Joshua Munchow thinks of the new MB&F MoonMachine 2 as the “wolf MoonMachine.” Built on the HM8 platform, it contains only the third moon phase complication in MB&F’s history. But there has never been one quite like this!
GaryG loves independent watchmaking and independent watchmakers; one of his great joys as a collector is having the feeling that, in a small way, he is supporting their efforts. So he put some thought into why independent watchmakers struggle in a business sense and how they can remain relevant in changing market situations.
Phillips Watch Auction: EIGHT takes place November 10-11, 2018 in Geneva, and there are no less than eight rare watches by independent watchmakers that are well worth looking into. These include F.P. Journe, Kari Voutilainen, Vianney Halter, Mr. Daniel Roth, Richard Daners, Laurent Ferrier, and De Bethune.
Svend Andersen and Konstantin Chaykin are a couple of watchmakers that don’t tend to follow the norms; two men that in some ways couldn’t be more different, but in other ways are like two peas in a pod. The pair recently collaborated on a watch bringing the most irreverent side of each watchmaker together with the Automaton Joker. It certainly brought a smile to Joshua’s face and will likely do the same for you.
GaryG was sitting at his breakfast table on the morning of January 18, 2013, when during his morning scan of news he saw a photo of something breathtaking. It was Logical One by Romain Gauthier – a watch he immediately knew that he would own someday. He was captivated by the white gold version with frosted gold movement: this was “the one” for him.
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.
When it comes to the story of fine watchmaking in Glashütte, Carl Moritz Grossmann (1826-1885) was more a volume than a chapter. And the famous German is the namesake of a high-quality manufacture that now boasts ten years under its belt. Founder Christine Hutter looks back.
Extraordinary engraver Kees Engelbarts loves his skeletonized watches as they do very much showcase his art form. “I wanted to make another kind of skeleton watch,” he says about his latest creation called Tourbillon Organic Skeleton. “Most skeleton watches are, as you know, very symmetric. My plan was to make a skeleton watch without a drawing or plan before starting, by just taking away material from the base plate and bridges that is not needed.”
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.