RECOMMENDED READING: Is there a paradox in watchmaking? Franco Cologni thinks so
Let me preface this by stating two things: (a) this is a slightly more philosophical discussion than usual, and (b) Franco Cologni is an important man in the watch business. After starting his career selling Must de Cartier products in the ’70s (of which I am a fan), he rose prominently within the Parisian organisation, becoming the Chairman of Cartier in 2000. Besides his developed business acumen, Franco Cologni also has a developed handle on the English language, expressing opinions eloquently in the journal of the FHH, where he is also President of the FHH Cultural Council. In one recent column, he investigates the semantic paradox of perfection within the luxury watch business. Franco Cologni begins by establishing that any “popular luxury” is in fact a fantasy produced by “luxury marketeers” (which can’t help but remind of the German philosopher Nietzsche when he asked, “How should there be a ‘common good’! The term contradicts itself: whatever can be common always has little value”). While that might be more broadly open for debate, what he believes is less open for discussion is the definition of perfection proposed by Aristotle, where something is perfect when it is “complete and contains all requisite…
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To celebrate the centennial anniversary of the Bauhaus design movement, Swatch have released the Bau Swatch Collection of 25 new watches inspired by the pre-WWII German school of design. The Bauhaus design philosophy has had significant impact on a number of watch designs over the years, including from Patek Philippe, Nomos and Stowa. Now Swatch have joined the fray, with an appropriately designed collection that celebrates the different elements of the design school’s ideas. If you’re interested in browsing the entire 25-watch collection, you’re able to visit them at the Swatch site, but before you do, these are our highlights. Sistem Bau The Sistem Bau is an automatic offering from the new collection, using the genuinely interesting Sistem51 movement (built totally by robots), which uses only 51 parts, and boasts an impressive 90 hours of power reserve. Elementary Referencing the school-time lessons of primary colours and blocky numerals, this one gives you everything you need, and nothing you don’t. SwatchID A post-modern expression of aggressive block lettering, the SwatchID would make Supreme proud of its liberal use of red and white.
Look, full disclosure. We did not know (or indeed pay) Sherwood to give us this particular answer. But having said that, it’s quite nice to hear someone say they bought a watch off your review. And honestly, of the many (many) watches I’ve reviewed over the years, you could do a whole lot worse than the Grand Seiko SBGA211 ‘Snowflake’. It’s a real modern classic, and a watch that’s full of character and emblematic of what Grand Seiko is all about. Or, as Sherwood puts it: When I look at my watch it’s an immediately calming Snowflake presence that just reminds me of what’s not in front of my desk. And Sherwood’s absolutely right — it is an under-the-radar piece, and the Spring Drive technology is absolutely mesmerising. Well done on a great watch, Sherwood, and here’s to the next one. 
Former Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke, who died in May this year, stands as one of the country’s most colourful — and beloved — political figures. He also enjoyed a particularly long tenure as PM, from March 1983 until December 1991, winning four elections as Labor leader. And while his political legacy includes the creation of Medicare and Landcare, the floating of the Australian dollar, and his removal of any UK jurisdiction over Australian affairs, more popularly he’s remembered as a quintessential larrikin: a swearing, drinking PM who was famous for his ability to skol a can of beer and whose most famous line is arguably his statement, after Australia dramatically won the America’s Cup in 1983, that “any boss who sacks anyone for not turning up today is a bum!” On August 27, Shapiro Auctions is holding the “Bob Hawke & Blanche d’Alpuget Mementos Curiosities Art and Design Auction” at Paddington RSL (an appropriate venue) in Sydney. Amongst the ephemera of a long political career and an obvious love of art, we were struck by four time-related lots: Lot 99 — Jaeger-LeCoultre Atmos clock By far my pick of the lots is this Atmos clock. If any clock is indicative…
If you’ve been reading what I’ve been reading over the last couple of weeks, you’ll have noticed I’m particularly interested in how the primary and secondary watch markets interact with each other, and what that looks like in specific contexts like an auction room. All that leads to is a question: does the collectible watch change over time? One Instagram account I’ve been following with great interest for a little while is @AuctionLytics, a page that tracks the watch auction market and shares their data-driven insights with followers. They also share longer-form insights on their blog, and while they’ve been a little quiet over recent months, one article caught my eye that tracks over the last two decades to see if collectible watches change over time. You can find the article right here, and while they are looking only through the lens of auctions at Antiquorum, it still offers insight (and hope) to those confused or frustrated by the current situation.
Editor’s note: In the run-up to the horse racing season in Australia, we thought we’d have a look at a brand with a long history in the world of horse racing. Andrew had the opportunity to sit down with the then-VP of Longines Juan-Carlos Capelli to get to the bottom of Longines’ connection to horse racing, which was established more than one hundred years ago. Earlier this year, we interviewed the Vice President of Longines in the hours before the Queen Elizabeth Stakes horse race at Royal Randwick in Sydney. In the polite small-talk before the interview, we asked Mr Juan-Carlos Capelli — whose frequent flyer status would strike envy into the heart of even the most intrepid traveller — if he enjoyed watching the endless global parade of races and show jumping events as much as riding horses himself, which he has done since he was a child. “Sports and glamour,” he began, with a slow sweep of the well-dressed room, “what’s not to like about that?” Well said, Mr Capelli, well said. Why do you sponsor the Queen Elizabeth Stakes? We share the same values of elegance, tradition and performance. There is certainly a tradition of horse racing in…
Fun fact: TAG Heuer is the largest Swiss producer of tourbillons. It’s a statement that if made a decade ago would have emitted oh-so-Swiss snickers of disbelief in the rarefied halls of Baselworld or SIHH. Tourbillons, according to the narrative, are the epitome of hand-crafting — tiny components that take precious hours to intricately assemble. But here we are in 2019, and TAG Heuer has upset the applecart with its CNC-produced tourbillon, which offers the same visceral, whirling coolness at a price that — while still clocking in at five figures — is, what market analysts would say, aggressively competitive. And while the Heuer 02T tourbillon has been around for a while now, the newest darling is the very impressive Nanograph, which serves as a heroic standard-bearer for TAG Heuer’s carbon alternative to silicon technology. Watch on to check out our picks of the current collection. TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre Heuer 02T Pairing black steel and matt ceramic, this TAG Heuer tourbillon offers all the hi-tech you could want, with a pleasingly warm brown calf strap. RRP $22,050 TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre Heuer 02T Carbon If you want even less weight and more futuristic-ness, how about a Heuer 02T clad in…
Every year the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) provides a point of interest for the watch community. Long after the hype of SIHH and Baselworld has died down, it’s a chance to catch our breath, look back at the year that was, and assess how many good watches were made in the preceding 12 months. The entrants for 2019 were recently released, with 150 different watches across 14 categories, all self-nominating as the best in their class. As per tradition, a good portion of the watch media (including us) offers predictions on those that will be successful that year, so we thought we’d turn that on its head for once and offer a list of watches for GPHG 2019 we wish would win, but likely never will. Ladies’ – ArtyA Son of Earth Butterfly Target Offering a reminder of the mystery clocks from early last century, this piece-unique contains a fragment of a real butterfly wing. Ladies’ Complication – Van Cleef & Arpels Lady Arpels Zodiac Lumineux Aries watch Sensational gem-setting and enamel work, but time will tell if the judges appreciate the “light-on-demand modules”. Men’s – Citizen Caliber 0100 This was one of my personal favourites released this…
Watch collectors will listen, wide-eyed and slack-jawed, to stories about grandfathers in the ’60s wearing a Daytona while changing the oil in an engine, only giving the watch a quick wipe with a rag before dinner was served. This is so far from the present-day reality that a watch that was once a functional nice-to-have is now being traded by people who went to finance school. What happened to the everyday watch? This was the question posed by a quartet of men who couldn’t find a good-looking watch that didn’t cause the heart rate to rise when nearing a doorknob. Their answer was to make their own, giving birth to Serica. The first watch from the brand is the Serica W.W.W. (standing for Wrist. Watch. Waterproof), a well-considered balance of vintage-inspired design and a price point that is approachable for almost all. Taking cues from the military watches of WWII, the lacquered Serica dial prioritises legibility, available in either black or white. Another interesting feature of the dial is that it is unbranded, a decision driven to focus on “design, build quality and purpose” before brand. While still within the realm of a marketing decision, it is a refreshing one…
Patek Philippe are not known for hi-tech carbon composite case materials, skeleton dials, or really any enthusiastic contemporary flair. What they are known for is being the priest of the Temple of Classicism, considered and purposeful in any direction of development, refusing to bend to ephemeral market tastes. The clearest way this can be seen is how little the design DNA (yes, I know you think that term is overused, GaryG) of their watches has changed over the last century. This lack of dramatic change forces those interested into the trenches of granularity to ascertain the importance of any particular Patek Philippe reference, specifically in the Calatrava family. One watch that appears perfect initially, and remains perfect no matter how close you inspect it, is the ref. 2526. The ref. 2526 is, in my mind, less of a watch, and more the platonic ideal of a watch, something you might show to an alien to communicate the perfect example of what a watch should be. One of the best-looking examples of a Patek Philippe ref. 2526 is the one pictured above, in yellow gold with a black enamel dial. Fortunately for all of us, GaryG wrote an article for Quill…