In April 2016 a new attraction opened its doors in Switzerland, one that has attracted a lot of attention in the Helvetic country due to the unusual touristic nature of its existence: Chaplin’s World. Come with me on a tour of the museum property and find out why Charlie Chaplin lived in Switzerland and which timepieces he proudly owned.
One thing that blows my mind each and every time I think of it is the remarkable accuracy of mechanical wristwatches. I know some of you are thinking, “Well, I paid thousands of dollars, I expect it to be dead accurate.” And while I understand that train of thought, try digesting this information and see if I can convince you to be a little bit less critical.
Girard-Perregaux’s Neo-Tourbillon with Three Bridges is a relatively profound re-issue of an old favorite. While it retains the original codes and architecture of Constant Girard’s oeuvre, the major changes that have occurred have to do with the shape of the bridges, the crystal, and the completely redesigned caliber.
In the Vacheron Constantin Métiers d’Art Elegance Sartoriale collection the patterns are truly the stars of this collection, not just because they are taken right from the folds of fashion, but because they are all incredibly difficult to engrave due to their complex designs. Every single line is engraved by hand on a rose engine lathe using guilloché.
The Swatch Group released its half-year report for 2016 on July 21. The good news is that the Swatch Group has not laid off or fired even one employee despite the decrease in profit, a strategy that I believe will pay off in the end. Swatch Group CEO Nick Hayek talked to Swiss television about the current situation, and he explains that his mood remains optimistic.
In 1783, just as the queen of France, Marie Antoinette, was sitting for a portrait an officer of the queen’s guard visited Abraham-Louis Breguet’s workshop: Queen Marie Antoinette desired a pocket watch containing all known horological complications at the time. It took 44 years to complete and is perhaps the most famous watch in history; as much for its intriguing story as its ingenious mechanics.
The first Manufacture Royale was founded during the Age of Enlightenment by French writer, historian, and philosopher Voltaire (1694–1778). Launched in 2010, the modern Manufacture Royale inherited Voltaire’s independent spirit: the aim was to create a brand ahead of its time while expressing the same sort of offbeat humor the great poet was famous for.
People are always finding new outlets to express creativity because that is what humans do . . . right down to tattoo artists seeking new ways to create, leading to unusual collaborations. This is exactly the kind of thing that led to the creation of a watch featuring unique, hand-tattooed straps and a rather incredible juxtaposition of classic and modern watchmaking. I give you the Romain Jerome Tattoo-DNA by Xoil.
My first rule when it comes to collecting is to avoid setting too many exclusionary rules. If, however, I force myself to set criteria for what constitutes collecting to me, I keep coming back to passion and enjoyment. Nevertheless, there are lots of “safe queens” in the watch world. Yes, I’m looking at you, Mr. “Triple Sealed In Its Own Original Geneva Air And Never Wound Let Alone Chimed Patek Minute Repeater.”
It’s that time of year again when the list of watches entered in the next edition of the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) is published. The GPHG is the “Oscars” of the watchmaking industry, and 2016 is the sixteenth edition of the red carpet event.
This list comprises all of the watches competing in the first round of the competition from which the jury will pre-select six in each of the 12 categories.