Timepiece repairs can be expensive and often take a long time, so you generally want to avoid damaging a watch. It’s obvious that throwing your watch against a wall, running over it with a Bentley, or smashing it with a hammer are things to to avoid. However, not everything that can damage a watch is so obvious, so here I list five common things you may not be aware of that can damage a watch and how to prevent them.
Jaquet Droz is pretty well known for creating ultra-clean, minimal watch designs utilizing things like single-hand 24-hour displays, onyx and enamel dials, and small offset subdials, which are all highlighted in the Grande Seconde collection. And within that collection a new frontrunner has emerged to compete for the title of my favorite Jaquet Droz timepiece: the Grand Seconde Off-Centered.
The watch nerd that I am, I rarely immediately wear my new watches; I like to put them aside for a few days and let the anticipation grow. When the day finally came that it was time to wear my new Rolex, I took it out of the box and proudly put it on my wrist. And then horror struck. I didn’t feel anything, not a thing! Zilch, nada, niente! What to do?
The car is a prototype by Pininfarina for Lancia from 1957 called the “Florida II” and it was the personal car of Mr. Pinin Farina for many years. This was one of the most influentially stylistic cars of its era. But why on earth do the windscreen and steering wheel appear to be at opposite ends of the cabin? What might this car really have been designed for?
Seventeen years ago the Rallye des Princesses (Princess Rally) was staged for the first time. Adding even more elegance, glamour, and performance, Richard Mille joined the event as principle sponsor in 2015.
Richard Mille invited Nola Martin and I on this year’s road trip, which took place May 28 through June 2, 2016. We were given a shiny new BMW press car with which to follow the rally, thereby gaining firsthand experience to find out what it takes to complete this beautiful journey.
When gemstones and haute horlogerie meet, one of two things can happen: the watch either becomes a fitting tribute to Liberace or the result is something fabulous thanks to the synergy.
One of the reasons I love visiting the Graff stand at Baselworld is because, since the entering the market in 2008, this brand has managed to make “lots of fabulous.”
Romain Gauthier, the young owner and founder of the independent luxury watch brand of the same name, has worked in horology all his adult life. This fact is not inconsequential: it explains the basis for his vision of watchmaking, which starts with the “ingredients” of a watch: the components themselves.
Montblanc is known for a variety of annual limited edition collections lauding renowned figures of history and art. But this new Artisan Edition pen honoring Wassily Kandinsky is designed to not only turn the spotlight on the Russian-born artist and his abstract work, but also the highly trained craftsman at Montblanc who are responsible for this sculpted, gemstone-set fountain pen.
Like every other Akrivia timepiece the Tourbillon Chiming Jump Hour includes a beautifully delicate tourbillon whirling away at 6 o’clock. Akrivia tourbillons are already becoming known for their fine cages and slender profiles, and the balance wheels inside share these characteristics. I love complicated mechanisms that require multiple views to fully grasp all of the detail, but sometimes it’s just so delightful to gaze upon something simply aesthetically pleasing.
As much as I love watches, I love the people who are occupied with our specialized hobby even more! So, you can imagine that I immediately began scheming about how to route my travels through New York when I opened my inbox one morning several weeks ago to find this message: “You are invited: invitation to the F.P. Journe Tourbillon Anniversary Event.”