On an escalator in the Madrid airport last summer, a gregarious young man engaged me in conversation. We were returning on the same flight to the United States after I had been on a wine related media trip and he had been spending time with family. Sam Konigsberg was interested in the wines I tasted, my blog, and other facets about the industry while I learned about many of his business endeavors. As the conversation unfolded and our apparent common interest became wine, Sam revealed his wristwatch, a beautiful creation from Sablier Watches with whom he is Director of Marketing and Sales. I was taken aback at the clean, sleek design and unusual features. You see, the body of the watch is that of a wine glass with its widest point measuring 44mm then tapering up to 39mm. The second hand is designed as a corkscrew. The watch, dial, and hands are concave. The crown of the watch is shifted to the “2 o’clock” position to prevent it from digging into your wrist. The underside of the watch is completely flat as opposed to a bubble. But what was just as fascinating as the watch, was learning about the man who is its designer, maker, and owner of Sablier, KC Wu.
Upon our return, Sam and I maintained communication and he, KC, and I conversed during a conference call. I was then thrilled to be able to meet and chat with KC Wu at dinner when he was in Chicago for the annual Industrial Design Conference. His watch from Sablier was selected as a finalist for a design award, a tremendous honor.
As a young boy in Taiwan, KC always had a penchant for fixing things and for learning how to put parts together to create – especially watches. When his grandmother left him an old, broken watch, KC learned the Japanese language so that he could read the instruction manual with hopes of one day fixing it. As time ensued, KC trained as an industrial designer, worked in Taiwan and fell in love. This special woman moved to the United States and against family advice, KC followed her. But as most of us know, there are certain forks in the road of life at which point we must make potentially life changing decisions! KC realized soon after his arrival that his love was seeing another and he could either return to Taiwan, humbled, or stay. He decided to remain. Despite the fact that he knew very little English, he quickly learned the language, attended college earning his Master’s degree in fine arts, and became a medical device engineer. And fell in love with his current wife with whom he has a lovely daughter. Yet, his fascination with timepieces never ceased and KC constantly searched for that perfect one after years of collecting.
How did KC arrive at the concept for this unique watch? After a tiring day in front of a computer screen, KC removed his glasses and noticed that the glass was concave which reduced outside glare. He realized that he wanted a watch with a concave face for that reason. After searching multiple sources KC realized that this sort of watch did not exist and immediately started working to obtain a utility patent which he finally holds for the design of a concave crystal, dial and hands on a watch. As an engineer, KC studied the interaction of human factors and medical devices with a focus on functionality, comfort, usability, and aesthetics. By combining the science of his unique skill set with the art of the patent protected features, KC created the Sablier Grand Cru.
During our conversation, I asked KC what prompted him to decide upon a wine theme. He explained that “just like a fine timepiece, creating perfect wine requires precise timing”. It was apparent that creating the watch gave him “happiness” and he wanted to “create a connection with the customer”. Naturally, I agreed with his feeling that “wine is the sign of a good life, good health, being with the ones you love, and celebrating!” KC remarked further that the production of wine from harvest to bottle demands an investment of time and nurturing just as he spends hours making each watch. On an ethereal note, the face of the watch with its wine glass shape and corkscrew second hand reflects a life which has refined values…perhaps the life of someone who appreciates a perfect bottle of wine.
What I love about the watch I was shown is that it can be worn anywhere – playing golf, to a business meeting, to the lake, to a social event, and naturally, when drinking wine! There are interchangeable bands and a selection of face colors, it is unique to any other watch in the world based on the design, is distinctly recognizable from a distance, and (yes, I tried it on!) is extremely comfortable to wear. The price of $2100 is more than reasonable for a watch painstakingly made by hand by its creator in the United States.
KC Wu is living the American dream. In his words “anything is possible in America” and he is achieving his goal of creating a unique watch which is “elegant, beautiful, and functional”. The term, Grand Cru, chosen as the name of the collection, indicates a wine of the most superior quality or a vineyard that produces it. Just like finding that wine so different and outstanding from the others, it’s time to discover the watches of Sablier.
Cheers! ~ Cindy
For more information about Sablier Grand Cru, please contact Sam Konigsberg via email or call 1.800.418.1999.
Alana Gentry
Cindy Rynning
Phillip Simon
Cindy Rynning