The Louis Moinet Compteur de Tierces

Louis Moinet Compteur De Tierces: The World’s First (Known) Chronograph (Archive)

The Louis Moinet compteur de tierces is one of the most remarkable finds in horological history in an extremely long time: it was the very first chronograph ever made.

Louis Moinet's Treasures of the World Green Aventurine Vertalis Tourbillon seems to be only one of two wristwatches fitted with a quartz aventurine stone

Aventurine: Sparkling, Glittering, Mysterious, And Placing A Galaxy Of Stars On Your Wrist

Despite seeing aventurine in six new wristwatches at SIHH – more than the number of new tourbillons Elizabeth counted – it remains a decorative artisanal element used only by luxury watchmakers in small series or unique pieces for its beauty and decorative properties. While there is some uncertainty about the origin of aventurine, it continues to add mysterious shine and scintillating glamour to watches. Here is what aventurine really is and where it comes from.

pre-selected Tourbillon watches for the 2017 GPHG are, clockwise from top left above: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Tourbillon Chronograph, Bulgari Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Skeleton, David Candaux 1740 – The First 8, Beat Haldimann Central Balance Pure H12, Louis Moinet Mobilis, and Ulysse Nardin Marine Tourbillon

Our Predictions In The Tourbillon And Escapement Category Of The 2017 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève And We Are Split Over 3 Watches

Welcome to the 2017 edition of Quill & Pad’s Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève predictions in which the team picks favorites and explains why. In this edition, our panel wades through the difficult Tourbillon and Escapement Category trying to select a winner.

Louis Moinet Space Mystery in pink gold

Louis Moinet Space Mystery: Amino Acids Abound!

The Louis Moinet Space Mystery features a new invention christened the “satellite tourbillon.” Space Mystery also boasts fragments of meteorites from the moon, Mars, and a fragment of carbonaceous chondrite meteorite containing amino acids, whose origins may go back further than the creation of our solar system. A watch nerd enigma to follow us on!

Glashütte Original Senator Chronograph Panorama Date

Give Me Five! 5 Fantastic Manufacture Chronographs From Baselworld 2017 By Patek Philippe, Fabergé, Louis Moinet, Tutima And Glashütte Original

Chronographs are very difficult movements to master in a reliable, interesting, and original way, even if these wrist timers constitute what is most likely the most popular complication in wearable horology. And this makes the variety of in-house chronographs introduced at Baselworld 2017 a real treat. Here are five of the most interesting specimens we found at the world’s largest watch fair.

Konstantin Chaykin Joker on the wrist

Baselworld 2017 Round Table: What We Liked And What We Didn’t Like

Please join our traditional Quill & Pad round table discussion on Baselworld 2017, where we discuss what we did and didn’t like at at the world’s largest annual watch exhibition.

Pre-selected Tourbillon watches in the 2016 GPHG

Predictions In The Tourbillon Category Of The 2016 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève

Our panel members choose their winners in the Tourbillon category of the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie between the Ulysse Nardin Executive Skeleton Tourbillon, Bovet 1822’s Ottantasei Flying Tourbillon, Girard-Perregaux’s La Esmeralda Tourbillon, Louis Moinet’s Sideralis Evo, the Rudis Sylva RS 16 Harmonious Oscillator, and the De Bethune DB28T Kind of Blue Tourbillon.

Pre-selected Chronograph watches in the 2016 GPHG

Quill & Pad’s Predictions In The Chronograph Category Of The 2016 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève

Our panel members choose their winners in the Chronograph category of the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie between the Louis Moinet Memoris Red Eclipse, Ulysse Nardin’s Marine Chronograph Annual Calendar, Montblanc’s 1858 Chronograph Tachymeter Limited Edition, the Chopard Mille Miglia 2016 XL Race Edition, Zenith’s El Primero 36’000 VPH, and the Hublot Big Bang Unico Sapphire.

Louis Moinet Memoris 200th Anniversary Edition chronograph

It’s The Little Details That Count: Louis Moinet Memoris 200th Anniversary Edition

In 2013, Louis Moinet took the watch world by surprise when the brand revealed that its historical namesake was in fact the inventor of the chronograph.

The Compteur de Tierces pocket watch by Louis Moinet dating back to 1816 was proof positive.

And now in 2016, Louis Moinet commemorates the bicentennial of the first chronograph with a series of commemorative pieces: this Memoris 200th Anniversary “chronograph-watch” edition is the first, and it displays a large number of really interesting details.

The most accurate watch of 2015 as independently certified by the 2015 International Timing Competition was this Tissot Caliber A86.501 with an impressive score of 908/1000 points

Why The International Chronometry Competition Needs To Change Format Or Sink Into Total Irrelevance

A watch for me isn’t just a portable three-dimensional sculpture or piece of kinetic art, it is first − if not foremost − an instrument for telling the time. Like you, I’ve excitedly followed the animated discourse and heated debate after the results of the 2015 Chronometry Competition were announced. Oh, you missed that? Me too.