l was highly skeptical before my first presentation of the Alexandre Meerson Altitude. This felt like a small new brand wanting to waltz into a market dominated by venerated old names with sky-high reputations. Good luck with that, I thought. To my surprise, though, I was quite impressed by the sense of dramatic subtleties and eye for detail these watches display.
I had the extremely good fortune to be a guest of Jaquet Droz at a stunning Béjart Ballet performance in Tokyo in late 2014, where I became a huge fan of the extraordinary troupe. But why do I find it so important for luxury brands to support the arts? Jaquet Droz and the Béjart Ballet provide an excellent example.
Patek Philippe watches in stainless steel are the hot thing among vintage collectibles. Phillips’s auction house, whose watch division is spearheaded by Bacs & Russo, has set four world records for stainless steel Patek Philippe watches over the last two years. A new find coming up in the Geneva Watch Auction: FOUR could possibly break the current record of almost $4 million. Check out that Patek Philippe Reference 1518 right here.
Time Shadow, the latest timepiece by Andreas Strehler, uses the concept of shadow in a fun and unique way. When a numeral on the hour ring passes in front of the bright orange circle, it appears as if a shadow is moving across a brightly sunlit field. But don’t be fooled into thinking that this piece is only fun; it is also serious horology as befits a watchmaker of Strehler’s stature and creativity.
A piece that for me is a long-term keeper, is the wonderful Antiqua by Vianney Halter. The truth is that I fell for the Antiqua when I first saw one more than a dozen years ago; while many of my friends will freely confess that at the time they were at first put off by its looks, I was smitten from the start. But that’s not all that I love about this watch.
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.