In the Behind the Lens series, GaryG presents great watches as seen from a variety of visual perspectives, while at the same time passing along a few thoughts on what it’s like to shoot these pieces. And, from time to time, a helpful technical hint or two. And great watches don’t come much better than the Philippe Dufour Simplicity.
Joshua Munchow thinks that TAG Heuer’s move to separate the Autavia into its own collction and have it be fully supported by Caliber 5 with its Isograph carbon-composite hairspring is a definitive step to creating a new, solid base for the brand to build on.
Early American historian and Harvard professor Laurel Thatcher Ulrich titled her 2008 book ‘Well-Behaved Women Seldom Make History.’ Ulrich would probably be very interested to know about three famous Swiss and French brands whose very first wristwatches were made for – and in a way by – women. These watches by Breguet, Hermès, and Patek Philippe have made history.
Creating a proper, high-end mechanical ladies watch is something even the best of brands struggle with. Some simply take a men’s watch, make it a bit smaller, add some diamonds or mother-of-pearl, and call it a day. Others create what they think women would like (but are not quite sure). Here is what MB&F has done, and rest assured it is anything but ordinary!
Schwarz Etienne’s new flying tourbillon Ode To The Seventies takes its cues from psychedelic art, where it is applied using very traditional crafts to create a bold new timepiece. And we think it is groovy, baby!
Greubel Forsey introduces the Quadruple Tourbillon GMT, a watch combining the unbelievable titanium-globed multiple time zone complication from the GMT Earth and the brand’s second fundamental invention, the Quadruple Tourbillon. Combining these two stunning elements into one watch is incredibly challenging: necessitating the creation of a whole new caliber, the Quadruple Tourbillon GMT demonstrates (again) the mastery of this brand when it comes to the architectural art of precision timekeeping.
Chopard co-president Karl-Friedrich Scheufele had an opportunity for a retail space in Monaco and had the choice of making another Chopard boutique – which he really didn’t need – or not keeping the space (which was too good to pass on). The third idea idea was to create a multi-brand environment, but Art in Time turned into much more than that: it is an unusual space for unusually creative high-end watchmaking.
The 2016 is one of the most declared port vintages of all time. And deservedly so: Ken Gargett thinks that 2016 is a vintage that should warm the hearts of all fans of port wine and bring in many more new fans.
Ah, gift giving! If there’s another ostensibly positive activity so burdened with the risk of a negative outcome, GaryG has yet to find it. And a watch that looks like a skull for a special present isn’t perhaps a conventional choice, but he had no doubt that this particular skull would receive an enthusiastic reception. Find out why right here.
Why do high-end watches cost so much? To answer the question, Ian Skellern looked at low production numbers and high complexity, but the cost he focuses on here is hand-finishing, because unlike low production numbers and high complexity, ultra-high-level hand-finishing is not easy to appreciate.