THE HISTORY OF BLANCPAIN

An outrageous introduction, perhaps even frivolous.
But, lurking within this self-cancelling
phrase, around which the late
comedian George Carlin built an entire
boisterous routine, lies a contradiction
that parallels exactly the enchantment
of the large date complication.
To state it directly, for both horlogers
and collectors alike, wristwatches
celebrate the small. The
trend of large diameter watches, far
from undermining the prizing of miniaturisation,
actually reinforces it. Although
the diameters of today’s timepieces exceed the
SHRIMP
BY JEFFREY S. KINGSTON
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fashion of ten years ago, small details, the finer
the better, reign supreme in defining the
pinnacle of watchmaking. Regardless
of the diameter, collectors rejoice in
the almost transparent filigree of
a tourbillon escapement, microscopic
screws polished to a brilliant
sheen, immaculate hand
applied anglage finishes, finely
carved decorations on a winding
rotor; the list is endless.
Further, many of the triumphs of
modern watchmaking in large measure
consist in the achievement of taking a com-