A few weeks ago, I wrote about the stunning timepiece that Artisans de Genève personalized for Andre Agassi. It was great to see what the brand had come up with for the world-famous tennis star, as he is one of my childhood heroes. For its latest personalization effort, Artisans de Genève was contacted by Alexander Kraft. The stylish director of Sotheby’s International Realty France – Monaco and founder of the luxury menswear brand Alexander Kraft Monte Carlo (AK MC) commissioned Artisans de Genève to personalize his timepiece that reflects three decades of passionate watch collecting. As Alexander Kraft is a man of impeccable style, I was curious to find what he and Artisans de Genève would come up with. The result is the stunning Kraft Signature project.
When Alexander Kraft contacted Artisans de Genève for this collaborative personalization process, he wanted to design a timepiece that blended the heritage of the past with contemporary performance. As a longtime collector of art, classic cars, and vintage watches, he commissioned Artisans de Genève to customize his Rolex Cosmograph Daytona ref. 116500. This famous chronograph turned out to be the perfect modern timepiece for this unique personalization project. Artisans de Genève’s craftsmanship, technical expertise, and artisanal savoir-faire have resulted in a watch that combines new materials with stylish colors and remarkable details. As Alexander Kraft says, “It’s the watch that reflects 30 years of collecting.”
The details of Artisans de Genève’s personalization
When the Artisans de Genève designers and Mister Kraft teamed up, the first order of business was to discuss the overall style, materials, and color. As already stated, the goal was to combine heritage with modern reliability. With this in mind, Alexander Kraft and the team at Artisans de Genève chose caramel orange as the color, Grade 5 titanium and copper as the materials, and natural oxidation of the materials as the textured finish.
Artisans de Genève is an independent workshop customizing watches at clients’ request. Not affiliated with or authorized by any watch brand. Private use only.
Pinpointing these specific choices is easy. First, the caramel-orange tone was inspired by the cognac leather interiors of Alexander Kraft’s favorite classic cars. Secondly, titanium and copper together perfectly represent the fusion of heritage and modern materials. Lastly, the natural oxidation of materials is a sign of wear and often adds character to objects.
Artisans de Genève is an independent workshop customizing watches at clients’ request. Not affiliated with or authorized by any watch brand. Private use only.
It all started with the dial…
After defining these specifics, the first major modification was redesigning the dial for the Kraft Signature. Artisans de Genève’s designers respected the two-tone aesthetic of the Paul Newman style, but Kraft sought to give it a patinated appearance. The natural oxidation of materials over time or in humid conditions can give any watch a unique and vintage overall feel.
In a bonkers but brilliant step, the team at Artisans de Genève sent the dial to a tropical island. In this environment of the world’s highest humidity, the dial naturally oxidized. After six months, Kraft deemed that the dial had developed the perfect hue for his bespoke creation.
As for the color, the “Rusty Dial” shade is a warm caramel orange. Specifically, it draws inspiration from the cognac leather interior of Kraft’s Ferrari 550 Maranello. It is combined with black and red printing on an off-white background, giving the dial a warm overall look.
Artisans de Genève is an independent workshop customizing watches at clients’ request. Not affiliated with or authorized by any watch brand. Private use only.
Creating a classic 37mm case in Grade 5 titanium
As alluded to earlier, the Kraft Signature features a Grade 5 titanium case. Artisans de Genève also created one for Andre Agassi’s timepiece. The remarkable thing here, though, is that the AdG team did not simply realize a titanium rendition of the current 40mm stainless steel Daytona case. Instead, Artisans de Genève downsized it, channeling inspiration from the vintage manual-winding Rolex Daytona models in Alexander Kraft’s watch collection. To maintain the perfect proportions, the lugs were also refined to match the new 37mm diameter. Additionally, the pump-style pushers are a nice nod to the classic chronographs.
Artisans de Genève is an independent workshop customizing watches at clients’ request. Not affiliated with or authorized by any watch brand. Private use only.
On top of that, Kraft wanted the watch to look like vintage steel to match the other watches in his collection. To achieve this, Artisans de Genève developed an innovative finishing process, resulting in a refined, unique finish known only to the wearer.
Artisans de Genève is an independent workshop customizing watches at clients’ request. Not affiliated with or authorized by any watch brand. Private use only.
In the next step, the watch received a copper bezel that will develop patina over time. It is combined with a darker brown insert with a white tachymeter scale. The result is a pleasing, warm, and stylish vintage vibe that suits Alexander Kraft’s style to a tee.
Going from an automatic to a manual-winding caliber
Technically, Artisans de Genève also made some significant changes. The standard automatic Rolex caliber 4130R inside Kraft’s Daytona was reworked to become a manual-winding movement. As most of you will know, this is a nod to the classic Valjoux calibers that powered the vintage versions of the chronograph. The manual-winding caliber still operates at 28,800 vph and offers a modern 72-hour power reserve. Thanks to a sapphire display in the titanium case back, Kraft will be able to admire the beautiful movement at any time.
Finishing the watch’s look is a lightweight titanium riveted bracelet. Its screw-fastened links make it easy to size the watch, while the overall look harks back to watches of the 1970s. The bracelet features a mix of brushed and polished parts to increase the visual brilliance. This bracelet is another great element that emphasizes the vintage feel characterizing this special Kraft Signature project. It is more proof of the special handcrafted timepiece customization that Artisans de Genève offers to its customers.
Final thoughts on the Artisans de Genève Kraft Signature
Overall, I love seeing Artisans de Genève’s unique customization projects. They always make me curious about what the brand will come up with for its newest projects. On top of that, they always make me consider how I would approach a project like this. Although I would have to give that some thought, I love the work that Artisans de Genève did with Alexander Kraft’s timepiece. I would likely go for something like this if I ever got the chance to have Artisans de Genève realize a project for me. But until that becomes a reality, this is a great example of how to customize a timepiece into a powerful personal storyteller.
*Disclaimer: Artisans de Genève is an independent watchmaking workshop offering handcrafted timepiece customization and restoration services. Artisans de Genève is neither associated nor affiliated with the makers/brands of those timepieces. Artisans de Genève carries out work at the sole request of its customers, on their timepieces, for their private use only.
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Jorg Weppelink
2026-05-08 11:00:00