LIST: From indies with love – 6 watches I fell for in the Carré des Horlogers
From the first days of my downward spiral into my geeky obsession with horology, the world of the independent watchmakers has always held a warm place in my heart. Even when the Swiss watch industry was filled with doom and gloom, these small passion-fuelled outfits forged ahead, creating new and innovative releases at a time when the big-box brands were doing their best to stay afloat by releasing an endless flood of dial variations and other minor updates. In recent years, this unique microcosm of watchmaking has continued to see growing interest from the collecting and enthusiast community at large, as more and more watch fans develop a taste for high watchmaking that skews a little outside the norm. This year at SIHH I spent an inordinate amount of time in the Carré des Horlogers — the show’s independent watchmaking hub, and my “home away from home”, if you will — to take an in-depth look at what the industry’s more creative minds have cooked up for the new year. Here’s what I uncovered. Richard Mille RM 53-01 Tourbillon Pablo Mac Donough Squeezing Richard Mille onto this list involved a bit of debate, as in terms of market presence and…
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Visiting Cartier at SIHH is always an experience. Not only does the floorspace of the maison’s booth outstrip that of any other, but there’s always a sense of effortless cool, matched only by the sort of self-assurance that only comes from having been masters of your craft for a long, long time. Cartier Santos de Cartier Take, for example, the Cartier Santos. The watch, which lays claim to being the first modern wristwatch, was born in 1904, and is wearing its age well. This year, Cartier gave the model some smart, user-friendly upgrades – most notably the QuickSwitch strap changing system. Thankfully, these changes don’t mar the purity of the Santos case, which has received only minor ergonomic updates and subtle changes to the proportions of the bezel. Cartier Santos de Cartier Skeleton Cartier is well known for their skeletonised watches, so it made perfect sense for the Santos to get the stripped-down treatment. Offered in steel and pink gold large versions, this Santos, with its architectural Roman bridges, is an entirely more modern proposition. Cartier Révélation d’une Panthère Watch Seeing this watch for the first time was one of the real ‘wow’ moments of SIHH 2018. An entirely new…
There’s no denying how many of us are often frustrated by the frequent “mild updates” launched by brands — new dial colours, new case and bezel materials, and the like; however, this year in Geneva, Zenith were one of the few to do so with such thoughtful execution that we couldn’t not make it a point of discussion. Yes, we’re talking about the beloved Cairelli chronograph reissue, the Pilot Cronometro Tipo CP-2 Flyback, unveiled in bronze (as well as aged steel) for 2018. Bronze continues to gain huge traction in the “accessible luxury” segment, and having first capitalised on the trend in 2015 with the bronze Pilot Type 20, creating a bronze CP-2 was a logical choice. Surprisingly, one of the key selling points of the new CP-2 Bronze Flyback Chronograph has nothing to do with its sexy new casing. For 2018, Zenith decided to up the ante by fitting the piece with its El Primero 405B caliber: an automatic column-wheel chronograph movement with flyback function, and a 50-hour power reserve. In celebration of this upgraded caliber, Zenith have fitted the new model with a sapphire display caseback, allowing its new owners the opportunity to admire the brand’s longstanding technical…
Last night, Roger Federer confirmed his GOAT status with his sixth Australian Open win, beating 29-year-old Marin Cilic in three hours in the sweltering Melbourne heat. Roger Federer — the first man to win 20 Grand Slam titles — is one of Rolex’s most important international testimonees, so it was no surprise he was wearing the latest and greatest Sky-Dweller in white gold Rolesor (with blue dial) as he hoisted the cup. But, much like last year, our eyes were distracted from Fed’s Sky-Dweller by Mirka Federer and her dazzling wrist. Last year, Mirka outshone her husband with a platinum Day-Date dripping with stones. This year, she did it again with the brand new Yacht-Master 40 in rose gold on Oysterflex with stunning sapphire bezel (coincidentally, one of my favourite watches of last year). Aside from being an absolutely boss watch, Mirka’s choice to give the heavy platinum a rest for the 2018 Australian Open finals made perfect sense, given that the temperature was a humid 37.8C yesterday, and didn’t drop below 30 degrees overnight. So while her 36-year-old husband sweated it up on Centre Court, Mirka (or at least her wrist) would have been cool, calm and collected…
While we all know that Van Cleef & Arpels love a bit of poetry, I get the feeling that they also have a major thing for swans. Huh, what? You know, the way swans glide across the water, all elegance and beauty, no visible effort – while paddling furiously beneath the surface. Well, that’s how Van Cleef & Arpels make their complication watches, whether for men or women. Refined, beautiful, often rather dreamlike on the outside; brain-bendingly complex on the inside. In 2014, you may remember, Van Cleef & Arpels launched an astonishing planetarium watch developed in collaboration with the master of astronomical horology, Christiaan van der Klaauw. It replicated the entire solar system, with each planet completing an orbit – a full turn around the dial – in real time (Mercury three months, Earth 365 days, Jupiter 142 months, and so on). It’s a stunning watch. And, at 44mm, it’s man-sized. Now, the new 38mm version gives us girls a turn. To reduce size, only the inner solar system is represented: Mercury, Venus and Earth. Each is represented by a tiny polished bead –Mercury in pink mother-of-pearl, Venus in green enamel, Earth in turquoise – fixed to a rotating…
If you’ve been paying attention to my recent spate of best-of/top lists (and if you haven’t, what’s wrong with you?!), you’ll know that I have a sense of style and taste that is dazzling in its brilliance, mercurial in its consistency, and as sophisticated as white tie at a garden party. I’ve recently sung my praises for gem-set wonders, hi-tech wrist gadgets that stretch the conceptual definition of ‘watch’, and occasionally a smaller, vintage-inspired piece. So, going into SIHH 2018, knowing that I’d have to come up with a smart, snappy and sassy ‘top 5’ a few days later, I was filled with wonder and anticipation. Would I be drawn to outstanding statement pieces (the thinnest, the expensivest, the eroticest) or would I rein myself in and keep it real? Nobody knew, least of all myself … until now. So, without any further superlative (or is that superfluous?) waffle – here’s my SIHH top 5. Cartier Santos de Cartier A smart reworking of an icon that manages to be — depending on which option you opt for — either totally OTT (that’d be the full yellow gold) or perfect for everyday office (steel on leather, obvs). But it’s the user-friendly…
Designing a collection as wide and as important as IWC’s jubilee collection must represent quite the challenge. It needs to be new and innovative, but also remain true to the brand’s deepest roots. I think, by and large, that IWC have done a fine job. Not only does the diverse, 27-watch collection have a clear, unifying theme, thanks to the richly lacquered white and blue dials, but the selection of models is a good balance of their greatest hits and historically significant models. The Portugieser Hand-Wound Eight Days Edition “150 Years” fits into both camps quite neatly. The important reference has enjoyed ever-increasing popularity since it first made its way back into the IWC catalogue in the early ’90s. And just quietly, I think this limited edition hand-wound Portugieser is one of the most attractive takes on the model ever released. Hands down. It’s got everything you need, and nothing you don’t. Offered in either steel (1000 pieces) or red gold (250 pieces) versions — both with white dials — the watch is effortlessly, unashamedly classic. The black printed sans-serif Arabic numerals, railroad-style minute track, seconds dial and IWC logo are crisply printed, and given plenty of space on the…
When Felix first took a peek at the Terra Australis made by Aussie watch company Bausele, what he saw before him – to paraphrase his own words – was the preliminary sketch before the finished painting. Fast-forward to today and those metaphorical pencil marks are now barely visible under brushstrokes of paint, with the brand officially launching the flagship model late last year. While much of the design hasn’t changed from that first look prototype, from initial impressions, it’s easy to see that the overall quality of finish has improved by leaps and bounds. To kick things off, Bausele have four special versions of the Terra Australis available. Limited to 50 pieces each, all with varying colour combinations for their five-pronged outer case, dial, hands, and strap. However, if that isn’t enough, customers can individualise their very own version on the Bausele website. With 850 different combinations possible. One of the initial four versions is this variant, dubbed the “Red Back”, with its blacked-out styling and not-so-subtle pops of white and red, demanding attention. Eagle-eyed viewers of TV series Prison Break may have already spotted it on the wrist of brand ambassador Dominic Purcell’s character Lincoln Burrows in the recent…
During a time when planes were more fabric than steel, and I’m sure the phrase “on a wing and a prayer” had a much more literal meaning, Zenith were pioneering the use of pilot watches, with French aviator Louis Blériot wearing a Zenith on his wrist as he made the first ever flight across the English Channel in 1909. In fact, Zenith were so early to reach the skies that they are the only brand that can use the word “Pilot” on a watch dial, thanks to them being marketing-savvy and trademarking the term. All this is a roundabout way of saying that Zenith’s Pilot collection has some serious cred. This year, the well-received bronzed-case Pilot Type 20 Extra Special – which debuted in 2015 – has been given a dose of down under, with the release of an Australian-market-only limited-edition, made for the Australian Watch Forum, a Facebook group, which was created in 2015 by two Aussie watch guys, Nick and Nathan, and now boasts (at the time of writing) more than 3000 members. The AWF, in an effort spearheaded by forum moderator Don, worked with Zenith in Australia to design the brand new Pilot Type 20 Southern Cross.…
I’m not above admitting it. I’m more than just a bit painful when it comes to painted versus printed dials. “Is this painted or printed?” is a question I’ve asked countless times. Receiving countless eye-rolls, I might add. And, full disclosure, I’ve always assumed that the colour, paint volume and line-perfect proportions of Franck Muller dials are the latter. Printed. But when I attended the Franck Muller ‘chalet’ (such a more appropriate descriptor than ‘manufacture’) for a second time, early in 2017, I asked the question and was met with a very different answer, which also happened to be a question. “They’re painted,” said my soon-to-be nemesis from Franck Muller, Laura Bondi. “Would you like to try painting one yourself?” Sure, but only if she tried to paint one too. The next hour of my life taught me a lot about the extraordinary skill required to make the watches we love — mostly by showing me how ordinary my own skills are in comparison.