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.
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.
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…
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
This year’s Tour de France started in Britain and the riders raced past one of Cambridge’s most interesting and unusual horological sights: the Corpus Christi Chronophage (“time-eater”) on display on the outside of a prominent building of the Corpus Christi College, one of the most prestigious at Cambridge University.