Book Review: ‘Retro Watches’ By Josh Sims And Mitch Greenblatt

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Very, very rarely does Elizabeth Doerr see a watch book where everything fits together in the way a book should: engaging, well-written text; very obviously carefully copyedited; great paper quality; good, clear, pleasing-to-the-eye design; super photography, and an engaging subject matter. And she’s happy to report it does here. ‘Retro Watches’ by Josh Sims and Mitch Greenblatt is a must-read for those interested in affordable, design-focused watches of a quirky bygone era.

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Richard Mille (All-Female) Racing Team And The (Virtual) 24 Hours Of Le Mans

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Richard Mille – the man – is the FIA Endurance Commission president, so a Richard Mille Racing Team taking part in the FIA World Endurance Championships with an LMP2 Oreca 07 prototype is perhaps not surprising. What is surprising, however, is that this brand-new team is all female and preparing to take on the mythical 24 Hours of Le Mans.

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Cartier, Hublot, And Louis Erard: When Time Takes A Backseat To Art

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What happens when form dominates function nearly completely and the watch itself becomes a canvas for art? What if artistic freedom can be enjoyed without time being the primary purpose? Martin Green highlights three great examples here.

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Champagne Louis Roederer Cristal 2012: Biodynamic Viticulture At Its Very Best

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The release of the thrilling 2012 Cristal heralds the culmination of Louis Roederer’s efforts in biodynamics. The vineyard has released champagnes in the recent past that have been biodynamic, or part thereof, but this is the first time the flagship, the legendary Cristal, is 100 percent biodynamic. And what a vintage for it!

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A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk Minute Repeater And Its Large Digits: Does It Cause Hyperdigitalia?

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Joshua Munchow has a strong affinity for A. Lange & Söhne, for one because beginning with the Lange 1 and the later Zeitwerk, and now with the new Odysseus, the brand has created a very specific aesthetic around large digital displays. Here he explains why and how Lange’s large numerals and letters work (and not only for him!).

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Jaquet Droz Grande Seconde Tourbillon Opal

Shrouded In Mystery And Fire: Opals In Jaquet Droz And Piaget Timepieces – Reprise

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Alexander Doerr had never really paid much attention to opals before, but upon closer inspection he realized this gemstone is extraordinary – shrouded in mystery and well worth learning more about. Looking at an opal is like looking at fireworks or even looking into a galaxy. And, as he learned, two Swiss watch brands specialize in using the fiery gemstone in watches: Jaquet Droz and Piaget.

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No longer a prototype, the production version of Naissance d’Une Montre, Le Garde Temps on display at SIHH 2016

The Schmidt List: Signature Movement Screws – Reprise

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The components of a mechanical watch movement are little more than a series of springs and wheels held together by plates and/or bridges. No matter the configuration, complication or finish, the ensemble is secured by the humble movement screw. So it’s a pleasant surprise that several watchmakers have boldly ventured beyond the thread and the slot to reimagine the movement screw as Ryan Schmidt notes.

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Meet The Spaceman: A Popular Fashion Watch Of the 1960s And 1970s That Was Almost Forgotten In A Drawer

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Launched in 1969, the Catena/Zeno Spaceman is special thanks to its funky design as well as its its fiberglass and chrome case. The Spaceman’s blend of ovals, curves, and straight lines was just right for that groovy time in fashion, touching a nerve in a hip watch-buying public. It was a polarizing watch: people generally either hated it or loved it at first sight, and remains so today. Here is the brief history of this fun vintage watch.

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Let Them Eat Cake: The Intriguing Story Of Marie Antoinette And Her Legendary Breguet Pocket Watch No. 160 – Reprise

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In 1783, just as the queen of France, Marie Antoinette, was sitting for a portrait, an officer of the queen’s guard visited Abraham-Louis Breguet’s workshop: Queen Marie Antoinette desired a pocket watch containing all known horological complications at the time. It took 44 years to complete and is perhaps the most famous watch in history, as much for its intriguing story as its ingenious mechanics.

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Five weeks in a balloon Van Cleef & Arpels Complication Poetique

Hot Air Magic: How Wristwatches And Hot Air Balloons Soar Upward – Reprise

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Strong stories and captivating histories constantly seduce watchmakers to create various special editions, and ballooning is one of those adventurous feats that has captured some horological imaginations. Here Jan Lidmaňský highlights a few watch brands that have floated through the sky, both literally and figuratively.

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