Would You Buy a Modified Rolex? Designer Adds Emeralds to Watches

In California, in the early ’70s, Kirk Rich, a third-generation employee at his family’s watch shop, began to make waves in the luxury timepiece industry for his dial modifications. At the time, Rich wasn’t the only person repainting faded dials, or adjusting brand names on Tudors or Rolexes per customer whims, or swapping out indicators to create the “California style” featuring both Arabic and Roman numerals. But his name passed to dealers around the country and inspired generations of third-party watchmakers. Since then—and even though modifying a wristwatch can disrupt its resale value—watch customization has grown into a collectors’ market of its own, led by names underscored with defined aesthetics, such as Bamford Watch Department and Artisans de Genève.

Joining the California modification heritage forged by Rich, LA-based fine jewelry brand Luna Skye is set to release a 15-piece reworked vintage Rolex capsule collection, comprising five units of three different styles. The foundation for all 15 watches is a two-tone Rolex Datejust 36 on a jubilee bracelet—10 feature fluted bezels, five are domed. Each yellow gold and steel watch was sourced by an expert dealer in LA and carefully restored before the customization work.