Gérald Genta’s claim to eternal horological fame is closely connected to the rise of high-end stainless steel watches: he designed both the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak (1972) and the Patek Philippe Nautilus (1976). While those two watches alone are enough to make Genta a legend, he did much, much more than that as Martin Green shares here.
Piaget is one of Martin Green’s favorite brands ever; he ranks it on par with Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin. Apart from an exciting history, Piaget has also been at the forefront of Martin’s favorite ‘complication,’ the ultra-slim watch. Check out the latest versions of Piaget’s svelte Altiplano here!
A grail watch can be pretty much anything. But one thing a grail watch always is is personal. Very personal. Martin Green was introduced to his personal grail watch by a close friend who had recently treated himself to a new watch: a pre-Collection Privée Cartier Paris Louis Cartier Tank in platinum. Here’s the story of how Martin got his grail.
As much as they may glitter, the diamonds are not the most critical thing in a diamond-set watch: the setting is. Creating a diamond-set watch is not at all as easy as many think, but when done right the result can be spectacular – as is the case with the Patek Philippe Diamond Ribbon Joaillerie.
What makes an enamel dial so magical? That is the question Martin Green asked himself when presented with the new version of the Classique Tourbillon Extra-Plat Automatique with a blue oven-fired enamel dial that Breguet recently launched. You may enjoy the answer he came up with.
There was a time when viewers didn’t consciously pay that much attention to what kind of wristwatches movie characters wore. This often meant that actors wore their personal watches on set, sometimes even when it didn’t suit the movie. Today placing a wristwatch in a big film is big business, which also changes the types of timepieces characters now wear.
Place Vendôme has always held an extraordinary attraction for Martin Green: he cannot visit the French capital without going there. The square is occupied by hôtel particuliers, or historical city townhouses, which served as homes and offices to some of the richest and most influential families in France. And while their façades are homogeneous, what’s behind them is not: one of the magical places there is the Jaeger-LeCoultre boutique at 7 Place Vendôme.
Jaeger-LeCoultre supports ‘The Supermarket Of Images,’ the latest exhibition at the Jeu de Paume arts center in Paris, which exhibits and promotes all forms of mechanical and electronic imagery. The exhibition’s central premise is that our lives are increasingly saturated with images. The impact of this is the story that this exhibition tells.
When perpetual calendars are too complicated but a simple calendar just doesn’t cut it anymore because nearly half the months have less than 31 days, it’s five adjusts a year too many for some. But don’t fret, there is a middle ground between the most basic calendar watches and complex perpetual calendars. The annual calendar automatically adjusts for each month with 30 or 31 days, meaning just one adjust for the owner in February. Here’s a brief history of the complication.
Breguet launches the Classique Dame Reference 9065 in time to celebrate Valentine’s Day and the season of love, but rest assured this watch is the right choice any time. Martin Green thinks that’s largely due to the Tahitian mother-of-pearl dial, but there’s much more to this colorful delight as he explains here.