The history of Tutima is inextricably linked to the history of Glashütte, the German city whose watch industry was founded in 1845 by Ferdinand Adolph Lange. Although Tutima’s roots don’t extend back quite that far, its story does begin in 1927, a turbulent time in Germany’s premier city of high watchmaking. Relive 90 years of this brand’s history in this post.
250 years ago, Longitude Prize-winning clockmaker John Harrison made clocks losing just one second per month, but that wasn’t enough for him. In his later life, Harrison claimed that he could make a wall clock with a then-unheard-of-precision of just one second over 100 days! And 250 years later, it turns out he was right.
You may have heard of a few or more of the following historical people and events: Thomas Mudge, George Graham, John Harrison, the Longitude Prize, Captain James Cook, and the mutiny on the ‘HMS Bounty.’ However, you are less likely to have heard the name of a horologist who played a pivotal role in all of the above: Larcum Kendall (1719–1790). Come with me on a worldwide adventure involving timekeeping and history.
When we talk about Germany, we do not necessarily think of watches: luxury cars, high-tech machines, and Oktoberfest spring to mind. The “made in Germany” predicate is generally associated with quality, well-designed products, added value, and longevity. But watches? Yes, watches.
Gone but not forgotten in the minds of true watch fans, we briefly revisit the horological genius that was Dominique Loiseau (1949-2013) and his ultra-complicated 1f4.
While passing through New York City recently, I decided to duck into the historic Waldorf Astoria hotel to have a look at its famous lobby before the hotel closes for construction at the end of February 2017. And what I found was a historical clock with electrifying presence.
You may have heard of a few or more of the following historical people and events: Thomas Mudge, George Graham, John Harrison, the Longitude Prize, Captain James Cook, and the mutiny on the ‘HMS Bounty.’ However, you are less likely to have heard the name of a horologist who played a pivotal role in all of the above: Larcum Kendall (1719–1790). Come with me on a worldwide adventure involving timekeeping and history.
If you’ve never been to visit François-Paul Journe’s atelier in the heart of Geneva, now would be a very good time to visit it. Aside from the astounding watches you will likely encounter on display, there are a great number of other interesting objects a fan of good watchmaking shouldn’t miss. Including the nearly one thousand books, historical manuscripts, letters, and catalogs once belonging to the extensive horological library of departed historical expert Jean-Claude Sabrier.
Ferdinand Berthoud was born in 1727 in Switzerland. When he passed away in 1807, after having lived most of his life in Paris, he left behind a vast body of work in marine chronometers, clocks and watches, tools, scientific measuring instruments, and written publications including dozens of specialized books and treatises encompassing 4,000 pages and 120 engraved plates. The search for precision was his life. But why are we bringing this up now?
A visit to Dallas, Texas gifted me with a surprise: I came across a very large painting simply entitled ‘Watch’ at the Dallas Museum of Art. Further inquiry into its painter, Gerald Murphy, revealed a fun historical anecdote and a bit of a mystery. Why did Murphy paint a giant Cubist impression of two watches in 1925, and which watches were they?