Why Do Ultra-High-End Watches Cost So Much? Hand-Finishing At Romain Gauthier Sheds Some Light – Reprise
Why do high-end watches cost so much? To answer the question, Ian Skellern looked at low production numbers and high complexity, but the cost he focuses on here is hand-finishing, because unlike low production numbers and high complexity, ultra-high-level hand-finishing is not easy to appreciate.
Is Silicon Here To Stay In (Rolex) Watch Movements? – Reprise
Hairsprings are miniscule. Generally no more than one centimeter in overall diameter when coiled, they are roughly 50 microns thick and 150 microns wide. Tiny they may be, but insignificant they are not. In fact, they are so significant that Rolex refers to them as “the guardians of time.” But what do silicon hairsprings bring to the table? Watchmaker Ashton Tracy explains why he went from skeptic to fan.
Behind The Lens: Vianney Halter Anniversary
One of the inconveniences associated with the current restrictions on gatherings is that GaryG’s local watch gang hasn’t met in person so he hasn’t been able to borrow interesting watches to shoot. However, just prior to the lockdown in California, he did pick up an intriguing piece from a pal: the Anniversary by Vianney Halter. Check it out in every great photographic variation here.
Open Letter To Bulgari CEO Jean-Christophe Babin: I’m Sorry, I Was Wrong. Whether Geneva Watch Days Runs Or Not In Late August 2020, It Was Worth Optimistically Planning For
Whether Geneva Watch Days takes place or not, and whether it’s deemed successful or not because of all the travel and quarantine restrictions, doesn’t change the fact that there was a good chance that it could have run very successfully. Which means Ian Skellern was wrong in calling Bulgari CEO Jean-Christophe Babin delusional for organizing it. And for that he apologizes.
Equus Forma Mechanica: The Parmigiani Fleurier Hippologia – Reprise
One viewing of the Parmigiani Fleurier Hippologia in action is enough to confirm that its two horses’ gaits seem completely fluid and natural. The Hippologia displays two horses, a mare, and a foal taking a stroll around a Lalique glassware cabinet enclosing the highly complicated automaton and eight-day clock movement. This is an object that needs to be seen to be believed.
Swiss Newcomer Norqain Introduces (Relatively) Affordable Independence 20 With Upmarket Movement
Sabine Zwettler likes the flair of Norqain, a young, innovative brand bringing a fresh impulse by respecting the traditional values of the industry in general and Swiss codes in particular. She finds reading the time on this brand-new watch’s unusual green dial with its charming scratches a real pleasure. What do you think?
Zen And The Art Of Wristwatch Maintenance: The Benefits Of Learning To Service Your Own Watch
Colin Alexander Smith’s journey into what some call “watch fettling” began with a case of cat-killing curiosity: one of the subdial hands on a cheap watch had come loose, bringing it to a halt. That led him down a horological rabbit hole. Here he explains why you might want to consider a similar path.
What Defines A Handmade Mechanical Watch In The Modern World?
To this day, when most people think about luxury watches they picture a wizened, white-haired man in a white lab coat bent over a workbench against the backdrop of snowy Alps busily filing away at watch parts. It’s a lovely picture, but not very representative of the modern – or even necessarily traditional – watch industry as Elizabeth Doerr explains here.
Penfolds 2016 Grange And G4: Superlative Wines, Well Deserving Of 100 Points. Each!
Ken Gargett thinks that the Penfolds Grange 2016 has a good 50 years ahead of it, for anyone planning their grandkids’ cellar. Giving this wine 100 points is one of the easiest things he has done in ages. And yet, the day after the wine seemed even better. Outstanding. And he rates the G4 as good as it gets. Cheers.
Purnell Escape II Double Tourbillon: Double Triple-Axis Spherical Tourbillons At That!
Complicated haute horlogerie doesn’t get much better than twin triple-axis spherical tourbillons as found in the Purnell Escape II Double Tourbillon. And while in some cases less is more, here more is definitely more. The tourbillons are mesmerizing in part thanks to their high rotation velocity; they make full revolutions in respectively 8, 16, and 30 seconds. What is behind this masterful piece of high watchmaking?