Why I’m All About That Case, That Case . . .
by GaryG
“Because I’m all about that case, about that case, no movement . . . ” with apologies to Meghan Trainor and Kevin Kadish, “All About That Bass.”
Can you recall the last time that you read a review of a newly introduced watch and the first few paragraphs of the article were about the case?
Yeah – thought not.
Case in point: HM6 Space Pirate from Max Büsser and Friends, MB&F
There are some watches out there, including the MB&F HM6 Space Pirate, that invite commentary on their physical forms.
However, it seems that most watch overviews (including my own) begin with deep consideration given to the mechanical features of the piece, the appearance of the dial, and the intricacies and finishing of the movement before turning grudgingly to the outer layer that protects all of the other bits and, if done well, makes an immense contribution to the appeal of the watch.
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Ceramic Perpetual Calendar, photographed at SIHH 2017
At the extreme, case design can define the appeal of an entire range of watches: witness the Royal Oak series from Audemars Piguet, which year after year trounces the sales numbers of the brand’s other lines, including many lovely presentations of exactly the same inner workings in the more traditional Jules Audemars case.
What makes a case distinctive?
As I assembled my personal picks for a sampling of “interesting” watch cases among those I have photographed over the past few years, I began to see some patterns: the pieces that made the cut were distinctive on one or more of five dimensions: form, design, fabrication, function, and decoration.
Shapes from the past: form watches from the author’s grandfather
Let’s start with form, which I’ll define for our purposes here to mean the physical shape of the case or major elements such as the bezel. The Royal Oak fits into this category for me, as does its likewise Genta-designed relative, the Patek Philippe Nautilus.
And so do several of the watches that I inherited from my grandfather (see My Grandfather, The Watch Collector), which may help to explain my interest in this topic, as well as the distinctive shape of my own first-ever watch purchase might (see A Watch Collection Begins: GaryG And His Bucherer Chronometer), shown in the photo below.
GaryG’s first watch purchase, a Bucherer chronometer
A more recent example in the form category is MrsG’s F.P. Journe Elégante with its registered “tortue plate” case shape.
The “flat tortoise” case shape of the F.P. Journe Elégante
The design category overlaps a bit with form, but here I’ll focus on traditional (that is, mostly round) pieces where careful attention has been given to creating visual interest. I could pretty much sit all day looking at the textures and shapes of my Patek Philippe Reference 5370’s platinum case (see Why I Bought It: Patek Philippe Reference 5370P).
Case details, Patek Philippe Reference 5370P
Another favorite of mine in this category is the Upside Down from Ludovic Ballouard: everything from the organic curves of the case and integral lugs to the crown guard and deeply engraved crown makes sense to me. And, as a bonus, the concave sides of the case provide the viewer with an “upside down” image of him- or herself when viewed directly (see Why I Bought It: Ludovic Ballouard Upside Down).
Case-edge view, Ludovic Ballouard Upside Down
And somewhere on the edge between form and design are the fascinating watches of Stepan Sarpaneva, whose distinctive case shapes make for a major element of their appeal.
Stepan Sarpaneva Korona with pink gold case and black enamel dial
Fabrication is about how it’s made and the materials from which it’s made. While I could easily have placed Vianney Halter’s Antiqua in either of the prior categories, for me it fits most naturally here with its riot of rivets, bezels, and golden balconies supporting the overhanging dials (see Why I Bought It: Vianney Halter Antiqua).
Gorgeous fabrication of the Vianney Halter Antiqua
Halter’s most recent watch, the Deep Space Tourbillon, is also a marvel of complex fabrication, and is made from ultra-light titanium to boot (see Why I Bought It: Vianney Halter Deep Space Tourbillon).
Complex titanium case of the Vianney Halter Deep Space Tourbillon
Kari Voutilainen’s cases are also remarkable, not only for their lovely proportions and teardrop lugs, but for the classic sophistication of their construction. For me this is particularly true of the early cases made for Voutilainen by Gideon Levingston that were fabricated from gold sheets and wires rather than being stamped and formed.
In the photo below of a good friend’s Voutilainen Masterpiece 8 Decimal Repeater, you can clearly see the vertical joining line where it was welded at the bottom of the case.
Handmade: Masterpiece 8 by Kari Voutilainen
At F.P. Journe, the emphasis is on lightness: if you’ve ever had the chance to wear a platinum A. Lange & Söhne Double Split and then swap it out for a platinum watch by Journe, you’d swear that they couldn’t possibly have been made from the same metal.
When I visited the Journe case factory last year, I learned that Journe’s cases are so delicate that it’s necessary to weld a small supplemental brace within them to support the loads on the winding stem.
Focus on lightness: F.P. Journe Tourbillon Souverain in platinum
There are many watch cases that are designed around function; here, pieces such as the Rolex Sea-Dweller with its helium escape valve (for those of you who plan to take your summer vacation in a diving bell) come to mind.
In my collection, the “tool watch” functionality of case design is most directly reflected in my Omega Seamaster Ploprof, a watch designed with a “monobloc” case carved from a single steel block, screw-down crown with reinforced brace, and mono-directional rotating bezel controlled by a bright red locking button.
Form follows function: Omega Seamaster Ploprof 600m
Another functional case that also happens to have an interesting form is of course the Reverso by Jaeger-LeCoultre.
I smile every time I slide the central part of the case to the side, flip it over, and then snap it safely home in its cradle as the reverse side shows either another complication or a protective shield of metal (see Why I Bought It: Jaeger-LeCoultre Tribute To Reverso 1931).
Functional beauty: Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute to Reverso 1931 U.S. limited production, 2012
Another element of function is transmission of sound in chiming watches, which is a rich enough topic that it deserves to be left for another day.
So, let’s finish up by considering decoration.
While it seemed for a while that high-end case decoration in the style of the grand pocket watches might never return, in recent years we have seen a resurgence of case ornamentation, including stunning pieces from Romain Gauthier and Kari Voutialinen.
I’m fortunate enough to own a Voutilainen watch with a case back engraved by brilliant artist Eddy Jaquet (see if you can find Jaquet’s initials to the right of Chronos’s lower hand in the photo below). See Commissioning A Watch: My Journey With The Kari Voutilainen Masterpiece Chronograph II.
Case decoration returns: case back engraving by Eddy Jaquet, Kari Voutilainen Masterpiece Chronograph II
All of the above may help to explain why I was so strongly drawn to the F.P. Journe Anniversary Tourbillon T30 when it appeared on the scene: its gold-and-silver case with officer back and cross-hatched engraving was like nothing I’d ever seen. And it was the perfect complement to the other elements of a piece created to mirror the design of Journe’s very first tourbillon pocket watch.
Gold and silver: unique case design, F.P. Journe Anniversary Tourbillon T30
Has case shape, design, fabrication, function, or decoration ever played a major role in your purchase of a watch?
If so, I’d love to hear about it in the comments section below. If it hasn’t, next time you’re watch shopping you might consider giving just a little more attention to this under-appreciated aspect of the watches we all love.
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[…] Not that long ago here on Quill & Pad, I used words and pictures to describe my affection for what I believe to be an oft-overlooked element of watch design: the external cases that clothe mechanical marvels and why, in my view, certain cases are exemplary demonstrations of the case maker’s art (see Why I’m All About That Case, That Case . . . ). […]
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Dear Gary, thanks for this article, the case shape is always a major factor of appeal. And I believe a major factor of selling success.
You showed which might be the most important side of the watch: the profile, it defines a lot.
Personnaly vintage watches are my kind of design because they offer different proportions and they fit better my small wrist.
If the size is smaller, lugs are often longer, and most of the time, even the waterproof watches are thin. Today it’s harder to find thin watches outside some specialist (Piaget, Vacheron Constantin to quote a few, FP.Journe you quoted is remarkable on this aspect wihtout being ultra thin.
On the very classic rounded shap case with integrated lugs, two examples comes to my mind the daydate/datejust of Rolex and the Patek 2526.
One of the best example of design study is “a stupid datejust” for example. In a ref1600 the flanks are slightly rounded but there is still an edge limiting the polished brushed effects, sadly it has disappeared in the last. The proportions are all good, the bezel doesn’t fall vertically on the case but with an angle. The earliest had even a Kind of Tonneau shape between the lugs.
a photo found with the profile.
https://alvinallistar.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/rolex-explorer-1.jpg
To sum up, the shape of a DJ looks good but there is a ton of details which has been worked on, and made it a best seller.
The Patek 2526 is even better, very long lugs, beautiful classic shape.
For the more special cases, I find quite geometric angled lugs attractice. A grail watch like Patek Worldtime 2523 is a good example two other supposed to come from Gerald Genta are also in that idea: Omega Constellation 168.005 (cheap beauty) and of course the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, if both wach look different, the lugs are incredibly similar
Last topic, assymetric watch, I’m a complete sucker of those design and I hope I will get one one day. A grail would be one of the Patek “Gilbert Albert”, assymetry, thinness, these are so elegant. The Vacheron 1972 vintage or the recent one are also wonderful. A more modern and completely forgotten one is the Patek Trapeze 5489, a really beautiful watch.
Have a great day
Dear Francois,
Thank you very much for your thoughtful and insightful comments! You bring to light several additional features of case design (thinness, proportions of lug length to case diameter, functional shapes as on the DJ that allow for clear transitions between brushed and polished surfaces, etc.) that would be worth additional articles.
I’m also intrigued to read of your interest in asymmetric watches — I was going to include a photo of the Cartier Crash with some commentary in this article, but if I’d included every interesting shape, I’d still be writing.
Thanks again for your comments!
Best, Gary
Dear Gary,
You would have been completely right to quote Cartier, the style is so special, there is purity in the design, again masterful proportions, and the Crash is a crazy design with story or legends behind.
There are also other topics I wanted to share, but it would have been too long.
For example complications; a watch with a thick movement is hard to design but Patek had all along its history put a lot of thickness in the bezel and in the caseback to make a thick watch look thin. The 1518 bezel is like a chimney :). Their Perpetual Chronograph (5970/5270) are a great example of this trickery too 🙂 . I actually prefer some other manufacture to Patek but on this specific topic “case design for complications”, Patek still remains the best by far I think.
cheers
An to add a few names that will speak to you; De Bethune and Richard Mille. Both did like Cartier they created a style like no other.
The first RM001 and RM005 were remarkable in term of design and proportions. RM035 too, and that dream watch number 5 is to die for.
All wonderful examples — I agree with you especially on the DW5 from De Bethune!
It looks as if there may be at least one more article on cases that I will need to write at some point as you have given me many ideas (thank you!) and I have many photos in my archive…
Best, Gary
Really when we look at a watch, we pay attention to its case and details?. The case is the soul of any watch, and without it would not accommodate its caliber, its sphere, its needles, the bezel with its corresponding crystal, and the strap or the bracelet could not be fixed to wear it on the wrist. Infinity of materials, details of decoration and functional (like to serve of resonance box the clocks with soneria) are details that along with the size make of a clock to have the final detail of all its set.
I agree very much, Álvaro — I find watch cases fascinating, and yet my observation is that they are given very little attention — much less than they deserve.
Thanks very much for taking time to comment!
Best, Gary
I thought I was the only person who loved watch cases. Thanks for allowing me to not be alone.
Though mentioned by one reader I feel a second mention should be made of the case of the Rolex oyster. The case shape followed function, much as architecture in mid century did also. It is a perfect shape and suggests its welcome of its function to be a truly waterproof watch case.
Putting aside Rolex as a highly unusual and singular aspiration for millions, the oyster case revolutionized truly water proof watches with a design of form following function. The oyster case has been an influence on thousands of cases thereafter. The oyster case was and still is the grand slam of wrist watch case design in my opinion. The oyster case is to watches as automatic transmissions are to automobiles.
Good points, Harry — I particularly like your observation on form following function with the Rolex case, and as you say with so many imitators out there Rolex must have done something special with this design!
Best, Gary