Return to Obsidian Elite Detailing The Engagements
Five named engagements,
each pre-engaged on the calendar.
We do not publish a la carte. Every engagement here is a complete protocol, performed by a single assigned artisan, with a single price agreed at intake. There is no upsell at the counter — there is no counter.
Volume One · The Programme
A house of five engagements, in ascending order.
The engagements are sequential, not alternative. A new client is invited to begin with The Reception, then progress as the vehicle's condition and the client's intent suggests. Pricing is for North American sedans and coupes; sport-utility vehicles and oversized exotics carry a panel-count adjustment quoted at intake.
Engagement I
The Reception
A formal introduction to the house
$1,450
Eligibility
Vehicles in good cosmetic standing, under four years from delivery, with no prior coating history.
Included in the engagement
- Two-bucket foam wash and Iron-X decontamination
- Clay-bar treatment of all painted, glass, and chrome surfaces
- Single-stage machine polish with Rupes LHR-15ES to remove light marring
- Two coats of Carnauba (P21S concours-grade) hand-laid in cross-pattern
- Wheel face decontamination and ceramic-impregnated dressing
- Interior vacuum, leather wipe-down, dashboard photographic-document review
The Reception is how every standing-roster client begins. We learn the vehicle here.
Engagement II
The Conservatorship
A two-stage correction and three-year coating
$3,250
Eligibility
Vehicles with light-to-moderate swirling, dealer wash marring, or 2–5 years of accumulated micro-marring. Gloss-meter reading reviewed at intake.
Included in the engagement
- Compound cut with Rupes Zephir Gloss on 21mm-throw orbital, panel-by-panel measurement
- Refining polish with Rupes Keramik Gloss to remove all halo and micro-marring under tungsten-halogen
- Panel-by-panel paint-thickness gauge reading documented to the engagement file
- Gtechniq EXOv5 ceramic top-coat — three-year, transferable
- Wheel-faces removed from hubs for inside-barrel correction and ceramic
- Tailpipe polish, glass coating, and trim ceramic application
Our signature engagement. The majority of the standing roster renews into The Conservatorship every 36 months.
Engagement III
Most Reserved The Sovereign
Three-stage correction and Gtechniq Crystal Serum Ultra
$4,800
Eligibility
Vehicles with notable defects from prior detail attempts, heavy water-spotting, or moderate scratches that have not breached clear-coat. Concours-bound vehicles welcome.
Included in the engagement
- Heavy cut with wool pad on rotary, isolated to defect zones only
- Two refining passes with foam and microfiber under five distinct lighting conditions
- Gtechniq Crystal Serum Ultra — five-year, professional-only coating, transferable
- EXOv5 sacrificial top-coat for hydrophobic behaviour and self-cleaning
- Engine-bay degrease and steam clean, plastic dressing under hood
- Concours-style final inspection with engagement file delivered in linen folio
Crystal Serum Ultra is a professional-only chemistry; warranty registration requires our installer credential on file.
Engagement IV
The Patrimony
Full-front Xpel ULTIMATE PLUS and ceramic over film
From $6,400
Eligibility
Vehicles intended for long-term ownership, multi-state road duty, or any vehicle the client intends to bequeath. Xpel ULTIMATE PLUS film is self-healing in light heat and optically clear.
Included in the engagement
- Bumper-cover and headlamp removal for seamless wrap, no cut-lines visible from any angle
- Xpel ULTIMATE PLUS PPF — ten-year warranty against yellowing, cracking, and delamination
- Hood, front-fenders, mirrors, A-pillars, and rocker leading-edges fully wrapped
- Pre-PPF correction so the film is laid over corrected paint, not over defects
- EXOv5 ceramic laid over the film for hydrophobicity and stain resistance
- Re-installation of all OEM clips and fasteners with manufacturer-spec torque
We do not photograph the seams. We hide them.
Engagement V
The Standing
Annual care for the standing-roster client
$2,400 per annum (four visits)
Eligibility
Existing clients with a previously installed ceramic coating from our house. Pre-paid annual maintenance keeps the warranty live and the gloss-meter readings within tolerance.
Included in the engagement
- Quarterly maintenance wash and decontamination — paint, wheels, glass, trim
- Ceramic refresh with Gtechniq C2v3 to top-up hydrophobicity between major engagements
- Wheel-off inside-barrel inspection once per year
- Annual gloss-meter and paint-thickness re-measure with file update
- Priority scheduling — standing-roster clients are slotted before the open calendar
- Loaner vehicle (Audi A7 or equivalent) on the day of the engagement, by request
The Standing exists to keep the work we have already done intact. We prefer it to recurring re-corrections.
Volume Two · The Protocols
How a vehicle moves through the house.
Every engagement, regardless of tier, observes the same five protocols. They are non-negotiable; they are what distinguishes a coating that lasts five years from one that fails in twelve months.
Intake
Every vehicle is photographed at four points and the gloss-meter is run before any wash is performed. Pre-existing defects are documented and signed-off before correction begins.
Single-Artisan
One artisan is assigned for the duration of the engagement. There is no rotation. The same hands begin and finish the job.
Lighting
Every defect is verified under five sources: sunlight, tungsten-halogen, LED 6500K, sodium-vapour, and our 10,000 LUX Brinkmann inspection panel. Marring not visible under all five is not corrected.
Coating
Crystal Serum Ultra, EXOv5, Gyeon MOHS+, and Feynlab Heal Plus are installed by the artisan certified to that chemistry — never by an apprentice.
File
An engagement file is opened at intake, updated daily, and presented bound in a linen folio when keys are returned. The file remains on premises for ten years.
Volume Three · A Quiet Q&A
The questions most often asked.
Answered plainly. If the answer you need is not below, please write — Alessandro replies to every enquiry personally, in the order it arrives.
What does the warranty actually cover?
The Conservatorship coating is warranted for three years against loss of hydrophobicity, oxidation, and degradation under normal road use. The Sovereign's Crystal Serum Ultra carries a five-year, transferable warranty registered with Gtechniq. Annual maintenance under The Standing is required to keep the warranty live.
Is the warranty transferable on sale?
Yes, on Engagements III and IV. The next owner inherits the remaining term and the gloss-meter and paint-thickness file. The original engagement number stays with the vehicle.
Do you correct paint that has already been wrapped?
We will not correct under a competitor's film. If the film is removed and the glue residue is fully reduced, we will correct. The decision is made at intake.
What does an engagement actually look like, day to day?
You leave the keys, we send a photograph from the bay at the end of each day, and you collect on the date we promised. No surprise calls, no scope creep. The estimate at intake is the figure on the invoice.
Can you accommodate a press car or a delivery for collection?
Yes. We accept flatbeds with prior notice and we will hold the vehicle for up to seventy-two hours after completion without an additional fee.
Is there an option to subscribe annually?
The Standing exists for this. It is the only way to maintain the warranty on Engagements II and III between visits, and it is the path most of our roster takes.
An Invitation
Begin with The Reception.
Most of our standing roster began this way. Bring the keys, leave the vehicle for two days, and receive an engagement file, gloss-meter baseline, and a candid recommendation as to which engagement the vehicle is suited for next. The Reception is also, by tradition, the only engagement we discount for first-time clients — by twelve per cent, applied at intake.