Particle physicist Harry Cliff at the 7th Forum de la Haute Horlogerie (photo courtesy www.point-of-views.ch)

Einstein’s Theory Of Relativity, The Future In Progress, And Watchmaking At The 2015 Fondation De La Haute Horlogerie Forum

/0 Comments/in , /by

On November 25, 1915 Albert Einstein introduced his general theory of relativity to the scientific community in Berlin.

Now, on the 100th anniversary of this scientific milestone, the Federation de la Haute Horlogerie (FHH) poses the question through its seventh forum, entitled “The Future in Progress,” as to whether this theory is still relevant as a metaphor for out-of-the-box thinking in watchmaking.

Read more
The H. Moser & Cie zero gravity flight was packed with testing instruments and experiements

Groundbreaking Or Bunk? Talking Zero Gravity And Pioneer Collection With Edouard Meylan, CEO Of H. Moser & Cie

/1 Comment/in , , /by

I was invited by H. Moser & Cie to attend a most atypical press conference in Zürich. The occasion was the first parabolic flight in Switzerland, during which Moser, along with its escapement-making sister company Precision Engineering, tested movements and components in zero gravity. H. Moser & Cie also launched the new Pioneer collection, its most contemporary yet.

Read more
1994 George Daniels co-axial four-minute tourbillon with Daniel's compact chronograph mechanism

Inside A Second: Chronograph Exhibition Featuring Many Of The Most Important Chronographs Ever Made

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , , /by

Among the many highlights of SalonQP 2015 was the “Inside a Second” exhibition of chronographs presented in partnership with the Foundation de la Haute Horlogerie. The exhibition included the George Daniels co-axial four-minute tourbillon with Daniels’ compact chronograph mechanism. And that would have been enough chronograph for me all by itself, but there were many more highlights.

Read more
Reference 57260 by Vacheron Constantin

‘The Witnesses’: Film About Vacheron Constantin’s Reference 57260, The Most Complicated Watch In The World

/4 Comments/in , , /by

On September 17, 2015 Vacheron Constantin presented a milestone in the history of timekeeping: Reference 57260, the world’s most complicated portable timepiece to date with an incredible 57 functions and indications. And to commemorate it, Vacheron Constantin released a very special film called “The Witnesses.”

Read more
Grönefeld unique piece Parallax Tourbillon in platinum with blackened silver dial and striking red accents

Heartbeat: Unique Piece Platinum Parallax Tourbillon by Grönefeld

/1 Comment/in , /by

I’m just back from an excellent SalonQP 2015. The exhibition was awash with fantastic timepieces, but here’s one that caught my eye: a unique piece Parallax Tourbillon in platinum with black dial and bright red highlights by Bart and Tim Grönefeld, two excellent fraternal watchmakers from the Netherlands.

Read more
Ulysse Nardin FreakLab

Living In Freaky Times: Ulysse Nardin FreakLab

/5 Comments/in , /by

Even though the Freak is a staple of avant-garde watchmaking, I am continuously impressed by the continual improvements and inventions added to it. That is why the most recent edition is the most appropriately named: it announces right there in the name – Ulysse Nardin FreakLab – that it’s the wrist-sized testing lab!

Read more
Cabestan Triple Axis Tourbillon

Truly Unprecedented Ingenuity: The Cabestan Triple Axis Tourbillon

/1 Comment/in /by

Every once in a while an independent watchmaker or boutique brand comes along with something of truly unprecedented ingenuity. Once such piece is Cabestan’s Triple Axis Tourbillon, which was first presented at Baselworld 2015. Boasting a triple-axis tourbillon escapement as well as an unorthodox design and technical construction, the Cabestan Triple Axis Tourbillon is one for the books.

Read more
All three borrowed pieces of Chopard jewelry, ready to go to the 2015 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève

The Most Glamorous Night In Watchmaking: The Chopard Jewelry I Wore To The Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève 2015

/2 Comments/in , , /by

For once I’m going to be a typical woman and talk about something uniquely female here: the preparation that goes into planning an outfit for a large event. In this case, the large event being the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève, watchmaking’s biggest night. The hardest and most important part, however, was deciding what to do about my jewelry and which watch to wear. So, naturally, I turned to my friends at Chopard.

Read more
The business end of Caran d’Ache's Spirit of Switzerland

Caran d’Ache Offers The Spirit Of Switzerland In An Ornately Engraved Pen

/2 Comments/in , , /by

The year 2015 marks Caran d’Ache’s 100th anniversary. And to celebrate, the company has delved into its century-long history and collaborated with a Swiss jewelry craftsman to create the limited edition Spirit of Switzerland, an ornately engraved writing instrument made to last for several lifetimes.

Read more
Top Only Watch lot: Patek Philippe Reference 5016A-010

You Are There: Attending The Only Watch Auction 2015 With Patek Philippe

/18 Comments/in , , , , , , , , , , , , /by

Only Watch, the biennial charity auction on behalf of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy research, has firmly established itself as a landmark event on the watch scene. This year’s sixth renewal of the event, serving as the kickoff for the autumn Geneva watch auction week, saw Patek Philippe donating the landmark piece for the event, a blue-dialed, steel-cased Reference 5016A-010, which hammered for more than $7 million.

Read more