Roger Smith Series 4 triple calendar with moonphase

Roger Smith Series 4 Triple Calendar: Excellence In Hand-Crafted English Watchmaking

The Isle of Man’s Roger Smith has long had an appreciation for triple calendar wristwatches, finding harmonious balance and purity in the triple calendar indications of day, date, and month. Having successfully redeveloped the George Daniels-invented co-axial escapement to be both smaller and more efficient, the time was right to introduce a new model: The Series 4 triple calendar.

The limited edition Blancpain L-evolution R Chronograph Flyback Grand Date and the Super Trofeo’s pace car

You Are There: Blancpain Lamborghini Super Trofeo World Finals At Sebring

I had never imagined I could be jealous of myself until after I stepped out of the Corsa yellow Lamborghini Huracan that I had just pushed beyond my experience of everyday physics during an exhilarating five laps at the historic Sebring Motor Speedway. The time behind the wheel of the Huracan changed me forever and I immediately burned to be the guy that had been in the car, not the guy now walking away from it.

Urban Jürgensen Reference 1140L in platinum

Urban Jürgensen & Sønner’s 2015 Rebirth With Five New Watches

Urban Jürgensen & Sønner has had quite an exciting twelve months: perhaps the most exciting of its 240-year history. In 2014 the brand’s Central Second took home the prize for Best Men’s Watch at the GPHG. Then we were astounded to already see the first results of new ownership: in just eleven weeks the new team managed to revamp the existing collection to present five “new” models at Baselworld 2015.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

Reference 57260 by Vacheron Constantin

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

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.”

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

Heartbeat: Unique Piece Platinum Parallax Tourbillon by Grönefeld

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.

Ulysse Nardin FreakLab

Living In Freaky Times: Ulysse Nardin FreakLab

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!

Cabestan Triple Axis Tourbillon

Truly Unprecedented Ingenuity: The Cabestan Triple Axis Tourbillon

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.