Lebeau-Courally: From Gunsmithing To Haute Horlogerie
Founded in 1865 by Auguste Lebeau in Liège, Belgium, Lebeau-Courally was then first and foremost a high-end hunting rifle manufacturer. So how did it get to the watch sector? Read on to find out.
The Ute’s A Beaute: Arnold & Son UTTE Skeleton
At Baselworld 2016, Arnold & Son unveiled the UTTE Skeleton ultra-thin tourbillon, a new world record holder and a darn good looking watch. Discover how Arnold & Son did more with less to make this the thinnest skeleton tourbillon watch on the market.
Forget Ploughs To Ploughshares: Fonderie 47 Transforms AK-47s Into Haute Horlogerie (Archive)
“A mechanical Swiss watch was the first thing on the drawing board for Fonderie 47,” says co-founder Peter Thum. “Work on this project had begun even before I filed the papers to set up the company; I knew that it would take us a long time to do this and it would be pivotal for us to make this watch.”
A Kryptonite Watch? Caption Competition #31
At Baselworld 2016 I heard whispered rumors at the A.H.C.I. booth of a meteor with mystical powers. I dismissed the chatter as just another watchmaker fairy tale, until one night when I was led to a thick lead safe with just one item inside: a fragment of meteorite. My question to you this week: what has been cut out of the meteorite and what powers might it bestow on its wearer?
Alexandre Meerson’s Altitude Collection: Skeptical To Believer
l was highly skeptical before my first presentation of the Alexandre Meerson Altitude. This felt like a small new brand wanting to waltz into a market dominated by venerated old names with sky-high reputations. Good luck with that, I thought. To my surprise, though, I was quite impressed by the sense of dramatic subtleties and eye for detail these watches display.
Why Jaquet Droz’s Support Of The Béjart Ballet Is Important In The Larger Scheme Of Things
I had the extremely good fortune to be a guest of Jaquet Droz at a stunning Béjart Ballet performance in Tokyo in late 2014, where I became a huge fan of the extraordinary troupe. But why do I find it so important for luxury brands to support the arts? Jaquet Droz and the Béjart Ballet provide an excellent example.
4 Record-Setting Stainless Steel Patek Philippe Models Auctioned At Phillips. Is A Fifth Coming?
Patek Philippe watches in stainless steel are the hot thing among vintage collectibles. Phillips’s auction house, whose watch division is spearheaded by Bacs & Russo, has set four world records for stainless steel Patek Philippe watches over the last two years. A new find coming up in the Geneva Watch Auction: FOUR could possibly break the current record of almost $4 million. Check out that Patek Philippe Reference 1518 right here.
Nice Cockpit, But Will This Baby Fly? Caption Competition #30
This possibly intergalactic, underwater, time-traveling machine is actually the business end of a CNC lathe at the Uhren-Werke-Dresden manufacture in Germany. Let us know what you think this machine might really be for in the comments. May the force be with you.
The Quest For My Ultimate Fountain Pen Part 1: The All-Over-The-Place Period
My personal quest for the ultimate fountain pen began unexpectedly and over the following decades I learned many things, including: nothing compares to writing with a gold nib! Join me on part 1 of my personal fountain pen journey, which includes an inherited piece, a demonstrator, over-the-top colors, and cloisonné enamel.
Girard-Perregaux Neo-Tourbillon With Three Bridges (Archive)
Girard-Perregaux’s Neo-Tourbillon with Three Bridges is a relatively profound re-issue of an old favorite. While it retains the original codes and architecture of Constant Girard’s oeuvre, the major changes that have occurred have to do with the shape of the bridges, the crystal, and the completely redesigned caliber.