REVOLUTION_International_Vol 53
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
THE ONLY THING WE TAKE SERIOUSLY ARE WATCHES INTERNATIONAL VOL. <strong>53</strong><br />
USA ISSUE 94 WINTER 2019<br />
GLASHÜTTE ORIGINAL'S<br />
BOLD 2019 RELEASES<br />
ALESSANDRO SQUARZI'S<br />
RARE VINTAGE FINDS<br />
THE A. LANGE & SÖHNE<br />
ODYSSEUS RISES<br />
<strong>REVOLUTION</strong> AWARDS<br />
2019<br />
ZENITH<br />
First movers of the<br />
21st Century
Breguet La Tradition<br />
Independent Chronograph 7077
BREGUET BOUTIQUES – NEW YORK 646 692-6469 – BEVERLY HILLS 310 860-9911 – LAS VEGAS 702 733-7435<br />
TOLL FREE 877-896-7358 – WWW.BREGUET.COM
10.09am on a NYC rooftop.<br />
N 40° 45’ 31’’ W 73° 58’ 43’’.
WHAT<br />
MAKES<br />
US<br />
TICK<br />
30<br />
DOG DAY AFTERNOON<br />
MANKIND’S BEST PALS:<br />
DOGS, WATCHES AND JEWELRY<br />
20 When Revolution, RedBar and watches collide<br />
22 Blancpain and Marilyn Monroe<br />
24 Berd Vay’e makes art through watchmaking<br />
26 Sneaking around with timepieces<br />
28 Andy Mann and Zodiac partner up<br />
38 Go RED this holiday and support a great cause
COLLECTION<br />
Villeret<br />
©Photograph: patriceschreyer.com<br />
NEW YORK · 697 FIFTH AVENUE BETWEEN 54 TH &55 TH STREET · 212 396 1735<br />
LAS VEGAS · THE FORUM SHOPS AT CAESARS PALACE · 702 369 1735
COVER STORY<br />
40 ZENITH<br />
The El Primero turns 50, and with it,<br />
Zenith marks half a century of innovation<br />
and forward thinking.
THE<br />
MODERNIST<br />
98<br />
HAMILTON<br />
CELEBRATING THE PEOPLE<br />
BEHIND THE SCENES<br />
64 The Bvlgari Serpenti Seduttori is well, seductive<br />
66 NOMOS Glashütte gives the Tetra a colorful twist<br />
68 Ulysse Nardin goes for One More Wave<br />
70 Le Rhone’s Grand Phase de Lune gets glittered up<br />
74 Gucci’s Grip collection adds new looks and models<br />
78 Test-driving the Octo Finissimo Chrono GMT Automatic<br />
82 Revolution recognizes the best of watchmaking in 2019<br />
108 Rado modernizes the Captain Cook range
CALIBER RM 037<br />
RICHARD MILLE BOUTIQUES<br />
ASPEN BAL HARBOUR BEVERLY HILLS BOSTON BUENOS AIRES<br />
LAS VEGAS MIAMI NEW YORK ST. BARTH TORONTO VANCOUVER<br />
www.richardmille.com
116<br />
A. LANGE & SÖHNE<br />
THE FIRST OFFICIAL STEEL WATCH BY<br />
THEBRANDISHERE<br />
122 James Bond and Omega turn 25 next year, with a brand new timepiece<br />
130 Shawn Stockton on watches, Boyz II Men and champion autism<br />
134 Micro brands in watchmaking are remaking our perception of the craft today
HOME OF FINE WATCHMAKING SINCE 1833<br />
Polaris Date.<br />
Manufacture movement 899A/1.
VINTAGE<br />
150<br />
ALESSANDRO SQUARZI<br />
VINTAGE COOL<br />
142 Nick Foulkes on one of the biggest watch heists in history<br />
158 Daytona Perpetual — A Love of the Rolex Daytona<br />
164 Under the Hammer — Povey’s Picks for the 2019 auctions<br />
170 The TAG Heuer Monaco — History in the Making
FOUNDER’S NOTE<br />
hen it comes to codas for one’s life there are few<br />
as poignant as the one spoken by dying replicant<br />
Roy Batty played by the incomparable Rutger<br />
Hauer in Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner, “I’ve seen<br />
things you people wouldn’t believe. Attack ships<br />
on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched<br />
C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate.<br />
All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain.” I<br />
sometimes wonder what mine may be. “I have been shatted<br />
on by one thousand head of cattle whilst wielding a bovine<br />
anal prod when working on a ranch in Montana. I have<br />
seen grown men felled by the smallest THC edible, in need<br />
of resuscitation by a flaxen-haired beauty from Doctors<br />
Without Borders and I have witnessed the birth of, and held<br />
in my hand the greatest horological marvels of our time, all<br />
while drinking a river of Negronis, a metaphorical Danube<br />
of Vosne-Romanée and a veritable Rubicon of champagne.”<br />
Those seeking details will have to wait for my adults-only<br />
memoirs, which I will have plenty of time to write when I am<br />
eventually locked away on some desert island for my crimes<br />
against human decency.<br />
In the meantime this December issue of Revolution is<br />
itself something of a momentous occasion. It is just one<br />
issue shy of our 15th anniversary which begins next year in<br />
2020. And I can’t wait for that year to begin. Because we<br />
have some amazing things to unveil. More amazing special<br />
editions. And our first ever physical store. In a location you<br />
may not believe. But also because 2019 has from a personal<br />
perspective akin to the aforementioned endless maelstrom<br />
of bovine fecal matter. But the good news it is almost at an<br />
end. And from the perspective of Revolution as a business<br />
it’s been nothing but a success. First in all markets, even<br />
those fraught with the greatest geopolitical difficulties<br />
we have either maintained our revenue or in some cases,<br />
actually grown significantly. And that is during a period<br />
when the common perception is that print is dead. Well<br />
actually that was the perception. Because as most brands are<br />
realising today, social media influencers tend to have limited<br />
conversions into watch sales. Conversely omni-channel<br />
media like Revolution, anchored by a strong specialized<br />
and high quality print magazine and further bolstered by<br />
strong video content, great social media coverage in both<br />
image and video format and backed by a smart e-commerce<br />
strategy has proven to be the best way to attract existing<br />
watch collectors and engage with burgeoning new collectors.<br />
As long as you stick by one principle. Which is to tell<br />
the truth. Because information is too easily accessible for<br />
anyone to push a pure marketing message. But that doesn’t<br />
mean the truth is always the consensus. Certainly not for<br />
me. I’ll give you two instances. One is Chopard’s Alpine<br />
Eagle. Now everyone knew that anyone launching an all new<br />
Genta-esque integrated bracelet watch today was going to<br />
draw the ire of the social media haters. But it is important<br />
for journalists to take a stance and stand up for things<br />
when they are genuinely good. I think the Alpine Eage is a<br />
damn great watch and encourage you to try one on before<br />
you opine. If you don’t like it, tell me when we meet and<br />
I’ll buy you a Negroni. If you like it you can buy me one.<br />
Another just totally awesome watch no one ever<br />
talks about is the Vacheron Constantin Overseas ultrathin<br />
perpetual calendar on a rubber strap. That watch<br />
absolutely rocks. I mean it is amazing. My point is that<br />
good journalism succeeds and thrives when we have the<br />
courage to stand behind the things we know and believe<br />
are genuinely good, not just agree with everyone else<br />
and support the status quo. Want one more? Reservoir<br />
makes a retrograde minute diver’s watch that is just kick<br />
ass. Honestly. OK anyway this issue features our annual<br />
Revolution Awards, so you can read about what else we<br />
thought was great this year, from Blancpain’s Air Command,<br />
to Max Busser’s FlyingT to, well, Omega in general.<br />
If I were to look back at my life over the last 14 years I<br />
think my coda would be one expressing my gratitude for<br />
the incredible friendships that this industry has given me.<br />
During a year when we had to close one edition because it<br />
was underperforming for several years, certain facts were<br />
misconstrued and blasted out on the Interwebs, resulting<br />
in me calling up the key figures in the watch industry I<br />
had known for so long to clear the air. Every one of them,<br />
from Jean-Frédéric Dufour, Thierry Stern, Jérôme<br />
Lambert, Georges Kern, François-Henry Bennahmias,<br />
Raynald Aeschlimann, Wilhelm Schmid, Jean-Claude<br />
Biver, Carlos Rosillo, Max Büsser, Aurel Bacs and the<br />
great Richard Mille all basically replied they had both<br />
Revolution’s and my back. So from the bottom of my heart<br />
I want to thank the incredible individuals that collectively<br />
ARE the Swiss watch industry for their continued support,<br />
friendship and inspiration. You guys rock! Now let’s<br />
ring in that New Year and get the f**k out of 2019.<br />
Wei Koh, Founder<br />
wei_koh_revolution
SEVEN DAYS<br />
V45 S6 SQT<br />
212.463.8898<br />
WWW.FRANCKMULLER.COM
EDITOR’S<br />
NOTE<br />
rdinarily this is the time of year when our<br />
thoughts start to busy themselves packing<br />
up and booking flights to Geneva and<br />
Basel, but given recent — and not-sorecent<br />
developments — those thoughts<br />
have been given a reprieve of sorts, which<br />
means that they’re free to focus on more pedestrian,<br />
holiday-related pursuits.<br />
For yours truly, a hapless father of two, this is a<br />
welcome relief, but nevertheless, before long my eyes<br />
will inexorably turn to Switzerland and the two major<br />
trade shows that have all but dominated the professional<br />
landscape for the past several decades. Indeed, there have<br />
been shifts in the scheduling before, but nothing like what<br />
we’ve seen for 2020. Not only have both shows moved<br />
further back in the year and back-to-back, no less — a<br />
sign of unity in an increasing hostile space — but SIHH<br />
has rebranded itself as Watches and Wonders, and for the<br />
first time in its history, it’s open to the public throughout its<br />
duration — albeit at a price (CHF300 isn’t exactly cheap,<br />
but, hey, wine and beer is included*).<br />
And what of Baselworld, the one-time, and perhaps still<br />
800lb gorilla of the trade show circuit? The powers that be<br />
behind its voluminous curtains have been working overtime<br />
to stem the hemorrhaging of exhibitors, which began with a<br />
trickle of notable departures in 2016 and culminated with the<br />
wholesale departure of Swatch Group and its 18 brands in<br />
2019. For 2020 the exodus continues apace, with Breitling,<br />
a former Baselworld stalwart, being the latest to jump ship in<br />
favor of going it alone. True, they’ve regained some ground<br />
this year, but at approximately 600 exhibitors, they’re still<br />
way down from a high of over 2000 back in 2009.<br />
There are a myriad of reasons that pundits can tick<br />
off to account for the diminishing power of these shows<br />
to attract brands and visitors — technology chief among<br />
them, and its democratizing effects on the ebb and flow of<br />
information — but ultimately does it really matter? How we<br />
consume information doesn’t necessarily change our tastes.<br />
After all, a good watch is a good watch regardless of where<br />
and/or how it’s released to the public. What counts is how it<br />
is covered, and this will always be the first duty of the press.<br />
Increasingly, however, that duty is done from an arm’s<br />
distance, via press releases and official photos, which can<br />
be forwarded at the speed of light across the entire planet<br />
with little more than a few keystrokes and an internet<br />
connection. This is certainly a boon for collectors and fans,<br />
who have the information piped in to their social media<br />
accounts in easily digestible bits and bytes, but it does take<br />
the story out of our hands and place it squarely in the home<br />
court of the brands.<br />
And yet we, your intrepid chroniclers of all things<br />
horological still travel far and wide — no, it’s anything but<br />
glamorous (I travel economy when on the corporate dime)<br />
— and we will still burn the midnight oil in destinations far<br />
from the comforts of our own beds to bring you the news<br />
that you want to hear about an industry in flux, and yet, an<br />
industry that we all love dearly, warts and all.<br />
In a nutshell, the more things change, the more they<br />
stay the same.<br />
In this issue we’re celebrating the 50th anniversary<br />
of the iconic El Primero movement from Zenith, taking<br />
a closer look at Glashütte Original’s latest and greatest,<br />
going in deep on the now iconic Bvlgari Octo Finissimo<br />
Chronograph GMT and plying the Seven Seas aboard the<br />
good ship, SS Captain Cook courtesy of Rado. What these<br />
brands all have in common, aside from the obvious, is that<br />
they’re all taking a different tack on the show circuit from<br />
years past — Zenith and Bvlgari will be showing in Dubai<br />
in January (though they are still participating in Baselworld<br />
2020); Glashütte Original and Rado, as part of Swatch<br />
Group, will be going it alone; and yet here we are talking<br />
about them all the same.<br />
Now, about those holidays…<br />
Adam Craniotes, Editor-in-Chief<br />
adam@revolutionmagazines.com<br />
craniotes<br />
LIAM O’DONNELL
EDITORIAL<br />
FOUNDER & EDITORIAL DIRECTOR<br />
Wei Koh<br />
PUBLISHER<br />
Jay Gullers jay@revolutionmagazines.com<br />
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF<br />
Adam Craniotes adam@revolutionmagazines.com<br />
EDITOR, <strong>REVOLUTION</strong> ONLINE<br />
Sumit Nag sumit@revolutionmagazines.com<br />
EDITOR, <strong>REVOLUTION</strong> E-COMMERCE<br />
Yeo Suan Futt suanfutt@revolutionmagazines.com<br />
LIFESTYLE EDITOR<br />
Yong Wei Jian weijian@revolutionmagazines.com<br />
SUB-EDITOR<br />
Catherine Koh & Eileen Sim<br />
EDITORIAL COORDINATOR<br />
Punam Nikki Rai nikki@revolutionmagazines.com<br />
INTERNATIONAL EDITIONS<br />
ASIA DarrenHo<br />
AUSTRALIA Darren Ho<br />
CHINA Taitan Chen<br />
HONG KONG Stephanie Ip<br />
ITALY Maurizio Favot<br />
MEXICO Israel Ortega<br />
LATIN AMERICA Israel Ortega<br />
RUSSIA DenisPeshkov<br />
UAE JolaChudy<br />
UK Richard Holt<br />
VISUAL<br />
CREATIVE DIRECTOR<br />
Darius Lee darius@revolutionmagazines.com<br />
ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR<br />
Jeremy Ang jeremy@revolutionmagazines.com<br />
PHOTOGRAPHER-AT-LARGE<br />
Munster munster@revolutionmagazines.com<br />
JR. PHOTOGRAPHER & DIGITAL ARTIST<br />
Toh Si Jia sijia@revolutionmagazines.com<br />
DIGITAL IMAGING ARTIST<br />
KH Koh khkoh@revolutionmagazines.com<br />
COVER<br />
Zenith<br />
50th El Primero Anniversary El Primero A384 Revival<br />
Photography: Toh Si Jia<br />
Styling: Yong Wei Jian<br />
Image editing: KH Koh<br />
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS<br />
Ken Kessler<br />
Ross Povey<br />
Kevin Cureau<br />
CONTRIBUTORS<br />
Adam Crispak<br />
Adrian Hailwood<br />
Alan Seymour<br />
Anton Thorsson<br />
Arno Haslinger<br />
Auro Montanari<br />
Barbara Palumbo<br />
Colin Crisford<br />
Fabio Santinelli<br />
James Dowling<br />
Jamie Ferguson<br />
Jeff Stein<br />
Ken Nichols<br />
Nick Foulkes<br />
Nick Scott<br />
Paolo Gobbi<br />
Sean Lorentzen<br />
Simon Alexander<br />
Simon De Burton<br />
Söderberg Agentur<br />
Sofia Cederström<br />
Tom Craig<br />
Tomas Monka<br />
MANAGEMENT<br />
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER<br />
Walter Tommasino<br />
MANAGING DIRECTOR<br />
Maria Lim maria@revolutionmagazines.com<br />
OPERATIONS MANAGER, E-COMMERCE<br />
Shazlina Shukor lina@revolutionmagazines.com<br />
INTERNATIONAL TRAFFIC COORDINATOR<br />
Christina Koh christina@revolutionmagazines.com<br />
PRINT PRODUCTION & DISTRIBUTION MANAGER<br />
Jo Low jl@revolutionmagazines.com<br />
HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGER<br />
Belinda Soh belinda@revolutionmagazines.com<br />
FINANCE MANAGER<br />
Jay Wong jaywong@revolutionmagazines.com<br />
SENIOR ACCOUNTANT<br />
Samuel Ching samuel@revolutionmagazines.com<br />
CIRCULATION & ADMIN ASSISTANT<br />
Waylon Yeo circulation@revolutionmagazines.com<br />
REVHLUTION is published quarterly by<br />
Revolution Media Pte Ltd.<br />
All rights reserved. © 2018 by Revolution Media<br />
Pte Ltd. Reproduction in whole or in part without<br />
permission is prohibited.<br />
Opinions expressed in REVHLUTION are solely<br />
those of the writers and are not necessarily endorsed<br />
by the publisher and its editors.<br />
Editorial enquiries should be directed to the Editor.<br />
While every reasonable care will be undertaken by<br />
the Editor, unsolicited materials will not be returned<br />
unless accompanied by a self-addressed envelope<br />
and sufficient return postage.<br />
For other inquiries, contact:<br />
info@revolutionmagazines.com<br />
PPS 1609/06/2013 (025<strong>53</strong>0) MCI (P) 037/12/2018<br />
ISSN 1793-463x<br />
USA circulation, marketing and operations:<br />
Frank Ruiz and Carlos Garcia, CircSense<br />
Marketing & Publishing Solutions<br />
REVHLUTION USA Pte Ltd<br />
10908 La Fatinas circle<br />
boca raton, FL 33429, USA<br />
Tel: 561 306 8866<br />
<strong>REVOLUTION</strong> (ISSN # 1793-463x) Winter 2018, USA issue 84.<br />
<strong>REVOLUTION</strong> is published quarterly by Revolution Media Private<br />
Limited, 211 Henderson Road #07-03, Singapore 159552. Agent<br />
for this publication is CircSense Publishing Solutions, LLC, 16245<br />
SW 81st Terr., Miami, FL 33193. Periodicals postage paid at<br />
Miami, FL and at additional mailing offices. SUBSCRIPTION<br />
PRICES: US$59.95 per year in the US; US$74.95 per year in<br />
Canada. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to <strong>REVOLUTION</strong>,<br />
PO Box 9477, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33310
CHURCHILL<br />
L U X U R Y S A F E S<br />
WATCH WINDERS | WATCH BOXES | SAFES<br />
JEWELLERY BOXES | TRAVEL ACCESSORIES<br />
W O L F 1 8 3 4 . C O M
<strong>REVOLUTION</strong> AND REDBAR PRESENT<br />
THE FIRST REDBAR GLOBAL MEETUP<br />
20 SPLIT SECONDS
If a magazine issue is launched and there’s no party to honor it, did<br />
it really happen? In the case of our Fall issue, we wouldn’t know<br />
because we threw one helluva rager to make damn sure that it very<br />
much did happen.<br />
In a move that celebrated not only the fall issue, but also our cover<br />
brand, Panerai; our new US editor-in-chief, Adam Craniotes; as well<br />
as the worldwide enthusiasts’ collective, RedBar Group’s first ever<br />
global meetup, we packed over 200 guests into NYC’s famed Blue<br />
Smoke restaurant for a night of food, booze, and, naturally, watches.<br />
To this end, guests snacked on BBQ classics, took more than<br />
ample advantage of the open bar and tried on several of the zillionplus<br />
Panerai watches on display as they reflected back on a weekend of<br />
watch-related tomfoolery the likes of which only RedBar could pull off.<br />
On hand to help kick off the proceedings was raconteur, fashion<br />
icon and all-around kick ass dude, Revolution magazine founder, Wei<br />
Koh, as well as bold face names like director Paul Feig of Bridesmaids<br />
fame, and Andrew Lauren, producer and son of the iconic fashion<br />
designer, Ralph Lauren.<br />
We’re not sure what our next party will be, but it’s fair to say that<br />
we’re looking for pretty much any excuse to throw down.<br />
Got any ideas?<br />
SPLIT SECONDS 21
MARILYN<br />
MONROE LENDS<br />
HER GLAMOR<br />
TO BLANCPAIN<br />
WORDS ADAM CRANIOTES<br />
Marilyn Monroe, a watch collector? Perhaps not, but the acting<br />
and style icon’s taste in them was beyond reproach as evidenced<br />
by a recent exhibition that took place at Blancpain’s flagship 5th Avenue<br />
boutique in New York City.<br />
Titled Timeless Elegance, the centerpiece of this exhibition was<br />
Marilyn’s Art Deco-inspired Blancpain ladies’ wristwatch dating from<br />
the 1930s. Acquired by Blancpain at auction from the estate of the famed<br />
acting coach, Lee Strasberg, at a cost of $225,000, this marked the first<br />
time that the diamond-set timepiece was on display for the public.<br />
“We are proud to present Marilyn’s Blancpain watch to the public for<br />
the very first time,” said Marc A. Hayek, President and CEO of Blancpain.<br />
“This rare and precious artifact connects us to one of the most iconic women<br />
in the world, highlighting our pioneering role in the history of watchmaking.”<br />
Indeed, the watch, and by extension, the exhibition as a whole serves to<br />
underscore Blancpain’s commitment to women, as evidenced by the Rolls<br />
from 1930, which was the world’s first self-winding ladies watch; and the<br />
iconic Ladybird from 1956, with its ultra-small movement.<br />
Making this exhibition possible is Authentic Brands Group (ABG),<br />
which owns the rights to Marylin Monroe’s estate.<br />
“We’re thrilled to partner with Blancpain to celebrate the one and<br />
only Marilyn Monroe,” said Jamie Salter, Founder, Chairman and CEO<br />
of Authentic Brands Group, owner of the Monroe Estate. “Blancpain’s<br />
history of luxury craftsmanship and innovation withstands the test of<br />
time and aligns perfectly with Marilyn’s enduring legacy.”<br />
In addition to Marilyn Monroe’s watch, the exhibition also featured<br />
the photography of Lawrence Schiller — who shot the star extensively —<br />
alongside many of her personal belongings.<br />
22 SPLIT SECONDS
HORÖLOGY<br />
Double Tourbillon Jumping Meridian Time<br />
#humantempö<br />
www.lerhone.com<br />
@lerhonewatch<br />
Les Bijoux<br />
306 N Plaza Real<br />
Boca Raton, FL<br />
WWW.LESBIJOUX.COM<br />
561-361-2311
HOW WORDS BARBARA PALUMBO<br />
BERD VAY’E IS<br />
MAKING TIME<br />
balance, center, minute, hour, and escape wheels, plus barrels, ratchets, and more, Berd<br />
Vay’e managed to freeze the physical aspects of how time is documented, yet they were able<br />
to make the result as heavy as the idea of time itself.<br />
The process of creating “Hallucination” takes several days and starts with layers of<br />
Lucite being carefully cast to make sure that there are no air bubbles, thus providing a<br />
natural magnifying effect to more clearly see the mechanical watch parts floating inside. The<br />
first step in making this particular Berd Vay’e sculpture involves forming its interior skull.<br />
A mold of the skull is shaped in clear Lucite, which is then covered in approximately 1,000<br />
to 1,500 watch components; all intricately set along the curvature of the skull’s exterior<br />
layer. The interior skull sculpture is then baked in a highly pressurized Oracle oven. Once<br />
hardened, the skull is surrounded by even more Lucite, formed into a clear 9.5-inch cube<br />
set on one of its corners, and again baked until forming a 39-pound conversation piece that<br />
appeals not only to the horological community,<br />
but also to art lovers of all backgrounds.<br />
While previous Berd Vay’e sculptures have<br />
randomly combined thousands of different<br />
vintage watch parts in Lucite casings —<br />
allowing each work of art to be one of a kind —<br />
this year’s “Hallucination” intentionally places<br />
the parts in such a way as to accentuate its inner<br />
skeletal figure. But that doesn’t mean all 999<br />
sculptures being created for this limited edition<br />
are identical in any way. Each artisan at Berd<br />
Vay’e has the freedom to place the watch parts<br />
where they deem appropriate, while sticking<br />
to the creation’s primary concept, so every<br />
sculpture is unique.<br />
Berd Vay’e’s limited edition pieces —<br />
like any limited edition — are individually<br />
numbered. The “Hallucination” also features<br />
accompanying gloves as well a .925 silver plaque<br />
which was designed to depict a jewel from a<br />
mechanical watch gear. Also accompanying the<br />
sculpture will be a certificate of authenticity<br />
which will document the sculpture’s production<br />
number. The sculpture retails currently at<br />
$6,900.00 USD.<br />
Art and horology have a long and sometimes beautiful,<br />
sometimes complicated relationship. The most<br />
recognizable work involving timepieces is certainly Salvador<br />
Dali’s The Persistence of Memory, which he painted in 1931<br />
while living in a fishing cottage in the town of Port Lligat,<br />
just south of the French and Spanish border. The surrealist<br />
masterpiece is best known for Dali’s “melting” pocket<br />
watches, which many art historians and enthusiasts have<br />
tried to decipher the meaning of over the years. But art isn’t<br />
usually created for those who want to figure out what the<br />
artist had in mind. On the contrary, art is created with the<br />
intention of each onlooker taking away something that is<br />
unique to them, and the artisans involved in the brand,<br />
Berd Vay’e, have managed to do just that.<br />
With the launch of their latest limited edition<br />
horological sculpture, aptly titled “Hallucination,” Berd<br />
Vay’e has once again taken the art of time to a new level.<br />
Using vintage mechanical watch components such as
Super<br />
Sea<br />
Wolf <strong>53</strong><br />
Bolder and more elegant than ever before,<br />
this edition of the classic Super Sea Wolf <strong>53</strong><br />
features a black plated case and bracelet.<br />
The white lume hands glow blue in the dark<br />
for a pop of bright color.<br />
Movement: STP 3-13 AUTOMATIC<br />
Water resistant: 200 METERS<br />
Case size: 40 mm
WATCHES OF SWITZERLAND HOSTS THE<br />
‘SNEAKER TIME’ EXHIBITION IN SOHO<br />
WORDS BARBARA PALUMBO<br />
When U.K.-based timepiece<br />
retailer Watches of Switzerland<br />
opened its boutique in the SoHo<br />
neighborhood of lower Manhattan in<br />
2018, the watch industry collectively<br />
agreed that the landscape of U.S.<br />
luxury retail was about to change for<br />
the better. Sure the company got hold<br />
of a space in a part of town known<br />
for its high-end shopping, but they<br />
didn’t just fill it with cases and brand<br />
logos and merely cross their fingers<br />
in the hope customers would stop<br />
by. On the contrary, they created<br />
an environment that was warm and<br />
welcoming. With a bar designed and<br />
stocked in partnership with New York<br />
City’s famed Death & Co. and a vibe<br />
that feels more like a European reading<br />
room than a poorly-lit chain jewelry<br />
store in a suburban mall, Watches of<br />
Switzerland managed to bring a feeling<br />
to the world of high-end watch retail that hadn’t really<br />
existed in the United States before now: comfort. And on<br />
November 7th of this year, that feeling of comfort reached<br />
a whole new level.<br />
The company hosted a private event at their SoHo<br />
location to celebrate the opening of their newest shortterm<br />
exhibition titled, “Sneaker Time,” which the brand<br />
has described in a statement as being, “a purpose-built<br />
exhibition exploring the obsessive culture of collectability<br />
and rarity through fifteen inspired combinations of unique<br />
timepieces and rare sneakers.” That’s right, sneakers and<br />
watches are now a thing thanks to the marketing minds<br />
behind both Watches of Switzerland as well as its partner<br />
on the project, Stadium Goods.<br />
David Hurley, executive vice-president of Watches<br />
of Switzerland, issued a statement about the partnership:<br />
“Our SoHo flagship has been a game changer since day<br />
one, and now with the renovation of our lower level and<br />
innovative programming like ‘Sneaker Time,’ we are<br />
creating a dynamic new platform that will allow us to engage<br />
with an even broader community. We’re all about giving<br />
people an experience they can’t get anywhere else.”<br />
The exhibition, which will run<br />
only through December 2nd, features<br />
a number of pieces from Stadium<br />
Goods’ famed “Trophy Case” of<br />
rare sneakers, including the Nike Air<br />
Foamposite One “Paranorman”: an<br />
almost extraterrestrial looking shoe<br />
which was matched brilliantly with<br />
the equally outlandish and recently<br />
launched “Drop” watch from HYT.<br />
Also on display is the Fragment x Air<br />
Jordan 1; a concept developed by the<br />
godfather of streetwear, Japanese<br />
designer Hiroshi Fujiwara, which the<br />
curators paired with the Grand Seiko<br />
Drive Nissan GT-R 50th Anniversary<br />
Limited Edition timepiece.<br />
For more information about the “Sneaker<br />
Time” event, contact Watches of<br />
Switzerland or visit their boutique at<br />
60 Greene Street, New York.<br />
26 SPLIT SECONDS
APRIL 30 – MAY 05, 2020<br />
WWW.BASELWORLD.COM
Sharks are misunderstood creatures. At least, that’s<br />
what Emmy-nominated director and National<br />
Geographic photographer Andy Mann would have<br />
you believe, and let’s be honest here, he likely knows<br />
better than 99 percent of the humans on this planet.<br />
Mann’s photography of wildlife and sea life is quite<br />
unlike the glamorized shots you’ve seen as backdrops<br />
to sports drink ads or on posters in your local outfitter.<br />
Mann’s focus isn’t on capturing the image in a way that<br />
will make it look pretty behind some product. The product<br />
in Mann’s photos is the actual moment he’s in at the time;<br />
the experience he’s having and the fear and/or excitement<br />
that goes along with it. That’s a product in and of itself.<br />
He’s an adventurer who happens to eat, sleep, and breathe<br />
his work, and at a mere 39 years of age, there are still so<br />
many places he’s yet to take his camera, which means<br />
there are still so many places the rest of us haven’t seen.<br />
In July of 2018, Zodiac watches introduced the limitededition<br />
Super Sea Wolf 68; a throwback to the brand’s Super<br />
Sea Wolf LE which was released in 1968. Only 182 pieces<br />
were made of the Super Sea Wolf 68 (for the collection’s<br />
THIS IS A. MANN’S WORLD:<br />
ZODIAC WATCHES AND<br />
ANDY MANN GO DEEP WITH<br />
A NEW SUPER SEA WOLF<br />
With its latest limited-edition diver,<br />
Zodiac achieves the twin goals of creating a<br />
handsome tool watch and raising awareness<br />
of the issues that plague our oceans.<br />
WORDS BARBARA PALUMBO<br />
50th anniversary) with one finding its way onto the wrist of Andy Mann, and by<br />
proxy, finding itself amongst dangerous oceanic whitetip sharks.<br />
Mann has journeyed around the world for years to be able to closely<br />
document and photograph the oceanic whitetip. As part of his efforts to protect<br />
the species, Mann and his diving team tag the sharks and explore their breeding<br />
grounds in order to learn more about their behavior. So it seemed only natural<br />
for Mann — a longtime ambassador with the brand — to join forces with Zodiac<br />
again this year, in order to release the limited-edition Super Sea Wolf 68<br />
Saturation × Andy Mann.<br />
The most distinctive feature of this Zodiac dive watch when you look at<br />
it faceup is its dorsal fin symbol at the 12 o’clock hour marker which Mann<br />
designed, himself. The caseback of the piece also features an etching of a<br />
shark which was created by the artisans at Zodiac using an original Andy Mann<br />
photograph. And as a bonus, buyers of the limited-edition<br />
watch (of which there are only 182 pieces) will receive a copy<br />
of said photograph signed by the famed photographer.<br />
The Super Sea Wolf 68 Saturation × Andy Mann<br />
is an extension of Zodiac’s continued partnership with<br />
SeaLegacy; a Canadian nonprofit which was established in<br />
order to support and bring attention to conservation of the<br />
oceans through photography and communications. As part<br />
of this partnership, Zodiac will co-fund SeaLegacy’s 2019<br />
expedition to study and document the beauty and fragility of<br />
coral reefs in East Timor.<br />
Andy Mann’s newest collaboration with Zodiac doesn’t<br />
stop at the watch, however. While yes, the stainless-steel<br />
case and bracelet are both particularly attractive, and the<br />
water resistance to 1,000 meters along with the screwdown<br />
crown is critical for serious divers, the partially<br />
recycled packaging containing two additional bands and a<br />
strap-changing tool also says a lot about who Mann is as a<br />
person, and what Zodiac has accomplished as a brand for a<br />
new generation of watch enthusiasts and divers.<br />
The watch retails in the United States for $2,295.<br />
28 SPLIT SECONDS
WWW.<strong>REVOLUTION</strong>.WATCH<br />
The Casio G-SHOCK Full Titanium<br />
GMW-B5000TB is here<br />
C<br />
i ’ G-SHOCKs are renowned for their feats of endurance. Now it’s fully clad in<br />
arbon fiber Core Guard, solar charging and Bluetooth connectivity<br />
omatic timekeeping and time-setting globally.<br />
xclusive retail bonuses, in partnership with Cas .<br />
n<br />
ch
OSTIN<br />
Bvlgari Octo Roma<br />
in stainless steel<br />
and rose gold<br />
case and stainless<br />
steel bracelet.<br />
PHOTOGRAPHY MUNSTER<br />
STYLING YONG WEI JIAN<br />
DIGITAL ARTIST KH KOH + TOH SI JIA<br />
MODELS CLARA C / AVE AND ANDREW CHAN<br />
SPECIAL THANKS TO ACTION FOR<br />
SINGAPORE DOGS FOR THE LOAN OF<br />
OSTIN,YOSHI,PIXIE,GABYANDLOBO.<br />
THESE DOGS ARE AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION. VISIT<br />
ASDSINGAPORE.COM FOR MORE INFORMATION.<br />
TOP<br />
30 SPLIT SECONDS
YOSHI<br />
Bvlgari Serpenti<br />
Tubogas in stainless<br />
steel case with rose<br />
goldbezeland<br />
stainless steel and<br />
rose gold bracelet.<br />
Bvlgari B.zero1<br />
Labyrinth ring in<br />
white and pink<br />
gold with pavé<br />
diamonds, Serpenti<br />
Viper ring in pink<br />
gold with carnelian<br />
and pavé diamonds.<br />
DOGS<br />
Two-tone, bi-color, steel-and-gold, of<br />
however you want to describe it. The<br />
dual-tone watch currently reigns supreme<br />
in its popularity and appeal. These are<br />
some of the year’s best offerings.<br />
SPLIT SECONDS 31
PIXIE<br />
Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Automatic in red gold case with ceramic bezel and calf leather strap.<br />
32 SPLIT SECONDS
GABY<br />
Longines Record<br />
Automatic in<br />
stainless steel with<br />
pink gold-plated<br />
bezel and stainless<br />
steel and pink goldplated<br />
bracelet.
SUNDAE<br />
Cartier Santos-Dumont in steel case with pink gold bezel and alligator leather strap; Cartier Clash de Cartier bracelets and ring in pink gold.<br />
SPLIT SECONDS 35
CHEESE<br />
Hublot Big Bang MP-11 Power Reserve 14 Days in King Gold case with carbon bezel and rubber strap.<br />
36 SPLIT SECONDS
LOBO<br />
Zenith Defy Classic<br />
in titanium case<br />
with rose gold bezel<br />
and titanium and<br />
rose gold bracelet.
RED (AND WHITE)<br />
LETTER DAY<br />
Montblanc is named for the tallest point in Europe, and its<br />
white snow-capped peak is renowned for its beauty and<br />
frosty climes. The brand is flourishing a brand new project for<br />
(RED) with an edition of its signature fountain pen as well as<br />
a rollerball based off Marc Newson’s design of the Montblanc<br />
M, plus its polycarbonate cabin trolley four-wheeler, in red<br />
with burgundy leather details. The cabin-bag is excellently<br />
designed and comes with a free personalization service,<br />
so you never have to worry about losing track of it when it’s<br />
checked in. It holds up to 37 liters, so it’s more than ample for<br />
a two or three-day work trip. For every item sold, Montblanc<br />
will support the (RED) foundation with a €5 donation to the<br />
project, so gift a Montblanc (RED) to someone this holiday<br />
EVERYTHING<br />
BUT THE<br />
WATCH<br />
A bit of rouge never hurt anyone,<br />
Project (RED) Foundation, it coul<br />
continent. Here are some of our f<br />
couple of new additions this seas<br />
WORDS DARREN HO<br />
AN APPLE A DAY<br />
Apple has long partnered with the<br />
with support for its cause going back<br />
year it’s released a number of special<br />
to the cause, and this year is no<br />
(unfortunately, not the 11 Pro or 11<br />
released by Apple, has a snappy dual<br />
includes the company’s Deep Fusion<br />
enhances your quality of photography<br />
along with slow-motion selfies and<br />
than the iPhone X or XS series.<br />
work and play on the go, anywhere<br />
all-RED edition is rich and sexy. But<br />
sedate-looking phone, Apple has<br />
silicone so you can still support the<br />
the crowd.<br />
38 SPLIT SECONDS
HEART BEAT<br />
The on-ear Bluetooth Class 1 headphones weigh just half a<br />
pound and comes with a 40-hour battery life, with a seamless<br />
design adjustable headband and leather coverings over the ear<br />
cushions for comfort. The headphones have a quick charge<br />
function, enabling users to plug into three more hours of music<br />
wirelessly with a five minute charge. Although the headphones<br />
are still offering a micro-USB connection rather than the USB-C<br />
we see more<br />
excellent sound<br />
RED RIDES<br />
long had a steady<br />
through an icon<br />
Clad in a glossy<br />
is perfectly<br />
needs.<br />
and with plenty<br />
the fastest ride<br />
of swagger.<br />
has added<br />
to deck out the<br />
touches of the<br />
and protection,<br />
purchase, and<br />
such as a scooter<br />
is great both as<br />
or for work.
40 COVER STORY
The leaders of the modern world, in every<br />
industry, have been non-conformists who<br />
have challenged the status quo to bring<br />
forth newinventions. Zenith did so 50<br />
years ago with the El Primero. It’s doing it<br />
once again in 2019.<br />
WORDS ADAM CRANIOTES<br />
PHOTOGRAPHY TOH SI JIA<br />
DIGITAL ARTIST KH KOH<br />
ASSISTED BY NATHANIEL YONG<br />
STYLING YONG WEI JIAN<br />
COVER STORY 41
enith…” Founded in 1865<br />
in Le Locle, Switzerland by<br />
George Favre-Jacot, it means<br />
acme, apex, peak, pinnacle,<br />
and a few other adjectives that<br />
also pretty much boil down to<br />
“the best”. Even if we were<br />
just talking about marketing chest thumping that’s a fairly<br />
heady boast, but in this case it’s the actual, you know, name<br />
of the company. Clearly they have confidence to spare. And<br />
why shouldn’t they, particularly on the 50th anniversary of<br />
their crowning achievement, which is one the first Swissmade<br />
automatic-winding chronograph movements ever<br />
made, the legendary El Primero?<br />
The bona fides of the El Primero are well known, but it’s<br />
worth taking a bit of a refresher course on its development<br />
and design, to say nothing of its history, which is about a<br />
dramatic as you’ll find in this industry.<br />
In the most basic terms the El Primero is an integrated<br />
automatic-winding, column-wheel chronograph. Its<br />
introduction in 1969, alongside Chronomatic Group’s<br />
jointly developed Caliber 11 and the Seiko 6139 ushered in<br />
a golden age of chronograph movement development that<br />
continues to inform the design of watches to this very day.<br />
Unlike its competitors, however, the El Primero had an<br />
extra trick up its sleeve — it beats at 36,600bph, as opposed<br />
to the de rigeur 28,800bph. This decision conferred<br />
an extra measure of accuracy, and certainly a bit of a<br />
marketing boost. What’s more, it featured a date and it was<br />
exceptionally thin for a movement of this type — just 6.5mm<br />
— which made it thinner than many contemporary manual<br />
winding chronographs.<br />
The development of the El Primero — originally<br />
codenamed 3019 PHC — began in 1962, with an initial<br />
production date of 1965 — the 100 year anniversary of the<br />
manufacture. However its design brief proved so daunting<br />
that it would another 4 years before it was finally announced<br />
with much fanfare to the public on January 10th, 1969.<br />
And then it almost wasn’t.<br />
HARD TIMES IN SWITZERLAND<br />
While the year 1969 was significant for Zenith in that it was<br />
the year that bore the El Primero, it also marks the same<br />
year that Seiko released the Astron, which begat the first<br />
existential crisis of the Swiss watch industry. In short order,<br />
quartz watches became the norm due to their combination<br />
of accuracy, robustness, and above all, affordability. At a<br />
time when a watch was viewed as a necessity rather than an<br />
affectation, this had a devastating efffect on the established<br />
brands of the era, and Zenith was no different. What’s<br />
more, Zenith had invested heavily in the development of<br />
the El Primero, which left them particularly vulnerable to<br />
the vagaries of the marketplace. To wit, less than two years<br />
after the introduction of the El Primero, Zenith was sold to<br />
an American company — ironically enough, Zenith Radio<br />
Company, a television manufacturer based in Chicago —<br />
which would be the brand’s steward through 1978.<br />
It was during this time that the heroic actions of a single<br />
employee would secure Zenith’s legacy in a scheme that is<br />
almost cinematic in its audacity.<br />
Opposite<br />
The Zenith 50th El<br />
Primero Anniversary<br />
El Primero A384<br />
Revival in stainless<br />
steel on a stainless<br />
steel bracelet.<br />
Previous spread<br />
The Zenith Defy<br />
Inventor in titanium<br />
with Aeronith<br />
bezel with blue<br />
alligator leather<br />
and rubber strap<br />
Less than two years after<br />
the introduction of the El<br />
Primero, Zenith was sold<br />
to an American company<br />
— Zenith Radio Company,<br />
a television manufacturer<br />
based in Chicago — which<br />
would be the brand’s<br />
steward through 1978.<br />
42 COVER STORY
COVER STORY 43
Zenith’s El Primero<br />
Chronomaster<br />
2, reintroduced<br />
as part of the<br />
50th anniversary<br />
collection of<br />
watches by the<br />
watchmaker.<br />
44 COVER STORY
COVER STORY 45<br />
TheZenithElPrimero<br />
Chronomaster<br />
Grande Date Full<br />
Open combines the<br />
skeleton architecture<br />
of the movement with<br />
amorewhimsical<br />
representation of<br />
the moon and sun<br />
phase display.
46 COVER STORY
With the sale of the company, Zenith’s mechanical<br />
watchmaking capacity was in dire jeopardy. The Americans<br />
wanted to focus on quartz watchmaking, which, at least<br />
on the surface seemed like the sane thing to do. With the<br />
runaway success of the Astron, the Swiss took on a “if you<br />
can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” attitude, and created a consortium<br />
of 16 brands, including Zenith, to develop the Beta 21<br />
quartz movement.<br />
Unfortunately this effort didn’t bear the intended fruit<br />
for the brand, and in 1976 the decision was made to halt<br />
mechanical watch production entirely. To this end, the<br />
entire production line for the El Primero including presses,<br />
tool, stampings, et al were scheduled to be scrapped and<br />
sold by the ton to the highest bidder to make room for quartz<br />
production. An ignominious end for the El Primero, to be<br />
sure, but perhaps an inevitable one.<br />
DESPERATE MEASURES<br />
It was at this moment that one Charles Vermot was spurred<br />
to action. As the watchmaker in charge of the department<br />
that created the El Primero, he was intimately acquainted<br />
with its design and manufacture; indeed, he was part of the<br />
team that developed it in the first place. His passion for the<br />
movement, combined with his almost preternatural foresight<br />
into the future of watchmaking compelled him to plea to the<br />
American management to reconsider their position, given<br />
that in his words, “…the world goes often goes through<br />
various cycles. You are wrong to believe that the automatic<br />
mechanical chronograph will die out completely.”<br />
Unfortunately his pleas fell on deaf ears. Rather than<br />
accept the cards that fate deal him, however, he set into<br />
motion a daring heist that would ensure the survival of the<br />
El Primero for the next generation; a generation that he was<br />
all but certain would be clamoring to have a proper Swiss<br />
mechanical chronograph on their wrists.<br />
As noble as his intentions were, however, there were<br />
serious risks involved — i.e. losing his job — as well as<br />
seemingly impossible hurdles that needed to be overcome<br />
to pull the caper off. For starters, the equipment was heavy,<br />
with almost 150 presses that had to be moved from their<br />
current location to an unused storage space in the top floor<br />
of the manufacture. Not willing to put more jobs on the<br />
line than were absolutely necessary, Charles enlisted the<br />
help of his brother Maurice, also in the employ of Zenith,<br />
and together they managed to move all the machinery and<br />
associated documentation necessary to produce the El<br />
Primero to safety.<br />
To accomplish this they operated at night, slowly and<br />
methodically, moving all off the El Primero production<br />
materials through a back door and up 52 steps. With this<br />
task safely accomplished, Charles sealed off the room,<br />
and there the nuts and bolts and know-how to build the El<br />
Primero waited. And waited.<br />
It would be almost ten years before the wall came back<br />
down and Charles Vermot was vindicated.<br />
The Defy collection,<br />
once a fringe<br />
collection, has<br />
become its statement<br />
for 21st century watch<br />
invention. Shown on<br />
this spread from left<br />
is the Defy Carbon<br />
Fusee Tourbillon,<br />
bearing a chain-andfusee<br />
to regulate the<br />
power in the watch<br />
with a 5Hz tourbillon;<br />
the Defy El Primero<br />
21 supercharges the<br />
chronograph with<br />
a 50Hz operation;<br />
the 50th anniversary<br />
editon of the El<br />
Primero 21 features<br />
the brand’s statement<br />
tri-color counters.<br />
COVER STORY 47
This page, from left<br />
The 50th Anniversary El<br />
Primero A384 Revival;<br />
the 50th Anniversary El<br />
Primero A386 Revival<br />
in steel. Both models<br />
are recollections of<br />
Zenith’ssuccess50<br />
years ago, with the new<br />
Inventor escapement<br />
as its next icon.<br />
48 COVER STORY
COVER STORY 49<br />
This page, from left<br />
The 50th<br />
Anniversary<br />
El Primero<br />
A386 Revival<br />
Chronographs in<br />
white and yellow<br />
gold offerings.
50 COVER STORY
The El Primero is a legend even<br />
among legends. That it remains<br />
at the forefront of chronograph<br />
movement development even 50<br />
years after its inception is a fitting<br />
tribute to the foresight of<br />
its designers.<br />
ANEWDAY<br />
As it so happened, the Americans weren’t able to make a<br />
go of things and Zenith soon found its way back into Swiss<br />
hands as part of a consortium dedicated to bringing jobs<br />
back to Switzerland. Before long, surplus unassembled<br />
movements were finding their way into other brands’<br />
watches, proving that there was a demand for the El Primero.<br />
In the end, however, it was Rolex that cemented the<br />
success of the El Primero. They were looking to modernize<br />
their Daytona, which up until then relied on the aging, yet<br />
seminal Valjoux 72 chronograph, a manual caliber. Rather<br />
than develop a movement from the ground up, they sought<br />
to outsource once again, and it was Zenith to whom they<br />
turned. With a 10 year contract on the line, Zenith needed to<br />
be able to prove that it could ramp up production in a timely<br />
and reliable fashion, and thanks to the foresight of Charles<br />
Vermot, they were.<br />
In the years to follow, Zenith would build on the success<br />
of the El Primero with the Chronomaster in the 90s, with its<br />
sapphire display back; the Rainbow Flyback for pilots; and<br />
even high complication pieces replete with tourbillons and<br />
perpetual calendars.<br />
Then, in 2010, they released the Striking 10th, which<br />
took the hi-beat chronograph to its logical conclusion. By<br />
making a direct connection with the regulator the central<br />
chronograph hand makes a full sweep of the dial in 10<br />
precise increments per second. The first of its kind, the<br />
Striking 10th was a breakthrough in chronograph design and<br />
demonstrated conclusively that Zenith wasn’t one to rest on<br />
its considerable laurels.<br />
Even so, given that this is the 50th anniversary of the<br />
El Primero, it seems only fitting that they’ve re-released<br />
the models that started it all with their Revival collection,<br />
the penultimate of which is a loving tribute to the venerable<br />
A384 — the first Zenith advertised with the El Primero<br />
beating away under the hood.<br />
As with the original, it features a tonneau-style case –<br />
thankfully NOT upsized for “contemporary” sensibilities<br />
— and a delightfully retro linked bracelet. Naturally, the dial<br />
is a faithful reproduction, which give the wearer the distinct<br />
impression of living in another era when anything and<br />
everything was and is possible.<br />
On the other hand, the El Primero Chronomaster<br />
Grande Date Full Open shows off the El Primero in all of its<br />
present-day glory. With a dial skeletonzied to within an inch<br />
of its life and a useful big date complication and day/night<br />
indicator added on top, this is one El Primero that you don’t<br />
need to flip over to fully appreciate.<br />
The El Primero can also be found in the skies with the<br />
Pilot Type 20 Chronograph, which brings together two<br />
notable aspects of Zenith’s rich history together in a single<br />
watch. In 1909 French aviator Louis Blériot made history<br />
with the world’s first crossing of the English Channel, and<br />
strapped to his wrist was a Zenith wristwatch. From that<br />
moment on Zenith was associated with the skies above,<br />
and in 1939 they released the Type 20 “montre d’aéronef”<br />
(airplane clock) instrument which cemented the design<br />
language of dial that we see in use today.<br />
And then there’s the Chronomaster 2 El Primero<br />
Striking 10th, which takes the Striking 10th concept and<br />
brings it up-to-date with a rotating ceramic bezel and an<br />
optimized movement, the Caliber 3600, which brings a host<br />
of improvements to an already revolutionary complication.<br />
Not that it bears repeating, but as noted earlier, there’s<br />
an El Primero for everyone.<br />
CONCLUSION<br />
In its 150+ years of history the Zenith manufacture has<br />
consistently demonstrated its flair for innovation, and yes,<br />
tenacity. The El Primero is a legend even among legends.<br />
That it remains at the forefront of chronograph movement<br />
development even 50 years after its inception is a fitting<br />
tribute to the foresight of its designers – and its champion,<br />
Charles Vermot. If any movement can be credited with<br />
saving an entire company, this is the one to fit that bill.<br />
Now, on to the next 50 years… .<br />
The Zenith Type<br />
20 Adventure<br />
Chronograph. The<br />
Type 20 aviation<br />
and military styled<br />
watches were<br />
incredibly rugged<br />
timekeepers, with<br />
precision demanded<br />
for the roles<br />
their users held<br />
during the war.<br />
PRESENT<br />
Today the El Primero’s legacy is all but assured. The caliber<br />
is firmly established as one of the stars in the firmament of<br />
horological history. It is a lynchpin of Zenith’s catalog, and<br />
rightly so. There’s an El Primero for everyone, and if you<br />
look hard enough, you can even catch a hint of the future<br />
with models like the Defy 21 Inventor with its novel dualescapement<br />
El Primero Caliber 9004.<br />
COVER STORY 51
Glashütte Original broadens its appeal with limited-edition watches and a<br />
new sports-focused Spezialist collection.
WORDS ADAM CRANIOTES<br />
PHOTOGRAPHY TOMAS MONKA<br />
CREATIVE DIRECTION JAY GULLERS<br />
RETOUCHING BY SOFIA CEDERSTRÖM<br />
SET DESIGN ANTON THORSSON AND SÖDERBERG AGENTUR
This spread<br />
Glashütte Original<br />
SeaQ Panorama<br />
Date in stainless<br />
steel with galvanic<br />
blue dial on synthetic<br />
strap or bracelet.<br />
Previous spread<br />
The Glashütte Original<br />
“Spezimatic Type RP<br />
TS 200”; the Glashütte<br />
Original SeaQ in<br />
stainless steel with<br />
galvanic black dial on<br />
stainless steel bracelet;<br />
Glashütte Original SeaQ<br />
in stainless steel with<br />
galvanic black dial on<br />
stainless steel bracelet.
Glashütte Original<br />
SeaQ Panorama<br />
Date limited edition<br />
in stainless steel<br />
with galvanic<br />
black dial on<br />
synthetic strap.<br />
Low-poly treatment<br />
photos are created<br />
by Marie Wee,<br />
with 3-D modeling<br />
by KH Koh and<br />
photography<br />
by Toh Si Jia.<br />
FATHER/SON<br />
Glashütte Original has a long and storied tradition on the<br />
waves dating back to the 1800s with their legendary marine<br />
chronometers. That tradition also extends beneath the<br />
waves with their iconic Spezimatic Type RP TS 200 diver,<br />
which was introduced in 1969 and was the first purposebuilt<br />
diver´s watch from the company.<br />
To understand the genesis of this watch, it’s necessary<br />
to understand the time period that bore it. With the release<br />
of Jacques Cousteau’s ground breaking documentary about<br />
underwater exploration “Le Mond Du Silence” in 1956,<br />
the sport of recreational diving suddenly thrust itself into<br />
the limelight. Many brands jumped at the opportunity to<br />
capitalize on this craze, and by the late 1960s, scuba diving<br />
was firmly entrenched in the psyche of the sporting man.<br />
Dive watches were no longer just tools, but also avatars<br />
signaling to any and all that the wearer was as man of action<br />
who could move easily from the 9-to-5 to the briny deep.<br />
Yes, even despite being firmly behind the Iron Curtain,<br />
Glashütte Original wasn’t blind to the appeal of a life at sea,<br />
hence the Spezimatic Type RP TS 200.<br />
For 2019 Glashütte Original surprised everyone with<br />
the re-release of not only an homage to the original in the<br />
form of the limited edition SeaQ 1969, but also an entire<br />
lineup, which consists of both black and blue dials as well<br />
as their signature Panorama Date complication under the<br />
“Spezialist” label. (It’s worth noting that while the divers<br />
are here right now, we can most certainly expect to see more<br />
instrument-type watches coming down the pike to round<br />
out the collection.)<br />
So, how does the new SeaQ stack up to its predecessor?<br />
It is a given that the new SeaQ line has taken the<br />
concept upmarket with an appropriate movement and case<br />
finishing befitting the new intention of the piece as a luxury<br />
dive watch. This means satin brushed stainless steel cases,<br />
ceramic bezel inserts and shimmering sunray-patterned<br />
dials. This also applies to the movements used, which, in the<br />
case of the SeaQ is Glashütte Original’s calibre 39-11.<br />
The 39-11 is crafted with the traditional elements<br />
of Glashütte watchmaking with a swan neck regulator,<br />
beveling, polished screws and “Glashütte” stripes. It beats<br />
at rate of 4hz. When contrasted with the calibre 75 found in<br />
the Type RP TS 200 the difference is night and day, yet both<br />
movements are robust and proven engines that are more<br />
than up to the task at hand.<br />
In a nod to the original, the SeaQ clocks in at a wristfriendly<br />
39.5mm, as opposed to the SeaQ Panorama Date<br />
models, which are over 3mm wider to reflect modern tastes.<br />
What’s more, the dial of the SeaQ and especially the SeaQ<br />
1969 is almost a one-to-one reproduction, with the same<br />
painted numerals and unique handset.<br />
SEAQ PANORAMA DATE<br />
The Spezialist collection will no doubt expand in the future,<br />
but for now the focus remains firmly beneath the waves.<br />
While the SeaQ carries the banner as the living homage to<br />
the past, the flag bearer for the future is the SeaQ Panorama<br />
Date, which not only incorporates Glashütte Original’s<br />
trademark Panorama Date complication, but also comes in<br />
a more contemporary 43,2 mm case diameter. What’s more,<br />
in addition to the black sunray dial, blue is offered as well<br />
(along with a matching ceramic bezel insert).<br />
Carried over from the SeaQ are the bold arabic<br />
numerals, indexes and hands, which are all hallmarks of<br />
the Spezimatic Type RP TS 200, though this time around<br />
they’re applied as opposed to painted. These elements exist<br />
in contrast with the Panorama Date window – color-keyed<br />
for both dial options – as well as the larger case size.<br />
Visible through a sapphire crystal case back the SeaQ<br />
Panorama Date is the calibre 36-13, which boasts of having<br />
Glashütte Original”s first silicon balance spring as well as a<br />
stellar 100-hr power reserve. As with all Glashütte Original<br />
movements, it is hand finished and sports traditional<br />
Glashütte design cues, such as the three-quarter plate and<br />
swan-neck spring. This is a robust movement, as evidenced<br />
by its bayonet mounting point, and each one is tested inhouse<br />
for 24 days to ensure optimal precision.<br />
So, is the SeaQ Panorama Date over the SeaQ?<br />
Aside from the obvious aesthetic differences, the SeaQ<br />
Panorama Date adds 100M of water-resistance to the<br />
mix for a total of 300M. Couple this with the larger<br />
diameter dial and extra 60 hours of power reserve and you<br />
have a potent diving companion. And make no mistake,<br />
the SeaQ models are DIN and ISO certified diver´s<br />
watches, which means that each and every one is tested<br />
individually to ensure that they meet the specified criteria.<br />
By every measure, the SeaQ watches are professionalgrade<br />
tools, never mind the luxury wrapping.
Glashütte Original<br />
PanoInverse-Limited<br />
Edition in platinum case<br />
with hand-decorated<br />
movement and blue<br />
grained lacquer dial,<br />
on blue Louisiana<br />
alligator leather strap<br />
and platinum standard<br />
fold fastener (short fold<br />
fastener also available).<br />
PANOINVERSE – LIMITED EDITION<br />
It was over eleven years ago that Glashütte Original<br />
introduced the first PanoInverse, a watch that quite literally<br />
inverted our expectations of how a timepiece should look and<br />
feel. Designed to present the movement first by showcasing<br />
the balance wheel and escapement on the dial side, it was a<br />
ground-breaking exercise in design and one that has since<br />
gone on to achieve cult status among collectors.<br />
This year Glashütte Original takes the concept one step<br />
further with the introduction of the PanoInverse – Limited<br />
Edition in platinum. Produced in a series of just 25 pieces,<br />
the PanoInverse – Limited Edition is a masterclass in<br />
Glashütte watchmaking, with a hand engaged rhodiumplated<br />
mainplate, heat-treated blued screws, screwmounted<br />
gold chatons and a subtle grained blue lacquer dial.<br />
Owing to the individual engraver responsible for each watch,<br />
every PanoInverse – Limited Edition is a unique work of art.<br />
The real show-stopper here, however, is the dial cutout<br />
which suspends the butterfly-shaped balance bridge and<br />
lets the balance wheel “float” in negative space. The effect<br />
is nothing short of mesmerizing in person and takes the<br />
“inverse” concept to its logical conclusion.<br />
The stunning calibre 66-08 beats at 4hz and has a<br />
power reserve of 41 hours, which can be checked via a power<br />
reserve on the dial side.<br />
The alternately brushed and polished platinum case<br />
measures 42mm x 12mm and features a sapphire cabochoncapped<br />
crown.<br />
SEVENTIES CHRONOGRAPH<br />
PANORAMA DATE – LIMITED EDITION<br />
After conquering the 60s with the elegant Sixties line,<br />
Glashütte Original set their sights on the time of changes<br />
with the retro-themed Seventies. Featuring a squared<br />
off case and integrated bracelet, the Seventies evokes<br />
the best of a time when watch designs were casting off<br />
their traditional clothing and moving towards bolder,<br />
more overtly masculine expressions of design.<br />
For 2019 Glashütte Original takes that formula and<br />
ups the ante with two limited edition chronographs with<br />
unique dials that evoke the spirit of the Saxony countryside<br />
where the manufacture makes its home. Offered in a<br />
limited series of 100 pieces per dial, the green and grey<br />
hues reflect the history of the Ore Mountains which formed<br />
the basis of the Glashütte mining industry. From the<br />
rolling green hills to the traces of tin and silver, these dials<br />
form a fitting tribute to the Glashütte region as a whole.<br />
As with all Glashütte Original watches, the dials are<br />
produced in-house at their manufactory in Pforzheim. For<br />
these particular dials, a complicated “dégradé” effect is<br />
employed, which creates a subtle gradient effect, with the<br />
colors gradually becoming darker as the circumference of<br />
the dial is approached. To create this effect the dial experts<br />
at Pforzheim use rotating brass brushes to apply the sunray<br />
finish... the grey dial is galvanized while green lacquer is<br />
applied to the dial of the other model in several passes.<br />
Finally, black lacquer is applied on both dials at varying<br />
angles, after which each dial is placed in a kiln to set the color.<br />
As for the movement, which is visible through a sapphire<br />
display back, it is Glashütte Original’s in-house calibre 37-<br />
02 column wheel chronograph, which features a generous<br />
70-hour power reserve.<br />
CONCLUSION<br />
Craftsmanship, precision, heritage and innovation …. For<br />
Glashütte Original, these are for more than just words.<br />
Together they form the mantra of a manufacture that<br />
traces its history back to the very beginning of German<br />
watchmaking and comprise the basic elements of the<br />
guiding principles that have informed the evolution of the<br />
brand through to today.<br />
Indeed, whether its the precision of the caliber 36-13,<br />
the sheer beauty of the the PanoInverse , the innovation of<br />
the Seventies or the heritage of the SeaQ these qualities<br />
can be seen and felt throughout the entire Glashütte<br />
Original catalog.<br />
But more than past or present, these words are what<br />
will take Glashütte Original in to the future, which leads<br />
us to wonder what’s next from this distinctly German<br />
manufacture. Thanks to the introduction of the Spezialist<br />
collection and the SeaQ, Glashütte now truly offers<br />
something for everyone. The next step?<br />
2020 is right around the corner…
Glashütte Original<br />
Seventies Chronograph<br />
Panorama Date in<br />
stainless steel case<br />
with sunray brushed,<br />
galvanized gray dial<br />
and varnished in<br />
black with dégradé<br />
effect, on brown calf<br />
nubuck leather strap<br />
with fold fastener<br />
(left), or varnished in<br />
green and black with<br />
dégradé effect.
THE MODERNIST<br />
Each year, our Revolution editors struggle with the selection of the best timepieces for the Revolution Awards. With<br />
somanygreatoptionsthisyear,itwastoughtofigureoutthehighlightsoftheyear.Butonewatchthatearnedour<br />
immediate confirmation was the Traditionnelle Twin Beat Perpetual Calendar by Vacheron Constantin. More on page 82.
BVLGARI<br />
SERPENTI SEDUTTORI<br />
This seductive serpent is designed to be both subtle and expressive in style, says Darren Ho.<br />
The snake has been a symbol both of reverence and notoriety.<br />
In pagan religions, it’s a symbol of healing, wisdom,<br />
transformation and rebirth, while in the Judeo-Christian era,<br />
it represented the role of the seducer and the tempter, leading us to<br />
the Original Sin. Whichever image you prefer, the snake has long been<br />
associated with transformative allure, an association which Bvlgari<br />
shares. While its European counterparts focused on purity and almost<br />
minimalist concept design, Bvlgari always embraced maximalist color<br />
and bold styles with Mediterranean flair.<br />
The Serpenti collection shares that personality, with multi-coiled<br />
variations conveying the dramatic beauty of the Tubogas bracelet. That<br />
same powerful allure means that the collection is difficult to bring to<br />
the mainstream. Bvlgari began to investigate how it could retain the<br />
sexiness of the Serpenti, even enhance it, while combining it with the<br />
idea of discretion. As CEO of Bvlgari, Jean-Christophe Babin pointed<br />
out in past interviews with Revolution, the idea of luxury has changed.<br />
“Bvlgari is one of the greatest brands in luxury, and it’s a brand that<br />
people buy for the soulful spirit as much for the product. We have an<br />
obsession to combine high watchmaking with strong design.”<br />
The result of their research and development is the Serpenti<br />
Seduttori, a Serpenti with a single loop bracelet. Decked out on<br />
alternating hexagonal links in rows of three and four, polished to<br />
a mirror finish to match the curved and rounded asymmetric case<br />
middle, the watch does seduce, and powerfully so. It’s so attractive that<br />
more than one male Revolution editor, when we first saw it at Baselworld<br />
this year, made the same comment: if it was larger, with a more angular<br />
form and a crown made for meatier fingers, we’d certainly wear it as a<br />
men’s watch.<br />
The Seduttori comes in several references, from a classic steel<br />
model with a row of diamonds on both flanks of the bezel and a<br />
cabochon on the crown, to a finer model in rose gold, styled in the<br />
same way. Designed with the businesswoman in mind, one who wishes<br />
for a subtle demonstration of her non-conformist attitude to life,<br />
the watches are beautiful on a wrist, the bracelet wrapping perfectly<br />
around the slimmest of wrists, with hexagonal scales that glitter just<br />
enough for a hint of distraction.<br />
Then there’s the Seduttori that’s designed to seduce audaciously.<br />
A fully jeweled model, clad in diamonds from dial to case middle to a<br />
diamond on each scale, is constructed and handcrafted to perfection.<br />
Every stone on each scale is exactly the same size, a round, brilliantcut<br />
diamond that has so many facets that one swivel on the wrist will<br />
hypnotize every creature in its vicinity. On the white gold version, blued<br />
hands and indexes on the dial are matched with a vivid blue diamond,<br />
while the rose gold watch appears to meld with your skin, leaving a<br />
glittering ring of diamonds accented by a ruby cabochon crown.<br />
BVLGARI<br />
SERPENTI SEDUTTORI<br />
MOVEMENT Bvlgari-personalised high-precision quartz movement<br />
CASE Sixdifferent33mmcasesinrose,yellow,orwhitegold,setwithupto<br />
166 brilliant-cut diamonds<br />
STRAP 18Kroseorwhitegold,withorwithoutroundbrilliant-cutdiamonds<br />
64 THE MODERNIST
THE MODERNIST 65
66 SPLIT SECONDS
NOMOS TETRA PLUM<br />
NOMOS Glashütte is synonymous with minimalism in watch design.<br />
This year, it tries something different for the Tetra Plum model.<br />
WORDS SEAN LORENTZEN<br />
For over 25 years, the Tetra series has<br />
been a hallmark line for independent<br />
German atelier NOMOS Glashütte,<br />
with its clean austere lines and square case<br />
standing as one of the best expressions of<br />
the brand’s Bauhaus design sensibilities.<br />
The latest iteration of the classic series, the<br />
NOMOS Tetra Plum, offers a fresh and<br />
unique take on this classic NOMOS formula.<br />
While the headline addition for this piece is<br />
its namesake purple dial, the Tetra Plum is a<br />
superbly built timepiece that combines stellar<br />
finish and features with a look that combines<br />
unique aesthetics with daily-wear versatility.<br />
The violet dial that gives the Tetra<br />
Plum its name is an exercise in balance and<br />
tasteful restraint. While the temptation<br />
to go loud can be strong when designing<br />
an exotic-color dial, NOMOS Glashütte<br />
delivers a remarkably muted palette here.<br />
The main dial surface is a powdery matte<br />
NOMOS<br />
Tetra Plum<br />
MOVEMENT Manual-winding caliber DUW 4301; hours and<br />
minutes; subsidiary seconds; 43-hour power reserve<br />
CASE 29.5 × 29.5mm; stainless steel; water-resistant to 30m<br />
STRAP Gray velour leather<br />
lavender tone that wouldn’t feel out of<br />
place as an accent wall in a modern design<br />
office, reminiscent of both plums and<br />
lavender. This mature, desaturated shade<br />
is paired with refined silver for the slim,<br />
minimalist mix of Arabic numerals and line<br />
indices. The handset including the subseconds<br />
at six o’clock are clean, austere<br />
rhodium-plated sticks to maintain the<br />
signature NOMOS Bauhaus aesthetic.<br />
Surprisingly for a purple-dial timepiece,<br />
the loudest pop of color here comes from<br />
the 43-hour power reserve indicator at<br />
one o’clock. This small, clean complication<br />
stands out from the rest of the dial with a<br />
splash of stark white and bright red in just<br />
enough quantity to draw attention without<br />
unbalancing the overall visual harmony.<br />
The driving force behind the Tetra Plum<br />
is the in-house NOMOS caliber DUW 4301<br />
hand-wound movement. While producing<br />
a manufacture power reserve movement<br />
is an impressive feat in itself, the caliber<br />
DUW 4301 goes above and beyond with the<br />
inclusion of NOMOS Glashütte’s proprietary<br />
swing system escapement. In addition,<br />
the movement plates are nicely decorated<br />
with blued screws, Glashütte ribbing<br />
and NOMOS perlage on the movement<br />
plates along with a Glashütte sunburst<br />
finish on the ratchet and crown wheels.<br />
The Tetra Plum features the classic<br />
stainless-steel square NOMOS Tetra case.<br />
Sized at 29.5 by 29.5 millimeters with an<br />
elegant 6.5 millimeter overall thickness,<br />
both the sizing and the refined color of the<br />
Tetra Plum make it a solid choice for both<br />
men and women. The overall execution of the<br />
case feels Art Deco-inspired, with touches<br />
such as the stepped bezel and terraced lugs<br />
lending an architectural flavor to the watch.<br />
The NOMOS Tetra Plus is offered<br />
on a gray velour leather strap. This is an<br />
excellent pairing, allowing the plum color<br />
of the dial to take the fore while playing<br />
into the silver accents and adding a hint<br />
of texture to the overall package.<br />
The new NOMOS Tetra Plum is<br />
a distinctive and tasteful addition to<br />
one of the marque’s most storied lines,<br />
and is sure to become a favorite among<br />
enthusiasts of the brand. Selected NOMOS<br />
retailers are expected to begin stocking<br />
the new model in October 2019.<br />
SPLIT SECONDS 67
ROLLING IN THE DEEP DIVE<br />
Ulysse Nardin and “One More Wave” Team Up To Honor Wounded and Disabled Veterans<br />
with Limited Edition Diver Deep Dive.<br />
WORDS SEAN LORENTZEN<br />
With the state of the current horological landscape, it feels<br />
as though we’re currently living in the “Age of the Limited<br />
Edition.” On an increasingly regular basis, watchmakers<br />
release new special-edition timepieces to an eager collector base,<br />
selling out in ever-faster time. Rarely, however, has there been a<br />
special edition as special as the latest from Ulysse Nardin. Not only is<br />
the new Ulysse Nardin Diver Deep Dive “One More Wave” produced<br />
in benefit of a noble cause, the beneficiaries themselves had a major<br />
hand in designing the finished product.<br />
The story of the Diver Deep Dive “One More Wave” began with<br />
a chance encounter between Ulysse Nardin Americas President<br />
François-Xavier Hotier and Kyle Buckett, Managing Director of One<br />
More Wave, during a visit by the former to the U.S. Navy SEAL training<br />
camp in Coronado, California. Hotier was immediately impressed by<br />
Buckett and the charity’s work, which aids rehabilitation for wounded<br />
and disabled military veterans with “surf therapy” through access to<br />
specialized custom surfboards, equipment and assistance programs.<br />
Furthermore, the message of the program resonated strongly with<br />
Ulysse Nardin’s proud history of oceanic and naval involvement.<br />
The design of the finished watch itself was drafted in tandem with<br />
U.S. special operations veterans and members of One More Wave,<br />
aiming to highlight the tactical aesthetic of the Navy SEALS while<br />
ensuring the product could stand up the the constantly shifting water<br />
pressure variances of surfing. The DLC black titanium case announces<br />
this ethos boldly from the first glance, with an imposing 46-millimeter<br />
diameter and massive crowns at two and nine o’clock. The two o’clock<br />
crown is further accented with a blocky locking crown guard, finished<br />
with yellow lettering proudly proclaiming the Diver Deep Dive “One<br />
More Wave”’s heavy-duty 1000 meters of water resistance. The Diver<br />
Deep Dive “One More Wave” also features a manual decompression<br />
valve controlled by the nine o’clock crown, allowing divers to quickly<br />
purge built-up gases from inside the case while ascending after deepsea<br />
diving. This aggressive, chunky case design is capped off with a<br />
deeply etched and rugged unidirectional dive bezel for easy operation<br />
even with gloves. Around back, the caseback features the emblem of<br />
One More Wave in a Navy SEAL-style challenge coin design.<br />
Under the thick crystal, the dial of the Ulysse Nardin Diver<br />
Deep Dive “One More Wave” continues to show the influence of the<br />
68 THE MODERNIST
veterans who collaborated on it, combining traditional Ulysse Nardin<br />
elements with a tactical “blackout” aesthetic. To that end, the lume<br />
fills of UN’s signature skeletonized sword hands and applied wedge<br />
indices are a muted, military gray. The sub seconds dial at five o’clock<br />
immediately draws visual attention, with striking “hazard yellow”<br />
accents contrasting with lume-filled segments of the subdial itself for<br />
an arresting look in low light. One of the more mysterious elements of<br />
the dial is the “Blacksea” text above the sub seconds, which simply ties<br />
back to the all-black stealth approach and amphibious tactics of the<br />
U.S. Navy SEALS. Smaller sculptural elements abound throughout the<br />
dial. The oversized Ulysse Nardin emblem at 12 o’clock sits on its own<br />
raised bar above the main dial surface, connecting to the raised chapter<br />
ring at ten and two o’clock. Likewise, both the sub seconds dial and the<br />
date window at three o’clock feature a raised bezel for added depth.<br />
Inside the Ulysse Nardin Diver Deep Dive “One More Wave” is<br />
Ulysse Nardin’s own UN-320 manufacture movement. This automatic<br />
movement features a host of modern advancements such as a 48-hour<br />
power reserve, hacking seconds, a silicon hairspring and specialized<br />
anchor escapement for increased accuracy.<br />
Ulysse Nardin offers the Diver Deep Dive “One More Wave” on<br />
a custom rubber strap with DLC titanium elements about midway<br />
around the wrist for added dynamism. This rugged, water-resistant<br />
combination is held together with a matching butterfly-style clasp<br />
in DLC titanium. It’s a combination that perfectly complements the<br />
overall aggressive, spec-ops feel of the watch.<br />
Overall, the Ulysse Nardin Diver Deep Dive “One More Wave”<br />
stands as a breath of fresh air in the current dive watch market. At<br />
a time where the trend in new releases is toward smaller, vintageinfluenced<br />
pieces, Ulysse Nardin’s decision to create a large, ultramodern<br />
tactical-styled diver sets it apart from the pack. Beyond<br />
the refreshing difference in scale and design, the closeness of the<br />
partnership between Ulysse Nardin and One More Wave and massive<br />
changes from the run-of-the-mill Diver Deep Dive also makes<br />
the Diver Deep Dive “One More Wave” stand out among the sea of<br />
contemporary limited editions. The Diver Deep Dive “One More<br />
Wave” is limited to 100 pieces and is exclusive to U.S. dealers. A<br />
portion of the proceeds will be used to benefit One More Wave’s<br />
continuing efforts to rehabilitate wounded and disabled troops.<br />
THE MODERNIST 69
The latest iteration of the Hedonia Grand Moon is the first of five variations, fully gemset with<br />
baguette diamonds on the bezel and sapphires in a snowflake setting on the dial.<br />
70 THE MODERNIST
MOON RISE<br />
Le Rhöne wants you to forget about the compact moon phase display.<br />
It’s got a grand display for you.<br />
WORDS DARREN HO<br />
The Moon has always had a dramatic flair in<br />
watchmaking, in part because of its historical<br />
association with timekeeping, but also because<br />
of its depiction in tales. Lately, our obsession with moon<br />
phase watches has ranged from focusing on precision to<br />
magnification. The latter, in particular, is increasingly<br />
notable, starting with Piaget from seven years ago, till more<br />
recently when everyone from Hermès to Le Rhöne is focused<br />
on magnifying its presence on the dial.<br />
Le Rhöne’s MOÖN series of watches is one of these,<br />
with a Grand Phase de Lune complication that fully adorns<br />
the dial with a great moon phase display featuring the lunar<br />
object expounded on the dial with an in-house movement.<br />
That’s rare in itself, but not so for the independent<br />
watchmaker, which has consistently developed its own<br />
movements that range from the highly technical to the<br />
finely elegant. The brand’s two founders, Loïc Florentin<br />
and Timo Rajakoski, take a different view of developing<br />
watchmaking, focusing on developing a simultaneous<br />
customization program in their timepieces with a range<br />
of popular series productions that offer you the chance<br />
to participate in the creation of your own watch, or to<br />
own something that’s rarefied. Whichever you prefer,<br />
both are a popular concept today with watch lovers.<br />
The Grand Phase de Lune by Le Rhöne is a rather<br />
unique development in the watch given that most moon<br />
phase displays are operated through the use of corrector<br />
pushers, either extruding on the case of flush with it and<br />
adjusted with a pin corrector. However, since the oversized<br />
moon phase display is quite mesmerizing, Le Rhöne trusts<br />
that its customers will want to show it off regularly and thus<br />
decided to integrate that control into the crown itself.<br />
NEW MOÖN<br />
The movement is housed in the Hedonia case, a tonneau<br />
form with gently angular corners and with two size options<br />
at 41mm and 37mm. The latter has a shorter design,<br />
compressing the watch and emphasizing the octagonal case<br />
middle. Both cases are designed with an integrated strap<br />
construction, which means the first link on the strap and<br />
the lugs are seamlessly designed and thus are fixed. Both<br />
have bracelet options as well as alligator leather straps,<br />
with Le Rhöne’s strap-changing mechanism in-built so<br />
despite that “integrated” term, you do have the option of<br />
switching things around. The bracelet comes in a tapered,<br />
two-link design that’s carefully curved and angled, with<br />
satin-finished and polished surfaces alternating to add to<br />
the lustre of the watch. Steel and gold options are available<br />
for both sizes.<br />
The original MOÖN series was unveiled in 2017<br />
and had an aventurine dial to reproduce the feel of the<br />
night sky. The stone dial, which requires precise cutting<br />
and polishing in order to be used as a dial material,<br />
delivered a powerful presence with its midnight blue<br />
filled with glistening specks that add greater depth<br />
to the dial, along with a mix of luminous stars, while<br />
the oversized Moon was carefully crafted in motherof-pearl.<br />
While both materials are typically used in<br />
feminine watches, Le Rhöne’s design and construction<br />
makes these watches equally suited to both genders. The<br />
crowns of the Hedönia Grand Moon series are also set in<br />
aventurine, an added detail over its previous execution.<br />
A second series of MOÖN watches in 2018 absolved<br />
themselves of the previous dial design and Le Rhöne<br />
switched to laser-engraved, brushed metal discs to create<br />
THE MODERNIST 71
the textures of the Moon. This sat on a sapphire disc that<br />
employed a multi-layer metal deposition to create the<br />
effect of a starry night sky. Recesses were carved into<br />
the sapphire disc and filled with Super-Luminova to<br />
light up the display. Indexes are also marked out on the<br />
minute track in luminous paint, and the entire watch was<br />
quite a magical show of glimmering beauty in the dark.<br />
Furthering this, Le Rhöne has now introduced five<br />
sets of fully gemset variants of the Hedönia Grand Moon,<br />
the first of which is a sapphire-and-diamond set dial with<br />
a diamond set bezel to deliver a sparkling version of the<br />
watch from all aspects. On the dial, the moon is fully set<br />
in diamonds over a sapphire-covered dial, intermittently<br />
mixed with diamonds to represent the stars in the sky. The<br />
entire display is delivered in a snow setting, which means<br />
the precious gemstones are set in an irregular pattern. This<br />
requires an in-depth understanding of gem-setting, since<br />
a shift in position in one stone means every other stone has<br />
to also be adjusted in order to fit each gem the same way.<br />
On the bezel, a series of baguette cut diamonds in different<br />
sizes are placed in an invisible pressure setting to fit with<br />
the bezel’s design around the dial and protective sapphire<br />
crystal. Four more “Acts” of the gemset editions are being<br />
planned, and while Le Rhöne has yet to reveal what they<br />
will be, we’re sure it will be as appealing as the first.<br />
This spread<br />
Other Le Rhöne<br />
watches released<br />
this year include<br />
the Road Racer<br />
chronograph; the<br />
Jumping Meridian<br />
Time, their take on<br />
the dual time zone<br />
watch; the Road<br />
Racer chronograph;<br />
the HORÖLOGY<br />
Double Tourbillon<br />
with dual time zone.<br />
Past variations<br />
of the MOÖN<br />
collection featured<br />
aventurine dials with<br />
diamond indices;<br />
gemset versions in<br />
a smaller 37mm<br />
case are also<br />
available; the watch<br />
collection offered<br />
a more masculine<br />
take on the moon<br />
phase display with<br />
a sapphire display<br />
with multi-layer<br />
metal deposition<br />
and a laser<br />
engraved metal<br />
disc to represent<br />
the Moon; steel and<br />
white gold variants<br />
of the watch.<br />
LE RHONE<br />
HEDONIA GRAND MOÖN<br />
MOVEMENT Self-winding; hours and minutes; proprietary large moon<br />
phase display; bi-directional winding with customized propellor rotor;<br />
42-hour power reserve<br />
CASE 41mm in stainless steel or 18K pink or white gold; also available in<br />
37mm in stainless steel or 18K pink or white gold; snow setting or a single<br />
row of diamonds or without gems on bezel; water resistant to 100m; blue<br />
aventurine dial with luminous stars and mother-of-pearl moon<br />
STRAP 18K pink or white gold bracelet, or stainless steel bracelet;<br />
also available with alligator leather strap; strap-change mechanism for<br />
easy swapping<br />
72 THE MODERNIST
THE MODERNIST 73
Gucci introduces a brand-new<br />
genderless watch line: Grip.<br />
‘Grip’isareferencenotonlyto<br />
thewayinwhichthetimepiece<br />
fits snug to the wrist: the watch<br />
hugs the wrist, adhering in<br />
the way trainers stick to the<br />
grip tape on a skateboard.<br />
PHOTOGRAPHY MUNSTER<br />
ASSISTED BY TOHSIJIA<br />
DIGITAL ARTIST KH KOH<br />
STYLING JOE TAN<br />
ASSISTED BY NORMAN HAKIM
This page<br />
The brand new<br />
Gucci Grip<br />
Chronograph in<br />
stainless steel case<br />
with black dial and<br />
tachymeter display<br />
on black embossed<br />
GG rubber strap.<br />
Opposite<br />
Gucci Grip in yellow<br />
gold PVD case<br />
and bracelet with<br />
GG engraved.
This page<br />
Gucci Grip in stainless steel case with interchangeable green leather strap; another version proposes<br />
a yellow gold PVD case with an interchangeable black leather strap.<br />
Opposite<br />
Gucci Grip in yellow gold PVD case with an interchangeable bordeaux leather strap.
The Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Chronograph GMT Automatic, a Revolution Award 2019 winner (see page 82 for more details), is not only a<br />
feat of mechanical engineering, but also impressively designed and represents a new era of discreet luxury watchmaking.<br />
78 THE MODERNIST
WORDS BARBARA PALUMBO<br />
PHOTOGRAPHY ATOM MOORE<br />
A MODERN RENAISSANCE MOVEMENT:<br />
THE BVLGARI OCTO FINISSIMO<br />
CHRONOGRAPH GMT AUTOMATIC<br />
The ultra-thin, ultra-impressive timepiece gets a<br />
hands-on trial with Revolution USA.<br />
One cannot truly appreciate the telling of time without drawing<br />
time’s connection to the mystery or the metaphysical nature of<br />
numbers themselves. In numerology, the number 12 is defined<br />
as the number of completeness; thus, it being the end of a morning or<br />
an evening on a watch, while also being the final month of the year. The<br />
number 8, however — octo in Latin — signals balance. When turned<br />
east/west, the number 8 becomes the symbol for infinity: a figure<br />
having no beginning and no end, just as time itself has neither. But 8<br />
also represents the balance between the material and the immaterial<br />
worlds; practicality on one side, possessions and success on the other.<br />
When combining the numerology behind 8 (or octo) with the meaning<br />
of “finissimo” — defined in Italian as “superfine” — one might<br />
immediately understand how the Octo Finissimo collection of watches<br />
by Bvlgari is so much deeper than just design, even subconsciously, and<br />
why continuing to create new pieces to add to the collection is vital to<br />
the brand’s outlook and its status as a serious watch manufacturer.<br />
At the 2019 edition of the Baselworld Watch and Jewelry Show in<br />
Basel, Switzerland, Bvlgari yet again walked the walk, making it one of<br />
the most talked about (and ’grammed about) exhibiting brands at the<br />
fair. Only these days, Bvlgari’s walk is more like a slow, sexy swagger,<br />
accentuated largely by its perfectly styled outer appearance and made<br />
even more appealing by the confidence it has in its abilities. In a<br />
towering and awe-inspiring multi-level booth, Bvlgari showed up and<br />
put up and did so in the form of its fifth world-record release: the Octo<br />
Finissimo Chronograph GMT Automatic.<br />
Creating the thinnest ever mechanical chronograph in<br />
watchmaking history is no small feat. Shrouding it with a case design<br />
that appeals to a worldwide audience, however, is, especially in a world<br />
where web-educated dilettantes often have as much influence (largely<br />
in their own minds) as degree-decorated experts. But according to<br />
Bvlgari CEO Jean-Christophe Babin, creating the 3.30mm movement<br />
is all part of what the Italian brand is considering to be its modernday<br />
renaissance.<br />
“At 3.30mm, it is the thinnest mechanical chronograph on the<br />
market, symbolizing the rinascimento of one of the most challenging<br />
complications to craft,” said Babin. “Entirely developed in-house,<br />
and while thin enough to fit under your shirt, it represents Bvlgari’s<br />
capability of blending edgy Italian design with ultimate Swiss<br />
engineering.” Indeed, this seems to be Bvlgari’s mantra when it<br />
comes to developing luxury sport watches. Yet while likely intended<br />
to have been created for men, the Octo Finissimo Chronograph GMT<br />
Automatic has been just as impressive to women watch collectors,<br />
largely because of its ultra-thin case and lightweight feel.<br />
Aesthetically speaking, the Octo Finissimo Chronograph<br />
GMT Automatic appeals to the wearer in the same way some of<br />
its predecessors did: via a perfectly fitted monochromatic suit of<br />
sandblasted titanium in the form of its case, bracelet, and folding<br />
clasp, all of which mirror the background of its chronograph dial. Its<br />
lines are sleek, yet its overall appearance is still quite soft, even with<br />
the added touch of darkened hands, numbers, and indexes. If this<br />
watch were a man, it would be the perfect combination of power and<br />
poise, with a personality as light as the timepiece’s overall weight.<br />
Technically speaking, however, Bvlgari has thrown down the gauntlet,<br />
with the only challenger in plain sight being, well, Bvlgari itself.<br />
The overall thickness of the case comes in at an almost unrealistic<br />
measurement of 6.90mm, which, if this were your average<br />
chronograph sport watch, would be relatively unheard of. And as<br />
mentioned earlier in this article, that case houses Bvlgari’s in-house<br />
Caliber BVL 318; a shockingly thin (3.30mm) automatic chronograph<br />
movement which was designed using a platinum peripheral rotor. The<br />
decision to use the peripheral rotor played a key role in breaking the<br />
world record for thinnest automatic chronograph created to date, but<br />
THE MODERNIST 79
“At 3.30mm, it is the thinnest mechanical chronograph on<br />
the market, symbolizing the rinascimento of one of the most<br />
challenging complications to craft. Entirely developed in-house,<br />
and while thin enough to fit under your shirt, it represents<br />
Bvlgari’s capability of blending edgy Italian design with ultimate<br />
Swiss engineering.”<br />
it also added a bit of size to the watch’s overall<br />
case diameter, which measures a solid 42mm.<br />
What hasn’t been focused on thus far is<br />
that this mechanical marvel of a timepiece<br />
is also a GMT watch, which for many watch<br />
enthusiasts would be a selling point all on<br />
its own. But because the GMT function on<br />
this watch appears almost natural from a<br />
visual standpoint (the pusher at the 9 o’clock<br />
marker seems perfectly asymmetrical with the<br />
chronograph-associated pushers north and<br />
south of the crown on the opposite side of the<br />
case), it can easily be forgotten about, which<br />
isn’t exactly a negative.<br />
Aside from the fact that the Octo<br />
Finissimo Chronograph GMT Automatic<br />
brings with it all that its name suggests, it<br />
also boasts a 55-hour power reserve and 4Hz<br />
frequency, is water resistant up to 30 meters,<br />
has an anti-reflective sapphire crystal, and,<br />
in typical Bvlgari fashion, shows off its elegant<br />
finishing in the form of Geneva stripes and<br />
beveled bridging through its transparent case<br />
back. All in all, a complete package.<br />
In every way, shape, and form — from its<br />
design to its engineering — this latest member<br />
of Bvlgari’s Octo Finissimo collection is a<br />
masterpiece, and yet the collection is still<br />
young in its years, which makes one wonder:<br />
what does Bvlgari next have up its sleeve?<br />
What future records are begging to be broken<br />
by the brand?<br />
The horological world will just have to<br />
wait with bated breath, because, exciting as it<br />
may be to be able to see into the future, time<br />
speeds up for no one.<br />
BVLGARI<br />
OCTO FINISSIMO CHRONOGRAPH GMT AUTOMATIC<br />
MOVEMENT Self-winding BVL 318 movement; hours, minutes and small seconds; chronograph;<br />
second time zone; 4Hz; 3.30mm thin; 55-hour power reserve<br />
CASE 42mm sandblasted titanium ultra-thin case; 30-meter water resistance<br />
STRAP Sandblasted titanium integrated bracelet<br />
80 THE MODERNIST
THE MODERNIST 81
82 THE MODERNIST
2019<br />
<strong>REVOLUTION</strong> AWARDS<br />
Every October, when we begin to work on Revolution’s final edition<br />
for the year, we struggle to kick off the most important editorial piece<br />
of the issue — the Revolution Awards. For one, it’s tough to have<br />
to select a list from which we have to eliminate great timepieces through<br />
rounds of voting. Second, it’s tough to make unbiased judgements, and I’m<br />
sure our friends at the GPHG agree. But finally, it’s difficult to select which<br />
watches should belong in which category, when so often, many of them<br />
belong in multiple. So this year, in order to ease our pain and also add in a<br />
bit of thrilling audience participation, we opted to let the public decide a<br />
few of these categories and pick their own preferred choices. (Confession:<br />
we may have had side bets within the team to see if the public’s opinions<br />
matched our own.) Here are both the editors’ and public’s picks.<br />
WORDS <strong>REVOLUTION</strong> EDITORIAL BOARD<br />
DIGITAL EDITING KH KOH + SIJIA TOH<br />
PHOTOGRAPHY MUNSTER<br />
STYLING YONG WEI JIAN<br />
Revolutionary Watch of the Year<br />
VACHERON CONSTANTIN<br />
TRADITIONNELLE TWIN BEAT PERPETUAL CALENDAR<br />
One pivotal question we ask ourselves<br />
when choosing the Revolutionary<br />
Watch of the Year is not only whether<br />
the nominated watch is an incredible feat of<br />
watchmaking. It also needs to represent a real<br />
breakthrough in the world of horology. The<br />
Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Twin<br />
Beat Perpetual Calendar ticked all the boxes.<br />
Vacheron Constantin set out to solve<br />
a problem when they developed the watch.<br />
The perpetual calendar is possibly one of<br />
the most useful complications in mechanical<br />
watchmaking, but it has one major flaw. If<br />
the watch stops, it becomes a nightmare to<br />
reset its many indications. Finding the perfect<br />
oscillator was a problem. A bigger, highfrequency<br />
oscillator can have a longer power<br />
reserve but results in a bulkier timepiece. On<br />
the other hand, having a lower-frequency<br />
balance compromises on the performance of<br />
the timepiece.<br />
Vacheron Constantin’s solution<br />
sounds simple on paper. Why not have two<br />
oscillators? The wearer can switch between<br />
the Active mode, where the watch runs on<br />
a higher 5 Hz beat, and a Standby mode,<br />
where the watch runs on a lower 1.2 Hz beat,<br />
where the power reserve can be extended to<br />
a mind-blowing 65 days. That’s more than<br />
two months. Which means, you can wear the<br />
watch just six times a year, or once every two<br />
months, and have it still keeping perfectly<br />
accurate time and calendar functions.<br />
The mechanism was a stroke of genius and<br />
it really shows Vacheron Constantin taking<br />
into consideration how collectors intend to<br />
use the timepiece. Not only that, the timepiece<br />
is beautiful. There is an impeccable level of<br />
craftsmanship to the timepiece, front and<br />
back, as you would expect from a maison like<br />
Vacheron Constantin.<br />
We knew this was one of the most<br />
technically impressive watches we’ve seen in<br />
the beginning of the year, and we stand by our<br />
word. STEPHANIE IP<br />
THE MODERNIST 83
Best Collaboration<br />
URWERK X DE BETHUNE<br />
MOON SATELLITE FOR ONLY WATCH 2019<br />
The best collaboration of the<br />
year is also one that contains a<br />
charitable aspect to it, which<br />
provides another great reason to give this<br />
award to the De Bethune x URWERK<br />
Moon Satellite for Only Watch 2019.<br />
This unique piece, auctioned during<br />
the Only Watch sale in support of the fight<br />
against Duchenne muscular dystrophy,<br />
unites two amazing independent<br />
watchmaking maisons and is the story of<br />
four personalities, Denis Flageollet and<br />
Pierre Jacques at De Bethune, and Felix<br />
Baumgartner and Martin Frei at Urwerk,<br />
who joined their creative minds to produce a<br />
watch that retains the noted characteristics<br />
of both brands.<br />
Visually you get the best of both worlds<br />
in this collaboration. To display the time you<br />
find URWERK’s signature wandering hours<br />
gracefully moving within a titanium case<br />
designed as if a De Bethune DB28, with the<br />
trademark spring-loaded De Bethune lugs,<br />
was merged with the URWERK UR-101.<br />
The caliber DBUR2105 features several<br />
of De Bethune’s protected innovations such<br />
as the titanium balance wheel with white<br />
gold inserts, the triple pare-chute shockabsorbing<br />
system or the maison’s spherical<br />
moon phase. As it is customary with De<br />
Bethune, the case and movement are finished<br />
to an exceptional level with mirror-polish<br />
all over the 43mm titanium case as well as<br />
the barrel bridge. For a touch of color, look<br />
at the blued steel elements present on the<br />
movement which you can admire through the<br />
sapphire caseback.<br />
The boldness and futuristic time<br />
display of URWERK is perfectly associated<br />
with the 21st century haute horlogerie<br />
aesthetic provided by De Bethune. The two<br />
watchmaking houses mixed their respective<br />
expertise to perfection, which is why it<br />
receives this year’s best collaboration award.<br />
KEVIN CUREAU<br />
84 THE MODERNIST
Best Invention<br />
PATEK PHILIPPE<br />
REF 5520P-001 TRAVEL TIME ALARM<br />
Since its inception, the Patek Philippe Calatrava<br />
Pilot — launched in 2015 as the 5524 — has been the<br />
subject of divisive comments and heated discussions,<br />
both for and against this daring aviator-type watch.<br />
With its brilliant dual time functionality, it went beyond<br />
the simplicity of being just another pilot’s watch.<br />
Successful as it was, it was only a matter of time until we saw<br />
a new development. If there’s one Patek that ideally serves as<br />
proving grounds for new complications, I think it is the Calatrava<br />
Pilot with its 42 mm case. So, Patek Philippe presented this year<br />
the new Calatrava Pilot Travel Time Alarm 5520P which now<br />
features a mechanical alarm.<br />
The heart of this piece is the new 574-component AL 30-660<br />
S C FUS automatic caliber. It includes a double time zone, day and<br />
night indications and central seconds. Now, the new movement<br />
adds a 24-hour alarm, with a self-sufficient mechanism — it<br />
has its own barrel — whose hammer strikes a classic bell for a<br />
maximum time of 40 seconds. As the case of this Calatrava is<br />
water-resistant to 30 meters — and made out of dense platinum<br />
which isn’t the best transmitter of sound since dense materials<br />
absorb sound and affect its pitch and volume — to help the<br />
propagation of the sound waves, the bell is directly connected to<br />
the case, which serves a resonator. In all, it took over five years of<br />
development and four patents were needed for this new integrated<br />
caliber from Patek, which simply confirms that the ringing in our<br />
ears is not only the chiming of the 5520P, but the ever-present<br />
reminder of the awe and romanticism that exudes from every high<br />
complication Patek Philippe. ISRAEL ORTEGA<br />
THE MODERNIST 85
Public Polling<br />
Best Sports Watch<br />
THE TUDOR BLACK<br />
BAY CHRONO DARK<br />
To mark the Rugby World Cup 2019,<br />
Tudor teamed up with the New<br />
Zealand All Blacks to present the<br />
Tudor Black Bay Chrono Dark. And while<br />
the All Blacks never made it past the semifinals,<br />
clearly, at least with Revolution’s<br />
Instagram followers, the Black Bay Chrono<br />
Dark is a watch that won all the way.<br />
The Black Bay Chrono Dark takes on<br />
all of the recent improvements made to the<br />
Black Bay Chrono that we first saw on the<br />
Steel and Gold version earlier at Baselworld<br />
2019. The new Black Bay Chronos have a two<br />
piece bezel, a shallower rehaut, which brings<br />
the dial nearer to the glass and allows for a<br />
slimmer case.<br />
But what was most surprising about<br />
Tudor’s announcement of the Black Bay<br />
Chrono Dark is that it is meant to be<br />
produced as a limited-edition piece. The<br />
only time we have ever seen anything similar<br />
to this, was the with the Pelagos LHD that<br />
was individually numbered, but not limited.<br />
The Black Bay Chrono Dark is limited<br />
to the number of players that have ever been<br />
called up by New Zealand to play for their<br />
national rugby team, the All Blacks. Since its<br />
creation in 1903, up until today there have<br />
been 1185 All Blacks players and so that will<br />
be the number of Black Bay Chrono Darks<br />
made. But that’s not all.<br />
Every time a new player gets called up<br />
to play, Tudor will produce another Chrono<br />
Dark. Conservatively, that could be around<br />
six per year. That’s a true limited edition and<br />
a first for the house of Wilsdorf. For this bold<br />
reason, and the simple fact that the watch is a<br />
handsome devil, it’s no wonder Revolution’s<br />
Instagram followers crowned the Tudor<br />
Black Bay Chrono Dark 2019’s Best Sports<br />
Watch. ROSS POVEY<br />
86 THE MODERNIST
Public Polling<br />
Ultimate Value<br />
HAMILTON KHAKI PILOT PIONEER MECHANICAL<br />
Earlier in the year when Hamilton<br />
shared the Khaki Pilot Pioneer<br />
Mechanical with Revolution<br />
behind closed doors, we knew right<br />
then that we wanted to help launch<br />
the watch in some manner.<br />
The Khaki Pilot Pioneer Mechanical<br />
is a faithful modern recreation of the W10<br />
tonneau-shaped military watch, that<br />
Hamilton had stopped producing since<br />
1976, in almost identical specifications to the<br />
original timepiece, in particular related to the<br />
size of its 33 x 35 mm case. Of course, what<br />
ultimately seals the deal for the watch is that<br />
besides being a handsome looking timepiece<br />
and equipped with an in-house movement, at<br />
US$850 the watch is a complete no-brainer.<br />
“How refreshing is it that a totally authentic<br />
Swiss watch brand is able to deliver a watch<br />
that by any price category would be attractive,<br />
that is this accessible?” explains Revolution’s<br />
founder, Wei Koh. “It’s just kind of bonkers<br />
and kind of awesome at the same time. I recall<br />
when I first strapped on a Hamilton Khaki<br />
Field watch and casually asked for its price<br />
and did a massive double take. I genuinely<br />
thought someone left a zero out.”<br />
We were ecstatic when Hamilton agreed<br />
to take us on as their exclusive e-commerce<br />
partner for the Khaki Pilot Pioneer<br />
Mechanical’s launch, for a selected period.<br />
And it clearly was a hit on Shop.Revolution.<br />
Watch. Therein, it would be grossly selfserving<br />
if we ourselves were to crown the<br />
watch with the Revolution Awards’ 2019<br />
Ultimate Value title. Which is why, we’re<br />
incredibly thankful that it was our polled<br />
audience who voted the Hamilton Khaki Pilot<br />
Pioneer Mechanical as the winner of the<br />
2019 Ultimate Value award. SUMIT NAG
Public Polling<br />
Best Dress Watch<br />
GRAND SEIKO ELEGANCE<br />
REFERENCE SBGZ003<br />
Grand Seiko’s 20th anniversary<br />
celebration of the Spring Drive<br />
this year brought about several<br />
incredible pieces, most notably the highly<br />
limited SBGZ001”Snowflake” that<br />
wowed critics across the world and was<br />
immediately snapped up by collectors, even<br />
at its eye-raising price. But for those of us<br />
with a more restrictive credit card limit,<br />
the Elegance collection’s SBGZ003, with<br />
a restrained display of the “Snowflake”<br />
dial and the brand new 9R02 caliber<br />
developed by the Micro Artist Studio of the<br />
brand’s Shiojiri manufacture is available.<br />
The 9R02 features two mainsprings<br />
set in parallel within a single barrel and<br />
offers the “Torque Return System”, which<br />
dives into excess power produced by the<br />
mainsprings when they are fully wound and<br />
unused by the system, and recycles it to give<br />
the entire movement a longer power reserve<br />
to 84 hours. That’s a sizeable amount of<br />
energy. But beyond that, the impressive<br />
performance of Spring Drive itself, with a<br />
second’s worth of precision a day or less,<br />
makes it a thoroughly impressive timekeeper.<br />
The system’s design, which features an<br />
electronic brake that ensures the gear train<br />
runs according to schedule, makes it a truly<br />
unique creation in watchmaking.<br />
With an extended power reserve, the<br />
watch remains a slim dress piece, a simply<br />
and profoundly elegant three-hander housed<br />
in a Zaratsu polished case and gently curved<br />
lugs that are designed to appear flat while<br />
hugging your wrists perfectly. We’d debated<br />
between nominating this or the SBGK005<br />
Elegance in blue with the Iwate dial, but the<br />
simplicity of this watch won our vote, and the<br />
public’s as well, clearly. DARREN HO<br />
88 THE MODERNIST
Sports Chic<br />
CHOPARD ALPINE EAGLE<br />
Given the predilection of the<br />
entire world towards sports<br />
luxe or sports elegance models,<br />
we figured that it was appropriate to<br />
have a segment and award dedicated<br />
to the category. And with the litany of<br />
options out there, we debated internally<br />
if we ought to make this a people’s<br />
choice, or select it internally. Little<br />
did we know that whichever option<br />
we went with, it would end up inciting<br />
as much discussion. After all, how<br />
would you judge who’s deserving of<br />
the prize? Is it a brand that’s remained<br />
authentic? Or perhaps a watchmaker<br />
that has dared to make something<br />
new? Or some label that thought out<br />
of the box and came up with a product so<br />
unexpected that it deserves recognition?<br />
But once we’d defined the parameters<br />
of what constituted the segment and what<br />
qualities we were looking for in the said<br />
segment, the answer steadily clarified.<br />
Chopard’s Alpine Eagle stands as a product<br />
that’s unique even among sports chic<br />
timepieces and the haute monde era, but not<br />
simply because it is a truly comfortable watch<br />
on the wrist — ask my colleagues, I’ve been<br />
trialling it over and over — but also because<br />
it has a story that’s truly original and curious,<br />
rather like the child who discovers the<br />
treasured antiques of his parents and grandparents<br />
and realizes just how precious they<br />
are, and makes it their own by refreshing it<br />
appropriately for the modern 21st century<br />
watch audience.<br />
But what really makes this watch<br />
stand out is that it conveys a belief of the<br />
Scheufele family — a grand respect for the<br />
natural world — with action, rather than<br />
just preaching about conservation. Instead<br />
of talking it over and over, proclaiming<br />
their environmental creds, they live it, and<br />
act on it by taking the next incremental<br />
step towards changing luxury products for<br />
the better, without so much as a second<br />
thought as to profitability or publicity.<br />
As someone who has always appreciated<br />
brands which are authentic and stand<br />
for an ideal, the Alpine Eagle is a product<br />
that’s bigger than itself. DARREN HO<br />
THE MODERNIST 89
Technical Star<br />
BVLGARI OCTO<br />
FINISSIMO<br />
CHRONOGRAPH<br />
GMT AUTOMATIC<br />
There’s plenty that’s been covered<br />
about this watch both within the<br />
pages of Revolution as well as across<br />
the entire industry. When it comes to<br />
refreshing the watch collection of the brand,<br />
CEO of Bvlgari Jean-Christophe Babin has<br />
done a magnificent job. The brand began<br />
the process of verticalizing its entire watch<br />
production over a decade ago, and once<br />
its supply chain had been solidified, Babin<br />
quickly moved on to watch development<br />
with the Octo Finissimo series of ultra-thin<br />
watches. Developing ultra-thin watches<br />
are particularly challenging because of<br />
the mechanical and physical requirements<br />
of a high performance movement. Yet<br />
it’s also vastly underrated because these<br />
watches are often highly minimalist in<br />
design and therefore reveal little about<br />
the difficulties of developing them.<br />
The Octo Finissimo tackled this with a<br />
powerful new design language, both within<br />
and without the watch. Housed in the most<br />
complicated watch case in the industry today,<br />
the brand added contemporary materials and<br />
modern treatments along with skeletonized<br />
displays of time. But with the Octo Finissimo<br />
Chronograph GMT Automatic, the watch’s<br />
near invisibility is its crowning achievement,<br />
featuring an automatic and horizontally<br />
coupled column-wheel chronograph as well<br />
as a “hidden” second time zone display,<br />
two modern watchmaking complication<br />
pillars today. The chronograph itself poses a<br />
remarkable challenge in ultra-thin watches,<br />
as the amount of force exerted on the<br />
movement during resets can be devastating<br />
to a watch. Add to that the extreme<br />
measurements of each wheel and pinion in<br />
the entire movement, and you understand<br />
why this earns the Technical Star award this<br />
year. DARREN HO<br />
90 THE MODERNIST
Ultimate Glamour<br />
MB&F LEGACY MACHINE FLYINGT<br />
When the genteel Mr. Büsser<br />
first told us that the FlyingT,<br />
the brand’s first femaleoriented<br />
Legacy Machine timepiece, had<br />
been developed without any input from<br />
the fairer sex, we were admittedly a little<br />
skeptical of the outcome, or at least, how<br />
that sounded. But when you think about<br />
the fashion industry, some of the world’s<br />
best known haute couturiers are renowned<br />
gents of their time, both then and now, so<br />
perhaps when it comes to creativity and<br />
design, gender matters less than the value<br />
of their input. Which in the case of the<br />
FlyingT, is present in ample volumes.<br />
The movement itself is a wonderful<br />
marvel of a watch, serving to demonstrate<br />
that female watch collectors are no less<br />
inclined towards architectural movement<br />
constructions than men, and even during<br />
the Baselworld fair, we heard several men<br />
wondering if Max would be releasing a men’s<br />
edition, to which he’s insisted not anytime<br />
soon, at least. An automatic rotor that’s<br />
represented by a traditional sun depiction<br />
is visible on the back, with the central<br />
tourbillon riding at the centre of the dial,<br />
while a dial sits at an angle facing the wearer<br />
(specifically for the right-handed, not quite<br />
as well placed if you’re a southpaw.)<br />
Nevertheless, this is a watch that doesn’t<br />
just call out for attention. It’s a watch that<br />
expects to be noticed, and you’d be hardpressed<br />
not to, respectfully. And it’s no<br />
wonder the Revolution team agree that this<br />
is one gemset watch any man and woman<br />
would be envious of and proud to dorn.<br />
DARREN HO<br />
THE MODERNIST 91
Public Polling<br />
Best Design<br />
BLANCPAIN AIR COMMAND<br />
Our first encounter with the 2019<br />
Air Command was at the Blancpain<br />
Le Brassus manufacture, in the<br />
hands of the man at the helm, Mr Marc<br />
Hayek. In that moment in time, it did not<br />
matter that this is a recreation of a past<br />
rarity, it did not matter that Blancpain<br />
had made a vintage styled watch in a time<br />
when faux-tina has become a taboo word.<br />
What did matter, is that Blancpain had<br />
just showed us one of the best looking<br />
watches to have been introduced in 2019.<br />
The origin of the Air Command lies in the<br />
success of the Fifty Fathoms as a dive watch<br />
with the American Navy. Following which, in<br />
the late 1950s, Blancpain sought to provide a<br />
timepiece suitable for the Air Force.<br />
The watch that was therefore created<br />
took all of its DNA from the Fifty Fathoms<br />
and had the added advantage of a flyback<br />
chronograph. This experimental watch was<br />
provided to the Air Force pilots through<br />
Blancpain’s distributor in the US, Allen V.<br />
Tornek but it was never quite adopted for<br />
use. Further down a year or so, a version of<br />
the watch with a slightly different dial was<br />
offered to the Columbian army and here,<br />
only around a dozen were produced.<br />
The 2019 reissue is 42.5mm in steel<br />
with a steel bi-directional bezel fitted with<br />
a ceramic insert. Numerals and markers on<br />
the bezel are filled with Super-LumiNova, as<br />
are the Arabic numeral hour markers as well<br />
as the hour, minute and the tip of the chrono<br />
seconds hand.<br />
While the watch was never picked up<br />
by the Air Force back then, Blancpain’s Air<br />
Command re-edition was clearly a hit with<br />
Revolution’s polled audience as well as watch<br />
collectors who bought it out instantly, who<br />
have voted to crown the watch this year’s Best<br />
Design. SUMIT NAG
Revolutionary of the Year<br />
WILHELM SCHMID<br />
If it were merely for the launch of the polarizing, yet wonderfully<br />
daring Lange Odysseus (the word, a sobriquet bestowed<br />
upon the watch by none other than Johann Rupert) — a<br />
watch whose penchant for striking into unknown territory,<br />
rivals only the eponymous Greek mythological hero —you<br />
could make a strong case for Wilhelm Schmid, the CEO of<br />
A. Lange & Söhne as 2019’s Revolutionary of the Year.<br />
The fact that he did it on top of an already impressive yearlong<br />
25th anniversary celebration of the Lange 1, with a seemingly<br />
ceaseless series of spectacular events including the Concours<br />
d’Elegance at Hampton Court, where he launched the Little Lange 1<br />
Moon Phase, makes him a clear winner.<br />
OK, before we go into the anniversary celebrations and their<br />
associated timepieces, let’s talk a little about the Odysseus. Full<br />
disclosure, Schmid was kind enough to show me this watch in January,<br />
during what it turns out was the very last Salon <strong>International</strong>e de<br />
la Haute Horlogerie. And while it took me a while to wrap my head<br />
around its asymmetrical case and integrated bracelet, I immediately<br />
recognized the significance of what it represented.<br />
Which is not that it is Lange’s first serially produced watch in<br />
steel. There has been, of late, a collecting frenzy surrounding steel<br />
Lange 1s, but to be fair these watches are quirky anomalies ranging<br />
around 20 pieces or so, that vintage dealers and experts have decided<br />
to hype up based on their rarity.<br />
The one existing steel Lange Double Split was actually a prototype<br />
that was not supposed to leave the manufacture, and I’ve seen a steel<br />
Lange 1 tourbillon, which the brand will not comment on. Leaving me to<br />
believe it was never meant to leave the factory grounds either.<br />
Anyway, all of this happened before Schmid assumed the helm of<br />
Lange. And the point is, these were all dress watches that happened<br />
to find themselves with steel cases. The Odysseus is conversely an<br />
integrated bracelet sports chic watch but unlike others in its category,<br />
which are either designed by Gérald Genta or derived from the school<br />
of Gérald Genta — the one exception being the sublime Bvlgari Octo<br />
— this is a completely Saxon take on the genre. In the same way a Lange<br />
1 is a Saxon take on a three-hand dress watch (ok, make that four,<br />
including power reserve indicator) or that the Datograph is a Saxon<br />
take on a dress chronograph.<br />
In that context, the Odysseus is really very cool. OK, now let’s<br />
add to this that Lange also launched not one but 10 timepieces,<br />
including a Lange 1 Perpetual Calendar Tourbillon, to celebrate the<br />
Lange 1’s 25th birthday, held events the world over, and reasserted<br />
to the hearts and minds of collectors everywhere that they are a<br />
wonderfully original and proudly German brand with the highest level<br />
of finish around.<br />
Beyond the simple release of a dozen notable references this year,<br />
Schmid made sure he was present at every one of these launch events,<br />
enchanting existing clients and forging valuable relationships with a<br />
new generation, while broadening his reach to the world of vintage<br />
automobile enthusiasts, and all this while retaining his unflappable<br />
charm, humor and warmth makes him our undoubted, Revolutionary<br />
of the Year. WEI KOH<br />
THE MODERNIST 93
94 THE MODERNIST
Brand of the Year<br />
OMEGA<br />
What if today Aston Martin<br />
launched a special series of<br />
DB4 Zagatos, their lightweight<br />
aluminum panels hand beaten to the exact<br />
design specifications of Ercole Spada<br />
incorporating the stunning double air<br />
tunnels in the car’s distinctive bonnet. But<br />
then instead of the old 1960-63 straight<br />
six, in managed to shoehorn in the 4.0 liter<br />
AMG sourced twin turbo V8 in the DB11?<br />
Well that’s pretty much what Omega did this<br />
year when it unveiled its 50th anniversary<br />
tribute to the iconic BA 145.022-69, the<br />
brand’s first gold Speedmaster issued to<br />
commemorate the moon landing in 1969,<br />
in that they created a watch that at first<br />
glance is a faithful homage to the original<br />
yet is belied by an armada of technical<br />
advancements the best of the best of<br />
Swatch Group’s innovations. Aluminum<br />
anodized bezel ditched for scratch proof<br />
burgundy ceramic unit? Check. Caliber<br />
861 retrofitted with silicon escapement<br />
and balance spring making the movement<br />
impervious to magnetism? Also check.<br />
Creation of case, dial and bracelet in a<br />
proprietary gold alloy known as Moonshine<br />
Gold. Yes! Good to go. And if it had been<br />
just this one act of horological magic it<br />
would have been enough to secure Omega’s<br />
place as brand of the year. But wait.<br />
Because in 2019 Omega also announced<br />
that it would restart production on the<br />
mythical Caliber 321, the single most famous<br />
chronograph movement in horological<br />
history and the caliber beating inside every<br />
single timepiece issued to the Mercury and<br />
Gemini astronauts by NASA. But in its ever<br />
wonderfully obsessive compulsive way,<br />
Omega didn’t just use an existing Lemania<br />
ebauche. Instead it used X-Ray tomography<br />
on the movement in Gene Cernan’s watch<br />
from their museum, as well as old technical<br />
diagrams to essentially reverse engineer<br />
the movement from scratch. Further the<br />
321 will be built in a workshop dedicated<br />
specifically to it. Then to take this movement<br />
and place it inside a ravishing platinum case<br />
complemented by an onyx dial with no less<br />
than meteorite subdials. I say godamn! The<br />
result was nothing less than resplendent.<br />
But wait again that’s not all because<br />
the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon<br />
landing was also celebrated by the steel<br />
model Speedmaster, replete with Moonshine<br />
Gold details and with an image of Buzz<br />
Aldrin descending the lunar module in<br />
the continued seconds subdial. All 6,969<br />
watches were sold out in a heartbeat with<br />
units commanding massive premiums on<br />
the secondary market. And that’s before<br />
we even get into the regular production<br />
2019 Omega models, including the brilliant<br />
titanium-and-ceramic Seamaster Diver 300<br />
and the yellow gold and malachite Seamaster<br />
300, which are hands down two of the best<br />
watches of the year. So why is it that Omega<br />
is able to produce timepieces that hit dead<br />
center in our emotional matrix, in a period<br />
where brands are making and marketing<br />
increasingly cookie-cutter products? Why<br />
are their watches just so damnably good?<br />
This has everything to do with the leadership<br />
at Omega, which has nothing to do with your<br />
run-of-the-mill INSEAD grads who seem<br />
to be taking over Swiss watchmaking, but are<br />
real die hard Omega enthusiasts that are as<br />
passionate as its most loyal fans. Specially<br />
CEO Raynald Aeschlimann, Jean-Pascal<br />
Perret and Gregory Kissling. Together they<br />
are human beings who love watches and<br />
make watches for other human beings who<br />
also love watches. The fact that they are also<br />
three of the nicest, most approachable and<br />
brilliant individuals in the watch industry<br />
also helps create a winning trinity at what has<br />
to be the most innovative and on the pulse<br />
brand today. Full stop. WEI KOH<br />
THE MODERNIST 95
Lifetime Achievement Award<br />
RICHARD MILLE<br />
In 1947, some 45,000 feet above the<br />
Mojave Desert, the world’s first sonic<br />
boom split the sky apart, signaling<br />
Chuck Yeager breaking the sound barrier<br />
by achieving the speed of Mach 1.05. The<br />
world would never be the same again.<br />
Similarly, some 18 years ago, in the<br />
first year of the new millennium, the<br />
same year Stanley Kubrick foresaw man’s<br />
first interaction with alien intelligence, a<br />
different barrier was being smashed. That<br />
was the birth of an all new vision for high<br />
watchmaking, which would prove to be the<br />
greatest and most seminal genre-changing<br />
act of the new era, the creation of the very<br />
first Richard Mille watch. And the world<br />
would never be the same.<br />
Its father, a characteristic visionary at<br />
the age of 50, would become a legend in<br />
the watch world, for creating an all-new<br />
philosophy for luxury watchmaking the world<br />
had never before witnessed.<br />
His approach would be to push the very<br />
performance boundaries of complicated<br />
watchmaking, to reach never before heard<br />
of levels of weight reduction, ergonomics<br />
and shock resistance. He would rapidly<br />
eschew traditional luxury materials like gold<br />
and platinum for aluminum lithium, AluSic<br />
— an alloy formed of silicon and aluminum<br />
spun in a centrifuge — carbon fiber, carbon<br />
reinforced polymer and sapphire crystal.<br />
He would suspend the delicate watch<br />
movement from arms shaped like F1 shock<br />
absorbers and isolate it from the case<br />
with systems that included skeletonized<br />
carbon arms and even a series of minute<br />
cable, inspired by suspension bridges.<br />
He would redefine every single dimension<br />
of watchmaking, from its aesthetics, to<br />
its technical performance, to its pricing<br />
structure to its symbolic representation in<br />
contemporary culture.<br />
He would be the first to create an<br />
all-new design for watches, a signature<br />
aerodynamic tonneau that laid bare all the<br />
inner mechanics within. He would place his<br />
watches on the world’s most elite athletes<br />
such as Rafael Nadal or F1 driver Felipe<br />
Massa, who would wear them in the heat of<br />
competition and in Massa’s case even survive<br />
a catastrophic crash with said watch still on<br />
his wrist.<br />
He would — because of the immense<br />
technical ambition of his watches — be<br />
the first to attain an average price point in<br />
the half million dollar mark. And he would<br />
be the first to create a cultural relevance<br />
to his watches that made them more than<br />
just timepieces but truly the modern day<br />
equivalent to the billionaire’s masonic<br />
handshake. A community symbol beyond all<br />
community symbols. Sitting in the majestic<br />
57th Street and Park Avenue New York<br />
flagship — possibly the most stunning watch<br />
shop I’ve ever visited — I am reminded of<br />
how two decades ago, with no booth Mille<br />
would go to Baselworld and demonstrate the<br />
shock resistance of his tourbillon by casually<br />
tossing it to the ground. He and his partners<br />
Dominique Guenat, John Simonian, Peter<br />
Harrison and Dave Tan have since built<br />
a flourishing empire. Perhaps the most<br />
remarkable aspect about Richard Mille<br />
beyond his game-changing genius in every<br />
dimension of watchmaking, beyond being<br />
the true one and only horological sonic boom<br />
and father of modern watchmaking, is that he<br />
has never lost his kindness, warmth, loyalty<br />
and genuineness as a human being. He is not<br />
just a great leader and a great visionary. He is<br />
a great man. WEI KOH<br />
96 THE MODERNIST
GIVING<br />
BACK<br />
Hamilton celebrates behind-the-scenes talent.<br />
WORDS KEITH W. STRANDBERG<br />
PHOTOGRAPHY MUNSTER<br />
FASHION STYLIST MARIE LEE<br />
HAMILTON KHAKI FIELD MECHANICAL<br />
IN STAINLESS STEEL CASE AND GREEN<br />
For Hamilton, the movie brand, it’s not just about<br />
being on an actor’s wrist on the silver screen. The<br />
most important talents can often be found behind<br />
the camera and support of these individuals is vital for the<br />
industry’s future.<br />
THE RIGHT CONNECTIONS<br />
You know the old saying: “It’s not what you know, it’s<br />
who you know?” Well, in Hollywood, to get your foot in<br />
the door, it is who you know, but then you also need to<br />
perform once you land an opportunity.<br />
“We have to get out there and be exposed to the creative<br />
people in cinema,” acknowledges Sylvain Dolla, CEO of<br />
Hamilton. “We have to get out of our core business and be<br />
open to new ideas. Professionals in Hollywood and beyond<br />
are extremely emotional and passionate, and that’s what we<br />
love. They refresh us and our ideas.<br />
“It’s the getting in front of the people who make<br />
the decisions — the directors, the producers and the<br />
propmasters — that makes the difference,” he continues.<br />
In order to make these connections and honor the<br />
people behind the scenes, Hamilton is involved in the<br />
industry in many ways.<br />
PHOTOGRAPHY ASSISTANT: LONG FEI AND TOH SI JIA<br />
FASHION ASSISTANTS: JOE TAN AND ETHEL LEONG<br />
HAND MODELS: DEREK CHUN AND ARTHUR<br />
KENDALL / BOTH MANNEQUIN
HAMILTON DOES<br />
HOLLYWOOD<br />
Hamilton works hard to cultivate<br />
relationships with the people critical<br />
to getting its watches on the silver<br />
screen. That’s why Hamilton’s<br />
Behind the Camera Awards (BTCA),<br />
held every other year in Hollywood,<br />
makes perfect sense.<br />
In order to keep the Hamilton<br />
name in front of the people who<br />
choose watches for movies, Hamilton<br />
is the founder of these awards, which<br />
puts the spotlight on the people who<br />
normally are kept in the shadows<br />
— people like costume designers,<br />
propmasters, editors, visual<br />
effects people and more.<br />
“When our partnership with the<br />
BTCA started, it was really to pay<br />
tribute to the people working behind<br />
the scenes,” Dolla details. “It really<br />
gathers the talents working with us.<br />
The event has grown in scale and it has<br />
become quite a popular happening on<br />
the calendar. For us, it is giving back to<br />
these peoples. They challenge us and<br />
push us to the limit. At the moment,<br />
we are working on a movie where we<br />
have to develop a specific technology<br />
that doesn’t exist, we are going to have<br />
to invest in new things that I can only<br />
talk about in one year. They push us to<br />
work fast and bring new things. They<br />
don’t give a thought to our constraints;<br />
they just ask for what they want and<br />
we try to give it to them.”<br />
Hamilton’s involvement is very<br />
appreciated by these talented people<br />
who often don’t get anything more<br />
than a mention during the credit<br />
rolls of the most popular movies.<br />
Most of the awardees are familiar<br />
with Hamilton and love watches in<br />
general. Dana E. Glauberman, who<br />
won a Hamilton BTCA Editor of the<br />
Year award for 2009’s Up in the Air,<br />
says: “I love watches. I like the look of<br />
them. I love changing them up from<br />
day to day. I’d rather buy a watch than<br />
a purse. I have about 10 watches.<br />
“Nobody knows what we do —<br />
as film editors, it’s the unknown for<br />
most people,” she continues. “The<br />
Hamilton Behind the Camera Awards<br />
are wonderful. Because of their<br />
support and their great watches,<br />
Hamilton is definitely going to be my<br />
next watch purchase.”<br />
Garrett Warren, who won a BTCA<br />
award as a stunt choreographer<br />
for his work on Avatar and A<br />
Christmas Carol, was thankful for the<br />
recognition. “To have someone step<br />
up and pat you on the back is great,”<br />
he says. “We are usually the best kept<br />
secret in the place. It makes me feel<br />
great to be recognized.”<br />
Warren is a watch lover, who<br />
uses watches in his work. “I have used<br />
Hamilton dive watches for underwater<br />
work and I appreciated knowing that<br />
they could withstand being immersed<br />
and used heavily in the water,” he<br />
explains. “I am a watch guy and<br />
Hamilton has a distinctive style<br />
that no one else has.”
This spread, clockwise<br />
from top left<br />
At the Hamilton Behind the<br />
Camera Awards: Hamilton’s<br />
Sylvain Dolla & actor Daniel<br />
Henney on the Hamilton<br />
Behind the Camera Awards Red<br />
Carpet; Actors Rosamund Pike<br />
& Jamie Dornan presenting<br />
at the 2018 Hamilton BTCA;<br />
Actor Felicity Jones presenting<br />
at the 2018 Hamilton BTCA.<br />
Ann Roth, costume designer award winner for<br />
Julie & Julia, is obsessive about getting the right watch<br />
for each character on her show. “I can hold up a movie<br />
set for hours choosing the right watch,” she says. “I<br />
choose the watch based on the character. I am very<br />
particular about the watches that characters wear,<br />
they say so much about them.”<br />
John Myhre, who won a Hamilton BTCA award as the<br />
production designer on Nine, is interested in how a watch<br />
helps with the story telling process. “A watch is a major<br />
definer of a person’s character,” he explains. “I will meet<br />
with the property master and we’ll look at all the watches.<br />
I like the design of watches and my favorite watch is the<br />
Hamilton Ventura — its design is fantastic.<br />
“The choice of watches for movies is very important<br />
and the right watch makes perfect sense, like the Hamilton<br />
in Amelia,” he continues. “She wore one in real life, so<br />
it’s genius.”<br />
Drew Petrotta, who won a Hamilton BTCA<br />
award as Property Master for Transformers: Revenge of<br />
the Fallen, chooses watches for all the main characters<br />
in the films on which he works. “The watches we choose<br />
really depend on the characters,” he details. “We find a<br />
selection of watches — from the producers, the actor, the<br />
director, the costume designer and more. We have a good<br />
bit of autonomy in the selection. The choice of the watch<br />
is more to be in the actor’s mind. If he has to be classy,<br />
a watch with class is important. It helps the actor get<br />
into character.<br />
“I love watches,” he adds. “A good watch is like a<br />
good car. I love the mechanics. I love how watches work,<br />
the engineering is amazing to me.”<br />
The Hamilton Behind the Camera Awards is a very<br />
intimate event, covered in movie trade magazines but not<br />
televised. Yet the stars come out as presenters and hosts to<br />
give out the coveted awards — actors like Harrison Ford,<br />
Rosamund Pike, Ewan McGregor, Ryan Gosling, Angela<br />
Bassett, Jake Gyllenhaal, Felicity Jones, John Krasinski,<br />
Jon Hamm and more have presented at the ceremony. The<br />
red carpet before the awards show is a rocking affair, with<br />
people taking the awards very seriously.<br />
“The industry professionals see the Behind the Camera<br />
Awards as a way that Hamilton is supporting the industry,”<br />
Dolla says. “We have extremely positive comments and<br />
every year it is growing. They appreciate the support we give<br />
and it shows that there is a space for these awards.”<br />
In 2018, to celebrate the 10 th Behind the Camera<br />
Awards, Hamilton gifted all presenters and honorees with<br />
the Jazzmaster Regulator Cinema. This watch is a nod to<br />
Hamilton’s long and prestigious history of working with<br />
the movie industry, using a regulator time display that<br />
recalls the turning reels of vintage movie cameras. This<br />
watch is also available to the public and the connection to<br />
the movie industry, including the image of a filmstrip on<br />
the exhibition caseback, is meaningful and very cool.
WORKING WITH FILM SCHOOLS<br />
To raise its brand awareness in films and media even<br />
more, Hamilton partners with film schools around the<br />
world, spreading the Hamilton message to students before<br />
they even get into the industry. In exchange for production<br />
funding, Hamilton tasks these students to produce short<br />
films that Hamilton uses in promotions and the winners<br />
receive a trip to Hollywood to see how the industry<br />
really works.<br />
It’s a win-win for film schools, for film students<br />
and for Hamilton.<br />
“These students are the next generation,” explains<br />
Dolla. “We brought the students from the Savannah<br />
College of Art & Design to the last year’s Behind the<br />
Camera Awards and they were so appreciative and it<br />
was so refreshing to work with them. If we just stay with<br />
watchmakers in Hamilton, at the end everyone thinks<br />
the same way. When we work with young students who<br />
are the future directors and producers of tomorrow, we<br />
are confronted with fresh new ideas. It’s really exciting<br />
to work with them.”<br />
Hamilton has partnered with the Osaka<br />
Communication Arts School in Japan, Webster<br />
University in Geneva, Switzerland, the Savannah<br />
College of Art and Design in Savannah, Georgia,<br />
and other premiere communications schools<br />
around the world.
“Professionals in<br />
Hollywood and beyond<br />
are extremely emotional<br />
and passionate, and that’s<br />
what we love. They refresh<br />
us and our ideas.”<br />
-SylvainDolla<br />
At many of these schools, the Hamilton<br />
project was integrated into the curriculum.<br />
Classes develop short movies together with<br />
their professors, working in small groups or<br />
as a class.<br />
One of the winning students was Kazum<br />
Mori from Japan, who went to one of the<br />
Behind the Camera Awards as Hamilton’s<br />
guest. “The theme for my movie was the<br />
American Dream,” he explains. “We used<br />
3-D computer generation, like Pixar. It was<br />
exciting and a special experience — I was just<br />
a student and I got to come to Hollywood and<br />
meet with directors and producers.”<br />
Amnah Abudawood, who graduated<br />
from the Media Communications program<br />
at Webster University in Geneva and<br />
currently works in production in Saudi<br />
Arabia, won a trip to Hollywood and a watch<br />
from Hamilton. “The trip to Hollywood<br />
with Hamilton was the highlight of<br />
my university career,” she says. “I attended<br />
the Hamilton Behind the Camera Awards,<br />
toured studios and prop houses, met<br />
with producers, directors, writers and actors.<br />
This trip showed me it was possible for me to<br />
work in the industry and now I am.”<br />
Through its efforts with the Hamilton<br />
Behind the Camera Awards and its work with<br />
film schools, Hamilton is interacting with<br />
current and future media leaders.<br />
Hamilton is perfectly poised to remain<br />
the Movie Brand for decades to come.
KEY HAMILTON MOVIE<br />
APPEARANCES<br />
1. Shanghai Express (1932)<br />
2. The Frogmen (1951)<br />
3. Blue Hawaii (1961)<br />
4. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)<br />
5. Men in Black (1997)<br />
6. Pearl Harbor (2001)<br />
7. Men in Black II (2002)<br />
8. Men in Black III (2012)<br />
9. The Avengers (2012)<br />
10. A Good Day to Die Hard (2013)<br />
11. Interstellar (2014)<br />
12. The Martian (2015)<br />
13. Jack Ryan (2018)
THE VOYAGES OF<br />
CAPTAIN COOK:<br />
THE RISE AND RETURN<br />
OF RADO’S ICONIC<br />
HERITAGE DIVER<br />
Rado’s Captain Cook hasn’t just been revived in its original<br />
form, but now updated for a contemporary audience.<br />
WORDS SEAN LORENTZEN<br />
PHOTOGRAPHY TOHSIJIA<br />
DIGITAL ARTIST KH KOH, TOH SI JIA AND NATHANIEL WONG<br />
STYLING YONG WEI JIAN<br />
In the annals of horological history, Rado has remained one of Swiss<br />
watchmaking’s best-kept secrets. First founded under a different name<br />
in 1917, the earliest timepieces bearing the Rado nameplate appeared<br />
in the mid-1950s with the first full product line appearing in 1957. While<br />
Rado’s history may not be as widely known as that of many other iconic<br />
marques, there’s no shortage of unique and emblematic watches in the<br />
brand’s heritage. As one might expect from the brand’s current focus on<br />
advanced case designs and materials, most of these Rado heritage pieces<br />
stand out as unique design pieces, including the DiaStar and the Ceramica.<br />
However, one small and stunning diver from the 1960s has become a<br />
hallmark of Rado’s commitment to its own history — the Captain Cook.
THE ORIGINAL CAPTAIN COOK<br />
The first Rado Captain Cook was released in 1962,<br />
only a few short years after the brand launched its<br />
first collection, and during the height of the early<br />
’60s dive watch boom. For this first dive watch<br />
effort, Rado decided to take the name of one of the<br />
most famous mariners of all time. Captain James<br />
Cook of the British Royal Navy expanded our<br />
understanding of the globe more than anyone else<br />
after the discovery of the New World. In a career<br />
spanning two and a half decades, Cook provided<br />
the first detailed maps of Newfoundland, made first<br />
contact with the Hawaiian Islands, and discovered<br />
both Australia and New Zealand. The original<br />
Rado Captain Cook was imbued with the<br />
spirit of adventure, discovery and<br />
ruggedness that defined the legendary<br />
Slightly undersized by the standards of the<br />
at 35.5 millimeters in diameter, the 1962<br />
Cook featured a blend of traditional diver<br />
and distinctly Rado touches. The overall case<br />
was classic diver, with long straight lugs and<br />
case sides, but these more traditional<br />
were topped by a stunning inward-sloping<br />
bezel that sets the Captain Cook apart from<br />
norm. This almost sculptural element allowed<br />
case to catch light from almost any angle,<br />
the diminutive watch a piece that demanded<br />
attention on the wrist. As for its diving<br />
Rado claimed an unusual 220-meter depth<br />
without the use of a screw-down crown,<br />
to a patented Brevet caseback with<br />
closures. The dial of the original Captain Cook<br />
was equally distinctive, with oversized wedgeshaped<br />
lume plots at 12, six and nine o’clock<br />
paired with a singular handset that featured a<br />
massive arrow hand (most original Captain<br />
variants had an arrow-shaped hour hand, but<br />
some rare versions featured an arrow minute<br />
hand paired with a sword hour hand instead).<br />
This page<br />
The original Rado<br />
Captain Cook, seen<br />
a soft leather strap.<br />
Opposite<br />
The Rado Tradition<br />
Captain Cook Auto<br />
in blue with a soft<br />
strap.<br />
Previous spread<br />
The Rado Tradition<br />
Captain Cook Automatic<br />
series in green on a<br />
leather strap or rice bead<br />
stainless steel bracelet.<br />
original Rado Captain Cook<br />
during a short production<br />
1962 to 1968. Responding<br />
tastes in the diver market,<br />
revamped the Captain<br />
for 1969 to a barrel-cased<br />
internal bezel design which<br />
on through much of the ’70s.<br />
the first-generation Captain<br />
far from the most common<br />
its era, its rarity and unique<br />
made it a favorite among dive<br />
enthusiasts, and over the years,<br />
of the Captain Cook became<br />
for the brand.
THE CAPTAIN RETURNS<br />
The Captain Cook nameplate lay dormant<br />
in Rado’s collection for decades, with no<br />
revival in sight. When a return of the Captain<br />
Cook was announced at Baselworld 2017,<br />
it became one of the great surprises of that<br />
year’s show and captured extensive attention<br />
from media and enthusiasts alike. Initially<br />
released as part of the HyperChrome line<br />
before additionally branching into the<br />
Rado Tradition line, the new Captain Cook<br />
was first released with two separate men’s<br />
market models: a 45-millimeter series<br />
and a remarkably faithful limited-edition<br />
heritage version. The heart of the current<br />
line, however, is the comprehensive lineup<br />
of 42-millimeter variants unveiled in 2019.<br />
These new Captain Cook models hew closer<br />
to the look of the 1962 original than their<br />
45-millimeter siblings, while offering<br />
a truly modern size and adding Rado’s<br />
signature bold use of color to the mix.<br />
Upsized from the 35.5-millimeter<br />
original to a far more contemporary 42<br />
millimeters, the modern Captain Cook’s<br />
stainless-steel case still shines through with<br />
vintage charm while wearing boldly on the<br />
wrist with a 40.6-millimeter overall length.<br />
Despite the size increase, the proportions<br />
still feel classic thanks in large part to a<br />
relatively lithe 12.1-millimeter overall<br />
thickness. The dramatic sloped bezel of the<br />
original also returns for the new models, now<br />
made even more visually dynamic thanks to<br />
a modern glossy high-tech ceramic insert (a<br />
Rado hallmark since the ’80s). This insert<br />
adds a touch of vintage-inspired patina,<br />
thanks to the laser-engraved mid-gray<br />
numerals and indices overlaid on a dial<br />
color-matched background. A sapphire<br />
box crystal delivers even more vintage vibes<br />
to the overall package with modern scratch<br />
resistance. The clean, athletic case lines have<br />
also returned from the original, accentuated<br />
by mirror polishing and razor-sharp case<br />
angles. Around back, the casebacks of these<br />
pieces proudly display three of Rado’s classic<br />
seahorse emblems in deep relief. These new<br />
cases are ISO-compliant at 20 bars of water<br />
resistance, ensuring reliability in almost any<br />
aquatic scenario.<br />
The dial of the new Captain Cook is an<br />
expertly crafted blend of modern materials<br />
with classic forms and elements. The chunky<br />
lume plots of the original return here,<br />
rendered in a clean white tone. The main<br />
surface of the dial features a slight curve,<br />
adding additional visual depth and providing<br />
an intriguing contrast to the dramatic inwardsloping<br />
curve of the bezel. The broadarrow<br />
and sword handset of the original<br />
Captain Cook has been refined and lightly<br />
slimmed down for this revival, maintaining<br />
legibility and bold graphical impact in a more<br />
streamlined rhodium-colored package. These<br />
hands are paired with a sporty lumed seconds<br />
hand and filled with a generous serving of the<br />
same brilliant white lume. At 12 o’clock, the<br />
signature Rado rotating anchor emblem has<br />
been presented in classic ’60s style with a<br />
ruby-red sunburst background for a pop of<br />
contrasting color. The date window at three<br />
o’clock also adds extra throwback color, using<br />
the same red date wheel as the original model.<br />
These classical forms are contrasted with<br />
color that goes in a far more contemporary<br />
direction with gradient dial finishes in a<br />
choice of five Rado signature hues. These<br />
include black, a complex gray, rich brown, sea<br />
blue and a verdant forest green. These more<br />
modern, vibrant dial hues have been set off by<br />
a brushed stainless-steel rehaut with etched<br />
minute indices, which bestows a touch of<br />
modernity and nicely differentiates this model<br />
from the ’60s piece it builds upon.<br />
Inside the new Captain Cook line<br />
beats the ETA C07.611 25-jewel automatic<br />
movement, one of the new generations of ETA<br />
automatics developed after the movement<br />
manufacturer’s recent exclusivity deal with<br />
the Swatch Group. Designed on the base of<br />
the tried-and-true ETA 2824-2 movement,<br />
the C07.611 is currently used only in the<br />
Captain Cook line. The movement is wellappointed,<br />
featuring a sizable 80-hour power<br />
reserve and a steady beat rate of 21,600bph.
The Captain Cook 42mm is delivered with one of two unique and stylish strap<br />
pairings. The first of these is a stunning seven-row “beads of rice” bracelet with<br />
signed clasp, serving up polished and vintage-inspired charm in equal measure.<br />
The alternative is a handsome tan leather strap with horizontal white accent<br />
stitching. The distressed feel of the material ties into the overall vintage-inspired<br />
style of the case and the strap’s light brown tones play as a relaxed counterpoint to<br />
the rich saturated blacks or jewel tones of the dial and bezel, allowing the Captain<br />
Cook 42mm to dress up or down with equal ease.<br />
VARIATIONS ON THE THEME<br />
While the 42-millimeter editions of the Captain Cook have quickly become the<br />
flagships of the reissued line, Rado has offered the Captain Cook in a wide variety<br />
of sizes (including 42-millimeter, 45-millimeter and 37-millimeter cases), dial<br />
colors and styles since 2017.<br />
One of the true highlights of the lineup is undoubtedly the limited heritage<br />
edition Captain Cook. This heritage version, limited to only 1,962 units, has<br />
quickly become one of the most sought-after models in the line. Only 1.5<br />
millimeters larger than the original at 37 millimeters in diameter, the limitededition<br />
Captain Cook’s stainless-steel case gives an old-school compact feel,<br />
with a scant 40.6-millimeter overall length. This is still an eminently small watch,<br />
but one that feels tight and purposeful rather than delicate. The overall form<br />
remains near identical to its 42-millimeter siblings, with the same excellent<br />
finishing, diminutive crown and trademark bezel. These elements are all translated<br />
expertly from the 1960s original, maintaining the visual balance and vintage<br />
proportions remarkably well. While this pinpoint-accurate re-creation may lack<br />
the 220-meter water resistance rating of its ’60s forebear, the heritage edition sits<br />
squarely in the middle of the modern skin-diver segment with a solid 100 meters<br />
of resistance that should serve admirably for the overwhelming majority of owners.<br />
The dial of the 37-millimeter limited edition is nuanced, complex and truly<br />
sets the watch apart. While described by Rado as a “brown sunburst,” in practice<br />
the dial finish has melded together charcoal, olive and brown tones into a warm<br />
sunburst blend that recalls aged tropical-dial divers while being truly stunning<br />
in its own right. The overall form stays close to the 42-millimeter Captain Cook’s<br />
interpretation of the classic. The thin sword minute hand and oversized arrow<br />
hours return, along with the wedge-shaped lume plots and red-on-white date<br />
wheel but the patinated vintage look is topped off with faux-aged “khaki” lume<br />
fills all around.<br />
The 37-millimeter limited edition comes equipped with a wide selection<br />
of straps. Perhaps the most attractive selection is a tan leather example shared<br />
with the 42-millimeter Captain Cook. While the aged, worn style played as a<br />
counterpoint to the jewel-tone blue on that model, here it ties in to the overall<br />
faded, tropical style of the case and the strap’s light brown tones bring out the tans<br />
and browns of the dial and lume. In addition, a finely finished polished stainlesssteel<br />
Milanese mesh bracelet is included, featuring a remarkably tight mesh and<br />
Rado-signed clasp. Lastly, a khaki green nylon NATO strap is provided for a more<br />
casual look. All these elements are included in a distressed brown leather travel<br />
pouch with a Rado-branded strap-changing tool.<br />
This 37-millimeter case has also been used for a non-limited edition,<br />
replacing the sunburst brown dial and khaki lume with gloss black and light green<br />
lume fills for a less vintage-inspired feel.<br />
From a lineage that began with less than 10,000 original pieces produced in<br />
the mid-’60s, Rado has created an impressive variety of divers that capture the<br />
past and present in equal measure. With a $2,000 price point, the Captain Cook<br />
is undoubtedly placed in a highly competitive heritage diver market segment with<br />
strong contenders from other brands. However, with a potent combination of<br />
design, materials, features and style options, the Rado Captain Cook is a morethan-worthy<br />
competitor in the red-hot heritage dive watch world.<br />
The Rado Tradition<br />
Captain Cook<br />
Automatic series<br />
in green or blue<br />
dial and bezel on a<br />
rice bead stainless<br />
steel bracelet.
BACK TO THE FUTURE<br />
Ontheeveofthe25thanniversaryofOmega’spartnershipwiththeBondfranchise,ourfounderWeiKohspends<br />
some time with CEO of Omega Raynald Aeschlimann on the set of No Time to Die todiscoverthenextBondtimepiece<br />
for the brand and why he can’t get it out of his head. More on page 122.
116 BACKTOTHEFUTURE
STEELY DAN:<br />
THE A. LANGE<br />
&SÖHNE<br />
ODYSSEUS<br />
The first steel watch in production<br />
from A. Lange & Söhne was unveiled<br />
on the 25th anniversary of the<br />
brand’s first collection.<br />
WORDS SUMIT NAG<br />
PHOTOGRAPHY TOHSIJIA, A. LANGE & SÖHNE<br />
DIGITAL EDITING KH KOH + TOH SI JIA<br />
on from the launch of the<br />
four references that marked a<br />
25years<br />
new life for A. Lange & Söhne,<br />
guided by the hands of industry legends<br />
Günter Blümlein and Walter Lange, the Saxon<br />
watchmaker is now primed to introduce a<br />
fresh collection into its family of watches.<br />
The collections that are already established<br />
include the 1815, the Lange 1, Richard Lange,<br />
Saxonia and Zeitwerk. The sixth and all new<br />
collection being introduced today is the A.<br />
Lange & Söhne Odysseus, ref. 363.179.<br />
Lange’s watchmaking identity to the<br />
collector circle is one of an extremely elevated<br />
level of high fine watchmaking. With the<br />
Odysseus, however, Lange is looking to fulfil<br />
the desires of their customers who have been<br />
hoping to see a sportier take on the Lange<br />
approach to watchmaking.<br />
IN STEEL<br />
The Odysseus features a freshly designed<br />
case by the team at Lange. At 40.5mm, this<br />
is the first regular production timepiece that<br />
Lange will be made in steel. The only other<br />
steel watch that Lange credits itself to is the<br />
one-off 1815 ‘Homage to Walter Lange’<br />
in steel that was auctioned off at the at the<br />
Phillips Geneva Watch Auction: Seven for<br />
charity. There is, of course, the steel Lange 1,<br />
but that’s a unicorn of sorts and a completely<br />
different story.<br />
BACK TO THE FUTURE 117
118 BACK TO THE FUTURE
The watch mostly retains a circular silhouette, save for the added<br />
buttons on the crown side. The buttons are themselves faceted, leading<br />
on to the faceted lugs that hold the five-link integrated bracelet. More<br />
on the buttons further down. The links have brushed surfaces while<br />
their bevels are polished. In contrast on the case, the horizontal<br />
surfaces are mostly all polished where as a great deal of the vertical<br />
surfaces are brushed.<br />
THE DIAL<br />
Moving into the dial of the Odysseus, we start off with the printed<br />
minute scale on the beveled, argenté-colored flange ring that frames<br />
the face of the watch. The surface of the watch is, thereafter, stepped<br />
with the outer perimeter with a vinyl ribbed surface and the center of<br />
the dial with a grained surface treatment. The small running seconds<br />
sub dial replicates these surface treatments with its center stepped<br />
upward, a wonderful symmetry in design.<br />
The hour markers are notched baton appliques in white gold and<br />
have lume applied within the notch. Lume is as well applied to the<br />
hour and minute hands.<br />
From there we can finally speak about the day and date windows,<br />
placed at 9 and 3 o’clock, respectively. Both windows take on Lange’s<br />
signature “big date” implementation with a single wide window for the<br />
day and the classical segmented two window design of Lange’s “big<br />
date”. Going back to the buttons on the side of the watch, these allow<br />
for quick set of the day and date functions. The screw-down crown<br />
then serves for time adjustment and winding.<br />
THE MOVEMENT<br />
The power house movement that enables all of the Odysseus’<br />
functionalities, is Lange’s newly developed L155.1 DATOMATIC<br />
manufacture caliber. The movement design bases itself on Lange’s<br />
well-established approach, beautifully executed and finished in<br />
German silver.<br />
Lange states that much work has gone into securing the movement<br />
against shock, as they are intending for the Odysseus to be a reliable<br />
timepiece for the perils of daily wear.There are, however, two<br />
deviations with the new movement. The first of which is Lange’s newly<br />
A. LANGE & SÖHNE<br />
ODYSSEUS<br />
MOVEMENT Self-winding Lange manufacture caliber L155.1<br />
DATOMATIC; hour, minutes and small running seconds;<br />
day and date in dedicated windows; 50-hour power reserve<br />
CASE 40.5mm in stainless steel; water resistant to 120m<br />
STRAP In stainless steel with safety deployant buckle<br />
BACK TO THE FUTURE 119
“The Odysseus is conversely an<br />
integrated bracelet sports chic<br />
watch but unlike others in its<br />
category, which are either designed<br />
by Gérald Genta or derived from<br />
the school of Gérald Genta... this<br />
is a completely Saxon take on the<br />
genre.” — Wei Koh<br />
designed balance that regulated with four countersunk poising screws,<br />
set flush to the rim of the balance. The reduced profile of the balance<br />
is said to give it a more dynamic form, reducing the effects of air<br />
resistance in affecting the watch’s chronometry.<br />
The second deviation is the bridge placed over the balance instead<br />
of Lange’s traditional balance cock. The bridge, as opposed to the<br />
balance cock implementation, adds further stability to the balance and<br />
keeps the movement in line with the requirement of increased shock<br />
resistance. But, keeping true to tradition, Lange will have the new<br />
balance bridge engraved by hand.<br />
WHY A STEEL LANGE<br />
It does take a minute to understand why Lange would create the<br />
Odysseus, and why now. The concept of the asymmetrical case and<br />
integrated bracelet is not one you see every day. But once you’ve<br />
allowed the watch some time to dwell in your mind, the significance of<br />
what Lange has done here, cannot be denied.<br />
As Revolution’s founding editor, Wei Koh explains, “The Odysseus<br />
is conversely an integrated bracelet sports chic watch but unlike<br />
others in its category, which are either designed by Gérald Genta or<br />
derived from the school of Gérald Genta — the one exception being the<br />
sublime Bvlgari Octo — this is a completely Saxon take on the genre.<br />
In the same way a Lange 1 is a Saxon take on a three-hand dress watch<br />
(ok, make that four, including power reserve indicator) or that the<br />
Datograph is a Saxon take on a dress chronograph watch.”<br />
It must be lauded that rather than taking a watch currently in<br />
production and sticking said watch in a steel case, Lange took a risk.<br />
With all of its own know-how and DNA taken into consideration,<br />
Lange set out to create a whole new watch to add to its existing families.<br />
And they did this to enter into a hugely popular watch category that’s<br />
ruled by a mighty few.<br />
Granted, that like the Lange 1, the Odysseus will also only appeal<br />
to a certain individual. But it’s great to see that a watchmaker the likes<br />
of Lange, is expanding its reach in this manner by exploring a different<br />
expression of its watchmaking. At the end of day, what the exercise has<br />
done is that it has presented the watch community another option to<br />
consider in the sports chic timepiece universe, made by Lange, no less.<br />
Truthfully speaking, what’s so bad about another solid option?<br />
120 BACKTOTHEFUTURE
BACK TO THE FUTURE 121
OMEGA<br />
AND<br />
JAMES<br />
BOND<br />
The partnership with Omega and the Bond franchise<br />
turns 25 next year, and the brand is ready to up the<br />
game with a new watch that has Wei Koh reeling.<br />
122 BACKTOTHEFUTURE
Current Bond<br />
actor Daniel Craig<br />
has radically<br />
transformed our<br />
modern perception<br />
of the special agent.<br />
Starring across<br />
Bond is Naomie<br />
Harris, who plays<br />
Moneypenny and<br />
also appears as a<br />
friend of Omega.<br />
Opposite<br />
Some of the<br />
most notable 007<br />
special edition<br />
Omega Seamasters<br />
that have been<br />
developed over<br />
24 years.<br />
I’m staring out at the extraordinary surreal landscape<br />
of the ancient town of Matera Italy, its unique sinuous<br />
winding paths carved out of the side of a canyon. Matera<br />
was originally the dwelling of the Sassi troglodytes — the<br />
first-ever human settlement in what is now Italy, that dug<br />
caves into the calcareous rock in the Paleolithic era around<br />
10,000BC. In 251 BC the town, then called Matheola, was<br />
founded by the Roman empire. But my eyes are only fleetingly<br />
drawn to the dramatic storied surroundings before they move<br />
unfailingly back to my wrist. Because sitting on it is one of the<br />
coolest wristwatches I have ever worn. And it is the official<br />
Omega Seamaster 300 James Bond special edition that<br />
Daniel Craig is wearing in his last ever sortie as the legendary<br />
Commander James Bond in the film No Time to Die.<br />
There has been much speculation over who will replace<br />
Craig as the iconic 007, with names ranging from Idris Elba<br />
to Tom Hardy to Tom Hiddleston to Richard Madden to<br />
even Naomie Harris. But just as much furied speculation has<br />
focused on the watch that Bond will be wearing in Craig’s<br />
final film. Well without divulging any details, let me just say<br />
that it is fantastic. So fantastic that it would probably have<br />
won the 2019 watch of the year had it been released this year.<br />
I can also tell you that this is a watch that Daniel Craig has a<br />
huge amount of input into, from its material to its colorway<br />
to its strap and I can say with absolute certainty Craig has<br />
got frickin’ spectacular taste in watches. We know that he is<br />
a big vintage collector and also has something of a penchant<br />
for Speedmasters. He turned up at a press conference before<br />
shooting in Matera wearing his CK2915 60th anniversary<br />
re-edition which suddenly had forums and blogs blowing up<br />
with speculation that he wears a Speedy in the new film. He<br />
does not. But the watch he wears and had a hand in designing<br />
is insanely cool. How cool? I’ll put it this way: Robert-Jan<br />
Broer, the founder of Speedy Tuesday; Ben Clymer, the<br />
founder of Hodinkee; and myself, who were all invited to visit<br />
the set of No Time to Die in Matera — now you get what I’m<br />
doing out here NOT gazing at the landscape — have all got on<br />
our knees and requested for one. And if you trust me I would<br />
suggest you march immediately down to the Omega boutique<br />
and offer to pre-pay for one. Sight unseen.<br />
Why is this watch so damnably good? Why have I not<br />
been able to get it out of my mind for the last two months.<br />
Repeatedly and I’ll admit lasciviously revisiting the images I<br />
took of it, as if it were some long lost unrequited love from a<br />
Gabriel Garciá Márquez novel? Well it’s because Omega’s<br />
partnership with the James Bond franchise — from the men<br />
who’ve portrayed Bond to the executive producers Barbara<br />
Broccoli and Michael Gregg Wilson as well as legendary<br />
costumer designer Lindy Hemming — is born out of true<br />
genuine passion, respect and mutual affection. Says Omega<br />
BACK TO THE FUTURE 123
CEO Raynald Aeschlimann, “After<br />
more than two decades of working<br />
together we are like family. I started<br />
in Omega in 1996, one year after our<br />
first partnership with Barbara and<br />
Michael on GoldenEye, and almost a<br />
quarter century later we are working<br />
on the latest film and it has in every<br />
moment been nothing but the greatest<br />
pleasure.” And having been blessed<br />
by the admittedly surreal invitation to<br />
watch the filming of the Bond movie and meet its producers,<br />
my take away is the following: Broccoli and Williams are<br />
two of the most approachable and generous people I’ve ever<br />
met. Now take into consideration that they own and guide<br />
one of the most lucrative franchises in movie history and<br />
their personalities are something of a miracle. Add to this<br />
that the man at the helm of Omega, the massive juggernaut<br />
of the watch brand is just as approachable, friendly and<br />
kind, and you immediately get why the partnership has<br />
endured and the watches just keep getting better. When I<br />
ask Aeschlimann how it all started he explains, “With an<br />
absolutely wonderful woman named Lindy Hemming.”<br />
I had the pleasure of meeting Hemming in 2017<br />
during the launch of the Omega Seamaster 300M<br />
Commander James Bond Limited Edition, which featured<br />
a spectacularly enjoyable boat ride on the Thames with the<br />
entire team at Eon Productions. As soon as I shook her<br />
hand she cast a discerning eye over my Caccioppoli-fabric<br />
sport coat and said, “I like your jacket, is it by any chance<br />
from Cifonelli? The shoulder certainly looks like it.” And<br />
This page, clockwise<br />
from top left<br />
Lindy Hemming<br />
(above), the lady<br />
who dresses Bond;<br />
the new poster for<br />
No Time to Die;<br />
the Seamaster<br />
Diver 300M<br />
“Commander’s<br />
Watch”; Pierce<br />
Brosnan in navy<br />
formal blues as<br />
Commander Bond.<br />
my jaw absolutely dropped in awe at her extraordinary attentiveness to detail.<br />
She would later explain about picking Omega: “I was looking for a watch for<br />
Pierce Brosnan. I think that for a military man a watch is such a vital piece of<br />
equipment. My father was in the RAF but he had many friends that were from the<br />
Royal Navy. Many of them wore and spoke very highly of their Omega watches<br />
which they treasured as important parts of their life in the military. As Bond was<br />
a Naval Commander I thought that he should wear an Omega.”<br />
124 BACKTOTHEFUTURE
Bond on his bike in<br />
Tomorrow Never<br />
Dies; the Seamaster<br />
Planet Ocean 600M<br />
for Quantum of<br />
Solace;Brosnan<br />
withanAstonMarin<br />
DB5 on a publicity<br />
run for GoldenEye;<br />
the Seamaster Diver<br />
300M, a regular<br />
Bond partner, for<br />
Die Another Day.<br />
THE FIRST OMEGA<br />
Pierce Brosnan’s first James Bond film and the franchise’s<br />
17th outing, Goldeneye from 1995 is memorable for several<br />
reasons. First you have Sean Bean — 20 years before he is<br />
immortalized as Ned Stark — playing Bond’s foe, former<br />
license to kill 006 now turned bad guy. Second the world<br />
is introduced to the mesmerizing incandescent six-foottall<br />
hotness of the former Dutch fashion model turned<br />
actress known as Famke Janssen, who plays one the most<br />
amusingly named Bond villains of all time, Xenia Onnatop.<br />
And third (though it should really be first) we have the first<br />
appearance of the Omega Seamaster 300M (in this case a<br />
Quartz Professional model) as Bond’s timepiece. And the<br />
watch immediately becomes an icon. It is straight-forward<br />
and proudly rugged, a brushed steel model on bracelet with<br />
a blue dial decorated by the brand’s distinctive wave pattern<br />
and features the model’s helium release valve at 10 o’clock.<br />
What is of note here is that the Omega Seamaster’s helium<br />
release valve differs from that of other watches in that it<br />
does not sit flush with the case. Instead it is constructed as<br />
a second crown in the watch and is unscrewed to release<br />
helium that might potentially penetrate the case during deep<br />
saturation diving. For Bond this valve doubled as a handy<br />
remote detonator for bomb in the form of a ball point pen<br />
that is armed by clicking it three times in succession. Said<br />
Hemming, “I imagined Bond wearing a watch with a blue<br />
dial. I was convinced that Commander Bond, a naval man, a<br />
diver and a discreet gentleman of the world would wear the<br />
Seamaster with the blue dial.”<br />
The Seamaster 300 Professional Chronometer created<br />
the core foundation of what a James Bond Omega should<br />
BACK TO THE FUTURE 125
An evolution of Omega’s timepieces over<br />
the last 24 years also offers insight into the<br />
transformation of the character. Below<br />
are watches from Casino Royale (rubber<br />
strap); the Seamaster Diver 300M in early<br />
films; a Planet Ocean edition in Skyfall.<br />
be. Like its predecessor it featured a 41 mm brushed steel<br />
case, blue dial with distinct wave pattern. It should be<br />
mentioned that the hands of the watch are to me some of<br />
the most unique and compelling elements. They are big<br />
bold sword shaped hands, but made contemporary by being<br />
skeletonized. The use of luminous material is generous on<br />
these hands as it is in application on the dial. The seconds<br />
hand is very unique in that it is a lollipop hand — devotees<br />
of the Speedmaster CK2998 can tell you how special this<br />
is — with a red tip. Now without giving too much away, what<br />
I love about the, let’s call it Daniel Craig, Bond watch to be<br />
launched in 2020 is that while it is a wildly radical departure<br />
from this original Bond Seamaster, it still bears these<br />
same elements. The difference between the Professional<br />
Chronometer versus the Professional Quartz is of course<br />
its mechanical movement. The watch is worn with aplomb<br />
by Brosnan as Bond in Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) where<br />
the Seamaster once again feature a detonator in the helium<br />
release valve, The World is Not Enough (1999) where the watch<br />
features a grappling hook and light and Die Another Day<br />
(2002) where the Omega has both a detonator and laser.<br />
But at the early part of the new millennium the Bond<br />
franchise, while impossibly glamorous and wildly escapist,<br />
faced a struggle for relevance in the post-Bourne Identity<br />
era of hardcore action, grittier performances and morally<br />
ambivalent story lines. For Bond to remain the number one<br />
box office draw he had to be reinvented.<br />
Amusingly Quentin Tarantino likes<br />
to erroneously take credit for what<br />
emerged. He explains, “I wrote a<br />
treatment. My idea was to make him<br />
young, cool and a real badass.” Says<br />
Michael Gregg Wilson, “The thing is<br />
that there are always directors who have<br />
a take on how James Bond should be.<br />
But they often think of one movie. One<br />
treatment. We feel the responsibility<br />
for the franchise and how to treat the<br />
character we and audiences love so<br />
much with respect.” He and Broccoli<br />
first began with the selection of their<br />
new Bond — Daniel Craig — a much<br />
respected but still obscure British actor<br />
whose most successful cinematic outing<br />
until then had been Layer Cake. But the<br />
way he interpreted Bond, together with<br />
Broccoli, Wilson and director Martin<br />
Campbell (he also directed GoldenEye)<br />
who was at the time the oldest director<br />
to ever helm a Bond film, was practically<br />
incendiary. Bond was reimagined<br />
as young, brooding and morally<br />
126 BACKTOTHEFUTURE
ambiguous at times, surprisingly and touching romantic and a total<br />
badass. It struck cinematic gold. Says Raynald Aeschlimann, “Because of<br />
our relationship with Eon Productions we immediately understood how<br />
incredibly important this movie was. So we decided to use two different<br />
watches in the film. The first is the Seamaster Planet Ocean 600M 45.5<br />
mm watch you see in Uganda.<br />
This is a super robust oversized<br />
“My father was in the RAF but he had many friends<br />
that were from the Royal Navy. Many of them wore<br />
and spoke very highly of their Omega watches...<br />
As Bond was a Naval Commander I thought that<br />
he should wear an Omega.” — Lindy Hemming<br />
watch on a rubber strap (the<br />
first in a Bond film) and when<br />
you see Bond wearing this in<br />
the opening sequence you get<br />
the sense of a very purposeful,<br />
modern Bond. The second<br />
watch is the Seamaster Diver<br />
300M which is more of a classic<br />
Bond watch.” This is worn later<br />
at the casino with Bond’s Brioni<br />
tuxedo and can be considered<br />
a bridge to past models. However while this may look like a classic Bond<br />
watch, it was equipped with the Co-Axial escapement making it far more<br />
performance-oriented than its predecessors. What is also important is<br />
that in Casino Royale the watch is a watch rather than a gadget, which fit in<br />
with the paired-backed, yet hardcore realism of the new vision for Bond.<br />
Quantum of Solace is an interesting film in that it is the first Bond<br />
film since GoldenEye that doesn’t feature Bond’s traditional Seamaster<br />
300M. Instead Daniel Craig wears a very handsome Omega Seamaster<br />
Planet Ocean 600M 42mm. It is also interesting to note the smaller<br />
case size of the watch selected, as if Omega foresaw the return of more<br />
classic proportions. In Skyfall things get interesting in that Bond once<br />
again wears two watches. The first is the Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean<br />
600M Ceramic 42mm while the second is a somewhat surprising<br />
Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra 150M, sized at a genteel 38.5mm. At<br />
this point in horological culture we have a general return to much more<br />
classic sizing and it is nice to see this reflected in the Bond films, and<br />
from what I understand, Craig’s personal taste in watches.<br />
THE LATEST BOND WATCHES<br />
Spectre has the honour of unveiling what I used to consider the coolest<br />
James Bond watch of all time: the Omega Seamaster 300 Master<br />
Chronometer Spectre Edition. I say that I used to consider it the<br />
coolest and I did, until I saw the watch that is going to launch next year.<br />
My favourite element of the next watch is how it ties in so beautifully<br />
with British military history. OK, I’m going to stop. I can already hear<br />
the Swatch Group ninjas on my rooftop rappelling down to silence me<br />
forever. Why was the Spectre edition the best watch yet? Look at it!<br />
It’s got a super cool vintage inspired 12-hour bezel, a lollipop seconds<br />
hand, broad arrow hands, vintage lume, large luminous indexes and<br />
the iconic Bond NATO strap. The reason why this watch is so cool also<br />
BACK TO THE FUTURE 127
has to do with the appointment of Raynald Aeschlimann as the new<br />
CEO of Omega, though this would only be officially confirmed and<br />
announced the following year. What you experience with this watch<br />
is what has become his signature flair for design. Also of note is that<br />
for the first time in the history of the Daniel Craig reboot, the watch<br />
is a gadget. In this case it is a bomb that helps Bond escape Christoph<br />
Waltz’s automated lobotomy machine.<br />
Post-Spectre, we had the appearance of two interesting Bond<br />
watches outside of the launch of a Bond film. Clearly this is a<br />
demonstration of Aeschliman’s marketing savvy in his activation of<br />
this amazing partnership, even in years where there is no film. The<br />
first is the 2017 Omega Seamaster 300M Commander Bond Watch,<br />
a limited edition that numbers 7,007 watches in steel and seven<br />
watches in gold with a very unique two-tone bezel in blue ceramic<br />
with red details for the first 15 minutes and a liquid metal scale. The<br />
watch also features a white ceramic dial and a red, gray and blue<br />
NATO strap. Then in 2019 we have a watch celebrating the 50th<br />
anniversary of the film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. This is a steel<br />
Seamaster 300M on a rubber strap that features a ceramic dial, with<br />
a special decoration that emulates the signature gun barrel rifling<br />
pattern seen in the beginning of each Bond film. Says Jean-Pasal<br />
Perret, Omega’s head of communications, “After the decoration<br />
is applied to the ceramic dial we have to retreat it with PVD to get<br />
the right surface. This is one of the most time-consuming and<br />
complicated watch dials we’ve ever produced. Notice also that we’ve<br />
used the Bond family coat of arms in the ‘12’ index. In 2019 there<br />
will also be a set of these Seamaster 300M commemorating On Her<br />
Majesty’s Secret Service which comprises of both a steel and a yellow<br />
128 BACKTOTHEFUTURE
This spread<br />
The Omega<br />
Seamaster 300 for<br />
Spectre, marking<br />
an era when two<br />
editions were used<br />
in each of Craig’s<br />
Bond movies;<br />
the Seamaster<br />
Aqua Terra for<br />
Spectre;theOmega<br />
Seamaster Diver<br />
300M “007 On<br />
Her Majesty’s<br />
Secret Service”<br />
50th Anniversary<br />
features a special<br />
PVD treatment on<br />
the ceramic dial.<br />
The brand new<br />
Seamaster Diver<br />
300M features the<br />
Broad Arrow and<br />
is housed in grade<br />
2 titanium with a<br />
grade2titanium<br />
mesh Milanesestyle<br />
flat bracelet,<br />
a first for the series<br />
and designed with<br />
input from Daniel<br />
Craig himself.<br />
gold watch which are placed inside an amazing watch box and<br />
display case, which is in turn housed within a Globe-Trotter<br />
suitcase, the firm which makes Bond’s new luggage.”<br />
Which brings us back to 2020’s No Time to Die and what<br />
is the coolest James Bond watch ever made and the coolest<br />
movie collaboration timepiece to ever exist. As I mentioned,<br />
first of all, Daniel Craig had a real hand in designing the<br />
watch. The first thing that he and the team at Omega decided<br />
on was to select titanium as the case material — in this<br />
instance, the same grade 2 titanium that was used in the super<br />
collectable Omega Speedmaster Apollo 11 45 th anniversary<br />
watch. Says Perret, “Grade 2 titanium has a very stealthy and<br />
dark hue to it which we found very appropriate for the watch<br />
of the world’s most iconic spy.”<br />
But what is truly extraordinary is that for the first time,<br />
Omega has also created a mesh titanium bracelet, specifically<br />
a Milanese-style flat mesh bracelet that is both incredibly<br />
supple while looking bombastically badass in combination<br />
with the Seamaster 300’s famous iconography. The dial is<br />
matte, with massive chunks of luminous material which are<br />
accompanied by the famous skeletonized sword hands and<br />
red-tipped lollipop seconds hand we first saw in Bond’s<br />
Seamaster as far back as GoldenEye.<br />
Both the luminous material on the dial and hands as<br />
well as the diving scale in the watch’s ceramic bezel are a<br />
vintage ecru color that is reminiscent of tritium or radium<br />
that has aged over the years. Says Aeschlimann, “I love the<br />
combination of one of the world’s most modern materials<br />
(titanium) with this vintage-inspired detail. This was<br />
something that came from Daniel Craig and we thought<br />
the dynamic tension between modernity and vintage in the<br />
context of Omega was something very exciting.<br />
“In many ways the watch is the perfect symbol for<br />
Bond, who is a huge part of all of our childhoods and our<br />
past, but thanks to the way the Barbara and Michael have<br />
re-envisioned him for the modern world and the way he<br />
is so wonderfully portrayed by Daniel, he is also thrillingly<br />
contemporary.”<br />
But the best part of the dial is found very subtly just<br />
above the ‘6’ o’clock index. And that is the existence of none<br />
other than the Broad Arrow marking that designates the<br />
watch as commissioned by the British Ministry of Defense.<br />
That makes this timepiece the only modern, non-military<br />
issued Omega to feature this incredible link with the brand’s<br />
faithful service to the British armed forces and harks back to<br />
Lindy Hemming’s memories of her father.<br />
The James Bond special edition Seamaster 300M in<br />
titanium with broad arrow on titanium mesh bracelet (you<br />
can also buy the watch on a stunning NATO but I would<br />
recommend the mesh bracelet model then buying the NATO<br />
as an add-on) is more than just the coolest watch to drop in<br />
2019. It’s a living expression of the incredible relationship<br />
between Omega and Bond that has endured, evolved and<br />
only gotten better, a partnership that turns 25 years in 2020.<br />
It is for this reason in addition to so much more that Omega<br />
is Revolution’s 2019 Brand of the Year for the second time<br />
in a row.<br />
BACK TO THE FUTURE 129
TAKING<br />
STOCK<br />
OF LIFE<br />
Shawn Stockman of Boyz II Men fame<br />
on collecting watches, championing<br />
autism and the band’s staying power.<br />
WORDS ADAM CRANIOTES<br />
In the annals of contemporary R&B history,<br />
there’s a group that looms large in the psyche<br />
of an entire generation, so much so that many<br />
of those in the generation that followed may<br />
owe their very existence to certain songs of<br />
theirs with titles like “I’ll Make Love To You”,<br />
“On Bended Knee” and so on. I am speaking<br />
of none other than the seminal R&B group,<br />
Boyz II Men, which blew up on the musical<br />
landscape of the ’90s and made Philly ground<br />
zero for a sound that set souls and loins on fire<br />
in equal measure.<br />
Among the members of the group — which<br />
also consists of Nathan Morris and Wayna<br />
Morris — Shawn “Slim” Stockman caught the<br />
watch bug early, and to this day he remains a<br />
devoted collector.<br />
As one of the elder statesmen of the genre,<br />
Shawn divides his time between touring and<br />
working with his philanthropic endeavor,<br />
Micah’s Voice, which provides assistance and<br />
support to underprivileged families dealing<br />
with autism.<br />
I was fortunate to catch up and talk shop<br />
with Shawn over dinner at his home base in Los<br />
Angeles, where he gave me the 411 on his deep<br />
and abiding love of all things watches.<br />
130 BACKTOTHEFUTURE
How did you get your start in watches?<br />
I was seven years old and my father took<br />
me to Sears. He always had these cool<br />
watches with the Speidel bracelets that I<br />
loved to play with, you know, the ones that<br />
stretched and flexed. I loved playing with<br />
them… Anyway, he bought me a “Tigger”<br />
watch from Timex. Well, I put it on and<br />
he asks me, “What time is it?” Needless<br />
to say, I couldn’t tell the time yet, and<br />
the next thing I know — POW — he goes<br />
upside my head. “I just bought you this<br />
damn watch, now you’d better learn how<br />
to tell the f**king time!” I learnt in a day.<br />
My father’s philosophy was that every man<br />
should know the time.<br />
This is why I made sure that my first<br />
watch was a digital. But I digress…<br />
So, you’re seven years old, you’ve got<br />
your Tigger watch, your dad made sure<br />
you knew how to tell time… Was this a<br />
passion that took root immediately?<br />
Oh, yes, it took immediately. Even then<br />
I felt that there’s just something about,<br />
you know, something on a man’s wrist.<br />
Watches were the only thing that us guys<br />
could wear and still look masculine. I<br />
mean, if a man doesn’t wear anything else<br />
outside of his wedding band, he should<br />
still have on a good watch. It’s the only<br />
jewelry that every man should wear.<br />
When Boyz II Men hit the big time and<br />
you earned some real money, what was<br />
the first watch you bought?<br />
SS: We were on a Hammer tour… Shout<br />
out to MC Hammer, by the way — if it<br />
wasn’t for that man I don’t think that we<br />
would’ve been able to blow up like we did.<br />
Anyway, so his bus driver had a stainless<br />
steel Datejust on a Jubilee bracelet. I was<br />
in love with that bracelet, how the light hit<br />
it… It looked like diamonds. So I was like,<br />
“Yo, if you ever sell that watch you let me<br />
know.” The bus driver was like, “I’ll sell it<br />
to you right now, give me $800 bucks.” I<br />
scrounged up the money on the spot and<br />
wore it pretty much constantly.<br />
Do you still have it?<br />
In a manner of speaking, yes. I ended up<br />
giving it to my father. He has since passed<br />
away, and so now my younger brother<br />
wears it.<br />
He must have loved it.<br />
He did, in his own way. About three<br />
months after I gave it to him he comes to<br />
one of my shows. I look at his wrist, and<br />
sure enough there’s the watch, but the<br />
bracelet… Yes, he ditched the Jubilee and<br />
put it on a Speidel. THAT was my father.<br />
He put a Rolex on a Speidel bracelet.<br />
What was next?<br />
I was always in love with the Rolex<br />
President, the Day-Date, even before I<br />
was mentally corrupted by Hammer and<br />
his gang.<br />
“Corrupted”, you say?<br />
Yes, corrupted. Hammer was one of the<br />
first guys I saw with a flooded-out Day-<br />
Date. In fact, his whole crew had ’em. So<br />
one day we’re flying to a show, and we’re<br />
up front in the plane and his entourage<br />
are just blinging and blinding. I was like,<br />
how much do those cost, and he was like<br />
$50K. He gave me his jeweler’s number,<br />
and boom. So my next watch was what<br />
the kids call a “bust down” Presidential:<br />
all iced-out, yellow gold, the whole shit.<br />
I remember my hands shaking as I was<br />
writing that check.<br />
What else?<br />
One of the guys from Color Me Badd-<br />
Here we go…<br />
(laughs) He had this TAG Heuer on, you<br />
know, the famous one with the links?<br />
The Sport Elegance, aka the S/EL.<br />
Right. I thought it was the baddest shit I’d<br />
ever seen in my life.<br />
The Color Me Baddest shit?<br />
(Looks at the interviewer funny) So that<br />
was another one that I had. And then there<br />
was Heavy D. He had a gold Submariner<br />
with the blue dial and I was like, “Hey,<br />
where’d you get that?” So yes, I got one<br />
of those too, and soon after I bought a<br />
stainless steel model. It was after that<br />
purchase, the steel Sub, that I started to<br />
BACK TO THE FUTURE 131
ealize that I’m not the “bling” guy. I like solid, strong-looking<br />
timepieces, and the Submariner for me was that watch. Stainless<br />
steel, black dial, with a black bezel… It just looked f**king dope<br />
and it said everything to me. What’s more, it was functional. I<br />
could bang it up with no problems — it was a tank.<br />
It sounds like this was a pivotal movement for you. How has<br />
your watch collecting continued to evolve?<br />
I’m at an age now where as much as I might want something, I will<br />
do the research first, you know, think about it, dream about it,<br />
contemplate it… Will I like this five years from now? I go through<br />
all of that before I buy any watch, whereas before I was the exact<br />
opposite of that. I was super impulsive: “Gimme that. Yeah, I<br />
need that one, that looks good,” only to realize that I don’t even<br />
like this shit anymore, yet I’m six figures down. I just got to a point<br />
where I was like, yo, I can’t keep doing this to myself.<br />
Watches aren’t a great investment, are they?<br />
No, they’re not, which is another reason why when I get a watch<br />
I try my best to commit up here first, in my mind, and know that<br />
if I’m gonna get this that I need to enjoy it for what it is and just<br />
appreciate what the watch means to me and f**k anybody else.<br />
I see that you’re wearing a Grand Seiko GMT, which is about<br />
as different from a “bust down” gold Rolex as one can get. Can<br />
you tell me about that one?<br />
Grand Seiko just makes me feel smart. It makes me feel like I<br />
know something that other people don’t. While everyone else is<br />
buying into a name, this one here is all about substance. It does<br />
so much for me on both a pragmatic and aesthetic level. I travel a<br />
lot, so to have a timepiece that can track three time zones comes<br />
in handy. And then there’s the finishing, like the Zaratsu handpolishing…<br />
If any Swiss company put this much actual handcrafted<br />
effort into a timepiece, it would cost five times as much.<br />
And and we still haven’t talked about the beautiful sweep of the<br />
Spring Drive movement.<br />
So I take it that you’re a fan?<br />
Definitely. They f**king kill it. I love Grand Seiko because in their<br />
own gracious, Japanese way they say to the Swiss, “F**k you, we<br />
make just as good a product or better, and do it for less money.”<br />
So, are there any lessons that you’ve learned in this hobby that<br />
you’d care to share?<br />
For starters, I don’t do the instant self-gratification thing<br />
anymore. I wait a second and I ask myself if I really like this, or<br />
do I like it because some guy that I admire has it on? I also try to<br />
find that fine line between me liking the watch and being able to<br />
move it if need be. Remember, I come from the ’hood so I know<br />
that shit might get rough one day — I’m not above hard times and<br />
if I need to get off of something I want to make sure that I’m not<br />
looking at my collection and feeling worse because it’s worth shit.<br />
So I ride that line as far as finding brands that give me the best of<br />
both worlds. For instance, lot of watch snobs might look down<br />
on my choice of a favorite brand, which is Rolex. I mean, there<br />
are a lot of folks who are anti-Crown, but what’s so bad about a<br />
company that makes a million watches a year and still maintains a<br />
level of quality, prestige and holds its value? Don’t hate, because<br />
every watch brand wants to be that.<br />
What Rolexes do you currently own?<br />
One my favorites is my ’71 Rolex Red Sub. I was born in ’72, and<br />
this was the closest that I could find to a birth year Rolex at the<br />
time. I don’t wear it as often as I should, but I do wear it. There’s<br />
something about the red lettering, the patina… And yet it’s still so<br />
versatile. I call it “practical elegance”, in that I can wear this with<br />
what I’ve got on [Note: Shawn is wearing a t-shirt and jeans], or<br />
with a tuxedo and it looks perfect.<br />
Well, if James Bond can wear a Submariner with a tuxedo…<br />
I also have a white dial Daytona with a Zenith movement, which<br />
I bought back in 1994. This friend of mine was like “hey, I’ve got<br />
this guy who’s selling Daytonas for five grand and you need to get<br />
one”. So, not really understanding what it was that I was buying, I<br />
132 BACKTOTHEFUTURE
was like, okay. With God as my witness sometimes I’d be walking<br />
down the street with this watch on and people who who knew<br />
what it was would stop me and offer to buy it off my wrist right on<br />
the spot.<br />
Any other pieces in your collection that you’d like to talk about?<br />
Well, there’s my IWC Big Pilot Watch Edition Muhammad Ali.<br />
He was one of my heroes, but I never had the opportunity to meet<br />
him, so I figured that this is about as close as I’d ever get to the<br />
man. I bought this one solely for me. I’ll never sell it.<br />
What up next for you?<br />
I’m a huge A. Lange fan and a huge F.P. Journe fan. I love<br />
these watches, and they’re awesome, but these aren’t every day<br />
watches, at least for me. That said, I’ll probably be in the market<br />
in about a year or two. I’ve seen Langes, and just looking at the<br />
movement through the caseback… wow.<br />
So I have to ask, did you keep any of the blinged out pieces?<br />
Nope. As a matter of fact I had one AP that I bought from my<br />
jeweler a little while back, a blinged out Royal Oak, and I ended<br />
up trading it. I was like, eh, the shit’s not me. But I tried. I<br />
mean, look, I’m an entertainer and diamond watches have their<br />
place. If I’m on stage or at an awards show, then sure, I might<br />
borrow someone’s watch so I can look fly on TV, but that’s<br />
where it stops.<br />
Any parting thoughts?<br />
Longevity, beauty, workmanship, practicality and timelessness…<br />
The Big Pilot, the Daytona, the Submariner… They will never go<br />
out of style. Ever. They don’t need to change. Being in the music<br />
business, there’s a sense that you need to continually change, but<br />
I don’t agree with that. Sure, we all progress in life and grow, but<br />
the nucleus of who we are as people should always stay intact, and<br />
that’s how it is with watches.<br />
You can follow Shawn on his IG account @shawnstockmanofficial. For more on Micah’s Voice, please visit micahsvoice.com.<br />
BACK TO THE FUTURE 133
THE<br />
WAVE<br />
Less a trend and more a new way of<br />
entrepreneurialism, micro brands<br />
are transforming how we perceive<br />
watchmaking and branding. Some<br />
have diversified, others are solely<br />
focused on producing incredible<br />
andsolidtimepieces.Hereareafew<br />
who have made an impression.<br />
WORDS <strong>REVOLUTION</strong> EDITORIAL BOARD<br />
In an era of retail on the Interwebs, anyone can have the opportunity to develop<br />
a product; or at the very least, the idea of a product. For those who dislike this<br />
idea, you’ll have to go all the way back to reality television and blame Simon<br />
Cowell for initiating this with the music industry. Pop Idol and X Factor, popular<br />
reality performance shows, paved the way for anyone believing they had a good<br />
set of pipes to become an international celebrity. And if that worked for the<br />
entertainment industry, why not retail?<br />
Contrary to what many believe, watchmaking isn’t as disparate from<br />
many other businesses. It relies on a chain of suppliers, manufacturing and<br />
distribution, much of which can be outsourced to specifications or organized<br />
quickly enough on the Interwebs. While much of the industry began to focus<br />
on in-house production and verticalization, this was primarily a reaction to the<br />
Swatch Group’s plan to reduce the wholesale business of ETA movements to<br />
external parties so the group could build up its own brands, the threat of which<br />
was a decade when everyone touted their own in-house movements.<br />
Today, when in-house movements have become almost ubiquitous and also<br />
imply a higher retail point, and ETA alternatives are chock-a-block available,<br />
micro brands are a convenient option and to some extent, almost remind us of the<br />
early days of watchmaking when guilds were commissioned to perform necessary<br />
craftwork for watchmakers, who were micro brand entrepreneurs. In the 21st<br />
century, however, the stories of these brands are somewhat more varied and vivid.<br />
Here are some of our top picks.<br />
134 BACK TO THE FUTURE
PARIS<br />
Trilobe<br />
Founded by Gautier Massonneau, Trilobe is a brand new<br />
startup with just a year under its belt. The French designer,<br />
tired of the predictability of three-handed watches,<br />
decided to develop a way of reading time that’s just slightly<br />
unconventional — moving the indicators rather than the<br />
hands. Assisted by Jean-François Mojon, yes he of Opus<br />
X, MB&F’s LM1 and Hermès’s Arceau L’Heure de la Lune<br />
fame, Massonneau built a custom movement based off a<br />
modified ETA 2892 and their X-Centric module (eccentric,<br />
geddit?) in which the hours, minutes and seconds run off<br />
concentric rings, centered around the fixed fourth wheel<br />
that powers the seconds ring. It’s a curious design that<br />
has an astronomical reference hidden within it, like the<br />
inner planets revolving around the Sun. One quirk that<br />
Massonneau cheerfully points out is due to his French<br />
character is the offset “Trilobe” logo hour marker, which<br />
rather than riding along the same axis as the minutes and<br />
seconds markers, is off by just a couple of degrees. “You<br />
know the French,” he jokes. “We never like to follow the<br />
rules so strictly.” What’s perhaps a humorous inside joke<br />
turns into a unique marker for the brand.<br />
What’s Cool<br />
Trilobe’s concept isn’t brand new or groundbreaking,<br />
but their latest dial in the Trilobe Secret,<br />
is quite a game changer. Using 3D-printing with<br />
luminous material, they’re creating unique dials<br />
featuring stellar constellations which can be<br />
customized to a location and time that you’ve<br />
picked. These are printed on the galvanized,<br />
sunray brushed dials of each watch, although<br />
they take time to create, meaning the brand<br />
has a limitation on how quickly and how many<br />
Secret watches they can produce. However,<br />
it also means that for the creative watchmaker,<br />
you could really come up with inventive, custom<br />
dials or specialized designs that make collaborative<br />
design inevitable, especially with artists. One can<br />
almost envision what they can make, and how far they<br />
can take it.<br />
Pricing<br />
The watches range from €7,000 or so for the regular<br />
to €9,500 for the Secret, which, for a custom dial and<br />
movement, isn’t a system shock. For those who believe<br />
there’s a lack of interesting options out there, Trilobe is a<br />
nice change-up from the predictable.<br />
BACK TO THE FUTURE 135
MING needs no introduction, but a quick recap of<br />
its watchmaking chops might help. A horological<br />
collective (thank you, Max Büsser, for making this<br />
the new hip term in watchmaking) comprising six<br />
gentlemen, all of who are in some way affiliated or<br />
associated with the watch industry, and headed<br />
by Ming Thein (@mingthein on Instagram),<br />
they’ve developed several two-handers with a<br />
decidedly modern take. Their watchmakers and<br />
designers have had plenty of experience working<br />
in the Swiss watch industry, and Thein decided<br />
to develop their administrative headquarters<br />
in Malaysia in order to ensure that they could<br />
keep their watches at a highly affordable level for<br />
collectors. MING is upfront with clients that they<br />
use a Schwarz-Etienne movement, but really, in a<br />
daily beater, that’s more than sufficient. Last year,<br />
they earned a GPHG nod for their Vantablack<br />
timepiece, and their latest 17.06 Copper with<br />
a stamped guilloché dial took the “Horological<br />
Revelation” prize.<br />
MALAYSIA<br />
MING Watches<br />
What’s Cool<br />
MING’s watches are all produced in limited<br />
runs per year, and that makes them all the more<br />
covetable. Taking after a model developed by the<br />
fashion industry and later adopted by MB&F, the<br />
brand’s ideology makes perfect sense in a world<br />
that sees watch drops online and collectors chase<br />
after them like a shark feeding frenzy once some<br />
chum has been dropped in the water. Their latest<br />
pieces are in titanium and although it does bring<br />
up the pricing on their timepieces, they’ve added<br />
both aesthetic enhancements and complications<br />
such as a world timer.<br />
Pricing<br />
The steel watches in the 17 collection have been<br />
priced at under CHF 2,000 so far, but the<br />
titanium pieces, which are produced in grade<br />
5, are a little steeper at CHF 10,000 onwards.<br />
Nevertheless, we still think they are a great<br />
startup brand to keep up with.<br />
136 BACK TO THE FUTURE
HONG KONG<br />
Undone<br />
It’s been five years since Undone began their<br />
life on Kickstarter, and while other crowdfunded<br />
watchmaking projects have come and<br />
gone, leaving in their wake furious hipster<br />
watch geeks who swear revenge while binge<br />
drinking old-fashioneds and taking #womw<br />
pics for their Instas, Undone has thrived. It’s<br />
not a complex or challenging series of watches<br />
they produce, but each piece is sturdy and<br />
built on good basics, and incredibly handsome<br />
for their pricing and value. No, seriously.<br />
A great example is their latest watch, the<br />
Basecamp Cali, which is a stunning and<br />
sporty watch with a California dial and a ghost<br />
bezel. But among their past successes are<br />
the humorous cartoon-inspired timepieces,<br />
with a Peanuts series in collaboration with the<br />
Schulz estate, among others. The collections<br />
are all limited in production which makes<br />
their watches steadily growing in interest,<br />
and Undone’s watches are based off Seiko<br />
movements, keeping them highly affordable.<br />
What’s Cool<br />
The most interesting part about Undone’s<br />
business model is that it’s based off a<br />
subscription style of watchmaking, i.e. when<br />
you purchase a watch, they begin to produce<br />
it, thus keeping stocks at a minimum and<br />
preventing a stocktaking nightmare. In<br />
addition, watches come with a made-toorder<br />
model which allows you to customize<br />
the case backs and add a bit of personal flavor<br />
to their pieces.<br />
Pricing<br />
These are highly commercial watches,<br />
priced well under USD600 and simply<br />
an easy daily watch for anyone who has an<br />
interest in watchmaking as a novelty. We<br />
certainly appreciate the humble costs of these<br />
timepieces when it comes to our pockets.<br />
BACK TO THE FUTURE 137
Besançon<br />
Baltic<br />
It was our online editor Sumit Nag and founder Wei Koh who alerted us<br />
to the presence of the brand about a year or two ago, but once we’d seen<br />
what Etienne Malec, the founder of Baltic, was keen on developing as a<br />
brand, we were hooked. To be honest, that’s part of the reason why we<br />
decided to on-board the brand on our sibling site, The Rake, so that we<br />
can get access to the watches for our own ridiculously selfish reasons.<br />
In truth, Baltic’s formula has been excellent. Malec himself is a prolific<br />
vintage watch collector. He recalls, “My father was a photographer and<br />
collector of watches, cameras and and old cars. He had gathered around<br />
100 watches before he passed away in 1995. I was five then, and I took<br />
back this collection when I was 16. It was stocked in a small suitcase<br />
since all these years.” He began to learn about his dad’s collection and<br />
Baltic is an homage to the past, focusing on tool watches.<br />
What’s Cool<br />
Baltic was crowd-funded and given its production takes place in<br />
Besançon, where chronometric tests still take place and is considered<br />
the most challenging of precision tests, it paints a lovely story of<br />
an upstart watchmaker that adheres to traditions while using new<br />
treatments like Gilt and DLC. The latest release, the Aquascaphe, is an<br />
outstanding diver’s watch.<br />
Pricing<br />
Baltic sets its pricing at sub €1,000, which makes it a very comfortable<br />
purchase for the average person. What’s impressive is that it’s earned<br />
interest from both collectors and new-comers, which makes it not just<br />
accessible, but respectable.<br />
138 BACK TO THE FUTURE
Germany<br />
Lowinger<br />
David Lowinger is a self-taught independent watchmaker<br />
who, according to our conversation with him, “came<br />
up with a brilliant idea for a wristwatch one day, out<br />
of nowhere, while I was living in the United Kingdom.<br />
This was odd, because up to that point I’d never seen a<br />
mechanical wristwatch, let alone know how it worked.”<br />
As he began to dive into design software, Lowinger found<br />
himself reading George Daniels’s book which offered him<br />
perspective in techniques. He describes his watches as<br />
unconventional, but we’ll prefer to call it steampunk-ish,<br />
with a clear inspiration from the modernist era of design<br />
combined with material authenticity. This is particularly<br />
obvious in his Series One watch (all gone for now), in<br />
which he describes the dial as made from “stress-released<br />
brass, with 60 lines to represent the minutes”. A brilliant<br />
idea to combine design with function in his watches. The<br />
Series Two is a regulator-style display, with separate<br />
counters for the hours and minutes, and a skeleton display.<br />
What’s Cool<br />
Apart from the fact that each watch is made based on<br />
Lowinger’s interpretation of a classic design, more<br />
interesting is the fact that every watch is made by the man<br />
himself. It brings his work to that of Daniels, Dufour and<br />
other independents, and are produced on-demand. More<br />
fascinating is that the watches are distinct in every way. The<br />
Series Two, for example, has a strap integrated into the<br />
case, which harks back to some of the earliest wristwatches<br />
produced before wire lugs were formulated during the war.<br />
It’s both an old and new way of looking at timepieces.<br />
Pricing<br />
Lowinger’s watches will set you a fair bit, given he makes<br />
each part of the watch, down to the manufacture of<br />
components. Series One was at €8,500, and the second is<br />
at€ 18,500.<br />
BACK TO THE FUTURE 139
VINTAGE<br />
Among the legendary timepieces of watchmaking, Breguet’s No. 160, commissioned for Marie Antoinette,<br />
standsasoneofthegreatest,notmerelyduetoitscomplexitybutforthealmostunbelievabletalesthatfollowed<br />
its loss, theft and recovery that Nick Foulkes covers in his latest book, Time Tamed. The story on page 142.
142 VINTAGE
TIME<br />
TAMED<br />
The effusive Nick Foulkes revisits the long<br />
history of watch culture as it intertwines<br />
with history in his latest tome, Time Tamed,<br />
that’s currently out in book stores right now.<br />
WORDS NICK FOULKES<br />
PHOTOGRAPHY GETTY IMAGES + BREGUET<br />
Visitors admire<br />
Breguet watches,<br />
part of the<br />
exhibition ‘Mystery<br />
of Lost Time’ at<br />
the Museum for<br />
Islamic Art in<br />
Jerusalem, July 21,<br />
2009, at which the<br />
Marie Antoinette<br />
was displayed<br />
for the first time<br />
since its theft.<br />
The passage of time is a concept that has captivated the attention<br />
of Mankind since the Stone Age. Throughout history, our<br />
attempts to measure and define the time of day has constantly<br />
and repeatedly collided with the powerful influences of art and culture,<br />
in the process creating a magnificent spread of inventive timekeeping<br />
formats from the sundial to the modern wristwatch. What’s equally<br />
fascinating is how culture and styles of timekeeping across vast<br />
continents and empires, many of which would never have even known<br />
of each other, wound up (pun intended) developing timekeeping<br />
simultaneously, with a similar use of techniques. In Time Tamed, the<br />
latest in a long line of excellent volumes by the illustrious Nick Foulkes,<br />
whose pen has on occasion graced the pages of Revolution, he examines<br />
how timekeeping has not only found itself intertwined with historical<br />
monuments and cultural landmarks, but also how it’s shaped the<br />
modern world and continues to do so. For any watch-loving geek, this<br />
is a book that should definitely be on your reading list. The following<br />
is a chapter reproduced with permission from Time Tamed, that<br />
speaks about one of the greatest timepieces in historical watchmaking:<br />
Breguet’s pocket watch No. 160, commissioned for Marie Antoinette.<br />
Parking his small Simca 1000 hatchback, the hollow-cheeked,<br />
sharp-featured man turned the engine off and waited for a moment,<br />
his intelligent eyes taking in his surroundings. Getting out of the car,<br />
he went to the boot, lifted out a tool box and strolled towards a large<br />
building of honey-coloured stone.<br />
Working quickly and quietly, he used a car jack to part the bars of<br />
a gate and then wriggled through.<br />
It was the evening of Friday 15 April 1983; the building of<br />
honey-coloured stone was Jerusalem’s L.A. Mayer Memorial Institute<br />
for Islamic Art; and the biggest burglary in the history of Israel had<br />
just begun.<br />
The museum had been opened nine years earlier. Founded by<br />
the late Vera Salomons and named in honour of her friend, scholar<br />
and archaeologist Professor Leo Ari Mayer, it houses one of the<br />
world’s most significant collections of Islamic Art.<br />
VINTAGE 143
But, as well as the jewellery, glassware, carpets and<br />
ancient pages of the Qur’an, the museum is home to a<br />
collection of unique timepieces, many made in France<br />
during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century<br />
by the horological genius often regarded as the finest<br />
watchmaker ever. One in particular, known dramatically,<br />
if not inaccurately, as ‘the Mona Lisa of timepieces’, was<br />
the most celebrated watch in the world. Its importance,<br />
its value and its complexity were belied by the name, or,<br />
rather, the number assigned by its maker: 160.<br />
The 160th entry in the pages of an eighteenth-century<br />
watchmaker’s order book, this watch is better known by the<br />
name of its intended recipient: Marie Antoinette.<br />
To understand what a watch made for the most famous<br />
queen of France was doing in a museum of Islamic art<br />
in Jerusalem, it is necessary to travel back to 1762, to<br />
the lakeside town of Neuchâtel in what today is modern<br />
Switzerland, where a 15-year-old boy was boarding<br />
the stagecoach to Paris. His father had recently died,<br />
and his mother had remarried. Her new husband was a<br />
watchmaker and, after a year as his apprentice, her son<br />
demonstrated such gifts that he headed for Paris, where<br />
he would make his name, his fortune and history.<br />
There are some individuals so important to human<br />
development that they mark a watershed: Copernicus and<br />
Galileo did with astronomy, Columbus with exploration,<br />
Shakespeare with the English language, Picasso with<br />
painting and Abraham Louis Breguet, the teenager on the<br />
stagecoach travelling the rutted roads towards Paris with<br />
the watch. Breguet changed the personal timepiece more<br />
profoundly than any single individual before or since.<br />
In short, he either invented or improved most parts of the<br />
mechanical watch as we know it today.<br />
Even the most cursory survey of Breguet’s main<br />
achievements is impressive: in 1780, he brought out his<br />
first self-winding watches; three years later, he invented<br />
the gong spring for repeater watches; in 1790, he came<br />
up with the pare-chute shock-absorption system;<br />
in 1796, he brought out the first carriage clock; and,<br />
of course, he is best known for his 1801 patent, the<br />
tourbillon. Within watchmaking, he is remembered<br />
countless times on a daily basis in the adjectival use of<br />
his name to describe various aesthetic and technical<br />
aspects of the craft: there are Breguet hands, Breguet<br />
numerals and the Breguet overcoil. More than a gifted<br />
horologist, he had a taste for flamboyant marketing.<br />
Once, in order to show off his new shock-absorption<br />
system, he took out his watch in front of Talleyrand<br />
and threw it on the ground.<br />
Needless to say, he was the darling of French Court<br />
circles. However, Breguet also liked to live dangerously,<br />
and when the seething discontent of the French people<br />
exploded into the orgy of bloodletting that was the<br />
French Revolution, he was caught up in the excitement<br />
of the liberation of the Bastille and the publication of<br />
the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen.<br />
He joined the Society of the Friends of the Constitution,<br />
which soon became known by the name of the former<br />
Jacobin monastery, near the Tuileries, where its<br />
members gathered.<br />
Only the massacres of September 1792 finally<br />
tempered Breguet’s radicalism and, becoming more<br />
moderate, he fell foul of Robespierre. Fearing for his<br />
life, he asked his old friend Jean-Paul Marat, who had<br />
also come to Paris from Neuchâtel, to help him leave<br />
the country. On 24 June 1793, the National Convention<br />
Committee for General Security and Surveillance heard<br />
the case of Citizen Breguet and agreed to grant him and<br />
his immediate family a passport. It was just in time.<br />
A few days later, on 13 July, Marat was killed in his bath.<br />
Pages of a<br />
production<br />
ledger recording<br />
the stages of<br />
manufacture<br />
of Breguet no.<br />
160, the grand<br />
complication —<br />
the watch known<br />
as the ‘Marie-<br />
Antoinette’. (From<br />
the Collection<br />
Montres Breguet.)<br />
The watch was<br />
commissioned for<br />
Marie Antoinette,<br />
the French Queen,<br />
but she would<br />
never live to see it.<br />
Forerunner of<br />
today’s selfwinding<br />
watches,<br />
the ‘Perpetuelle’<br />
watch features<br />
a sprung weight<br />
on a pivoting<br />
arm that jumps<br />
up and down in<br />
response to<br />
the wearer’s<br />
movements when<br />
walking, to wind<br />
the mainspring.<br />
144 VINTAGE
VINTAGE 145
146 VINTAGE
Abraham-Louis<br />
Breguet changed the<br />
mechanism of the<br />
personal timepiece<br />
more profoundly<br />
than any single<br />
individual before<br />
or since; the watch<br />
delivered in a box;<br />
Marie Antoinette;<br />
the forerunner of<br />
today’s self-winding<br />
watches, the<br />
‘Perpetuelle’ watch<br />
features a sprung<br />
weight on a pivoting<br />
arm that jumps<br />
up and down in<br />
response to<br />
the wearer’s<br />
movements when<br />
walking, to wind<br />
the mainspring;<br />
the reference 1160<br />
crafted as a tribute<br />
to the stolen watch<br />
is accurate to the<br />
original; Count<br />
Hans Axel von<br />
Fersen; the caliber<br />
1160 by Breguet.<br />
Breguet spent some tense weeks waiting for his<br />
papers, but they came through and on 11 August he left<br />
the business he had spent thirty years building. Among<br />
the things he packed and took with him into exile was<br />
the unfinished project referred to as ‘No. 160’. Not<br />
knowing what would happen to him or whether he<br />
would ever return to Paris, he must have looked at the<br />
assemblage of components with mixed emotions.<br />
The order had entered his heavy ledgers exactly a<br />
decade earlier under very mysterious conditions: placed<br />
by an unknown officer of the Queen’s Guard. Whether<br />
Her Majesty was aware of the order and on whose behalf<br />
the officer was acting are unknown. This mystery is all<br />
the more frustrating because what Breguet had been<br />
asked to design was the definitive portable timepiece,<br />
encyclopaedic in its scope, incorporating the full range<br />
of functions known at the time: ‘a minute repeating<br />
perpetuelle watch, with complete perpetual calendar,<br />
equation of time, power-reserve indicator, metallic<br />
thermometer, large optionally independent secondshand<br />
and small sweep seconds-hand, lever escapement,<br />
gold Breguet overcoil, double parechute, all points of<br />
friction, holes and rollers, without exception, in sapphire,<br />
gold case, rock crystal dial and gold and steel hands.’<br />
The order included neither deadline nor maximum<br />
price; the only stipulation was for gold to be used wherever<br />
possible. In effect, Breguet was being asked to produce a<br />
cathedral clock of the sort that had been the most technically<br />
advanced objects of the Renaissance – only this time<br />
within the confines of a pocket watch. It was the ultimate<br />
horological high-wire act – a feat of unparalleled technical<br />
sophistication and mechanical miniaturisation destined to<br />
be worn and admired at the leading royal court in Europe.<br />
It was not Marie Antionette’s first Breguet: in 1782, he<br />
made her the ‘perpétuelle’, a self-winding repeater watch<br />
fitted with a calendar. Her husband the king, known to be<br />
fascinated by mechanical objects and watchmaking,<br />
was also a Breguet customer. However, the man behind<br />
the commission of No. 160 was not her husband, but<br />
widely suspected to have been a Swedish count, Axel von<br />
Fersen, rumoured to be the queen’s lover. An alternative<br />
theory is that ‘the watch was intended as a present to<br />
one of the Queen’s favourites’ — perhaps Fersen.<br />
Whatever the truth, it was a gift she would neither<br />
give nor receive. Only a matter of weeks after Breguet<br />
fled the French capital she went to her death at the<br />
guillotine, in front of the baying crowd in the blood-soaked<br />
Place de la Revolution (now the more peacefully named<br />
Place de la Concorde).<br />
Breguet was luckier than his client. He would<br />
return to Paris and enjoy even greater glory as the<br />
watchmaker by appointment to the Napoleonic elite.<br />
Indeed, one of the earliest recorded wristwatches was<br />
made by him for Napoleon’s sister Caroline Murat,<br />
Queen of Naples. It was even speculated that the French<br />
emperor ‘frequently went incognito to the workshop and<br />
conversed upon the improvements which he was anxious<br />
to effect in cannon and fire-arms’. In all, Napoleon’s<br />
family accounted for around 100 pieces between 1797<br />
and the derailment of the Bonaparte gravy train in<br />
1814. But regime change just brought Breguet more<br />
customers, not least the Emperor Alexander of Russia<br />
and the Duke of Wellington; the latter is said to have<br />
paid 300 guineas for a repeater (around 30 times what<br />
a cavalry man in the Scots Greys was paid in one year).<br />
Breguet’s extraordinary career spanned Bourbon,<br />
Revolutionary, Napoleonic and Restoration France, but,<br />
throughout this sprawling historical novel of a life, one<br />
thing remained constant: even in his final days, he was still<br />
working on No. 160. It was not completed until 1827 —<br />
VINTAGE 147
thirty-four years after Marie Antoinette’s demise at the<br />
guillotine; 17 years after Fersen’s life ended at the hands<br />
of a lynch mob; and four years after Breguet himself<br />
died (he had left instructions in his will for his son to<br />
complete the work).<br />
It was to retain the undisputed title of the world’s<br />
most complicated watch for a century, and its subsequent<br />
history was just as fascinating as the events surrounding its<br />
creation. Purchased by a Marquis de la Groye, who as a child<br />
had been one of Marie Antoinette’s pages, it was returned<br />
for repair in 1838, but never collected, and remained with<br />
Breguet in Paris until 1887, when it was sold to a British<br />
visitor, Sir Spencer Brunton. It passed to his brother and<br />
was then bought by collector and art dealer Murray Marks,<br />
whose clients included J. P. Morgan. He sold it to Louis<br />
Desoutter, a famous restorer of Breguet watches, and then,<br />
one rainy spring day in 1917, in the window of a shop in<br />
London’s West End, it caught the eye of Sir David Lionel<br />
Salomons: it was a coup de foudre.<br />
My attention was attracted by a curious-looking watch<br />
differing from the usual display, and I saw a notice by its<br />
side, bearing the name “Marie Antoinette.” I then went<br />
up to the window to have a better look at the watch, and<br />
I saw that it had been made for that ill-fated Queen<br />
by Breguet, and was his masterpiece. A high price was<br />
put on it.’ But it was worth it. ‘It turned out to be a good<br />
purchase, judging from seducing offers made to me later<br />
on to part with it. Evening after evening, I studied this<br />
watch, which is most complex and interesting, with the<br />
result that I formed the opinion that no other maker of<br />
watches could approach such work.<br />
On Salomons’ death, it passed to his daughter Vera,<br />
who died in 1969. Five years later it went on public display<br />
in the Museum of Islamic Art when the building was<br />
completed and opened in 1974. There it remained until<br />
that warm spring evening in 1983.<br />
The same year as the enterprising thief squirmed<br />
through the gate and windows to steal this piece of<br />
horological history, the future of watchmaking was launched<br />
in Switzerland.<br />
Where No. 160 had been the costliest, the Swatch<br />
played on its accessible price; where No. 160 had taken<br />
forty years to make, Swatch was designed to be made<br />
swiftly and easily; where there was just one No. 160, now<br />
vanished, Swatch could, and would, be churned out in<br />
millions. This plastic watch would become one of the most<br />
familiar objects on the planet. Indeed, so successful would<br />
it become that in 1999 Swatch would buy the storied old<br />
firm of Breguet.<br />
The architect of Swatch’s success was a Lebanese-born<br />
management consultant called Nicolas G. Hayek, a man<br />
often described as the saviour of the Swiss watch industry.<br />
In later life he became so obsessed by Breguet that he was<br />
jocularly known in the industry as Abraham Louis Hayek.<br />
Frustrated that, 21 years after the robbery, No. 160<br />
remained lost to humanity, he put the formidable resources<br />
of the Swatch Group behind recreating the lost treasure.<br />
Even with the technology of the twenty-first century, the<br />
replica would take four years to build. But, in 2006, before it<br />
could be unveiled, the dramatic deathbed confession of the<br />
thief, Na’aman Diller, a former military pilot turned forger,<br />
burglar and criminal polymath, revealed that after the<br />
watches had been stolen, they were wrapped in newspaper,<br />
placed in boxes and consigned to a warehouse, where they<br />
had remained for 21 years. Among them was No. 160.<br />
It has now been restored to the museum where,<br />
protected by rather more exigent security measures, it waits<br />
to see whether the coming centuries will be as eventful as<br />
its first two.<br />
The new 1160<br />
caliber by Breguet<br />
features a collection<br />
of incredible<br />
watches which<br />
you’d want to be<br />
associated with.<br />
148 VINTAGE
VINTAGE 149
TIME TO WEAR<br />
Fashion entrepreneur Alessandro Squarzi (@alessandrosquarzi) reveals his<br />
love of tool watches in Auro Montanari a.k.a. John Goldberger’s latest coffee<br />
tablebook,TimetoWear.Hereareselectphotosfromhiscollection.<br />
Imet Alessandro few years ago and I discovered we shared the same passions regarding vintage<br />
watches and vintage clothing. Over the years, he’s amassed a great quantity of very interesting<br />
watches, to name a few: Omega Speedmasters and Seamasters, military timepieces, Patek<br />
Philippe Nautiluses and Rolex sports watches. His approach to collecting has grown and matured into<br />
collecting “Tool Watches” with a story to tell. Alessandro is also a keen purveyor of wristwatches from<br />
small, cult and boutique brands because he’s fascinated by the unusual design of these watches. After<br />
all, when the design is strong and the timepiece is of a great quality, it’s timeless. In the end, does it<br />
matter who the watchmaker is?<br />
Last spring, we decided to collaborate on a book about his watch collection and his lifestyle. I’ve<br />
tried to style the watches with the most significant pieces from his wide collection of vintage denim and<br />
military clothes. All the foot notes will be complete with the technical information of each watch. I took<br />
also many photographs of Alessandro wearing the watches in different locations including his houses<br />
in Milano, Rimini, St Tropez and in his loft at Forlí. The book Time to Wear will contain a selection of<br />
his collection, circa 120 different examples and it will launch during the next Pitti at Florence in June<br />
2020. Enjoy, and ciao. Auro Montanari<br />
150 VINTAGE
Steel waterproof Longines ”Tre Tacche” ref. 3864, with silvered dial and luminous Arabic numerals, cal. 12.68Z, 1942. Canvas travel bag with the Alessandro’s travel<br />
dates around the world.<br />
Steel Patek Philippe Calatrava ref. 96, dial with steel applied Breguet numerals and luminous hands and dots, 1937. Nickel finished lever movement, cal 12’’’ with swan<br />
neck micrometric regulator and double Geneva seal hallmark.<br />
Steel self winding Gruen 23 Precision, Power-Glide with black gilt dial and ridged bezel, 1958. Vintage suede Levi’s jacket, ’60s.<br />
VINTAGE 151
Alessandro with his<br />
Japanese Shiba Inu<br />
dog, wearing a pink<br />
gold Patek Philippe<br />
Travel Time, ref. 5134<br />
with cal. 215 PS FUS.
VINTAGE 1<strong>53</strong>
Alessandro at home, wearing a steel Titus Calypsomatic with cal. ETA 2472, 1975. Fortela pants, Edward Green shoes and vintage chambray shirt.<br />
154 VINTAGE
Gold GMT-Master, ref. 1675 with gold Jubilee bracelet, 1985. Vintage U.S. military shirt.<br />
VINTAGE 155
156 VINTAGE
VINTAGE 157
THE ROLEX<br />
BLING THING —<br />
DAYTONA DAYS<br />
In the first instalment of a deep-dive into the world of ge<br />
and stone dial Rolexes, Ross Povey — in collaboration wit<br />
Pucci Papaleo — talks us through the early developments<br />
bejeweled sports models and de-codes the racier Dayton<br />
WORDS ROSS POVEY<br />
PHOTOGRAPHY FABIO SANTINELLI, PAOLO GOBBI + ADAM PRISCAK<br />
158 VINTAGE
Captions<br />
Dolorumq uiateni<br />
mollestia dellese<br />
nim aut faceptur<br />
acea pratium aut<br />
parchitiAtur.<br />
For a while now, certain people have been sharing<br />
pictures on social media of Rolex sports models that<br />
would look more at home of the wrist of Liberace,<br />
driving a gold Rolls-Royce through the streets of Saint<br />
Tropez than they would on the wrist of a commercial diver<br />
or a racing driver. For many years, the majority of tastemakers<br />
and market-shakers resolutely paraded steel<br />
dive watches, manual-wind Daytonas and the occasional<br />
platinum or yellow-gold Day-Date.<br />
Of late, precious metal Rolex sports watches are<br />
hotting up quicker than an alpine fondue pot and the oncederogatory<br />
moniker “bling” is actually an affectionate and<br />
positive adjective for some of Wilsdorf’s wonders. Where<br />
traditionally the gems and stones were mainly applied to<br />
Daytonas and Day-Dates, even the Submariner and GMT-<br />
Master are game for dressing up in their finery. Is it a flash<br />
in the pan or are collectors looking for a new direction for<br />
their collections?<br />
EARLY GEMS<br />
Rolex adding diamonds to their watches is nothing new.<br />
In the 1950s, they were setting the hour markers on some<br />
of their simple Oyster watches with small, brilliantcut<br />
diamonds. However, the way was truly paved (pun<br />
intended!) with the Day-Date in the early-to-mid-1960s,<br />
when Rolex began offering the Day-Date with diamond<br />
bezels, often complemented by diamond set dials.<br />
The gem-set Day-Date fire was really lit by the mid-<br />
1970s with watches such as the white gold reference 1804<br />
“Octopus Sapphire”. This was not a watch for the fainthearted,<br />
due to a seriously adorned President bracelet -<br />
each link was set with a large brilliant diamond either side of<br />
a baguette-cut sapphire. The bracelet was fitted to a watch<br />
with a bezel set with 46 brilliant-cut diamonds and a dial<br />
with brilliant and baguette-cut diamond hour markers.<br />
The 1980s saw the theme continued with watches such<br />
as the reference 18188A “Lucky Wheel, a truly stunning<br />
watch that features a bezel set with baguette cut sapphires,<br />
rubies, emeralds and diamonds. The 1990s saw no slowing<br />
down for the gem-setting, by now a trademark of the brand.<br />
The yellow gold reference 18338 “Jackpot” is a perfect<br />
example of the art of gem-set cases. The shoulders of the<br />
case are set with brilliant-cut diamonds, while the dial,<br />
manufactured by Stern, has a pavé outer track and inner<br />
section, divided by blue enamel-filled hour sections.<br />
VINTAGE 159
This page<br />
A reference<br />
16568 EMRO<br />
with baguettecut<br />
emeralds<br />
on the bezel.<br />
A 116576 BRIL with<br />
baguette diamonds<br />
and a paved dial.<br />
Arare1804Day-<br />
Date “Octopus”,<br />
so named for<br />
the brilliant-cut<br />
diamonds on<br />
the bracelet.<br />
Opposite<br />
A reference 6270<br />
fittedwithbaguettecut<br />
diamonds on<br />
the bezel and a<br />
fully paved dial<br />
with sapphire<br />
hour markers and<br />
purple counters.<br />
SPARKLING SPORTS<br />
The Day-Date was the flagship watch for Rolex for many<br />
years, with special pieces commanding astronomical prices<br />
— it really was a watch for presidents, captains of industry<br />
and rich playboys. The sports watch line was designed<br />
for just that — sports and professional applications. But<br />
in 1979, Rolex took the extraordinary step of releasing a<br />
gem-set sports watch — the yellow gold GMT-Master<br />
reference 16758 SARU. The name SARU stuck as the<br />
watch’s nickname and was quite simply a reduction of the<br />
words sapphires and rubies, which is a clue to its aesthetics.<br />
The bezel saw the blue and red “Pepsi” insert replaced by<br />
baguette-cut rubies and sapphires, with diamonds as the<br />
hour markings on the bezel. Additionally, the dial was fully<br />
paved with sapphire hour markers. At the time, it caused<br />
quite a stir and it is now a serious collector piece.<br />
Five years later, Rolex’s legendary sports chronograph,<br />
the Daytona, took its turn in the bling booth. It came out<br />
transformed in two references, 6269 and 6270. 6269 had<br />
a brilliant-cut diamond bezel and pavé dial with sapphire<br />
hour markers, while 6270 was fitted with a baguette-cut<br />
diamond bezel and full-pave dial with sapphire hour<br />
markers and, importantly, soleil-finish purple sub dials.<br />
These are serious watches and are seen as among the most<br />
desirable manual-wind Daytonas made. Of course there are<br />
unique steel watches such as the so-called “Neanderthal”<br />
and Newman’s own Newman — both of which performed<br />
very strongly at auction — but the 6269 and 6270 are rare<br />
production pieces and always sell strongly.<br />
DAZZLING DAYTONAS<br />
In 1988, with the introduction of the automatic Daytona,<br />
Rolex took the bejeweled 6269/70 formulas and began a<br />
journey that set the standard for the fusion between sport<br />
watches and jewelry watches. The case was increased to a<br />
cool 40mm, crown guards were introduced, and also out<br />
went domed plexi crystal and in came sapphire. The birth<br />
of an automatic Daytona gave Rolex the confidence to take<br />
the sports watch to a whole new level and make it the jewelin-the-crown.<br />
Immediately upon the release of the watch, Rolex began<br />
offering the option of diamond hour markers on the dials<br />
of the two-tone (reference 16523) and yellow gold (16528)<br />
Daytonas. In 1992, reference 16518 was unveiled, a yellow<br />
gold Daytona on leather strap. To give the watch a neat,<br />
finished appearance, Rolex fitted the 16518s with short,<br />
fixed end-pieces that ensured that there was no unsightly<br />
gap between the case and the edge of the strap.<br />
160 VINTAGE
With the introduction of the<br />
leather strap came a new deployant<br />
buckle. Featuring the superb Rolex<br />
flip-lock system, the clasp was fully<br />
adjustable and would fit a range of<br />
different strap choices in alligator and<br />
lizard, which was expanded over the<br />
years as the ranges were developed. In<br />
1997, the range was further expanded<br />
with the 16519 – a white gold Daytona<br />
on leather strap with deployant clasp.<br />
It was these watches on leather straps<br />
that Rolex concentrated their efforts<br />
on creating exotic variations on their<br />
classic racing chronograph.<br />
The special watches were often<br />
fitted with baguette-cut stone bezels<br />
and this attribute was signified with<br />
the number ‘8’ in the leather–strap<br />
watches, were reference 16588 and<br />
16589. The yellow-gold Daytona on<br />
bracelet was known as reference 16568<br />
when fitted with a baguette-cut stone<br />
bezel. When Rolex released the<br />
in-house caliber Daytona in 2000, they continued with these reference<br />
numbers but an additional 1 was added at the beginning. So the 16589 white<br />
gold Zenith-movement Daytona was the reference 116589 post-2000,<br />
when fitted with the caliber 4130. Each bezel type was signified by Rolex’s<br />
traditional three or four-letter code following the reference, much like the<br />
“SARU” GMT-Master. They were:<br />
EMRO<br />
SAFU<br />
BRIL<br />
SAPH<br />
RUBI<br />
SACO<br />
RBR<br />
SALV<br />
4RU<br />
12SA<br />
TBR<br />
RBOW<br />
Baguette-cut emeralds-set bezel<br />
Baguette-cut fuchsia sapphires-set bezel<br />
Baguette-cut diamonds-set bezel<br />
Baguette-cut blue sapphires-set bezel<br />
Baguette-cut rubies-set bezel<br />
Baguette-cut cognac sapphires bezel<br />
124 round brilliant cut diamonds in two rows<br />
Baguette-cut violet sapphires-set bezel<br />
Four baguette-cut rubies, set at the quarters along with<br />
36 brilliant cut diamonds<br />
12 Baguette-cut blue sapphires, set at the hour positions with<br />
48 Baguette-cut diamonds<br />
36 Baguette-cut diamonds<br />
(revived this year on the 116588 TBR “Eye of the Tiger”)<br />
36 Baguette-cut graduated “rainbow”-colored sapphires bezel<br />
In 1998 Rolex introduced their first experiment with<br />
setting stones into the case of the watch. They replaced the<br />
short, fixed endlinks with much longer ones that protruded<br />
a little further in length than the lugs of the watch. These<br />
long endlinks were set with 24 brilliant cut diamonds and the<br />
gem-set bezels also featured 50 per cent more stones, with<br />
36 instead of the 24 on the other models. These models used<br />
the number 9 as the penultimate digit in the reference – so,<br />
for example, the 16599 had a sapphire bezel (SAPH) and the<br />
diamond-set long endlinks (16599).<br />
DAYTONA STONE<br />
Special Daytonas were either made of stone (hard natural<br />
mineral stone) or were covered in stones (paved with<br />
brilliant-cut diamonds). Aside from mother of pearl,<br />
Rolex didn’t make any yellow gold or Rolesor models with<br />
hard stone dials. They were exclusively the preserve of the<br />
white-gold models on leather straps. There are, however,<br />
always exceptions to the rules — good clients and those with<br />
close relationships with authorized dealers could order dials<br />
specially and have them fitted, so interesting and unique dial<br />
and reference combinations do exist.<br />
Making stone dials is a delicate process and wastage<br />
levels are high, as the incredibly thin piece of stone that<br />
is required is monstrously brittle, fragile and cracks very<br />
easily. I have heard it said that Rolex keeps a healthy supply<br />
of chrysoprase and turquoise dials (from the Special Beach<br />
Edition 116519) as they are often cracked during a routine<br />
VINTAGE 161
Exceptional<br />
timepieces<br />
here include a<br />
mother-of-pearl<br />
dial Daytona with<br />
baguette-cut<br />
diamonds (above)<br />
andaRUBIedition<br />
with baguette-cut<br />
rubies, a fully paved<br />
dial and ruby hour<br />
markers (right).<br />
service. The manufacturing process basically involves<br />
cutting a disc of the stone and then grinding it down to<br />
the super-thin slice that is then applied to the brass dial<br />
base. Sounds easy, right? It isn’t and takes serious skill<br />
and perseverance by artisan craftsmen. Natural products<br />
are always unique and that is one of the alluring aspects<br />
of stone dials, in that each one is distinctive and therefore<br />
special for the owner.<br />
The Daytona Perpetual was available with five different<br />
stone dials: sodalite, grossular, chrysoprase, turquoise and<br />
meteorite. The turquoise and chrysoprase were only available<br />
for two or three years (2000-2002) on the Daytona Beach.<br />
The meteorite was only available for in-house movement<br />
Daytonas, but the sodalite and grossular were introduced in<br />
1997 with the white gold Daytona on a leather strap.<br />
Sodalite is a blue mineral that is used in jewelry as an<br />
ornamental gemstone. Grossular is a member of the garnet<br />
family and is distinguished by its calcium-aluminium<br />
composition and is classed as a gem stone. Although Rolex<br />
only used the red color, the name is actually derived from<br />
the botanical name for gooseberry (grossularia) after the<br />
green garnet version. There was also a prototype Daytona<br />
dial made in lapis lazuli. There is only one known example<br />
of this dial, which makes it one of the most desirable<br />
Daytonas in existence.<br />
LEOPARDS CHASING RAINBOWS<br />
No matter what people’s view was of the “Special Edition”<br />
Beaches or the heavy gem-set pieces such as the 16599<br />
SAPH, nothing could prepare them for the 2004 launch of<br />
the reference 116598 SACO. Or, as collectors term it, the<br />
Leopard. The watch was based on a leather strap model.<br />
yellow gold Daytona, with the long endlinks (set with 48<br />
brilliant diamonds) and the SACO (cognac sapphires) bezel<br />
hence the reference 116589 SACO.<br />
Nothing new — the SACO bezels were actually used in<br />
very limited numbers in earlier watches and the diamondset<br />
long endlinks were a well-established feature. What<br />
made the Leopard so extra-ordinary was the dial and<br />
strap – each of which was finished with a leopard print.<br />
The dial featured champagne sub-dials and eight brilliantcut<br />
diamonds set against an orange/yellow and black<br />
leopard print. The dial was offset against a leather strap<br />
in a complimentary leopard print. It was outrageous and<br />
was caused a stir. But now people are starting to gravitate<br />
towards it and I am beginning to see interest build. This and<br />
the Beach watches are definitely future classics.<br />
In 2012, Rolex again used the versatile canvas of the<br />
Daytona to demonstrate that they really were the masters of<br />
stone-setting on watches. The references 116599 RBOW<br />
and 116598 RBOW were respectively white and yellow gold<br />
watches on bracelets. The penultimate “9” in the reference<br />
related to the stone setting on the case — previously on the<br />
long fixed endlinks, but now on the tops of the lugs and the<br />
162 VINTAGE
This page, clockwise<br />
from left<br />
The Cosmograph<br />
Daytona TBR<br />
“Eye of the Tiger”<br />
released this year<br />
at Baselworld.<br />
A SACO edition<br />
featuring cognac<br />
sapphires on the<br />
bezel and middle<br />
lug link, along<br />
with brilliant cut<br />
diamonds on<br />
the end links.<br />
A Daytona with<br />
grossular dial and<br />
baguette-cut rubies<br />
on the bezel.<br />
shoulders either side of the winding crown. The dials were<br />
black, with eight brilliant-cut diamonds as hour markers but<br />
the sub-dials had a “gold crystal” finish – what looks like<br />
small pieces of gold leaf.<br />
What really set these watches apart were the 36 sapphires<br />
in the bezel that perfectly graduated through the hues of a<br />
rainbow. Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet<br />
… all seamlessly set to graduate into the next. It was truly<br />
a work of art and now one of the most sought after modern<br />
watches on the planet! In 2018, Rolex brought the watch out<br />
in Everose gold, with a new addition of baguette cut sapphire<br />
hour markers on the dial that perfectly match the bezel. The<br />
watch was also available with a full-pavé dial, too, in case the<br />
black dial version wasn’t bling enough. Bring it on!<br />
ALL THAT GLITTERS, IS SOLD...<br />
Currently, the buying public seems wide awake to these<br />
watches with the so-called gray market asking four times<br />
over list price for a Rainbow Daytona and prices of special<br />
editions like the Daytona Beach are double what they were<br />
18 months ago. Rolex, meanwhile, doesn’t seem to slowing<br />
down any time soon with the production of these pieces.<br />
This year at Baselworld, Rolex released two new SACO<br />
Daytonas — you didn’t hear about them? No, very few<br />
people did — they weren’t even in the gem-set sports<br />
watch catalog, which in itself is a very difficult catalog to<br />
lay your hands on. The watches are both on yellow gold<br />
and one has a new reference number: the 116578 SACO,<br />
which comes on an Oyster bracelet with a white motherof-pearl<br />
dial with brilliant-cut diamond hour markers.<br />
The second is reference 116588 SACO and is supplied on a<br />
black Oysterflex strap. The dial is black, with diamond hour<br />
markers and yellow gold crystal sub-dials framed by rich<br />
cognac coloured sapphires. The Rainbow Daytona and new<br />
SACO watches are virtually impossible to acquire through<br />
an authorized dealer, so if you’re lucky enough to get offered<br />
one… grab it with both hands.<br />
VINTAGE 163
NOVEMBER 12TH 2019<br />
SOTHEBY’S IMPORTANT WATCHES<br />
Sotheby’s has curated another fine sale this season, with some outstanding lots and, again, a great<br />
selection of watches to satisfy all collectors. The last show in town, taking place on the Tuesday, but by<br />
no means an after-thought — the sale has some epic watches including one of the nicest screw-pusher<br />
Newmans I’ve seen for a while and with an eye on the future of Daytonas, a so-called ‘Leopard’ cognac<br />
sapphire bezel (SACO) 116598! So let’s take a tour through the catalog and make a couple of stops at my<br />
personal picks…<br />
It’s Hammer time, but we aren’t referring to a MC Hammer dance-off competition. Rather it’s watch auction<br />
season, and this time there are plenty of great picks from every house. Ross Povey gives us the lowdown.<br />
LOT 487<br />
NAUGHTY NAUTI<br />
We live in the era of anything goes.<br />
There really are no limits to how<br />
we can express ourselves through<br />
music, fashion, sexuality and of<br />
course wrist candy. I use the term<br />
candy deliberately as there has<br />
been a surge in the popularity of<br />
gem-set, bling-tastic, wouldn’tlook-out-of-place-on-thewrist-of-Mister<br />
T watches!<br />
Lot 487 is definitely not for the<br />
faint-hearted, but then as anything<br />
goes — so too does this full-ice<br />
Nautilus! Reference 5719/1G-001<br />
is a white gold Patek that is set with<br />
diamonds. Literally everywhere.<br />
But this isn’t a Vegas fold-‘em<br />
after-market tragedy…this is<br />
full-factory full-pavé Patek at its<br />
finest as a gem-setter and jewelry<br />
house. The watch has 9.645 cts of<br />
diamonds across its case, bracelet<br />
and dial. These diamonds go on<br />
forever and ever!<br />
164 VINTAGE
and it<br />
four<br />
dial.<br />
The<br />
to<br />
L ELEMENTS<br />
enamel dials are always<br />
Rolex watches. Hand made by artisans and therefore unique,<br />
will pay hefty premiums for watches housing these mini works<br />
e such watch sold a couple of years ago at auction — a yellow<br />
6085. A regular version of this watch might sell for CHF10-15k<br />
great condition. Fitted with an enamel dial depicting a dragon<br />
Each<br />
The<br />
repres<br />
It’s<br />
is of<br />
the<br />
the
THE GENEVA<br />
WATCH AUCTION: X<br />
Can you believe it’s ten already? It seems only<br />
yesterday that Aurel Bacs climbed into the rostrum<br />
and picked up the gavel for the first time under<br />
banner of the then new Phillips in Association<br />
with Bacs and Russo. Since then we’ve witnessed<br />
nine incredible sales plus nearly as many thematic<br />
auctions, including the game-changing (pardon<br />
the pun — the Phillips Game Changers auction<br />
takes place in New York in December) Glamorous<br />
Day-Date and Daytona Ultimatum. November’s<br />
themed sale is Double Signed and is a collection of<br />
watches that have retailers’ signatures on the dial or<br />
on the watch case, alongside the maker’s signature.<br />
I’ll come to that sale shortly, but first lets take a<br />
look at a few pieces from the two-night GWA: X.<br />
LOT 243<br />
ROLEX 1803 PINK GOLD<br />
‘EL DORADO’<br />
Not all watches are built equal –<br />
sometimes not even the same model<br />
references and this pink gold 1803 is<br />
something of a rock star in the Day-Date<br />
world. Featured in Pucci Papaleo’s Day-<br />
Date book as well as John Goldberger’s<br />
100 Superlative Rolex Watches, the ‘El<br />
Dorado’ is in incredibly well preserved<br />
condition as well as having a probably<br />
unique pink gold so-called brick link<br />
bracelet. Never has a model been fitted<br />
with such an array of different dials, bezels<br />
and bracelets as the Day-Date. It really<br />
was Rolex’s opportunity to showcase their<br />
incredible craftsmanship in the areas of<br />
jewelry work and gem setting. Lot 243 has<br />
a simple non-luminous dial in astounding<br />
condition — I love the circular brushed<br />
finish. The winning bidder will receive a<br />
copy of the Pucci Papleo book too… the<br />
perfect box and papers accompaniment!<br />
166 VINTAGE
LOTS 232-235<br />
‘FOUR OF A KIND’ THE PATEK PHILIPPE NAUTILUS 3800<br />
Ask anybody with even the merest interest in watches what currently is the most market-hyped watch,<br />
you will invariably get the answer of either the steel Daytona or Nautilus. Both watches command huge<br />
premiums over list price and getting one is virtually impossible, due to excessive waiting lists. One<br />
of the longest running references in the line is the 38mm reference<br />
3800. Phillips have curated four lots of the rarest and most beautiful<br />
condition examples that represent the four main metal options for<br />
the 3800. Lot 232 is an all-steel watch reference 3800/1A with nicely<br />
aged blue dial. Lot 233 is a steel and yellow gold example reference<br />
3800/1 with cool champagne dial. Lot 234 sees an all-white gold<br />
example reference 3800/1 with<br />
white dial. Finally lot 235 is a<br />
platinum example, reference<br />
3800P. The 3800 was<br />
introduced in 1981 and was in<br />
the catalog for approximately 25<br />
years. For a long while collectors<br />
focused on the 42mm 3700 and<br />
the later 5711, but the slightly<br />
reduced size of the 3800<br />
makes it a versatile and subtle<br />
choice for Nautilus lovers.<br />
This ‘full house’ will certainly<br />
be a winner of the night.<br />
VINTAGE 167
LOT 113<br />
THE UNIQUE ‘FERR<br />
PATEK PHILIPPE 501<br />
Sticking with the Patek<br />
Lot 113 is something that<br />
watch collectors clamor<br />
like tourists rushing to<br />
reserve a lounger with<br />
their towel at a holiday<br />
resort — a unique piece.<br />
Christie’s are offering a<br />
platinum 5016, a watch<br />
that is a direct descendent<br />
of the legendary 2499, w<br />
is a perpetual calendar<br />
repeater with tourbillon,<br />
retrograde date and<br />
— all of which sit behind<br />
dial with super-desirable<br />
gold Breguet numerals. The<br />
aspect is that all the text,<br />
minute track, dates and<br />
hand are in ‘Ferrari’ red<br />
— a special request from a<br />
very important Patek client.<br />
The 5016 comes with the<br />
original design notes, where<br />
the smallest details were<br />
decided, including having<br />
the day, month and leap year<br />
in black on a white<br />
. The watch has<br />
consigned by the original<br />
and I’m sure will sell faster<br />
Speciale on the autobahn!<br />
168 VINTAGE
11 TH NOVEMBER 2019, GENEVA<br />
CHRISTIES RARE WATCHES<br />
You can certainly fight off those Monday Blues with Christie’s on 11th November, by visiting the<br />
Rare Watches sale at the Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues. The stalwart house of the auction scene<br />
has assembled another fine selection of both rare and desirable pievces under the watchful eye of<br />
department head Sabine Kegel. Rare doesn’t always have to mean ultra-expensive either — there<br />
are some watches for all levels of collectors in this sale. And as we have seen countless times before,<br />
anything can happen at an auction. It really is worth registering to bid in these sales as the room can<br />
sometimes remain luke warm and bargains can be had…I still gnash my teeth at the memory of the<br />
full-set Tudor Big Block Monte Carlo that sold for peanuts in the May sale. Having learnt my lesson,<br />
I intend to have a paddle on my lap this season…<br />
LOT 40<br />
THE RICHARD MILLE RM 055<br />
‘BUBBA WATSON’<br />
Another brand I have a lot of love for is Richard<br />
Mille, especially since my recent trip with them to<br />
Qatar for the athletics championships. The stories<br />
behind the people and friends of the brand are<br />
indicative of the family-vibe that this watch house<br />
upholds as its core vision. Lot 40 is a white ceramic<br />
watch, in the classic RM style, that was developed<br />
with golfer Bubba Watson. If you’re going to<br />
wear a watch to play golf, you really need<br />
to ensure that it can handle the rigors<br />
associated with such a pursuit. The<br />
original watch that Richard Mille<br />
and Watson created in 2011<br />
was the RM 038, but a year<br />
later they improved the<br />
watch and unveiled the RM 055. The caliber RMUL2 is able<br />
to withstand up to 5000Gs. Let’s put this into context — a<br />
fighter pilot will experience G-forces of up to 9Gs and the<br />
most any human has withstood is 31.25G (a NASA doctor).<br />
So this is a pretty robust watch when you think about the fact<br />
that its movement weighs<br />
only 4.3 grams.<br />
Awesome!
170 VINTAGE
ICON OF TIME:<br />
THE HEUER MONACO<br />
Imagine 50 years ago, early morning on May 18th in 1969,<br />
you are Jo Siffert, opened the door of your Bahama yellow<br />
911S, started the engine commencing a new journey you<br />
were looking forward for years.<br />
Imagine you are burning for motorsports and had<br />
decided to become Formula 1’s first watch sponsor. Now,<br />
you chose the race of the races in Monaco to validate the new<br />
path, back then, a highly unusual advertising strategy.<br />
The principality of Monaco is surrounded by la Côte<br />
d’Azur. A miraculous place where the southern chain of the<br />
European Alps hits the sea by creating picturesque villages,<br />
such as Cap d’Ail, Beausoleil and Roquebrune-Cap-<br />
Martin. Once a year the principality, smaller than Hyde<br />
Park, became the meeting point of the international jet set.<br />
Those were the times with no speed limits. Freedom was<br />
only restricted by individual skill.<br />
In the meantime, the Bahama 911 left the Italian border<br />
behind, exited the Corniche and weaved through narrow<br />
roads to a parking opposite the pits. Siffert looked at the<br />
blue Heuer Monaco on his wrist with a smile:<br />
On time to enjoy the big race!<br />
The smell of racing fuel was omnipresent. The sudden<br />
barking of an ignited high-revving race engines paired with<br />
an octane breeze of a speedy car pass challenged the senses.<br />
After the training session was finished, he crossed the<br />
track towards the pits looking at the deep black rubber<br />
marks on the tarmac engraved by tortured Firestones.<br />
“Salut Seppi (Siffert’s nickname),Wie hätts Tränig<br />
xi?”(in Swiss German, “How was your training session?”)<br />
Fünfter Platz greeted Siffert in good temper pointing at the<br />
Heuer Chronomatic stickers on his Lotus with a smile.<br />
After the drivers had put their helmets on, they looked<br />
like Roman gladiators entering the arena ready for a fierce<br />
battle. The tension tightens! The cars got off the starting line<br />
wrapped in a blanket of noise. Every moment of the Monaco<br />
Grand Prix was dramatic, leaving no margin for error on the<br />
narrow and twisting track. The sheer speed, the braking at<br />
last limits, followed by brute acceleration took its toll and<br />
car after car retired. Monaco was the supreme test for driver<br />
skills and a good indication of how much extra punishment a<br />
car could take.<br />
The murmuring of well more than 200-thousand<br />
spectators crested into a roar of pure enthusiasm and<br />
emotion when Graham Hill crossed the checkered flag<br />
to win the Grand Prix. Coming in second in the race was<br />
Piers Courage on a Brabham Ford entered by the young<br />
Frank Williams.<br />
The crowd eagerly awaited for the Rob Walker Racing<br />
Lotus driven by Joseph Siffert. The staccato of his Ford<br />
Cosworth V8 engine could be heard flying over the finish line<br />
as the oil-soaked hands of Siffert’s enthusiastic mechanics<br />
shot into the air. What a tremendous success, this third place<br />
was worth more than anything. It was meant to be, the first<br />
podium position for a Heuer sponsored driver!<br />
Why is the Heuer Monaco such an important and iconic watch?<br />
WORDS ARNO HASLINGER<br />
PHOTOGRAPHY ARNO HASLINGER & TAG HEUER<br />
Haslinger in the driver’s<br />
seat of a one-off Porsche<br />
911 Turbo belonging to the<br />
owner of Martini Racing,<br />
Gregorio Rossi de Montelera,<br />
a Monaco on his wrist.<br />
VINTAGE 171
HEUER AND MCQUEEN<br />
Change of scenery, just one<br />
year later at the Racetrack of Le<br />
Mans in France, a young property<br />
master had put six photographs of<br />
period leading race drivers on the desk. Without hesitation,<br />
Steve McQueen pointed at Joseph Siffert’s picture and said,<br />
“I want to look like him [for the filming of Le Mans].” In a<br />
twist of fate, Siffert’s racing suit carried prominently a large<br />
Heuer badge on the chest.<br />
No sooner said than done, a range of Heuers<br />
were brought to the set for Steve McQueen to pick.<br />
Unsurprisingly the king of taste chose the most unusual<br />
design, a Monaco with a glaring blue dial.<br />
The Monaco reference number 1133 B decoded as: ‘11’<br />
for Caliber 11 (the newly developed automatic-chronograph<br />
calibre); ‘3’ stood for Monaco line; the second ‘3’ indicated<br />
a steel case and finally the ‘B’ was the suffix for a blue dial.<br />
Technically, it was not short of revolutionary.<br />
A monocoque caseback embedded the movement and<br />
had four notches on the outsides at 12 and 6 o’clock.<br />
The top-case held a square glass with a rubber seal<br />
underneath. The two pieces clicked in place and made<br />
the unusual construction waterproof.<br />
Jack Heuer said to me during a working dinner some<br />
time ago: “You know, back in the old days all sports watches<br />
were round. Our watches were all waterproof. When my<br />
supplier Piquerez presented their new waterproof system<br />
for this square case design, I just asked for exclusivity and<br />
gave it a go!”<br />
Heuer called the new Monaco in their period advertising<br />
materials with a Swiss sense for understatement simply:<br />
“Avant-garde. Le seul cronographe automatique carre du<br />
monde!” (Translation: “Avant-garde! The only square,<br />
automatic chronograph in the world!”) Aligned to the<br />
name and very promising was the second tagline: “Monaco<br />
— partout a sa place: aussi bien au volant d’une voiture<br />
de course formule 1 qu’a la soiree de gala du Casino!”<br />
(Translation: “Monaco — has a place both at the wheel of a<br />
Formula 1 race car and a gala evening at the casino!”<br />
Heuer called the Monaco ‘Spielgefährtin’ (playfellow)<br />
in a German ad. In the US a graphic explained why the<br />
winding crown moved to the left side (automatic and<br />
therefore no need for winding). The same ad stated that the<br />
Monaco was designed by a famous Swiss stylist! Maybe a<br />
young Gérald Genta or Richard Sapper?<br />
During the mid ’60s the average watch size was between<br />
34 and 36 mm. Hence the style of the<br />
Steve McQueen styled<br />
like Joseph Siffert for<br />
the Le Mans movie,<br />
with a Monaco 1133<br />
B on his wrist; Siffert<br />
getting ready for a<br />
race,withHeuerlogos<br />
on his suit and car.<br />
172 VINTAGE
ArareHeuerMonaco<br />
withthreeregisters<br />
on the dial; an<br />
advertisement for<br />
the Monaco.<br />
Monaco hit a conservative watch<br />
world like a bomb, polarizing to<br />
say at least, a kind of love or hate<br />
relationship for most until today.<br />
Beyond any doubt, the design<br />
was bold, edgy, with alternating brushed and polished<br />
surfaces as well as convex and concave sides.<br />
The utterly striking case was eye-catching and big at<br />
40mm by 40mm. The so-called Steve McQueen version<br />
from 1970 revealed a stunning blue dial. Depending on light<br />
conditions and angle the blue could change from indigo to<br />
steel or from sapphire to midnight in glimpse of a second.<br />
As a long time Monaco owner, I have learned wearing<br />
the 1133 B can be highly addictive. Most watch aficionados<br />
know the feeling when you get caught, looking at your watch<br />
all too often, struggling to be held for an unfriendly fellow.<br />
The Heuer Monaco had an outstanding design paired<br />
with technical excellence but I believe it was too avantgarde<br />
for its time. It wasn’t universally loved, similar to<br />
another outstanding product with wheels and clutches: the<br />
Porsche 911 Turbo 3.0l. Presented in 1974, at peak of the<br />
energy crisis. the first production turbocharged Porsche<br />
showed an eye catching design with its flamboyant rear<br />
spoiler and widely flared fenders. As a descendant of the<br />
917 it was styled like a race car, slightly adapted to street use<br />
and recommended to skilled drivers only. Soon after launch<br />
the 911 Turbo was nicknamed the<br />
“Widow Maker”. Unsurprising<br />
then, that petrolhead Steve<br />
McQueen ordered a 911 Turbo for<br />
his stable.<br />
NEW CHALLENGES<br />
But back to watches... Heuer enlarged the Monaco range<br />
with a manual wind version and an appealing three subregister<br />
dial configuration. For me, it was a real sleeper, a<br />
fantastic watch with all goodies, featuring a running second<br />
as well as 30-minute and 12-hours totalizers. A year later,<br />
another automatic Monaco with a striking silver dial and<br />
small running second at 10 o’clock broadened the portfolio.<br />
Meanwhile, the Quarz Revolution raised dark clouds<br />
over the Swiss watch industry. Heuer made a final attempt<br />
with a black coated Monaco reflecting an industry trend<br />
initiated by a car designer called Ferdinand Alexander<br />
Porsche. Sadly, the Monaco’s production ceased only five<br />
years after its promising start.<br />
Steve McQueen lost his battle against cancer in 1980<br />
and Jack Heuer had to leave his company in 1982.<br />
In the meantime, the Heuer company was controlled<br />
by TAG (Techniques d ’Avant Garde) and renamed as TAG<br />
Heuer. All new products after the takeover carried the new<br />
logo showing TAG above the Heuer shield.<br />
“When my supplier Piquerez<br />
presented their new waterproof<br />
system for this square case design,<br />
I just asked for exclusivity and gave<br />
it a go!” — Jack Heuer<br />
VINTAGE 173
(Just as a<br />
side note: TAG<br />
had a stake in<br />
McLaren Racing<br />
and financed<br />
the development of the Porsche F1 engine. Former Heuer<br />
sponsored Ferrari driver Niki Lauda won 1984 his third<br />
World championship title on McLaren/Porsche.)<br />
Would the Monaco have revived without ambassadors?<br />
In 1998 I was living in Paris working as a marketer for<br />
one of the big luxury companies when an invite for a Heuer<br />
Monaco launch event landed on my desk. I went and loved<br />
it! Steve McQueen was chosen as a testimonial and back on<br />
display. So far so good. The stainless case was redesigned,<br />
fitted with a black dial, which was only Heuer Monaco<br />
branded with the TAG logo. The case was smaller and<br />
showed a more reduced design. All in all, a perfect fit for the<br />
nineties, where minimalistic designers like Helmut Lang<br />
had their peak success. The production of the new Monaco<br />
was limited to just 5,000 pieces.<br />
Then in 1999, a very interesting Heuer Monaco made<br />
in a very limited run of only 120 pieces was introduced for<br />
the Monaco Grand Prix that year. A step ahead was the 40th<br />
Anniversary limited edition, a tribute from Jack Heuer to<br />
Steve McQueen in 2009. The lovely blue dial and the return<br />
of the silvered horizontal indexes was in my humble opinion<br />
a leap forward. The hands had large luminous inserts for<br />
improved readability like the vintage original.<br />
The 40th Anniversary Monaco looked less prominent on<br />
the wrist than the original 1133B from 1969. This was mainly<br />
owed to the smaller case dimensions at the sides. The crown<br />
was more integrated and hence better protected, compared<br />
with older Monacos. The new pushers are great to use even<br />
better than the old ones. (Does Patek Philippe have a similar<br />
supplier for the Nautilus Chronograph?)<br />
The Steve McQueen tribute was a great overall package<br />
limited to 1,000 examples. This was particularly important<br />
for collectors seeking a vintage look, coupled with the new<br />
caliber 11 movement.<br />
During the last ten years TAG Heuer has created such<br />
an impressive portfolio. Chapeau! I have the honest feeling<br />
that one technical masterpiece follows the other. They<br />
have been real pioneers of the watch world, endeavoring<br />
to find the best new ideas and solutions to drive forwardthinking<br />
designs, many of which have been fronted in the<br />
Monaco line. Take for example the V4, a belt-driven system<br />
developed by the manufacture. (Incidentally, I’d highly<br />
recommend visiting the fantastic TAG Heuer museum for<br />
more information.)<br />
The third edition<br />
of the new Monaco<br />
Jubilee celebrations,<br />
marking the 1989-1999<br />
decade; an image<br />
of the new Monaco<br />
with the original.<br />
174 VINTAGE
The second release<br />
of the Monaco<br />
this year, marking<br />
1979 to 1989; the<br />
first release with a<br />
green dial marking<br />
1969 t0 1979.<br />
THE MONACO AT 50<br />
2019 is a very special and<br />
interesting year for the<br />
Heuer Monaco. Ongoing<br />
celebrations and new products mark the 50th anniversary.<br />
The brand will launch five different models during<br />
the year, each limited to 169 pieces which means a total<br />
of 845 pieces. So far, my personal favourite is Watch 1<br />
(representing the 1969-1979 decade). Under the magnifier<br />
the green dial is an absolute gem, beautifully executed with<br />
incredible attention to finest detail. The colour coding is<br />
very appealing. All steel hands correspond nicely with yellow<br />
markers topped by red lume dots. The sub dials have a<br />
sunburst finish which adds an additional twist. The Monaco<br />
logo seems slightly enlarged with a fatter Serif font. (The<br />
1133B dial also had serifs.)<br />
On Watch 2 (Time period 1979-1989) my favorite<br />
feature is the shape of the two sub dials. The bright red<br />
dial has a nice sunburst finish contrasting well with the<br />
horizontally grained subdials.<br />
Watch 3 (Time period 1989-1999) reminds me on one<br />
hand of the Monaco Reference 1<strong>53</strong>3 with the silver dial. On<br />
the other hand, the dial with its textured finish has a very<br />
artisanal touch, a bit like stone prior to refinishing. The<br />
square red circle reflects the case design. ‘Monaco’ and<br />
‘Chronograph’ are in larger fonts, perhaps suggesting the<br />
watch’s iconic milestone as<br />
the world’s first waterproof,<br />
automatic chronograph<br />
watch. All this is guesswork.<br />
I am pretty sure TAG Heuer will provide some more<br />
information rather soon.<br />
I am a vintage watch man for whom the original was<br />
always the best choice to have. I’ve always found it very<br />
difficult to find good honest vintage pieces. As a consultant<br />
for the English auction house Bonhams I have had many<br />
vintage watches in my hands, but perfect Monacos are<br />
scarce finds today.<br />
The market for Heuer has become more and more mature<br />
with a lot of information available. Due to fast rising prices,<br />
new timers are more appealing today than ten years ago. The<br />
Monaco still is a very emotional watch with great history and a<br />
portfolio full of possible variations.<br />
After 50 years the Monaco has a matured offering, a large<br />
range spanning from a vintage collectors dream to an entry<br />
model for a summer trip to the Côte d’Azur.<br />
This year I returned to the Monaco Grand Prix. I drove<br />
down passed the Italian boarder, stopped at the Corniche<br />
to inhale the Seabreeze and pause for a moment full of<br />
enjoyment. I looked at my old blue Monaco Reference 1133 B<br />
and thought to myself: it’s good to be back to see the Race of<br />
the Races!<br />
During the last ten years TAG Heuer<br />
has created such an impressive<br />
portfolio. Chapeau! I have the<br />
honest feeling that one technical<br />
masterpiece follows the other.<br />
VINTAGE 175
“<br />
IT MAKES YOU<br />
WONDER<br />
Ken Kessler surveys the millennial winds blowing<br />
through the watch industry.<br />
SIHH Is No More!” So<br />
screamed the headlines in<br />
one of the watch industry<br />
trade sites, heralding the change of<br />
the watch fair’s name to Watches &<br />
Wonders, signifying a hook-up with<br />
the existing, open-to-the-public<br />
horological road show held in Miami<br />
and Hong Kong. Already the paranoia,<br />
the kvetching and the doom-saying<br />
have started. Gimme a break: it’s a<br />
watch fair, not a heart bypass..<br />
What does this mean for both<br />
the existing trade visitors and the<br />
watch-loving public, long itching to<br />
pass through those hallowed portals<br />
at Palexpo? The 30th anniversary<br />
of the event will no doubt present a<br />
challenge to retailers, distributors and<br />
journalists, used to three decades of<br />
tightly organized, planned-to-theminute<br />
exclusivity and pampering, but<br />
even that wasn’t sacrosanct.<br />
For a few years now, the original<br />
15 to 18 brands from the Richemont<br />
Group, augmented by a few<br />
independent “friends”, has expanded<br />
to around 35 with the addition of<br />
17 more brands in the Carré des<br />
Horlogers (the Watchmakers’ Square)<br />
suite for small independents. This was readily filled by<br />
the brands who felt swamped by Baselworld and no doubt<br />
contributed to its shrinkage.<br />
Retailers need only call on the brands they stock; if you<br />
carry Panerai but don’t sell IWC, you could skip the latter.<br />
Visiting journalists, on the other hand, are expected to call<br />
on every single exhibitor if they are to retain their status.<br />
The addition of the Carré effectively doubled the number<br />
of presentations, yet the duration of the event remained<br />
unchanged. Lunch hours (poor babies!!) were truncated<br />
to allow time to visit the independents. Trainers replaced<br />
Jimmy Choos. The hacks were knackered.<br />
To provide an inkling of why there is a sense of concern<br />
over the new arrangements, the first bombshell is that<br />
Watches & Wonders will be open to the public, thus<br />
increasing the density of the crowd. So much for swiftly<br />
finding seats at the tables around the bistros, or short<br />
queues at the entrance.<br />
That, however, is nothing compared to the angst<br />
inspired by the new dates. The show has been moved from<br />
January to April, to the week before the revised Baselworld.<br />
Oh, how I laughed when the snowflakes started wailing!<br />
“How will we handle two shows in a row? That’s at least a<br />
week away from home! And how do we get from Geneva to<br />
Basel?”<br />
Hmmm … maybe someone should tell them that, for<br />
nearly 20 years, the two shows ran in sequence and it was<br />
only a decade ago that SIHH changed to January. I don’t<br />
recall any particular hardship, any whinging about the<br />
proximity of the two shows way back when, but then my<br />
colleagues I and at the time were not<br />
mollycoddled Millennials. We just got<br />
on with it.<br />
With global rumblings about<br />
a backlash against conspicuous<br />
consumption, every luxury brand —<br />
not just watch houses — has to pay<br />
heed to the current zeitgeist. Nobody<br />
wants to be in Greta Thunberg’s sights.<br />
But there are watches to be sold, and<br />
promoting them has never been more<br />
important. With this in mind, the<br />
organisers have promised that W&W<br />
will be more inclusive, embracing the<br />
city of Geneva.<br />
Planned is a program titled “In<br />
the City” to make this a must for<br />
watch lovers. It will offer exhibitions,<br />
walking tours, hands-on watchmaking<br />
experiences, visits to the manufactures<br />
and museums, presentations in<br />
the boutiques, myriad conferences<br />
and the opportunity for face-time<br />
with industry figures — something<br />
journalists are privileged to undergo<br />
as part of their work, but which<br />
“civilians” rarely enjoy.<br />
All of this, by necessity if it is to<br />
succeed, has been organized with the<br />
support of the City and the Canton<br />
of Geneva. One wishes that the city<br />
fathers of Basel saw Baselworld in<br />
the same light, instead of failing to<br />
rein in the avarice of the local hotels<br />
and restaurants. But I’ll leave that<br />
particular battle to our founder, Wei<br />
Koh, who has more antipathy for<br />
CHF8 sausages than I do; my pet peeve<br />
is the cost of taxis. And we haven’t even<br />
mentioned what Swatch Group has<br />
planned for 2020.<br />
With Watches & Wonders Geneva<br />
ending just before Baselworld, there<br />
will be a hustle for the seats on the<br />
trains that run between the two, and<br />
for me that’s a joyous blast from the<br />
past: I loved the journey, a respite<br />
between the fairs. I suspect, though<br />
that cars will be hired, and I don’t even<br />
know if there are flights between the<br />
two cities, unless one has the budget<br />
for booking a helicopter. Somehow,<br />
I don’t see too many Millennials<br />
thinking along those lines. It wouldn’t<br />
do to piss off Greta.<br />
176 OPINION
grand-seiko.com
CALIBER RM 60-01 REGATTA<br />
LIMITED EDITION<br />
RICHARD MILLE BOUTIQUES<br />
ASPEN BAL HARBOUR BEVERLY HILLS BOSTON BUENOS AIRES<br />
LAS VEGAS MIAMI NEW YORK ST. BARTH TORONTO VANCOUVER<br />
www.richardmille.com
Change language