What do you do when you want a bracelet that matches your watch but can’t find the right one? What if the brand never created a bracelet for your watch? If you’re like me, you’ll question coworkers, search Hodinkee, deep-dive watch forums, and most likely take a gamble on eBay. However, if you are Mark Cho, the owner of The Armoury and Drake’s, you will figure out how to build your bracelet.
Mark Cho Turns Passion into Craftsmanship
Mark Cho has amassed a Mark Cho incredible watch collection throughout his clothing career. He’s now branching out into uncharted horological areas, creating handmade 18k gold watch bracelets inspired by particular desires. “I always wanted to make a multicolored gold bracelet for my Tank Mosaic tile,” according to Cho. The project took shape when many variables came together: his desire to wear bracelets, a chance encounter with a 1970s Cartier Cintrée on a white gold bracelet, and a meeting with a semi-retired jeweler. What began as a personal project: “I completed ten of them. “One for me and nine for Armoury VIPs” swiftly grew after an Instagram post sparked surprising interest. They can now be ordered on the Armoury’s website.
Mark Cho’s designs are primarily inspired by horological history, notably “old Cartier tank bracelets, and imagery from Antiquorum Auctions from the ’90s.” John Goldberger’s well-known collection gave extra inspiration.
Mark Cho’s manufacturing strategy continues to prioritize quality. “We definitely want to create solid gold bracelets. We considered constructing hollowed gold bracelets, but it didn’t feel right, especially for a Cartier,” he says. “Given the weight of a Cartier, you should create a solid gold bracelet. So, we did not cut corners. “It’s all solid gold links.”
The production method exhibits great attention to detail: “We test them in brass, and if they look and function properly, we make them in gold, and then we hand-finish them.” Hand-finishing is one of the most time-consuming processes because each piece must be finished by hand. Each bracelet has screwed links toward the end, which is a modern characteristic not found in vintage items. Inspired by historical Cartier specimens, these solid 18k gold bracelets have seven-link rows that are fashioned to complement certain watch models: stout links for the Tank Louis Cartier and narrow links for the Tank Cintrée. Solid gold end-links are flush with the watch case, and a butterfly clasp ensures secure wear.
Mark Cho provides tri-color gold bracelets that match the special edition Mosaic Dial Louis Cartier, which will be available in yellow, rose, and white gold beginning in 2022. Rhodium plating is advised for platinum Cartier watches. While a brushed finish (similar to the watch case at 6 and 9 o’clock) is preferred, polished finishes are available upon request. All pieces are made-to-order in Hong Kong and take approximately four months to deliver.
Entering the technological world of horological accessories has not been without difficulties. “It’s always intimidating because there’s so much watchmaking knowledge. Watchmaking involves a lot of exquisite craftsmanship. And therefore, I definitely don’t want to go off my skis,” Mark Cho says. “I think the bracelet we make is a perfect quality bracelet that’s reasonable for the price.” This is where Mark Cho’s clothing experience comes in handy. Watch bands, like tailoring, necessitate a delicate balance of art and science, as well as an understanding of which levers to pull and when.
“I can’t understand how anyone could build a better, cheaper version than us. We tried hard to place ourselves at the value end of the market.” The value of solid gold wristbands is determined by how much you want something that did not previously exist. The bracelets start at $20,500 for a single hue and $24,500 for a tri-color. Payment arrangements are 50% deposit and 50% upon delivery. All bracelets are made-to-order in Hong Kong and take approximately four months to deliver.
Mark Cho realizes the difficulty of introducing a unique product into a well-established culture. “How do you teach something fresh into a mature, long-standing sector when individuals have generally conservative tastes? You can’t go too far outside the box, or no one will buy it.
“But then, doing another rehash of vintage isn’t exactly exciting. For people like me and my business, where our job is to come up with interesting things, show them to people, and try to get them to buy them, it’s just not exciting for us to make a rehash of something that has already existed, with the exception of this bracelet because I wanted it so bad.”
Mark Cho is developing finer designs with up to eleven linkages to create a mesh-like appearance. He also makes round-ended bracelets that fit a variety of watch cases other than Cartier, including a special piece for a Datograph.
Mark Cho has discovered an ideal niche in an industry that is often resistant to change: developing items that reflect watchmaking heritage while meeting true collector requirements. If he’s thinking about a dream bracelet, he’s probably not alone. Mark Cho’s bracelet business is driven by personal passion rather than market study, which is consistent with his entrepreneurial philosophy. “Many of these things are simply driven by my desire for ‘Oh, you know, [it would] be cool to have this.'” And then you think, ‘Oh, maybe I can make it and sell it to a few people.’ That is usually how Armoury goods start.”
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