In the Behind the Lens series, GaryG presents great watches as seen from a variety of visual perspectives while at the same time passing along a few thoughts on what it’s like to shoot these great watches. And they don’t come much greater than the Philippe Dufour Simplicity.
It wasn’t until Ian Skellern had the opportunity to handle the four-faced Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Hybris Mechanica Calibre 185 for himself that he understood the sheer scale of JLC’s achievement and gazed in newfound awe. Even though he had read the dimensions of Calibre 185, they were just numbers: in reality, it was much smaller and more wearable than he was expecting. Calibre 185 is by no means a small watch, but, as he reports, it is small for the sheer amount of complications packed inside.
There are more than a few people investing in watches that they can’t touch, wear, or wind: welcome to the sometimes murky world of watch funds. Here, Brendan Cunningham takes a look at what they do and their impact on secondary-market prices and scarcity.
The click spring is one of the smaller components of a mechanical watch, but it is of enormous importance. Ever wondered why the crown doesn’t retaliate furiously and unwind every time you crank it? Without the click spring, a wound mainspring would immediately – and explosively – uncoil like a raging viper in a hat box.
As a discerning lover of dress watches for more than two decades, the visual impact that this new Tribute 1 had on Martin Green was profound. First and foremost, there are the proportions. And then there’s the beautiful hand-finished movement, restrained design,100-hour power reserve, and superb quality.
John Howe has created many an iconic dragon for J.R.R. Tolkien works over the years, so it was appropriate for him to craft something radiating the same energy and history for Jaquet Droz. The result is the new limited-edition Petite Heure Minute Dragon, a watch perfectly combining two of Joshua Munchow’s passions in one incredible object.
Oh, those Geneva auctions! While GaryG’s intention is usually to browse the rare pieces on offer, gain an education from his auction-house friends and escape unscathed, it seems that more often than not there is a piece that puts him into bidding mode. And sometimes that piece is entirely unanticipated as was the case of the Vacheron & Constantin Reference 4560 triple calendar that he stumbled across at a Sotheby’s preview. Here is why he bought it.
Resonance. No, it is not a Tesla-themed Evanescence cover band. Resonance is a physics principle that, to be honest, most people will never need to know to go about their daily lives. So what is all the hubbub about resonance? It’s a word that is, even in the watch world, so mysterious and rare that it is heard only once or twice a decade. In this article Joshua Munchow explains how resonance works and why it matters.
Cracking the seal on the box of the H. Moser & Cie Endeavour Tourbillon Concept Tiger’s Eye revealed a deep and constantly shifting play of light as the stone dial caught the afternoon light coming in through the window. Over the days that GaryG had the watch for shooting, it became his quest to capture the variety of moods conjured up by this dial. And we think he has done just that.
Since the Swatch Group took over Harry Winston, a continuation of the Opus series has been somewhat in doubt. But in 2015 the Opus 14 finally arrived. And now it has been quietly said that an Opus 15 is on the way. Which makes this a great time to look back over the groundbreaking series.