Our Predictions In The Mechanical Exception Category Of The 2020 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG): Exceptional Circumstances Split Down The Middle
The Mechanical Exception category features men’s or ladies’ watches with a special mechanism such as an innovative or sophisticated display, an automaton, a belt-driven movement, a striking or other acoustic function, or any other original and/or exceptional horological concept. And we surely have an intriguing set of finalists in the Mechanical Exception category this year: everything from a tumbling triple-axis tourbillon to an electronically controlled hybrid timepiece to a paper-thin mechanical watch and an automaton minutely replicating a 16-cylinder engine. And even more!
Hermès New Watches For 2020 Featuring The Daringly Different Aaaargh! (Video)
Our friends at The Watches TV had a chance to see the Hermès watches for 2020 – and they (and we) were in luck to also hear from La Montre Hermès CEO Laurent Dordet. Host Marc André Deschoux goes through the new Hermès pieces one by one, beginning with the 2020 L’Heure de la Lune, the first version of which launched in 2019, which he thinks is “A super-hot watch.” Things go seriously wacky from there.
Diamond-Set Watches: Who Knew Fine Craftsmanship Was So Complicated? – Reprise
Adding a few diamonds to a watch: how hard can that be? As it turns out, stone setting is a lot more difficult than many appreciate. Diamond-setting watches requires the expertise and craftsmanship of about half a dozen highly skilled craftspeople, each a master of their craft.
Ressence Type 2A/2G: Is This Electronic-Mechanical Hybrid Timepiece The Future Of Mechanical Watchmaking?
With concept cars, it is typical for most of the features on the prototype to be weeded out once the design is optimized for manufacturing. The electronical-mechanical Ressence Type 2 is the complete opposite, Joshua Munchow says, as it has retained pretty much every single thing the concept watch of 2018 offered and has only improved in function. Is the Ressence Type 2 the future of mechanical watches?
Are Today’s Vintage Watch Buyers Killing Watchmaking? – Reprise
To the extent that new enthusiasts represent the future of the watch market, is it possible that their enthusiasm for the past will prove highly damaging, or even lethal, to the industry’s future? GaryG shares his thoughts on the subject here.
The World’s Best Wine? No Contest: Romanée-Conti By Domaine De La Romanée-Conti – Reprise
There is one wine producer that has taken on almost mythical status in recent years: Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. And one of its wines, Romanée-Conti, stands out above all others. Many wine lovers, perhaps most, consider it to be the very best wine in the world. Ken Gargett is one of them.
The Greatest Watch (Bracelet) Story Ever Told. Spoiler Alert: Lange Datograph Lumen Upgrade, What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
CB thought it was a great idea to add a legendary platinum bracelet to his A. Lange & Söhne Datograph Lumen. At first it looked like it would be easy, but then there were a few unforeseen “issues.” GaryG tells the up-and-down story of one man’s search (and willingness to fight) for his dream Grail.
Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Mariner Memovox: Sounds Traveling Through Water Like Whale Song
The Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Mariner Memovox doesn’t just sound as good below water as it does above, it sounds even better! While many of the recent Memovox models have been unashamedly contemporized, the Polaris Mariner Memovox is a relatively faithful tribute to the original 1965 Polaris. And it sounds as charming as the original, but better in every way.
Ulysse Nardin Blast: Highly Volatile Explosive
Ulysse Nardin offers the Blast in five different case versions, and each of these case materials has great impact on the look of the individual watch. In most watches, ceramic cases provide an edgy feel that Martin Green thinks often makes them look better than their metal-encased siblings. Not so with the Blast, he feels. Check out all of his thoughts on this new watch here.
Our Predictions In The Calendar And Astronomy Category Of The 2020 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG): We See A Good Moon A-Rising
The GPHG Calendar and Astronomy category emphasizes astronomical and/or calendar complications included in men’s watches. Sorry, ladies’ watches, you don’t seem to count here. The six nominated watches cover quite a wide gamut of styles, complications, and price categories. And our panelists’ picks for winner cover a rather wide gamut as well.