Photo Caption Competition No. 10 Featuring Two “Hard” Men Rugged Up For Cold Weather
Thanks for the entries in last week’s caption competition and congratulations to Martin Moore for his winning caption linking smartwatches and dogs. You can check that out at Photo Caption Competition No. 9.
This week’s caption competition looks relatively easy (I know, that’s easy for me say): statues of two men rugged up for the cold. One has a what looks like a briefcase so they may be commuters.
Or maybe not. That’s for you to decide.
Benzinger By Zanella: Mechanical Art With Heart
While you hear very often that watches are “mechanical art,” in this case the overused description makes sense: here mechanical art (Benzinger’s unique movement embellishment) meets conventional art in the form of the dial embellished with an oil-on-canvas painting by French painter Léon Zanella.
Pure Basaltic Lava Reinforced With Resin Is The Secret Ingredient In The Visconti Homo Sapiens Pen
More than five years ago, Visconti introduced the Homo Sapiens collection featuring a new concept in writing instrument design: lava straight from the active volcano Mt. Etna on the island of Sicily was used to craft the bodies of the pens. Now, a new era is being explored with the Homo Sapiens Dark Age. And though the Dark Ages signified cultural decline, ironically this pen represents nothing if not the opposite.
The How, What, When, Where And Why Of Seeing The Aurora Borealis, AKA Northern Lights
My wife and I serendipitously chanced upon “seeing” the aurora borealis while visiting Jackson Hole, Wyoming last year, and the excitement of that led to months of research. And that research led more recently to spending a few days in the Arctic Circle in the north of Sweden. Here is what I’ve learned about the northern lights so far, some of it firsthand.
Prediction Comes True: Panerai Lo Scienziato Luminor 1950 Tourbillon GMT Titanium With DMLS 3D-Printed Titanium Case
Imagine my surprise when, in one of my rare predictions about the future of 3D printing in watchmaking, I got one right: the Panerai Lo Scienziato Luminor 1950 Tourbillon GMT Titanium says it all. It is (as far as I know) the first production watch to utilize 3D direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) printing for the case construction. The case is made of titanium for extra lightness, but that’s not the only, or even the main, reason for using DMLS titanium.
Heartbeat: U2’s Adam Clayton Visits SIHH 2016 Wearing H. Moser & Cie Endeavour Perpetual Calendar
Just as we were exiting the H. Moser & Cie stand at SIHH 2016, who should walk up but Adam Clayton, bassist for Irish band U2. What struck me first was the stylish look of his outfit. This extended to his wrist: Clayton was wearing the H. Moser & Cie Endeavour Perpetual Calendar in platinum with a grey/black dial the brand calls “ardoise.” Why is this watch so rock and roll?
Photo Caption Competition No. 9 Featuring A Grönefeld One Hertz, Snow, And Dogs
This week’s caption competition is a hard one as it has quite a disparate mix of subjects including a Grönefeld One Hertz, lots of snow (it was shot in the Arctic Circle), and a few dogs for good measure. What appropriate, funny, or sarcastic comment can you think up as a caption or for the optional speech bubble?
2016 Vacheron Constantin Overseas Reflects Travel, Companionship, And Extremely Easy Strap Interchangeability
On discovering the reinvigorated Vacheron Constantin Overseas collection at SIHH 2016, one thing I could not stop marveling over is how intelligent it is. Yes, I describe this new line as intelligent. The refresh, which includes five new models (for a total of 12 references) and an incredible new strap-changing system couldn’t have turned out better. Let’s examine why.
Richard Mille Sponsors Two Formula 1 Teams In 2016: McLaren And The New American Team Haas Ferrari
Just two days shy of the unveiling of the McLaren team’s 2016 Formula 1 car that drivers Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso will be driving, McLaren CEO Ron Dennis and his team were shielding any possible view of the automobile from the curious eyes of the small group of watch journalists invited for the introduction of new corporate sponsor Richard Mille. Luckily for us, however, Button’s wrist was not off-limits, and neither were Richard’s comments.
Dominique Renaud: A Horological Grand Master Then And Now
Dominique Renaud began working at Audemars Piguet in 1980. He received his watchmaker education in Besançon, though his family originally hailed from the Vallée de Joux. Renaud and Guilo Papi, both employed by Audemars Piguet at the time, struck out on their own, founding Renaud & Papi SA in 1986 to explore avenues of high complication. So why do I bring this up now?