Martin Green doesn’t like skeleton watches despite adoring the craftsmanship that goes into making them because he isn’t fond of seeing a stunning movement with a backdrop of skin and pressed hair. Hermès solved that problem with the Arceau Squelette, which showcases the beauty of the movement without any “hairy” backdrop by using a “smokescreen.”
Miniature wood marquetry is not only rare, it is fascinating. And thanks to our friends at The Watches TV, who recently visited Olivier Varenne in Paris, we are able to watch as an artisan demonstrates creating miniature wood marquetry dials for rare Hermès artistic craft watches.
The Hermès Arceau Grands Fonds is a rare and precious beauty. Its glass mosaic dial is a work of art, framed by a case made of white gold. And, as is nearly everything with Hermès, the Arceau Grands Fonds is also a functional object: the brand wants you to enjoy this watch on the wrist, where it belongs!
What is the most precious element of any watch brand? Its manufacture? Its skilled employees? Its brand ambassadors? Its boutiques? Martin Green thinks that it’s none of those, because the most important asset of a brand is its so-called DNA. Here he explains how brands better used their heritage at the 2018 SIHH.
At Hermès, corners are never cut. And this becomes abundantly clear when talking to Guillaume de Seynes, member of the Hermès family and managing director in charge of the manufacturing division and equity investments. Quill & Pad’s Elizabeth Doerr recently had the chance to chat with de Seynes to understand the brand’s corporate philosophies and history in watches a little better.
As a great many watch lovers know, straps and bracelets have the ability to make or break a watch. While many might find the “vintage” appearance of mesh too delicate for today’s watches, for me mesh remains one of the most beautiful ways to dress up a watch, whether new or old. So what’s the attraction?
Today many premium watch brands look for that certain “extra element” to get ahead of the competition, and one hot item now is straps. If it is true that shoes make the man, then the strap must make the watch. Jan Lidmaňský shares a selection of interesting partnerships between the worlds of watches and leather.
Despite seeing aventurine in six new wristwatches at SIHH 2018 – more than the number of new tourbillons Elizabeth counted – it remains a decorative artisanal element used only by luxury watchmakers in small series or unique pieces for its beauty and decorative properties. While there is some public uncertainty about the origin of aventurine, it continues to add mysterious shine and scintillating glamour to watches. Here is what aventurine really is and where it comes from.
What is the most precious element of any watch brand? Its manufacture? Its skilled employees? Its brand ambassadors? Its boutiques? Martin Green thinks that it’s none of those, because the most important asset of a brand is its so-called DNA. Here he explains how brands better used their DNA at the 2018 edition of the SIHH.
Early American historian and Harvard professor Laurel Thatcher Ulrich titled her 2008 book ‘Well-Behaved Women Seldom Make History.’ Ulrich would probably be very interested to know about three famous Swiss and French brands whose very first wristwatches were made for – and in a way by – women. These watches by Breguet, Hermès, and Patek Philippe have made history.