Derek Pratt (1938 – 2009) was perhaps one of the most “complete” watchmakers of our time along with his friend George Daniels. The Swiss-based Englishman was firmly behind and part of many watches and projects that are today common knowledge, while his own name remains relatively hidden.
Martin Green is no Gérald Genta groupie charmed by everything the designer created, but he appreciates greatness. While some may favor the Genta Gefica or Grande Sonnerie as the master’s definitive design, Martin makes a case for the Retro. Find out why right here!
Three is a number full of symbolic power, and Fabergé’s Lady Libertine III is three times lucky in that a trio (or troika, if we wish to allude to Peter Carl Fabergé’s Russian origins) of exceptional women created it: Aurélie Picaud, Fiona Krüger, and Anita Porchet.
In the early 1990s, WMMT was facing the same dilemma as today: modern or vintage? Problem was that modern watches actually all looked vintage, right down to the sizes. There was something lacking. Enter Vianney Halter in 1998 with the Antiqua Perpetual. And then what happened next: the birth of ICH (“Independent Creative Horology”).
Released in 2010, the RGM Pennsylvania Tourbillon made a pretty big splash among those who have educated themselves about such things. It is, after all, the only serially produced tourbillon made in America and is simply an increditastic watch from any perspective. Design, function, and finishing: it is at the head of its class.
A long-term keeper for GaryG is the wonderful Antiqua by Vianney Halter. He fell for the Antiqua when he first saw one more than a dozen years ago; while many of his friends will freely confess that at the time they were at first put off by its looks, Gary was smitten from the start. But that’s not all that he loves about this watch.
A generous friend recently offered GaryG the opportunity to shoot his white gold Kari Voutilainen Masterpiece Chronograph II so that Gary is able to share photos of both his custom pink gold Chronograph II in comparison to his friend’s custom white gold version.
In the “Objects of Desire” series, I look at pieces that fall into the categories unobtanium and timenotrightium, as my Quill & Pad colleague Joshua Munchow might say. And, where better to start on the topic of desire than with the watches of Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey?
Joshua Munchow thinks that the S1 is a transition point for English brand Garrick and indeed for the continuing resurgence of British watchmaking: by putting its mechanics out on display, the watch really shows off what it’s made of. And impressively so.
In the early 1960s, engineer Kelly Johnson of Lockheed Martin came up with “keep it simple, stupid,” which became better known by its acronym, KISS. Watches that employ clever levers and clearly adhere to the KISS principle are always something that can turn me into a giddy fan boy, and one such piece is the Konstantin Chaykin Genius Temporis. Heck, even the name implies some genius.