Known under the French name Guillochage, engine turning consists of adorning wood or metal with intertwined lines. It is an engraving technique that originated over five centuries ago. Initially, it was applied to soft materials such as wood and ivory before being adapted to metals, particularly for the craft of goldsmiths and silversmiths. Allegedly first […]
Piaget is world-famous for its vibrant creations in the field of watches and jewellery. In this video, we are taking a look at an important yet sometimes lesser-known side of the brand: its expertise in the field of movement creation and manufacturing. Everything started in the small village of La Côte-aux-Fées in the Swiss Jura […]
In 2012, Chopard made waves with the introduction of the L.U.C 8HF, featuring the groundbreaking L.U.C 01.06-L calibre with a silicon escapement, oscillating at an impressive 8Hz (57,600 vibrations/hour), double the speed of most mechanical movements. Notably, it became the first high-frequency calibre to receive chronometer certification, marking a significant milestone. Encouraged by this success, […]
Girard-Perregaux brings back a captivating concept, which was, to many, one of the most interesting technical developments in modern watchmaking; the Girard-Perregaux Constant Escapement. This novel escapement is one of the most sophisticated answers to a crucial question for watchmakers: how to handle the waning driving force supplied by barrels? The first-generation Constant Escapement was […]
Going underwater exposes our bodies to an environment that is not designed for humans. Humans cannot breathe underwater like fish, cannot swim like fish and cannot seek their food like fish. We are “invading” a hostile world. In short, we are somewhere where we are not supposed to be. The dangers are countless: animals, risk […]
The words in-house and manufacture have been used and abused by the watchmaking industry for many years. Yet, the reality is somewhat different. This isn’t a bad thing, actually, because vertical integration is not an end in itself. And it has never been; watchmaking was born as a cottage industry. When it comes to movements, […]
Claude Greisler is the co-founder and Head Watchmaker at Armin Strom, one of the few brands producing resonance watches. His early background as a restorer of vintage timepieces led him to explore the history of Resonance in the context of the Longitude Problem and ultimately to develop his own line of Resonance watches under the […]
Quartz and mechanical watches have learned to co-exist, but the call of nature still produces mixed offspring. If one almost killed the other, mechanical watches rose from the ashes and returned stronger than ever. However, just like the automotive world, things are changing, and the watchmaking industry has seen the arrival of new wrist-worn technologies, […]
As many of you should be able to spend some quiet time with family and beloved ones, it is a moment of the year when it’s also good to look back at what happened over the past 12 months. And it’s also the right moment to relax and take the time for longer reads. Here […]
There is a widespread opinion that the date indicator in the absence of other calendar functions violates the “original purity” and “balance” of the classic dial. It is only accurate when little thought is given to the design and the execution. The famous Panoramadatum, an off-centred large panoramic date window by Glashütte Original, can quickly […]