Vacheron Constantin Reveals Elements of ‘Most Complicated Watch In The World’ For 260th Anniversary
In honor of the manufacture’s 260th anniversary, Vacheron Constantin will present a new special order masterpiece on September 17, 2015 the company has called “one of the greatest man-made objects in the world.” Here we take an early look at a sampling of what is in store.
Why I Bought It: Greubel Forsey Invention Piece 1
Seems it wasn’t that long ago (in reality, it was close to a year ago) that I wrote my first “Objects of Desire” article about the watches of Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey, finishing with: given the prices of their watches I was unlikely to be able to buy any of the ones I truly lusted after anytime soon. My observation at the time was “go big or go home.” As you will see, I’ve ended up going big and am now the proud owner of a Greubel Forsey Invention Piece 1.
The Collector’s View: Tattooist Mo Coppoletta On Watches
“Whether collecting art or watches, when I fall in love with something, then I need to understand, I need to research deeply,” Mo Coppeletta explains. “You may have taste, but if that isn’t backed up with knowledge then it is superficial.” Coppoletta was wearing an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Skeleton. “It’s my summer watch,” he commented. What else does he own and how did he get into collecting watches?
Eleven Regal Timepieces From Patek Philippe’s Grand Exhibition At London’s Saatchi Gallery
During twelve days at the end of May and the beginning of June 2015, Patek Philippe took over the trendy Saatchi Gallery in London for its wonderfully orchestrated Grand Exhibition. The exhibition was meticulously organized to be followed in an ordered sequence and featured the brand’s modern core ranges along with a host of vintage watches, including a number of royal examples. And even two watches belonging to queens of England.
Rods, Springs, And Palpitating Diamonds: The Ballon Bleu De Cartier Serti Vibrant
Sparkle. It’s why the way diamonds are presented is critical to the intended effect of razzle-dazzle we all love so much. For this reason, people have been experimenting with setting techniques for a long time, and a few examples have become part of jewelry canon. Cartier’s new “vibrating” setting is inspired by an old setting that looks to change the options available. It debuts with the Ballon Bleu de Cartier Serti Vibrant watch, an intense diamond experience bound to fascinate the eyes of men and women alike.
Heartbeat: Longines Conquest Classic Moonphase And Arnaud Clément At Roland Garros 2015
Every year since 2008, Longines has staged an exhibition match during Roland Garros featuring current and former professional tennis greats to play with the finalists of the Future Aces tournament. This year, the thirteen-year-old finalists, Xiaofei Wang and Jack Pinnington-Jones, had the pleasure of playing with French Davis Cup captain Arnaud Clément and 2007 Wimbledon doubles champion Michaël Llodra in an entertaining matchup of fake grunts and tricky hot dog shots.
Artisans Du Temps: 30th Anniversary AHCI Exhibition At MIH Museum In La Chaux-De-Fonds
In 1985, Svend Andersen and Vincent Calabrese founded the AHCI: Académie Horlogère des Créateurs Indépendants. The aim was to help independent watchmakers survive at a time when large brands and quartz watches were dominating the horological world. In 1985 very few people even knew that there was such a thing as independent watchmaking, as advertising and exhibitions (of which there were very few) were far too expensive for them to participate in. Today, 30 years later, the AHCI boasts 35 members and four candidates. Not bad for an organization I once described as “like herding cats.”
The Kees Engelbarts Tourbillon Organic Skeleton
Extraordinary engraver Kees Engelbarts loves his skeletonized watches as they do very much showcase his art form. “I wanted to make another kind of skeleton watch,” he says about his latest creation called Tourbillon Organic Skeleton. “Most skeleton watches are, as you know, very symmetric. My plan was to make a skeleton watch without a drawing or plan before starting, by just taking away material from the base plate and bridges that is not needed.”
Grand Seiko: Already Big In Japan And Getting Bigger Near You
Seiko’s story is much more complicated than most people might think. This is a manufacturer that doesn’t follow trends, but has created a few of its own, capitalizing on various types of expertise and knowledge that were the mother of necessity for a manufacturer located so far away from the established centers of watchmaking in Europe. Grand Seiko is the most appealing line to connoisseurs of fine watchmaking, and we look at it in some depth here.
Complication One By Emmanuel Bouchet Featuring A Giant Swiss Lever Escapement
Emmanuel Bouchet first came to our attention with the incredibly animated Opus 12 for Harry Winston. He has now launched his own brand with Complication 1, which pays homage to the ubiquitous Swiss lever escapement with his own extremely slow-beating, giant Swiss lever escapement placed dial-side. And that’s just the beginning!