The Ulysse Nardin Grand Deck Marine Tourbillon generated way more buzz at Baselworld 2016 than I would have expected. And the good news is that the buzz was incredibly positive, which could be seen as a bit surprising given the very playful nature of this timepiece. Could Monsieur Nardin have foretold the advent of this marine-inspired tourbillon in his day? I doubt it, then it is even today uniquely complicated.
While it is usually vibrant color that trumps the monotone hue of the dials emerging from Jaeger-LeCoultre’s “Métiers Rares Atelier,” in this particular case it is about ten layers of a carefully polished opaque black that draws the eye.
Meet the latest version of the Jaeger-LeCoultre Rendez-Vous High Jewellery Tourbillon, a mesmerizing mechanical treasure with a jet black enamel dial.
Queen Elizabeth II will celebrate her 90th birthday on April 21, 2016. Great Britain, however, will celebrate its reigning monarch accordingly with all the pomp and circumstance it can muster in May, and a few watch brands will take advantage of the opportunity to create beautiful and luxurious timepieces to mark the occasion. What can we expect to see? Read on to find out.
While Jaeger-LeCoultre is very strong on enameling, that isn’t the brand’s only artistic strength. Head of enameling Miklos Merczel and his department of artists now join artisans proficient in other métiers including gem setters, engravers, and a guillocheur in one department that opened at the beginning of 2016. Go inside it with us by reading more!
Please join our Quill & Pad round table discussion on Baselworld 2016. This time we take on some of the same topics that GaryG and his collector group use to the discuss their impressions of a watch fair: best of show, worst of show, watch you would buy with your own money, watch you would buy if money were no object, investment watch, patronage watch, fun watch, and a fantasy money no object watch.
I’ve been attending Baselworld for more than a quarter of a century now, so it is pretty hard to surprise me when I show up at a brand’s stand to see the new timepieces. But at Baselworld 2016 I was surprised by Seiko, de Grisogono, Chanel, and Romain Gauthier. Read on to find out what exactly these surprises were.
The age old themes of mortality and time comprise the starting point of Fiona Krüger’s Skulls. However, these are not your run-of-the-mill memento mori. The Petit Skulls are quirky, interesting, and beautiful in their own special way. And they do something that is very near and dear to my own heart: they highlight the beauty of the mechanical movement.
On March 25, 2016 the Rolling Stones will perform in Cuba for the very first time. And to celebrate this milestone in the history of the band (and history in general), Zenith presents the Christophe Colomb Tribute to The Rolling Stones. If you’re a fan of high watchmaking and a fan of this brand, you will love this colorful, complicated timepiece.
At Baselworld 2016, Corum presented the Golden Bridge Ronde designed by Italian jewelry designer Dino Modolo. Modolo was influenced by San Francisco’s Golden Gate: the suspension bridge’s tall towers, cables, crisscrossed railings, and rivets are immediately recognizable in the new version of the classic’s case.
At Baselworld 2016, Fabergé introduced a new men’s model with a freshly developed, highly imaginative movement: the Visionnaire DTZ. The Visionnaire DTZ is a GMT watch conceived to display two time zones. But it does that so neatly and concisely that you hardly notice that there are two time zones showing on the watch when you look at it.