Incipio 8- The Rare Japanese Rolex Explorer 1016 Homage Under Your Radar
You’re sitting on the couch admiring the latest acquisition on your wrist while simultaneously lying to yourself that it’s an investment knowing full well that you got it for full retail. Nonetheless you decide to open up Instagram to see what everyone else is wearing because watch ownership and the attached gratification is more fleeting than any profits you’ve made from reading r/wallstreetbets.
Regardless of which watch trend you follow on Instagram whether it’s modern releases, vintage watches or anywhere in between the spectrum, one brand will always have its place in your feed. I’ve already written a lot about the particular brand, but let’s continue that WIS Rolex symposium.
You’ve Never Heard Of Them
TokeiBegin, is a magazine publication based in Japan. “Tokei” is the word for “watch” in Japanese. Their publication includes everything that relates to timepieces & horology. Their online website includes wristwatch reviews, opinion pieces, new watch releases, historically significant watches, and interviews. Their curated content is unique in the sense that it primarily focuses on the Japanese watch scene.
The Incipio watches were a limited series of watches released in the early 1990’s by TokeiBegin. The Incipio watches were produced as a promotional show of appreciation to their customers as well as an ode to some of the most popular vintages watches at the time (and even now surprise-surprise!). Customers that purchased the TokeiBegin magazines were allowed one entry for a lottery draw to buy the limited run of ~200-300 watches per homage references. Although not quite 50 years old like the original 1016, the currently existing examples of the Incipio 8 are nearly 30 years old at this point. Any examples left in existence are honest gems.
At the moment, the “Hodinkee Halo Effect,” a personal term of mine denoting the steep increase of prices for watches that fall into the public eye by intention or happenstance - hasn’t had its full impact on these watches. They’re a steal at the moment for the prices that they go for on the grey market. They remain a cult favorite for those in the know. It can be definitely argued that there are enough homages for the Explorer 1 to seriously contend with all the Seiko 5 renditions. That being said, few Explorer homages carry the same unique history, and more importantly the same level of care and respect in the execution.
Inceperamus
This is the Incipio 8, an homage to the Rolex Ref. 1016 otherwise known as the predecessor of the modern day Rolex explorer. Let me get this off my chest. The watch is cool as hell. I am not trying to sell you guys anything (yet), so take my words with only half a grain of salt.
The Incipio 8 doesn’t beg for attention, it’s a quiet timepiece. It draws the same understated well-mannered sophistication that the 1016 exemplifies. If you are an owner of the 1016, or someone who closely follows the reference it would difficult not to assume it’s a 1016 from afar, only upon closer inspection would you realize it’s an INICIPIO. It’s important to me that the watch doesn’t attempt to be what it’s not. You won’t see any attempt of deception with this timepiece.
Balling On A Budget
As of 2021, the going rate for a clean example of the 1016 goes for an average of 20k USD. A pristine 1016 with a full set of documentation, boxes, the works is currently being listed online for 40k USD. In other words, the 1016 is only being afforded by either very serious collectors or people with too much money.
A Japanese Execution & They Killed It
In short the Incipio 8 was an attempt of a 1:1 copy of the 1016. The 2 major discernible differences between the original and the homage were the movements inside the watch, and the logo/text design & placement. The Incipio 8 is an homage that I can confidently define as a respectful homage. The Incipio series were inspired by very influential timepieces that were in high demand, and in doing so the TokeiBegin chose to produce the homages with the same niveau of reverence. An example of that would be their decision to source a movement that is comparable to the original Caliber 1560 minus the price tag of course.
Even though the chosen movement was not of Rolex design, TokeiBegin opted for the ETA manufactured 2824-2 movement. The same extremely reliable movement you’ll find today in Breitlings, Tudors, Omegas, IWCs, Hamiltons, and the list goes on.
I’ve never owned an Homage watch. I have never remotely paid any attention to them. I felt like I wasn’t being honest to myself if I believed it would be a smart financial play. I think they rarely hold their value, and any expectation of homage watch increasing in market value was a complete absurdity. The Incipio Series completely turned that notion upside down for me. The small batch nature, attention to detail, and resilience of a 30 year old homage watch has convinced me to believe otherwise.
Smith’s Invisible Empty Hand
This isn’t a GEVRIL Daytona promotional article equivalent. We won’t be able to source 200 unassembled Incipio watches a week after this article publishes and pawn them onto you. The Incipio series will remain elusive. Google “Incipio,” and you’ll see phone cases. The majority of these watches are still held by locals in Japan, and most likely will remain that way.
In the past it was nothing but dismissal, I’ve always felt that any timepiece that couldn’t find a place to grow into its own unique design was inferior. The vast majority of homages still remain difficult to justify for me, but the Incipio 8 is completely different.
I’ve been wearing the Incipio 8 for 5 months now, and it’s been a pleasure to be able to finally see what the “Explorer bug” is all about. After all the wrist-time I’ve shared with the Incipio 8, I can finally say “I get it.”
FINIS
I originally purchased the Incipio 8 to get a sense of what it would feel like to own a 36mm watch on a steel bracelet. Bark&Jack on a daily basis teases me with his Explorer shots. What I received from the experience was so much more than I could have ever hoped for.
The Incipio 8 has allowed me to experience the same case profile, dimension, and wrist feel without locking up such a large amount of capital. It has furthered cemented the idea of maybe one day buying a Ref. 114270.
Through the experience, I’ve been able to pinpoint that the fundamental difference between Replicas and Homages is philosophy in execution. And within the distinction, both are still vulnerable to profit driven design. It’s up to you to discern whether it’s just a cheap knockoff or an honest attempt of a classic.
An homage has been executed successfully when its existence brings appreciation to the original, when it has the ability to influence its wearer a sense of yearning for the source of inspiration. Replicas strive to achieve the complete opposite goal. The main appeal driving the existence of replicas is that the individual can “beat” the system by completely bypassing the market cost of the authentic watch, and still be able to enjoy all the perceived benefits that is attached with the real thing. Ultimately, those that live by this notion are missing out a great deal on this whole hobby of watch collecting/hunting. There is a sense of hollowness in appreciating an object that cannot accept its true nature. Honne & Tatemae. 本音 & 建前.
