In 2002, in a small conference room off of Georges Kern's office suite, the decision was made to kill the Ref 3712 Rattrapante. "It has too many parts", it was believed to have been said, and "we need to use some of those parts for other watches, or we will run out". Just how many parts the 3712 contained was a well-guarded secret, though some believed the actual number wasn't so clear. Every time they counted the parts, they came up with a different count. It was a contentious issue that likely caused much friction.
I personally believe the reason for discontinuation had more to do with a key employee leaving the company than anything else. According to the transcripts, it was mentioned that "now that the assembler with the "jimmy" legs has left, what's the use?"
While my sources could not confirm the actual conversation, they did point out that a watchmaker whose limbs often moved involuntarily had recently left the business and that he indeed assembled 3712 movements, or at least had, until a huge inventory of components was discovered scattered all over the workshop floor. The last comment heard through that conference room door in this regard was "Oh My God!".
Well, anyway, when I first learned about all of this, I disassembled my own 3712 to see what was inside and my first thought was "Damn! There's a lot of parts in this watch", leading me to conclude that this was, after all, the real reason the watch was discontinued and not because of the poor fellow flinging pinions about, though certainly he had to have played a role.
What we do not now know for certain is whether or not the 3712 will ever come back to stay and leave again. One Limited Edition does not a product strategy make, but I believe they at least found enough parts to make a few more watches.
TR
