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.
Vacheron Constantin FiftySix Blue: The Delight Of A Well-Designed Dial
At the 2019 SIHH, Vacheron Constantin introduced the contemporary FiftySix line with blue dials. And while normally a new dial color is less exciting than a new watch or complication, the new blue highlighted just how good the dial design of the FiftySix is!
Seiko Credor Fugaku Tourbillon: A Masterpiece Of Horological Art – Reprise
When most people think of Seiko, they think of the mass-produced quartz watches that dominated the world’s markets in the 1980s and thereafter. What many don’t realize is that Seiko, one of only a handful of companies able to manufacture a watch from A to Z, makes the full range all the way up to full-on mechanical handmade horological delicacies with fine finishing and artful embellishment. And they don’t come more full on than the Seiko Credor Fugaku Tourbillon.
Slim d’Hermès Titane: Looks Might Not Be Everything, But This Hermès Was An SIHH Showstopper For Me
At the 2019 SIHH, Ian was jolted at a private Hermès presentation by a watch so new that it would not be launched for a couple of months yet: the Slim d’Hermès Titane. Two things surprised him about the Slim d’Hermès Titane: just how much he liked it (and “liked” as in “he wants to buy one”) and how, when Ian personally focuses on the independents, did he start considering Hermès?
On The Wrist: Armin Strom Pure Resonance
During the week of SIHH 2019 Elizabeth Doerr had the opportunity of wearing Armin Strom’s resonance watch in its purest form: the Pure Resonance. And she admits to having been excited for the opportunity. Read on to discover how she felt about it after a few days.
Three IWC Catalogs Illustrate The Dramatic Evolution Of The Watch Industry
Martin Green took three catalogs from IWC – the 1989, 1993, and 1996/97 editions – noting the differences between them and the current market. This is a journey full of surprises, forgotten watches, unknown treasures, and a shocking realization of how fast horological evolution has progressed.
Romain Gauthier Prestige HMS Stainless Steel With Rare Henbury Meteorite Dial
Romain Gauthier releases a ten-piece limited edition version of his Prestige HMS in steel. The first-time serial use of a steel case underscores the rarity of this watch’s unusual Henbury meteorite dial. Elizabeth Doerr takes a closer look at what makes this watch so special.
Cohiba Siglo VI Gran Reserva Cigars Bring Tears To A Glass Eye
As Ken Gargett explains, to adequately describe a Cohiba Siglo VI Gran Reserva cigar is almost like trying to catch the velvety smoke it produces in your hand. And it is dense, velvety smoke. The texture is as soft as cotton bud clouds. Plush and cushiony. Many describe it as the greatest cigar they have ever tasted, but, ouch, the price!
Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Grande Tradition Gyrotourbillon Westminster Perpétuel: The Fifth Coming Of The Gyrotourbillon
The Jaeger-LeCoultreMaster Grande Tradition Gyrotourbillon Westminster Perpétuel, aka Gyrotourbillon 5, is a smaller version of the original biaxial Gyrotourbillon. And it has been updated with a perpetual calendar, minute repeater with Westminster chime, one-minute remontoir d’égalité, a jumping minute hand, and a jumping date display. Whew!
The Intriguing Story Of Marie Antoinette And Her Legendary Breguet Pocket Watch No. 160 – Reprise
In 1783, just as the queen of France, Marie Antoinette, was sitting for a portrait, an officer of the queen’s guard visited Abraham-Louis Breguet’s workshop: Queen Marie Antoinette desired a pocket watch containing all known horological complications at the time. It took 44 years to complete and is perhaps the most famous watch in history, as much for its intriguing story as its ingenious mechanics.