DLoke independent Master Watchmaker chronograph with caliber 8100 – LE of 300 pieces - Brand New

Beautiful DRLoke chronograph with blue dial finish in a high gloss enamel lacquer finish with two white sub dials at 12 o’clock for the minutes and 6 o’clock for the hours. Each hour is mark with a steel baton. There is a rotative outer ring graduated up to 60 for the elapsed time.  The hands are white. The watch comes with two crowns with the DRL logo. The watch has 2 hidden pushers for the chronograph functions. The case is in titanium with screwed exhibition sapphire case back. Outside is engraved “Limited Edition – Dress Chronograph – 02/300 – Titanium”. The watch comes with an automatic movement with caliber 8100 and 25 jewels. The watch has an alligator strap with stainless double clasp buckle. It is a full set.

History

For the last 45 years, Don Loke has enjoyed a long and successful career as a professional master watchmaker. He graduated from the Bowman Technical School in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in 1978 then worked with a master watchmaker in Meridien CT. After this experience, he went back to Bowman’s and took clockmaking courses to finally finish in 1984. After Lancaster, Don Loke attended the WOSTEP, the Watchmakers of Switzerland Training and Educational Program, in Neuchâtel, Switzerland, where he graduated first in his class. While he was at school, Don Loke met Michel Parmigiani and Philippe Dufour—two master watchmakers and renowned personalities in the Swiss luxury watch industry.

This was just the beginning. Post-graduation, he was invited by Breguet and Jaeger-LeCoultre for training in Switzerland and became the official after-sale person for Breguet in the U.S. when it was still owned by Chaumet. He also worked with Master Watchmaker Dennis Harmon, in Waterbury, Connecticut. After working two years with Dennis Harmon, Don Loke became Technical Director of movement makers ETA for the American market and then Technical Director of UTAC Americas, overseeing brands like Audemars Piguet, Breguet, Bertolucci, and Girard Perregaux.
Don Loke even interacted with legendary horologist George Daniel having many conversations discussing his new escapement and the double-wheel escapement he developed. It took Don five years of thinking on how to make it. This experience allowed Don Loke to eventually create his own double-wheel escapement, which took another seven years to put it into a Solidworks program.  More can be read on Laurent Fine Watches blog.

Technical details

Movement: Quality number one, Concepto movement 8100, chronometer rated, automatically wound, adjusted in 5 positions, power reserve of 48 hours, Rhodium plated, 25 Jewels. Bridges Chamfered and highly decorated, with “Cotes de Geneve” decoration.

Measurements

Diameter excluding winding crown: 47mm


Length including lugs: 50mm