Icon’s Jonathan Ward Demonstrates His Newest Insane Creation: the $11,500 Duesey Jumping-Hours Watch
It’s a luxury timepiece done the Icon way: time-consuming, meticulous, intricate, expensive—and unlike anything else on the market.
Icon has made a name for itself in the luxury restomod space thanks to an elevated taste level and truly obsessive attention to detail. Those qualities come directly from Icon founder Jonathan Ward, a man for whom "efficiency" seems to be the only curse word that's off-limits. Whether it's a custom chassis build for a Jeep Wagoneer or a laser-cut, polished, and powder-coated steel dashboard for the ultimate Land Rover Defender, Ward always dives in with both feet, and he goes deep.
Such is the case with Ward's newest creation, which is not a car at all but a watch. Specifically, a whimsical "jumping hours" timepiece called "The Duesey," inspired by the tachometer of an SJ Duesenberg originally produced from 1928 through the late '30s. The era's Art Deco influence is apparent in the timepiece's clean, streamlined aesthetic—though modern touches like a titanium case and a laser-centered Icon logo on the bottom surface of the crystal bring the watch squarely into the here and now—while Ward-ian touches abound: a custom-designed font; polished-onyx dial; bespoke, Italian-made leather band; and an intricately designed piano-lacquer storage box with integrated storage for additional timepieces.
The Duesey is a whole new enterprise for one of the automotive world's most celebrated obsessives, but it hits all the familiar Icon notes: meticulously crafted but eminently usable—simultaneously intricate and robust—and an unbeatable collection of Check this out! details that elevates a product from the merely expensive to the truly luxurious.
If you like nerding out heavy on watches, cars, or both, this conversation with Mr. Ward has you well covered.
