Hi Nick...I’m a Roland G Murphy (RGM) customer and I applaud your efforts. Some of the shade being thrown is very similar to what I’ve seen directed at him on the watch blogs. It takes real perseverance, grit and lateral thinking to get a business like yours going.

 

My comment was only about dial design, that being what @Stufflers Mom 's post was about. I wasn't referring to LE size or 2ndary market prices. The Speedmaster A11 50th dial with Buzz's butt at 9 o'clock is a case in point - I'd say a dial "miss" for many people on OF when you read the relevant threads. On the other hand, the platinum 321 with lunar meteorite subdials seems to be "hit".

 

The site says the 50% of parts by 2020 as the goal, and that after March 2018 that all watches will contain 10% Australian made components. So based on that it would appear that somewhere between 10 and 50% of the movement is Australian made.

I'm not sure what Australia requires to be Australian made, but it seems 50% based on the statements made on the site. Swiss made is now 60%, and in the US it's 100% just for comparison. I would be interested to know if the 50% is based on a simple parts count, value, volume, weight? If by simple parts count, then say if you implement something like a 3/4 plate as they have done instead of using two plates, this reduces overall parts count and increases the percentage made without actually making extra parts, if you follow what I'm saying.

Highly unlikely they are making balance springs (most companies do not, as Nivarox supplies probably 90% of the balances to the Swiss industry), and the same with mainsprings, so most certainly the whole movement isn't being made in Australia. This, like other movements being manufactured by people such as Weiss in the US, appears to be a copy of an ETA 6497, so parts for those are readily available from donor movements of various origins.

I do understand why people choose the 6497 to recreate. It's a pretty standard movement used in training, and in many schools part of your watchmaking training is to make new bridges for the movement, so this is right in line withy that. but with the ETA 6497 being so readily available, in all manner of finishes, it does I think hurt the companies who pattern their new movements after it from a market perspective. Other than the nationalistic aspect of it being made in Australia, the US, or wherever, I think offering something that is different from a mass produced watch movement is a key thing. They have gone some way in this using a different material, but the market will decide if it's worth the premium.

I'll be interested to follow the progress.

Cheers, Al

 

I appreciate the fact that this manufacturer is breaking new ground by attempting to make a watch in Australia. However, in order for a watch to be successful, it really does need to be attractive and priced fairly, so I don't see the point in mocking a potential buyer's desire to have a good-looking watch, or for caring about the price.

I was quite taken by the look of the material used in making the movement and so I clicked on the link for the website. Unfortunately, I didn't get far because I was greeted with multiple photos of watches with generic-looking flieger-esque dials and gigantic utilitarian cases with massive crowns. I'm fully willing to believe that these pieces are made with high quality, but they don't give that appearance visually ... they look like watches that someone put together with a Unitas movement and an eBay kit.

To each his own, and perhaps the watchmaker will consider me shallow, but regardless of the material in the movement, or my desire to support an innovative start-up, I wouldn't be interested in having any of these watches on my wrist, and certainly not at the asking prices.

 

Suffice to say, it’s complicated:

https://www.findlaw.com.au/articles/4436/the-requirements-for-an-australian-made-good-or-pr.aspx

 

Gets even more complicated when the rules are different for “Made in Australia”, “Australian Made”, “Product of Australia” etc
I think the weakest term is;
The definition for Australian Made means that the product is substantially transformed in Australia. Cost of manufacturing in Australia no longer considered.

imo all are very confusing terms that can easily be misrepresented.

 

It has been quite a few years since I've replied to a watch forum post—with my current work load there is simply no time for correspondence. Further, engaging in any conversation with anonymous forum members is both fruitless and meaningless. However, since we have reached a rather important milestone, a simple "public statement" is timely and appropriate.

1. As a 56-year-old third generation Master Watchmaker, my primary role is to pave the way for the next generation of Hacko watchmakers; namely my son Josh. Our family business was established in 1951 by Mihailo Hacko and being a Hacko simply means continuing the family tradition. This is the most important thing for me, with everything else being secondary.

2. As one of a handful of truly independent watchmakers in Australia still in business, my role is to pass on my knowledge, skills and experience to next generation of young Australian watchmakers. Training young Australian kids in the art of watchmaking is extremely fulfilling; seeing them grow and flourish is rewarding beyond words.

3. Working together, our goal is to setup and operate the most advanced manufacturing watchmaking facility in Australia. In the past 3 years, we have acquired, imported and set in operation a number of CNC machines—from 5 axis mills, lathes, gear hobbing and EDM wire cutting to optical measuring equipment. Most of the equipment found in our workshop can not be found even at Australian universities or businesses who specialize in advanced manufacturing. Last year, we had a privilege to open our doors to professional watchmakers, who are members of Watch and Clockmakers of Australia, who formally recognized our efforts and acknowledged our Sydney workshop as an "Australian-first CNC watch manufacturing facility". To be recognized by peers is another important milestone.

4. NH1 (and now NH2 Timascus) are the first wrist watches containing CNC-manufactured watch parts in Australia, ever! It was a privilege to
report on the NH project, first in 2018 as a guest speaker at the Annual Watchmakers conference in Melbourne, and then this year in New Zealand at the NZ Annual Conference of Watchmakers. A recent presentation and project update was held at NSW annual meeting in Sydney. Those live events are important "peer reviews" which include both technical presentations as well as an inspection of watch components and fully assembled watches. We are watchmakers to watchmakers!

5. Two major projects are our priority for 2020 and beyond: developing in-house watch gear manufacturing capabilities and
designing our first completely in-house designed and manufactured watch movement. Neither can be rushed and we have no definite time frame on either project.

6. We intend to continue our work in the field of sub-micron machining, which is a very exciting field in itself and covers applications that go "beyond watchmaking" like robotics, space and medical, just to name a few.

7. As for the Timascus challenge, this three-titanium-alloy material is simply fascinating! It has never before been used in watchmaking, Timascus is notorious for being hard to master, but it's not impossible! In 2019, we have successfully completed dozens of Timascus watches, which not only look absolutely stunning, but timekeeping-wise NH2 perform as true chronometers.

8. From the business perspective, we have two clearly defined objectives: to remain truly financially independent and debt free. There
are not many businesses that have such freedom. We play with our own money, and we are free to set our own goals and timelines as we please. This is true freedom, and every day in our workshop is fun, not slavery. As a result, the second objective is obvious: we don't chase sales. How many watches we manufacture and sell is unimportant to us: we are not in a hurry, and our time is yet to come.

9. Customer feedback is always appreciated and taken seriously. Our supporters are sophisticated watch enthusiasts who understand and
appreciate the value of our project and are proud to be our ambassadors. But this is not a mere coincidence—we are extremely selective in who we associate with and who we partner with. In other words, becoming an owner of an NH watch is not simply a matter of money. It is about sophistication, which comes from an appreciation for craftsmanship and a deep understanding of machining, tolerances, precision, the art of CNC machining and mechanical engineering.

10. In conclusion, the NH watch is not for everyone; yet anyone who is willing to engage with us in a meaningful and respectful manner is more than welcome—as always, we are happy to educate, share, explain, show, demonstrate and grow together. The amount of positive, respectful feedback (dare I say: admiration) which comes from fellow independent watchmakers, engineers, machinists, CNC machine builders and even European watch manufacturers for a small independent Australian watchmaker is humbling and to us, a definite proof that our dream is worth pursuing.

N. Hacko,
Master Watchmaker
Sydney

 

what you may not fully grasp, or should I say seem to be unnecessarily surprised about, is since you chose to have this "open door" and internet transparency to practically every waking thought you have, you are going to garner comments and opinions contrary to your own.

mazel tov to your enterprise and perhaps take some of the styling suggestions as constructive since you seem to mistakenly think engineering trumps looks. like it or not you are going to need both if you wish to have the lasting impact on the industry that you aspire to.

 

Solid style blended with solid engineering equals great sales.
Look no further than Rolex Daytona,Breitling Navitimer,AP Royal Oak as a few examples.These are examples of timeless design which equates to long term sales and repeat customers.
Your company is in it's infancy but design(aesthetics) is as important as engineering if you are to succeed in having people part with their hard earned dollars for your watches.
Your watch designs need to resonate with the general public.
Please look at this as constructive not destructive criticism.

 

Take care when dealing with Nicholas Hako is the best advice I can give

 

You've been here over 2 years, this is your 1st post and you write this. What are you insinuating?

 

amazing

 

Thanks Mate, true , twp years reading and learning on this and other watch forums, I was merely trying to assist other members, after all, is that not what forums like this are about?

 

So do you have a experience to tell us about ?
Something you have read that you can link to. ?

Because that’s what forums are about, sharing information.

 

When you post publicly to urge people to take care when dealing with a named individual and don't provide information in support you are damaging that person's reputation more than you are assisting other members. Readers may draw erroneous conclusions about the person, and the person is not able to defend him/herself if you don't provide any specifics.

 

Making a statement like this is unfair and provocative. It provides no right of reply. It insinuates much and supplies no substance.

I have bought 3 used/vintage watches from Nick. All have been excellent and exactly what he said they were. The prices were not the cheapest potentially available, but they were well within the ballpark and the product was backed with a convenient location and an honourable guarantee. Bricks and mortar costs money as does personal attention.

Now I can see that Nick's approach to life and sales may not match some people, but please don't shop with him if this is the case.

 

Not good enough. Either offer some reasons for 'taking care' or refrain from making implied but vague criticism.

It is important that we work to maintain the integrity of this forum - its frankness and sharing of advice in a collegiate atmosphere helps to keep it above the level of social media.

 

Thank you all, I will not be drawn further on this matter but politely suggest a simple search on the interweb will disclose.
I am also a member of the TRF, I remember a series of postings on that site that further explain

 

Poor form on your part.
You write a toxic comment,slag Nick Hako with no explanation and then tell everybody on this forum to do their own research because (your out of here).

 

So what, the time he called TRF out for being bullies and hiding behind the fact that the owner is a barrister and a control freak