Don Loke’s Dream Of Establishing His American High-End Watch Manufacture

By Laurent Martinez

Dear Friends,

I hope you are all keeping safe and well during these trying times. I would like to share a hopeful story with you about an American Master Watchmaker working to achieve his lifelong dream.

For the last 45 years, Don Loke has enjoyed a long and successful career as a professional master watchmaker. He graduated from the Bowman Technical School in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in 1978 then worked with a master watchmaker in Meridien CT. After this experience, he went back to Bowman’s and took clockmaking courses to finally finish in 1984. After Lancaster, Don Loke attended the WOSTEP, the Watchmakers of Switzerland Training and Educational Program, in Neuchâtel, Switzerland, where he graduated first in his class. While he was at school, Don Loke met Michel Parmigiani and Philippe Dufour—two master watchmakers and renowned personalities in the Swiss luxury watch industry.

Don Loke attended the Watchmakers of Switzerland Training and Educational Program

This was just the beginning. Post-graduation, he was invited by Breguet and Jaeger-LeCoultre for training in Switzerland and became the official after-sale person for Breguet in the U.S. when it was still owned by Chaumet. He also worked with Master Watchmaker Dennis Harmon, in Waterbury, Connecticut. After working two years with Dennis Harmon, Don Loke became Technical Director of movement makers ETA for the American market and then Technical Director of UTAC Americas, overseeing brands like Audemars Piguet, Breguet, Bertolucci, and Girard Perregaux.

He also spent time being trained by Master Watchmaker Daniel Roth in Switzerland, who taught him the ins-and-outs of the highly complex tourbillon mechanism. By the mid-1990s, Don Loke worked with prominent companies such as Sotheby’s, Christies’, Gerald Genta, and Daniel Roth. When Don Loke found out that Michel Parmigiani was striking out on his own, Don Loke reached out to his old friend and eventually became the U.S. representative for Parmigiani Fleurier for over six years.

Don Loke became the U.S. representative for Parmigiani Fleurier

Don Loke even interacted with legendary horologist George Daniel having many conversations discussing his new escapement and the double-wheel escapement he developed. It took Don five years of thinking on how to make it. This experience allowed Don Loke to eventually create his own double-wheel escapement, which took another seven years to put it into a Solidworks program.

When Don Loke is not working on his own bespoke projects, he services incredible watches ranging from minute repeaters to chronographs. He also restores intricate timepieces that require special attention, recreating parts from scratch to make identical versions of the original components. Don Loke is also in charge of the North American Service Center for Louis Moinet—a brand that makes exceptional watches that range between $80,000 and $350,000. As you can see, his specialty is working on high-complication timepieces and his passion for watches and watchmaking has only augmented over the decades.

When Don Loke is not working on his own projects he services incredible watches

After all these years of dedicating his time to other brands and watches, Don Loke feels that it is the right time to create his own watch designs and movements under the brand DR Loke. To transition to manufacture his eponymous bespoke watches, Don Loke established two shops. One is the “clean room” to house machinery for fine turnings, cuttings, wheel making, and pinion producing, but also a microscope for measuring, a guilloché machine with 42 discs for dial decorating, and an oven for enameling. This room is also where Don Loke stores his sketches, drawing, layouts, and 3D modeling. The other is the “dirty room” for more heavy type work. Prototyping takes place at his shops and production models are executed with CNC technology.

Don Loke established two shops. One is the “clean room”

The other is the “dirty room”

The first DR Loke watch model revolves around the concept of the chronograph dress watch—an idea Don Loke stored in the back of his mind for decades—where the chronograph pushers are hidden from sight. Inside the 5 ATM water-resistant titanium case is a dial with asymmetric sub-dials and ornately cut center hands resembling blades. The rich blue details on the dial change color depending on the light and there’s a crown at 9 o’clock to rotate the inner timing bezel. The limited-edition DR Loke dress chronographs run on chronometer-rated Concepto calibers, a hybrid Swiss movement based on Valjoux 7750.

The first DR Loke watch model revolves around the concept of the chronograph dress watch

It took six months from design to manufacturing and while the watch is made in Switzerland, the quality control and finishing are done in the U.S. There are 25 examples of the white-dial version, 25 examples of the white dial with a blue bezel version, and 300 examples of the blue dial version. Although the watches are currently only available for purchase directly from Don Loke, the goal is to be in stores like Manfredi Jewels or Betteridge with at high market value.

It took six months from design to manufacturing…

Don Loke is already working on his second watch model and he is currently completing the prototype of the lever escapement. At the heart of the watch will be a 100% proprietary movement, based on Don Loke’s design and technical drawings. His very own invention. He will source handmade gold dials from J.N. Shapiro in California. As a result, this will be a handmade watch made entirely in the U.S.A. Don expects to manufacture five prototypes in the first year and he will become the first American watchmaker to make his own high-end watch powered by his own movement. The aim is to present this timepiece to the U.S. market by the end of 2020 with a price tag of $65,000 to $75,000.

The third DR Loke watch model with be the double pivoted and spring detente escapement—invented by Don Loke based on conversations he had with George Daniel. Yet again, this is his invention, with designs and technical drawings built from scratch. With already 25 orders in the books for this upcoming watch model, the American market should see it by the second quarter of 2021 with a price tag of $175,000.

Ultimately, it is Don’s dream to have his own watch on his wrist. Another goal of his is to bring his two children into the business, both of whom are highly-skilled engineers. With all of these ideas and designs, including a future tourbillon piece, he is going to need plenty of talent and skill to depend on.

I love this spirit of entrepreneurship and I wish Don Loke the very best and abundant success with his new company. Stay tuned for the end of the year when he unveils his new watches.

Until next time…

Regards,

Laurent Martinez ✦ Laurent Fine Watches ✦