The monkey is the ninth sign of the 12-year zodiac cycle. According to Chinese astrology, monkeys are quick-witted and innovative, but also mischievous. The sign’s lucky colors are white, gold, and blue – all colors featured on these interesting timepieces except that last one we present. Check out these artistic beauties!
It’s not often that I come across a fountain pen that I consider mechanical art, so I was really excited when the new Richard Mille Mechanical Fountain Pen was introduced at SIHH 2016 alongside the new timepieces.
Equally thrilling was the fact that this pen was introduced as neither an add-on to the watch collection nor as an aside: it debuted front and center as it should have.
In addition to its Richard Mille-esque aesthetic, the Mechanical Fountain Pen represents a revelation in fountain pen design.
The Ulysse Nardin San Marco Jaquemarts Minute Repeater from 1989 not only reintroduced translucent enamel to the world of modern horology, but in a way also reintroduced the minute repeater. And it also reintroduced seventeenth-century elements that had not been seen for decades: jaquemarts. Ulysse Nardin now presents the Hannibal Minute Repeater Westminster Carillon Tourbillon Jaquemarts, a sonorous timepiece seeped in all kinds of history.
Previously, I had the wonderful opportunity to report on an important and previously unknown watch: the “G.N. Papi 1” pocket watch made by Giulio Papi and now owned by a good friend of mine. At the time, I promised to follow up should more information come to light on the watch. At SIHH 2016, our group of collectors received an update on this timepiece from none other than Giulio Papi himself.
“Sex on a stick.” That was only one of the juicy thoughts that ran through my head as I spied the these two new releases by A. Lange & Söhne at the 2016 edition of SIHH. The signature low-key style that this brand is known for in this case means that the tourbillons are not visible from the front, either. Please meet the two perpetual calendar tourbillons that really mean grailworthy business.
Peter Speake-Marin’s eponymous brand’s creation, the Dong Son Tourbillon, finds its inspiration in an ancient style of bronze drums found in the Red River Delta region of Vietnam. This gorgeous tourbillon with its finely etched dial interspersed with blue lacquer is an amazingly beautiful unique piece addition to it. And, naturally, Speake-Marin drew from the most notable examples of Đông Sơn drums for the layout of this extraordinary dial.
Watchmaker Patrik Sjögren recentently shared the news that his business partner Johan Gustafsson will be featured in an upcoming book by David Darom focusing on artistic folder knives and how they are made. A photo shoot in Gustafsson’s Swedish smithy was staged to illustrate the procedures he uses to make his signature Mosaic Damascus steel and the duo’s superb new Winter Nights model. Here we share some of those mood-heavy photos.
Not so very long ago, the Tourbillon 24 Secondes Vision in white gold won the coveted Aiguille d’Or at the 2015 edition of the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève. At the 2016 edition of the SIHH, Greubel Forsey presented an absolutely luscious black-dialed red gold version of this watch, but that wasn’t all we saw here. Follow us on a photographic journey to discover the new Greubel Forsey creations from SIHH 2016.
Today we have a horologically themed caption competition that involves one of my favorite brands: De Bethune.
The photo below was shot at SIHH 2016, and I have to thank regular contributors Simon Cudd and Joshua Munchow for posing as wrist models. I will not reveal who is wearing which watch, but regular readers are likely to be able to make a fairly educated guess. Leave your caption ideas in the comments!
In the watch industry, there are many brands struggling to find just the right balance of modesty and pride in their accomplishments, but one brand that does a pretty darn good job of juggling the balance is Manufacture Royale. And one of the best pieces of evidence for this is the 1770 Voltige. Read on and I think you’ll see why.