Entries by Elizabeth Doerr

L-Evolution Tourbillon Carrousel By Blancpain: Whirlwind And Karussel Converge

The most significant difference between the tourbillon and the karussel is that Bonniksen’s device is driven by the third wheel (the transmission wheel between the wheels driving the minutes and seconds) instead of the fourth wheel (which also drives the second hand) like Breguet’s revolving whirlwind. This fact makes the karussel much sturdier and less prone to shock than the traditional tourbillon. But that’s not all: what about a watch that combines both? Extraordinary!

Art Basel 2015: Synchronicity And Resonance Characterize Audemars Piguet Installation With Robin Meier

“It’s a tent,” Audemars Piguet CEO François-Henry Bennahmias jokingly explained during Art Basel at the opening of Robin Meier’s installation “Synchronicity,” pointing to the large, soft structure barely discernible behind him in the dark room. It did indeed look like a tent. A tent encompassing the most unusual type of art installation I had ever seen. Welcome to the world of synchronous firefly flashes and grasshopper chirps in the name of art.

The 2015 Red Dot Has A New Watch Category. And The Winners Are . . . .

There are an unusually large number of design awards, but not one of them holds a candle to the Red Dot, which is inarguably the most famous and important of them.

The Red Dot awards prizes for design in a multitude of categories, from refrigerators to lawn mowers and everything in between. These prizes are also awarded on many levels, e.g. Best of the Best, Honorable Mention, etc.

However, until the 2015 edition of the competition, there has never been a dedicated watch category.

Two of the watches in 2015 received the highest honor of Best of the Best: Horological Machine 6 Space Pirate by MB&F and the Apple Watch.

Vintage Jaeger — Not Jaeger-LeCoultre — Panda Dial 4 ATM

You often see watches signed “LeCoultre,” but very rarely simply signed “Jaeger.” The reason is that Edmond Jaeger of Paris and Jacques-David LeCoultre of Le Sentier, Switzerland merged their businesses in the early 1900s and it became Jaeger-LeCoultre in 1937. While we often see the”LeCoultre” name on dials, we very, very rarely see one signed “Jaeger.” So, take a good long look, you may never see one again.

The Whimsical Song Of Jaquet Droz’s Charming Bird

When historians, journalists, and informed clients think of Pierre Jaquet-Droz, thoughts soon automatically turn to the songbird. Adding the songbird to a modern Jaquet Droz timepiece celebrates the brand’s past and pays homage to its founder by reviving this ultra-rare miniaturized technology. The Charming Bird wristwatch is now in production. And all I can say is, “Wow!”

Watchspotting At The 24 Hours Of Le Mans 2015 Starring Chopard, Rolex, TAG Heuer, Rebellion, And Franck Muller

The 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race is legendary among motorsports enthusiasts, and I was overjoyed to have been Chopard’s guest during what is for many the most famous motorsport race in the world. At this year’s event I counted a great number of watch brands in attendance in some way including Rolex, Chopard, TAG Heuer, Rebellion, and Franck Muller.

Porsche Wins 24 Hours Of Le Mans 2015 And Chopard Presents Superfast Chrono Porsche 919 Jacky Ickx Edition

Chopard co-president Karl-Friedrich Scheufele loves Porsche. “We are one of the rare watch brands with a genuine connection to cars,” Scheufele sums up the ultra-successful weekend of the 24 Hours of Le Mans during which Chopard’s partner Porsche added to its mythos by winning the race a seventeenth time. “Not every brand can say that.”

Glashütte Original Chronograph Caliber 37: Continuing Tradition (Exhibition In California)

Glashütte Original’s goal for the chronograph movement inside the new Senator Chronograph Panorama Date was to have balanced functions with reliability, legibility, and a feeling of luxuriousness. To achieve this, the company’s experienced team took the best elements of its previous chronographs, added the company’s signature panorama date, and created the automatic flyback Caliber 37-01.

Heartbeat: Longines Conquest Classic Moonphase And Arnaud Clément At Roland Garros 2015

Every year since 2008, Longines has staged an exhibition match during Roland Garros featuring current and former professional tennis greats to play with the finalists of the Future Aces tournament. This year, the thirteen-year-old finalists, Xiaofei Wang and Jack Pinnington-Jones, had the pleasure of playing with French Davis Cup captain Arnaud Clément and 2007 Wimbledon doubles champion Michaël Llodra in an entertaining matchup of fake grunts and tricky hot dog shots.