This is why Norifumi Seki looks set to become the Next Big Thing in watchmaking
Last week it happened again. I was standing in line at a coffee shop and, of the seven people queuing, I was the only one wearing a proper watch. There were four naked wrists, one Garmin and one Apple Watch constantly buzzing and flashing. Now if we have any chance of turning this sad situation around we desperately need an injection of youth into the watchmaking industry. Is Norifumi Seki the answer? Yes, that’s serious pressure laying the entire future of the watchmaking industry on just one man. But hear me out. How many independent Japanese watchmakers do you know? In addition to Hajime Asako and his Art Deco panache, you’d be hard pressed to find many, which is one of the reasons why this story is important, especially considering the enormous power of the Asian marketplace in horology. So who is Norifumi Seki? Hailing from Tokyo and still only 23, he attended the Hiko Mizuno Jewelry College and burst onto the international scene last year as the first Asian to win the esteemed F.P Journe Young Talent Competition. Seki’s delicate Model II is the precursor to the pocketwatch that won that competition and is a brilliant example of quirky…
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Editor’s note: Yesterday we took at look at all of the Australian Open tennis players who actually wore their watches while competing. Today we’ll be shining a spotlight on the rest of the watches on display and some of them are real cross-court winners. The final days of the 2021 Australian Open are underway in Melbourne. While there’s some great tennis on display on the courts, there are also some amazing watches to be spotted. Many of the players have sponsorship agreements in place with various watchmakers with some wearing these watches while playing while most pop a timepiece on their wrist after a match or for press conferences. Semi-finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas who is a Rolex Testimonee has regularly been wearing the coveted stainless-steel Daytona reference 116500 with white dial and ceramic black bezel. The most blinged out watch at the 2021 Australian Open belonged to fellow Rolex Testimonee, Grigor Dimtrov. He was wearing a Rolex Daytona reference 116588TBR, which has been nicknamed “Eye Of The Tiger”. This timepiece immediately catches the eye (pun intended) with its diamond bezel and dazzling dial. Another Rolex Testimonee, the Austrian player, Dominic Thiem, was wearing a white gold Yachtmaster on Oysterflex bracelet with…
The value of double stamped watches is no secret. Most famously Tiffany & Co. stamped dials have notably elevated the prices of Rolex and Patek Philippe references. But these watches, while not released in heavy quantities, are rather widespread on the secondhand market. If you really want to discover co-stamped dials in even more limited numbers, Tudor is the brand to dig into. The watches are rather hush hush as they are not meant to be sold. In fact, they are commissioned by entities in limited quantities to be gifted to those within their inner circles – with usually no more than 100 pieces produced. So when one pops up for sale, they can command quite a premium. Recently an Ed Sheeran Tudor Black Bay emerged for sale, but before we reveal the asking price it sold for let’s recap some of the known custom Tudor watches. Hodinkee’s Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight The Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight took the watch world by storm upon its release, with many lauding Tudor’s decision to release a scaled-back and slimmed-down version of the beloved Black Bay diver. The watch definitely got a ton of air time from our friends over at Hodinkee, but…
Recently I saw a tragicomic sight. It was an ultra-sleek McLaren 720S sports car in a violent shade of tangerine. Now anyone with a driving licence could appreciate this turbocharged V8 was a bona fide supercar. But this magnificent piece of automotive engineering was now inching along through rush-hour at the walking pace of a very small child. I’ve no idea if the driver actually lived in the traffic-choked city or not. Either way, given that most Aussie highways have heavily policed speed limits that top out at 110km/h, you could be fairly sure that this car’s 710bhp would never be properly unleashed. The existence of this McLaren would be akin to a tiger in captivity, its raw physicality forever stifled. Despite its $490,000 price tag, this car was a sad example of wasted potential. The same probably goes for your watch, too. If it’s a diving watch then chances are that it’s barely tasted the briny depths of the ocean and certainly not to anything approaching its full level of water resistance. Perhaps it’s got tritium tubes for easy visibility on night manoeuvres – which you solely employ for telling the time when you need to take a leak…
When you think of art in watchmaking, your mind probably turns to the painstaking creation of a cloisonné enamel dial for a Patek Philippe World Time, or the engraving of an A.Lange & Söhne balance cock. But art in watchmaking suddenly got a whole lot more accessible thanks to the Swatch x MoMA collection that was announced this week. This is the second time that MoMA and Swatch have joined forces, the first being when the watchmaker and the gallery produced three watches in the year 2000. In the latest Swatch x MoMA collection, there are six new watches, each of which depicts a different artwork that resides in the MoMA collection. The artworks include The Starry Night (1889) by Vincent van Gogh, Hope, II (1907-08) by Gustav Klimt, The Dream (1910) by Henri Rousseau, Composition in Oval with Color Planes 1 (1914) by Piet Mondrian, The City and Design, The Wonders of Life on Earth, Isamu Kurita (1966) by Tadanori Yokoo and New York (1968) by Tadanori Yokoo. If you’re a fan of the entire collection, it will be available for sale in a special box set, that includes a description of each artwork and the artist behind it.…
Despite the five day lockdown, when we were heading into this time last week, life in Melbourne is generally very good. The Australian Open has been thundering along at full steam with some seriously good matches being played, summer is finally here with blue skies as far as the eye can see and life is slowly returning to normal. And while the international visitors are dominating much of the current headlines, it has been a great Australian Open for local players too. Dylan Alcott continued his unrelenting domination of wheelchair tennis with his seventh straight Australian Open title. Yep, you read that right, seven local Grand Slam wins in a row. His 6-1, 6-0 victory was never in doubt, and capped off a very successful week in which he also won the quad double’s title for the fourth year in a row. Australian success continued with Matt Ebden and Samantha Stosur shining in the mixed doubles making it to the semifinals without dropping a set. Matt commented on their progress so far, saying, “Obviously we know we’re both accomplished players … singles, doubles, mixed doubles. We sort of know what we’re doing out there. Now we know how to do…
The 2021 Australian Open is edging towards its climax in Melbourne after the players and their respective teams completed a mandatory two weeks of quarantine. It’s been controversial. It’s been far from ideal, with a 5-day statewide lockdown intervening mid-comp until just yesterday. But it’s been on. And that’s what matters. In this post-COVID era it’s borderline miraculous to see a major sporting tournament being held, and how brilliant it was to see spectators back in the stands for games. And where there are tennis players, there are watches. As you would be aware, some of the players have agreements in place with various watchmakers, with some wearing their watches while playing and the majority popping a timepiece on their wrist after a match or for press conferences. Four players wear timepieces while playing and these watches are visible at all times while they are on the court. Rafael Nadal, the 20 time grand slam champion is the most notable, with his specially designed Richard Mille RM 27-04 Tourbillon, which is able to withstand the Spainards’ brutal groundstrokes. Nadal was knocked out in the quarter finals, after an epic 5 set match against Stefanos Tsitsipas. American Serena Williams, the 23 time…
Rectangles, what do they mean? According to whiteriverdesign.com, these shapes represent stability. In fact, the rectangle is the most commonly used area shape in logo design. The reason for its popularity, apparently, is that it is a trusted familiar shape that represents honesty, solidity and stability. As squares and rectangles have straight lines and right angles they have a very mathematical, balanced feel. These shapes scream rationality, practicality and conformity. Rectangles are neither flashy nor attention-seeking – some may even venture they are boring – but clever designers will twist or turn them to add interest to a design. Enter the Reverso book from Jaeger-LeCoultre. That final idea of added interest is poignant when we are considering the Reverso. The fundamental concept of the Reverso rectangular case being able to turn, makes it in addition to its balanced design, a talking point. And not to mention a space for interpretation, complications and case art, from a simple monogram to lacquerwork and miniature art, something JLC has shown us over the years. Though starting out as a purely protective measure for polo players in the early 20th century, the Reverso presents another face that can remain minimalist, decorated or even surprise…
H.Moser have become central to the revival of deep fumé or degradè dial finishing. Their deep colours captivate your attention like no flat black dial ever could. In this video we check out the the H. Moser & Cie. Pioneer Centre Seconds Swiss Mad Red, which certainly lives up to its colourful name. This luscious cherry cocktail offers a tasty take on the everyday sports watch. We know Moser watches from ironic haute horlogerie with their Swiss Alp series and some of last year’s most hypnotising dials with their unexpected collaboration with MB&F. But can they really do everyday? The first impressions of the Pioneer Centre Seconds Swiss Mad Red tick my boxes in a big way. I am a dial man, always have been, and prefer coloured faces to monochrome minimalism – I just can’t help it. I also have a marked preference for three hand watches and the calm state of mind they put you in. There is something soothing about the slow cycle of the seconds hand doing its simple job and not telling you there is yet another email to process. It’s no secret that Moser have mastered the abyss-like depths of fumé and I have…
A watch get-together (GTG) enables like-minded enthusiasts to catch up and gawp at each other’s beloved pieces. This might be your rare chance to try on some beardy guy’s vintage Daytona, admire the enamel dial of a Breguet up close, or merely add your trusty Doxa to a #sexpile that’s worth north of $1.5 million. Yet if you want to be invited back to one of these special events, there are some ground rules we need to address – many of which I have witnessed to my chagrin. So join us in crossing fingers that 2021 delivers many a GTG, but please read this first… Keeping all your watches locked up in the box with viewing “by appointment only…” The phrase: “No, please don’t touch the watches” has been heard over the table at the occasional GTG. Admittedly with COVID and all, we don’t want to touch things without sanitised or gloved hands. But let’s imagine a simpler time when we are cured of this obnoxious pandemic. The raison d’être for any GTG is SHARING my friend, the possibility of touching another person’s watch. That is why we come, so you have to share. It’s all about that friendly dialogue…