Kees Engelbarts’ latest creation is a compendium of his skills fusing his love affair with a millenary Japanese metalworking technique, his mastery of engraving, and his radically artistic approach to skeletonisation. Engelbarts’ Organic Skeleton Ref. 1867 is a unique handmade work of art enlivened with textures, engraved surfaces, partial views of the movement and psychedelic […]
Defying the restraint and moderation that has settled over the watchmaking scene of late, it is refreshing to see such a magnificent display of mechanical luxury and grandiose craftsmanship. Unleashing a menagerie of majestic wild animals, Vacheron Constantin gives a riveting display of its inexhaustible creativity and mechanical expertise. Mécaniques Sauvages is a bespoke collection of unique pieces made in Vacheron Constantin’s very own customisation department – Les Cabinotiers – where horological fantasies spring to life. To give you an idea of what the watchmakers at Les Cabinotiers are capable of producing, think back to Reference 57260, a private commission delivered in 2015 with no fewer than 57 complications under its belt, making it the most complicated timepiece on our planet.
Since its worldwide introduction in 2016, the Seiko Presage collection never ceased to impress. It all started with superb limited edition chronographs with enamel or hand-lacquered Urushi dials (just that…), watches that have been followed by regular production models with enamel dials or funky “cocktail” inspiration, as well as impressive limited editions such as the Shippo. In two years, Seiko has made Presage a collection as interesting as Prospex. Following this trend, the brand unveils today a new limited edition, the Seiko Presage Urushi Byakudan-nuri SPB085 – and here again, it brings traditional, hand-made Urushi at a stunning price level.
Recently at the WatchTime New York show, Roland Murphy of RGM Watch Company showed off his newest collection of Art watches for men and women. Significantly different for RGM, which usually plays on the classical side of things (enamel dials or engine-turned dials) or American-inspired pieces (railroad watches), these timepieces are designed to inspire the art lover in all of us.
Since 2010, Chopard has released a menagerie of beautifully crafted Urushi dials to celebrate the animals of the Chinese zodiac. At the end of 2017, Chopard decided to regale collectors with a superlative one-off piece. Not only did it congregate all 12 animals of the Chinese Zodiac, hand-engraved on the sides of the case, but the L.U.C Perpetual T Spirit was also equipped with a perpetual calendar and a tourbillon. A similar collector’s edition, decorated with motifs of Mexico’s Day of the Dead celebrations was presented during the SIAR and sold in six minutes flat. For 2019, which coincides with the Year of the Pig, Chopard repeats the formula and unveils its latest homage to Chinese cultural traditions with this unique L.U.C masterpiece.
In Chinese astrology, each year is related to a Chinese zodiac animal according to the 12-year cycle. February 5th, 2019 marks the beginning of the year of the pig and in preparation, Vacheron Constantin is unveiling its latest addition to its Métiers d’Art The Legend Of The Chinese Zodiac series – Year Of The Pig. Available in either a Platinum or 18K 5N pink gold case, each version will be offered in a limited series of just 12 pieces. Read on for more details.
With SIHH 2019 fast approaching, brands are pre-releasing selected models to whet our appetites. Among them is Vacheron Constantin, which has released the first images of two unique pieces, Les Cabinotiers Grande Complication Phoenix and Les Cabinotiers Minute Repeater Tourbillon Sky chart we will introduce in a separate article. But for now, let’s look at the first model, a complex watch with no fewer than 15 complications.
Denis Flageollet, the watchmaker and creator behind De Bethune, is known as one of the most brilliant watchmakers of his generation, in particular for his technical developments. The new De Bethune Maestri’Art collection reveals another facet of his talent and his passion for Asian art. The collection aims at celebrating métiers d’art and the artisans crafting these works of art – De Bethune worked with master engraver Michèle Rothen for these two unique pieces.
With its Métiers d’art collection, Blancpain has been exploring new artistic and expressive horizons, nurturing traditional skills with different expressions. Case in point: recently, the craftsmen of the Metiers d’art workshop in Le Brassus presented Shakudo dials. Of Japanese origin, Shakudo is an alloy principally composed of copper and gold, which acquires a dark patina between blue and black, according to variations in its composition and texture. This year, Japan has once again become an inspiration to Blancpain. One of the manufacture’s latest artistic creations features a Binchōtan dial.
Christiaan van der Klaauw will go down in history as having the created the smallest mechanical planetarium in the world, condensed into the miniature arena of a wristwatch – or in fact, a portion of a wristwatch. His opus, the 40mm CVDK Planetarium, depicts the real-time orbits of Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn as they rotate around the Sun. A mechanical miracle that unites horology and astronomy, the CVDK Planetarium – first launched in 1999 – is also a beautiful work of portable art. Just imagine if Copernicus could have got his hands on one of these and prove to his contemporaries that heliocentrism was really the way forward! In addition to the highly accurate representation of planetary motions, the Planetarium has an annual calendar complication.