Many of the great marques in the history of watchmaking were driven by prominent figures who ended up with a watch named after them. Such was the case for both Louis Cartier and Pierre Arpels. Both were born into jewelry and watch dynasties and both made prominent marks on the histories of their respective houses. How else are they intertwined? Martin Green explains here.
I am always excited when I see a new example of whimsy in the world. And Van Cleef & Arpels is always a good source of whimsy; the brand’s latest Poetic Complications creation, the Lady Arpels Ronde des Papillons, exemplifies this. It takes a very serious and complicated new movement and uses it for a fanciful display of beauty and cheer that includes exquisitely hand-painted butterflies and a swallow as hour and minute indicators.
I’m glad to see secret watches making a bit of a comeback since I find them to be seductive anachronisms that are very feminine and very functional. Very much in vogue in the 1930s, ҆40s, and ҆50s, “secret watches” kept the time confidential by hiding the watch dial behind a decorative hinged or swiveling cover. Following are five examples introduced earlier this year.
As the SIHH celebrated its 25th anniversary, other milestones were also taking place. IWC celebrates the 75th anniversary of the Portugieser, Vacheron Constantin celebrates its 260th anniversary, and A. Lange & Söhne respects the 200th anniversary of founder Ferdinand Adolph Lange with models including the amazing Zeitwerk Minute Repeater.
It’s no secret that luxury watch manufacturers are courting women more and more. Here we show you five beautiful mechanical watches for women powered by high-end mechanical movements from Audemars Piguet, Vacheron Constantin, Van Cleef & Arpels, IWC and Parmigiani.
The pre-selected Calendar watches in the 2014 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève are as varied as they are superb: the A. Lange & Söhne Richard Lange Perpetual Calendar Terraluna, Montblanc Meisterstück Heritage Perpetual Calendar, Van Cleef & Arpels Midnight Planetarium, Breguet Classique Tourbillon Quantième Perpétuel, Zenith Captain Winsor Annual Calendar and the Jaquet Droz Perpetual Calendar Eclipse Ivory Enamel. Which would you choose?
Van Cleef & Arpels is known today in the haute horlogerie realm as the “maison” producing Poetic Complications, little love stories on the wrist. It has always produced beautiful items of the highest quality, but in recent years the Richemont-owned brand has sincerely added high watchmaking to its goals as a luxury house.
Which is where Agenhor enters the picture since the lion’s share of the Poetic Complications line is developed in collaboration with Jean-Marc Wiederrecht and his specialist company, Agenhor, which develops complications and – now – movements for an exclusive clientele.
The wonderful relationship between Van Cleef & Arpels and Agenhor – a bit of a love story itself – has resulted in many amazing timepieces and accolades from the industry. Wiederrecht was asked to work on an extension for the Pierre Arpels line, which has largely remain unchanged since its eponymous inception in 1949.
The result, as you will see, is one of the most poetic and functional dual time watches that I have ever seen: the Pierre Arpels Heure d’ici Heure d’ailleurs.
This coming Monday will be the start of the 2015 edition of the SIHH (Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie) in Geneva, although our coverage will begin on the weekend with a few of the independent brands. To get you in the SIHH mood, here’s another look at our recap of last year’s exhibition.
Did you ever wonder what it sounds like when journalists get together among themselves and chat about impressions from a week-long watch fair? If so, wonder no more because here we’re providing you with the opportunity to listen in on some private conversations between well-known tastemakers of both the print and online worlds right here at Quill & Pad.
Welcome to our post-SIHH 2014 discussion in which we bring you some of the best and most educated opinions in our industry on the fair, the mood and the watches we saw right here!
Take a 360° tour of the 2014 SIHH! As the first big watch exhibition of the year, the annual SIHH (Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie) in Geneva attracts plenty of interest. However, as a very restricted, invitation-only trade show, it is difficult for the watch-loving public to get an idea of what the SIHH really looks like.