Why is this timepiece important from a holistic view of horological history? The reasons are manifold and include the unheard-of technology nestled within its movement, the audacity of a German newcomer in challenging Swiss status quo, and the symbolic value for A. Lange & Söhne’s rebirth as well as the golden age of mechanical timepieces.
Despite having made more than 100 pièces uniques among a grand total of approximately 1,500 timepieces spanning 42 years of a truly inventive career, independent watchmaker and co-founder of the A.H.C.I. Svend Andersen has become particularly known for the worldtimer, a complicated timepiece displaying the time in 24 time zones. Here Elizabeth Doerr shares a brief history of worldtimers and blue gold while looking at the Andersen Genève x Asprey Heures du Monde.
The OAK Collection is filled with extraordinary, museum-quality, one-of-a-kind timepieces, many of which are either historically important, unrepeatable special orders, or rare limited editions. These include (but are not limited to) five Patek Philippe watches once owned by Henry Graves, 16 Nautiluses, seven Voutilainens, and a plethora of rare Rolex and Patek Philippe models!
The Van Cleef & Arpels Lady Arpels Heures Florales is first and foremost about being a piece of mechanical art, reminiscent of MB&F, only entirely realized for lovers of nature, precious stones, and poetry. Telling the time is secondary, but that doesn’t make it any less horologically stupendous.
Ken Gargett is delighted to see the Champagne Charlie make such an impressive return, but he prefers Charles Heidsieck’s wonderful Blanc des Millénaires 2007 and here he explains why.
It seems that watches are here to stay, at least for the foreseeable future, as a mainstream fashion category. With the good comes the bad, of course, and one characteristic is that it attracts a set of well-off, low-information buyers. GaryG shares his tips for navigating uncertainty in watch collecting in 2022.
Not one to shy away from wild watches and unique combinations, in late 2021 Urwerk debuted a special tenth-anniversary UR-110 to commemorate the launch of the original UR-110 in 2011: the UR-100 Bakelite.
Graham’s releases a trio of Single Harvest Tawny Ports called the Cellar Master’s Trilogy comprising The Apprentice, The Artisan, and The Master. Ken Gargett gives us the lowdown on how it’s made and how it tastes.
In 2021, Patek Philippe drew attention to the decorative arts that help make its watches so exceptional, further staking claim in the preservation of many of the traditional skills and techniques that date to the manufacture’s roots. The manufacture introduced six versions of familiar watch models that highlight Patek Philippe’s Rare Handcrafts.
Astronomical phenomena lie at the very origin of time measurement. However, these celestial events are not only practical, they can also be very romantic as Jaeger-LeCoultre demonstrates with its latest beauties: Rendez-Vous Star and Rendez-Vous Dazzling Star.