WristWatch Magazine #19 | Page 76

L . K e n d a ll as the hand’s counterweight features a miniature sextant shape. The large crown resembles a boat winch. Even the watchstraps echo the nautical theme. Available in a host of colors, straps of calf leather or suede feature a sextant-shaped buckle and an (optional) anchor badge. Sapphire back A full-sized sapphire caseback crystal on each watch is another of the collection’s many unusual stylistic cues. As Grenon points out, that sapphire does more than simply look good. “At first this seems rather unusual, but if you look at many people’s watches most of the scratches appear on the caseback from throwing the watch down on a table or dresser,” he adds. “With the sapphire crystal covering the steel portion of the casebacks, the back still looks pristine and it perfectly preserves all of the engrav- 76 Wristwatch | 2016 ing there, including the watch’s limited edition number.” All L. Kendall watches are designed by Italo Fontana, the mastermind behind U-Boat’s distinctive collections, while the brand itself was developed by Mounir Moufarrige, who is credited for helping to revive Alfred Dunhill and Goyard, and other brands, and who, while at Chloe, hired Stella McCartney. L. Kendall collections are priced starting at $3,900 (for K7) with the aforementioned K4 chronograph at the top of the firm’s range, priced at $7,900. “When people look at the watches and feel them in their hands we ask them to guess what the price is,” Grenon says. “They are always surprised that they are priced much lower than one would think. Also, each model is limited to only 300 pieces so the exclusivity makes them attractive as well.” For a closer look at L. Kendall, see kendallwatches.com or grenons.com.