At Baselworld, Girard-Perregaux presented the Neo-Tourbillon with Three Bridges, 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 – but which are not so obvious when taken individually – have to do with the shape of the bridges, the crystal, and the completely redesigned caliber.
Two brand-new chronographs debuting here at Baselworld illustrate extreme sides of the coin: De Bethune’s manually wound DB29 Maxi Chrono Tourbillon and Glashütte Original’s Senator Chronograph Panorama Date.
At Baselworld 2014, Bremont introduced the next incarnation: the MBIII. The new model goes a step further than its predecessor with the addition of a new GMT movement; however it still retains the distinct feel of the original.
Patek Philippe’s booth at Baselworld made for big news at both the 2013 and 2014 fairs: last year for not having been upgraded, and this year for being the only brand in Hall 1.0 to debut a brand-new, chic structure designed by a big-name architect.
Hermès’ introduced two exceptional timepieces at Baselworld 2014: a playfully complicated watch called Dressage L’heure masquée and Arceau Millefiori, which features an artisanal crystal dial made by Cristalleries Royales de Saint-Louis, an Hermès manufactory in Alsace, France.
You’ll forgive me, but these days the show “season” seems to run pretty much year-round. SIHH in January and Basel in the spring, and then before you know it we’re into Watches and Wonders (Hong Kong), Salon QP (London), SIAR (Mexico) and Belle Montres (Paris).
Recently I found myself at a bit of a crossroads. Horologically I mean, as I was having trouble with a new discovery I had made. You see, I had just been slapped across the face by something entirely unexpected. Unexpected by me at least and I needed to come to terms with the fact that I may have been wrong if this new development was to be accepted as reality.
It turns out I was completely wrong.
Location. Location. Location. I work from a comfortable, but fairly non-descript office situated between Geneva and Lausanne. The region is visually stunning with the lake and Alps to the east and Jura mountains to the west, but one of the major things making the location so special to me is that I am only five minutes’ drive from the Speake-Marin atelier.
For those of you not aware of who, or what, Roland Iten is then the two words − though not the only two − you need to know are “belt buckles.” High-end belt buckles. Belt buckles crafted like a high-end watch. Belt buckles crafted like a very high-end watch. Crafted so well that both Sylvester Stallone and I are big fans.
Not everyone gets to check out Breguet’s factory from the inside, and those who do generally don’t get to take photographs of what they see. This modernized factory in the heart of the remote Vallée de Joux with its many annexed hallways, secretive doors and interesting manufacturing capabilities has long been a jealously guarded secret.