Follow Live – The Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève 2017 (GPHG 2017)
The Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève can be seen as the Oscars of the Watchmaking industry, by awarding the best watches introduced during the year. From ladies watches to chronographs or mechanical exception, the entire spectre of the production is covered. This year, we are proud to announce that MONOCHROME is joining the short list of official media partners of the GPHG. Before the ceremony starts, you can check the finalists of the GPHG 2017 here (with some personal notes and predictions from the Monochrome redaction team). And because this event is also a celebration of the passion we all have for the beautiful horology, we virtually invite you to follow the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève 2017 (GPHG 2017) ceremony live here, in English or in French.
The hardest thing when recreating a vintage watch design is knowing when to stop. Some changes — swapping the plexiglass crystal for sapphire, and upgrading the movement — are logical, and others, like an increase in size to more modern dimensions, make sense. But the real art is knowing where to stop, and what to keep. By that measure, the Longines Flagship Heritage 60th Anniversary is a masterpiece in miniature — 38.5mm to be exact. This size is a perfect case in point: it’s an incremental increase that stays true to the spirit of the original in a way that a 40mm watch would not. Then there’s the dial, which would be hard to distinguish from a 1957 model, not least because there’s no unsightly date window to spoil the luminescent combination silver dial and gold tone markers. And while most people will be interested in the steel version, there are also rose and yellow gold versions — full gold, not plate. Longines Flagship Heritage 60th Anniversary Australian pricing and availability Longines Flagship Heritage 60th Anniversary in steel, $2650, limited to 1957 pieces, in yellow or rose gold, $10,350, limited to 60 pieces per version.
Fundamentally, there’s not a whole lot of variation in watch movements. Sure, the peripheral details might vary, but basically you’re either looking at a purely mechancial movement, with a mainspring and escapement setup that’s remained pretty much unchanged for the last few hundred years, or you’re looking at a battery-powered quartz watch that’s come to dominate mass market timekeeping over the last 50 years. And then there’s a few genuinely novel outliers, technologies such as Zenith’s recently announced Defy Lab and, the one we’re looking at today — Seiko’s Spring Drive technology. Spring Drive had a long gestation. It was first conceived in the late ’70s, but didn’t see a commercial release till 1999. Fundamentally, Spring Drive is a hybrid technology that takes the autonomous, perpetual power capacity of an automatic movement, and melds it with the impressive accuracy of quartz. Like any uncommon technology, it can take a while to get your head around, which is why we’ve put together this handy (and hopefully informative) explainer. Everything you need to know about Spring Drive, in just under two minutes.
There’s a reason chronographs are one of the most perennially popular watch complications – they add a lot to a watch. Functionality, interesting design elements, and a sense of derring-do, thanks to the chronograph’s close association with the exciting and glamorous worlds of motorsports, aviation and general athletic endeavour. Most importantly though, they add a real sense of tactility, allowing you to interact with – and measure – the passing of time in a meaningful way. And I’ve got to say, I could get used to wearing and using this Raymond Weil Freelancer. The dial and case is a quiet explosion of colour and texture, with a pleasant mix of finishes that not only amp up the dressier aspects of the watch but also ensure that the simple act of checking the time is a mesmerising lightshow. Raymond Weil’s Freelancer Chronograph Automatic Australian pricing Raymond Weil’s Freelancer Chronograph, on leather $3895
Around this time of the year I’m prone to a bit of the old ‘best watch’ game – running through my favourite releases in a particular brand or category. And typically it’s a pretty clear-cut decision for me. Not so with Tudor’s 2017 collection. I’ve found myself going back and forth over two watches pretty much since I first saw them: the Black Bay Steel and the Black Bay S&G. In a way though my indecision makes perfect sense, as these two models are perhaps the two most extreme expressions of the Black Bay line. The Steel is the epitome of Black Bay as rugged tool watch, a space that the brand is very comfortable in. But the S&G is something else entirely. Luxurious, dressy and – depending on who’s wearing it – a little showy. And while it’s not a side of the Black Bay we’re used to seeing, it’s a look that suits the versatile diver exceptionally well. I suspect this isn’t the last time we’ll be seeing precious metals in the Black Bay family …
It’s not too hard to appreciate how thin 5.15mm is in abstract terms – it’s a shade thicker than two 20 cent pieces, FYI – and pictures of the Octo Finissimo Automatic get you a little further along the path to understanding. But short of actually having the watch in your hand or on your wrist, the best way of contextualising just how incredibly slim this watch is is through the medium of video. Luckily, we’ve put this short video review together so you can get a sense of how it wears in glorious HD. The only thing we can’t convey? The way this watch manages to feel as light as a feather and solid as a rock at the same time.