Permanent Art Gets Inside You: Romain Jerome Tattoo-DNA By Xoil
People are always finding new outlets to express creativity because that is what humans do . . . right down to tattoo artists seeking new ways to create, leading to unusual collaborations. This is exactly the kind of thing that led to the creation of a watch featuring unique, hand-tattooed straps and a rather incredible juxtaposition of classic and modern watchmaking. I give you the Romain Jerome Tattoo-DNA by Xoil.
Why You Can’t Afford To Buy Your Watch If You Can’t Afford To Break It (Archive)
My first rule when it comes to collecting is to avoid setting too many exclusionary rules. If, however, I force myself to set criteria for what constitutes collecting to me, I keep coming back to passion and enjoyment. Nevertheless, there are lots of “safe queens” in the watch world. Yes, I’m looking at you, Mr. “Triple Sealed In Its Own Original Geneva Air And Never Wound Let Alone Chimed Patek Minute Repeater.”
Can You Lend A Hand? Caption Competition #28
Prosthetic limbs have come a long way since wooden peg legs and pirate hooks. Which explains why I was surprised by the fact that this arm below looks so evidently non-lifelike. What do you think this robotic arm might be for? Not what the arm is for per se, but the fictional story this photo might reveal in your mind.
All Watches (With Photos) Competing In The 2016 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève
It’s that time of year again when the list of watches entered in the next edition of the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) is published. The GPHG is the “Oscars” of the watchmaking industry, and 2016 is the sixteenth edition of the red carpet event.
This list comprises all of the watches competing in the first round of the competition from which the jury will pre-select six in each of the 12 categories.
Scarab Beetle Elytra Marquetry Makes The Hermès Arceau Pocket Ailes Et Ecailles Particularly Uncommon . . . And Beautiful
During a recent trip to Paris, I stopped by Hermès’ Faubourg Saint-Honoré boutique to look at the Crafting Time exhibition. A highlight was the intriguing Hermès Arceau Pocket Ailes et Ecailles, whose dial is uniquely embellished with scarab beetle elytra fragments in a beautiful shimmering mosaic.
Celebrating 20 Years Of Ulysse Nardin’s Marine Line
The first of the Ulysse Nardin Marine line arrived in 1996 in tribute to the 150th anniversary of the brand founded in 1846, and it was very simply christened with the words “Marine Chronometer 1846.” It marked the beginning of what has become one of the brand’s most recognized collections.
Transparently Sublime Bovet Ottantasei By Pininfarina: Near Perfection
I’ve been trying, but have not managed, to come up with a more diplomatic way of saying this, so I’ll just come out with it: up to now, I have not generally been a fan of Bovet 1822. So I was surprised by just how much I was impressed with the Ottantasei by Pininfarina and would be very happy to wear one daily. But there is one niggle that I just can’t shake off.
Piaget 12P: The Birth Of An Ultra-Thin Legacy
When Piaget introduced the manual wind Caliber 9P at the 1957 Basel Fair, at only 2 mm in height, it was considered an impossibility. Three years later, in 1960, Piaget stunned the watch world once again with Caliber 12P, an automatic movement that broke world records for its svelteness.
Jurassic Looks To Kill: The Patina Of Urwerk’s UR-105 T-Rex
The incredible UR-105 T-Rex is an extinct-reptile-inspired bronze creation using forced oxidation to create a dramatic patina on the surface, while the insides and the rear of the case remains crisp, black, and new as one would expect from Urwerk. My initial response was ‘whoa,’ but among observers there was no middle ground: the Urwerk UR-105 T-Rex is polarizing.
Commissioning A Watch: My Journey With The Kari Voutilainen Masterpiece Chronograph II
Date: late February 2010. Place: a small San Francisco restaurant. Players: an informal group of Northern California watch collectors, all owners of at least one Kari Voutilainen watch. One of the members of the group nonchalantly mentioned, “I’ve been talking with Kari about something . . ..” It was a set of bespoke Kari Voutilainen Masterpiece Chronograph II models. Time: two seconds later. Response: “I’m in!”