apollo landing vehicle. I thought it was a cool watch but could not imagine many scenarios when I would wear it. it was also huge and sat up very high on my wrist. I think they make some v unusual novelties, I think you would have to really love the watch and buy to keep and not flip as I imagine you would take a big hit if you decided to move it on or at least comfortable knowing that.

[djtheot]

Originally Posted by djtheot

Agree with the above, I tried on the titanic and just felt it a bit weird carrying around bits of the boat after what happened. I also tried on their dark side of the moon, which has actual moon dust and bits of the first Apollo landing vehicle. I thought it was a cool watch but could not imagine many scenarios when I would wear it. it was also huge and sat up very high on my wrist. I think they make some v unusual novelties, I think you would have to really love the watch and buy to keep and not flip as I imagine you would take a big hit if you decided to move it on or at least comfortable knowing that.

Oh and forgot to add that initial feelings on quality was very high, case, strap, detail all as you would expect from a high end piece. I have not lived with one so cannot speak to long term or movement accuracy.

[Rjwareagle]

That's fine. I would not want to flip it. Just owning history like that for me. With the little research I've done they seem like nice watches. I know some might think its weird (with parts off the titanic) but to me it's history. Prices has come down alot dice they were released, just wondering why??

[Zirotti]

It's a niche piece. Not a long term collectors piece. Hence the drop in price.

[ducatidoc]

I have one, the one pictured in Craig's post. The dial is made from carbon dust, and the carbon is from coal recovered from the sea bed at the wreck site. It is one of my more prized watches, and as has been noted above, the movement, build quality, fit/finish etc are in keeping with a luxury watch in its price range.
There is a misconception about the watch components. Nobody raided the wreck site in search of watchmaking materials. The ones with the rusted bezels are usually the ones folks point to as an example of "wearing parts of a graveyard" as one poster expressed it. In fact, there is only an insignificant percentage of the metal that was actually part of one of the recovered hull plates obtained for the purpose of research. The gentleman from RJ purchased a small (about 1.5 kg) piece of this plate and melded it with new steel from Harland and Wolff in order to make his bezels, hence the term "Titanic DNA" . That is the sum total of the Titanic parts relationship: some coal from the ocean floor and a 1.5 kg slug of hull plate. The watches are considered tributes by those of us who own them, rather like the ship that was built using steel from the World Trade Center. Incidentally, my watch does not have the rusted-look steel bezel, only the carbon dial.

[Rjwareagle]

Thanks ducatidoc. It would be a tribute watch for me.. I am so fascinated by the titanic. What a great part of history. I'm going to try to make by a AD to try one on before I purchase it. I know it's a larger watch, I think my deepsea has prepped me for it. Yours looks great! I can't decide to go Rose gold or the black.. There are alot of great choices!! Where did you find yours?

[Zirotti]

Originally Posted by ducatidoc

I have one, the one pictured in Craig's post. The dial is made from carbon dust, and the carbon is from coal recovered from the sea bed at the wreck site. It is one of my more prized watches, and as has been noted above, the movement, build quality, fit/finish etc are in keeping with a luxury watch in its price range.
There is a misconception about the watch components. Nobody raided the wreck site in search of watchmaking materials. The ones with the rusted bezels are usually the ones folks point to as an example of "wearing parts of a graveyard" as one poster expressed it. In fact, there is only an insignificant percentage of the metal that was actually part of one of the recovered huil plates obtained for the purpose of research. The gentleman from RJ purchased a small (about 1.5 kg) piece of this plate and melded it with new steel from Harland and Wolff in order to make his bezels, hence the term "Titanic DNA" . That is the sum total of the Titanic parts relationship: some coal from the ocean floor and a 1.5 kg slug of hull plate. The watches are considered tributes by those of us who own them, rather like the ship that was built using steel from the World Trade Center. Incidentally, my watch does not have the rusted-look steel bezel, only the carbon dial.

Do you have any pics Doc?

[ducatidoc]

Originally Posted by Rjwareagle

Thanks ducatidoc. It would be a tribute watch for me.. I am so fascinated by the titanic. What a great part of history. I'm going to try to make by a AD to try one on before I purchase it. I know it's a larger watch, I think my deepsea has prepped me for it. Yours looks great! I can't decide to go Rose gold or the black.. There are alot of great choices!! Where did you find yours?

I actually bought mine from Greg (Mosco) two years ago, at a very nice price. I can't say enough positive things about Greg as a dealer, other than I highly recommend him.

Originally Posted by Zirotti

Do you have any pics Doc?

Just a couple at the moment on my PB





This is the only pic I have of the back.

[DoxaDavid]

Well, I can appreciate some of the unique design elements Romain Jerome has created in his tribute watches but I'm not a fan of anything DNA related to a disaster and I realize very little of the wreck is actually in the watches but I have a hard time psychologically getting past it. If he decided to make a tribute from say the World Trade Center, I would feel the same way. I don't have a issue with making tribute watches but I don't like his marketing hook by the DNA piece of it.

JMHO so go for it if it calls to you. I wouldn't expect a big resale value as I may imagine there is a pretty small market for them but who knows since there is so few of them out there... Time will tell.

[ducatidoc]

Good post. Most guys come down on one side or the other, as is to be expected. As a member of the Titanic Historical Society, I personally would have preferred it if Ballard would have never discovered the wreck at all. Up until 1986, we all thought the old girl was lying intact at the bottom of the ocean, and to me that was a a much more palatable fantasy.

That being said, I see no real harm in making tribute watches incorporating what amounts to microfractions of recovered parts. Heck, the Catholic church has preserved human relics for years, and incorporated them into various implements. Most every one i know of will cheerfully go to view the Titanic exhibition of recovered dinnerware, jewelry, etc, with zero regard to the "raiding of the gravesite" by which these pieces were obtained. In the end, it all becomes relative, I guess.

[MrTito]

I think the new look of their website is disgusting. I'm honestly no prude but having an animation of a sea Captan looking through his binoculars and dripping with sweat when he realises what is ahead is in really, really poor taste.
Take a look I'm intrigued if others agree.

[ducatidoc]

Especially when you consider that the lookout had no binoculars.

[WatchTimes]

Originally Posted by MrTito

I think the new look of their website is disgusting. I'm honestly no prude but having an animation of a sea Captan looking through his binoculars and dripping with sweat when he realises what is ahead is in really, really poor taste.
Take a look I'm intrigued if others agree.

WOW

I just looked at that and must say I feel that is in quite poor taste as well...

As Ducati said Mosco is the man if you are considering one....

I did think about one a couple times myself but as I said it just wasn't for me