RJ Romain Jerome H9C-DNA – Bad to the bone

12/08/2014 | By Robin Nooy | 3 min read |

Extravagant watch brand RJ-Romain Jerome has collaborated with world-renowned master bike builder Danny Schneider from HardNine Choppers to create a unique package: a fully customized vintage Harley Davidson (of course) from the Canadian Army and the RJ Romain Jerome H9C-DNA to match! Let’s take a look at this matched-set of heavy metal thunder.

Many people who are watch enthusiasts also have other interests that they pursue with equal vigor. For some people it is cars, for some it is cigars or fine wines and for others motorbikes. For people who have worked very hard to achieve their independent goals of success or wealth, an of-the-production-line bike won’t be enough. Those riders usually turn to custom bike builders like Danny Schneider from HardNine Choppers to build something more personal, a customized Canadian Army Harley Davidson for instance. At Monochrome-Watches we applaud that ride to make a more personal statement in life, so let us point your attention to the RJ Romain Jerome H9C-DNA.

The H9C-DNA is a unique piece, as is the bike, and they are only available as a set. The bike and watch share design cues throughout. The watch is built using the Skylab Red as a base, sharing its case and movement. The skeletonized movement is partially covered by a big openworked, floating skull, mimicking the logo of HardNine Choppers. Finished in the same purple metal flake paint as the bike, it really stands out against the black movement. The openworked “9”on its forehead shows the barrel, while the teeth partially hide the balance wheel. It must be quite a spectacle to see it moving back and forth behind those purple choppers!

HardNine Chopper’s logo is a stylized skull in its own featuring, so to choose this as the center piece of the watch is a logical choice. RJ-Romain Jerome itself is no stranger to the skull as we’ve showed you before. Other similarities between the bike and the watch are the perforated leather used for the handles and the strap and the gold parts for the case.

Being a lot larger than a wristwatch, a bike allows for far more custom work. Danny Schneider, founder of the HardNine Chooper’s workshop incorporated custom gas and oil tanks, fenders, handlebars and grips, exhaust pipes and front-end to name just a few. All the sheet metal is finished in the aforementioned purple metal flake paint and decorated with hand-applied pinstripes.

This cool clip really shows you the similarities, but also the he difference between bike building and watchmaking. (Make sure to turn your speakers down, or up as it features a bit of befitting music!)

Sorry! The set is no longer available. Now you’re saying “great, here is another watch I like but cannot buy!” No worries, RJ – Romain Jerome has also created a limited run of 9 timepieces, known as the RJ Romain Jerome H9C-DNA Speed Metal. It has the exact same specifications as the unique version, only set in a black PVD-coated case with a silver colored skull.

The H9C-DNA (watch + bike) has set back its owner CHF 100,000 while the Speed Metal is available for CHF 17,950. For more information on RJ-Romain Jerome or HardNine Choppers head over to their respective websites.