A galaxy like our own Milky Way is a wondrously thin disk of stars, planets, and gas clouds orbiting a super massive black hole. I would venture to say it is one of the most fundamental shapes in the universe as a majority of all visible mass is held together in one of these magical space-plates.
While it seems that “métiers d’art” could be considered a catchword, trend or even buzz phrase in modern high-end watchmaking, the reality is that when luxury brands take the time, energy, and cost to create these unique elements, it results in some of the most magnificent artwork available in horology today.
In September 2013, the surprising announcement was made that Jérôme Lambert would be leaving his position as CEO of Jaeger-LeCoultre, where he had been for ten years, to head up Richemont sister brand Montblanc. The new man at the helm of the venerable manufacture Jaeger-LeCoultre is Daniel Riedo.
This year’s SIHH is full of complicated revelations. And, even more surprisingly, we have found at least five perpetual calendars at the fair, all of which are very different in approach, design and even price.
Michael Friedberg is the moderator of IWC’s Collectors’ Forum at www.iwc.com and is also an unofficial goodwill ambassador for IWC, talking to journalists, other collectors, and SIHH visitors.
Greece. It’s the birthplace of western civilization, democracy, and science. This country lays claim to some of the most brilliant minds in philosophy, mathematics, astronomy, and politics that the world has ever seen. All of these wonderful thinkers developed the most advanced ideas of their day, some of which are as true today as they were 2,600 years ago when they first began pondering the big questions.
The Greeks are even credited with inventing the first analog computer in the first century B.C., which they used for predicting astronomical positions and eclipses. Fast forward through 2,000 years and a descendent has been born, one with Greek heritage of astronomical proportions. (Sorry, I couldn’t resist.)
So I would like to continue by nominating the Rotonde de Cartier Astrocalendaire Perpetual Calendar as the Greekiest thing to ever be built by a quintessential French house such as Cartier. Some of you might already be agreeing, but for the more stubborn of you I would like to elucidate my thinking and hopefully by the end you will be saying, “opa!”
Since turning his creative energies to making and maintaining a brand that bears his own name, Christophe Claret has introduced one playful and creative complication after another. Baccarat, Blackjack, dice…you name it.
Christophe Claret has now launched the next playful creation, an intricate complication that allows the owner to play Texas Hold ‘Em poker right on his or her mechanical watch with two other live players.
There are two things that you should be aware of if skiing, trekking, hiking, or climbing in the mountains: position and altitude. And if you have a decent topographical map, knowing your altitude helps determine where you are.There are two things that you should be aware of if skiing, trekking, hiking, or climbing in the mountains: position and altitude.
De Bethune has two main styles of timepieces in their collection: one which is more contemporary with models like the DB28 and Dream Watches, the other more classical. And the beautiful DB16 is as classical as they come, both in looks and in complications.
The extremely legible dial design belies an incredible number of indications and complications: central hours and minutes; small seconds; perpetual calendar with day, date, and month; spherical moon-phase; leap-year indication; age of the moon; power reserve indicator; and 30-second tourbillon.
If you have been following my writing all these years, there are a few things you probably know about me. One, I am extremely enamored of the rare handcrafts that almost died out of the mechanical watch industry when it was declared dead during the quartz crisis of the 1970s and early 1980s. I am talking about unique crafts demanding high amounts of skill and concentration like guilloché (a particular favorite of mine), engraving, skeletonization and enamel. Two, I really, really like German watches.