Many of the great marques in the history of watchmaking were driven by prominent figures who ended up with a watch named after them. Such was the case for both Louis Cartier and Pierre Arpels. Both were born into jewelry and watch dynasties and both made prominent marks on the histories of their respective houses. How else are they intertwined? Martin Green explains here.
After obtaining a Delta Dolce Vita Oversized at the conclusion of my Italian period, I was a very happy man. The pen served me very well, and I was in love with the looks as well as the writing experience that it provided. As usual though, while I wasn’t looking for a replacement, it happened anyway. But this time with some very famous brands.
A grail watch can be pretty much anything. But one thing a grail watch always is is personal. Very personal. I was introduced to my personal grail watch by a close friend of mine who had recently treated himself to a new watch: a pre-Collection Privée Cartier Paris Louis Cartier Tank in platinum.
Carole Forestier-Kasapi and her team really got carried away with the new Minute Repeater Mysterious Double Tourbillon. The result is a mechanical behemoth that doesn’t hide its horological prowess, but rather grabs the attention of the senses of those fortunate enough to behold it.
Can a watch with a tourbillon clearly visible on the dial side ever be understated? Common sense says no, but for the Traditionnelle Minute Repeater Tourbillon, Vacheron Constantin says yes! Find out why Martin Green compares this watch new to the Geneva-based brand’s arsenal of classic timepieces to a Tesla P100D with ludicrous mode.
The DB11 is a true old-school Gran Turismo, a car to travel with from London or Paris to the Cote d’Azur in comfort, luxury, and most certainly style. And there is something magical about a V12 engine: its distinct sound and the knowledge that there is a mythical beast under the hood.
A universe on the wrist: there is simply no other way to describe the Astronomia by Jacob & Co. This watch is a testimony to the development of watchmaking, not as a practical science, but as a form of art. Yes, the Astronomia tells time. But that becomes a mere detail lost in the visual impact that this watch provides.
Being Ferrari means that you have a significant challenge. Where each new generation of Porsche’s 911 is an evolution, each Ferrari has to be a revolution: superior to its predecessor in often radical ways. Not every revolution empowers the right forces, but when it does, you get something like the Ferrari 488 GTB, a thoroughbred sportscar that even dips a tire into the supercar arena.
What sells watches? This is the 20 billion Swiss franc question in today’s challenging economic climate.For at least part of the answer to what sells watches (and how to buy them in down markets), we can learn a lot from two of the steadiest performers in the watch industry.
In 1974 Dutch watchmaker Christiaan van der Klaauw founded his own workshop making astronomical clocks, then soon similar complications for wristwatches. He retired in 2009, passing his baton along to Daniel Reintjes, who is now in charge of the world’s only watch brand completely dedicated to astronomical watches. Quill & Pad’s Martin Green sat down with Reintjes to get a feel for where the brand is now.