RECOMMENDED READING: Chatting to engraving royalty with King Nerd
Johnny Dowell has been on the watch world’s radar for some time (heck, we interviewed him here), having worked with Urwerk and others on some pretty spectacular production pieces, as well as numerous custom jobs. But, perhaps unsurprisingly, Johnny’s career in engraving didn’t start with watches — he went through the far more traditional route of fine long gun engraving. And he didn’t mess around either, starting at the top of the tree with James Purdey & Sons (a Richemont property, for those into the corporate ownership of luxury brands). I’ve never made a big mistake on a gun, like where you slip across the entire surface and leave a huge scratch. That kind of thing just doesn’t happen, you wouldn’t be allowed to engrave a gun if that was a possibility. The kind of mistakes that will happen aren’t visible to the naked eye, or they are easily correctible. So, if you’ve ever wanted a solid insight into the world of high-end, super-cool artisanal crafts in 2019, this interview over on A Collected Man is worth a read.
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Editor’s note: The watches of Montblanc have been getting better and better over the last few years. Newer, cleaner designs and a streamlined product, along with smart value propositions mean that it’s a brand that should be on your radar. Don’t believe us? Here are five 2019 releases you should get across. Since Davide Cerrato took the gig as Montblanc’s top watch guy, the brand’s timepiece offerings have been steadily ramping up, becoming more focused and more appealing. To my mind, Montblanc’s SIHH 2019 saw the brand in high gear, on the inside track and with the intensity of a winner. Two hero collections and a range of watches to appeal to a wide range of tastes. Here are our five picks. Montblanc 1858 Geosphere LE Last year’s complicated two timer was already a good-looking beast of a watch, and this year the Geosphere’s gone green, making it even more Hulk-like. Montblanc 1858 Chronograph While it might not have the same incredible engine as its Minerva brethren, the 1858 Chronograph, with its bronze case and mossy green dial, is one undeniably attractive piece of kit. Montblanc Heritage Automatic While the 1858 family was all about the green, the freshly minted…
Reintroducing their debut 17.01 model, the Ming 17.06 Copper and Monolith boast major construction improvements over their predecessors, as well as making some subtle design tweaks. With two new models, let’s first take a look at the 17.06 Copper. Offering warm earthy tones set within a polished stainless steel case, the 17.06 Copper is easily the dressier, more ‘traditional’ looking of the two. When it comes to the level of texture and detail within the dial pattern, the 17.06 Copper has confidently entered territory previously dominated by the likes of Grand Seiko. The combination of a mirror finish polished case and the gentle lustre of the pinkish copper dial is wonderfully soothing, and not often seen outside of the highest echelons of haute horology. Finally, the gentle outward flick of the lugs is an elegant twist that brings some sharpness to balance out the round case. After reading so far, you might not be surprised to learn that the 17.06 Copper is a finalist in this year’s GPHG. Not bad for a brand that started only two years ago. Turning now to the 17.06 Monolith, we find something totally different. The matt black DLC bead blasted case gives the Monolith…
Editor’s note: Jaquet Droz is a brand with an increasing presence on our fair shores. And while they’re best known for their watches that exhibit a decent amount of both pomp and circumstance, there’s a lot to be said for their simpler offerings, which are still distinctive as all get-out. Don’t believe us? Check out the Astrale Grande Heure Minute … Jaquet Droz is a brand that has built its reputation on incredible automata and extravagant finishing. Fluttering birds, delicate miniature painting, and exquisite handcrafts are all par for the course for the brand. Which is why this watch, the Astrale Grande Heure Minute, was such a surprise. It’s no less beautiful, but much more spartan in its style. In fact, besides two hands, some tiny hour markers and some words, there’s hardly anything on this dial at all. This Astrale has been pared back to its most essential elements, and I’ve got to say the strength of the design holds up on its own. For me, it’s a completely different look for Jaquet Droz, and a good one for Australia. If Jaquet Droz is a brand you’ve never considered before, I’d suggest checking out the latest Astrale. It might…
Editor’s note: There’s something in the air at Grand Seiko. The brand is busting out new designs left, right and centre. It’s an exciting time to be a fan of Japan’s premier watchmaker. Case in point, the Grand Seiko Spring Drive SBGY003 … Grand Seiko has just announced its latest releases at Basel 2019 and, boy, does the Spring Drive — that unique trifecta of electronic, kinetic and magnetic energy — feature strongly. But not just the Spring Drives you know and love, with that arching power reserve at eight. No, in honour of the movement’s 20th anniversary, there are new manually wound versions, including this super-slender, refined and dressy option. Shown here in steel, it’s known as SBGY003 This is a Grand Seiko like you’ve never seen before. First, the case is so well-sized — 38.5mm across by 10.2mm thick is elegant, restrained proportion. With a simple case, with swooping lugs, a grippy crown (important for manual winding) and a black alligator strap, it’s a refined piece. It’s interesting to note that this is one of the few GS models where the lugs aren’t drilled. Of course, the dial is impressive, too: a radial starburst-like guillochage, reminiscent of the…
Over the years I’ve seen a lot of new chronographs. Some are impressive, and many are ordinary. But few are as hands-down gorgeous as the Vacheron Constantin Cornes de Vache that I first saw at Watches and Wonders in 2015. With its classical proportions and comely, cow-horn-shaped lugs it was a love-at-first sight affair. However, the platinum case construction and associated six-figure sticker price put it out of the realm of mere mortals. There was a brief glimmer of hope in 2017, when Hodinkee dropped one of their (IMO) hottest limited editions — a steel Cornes de Vache with a slate grey dial. That hope lasted all of five minutes, which is the approximate time it took for all 36 watches to sell. All that has now changed, with Vacheron Constantin announcing a regular production steel model to the line-up — the 38.5mm case is the same, as is the Calibre 1142 movement. This movement, as you’d expect from the brand, looks outstanding, and carries the Geneva Seal. Dial-side, the watch is no slouch either, with a complex construction, a pleasingly retro blend of applied markers, printed scales and sunken bi-compax registers. Add to the mix the beautiful, patina-d calfskin strap…
The other day, Phillips announced Phillips PERPETUAL, an always-on showroom of curated horological goodness. Because while blockbuster sales of celebrity pieces have a place, the opportunity for mass volume sales and Phillips, along with the other major auction players is jumping at it. For an in-depth look at the ever-changing business of selling very fine secondary market watches, this piece over at Le Monde Edmond is well worth a read. Twenty years ago, no one was able to buy or sell a fine collector’s watch if it was not via a public platform such as a tradeshow, a dealer or most importantly via an international auction house. The same applied to scholarship: It was only accessible on a personal, one-to-one basis, meaning, the person sharing it with you had to be in front of you. Today with Instagram and other social media, things are radically different. On the whole – all players have benefited – including auction houses. Bacs describes it as a wonderful new democratic platform that has been ‘an amazing trampoline for collectors, dealers and auction houses’. Read the full article here.
Over the last few years the Laureato line has emerged as Girard-Perregaux’s valiant hero — a sporty steel warrior well equipped to win wrists across the world. Earlier this year, at SIHH in Geneva, Girard-Perregaux unleashed their latest expression of the Laureato – the evolved Laureato Absolute. This darkly clad watch was offered in a trio: time-only, world time and chronograph — we’re going to focus only on the latter today. The case is the familiar Laureato shape, though the material used is titanium, which has been given a black PVD coating — the finishes are a mix of polished and brushed, elevating the somewhat utiliarian treatment to more refined territory. A rubber strap is a natural choice for this sort of sporty look. The chronograph complication is also a natural choice, and it looks good here — the three registers in black, to match the case, but the rest of the dial is realised in a graduated blue sunburst. The pushers on the Laureato Absolute also offer an evolution of the octagonal screw-down numbers of the ‘regular’ version. Here we’re treated to sporty paddle-shaped numbers with a dashing blue highlight. The movement that you activate by pressing those pushers…
For any brand creating a new collection, the challenge lies in the tension between aesthetic innovation and consistent design language. With the new Bell & Ross BR05, the brand has successfully maintained their core visual identity with a circular dial and squared-off case, exposed screws at the corners of the case, and bold Arabic numerals. The innovation begins most prominently with the integrated bracelet directly into the case, which is a departure from the more traditional Bell & Ross look. The softened curves of the polished bezel contrast sharply with the angles of the brushed steel lugs, creating visual depth that continues along the bracelet. Constructed in a H-link style, the bracelet also features a mixture of polishing on the softer angles and brushing on the right angles. For those seeking a more lightweight fastening system, the BR05 is also available on a rubber strap that suits warmer conditions. There are five new models in the collection, with three steel options in grey, blue or black sunray dial options. The final steel model is the BR05 Skeleton, complete with a fully skeletonised dial that offers unobstructed views of the automatic winding BR-CAL.322. The final model offers significantly more wrist presence…
Editor’s note: We’re deep in the age of premium athleisure, so it makes sense that this patrician approach to utility is extending to our wrists. But can the two — seemingly polar opposite — aesthetics peacefully coexist? These five watches say yes. Sports luxury is one of those ephemeral subgenres in watchland that hides a multitude of sins. It’s easy for a watch maker to label any oversized solid-gold diver as sports luxe, but the reality is that most of these watches will never see any actual sports time. Frankly, that’s not good enough. So we found a select handful of timepieces that you could wear with ease on the court or in the boardroom. Patek Philippe Aquanaut I was never really on team Aquanaut, but then I caught up with David and his ‘one watch’ Patek Philippe, and I just got it. Like the Rolex, the Aquanaut has the winning combo of rubber strap and slender case. But beyond that there’s a dazzling mix of finishings, an interesting dial and top-notch movement. Beautiful but not delicate. Rolex Yacht-Master 40 Oysterflex It’s an obvious choice, but this Everose beauty’s inclusion isn’t solely due to the action-ready and oh-so-comfy Oysterflex.…