Well, despite complaints, the resulting engravings are gorgeous and done with extreme precision. These are world-class decorations that you’d find on the finest guns or blades. I am a big fan of engraved decorations on watches – and while I personally am not into tattoos, I don’t mind them at all on a wrist watch. According to MadeWorn, each of their watches takes about a month to engrave, and no two timepieces will be made alike.
For that reason, each engraved Rolex that MadeWorn offers will be a piece unique. From a logistical standpoint, that makes things tough for Halvorson. If he wants to produce these watches with any type of volume, he is going to need to constantly get new watches as a base, and then work with the engravers to come up with interesting designs. It is entirely possible that in the future, MadeWorn will offer a limited edition version, or engraved timepieces that aren’t Rolex – but for now, the MadeWorn watches will all be based on Rolex timepieces that they acquire.
In some instances, MadeWorn will black DLC-coat the engraved watch, which adds an additional interesting look. For example, I was able to compare two engraved Rolex Explorer watches, with one in steel and one in DLC black steel. While the black option is cool, in my opinion, it is best to go with steel models, because you can see the engravings much better. Moving forward, some MadeWorn watches in black might have inlay colors to bring out the engravings more. In many senses, producing unique pieces allows for a lot of creativity and experimentation.
My favorite of the several engraved Rolex watches I was able to see at MadeWorn was an all steel Datejust II. It was very interesting to see the world’s “business watch” filled with meticulous and attractive decoration. I wouldn’t say that it is for everyone, but for people like me who appreciate “artistic density,” this is an amazing (and expensive) item that checks off a lot of “I want” boxes. If you are more into minimalist Scandinavian-style design, then you’ll probably not be so into a classic watch that has its clean lines sullied with hours and hours of tiny hand-carved pictures.
You don’t need to be a fan of MadeWorn to enjoy their watches. In a sense, the timepieces are very much a different beast from the typical (if there is any) clothing items that MadeWorn is known for. At the same time, they all go together, if you so choose. I’m really happy that Blaine spends time assembling the right talent to produce these beautiful creations, and for many watch lovers, I think this is a great way to combine a few of their passions together into one timepiece. MadeWorn, of course, is open to special projects, because at the end of the day, what Halvorson is all about is bringing together people with a creative vision and making something cool out of it.
Prices for these one-of-a-kind customized Rolex watches vary, starting at about $10,000 and go up from there. Each of them takes the base value of a new or used Rolex watch and adds about a month of artistic labor. Seen in this article, the engraved Rolex Explorer on the leather strap is priced at $12,000. The engraved Rolex Datejust on the custom bracelet with turquoise stones is $16,000. This engraved Rolex Explorer on the bracelet is $22,000. The engraved Rolex Datejust II on the bracelet is $24,000. The DLC-coated black engraved Rolex Explorer on the bracelet is $26,000, and an already sold engraved DLC-coated Datejust II was $28,000. madeworn.com
