You may be asking yourself why Ken Gargett is reviewing yet another 2008 vintage champagne. For starters, he’s doing it because 2008 is a great year. But also because the Taittinger Comtes de Champagne just might be the best of the 2008s. This champagne has a litany of high scores – most range from 98 to 100 – and praise from critics (including this one).
Following the record-breaking weekend comprising the Phillips and Only Watch auctions, the vintage world turns to the remaining houses yet to stage their auctions this season. And so our pals at The Watches TV went hands on with a few lots of Zurich’s Ineichen auction house from the year’s final auction to be held on November 20 and 21, 2021.
The iconic Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso, one of the most emblematic timepieces of all time, endlessly renews itself in countless embodiments, even 90 years after its birth. Here Y-Jean Mun-Delsalle reports on the ‘Reverso: Timeless Stories Since 1931’ exhibition in Paris, which just opened and will run through December 24, 2021.
A sense of unity and purpose evident throughout the latest edition of the biennial Only Watch auction, which took place on November 6, 2021, yielded a number of interesting results for the 53 participating watches. Here are those results listed in order of their generous bids.
Daniel Roth lives on in Bulgari in the Octo Roma Central Tourbillon Papillon, an incredible watch showcasing the results of creative combinations in both business and design. Joshua Munchow takes a closer look.
As most folks who follow Patek Philippe are aware, the brand has long been in the habit of making unique watches for special customers, including in recent times entertainment luminaries such as Eric Clapton and Michael Ovitz. It was not until 2015, however, that Patek Philippe publicly issued a number of small editions of previously discontinued references, each in previously unmade metal/dial combinations. This Patek Philippe Reference 5070J-013 is one of those ultra-rare birds. And GaryG wonders if it might bring yellow gold back into fashion single-handedly, as for him the combination of the yellow gold case and sunburst-brushed brown dial is as gorgeous as it is unexpected.
Many think that Louis Vuitton’s first watch was the Tambour, which was launched in 2002. However the brand actually began with a watch collection called Monterey in the 1980s. The Monterey I, an unusual worldtime watch designed by Gae Aulenti with date and moon phase, was soon followed by the ceramic-encased Monterey II that added an alarm function.
It’s been ten years since the De Bethune DB28 won the Aiguille d’Or at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève. Effectively the “Best Picture” at the “Oscars” of watchmaking, this recognition placed De Bethune among the elite company of Aiguille d’Or winners such as F.P. Journe, Greubel Forsey, Breguet, Audemars Piguet, A. Lange & Söhne, and Patek Philippe. A decade removed from its Hollywood ending, the DB28 remains a grail watch in every sense.
Seems it wasn’t that long ago that GaryG wrote his first “Objects of Desire” article about the watches of Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey, finishing with the sentiment that given the prices of their watches that he was unlikely to be able to buy any of the ones he truly lusted after anytime soon. Gary’s observation at the time was “go big or go home.” As you will see, he ended up going big and is now the proud owner of a Greubel Forsey Invention Piece 1.
Despite all its scholarly technology, Elizabeth Doerr finds Antoine Preziuso’s Stella Polare Tourbillon Muonionalusta to be far more wearable for slimmer wrists than some of his other creations. Not only that, this watch is the culmination of the independent watchmaker’s journey to capture a shooting star.