It was a literary contest in old Alexandria. How old? We are talking Before Christ when known poet philosopher Vitruvius exposed a plagiarist during the duel of linguistic skill. It was to be the first but it would not be the last, by the time the Roman jurists were defining ownership interests relating to ownership of artwork in 1st century Anno Domini, they had created a foundation of precedent for the nations that would follow and the burgeoning of a new culture of creation – intellectual property as we know it.
According to Charles Caleb Colton, “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery” but given the financial costs and incentives towards the ownership and protection of such property, our cut-throat capitalist natures need guidance, to wit, the strong of the arm to keep our compass pointed firmly in the direction of morality: one where our rights as codified in Article 27 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states: “everyone has the right to the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any scientific literary or artistic production of which he is the author”.
The Great Leap Forward?
Still the primary criticism of intellectual property protection is that it concentrates the power of resources into the hands of the few who then gain leverage over the majority. Taking the example of patented pharmaceutical products, the economic benefits of the company sponsoring the research of life saving drugs outweighs the social benefit to the detriment of the masses goes the argument. Even in the realm of technological development, Apple paid Creative Technologies for infringing upon the rights of the maker of the world’s first undisputed MP3 player and in that context, we can see the economic and cultural gains of a company who infringed upon the rights of another to create a superior iPod heralding the age of digital format, thus it is clear to see that the issue is not as clear cut as it appears.
Beijing Watch Company Skeleton Double Tourbillon
The premise is unmistakable, the design is strong and iconic. There’s one problem, it looks to much like another timepiece from one of the premier manufactures in Switzerland, Roger Dubuis. Early to mid 2014, the Beijing Watch Company, released a single Skeleton Tourbillon with the name Beijing Xing Yue or Moon Legend.
In terms of technical development of the complication, it wasn’t a fluke nor mere replication, the 57 year old firm had independently developed their own tourbillon watches since 1995- this would have been a victory in itself but it was one marred by the realisation today that with the aesthetics, the Beijing Watch Company could have done a better job rather than lean so heavily on the signature design of Manufacture Roger Dubuis.
Yes, there are subtle differences, the fluted bezel on the Roger Dubuis Excalibur is smaller and more refined; instead of a flying tourbillon at 6 o’clock, it’s positioned at 7 o’clock not to forget the stylistic differences in the tourbillon cage itself. That said, no sane person would be claiming that both timepieces are entirely different. It’s plain to see that the Beijing Watch Company’s Moon Legend is clearly leveraged upon the dominant design of Geneva-based Roger Dubuis.
For purists, offence can be taken with the Moon Legend’s “starburst” skeleton bridges holding the exposed mainspring barrel, the sword hands (though Beijing’s iteration is lumed and Roger Dubuis’ is not) and the unique triple lugs but on that basis, the similarity ends, especially when you take a gander at Beijing Watch Company’s follow up Skeleton Double Flying Tourbillon.
I couldn’t find any high resolution imagery but Lord knows I wouldn’t put much stock into the product’s description claiming that “the piece was created to rival the best Swiss makers in terms of technicality, craftsmanship, design and finishing”. Beyond skin depth, the double flying tourbillon is competently conceptualised and developed; and the cage is structured as an off-centre crescent (or moon), lending weight as its namesake complication.
The matt grey finishing on the reverse of the movement gives it a more industrial rather than luxurious feel when compared to its celebrated and more expensive peer. Furthermore, it’s easy to see from the back of Roger Dubuis’ RD01SQ movement that Beijing Watch Company has a long way to go in the quest for finding comparable equivalence with the elite timepieces they are seeking to make. Ultimately, Beijing Watch Factory’s vision of a Skeleton Double Tourbillon is a step towards the right direction but in order to make the big leap forward, they’re going to have designers developing a clear identity rather than resorting to mimicry especially when other Chinese watchmakers like Seagull have proven with their Double Axis tourbillon that watchmakers in China are more than equipped to develop technically compelling and artistically attractive watches without resorting with a pale homage.
[Beijing Watch Factory 18K Rose Gold Double Tourbillon Skeletonized is available here]
The Millenary 