Artisans De Genève, the independent workshop that offers personalization of high-end timepieces, has announced the completion of their latest bespoke project for Juan Pablo Montoya. Named as The Montoya Platinum Challenge, this is an extra-ordinary project involved in the customization of a Platinum Rolex® Daytona® watch owned by the racing legend.
This is ARTISANS DE GENEVE’s third customization work for Juan Pablo Montoya, who is a great watch enthusiast. Impressed by the first two custom watch projects (steel and gold Daytona models) already commissioned for him, the legendary racing driver from Columbia has assigned the task to ARTISANS DE GENEVE to revisit his Platinum Daytona.
For Juan Pablo Montoya, It was really important to keep the codes of the original version—the skeleton, the colors of the Columbian flag, the carbon bezel—while maintaining a clean design.
For this new personalization, Juan Pablo wished to combine the features of his first challenges with his platinum watch. To achieve such a quality of personalization and stands up to this precious material and iconic model, the craftsmen of ARTISANS DE GENEVE have executed their skills with an extreme attention to detail.
The custom made carbon fiber bezel with its sleek, athletic look reflects Juan Pablo’s established racing career. The sky blue dial is entirely openwork, allowing a view of the skeleton movement beneath. At the request of Juan Pablo, the counters have been hand-painted to the colors of the Colombian flag, as a nod to the champion’s roots. ARTISANS DE GENEVE has also revisited the hours and minutes hands, they are entirely flame-blued, sandblasted in the center, and polished on the outside.
The most challenging task in the project was the customization of the mighty 4130 caliber. For his platinum timepiece, Juan Pablo wanted a skeleton movement just like his previous bespoke creations by ARTISANS DE GENEVE.
The craftsmen have cut and beveled the complex 4130 self-winding chronograph caliber. The movement also received a palladium finish to each element and then angled it to get a perfect matte look, which brings even more depth and contrast.
This carefully open-worked and meticulously finished movement features a custom made skeleton tungsten rotor in blue color, a delicate touch enhancing the combination of colors desired by Juan Pablo. To admire the movement from the rear side of the watch, a sapphire crystal case back was added.
Technical details
Base: Rolex® 116506
Material: PT950
Diameter: 40mm
Dial: Skeletonized, blue
Hands: hours and minutes: flame-blued, sandblasted and polished.
Movement: 4130, skeletonized, and sandblasted.
Palladium Finishing
Case: hand-polished
Bracelet: satin-finishing
Rotor: tungsten, blue PVD
Back: Sapphire, individually engraved
[Please note that ARTISANS DE GENEVE provides customization services for personal and private use only, not for commercial purpose.]
