Captain Paul Watson closeup face

“Sea Shepherd” for The Captain

“A sailor’s first storm is a nightmarish thing which strikes fear into his heart and soul, but, once passed, it shows just how sweet life really is.”
Paul Watson

Legend has it that after gazing into the eyes of a dying whale, Paul Watson made a lifelong vow to defend all the sea’s creatures. Since 1977, on each of his expeditions for Sea Shepherd Conservation Society — the NGO that he founded, he traverses the oceans to keep his promise and protect the world’s marine ecosystems.

We were deeply honored when the Captain chose Artisans de Genève for his personalization, allowing us to contribute to this noble cause. This is why we pushed ourselves and the limits of technology in developing our very first watchmaking complication: a lunar phase module added to the Captain’s Rolex® Submariner® Date.
Artisans De Genève is an independent watchmaking workshop offering handcrafted timepiece customization and restoration services. We are neither associated nor affiliated with the brands of the timepieces we work on. We carry out our work at the sole request of our customers, on their own timepieces and for their private use only. The work presented was commissioned by one of our customers. This presentation reflects our know-how and has no contractual value.
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a sketch of a Submariner® case
sketch of a white gold rotor
sketch of a blue dial with aventurine
sketch of a steel crown with a blue line

Paul Watson’s
Inspirations

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Base Rolex ® 116610
Steel bezel with an aventurine insert
Aventurine dial, enamel moon phase disc, hand-engraved silver moons.
Beveled, circular-grained, hand polished 3135 Movement. Additional moon phase module.
White gold rotor, aventurine insert.
Crown with blue trim
Laser engraved casing with polished edges.
Sapphire glass back
Waterproof up to 300 meters
.Close up of Artisans de Genève moonphase with blue dial
Side view of the Sea Shepherd Challenge
Close up of Captain Paul Watson watch, the sea shepherd challenge

A Dialogue with
the Stars

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Paul Watson has spent most of his life at sea and like all seafarers, he has learned to trust in the elements; to find his way using the night’s sky, and to predict the tides by watching the Moon.Over the years, he has formed a special relationship with the stars and this was the project’s starting point. We embodied this by creating a horological complication: an additional moon cycle module revealed in the aventurine dial opening.

Focus

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“Sea Shepherd” for The Captain - Artisans de Geneve

Bezel

The steel bezel is enhanced by an aventurine insert, carved by hand.
“Sea Shepherd” for The Captain - Artisans de Geneve

Dial

The dial is modified to include an aventurine glass that recalls the night’s sky. It harbors a handmade Grand Feu enamel disc that reveals two moons, engraved by hand.
“Sea Shepherd” for The Captain - Artisans de Geneve

Rotor

The white gold rotor has an aventurine insert, evoking the magic of starry nights.
“A Time for
Reflection
Captain Paul Watson
When I was just a little boy
Years before I went to sea.
Each day was filled with youthful joy
Lovely and carefree.

I measured time by the moon and sun
And distance by the stars.

Salvation came to me one day
Reflected in Leviathan’s eye.

I saw his truth, felt his pain
And my life was rearranged,
I was reborn that dark day when he was slain,
My chart, my course, forever changed.

In the sea dwells a larger brain,
An intelligence in the abyss
A life that feels both joy and pain,
A mind we can’t dismiss.

All that dwell upon this blue, white sphere
Are interdependent with each other,
It’s our extinction that I fear
If we don’t respect our mother.
With love, with hope we must venture,
Towards our shared uncertain future.

We are so small under distant stars,
Yet strong when we’re together.
Captain Paul Watson boat uniform
The Sea Shepherd Challenge 3135 back movement
Side view of The Sea Shepherd challenge
The Sea Shepherd Challenge watch

A Horological
Adventure

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Inspired by the sea and stars, Paul Watson’s customized timepiece is submerged in the deep blue of the night’s sky, illuminated by the starlight of the aventurine dial and its bezel’s insert. The sides of the case are engraved, the outline are satin finished and the interior sandblasted. The bevels are polished by hand with a mirror finish. The movement is angled, circular-grained, and polished by hand. It has an extra moon cycle made from Grand-Feu enamel — an ancient savoir-faire that is entirely handmade.
Artisans De Genève is an independent watchmaking workshop offering handcrafted timepiece customization and restoration services. We are neither associated nor affiliated with the brands of the timepieces we work on. We carry out our work at the sole request of our customers, on their own timepieces and for their private use only. The work presented was commissioned by one of our customers. This presentation reflects our know-how and has no contractual value.
Secure my own service

Some of our
Past Challenges

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You can discover below some challenges that we took for our clients. We are ready to take the one you will give us on your own favorite timepiece.