Ferdinand Berthoud was known for passing on his knowledge, taking in his first apprentice shortly after he opened his first workshop, which resulted in H.M.8, a fantastically accurate ship’s chronometer. The new FB 2RSM.2-1 is the modern spiritual successor to the H.M.8 and it originated with a modern apprentice.
As both an aesthetic and a mechanical evolution of the Krayon Everywhere, the Anywhere is first and foremost a sunrise-and-sunset watch. It has been significantly streamlined for a much cleaner dial so that much less effort is required by the wearer. Joshua Munchow has the complete lowdown here.
Stepan Sarpaneva’s Nocturne is a stunning example of Finnish creativity and collaboration between two very different types of art. And once the sun goes down and the dial starts to glow, this watch’s visuals create a different world altogether.
Joshua Munchow became somewhat informed about gemstones and related techniques in studying for the jewelry-heavy Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève categories we discuss annually. This new information has sparked a significant amount of passion for the topic, leaving him wanting to share some of what he’s learned about one of the most beautiful sides of haute horology: gems and their settings.
When Joshua Munchow first saw the Greubel Forsey Tourbillon 24 Secondes Architecture, he was surprised. But now, in the full context of everything happening with the brand, his main reaction is, “Greubel Forsey is dead, long live Greubel Forsey!”
After seven decades carefully stored away in the Zenith archives, ten of the original chronometry competition-winning movements find their way into a limited set of new watches thanks to Phillips, legendary independent watchmaker Kari Voutilainen, and Zenith’s current management.
Joshua Munchow talks about steel here, the metal that made the world! Watch cases and other movement components are commonly made from certain stainless steels, 304 and 316L being the most frequent. It also happens that some brands hold exclusive rights to use specific alloys in the production of its watches. Here’s what you should know about steel.
Osmium is so rare and dense, has such a high melting point, and is so hard to form or compress that it has very few practical uses. But earlier this year Czapek & Cie released the limited edition Antarctique Frozen Star S with an absolutely mind-blowing dial made of pure osmium crystals.
The retrograde indication is one of Joshua Munchow’s favorite “Because We Can” (BWC) complications. Gears are an amazing invention and have allowed watchmakers to make incredible creations. Simple gear systems leave a multitude of openings for creativity. Look at some great retrogrades here.
The secret of the Parmigiani GMT Rattrapante, which does not look to have either GMT or rattrapante functionality, is the advance button on the lug. It moves the white gold hour hand forward one hour per push, revealing a pink gold home time hour hand underneath. And how practical this is for travel!
