Behold my new custom build watch with hand painted dial by Jakub Pitucha.
Story time
I was scrolling through WatchCrunch posts as I often do and ran into a post. It was a watch with a hand-painted dial. What caught my eye was Ještěd mountain on the dial, which is a mountain in the Czech Republic where I live. I checked Jakub's profile, thinking how cool his watches were, and forgot about it.
A few months ago, an idea crossed my mind. I love Vacheron 555 but I know I could never buy one. I also hate copies. But what if I was able to buy a copy and add a fun twist with a hand-painted dial? Hmm. I always wanted a Pokémon watch and this was a great opportunity.
AI generated image of Vacheron 555 with Pokémon dial
I got really excited about the idea and messaged Jakub, awaiting a response. I went into full research mode in the meantime and quickly realized I couldn't pull off a copy of the 555 with my tiny wrist. When Jakub responded, he also mentioned that he likes building the watch around the dial more. There goes my Vacheron-inspired Pokémon watch idea. But he was excited about my Pokémon dial idea, so we talked more and inevitably agreed on a price, and he started picking possible parts.
Unfortunately, there was a slight mistake on my part. Although Jakub picked a few cases he had experience with and knew were built well, I insisted on the case the watch is in now. I wanted a diver case for the summer and especially wanted a domed crystal, preferably an acrylic one. The case turned out to be mediocre. It looks very nice, but it's not waterproof at all and the clasp on the bracelet is... well, I changed the bracelet right away.
I didn't expand more on the idea, curious to see what the artist would come up with. I only mentioned I wanted two Psyducks on the dial, one being shiny and both painted in lume so they'd glow in the dark. I wasn't happy with the first sketch so we talked more. I mentioned I wanted the watch to be more funny with a strong summer vibe... and for every kid on the playground to envy me when I go with my son :) The next sketch was almost exactly what I had in mind!
Final sketch
In a few weeks' time, Jakub sent me the first images of the dial in progress. It looked even better than the sketch, and I said I didn't want to see it anymore as I wanted to be surprised with the final result. He was slightly surprised by my request but went along with it :)
Psyducks aren't lumed too much, but it was either lume, or details in the painting
A few weeks passed and I met Jakub in person as we both visit the city of Brno regularly. He opened a Pokéball-themed box and presented me with my new watch. And boy was I excited to see the final result!
