Women’s Watch Wednesday – Blancpain’s New Quantieme Phases de Lune Has a Tiny Secret on the Moon
Since its inception back in 1984, Blancpain has never built a quartz watch. In fact, I remember the unveiling of the first-ever Blancpain watch at the Basel Fair, wherein the then 34-year-old Jean-Claude Biver announced in the midst of the quartz era that this was a brand dedicated to mechanical watches. The announcement shook attendees at the event, with many naysayers insisting the brand could not last with a mechanical focus. Fast-forward 33 years and not only is Blancpain still a pure mechanical brand, but also it is creating simple mechanical complications for women, just like the recently introduced Blancpain Villeret Quantième Phases de Lune.
*Minor spoiler alert* It’s not unusual for a watch to play a starring role in a movie. Often it’s the prop that shows a countdown in a race against time, or it’s a sentimental object, or an indicator of personal style. In the rather stupendous Christopher Nolan mega-production that is Dunkirk (I’m still a little woozy on my feet a day after watching it on an IMAX screen), it’s very much the former. Without giving too much away, Tom Hardy’s character, a Spitfire pilot in the Royal Air Force, must use his watch to calculate the amount of fuel he has left when his gauge is smashed by enemy fire. The repeated reference to the watch as the movie hurtles on clearly shows an Omega branded watch, that has been confirmed by an employee at Omega to be the Omega “RAF” 1940, ref CK2129, which was delivered to Great Britain’s ministry of Defence in 1940. Hats off to Christopher Nolan for bothering to research and then source such an authentic watch for the role. Nolan is known for his obsessive attention to detail (read this story about how he made Harry Styles tie his army boots differently to be more true to the era), it’s brilliant…
A few years ago I attended a talk called, ‘How to Start a Collection’. The focus was on vintage rather than modern and the speaker was a prominent collector, so I looked forward to picking up some great tips. His advice was to anchor a collection with some key pieces, and he gave some examples. Impeccable reasoning, but there was a catch: the name of every piece began with Patek, Rolex or Panerai – and none could be had for less than $80,000. Most were some way north of $100k. So, what if you’re a watch addict of far more modest means? One for whom every $500 increment in price gives real pause for thought. And one who both wants and needs to feel that he or she hasn’t done something dumb with their hard-earned money. Someone who, even at a more accessible end of the vintage market, wants the watch to have a fighting chance of holding its value over time, or better still, to appreciate? I asked a range of experts for advice – Jonathan Darracott of Bonhams (London), Pedro Reiser at Sotheby’s (Geneva), Toby Sutton at Watches of Knightsbridge (London) and Alex Ghotbi and Aurel Bacs at Phillips (Geneva). On…
TAG Heuer’s avant-garde new take on the classic Carrera, the Heuer 01, has become an increasingly bright – and big – star in the brand’s firmament since its release in 2015. TAG Heuer have used the modular case as a vehicle to release everything from tourbillons to smartwatches. The only bone of contention thus far has been the size. 45mm is not small by any means, especially when you factor in the height of the Heuer 01 movement. The new (slightly) smaller 43mm version is a smart solution. Make no mistake — it’s still a large statement watch, but slightly less intense on the wrist than the mighty 45mm version. You might say this latest Heuer 01 offers the best of both worlds.
Earlier this year we had a look at one of the classic watches from Longines’ catalogue, the Legend Diver – a heritage diver inspired by old-school super compressors. The Legend has always been popular amongst watch lovers, and an important precursor to the heritage trend that has slowly grown to become all-encompassing. Turns out that the Legend Diver celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, and Longines has celebrated by popping on a new strap option – a heavy and handsome Milanese mesh bracelet. And while the watch itself is unchanged, this woven steel bracelet is a great example of the old-watch-chestnut that changing your strap is the next best thing to getting a new watch. The thick and supple Milanese is a choice that’s entirely appropriate for a diver, but functionally it gives the Legend a far more dressy feel — more work, less weekend. Quality-wise the mesh is there too. It’s firm, substantial, and not prone to flopping around on the wrist. It’s also worth noting that I had no issues with pinched hair while it was on my wrist. I’m really pleased that the Legend Diver has enjoyed such a long run, and this latest iteration is a…