The first working prototype from the La Garde Temps project

Collectors Speak: Picks And Pans Of SIHH Week 2015

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For the past five years, I’ve had the delightful experience of traveling to Switzerland with several friends to experience SIHH week, before finishing up with a Friday night dinner at which we review our impressions of the week by answering what watch we thought was best of show at SIHH; what was the worst watch; what current-production watch that we saw at any event during the week would we buy if money were no object; and what current-production watch did we see that we would buy with our own money?

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McGonigle Tuscar Bánú in red gold

Interconnectivity And Independence: The McGonigle Tuscar

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Brothers John and Stephen McGonigle from Athlone, Ireland are fine examples of the independent spirit, and this is evident in their unique Tuscar timepiece, which features a highly distinctive in-house movement with subtle details reflecting their Irish heritage.

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RGM MM2 Pennsylvania Tourbillon

Born In The USA: RGM Pennsylvania Tourbillon

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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.

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Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Grande Complication à Triptyque

The Twelve Watch Days Of Christmas

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You may be familiar with the old Christmas diddy “The Twelve Days Of Christmas.” Let me sing you the final verse of this song, including what my true love gave to me on the twelfth and final day, in horological terms…

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Arch by Marc Jenni

A.H.C.I. Member Marc Jenni Loses Name And Has To Find Another

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Marc Jenni is a watchmaker. But more than that, this profession is also his vocation and he takes pride in being able to continue his family’s tradition. If you are visiting SalonQP on the weekend, it will be your last opportunity to see the Marc Jenni brand name on a dial, though. Jenni has lost his name to a larger, more powerful Swiss brand and must cease using it on dials from January 1 onward.

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Felix by Habring2

Habring2 Gets Happy (And Serious) With Felix, Featuring First Austrian Movement

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Felix is more than just a name. Felix is Latin for “happy” or “fortunate” and I feel that Maria and Richard Habring have found just the right moniker for their latest creation. At the same time, Felix proves that it’s entirely possible for a talented, small team to make a fully in-house manufacture movement at a fully affordable price.

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Karin Voutilainen 28 Sarasamon with dial from Unryuan studio in Japan. The Saiei Makie and Somata zaiku lacquering of this dial takes months to complete and uses gold dust), gold leaf, great green turban (a snail) shell and abalone shell from New Zealand

Kari Voutilainen Wins The 2014 Gaïa Award For Artisanal Creation

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In the world of complicated watchmaking, that which might appear simple when seen from the dial may often be quite complicated when you turn a watch over and peer into its depths.

In Kari Voutilainen’s case, not only does his style comprise an uncommon sort of complicated simplicity, it is also riddled with the thing that eludes many watchmakers: near perfection.

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Cutting out bridges by hand for the Kudoke Real Skeleton

Skeletonized Or Skeleton-Ized: Stefan Kudoke Knows

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Stefan Kudoke’s Real Skeleton was inspired by 400-year-old memento mori timepieces, which address the transience of time in a symbolic manner. This model is just plain fun while displaying Kudoke’s creativity, make no bones about it!

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Jean Daniel Nicolas Two-Minute Tourbillon by Mr. Daniel Roth in pink gold (photo courtesy Guy Lucas de Peslouan)

The Watch That Changed My Life: The Jean Daniel Nicolas Two-Minute Tourbillon By Daniel Roth

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Many watches hold a special significance for their owners. The watch I am chronicling here didn’t just change someone’s life, it changed MY life: the Jean Daniel Nicolas Two-Minute Tourbillon by Daniel Roth.

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Finished watch before any modifications

Making My First Watch: Adventures Of A Beginner

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One night I was doing my typical browse-for-tools-and-equipment-while-making-excuses-and-putting-it-off thing and I happened to be talking to my best friend about how I wished I could have what I needed to make the watch I had designed.

Having heard this story many times, she finally said, “Seriously, quit complaining and just do it.” Two days later I had an order of parts and raw materials headed my way on a FedEx truck. And here’s how I made my first watch.

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