News
Need a NOS Gevril Tribeca? We’ve Got You Covered.
News
Need a NOS Gevril Tribeca? We’ve Got You Covered.
The Speedster was a “cut down” version of the cabriolet — the steel windshield frame was excised for a lightweight, aggressively raked aluminum unit — with all soundproofing and weather-stripping ripped out. Even the windows were discarded in favor of largely useless plastic side curtains. And with this a legend was born. And, thanks to its association with James Dean and Steve McQueen, the Speedster is more than just a car — it is a symbol of rebellion and freedom.
Far from cobbled-together kit cars, the fiberglass bodies of these machines are hand laminated on molds taken from original cars, combined with hand-made tubular frames and even liquid-cooled engines. These homage cars allow non-millionaires to tap in to the ethereal, primal, soul-nourishing joy of piloting these automotive icons without the requisite bank vault full of cash or accompanying anxiety. Most importantly, these cars don’t pretend to be real 356 Speedster but modern, very sincere and very cool tributes.
Remember, this was still the relatively idyllic times of the late-20th century where flannel and grunge prevailed, before these watches became the essential wrist adornment for would-be Bobby Axelrods, Adam Levines and Ellen DeGenereses. This was before the pump-pusher version set you back a cool quarter mil and screw-pusher ones, three to four hundy large. At the time, a Paul Newman Daytona would go for 20 grand max. So, when the folks at the small Swiss watch brand Gevril decided to create an homage to the Paul Newman it was with a certain naivety.
If You’re Gonna Do It, Do It Right
The objective, recalls Danny Govberg, at the time a shareholder in Gevril: “Was to create a really fun watch that guys who couldn’t afford a Paul Newman could wear. At the same time the challenge for us was to build something of the highest quality and, from a sense of detail and dimension, totally faithful to the original.” Step one was to find an original watch, which fortunately several people in the company owned. Says Govberg: “These guys were genuinely crazy about the Paul Newman and the homage was incredibly sincere. They actually dismantled their watches and began measuring each component with calipers down to the micron. That’s how the Gevril Tribeca was born.”
Eric Ku — vintage watch expert and owner of the Vintage Rolex Forum — has pointed out that the bezel and pushers on the Gevril Tribeca are so faithfully made that they can be interchanged with a real 6263 or 6265. Holding a Tribeca next to my original Paul Newman 6241, I marvel at how the watch, in particular the dial, expresses much of the same emotional quality as the original.
[/td_block_text_with_title]
[/td_block_text_with_title]
One hint of the chronograph’s modular construction is that the pushers sit slightly higher than the crown, though Gevril worked hard to ensure that this is very subtle. Opening the caseback, I was delighted to discover the movement features both decent perlage and Genève stripes, making it significantly more decorated than the movements in some “limited edition” watches from high-end brands. Brooklyn Bridge anyone?
And then there are the small touches. The Tribeca uses a Hesalite acrylic crystal just like in the original watch and incredibly, the bracelet is highly reminiscent of the original and, if anything, features a slightly wider and chunkier clasp.
A Functional Tribute
So, as the owner of an original Paul Newman Daytona why am I so excited about a watch that costs 1/100th of my original’s potential price at auction? Well precisely because of that! I remember having dinner in London recently only to realize that I’d lost a pusher on my 6241, causing massive panic and the immediate need to dive under the table. In the end, the pusher was irretrievable and it was only the kindness of vintage Rolex dealer Philip Stahl that allowed me to find a suitable replacement.
Look at this way. With summer coming up I want a watch that has a degree of the emotional value of the real thing, but that I can wear with reckless abandon. That accompanies me riding my motorcycle or jumping off the deck of the yacht into the Gulf of Naples. When my friend Alexander Kraft, owner of Sotheby’s International Realty in France and Monaco and, proprietor of both a pump- and screw-pusher version of the Paul Newman saw my Gevril he said: “I’m getting one and I’m going skiing with it on.”
So why am I telling you all this? Well, these watches were made in 1999 and finding one on the secondary market is getting increasingly rare with prices averaging $2,500. Amazingly enough, Brian Govberg, son of the aforementioned Danny, received a Tribeca years ago from his father, and has been amazed by the burgeoning cult-following of the watch in recent years. This prompted him to reconnect with the manufacture, only to discover that not all of the 500 watches for each series had been completed between 1999 and 2001 when the watches were made. After requesting a tally of the remaining parts and a calculation as to how many watches could be made from them, he was given a reply that 67 watches could be assembled from the remaining components.
There are four versions in total. White dial with black sub-dials and black ceramic bezel (40 pieces). Black dial with silver sub-dials and black ceramic bezel (20 pieces). Silver dial with black sub-dials and steel bezel (five pieces). Black dial with silver sub-dials and steel bezel (two pieces), these — oddly — feature full polished cases. Go figure.