The Latin phrase “in memoriam” is often used in place of “in memory of.” And to my mind, people also use it to signify departed who may be gone but shouldn’t be forgotten. Every year people working in the watch industry pass away, and brands come and go. Elizabeth Doerr highlights a special few of those we lost in 2020.
Russian independent watchmaker Konstantin Chaykin’s holiday-themed Santa Wristmon is appropriately seasonal. And whatever you may think of Chaykin’s parade of themed faces in the wake of his ultra-successful Joker, you have to admit they’re really cute. They make Elizabeth Doerr smile every time she sees one. This one might give you all the feels at this time of year, too.
“I have no secrets as past watchmakers had. There are graveyards full of secrets and that’s enough.” – Philippe Dufour, 2014
The Urwerk UR-220 is an evolution of the popular UR-210, featuring the now-iconic Urwerk satellite display for the hours and minutes. And it’s one more tangential celebration of Einstein’s theory. “The Falcon Project” is the nickname for the first variation of the UR-220, which sees the return of some legacy details from other models and the addition of some small changes to the function and aesthetic of the watch overall. Joshua Munchow takes a closer look.
In 2009 Christiaan van der Klaauw presented the world’s smallest mechanical planetarium to the world. With the eye-catching Eise Eisinga edition, the boutique brand merges the stories of the world’s oldest planetarium with the world’s smallest planetarium.
According to Joshua Munchow, the Bernhard Lederer Central Impulse Chronometer is one of the most astounding pieces to be released in 2020, and when he first saw it on social media he actually gasped out loud. The more that he looked at it the more he fell in love with the style, the engineering, and the concept behind the movement. But he must ask: is it really a chronometer?
Joshua Munchow feels a philosophical bond with John-Mikaël Flaux, an independent watchmaker and automaton designer, just from how Flaux describes himself and why he creates. Joshua loves the mechanical marvels he constructs, but it’s deeper than the result of his craftsmanship: Flaux is a mechanically curious person and his passion comes through in the objects he makes. Find out exactly what those are right here.
In this installment of Behind the Lens, GaryG shares a series of photographs of one of the great watches of our time, the Philippe Dufour Duality. The Duality, with its linked twin escapements, was originally planned for production in a series of 25 watches. In a turn of events that seems almost unbelievable today, a lack of initial demand eventually led Dufour to limit production to just nine pieces, one of which is owned by a good friend of Gary’s.
The short documentary film ‘Time Piece’ features two of the world’s best living watchmakers, Philippe Dufour and Vianney Halter, and provides excellent insight into what makes the watches by these masters so special.
Vianney Halter’s Deep Space Tourbillon marked the triumphant comeback of one of the single most influential and innovative horological artists of his generation. Elizabeth Doerr looks back on the genesis of Halter’s futuristic triple-axis tourbillon and the watches that preceded it, including the mythical Harry Winston Opus 3, and speculates a bit on his future.