Is it possible to make a watch providing a novel and entertaining display of time that is wearable in a variety of settings and will be respected years from now? GaryG believes that he owns such a piece: the Upside Down made by independent watchmaker Ludovic Ballouard.
Date windows on wristwatches can be a touchy subject. Many feel they are downright ugly and destroy the look of a good watch, while others swear by them as the most useful and affordable complication. Whatever camp you may be in, the date function can be the cause of considerable grief, particularly the rapid set mechanism.
This is the story of a daily-wear watch: the Tsunami by Japanese independent watchmaker Hajime Asaoka. It’s not a “beater” as it’s too beautifully made for that description, and some folks justifiably take offense at characterizing a five-figure expenditure in those terms. But it is a watch that GaryG suspects that he will be wearing a lot and in a variety of settings.
In GaryG’s view, every successful independent watchmaker has elements of a “house style” that may attract some buyers and put off others, but nonetheless sets him or her apart. And, at the highest level, this style goes beyond “branding” to become an expression of the personality and artistic vision of the creator. In the picturesque Swiss town of Thun, Beat Haldimann and his small team distinguish themselves by focusing on technical virtuosity of the highest order, as typified by the Haldimann H1 Flying Central Tourbillon.
The watch nerd that WWMT is, he rarely immediately wears his new watches; he likes to put them aside for a few days and let the anticipation grow. But when the day finally came that it was time to wear his new Rolex, he took it out of the box and proudly put it on his wrist. And then horror struck. He didn’t feel anything, not a thing! Zilch, nada, niente! What to do?
In the society we live in, a society of technology-driven mass production and digital revolution, Derek Weinberg reflects on how a mechanical timepiece has evolved from a functional object serving as a faithful companion in a busy life to a collectible object satisfying its owner from behind a pane of glass.
Based on the most popular releases of 2017, it is possible that the almighty tourbillon may about to be usurped by something new and rather old at the same time: the chronograph. In this installment of Joshua Munchow’s “Here’s Why” series, he explores why the chronograph is the new tourbillon.
For a watch fanatic, and especially for lovers of independent watch brands, meeting the makers of the watches that we admire is a dream come true. With the Grönefeld brothers, it’s that pleasure multiplied by two. And then there’s the sensational One Hertz.
This is the story of the final watch – or, truthfully, pair of watches – that GaryG happened upon at a Sotheby’s auction in late 2017 and felt that he just had to have: two 1970s prototype pieces made by Jaeger-LeCoultre.
Anyone who visits online watch forums with any frequency very likely comes across at least a few heated discussions of “finishing,” a topic that seems to fascinate, and divide, enthusiasts. What is it and why are opinions divided?
