In a world of mass production and mainstream cultures it is difficult to stand out from the common crowd. The fashion industry contributes to the perception and creation of our individuality but at the same time plays a big role in consumerism as well. Even though the fashion companies constantly try to invent new styles with which the customers can invent themselves anew, they are also one of the biggest players when it comes to mass production and consumption. For the demanding people, it is therefore extremely difficult to be different from the rest.

Rarity as a high value

Mass production is generally considered to be cheap and worthless. A consequence of that attitude is the appreciation of rarity as a high value in our consumer culture. For that reason, rare materials like diamond, gold or silver which are used as elements for diamond earrings, bracelets or rings, are really expensive and are also used as heirlooms handed down from one generation to the next. But rarity does not only refer to the occurrence of materials on our planet, but also can be applied to the quality of a product. A rare quality of an item implies a unique and invaluable skill of its maker. That becomes most obvious in the watch branch. Vintage watches which are manufactured with great care and expertise are evaluated highly and are often bought for lifelong usage or collection. But even the watch companies which demand and expect the most from their products want to remain extraordinary. For that reason, the watch company Franck Muller has decided to give their timepieces a recognizable watch face identifying it as belonging to the company. As a result, many of the luxury watches produced by the company show large and carved numbers on their watch faces, often coming in a colorful arrangement. Beside the rare technological achievement there is then also a visible difference to other luxury items for the demanding customer.