Latest watch news · Page 2097

On Monday I showed the beautiful rose gold final version of the Jaeger LeCoultre Gyro Tourbillon. Today is another, arguably even more interesting, and certainly more complicated JLC timepiece. The aptly named Grande Tradition Grand Complication. The dial is an amazingly beautiful blue, engraved with the stars and firmament, the flying tourbillon makes its wayRead More

Jaeger LeCoultre has been pushing the envelope of high horology for some time. With the Gyrotourbillon announced in 2004. The original series is produced in a platinum case, and I had the opportunity to photograph and view the final run of 30 pieces in rose gold. The Gyrotourbillon has grown more beautiful in its newRead More

The engraving department within A. Lange & Sohne is perhaps rather famous. Every watch produced carries a hand engraved balance cock. These bear the signatures of the engravers, and can be recognised by them with a quick examination. But equally interesting, and arguably perhaps more so, are the engraving and enameling work done for theRead More

I wrote about Laurent Ferrier’s Gallet Tourbillon before. See this post for the earlier post. I caught up with Laurent and his crew in Geneva during the recent GTE where he was showing a peek-a-boo dial…which features a fan shaped opening on the dial which opens to reveal a favourite picture…painted by no other thanRead More

Kari Voutilainen’s simple time only watch…a la Dufour’s Simplicity is the Observertoire. I had the oppportunity to photograph this masterpiece in Motiers in January, after the SIHH when I visited with some good friends. The dial shows great restraint, and looks extremely handsome. The rose engine turned dial is made onsite at Kari’s premises. IRead More

The Hamilton Watch Company is one with an illustrious history. Founded in Lancaster, Pensylvania in the US in 1892, nearly 120 years ago, it stood right at the forefront of high precision watchmaking. They focussed in those days principally in the production of railroad watches. Pocket watches which often with two timezones though sometimes onlyRead More

Hublot is an amazing company…in the early days, they pushed innovation with scented rubber straps…which even today, is an interesting concept. But since Jean Claude Biver, the marketing supermo who started Blancpain in the 80s started to helm the company, it took off. Literally. Jean Claude introduced the concept of fusion…the fusion of old andRead More

H. Moser is an interesting company, recently exploded into the scene with some very innovative watches. Featured here is the perpetual calendar. In many calendars, the dial is usually so complicated, it is hard to read the time, and even harder to read the calendar indications. Not so with the Moser. This roundabout thinking hasRead More

Some portraits of Grandmaster of Watchmaking – Philippe Dufour. Photographed in his workshop in Le Soliat, in the Swiss Jura. January 2011.

Incredible! That’s what I can describe it. Incroyable! The Vacheron Constantin Metiers d’Art – Chagall & L’Opera de Paris piece is an exceptional work of art. I am quite speechless when I examined the work, done in enamel by Anita Porcet, an independent enamelist. I normally am not too excited about enamel paintings on aRead More

Year after year, the Salon International de Haut Horologie (SIHH) showcases the best of watches in the industry in the huge, invitation only show in Geneva. This is my 10th year attending SIHH. And with each year, the booths become more and more amazing. As the Founder of the Lange Owner’s Group, I naturally useRead More

Kari Voutilainen is one of the rising…perhaps already bright and shining…stars in independent horology. Meticulous, deliberate, precise in his action and choice of words. His works are marvelled the world over. One example of his clear thinking is the “re-invention” of the minute repeater striking mechanism. Instead of striking the hours, quarters and minutes afterRead More

Vacheron Constantin is one of the three Grande Dames of watchmaking…the othe two being Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet. Interestingly, it is currently the only one which is within a large group, in this case Groupe Richemont, which count amongst the members of its stable luminaries like A. Lange & Sohne, IWC, Jaeger LeCoultre, Cartier,Read More

BaselWorld with the independents…ok, some independents. I find this poster to be very interesting…love it! p.s. photograph has nothing to do with me…I was just tickled when I saw it, and thought it deserved to be shared…

Vianney Halter is a very interesting watchmaker. Intensely passionate about his craft, and insanely loyal to producing everything inhouse in his little farmhouse in St.Croix – a little village up in the mountains in the Swiss Jura. Visiting his workshops are like visiting a toystore for a man who still loves to play with everythingRead More

Debethune always have interesting things to show at the periphery of SIHH. Housed once again in one of the function rooms at the Four Seasons Hotel in downtown Geneva, David Zaneta and his genius partner Denis Flageolet have come up with yet another amazing crop of products. As usual I had the pleasure of beingRead More

Greubel Forsey charted the course of their firm with what they call a series of inventions. In SIHH 2011, they released the Invention Piece No. 2.

Greubel Forsey is one of the independent watchmakers to watch…they are very innovative, and creates timepieces which are wonderful to the eye…like landscapes…and fully deserve what I call watchscapes…landscapes of watches. Started by two veterans from Renaud et Papi – the firm bears the name of the founders…Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey. Robert is French,Read More

Urwerk is always amazing. The watches they make are not strictly for telling the time, but avant garde sculptures which mesmerises because of the way it reminds one of science fiction creations. One can only imagine the designers at Urwerk: the talented Martin Frei and Felix Baumgartner have spent (or mis-spent) their youth marvelling atRead More

More novelties from ALS in SIHH 2011 Lange also introduced some new entry level watches to complete the Saxonia line. The line is now quite complete with the Saxonia Automatic, the Saxonial Flat Handwound, and the Saxonia World Time. First the Saxonia Automatic. The movement is a new movement, with a full rotor instead ofRead More

Lange had a bumper crop this year…in addition to the Richard Lange Pour le Merite Tourbillon announced last month…see this, they announced the Zeitwerk Striking Time, the new Saxonia Thin handwound, Saxonia World Time, and a refreshed Saxonia. And stay tuned for yet another big announcement slated for mid-year. But let’s go through the novelties…firstRead More

The watch, in White Gold. Limited to an edition of 20 pieces, this is No 1. A closer look at the front dial The rear of the watch… A Side view of the watch, showing the engraving with Singapore’s lattitude: A closeup of the tourbillon, showing the special design of the tourbillon cage Slide openRead More

The JLC Triptyque Grand Complication…announced in SIHH 2007. This is a magnificent watch. I recently managed to have the opportunity to photograph this piece at a local dealer’s where it was on its way to being delivered to its owner. One of the more complicated watches made by JLC, the watch is based on theRead More

Am a bit tied up preparing for my book…more about this later…and for SIHH 2011, so am lagging a bit on watchscapes…a new word I coined for watch photographs…especially those with extreme macros, making the watch elememts look abstract and like landscapes. To tie the watch fans, here is a photograph of the older RolexRead More

Hands-on definitive review of the A. Lange & Sohne Richard Lange Pour le Merite Tourbillon. This review was published on 9am GMT 20th December 2010, when the embargo lifted.  A number of global journalists were invited to celebrate the founding of the Lange company on 7th December 2010 in Glashutte with a Press Conference toRead More

Laurent Ferrier…the first offering from this doyen of traditional watchmaking. Laurent used to work within the studios of Patek Philippe, and this year, he introduced a landmark piece bearing his name on the dial. The Gallet Tourbillon is a masterpiece of watchmaking. Totally traditional, fully classical in design, layout and finish. Available as an enamelRead More

Imagine if you will…a designer…talented, no doubt. But who has worked designing cars, and electric guitars. Imagine that this same designer took his thoughts on a watch, discarding all the normal ideas on watch design…like having hands, like the way you show time. Imagine if he was unlimited by traditional watchmaking…and the movement is mechanical,Read More