Vintage timepieces are a hot topic right now. But that is not the reason that Sébastien Chaulmontet and Joël Pynson chose to write and publish a book on vintage chronographs: Vintage chronographs, one might say, is their thing. And spreading their love of these objects and their knowledge of them is the sole purpose of this book. And it shows!
Over the past few weeks, I’ve had the pleasure to write here about two truly splendid minute repeaters, both property of a good friend: Patek Philippe Reference 5074P and Reference 5078P. They both look great, but I’m guessing that if you’ve been following this series you’re most interested in how they sound. Well, here’s your chance. Welcome to the great Patek Philippe chime-off!
Giles Ellis, the man behind Schofield Watches, is first and foremost a man of details. An industrial designer by training, his passion is paying attention to the minutia that combine to create an object. The result is very often an honestly cool creation, and chief among these is the Blacklamp timepiece. This watch breaks conventions, not only for Schofield, but for watchmakers developing a product that is completely and utterly reasoned. Read on to find out why!
The Cross Peerless Fonderie 47 Collector’s Edition rollerball pen follows a limited edition fountain pen. And it, too, transforms an object of disdain into an element of hope, incorporating a bit of blackened steel from a melted-down AK-47 into the design of its cap crown. To further the message, the side of the pen’s cap reveals the unique serial number of the gun that was taken out of circulation and used to embellish the special edition pen. Its price makes it an ideal holiday gift!
I hope you’ll find this commentary on a collector’s mindset and the motivations, delights, and possible misgivings behind why I bought a Vianney Halter Deep Space Tourbillon interesting and helpful.
An appreciation for inherent value and superior timeless aesthetics culminated with my first personal encounter with the Sattler Classica Secunda 1985, a rare modern precision pendulum clock. It adorned the hallway of the former Chronoswiss headquarters in Munich, Germany where I was working at the time. Upon sight, the immediate conviction overcame me that one day I would have to own one of these stunning marvels of wall art. Let me tell you why.
The UR-106 is the first Urwerk that is perfectly sized for a feminine wrist. And much of the reason for its extreme comfort is the crown: the tactile business of winding and setting the time on a watch is tantamount to the comfort it will exude. Fumbling with small crowns can be quite tricky, particularly – and please excuse this aspect of feminine hands – if you want to keep your fingernails intact. Find out why this one is different.
One of the coolest jewelry designers of 1960s New York was Aldo Cipullo.
Cipullo was an artist often surrounded by New York’s Studio 54 “in” crowd. The designer, who had his own clientele and his own collection, always dared to draw inspiration from everyday items such as a horseshoe or tank tracks, transforming them into jeweled marvels. He was an important figure in the contemporary history of Cartier. Read on to find out why.
Being Ferrari means that you have a significant challenge. Where each new generation of Porsche’s 911 is an evolution, each Ferrari has to be a revolution: superior to its predecessor in often radical ways. Not every revolution empowers the right forces, but when it does, you get something like the Ferrari 488 GTB, a thoroughbred sportscar that even dips a tire into the supercar arena.
The retrograde indication is one of my favorite “Because We Can” (BWC) complications. Gears are an amazing invention and have allowed watchmakers to make incredible creations. Simple gear systems leave a multitude of openings for creativity. Look at some great examples of it here!