What is a “grail”?
LOFTAccording to Christian scriptures, the "Holy Grail," or simply the Grail , is the cup from which Jesus drank at the Last Supper. For those of us raised in this culture, this is familiar history. We even know it's the source of countless myths and legends, including the search for it by King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. More recently, the Grail played an important role in the adventures of both Indiana Jones and Robert Langdon , the protagonist of Dan Brown's books.
Be that as it may, it's a piece that represents something sacred, difficult to find and possess, like many of the watches that keep us awake at night. So it was only a matter of time before the ingenious watch collecting community used this concept to refer to the pieces that obsess us.
The first grail
We all have a grail, and it changes as we age and increase our credit rating. As children, our first grail was probably some digital or military watch we saw in a Michael J. Fox or Arnold Schwarzenegger movie. It's not hard to imagine yourself in the schoolyard, being the coolest guy with a Casio calculator on your wrist, an impossibleSeiko "Arnie," or an ultra-dreamy Seiko Giugiaro "Aliens Ripley."
The identity grail
When you're about to graduate, there are so many things you want to do, and of course, have. You fantasize about those hard-earned bucks, which will be yours and yours alone to do with as you please. The truth is, it's usually not that much, and you start spending it on those new things called accounts . None of the above doesn't prevent you from having a grail. In fact, it's an incentive. These are the watches that scream who you are to the world: famous divers like the Seamaster and the Submariner if you're into water; chronographs like the Daytona and the Heuer Monaco for the nuts; and the Speedmaster for those who live among the stars.
The knowing grail
One day you wake up and you're no longer young. From one day to the next. But there's something that stays with you: the immortal desire for a grail. But a different grail, a more serious one, more in keeping with your status as an adult collector, with years of experience in life itself.
Having already learned to invest like Kiyosaki, you can project the path to more exclusive grails, such as the sporty Nautilus or Royal Oak , if you are a fan of Gérald Genta , such as the ultra-thin Altiplano or Octo Finissimo , and classic pieces in noble materials from Blancpain , Cartier or Jaeger-LeCoultre .
The Holy Grail
While this grail can be seen on the wrists of kings and sheikhs from a very early age, for the rest of us mortals this is an inaccessible type of watch, and we are aware that it takes many years of our lives (or a lot of luck) to achieve it.
These limited-edition pieces, handcrafted by master watchmakers, feature extensive and varied complications: chiming, tourbillon, perpetual calendar, moon phase, flyback chronograph, and much more. They are also made from luxurious materials such as rare metals, precious stones, composite materials, and sapphire crystals. They are hand-embellished and represent the finest in global horology.
Here we find the most complex watches from A. Lange & Söhne , the record-breaking Patek Philippe watches that are part of the Holy Trinity alongside Vacheron and AP , and the follies of Richard Mille , to name the best known.
What's yours?
One of the beauty of this wonderful hobby is that there are no written rules. Every fan has their own theme and a grail for this moment in life, for this age, and for this wallet. No one can impose it on you, and if you add to that the fundamental emotional component—that it's yours alone and represents your memories and affections—it's clear that a grail is a unique watch, one that speaks to you better than anyone else.
Tell us what your current grail is. Here at The Loft , we're here to help you achieve it, and above all, to walk together, like King Arthur and his knights, the extraordinary path in its quest.
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