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GaryG shares his thoughts on if/how the impact of COVID-19 has affected some of the issues brought up in Apocalypse II, the 2019 Dubai Watch Week Horology Forum panel discussing impact of connected watches and technology.
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One of the most famous bourbon distilleries of all is Buffalo Trace, whose story started centuries ago with a famous name: Daniel Boone, who rode through Leestown in 1771 “on the buffalo trace” more than 20 years before Kentucky even became a state. Ken Gargett shares here why he thinks the bourbon from this American distillery is so special.
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The Bovet Récital 27 is built around a triple time zone display that one might imagine could become busy, but Bovet is rather skilled at combining complications in a way that doesn’t seem forced in any respect. But for Joshua Munchow, the most dramatic element on this dial is the double moon phase display, which shows the current moon phase in both the southern and northern hemispheres. And there is one more element he loves here, can you guess which?
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The 850-year-old Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris, one of the world’s most iconic buildings, was devastated by a fire on April 15, 2019 during renovations, which destroyed much of its roof and spires as well as the cathedral’s nineteenth-century clock. Unfortunately, there were no plans or digital files of the clock. Luckily, though, a nearly identical clock movement was recently discovered and a passionate team is working to use that as a template for (funds permitting) rebuilding a new clock for Notre-Dame.
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With the new Alfred Helwig Tourbillon 1920 – Limited Edition, Glashütte Original once again nods to the history of the invention of the flying tourbillon. Featuring an "invisible" example of the flying tourbillon, this timepiece pays tribute to one of the most illustrious figures of Glashütte's 175-year history. And its seeming simplicity is mesmerizing to author Sabine Zwettler.
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If Cohiba is the king of cigars then the Espléndido is the ultimate Cohiba. Ken Gargett does find a little inconsistency with them – a never-ending issue for Cuban cigars – but if given some age, this tends to resolve itself. What else is remarkable about them?
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Relatively simple men's watches are perhaps the most popular watches by sales, and the nominated watches in the 2020 GPHG highlight that this is a vintage year for the genre. So it's not surprising that our panelists are split three ways in their predictions for the winner. Find out what we think about all of the contenders and how ruthless we were in comparing them here.
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Girard-Perregaux plays cleverly off the intense blackness of the onyx dial of the Vintage 1945 Infinity by crafting the logo, hour indexes, and second hand in pink gold. To Martin Green's eye, the combination of the steel case with the pink and white metal hands creates an interesting dynamic that works very well in combination with the Vintage 1945 Infinity’s art deco design.
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The GPHG foundation describes the Ladies Complication category for watches entered as “women’s watches that are remarkable in terms of their mechanical creativity and complexity." And our panelists wonder: is a tourbillon enough to take home the prize?
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The Bugatti Chiron Tourbillon almost serves the timekeeping function as a side dish: the most eye-catching part of this watch is the sapphire crystal engine block with 16 working “pistons” and a “crankshaft.” It is absolutely mesmerizing to see these little pistons do the same work that their life-size W16 cousins do. Check out this video to see it for yourself!
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The Maurice Lacroix Masterpiece Embrace features a pair of hearts that mesh with the point of one heart meeting the cleft of the other and moving at constantly differing speeds for an utterly enchanting effect. Joshua Munchow feels that it also offers a perfect horological metaphor for the complexities of love. What do you think?
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The first spinoff film from The Fast and the Furious franchise, 'Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw,' was released on August 2, 2019. It features two great characters from the previous films: Luke Hobbs played by Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson and Deckard Shaw, played by Jason Statham. Both Johnson and Statham are known to be watch lovers and frequently wear their own timepieces in movies. Here Nick Gould identifies what's on their wrists in the film.
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The GPHG foundation describes the Ladies category for watches entered as “comprising only the following indications: hours, minutes, seconds, date, power reserve, and/or classic moon phase. These timepieces may be adorned with a maximum of eight carats’ worth of gemstones.” While our panelists aren't quite unanimous, we do have a clear favorite as a winner here. Read on to find out why.
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The flexibility of the beautiful Bovet Amadéo Fleurier 36 Miss Audrey makes it very appealing because in each configuration, the watches can be appreciated in a different way. The patented Amadéo case allows the watch to be used as a pendant, pocket, or wristwatch. And even as a small table clock! And those dials! And those beads! A must see.
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Elizabeth Doerr has not seen a watch by Alexandre Beauregard’s little firm that she hasn’t immediately fallen in love with. The Dahlia with its central flying tourbillon movement and hand-carved stone petals is just perfect. And along comes the more affordable, rectangular Lili. Flowers have rarely looked so good!
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The Hermès Arceau Petite Lune Jeté de Diamants et Saphirs adds a fanciful and whimsical slant to the Arceau Petite Lune, which is just begging for some fun. This new version utilizes a mother-of-pearl dial and date subdial adorned by 65 blue sapphires and 58 tiny diamonds. It's a Goldilocks splash of flash, not too much and not too little. Time to fall in love!
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Often with incoming pieces GaryG resists the temptation to wear a watch until he has had the chance to photograph it in pristine condition, but in the spirit of fun he chucked out the principle of restraint and slapped his new Hajime Asaoka Kurono Anniversary Green Mori right on his wrist. When you read Gary's story and see his photos you will know why.
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Glashütte celebrates 175 years of watchmaking and unveils a memorial statue of Walter Lange. Elizabeth Doerr was one of the few journalists at the COVID-19-restricted event and shares a recap of it with us here.
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The 'Kingsman' feature-film series is based on comic books of the same name and stars a special breed of British secret service operatives. Stylish as they are, these Savile Row agents also obviously need watches to match their bespoke suits. In honor of the forthcoming third film in the series, Jaeger-LeCoultre and Mr. Porter launch the exceptional Master Ultra Thin Kingsman Knife Watch. And it is bound to wow you with its cutting-edge profile!
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The jewel in the Trimbach crown is Clos Sainte Hune. From Alsace, France, Ken Gargett is sure it is quite simply the greatest expression of dry Riesling on the planet.
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The Moomin universe was created by the late Swedish-speaking Finn Tove Jansson. It comprises a microcosm of Jansson’s fairytale version of Scandinavia thrown in a blender with Roald Dahl and a sprinkling of J.R.R. Tolkien. And that’s all present in the Sarpaneva x Moomin watch honoring the 75th anniversary of Jansson’s highly successful book, 'The Moomins and the Great Flood.' This watch has a secret, though. Find it here!
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According to Joshua Munchow, the Bernhard Lederer Central Impulse Chronometer is one of the most astounding pieces to be released in 2020, and when he first saw it on social media he actually gasped out loud. The more that he looked at it the more he fell in love with the style, the engineering, and the concept behind the movement. But he must ask: is it really a chronometer?
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Inspired by a bulldog, MB&F;’s Horological Machine No. 10 features a rounded, stocky body; the time display forms its eyes; and the stout legs form the lugs, hugging its owner fiercely and loyally. But what is more likely to attract your eye are the wildly canine jaws with teeth that open and shut according to the amount of tension in the mainspring. The Watches TV takes a close look (but not too close - woof!).
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Habring2 introduces Foudroyante-Felix in a very wearable 38.5 mm case. This intense timepiece entertains the eye with foudroyante seconds while keeping accurate time with deadbeat seconds. All at the same time! And now in a very svelte case in two dial color variations.
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Joshua Munchow talks about steel here, the metal that made the world! Watch cases and other movement components are commonly made from certain stainless steels, 304 and 316L being the most frequent. It also happens that some brands hold exclusive rights to use specific alloys in the production of its watches. Here's what you should know about steel.
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Close to 120 years after Abraham-Louis Breguet patented the tourbillon, master watchmaker Alfred Helwig (1886-1974) created a “flying” tourbillon at the German School of Watchmaking in Glashütte. The flying tourbillon became somewhat characteristic of Glashütte and lives on in a few very special watches today. Who was Alfred Helwig? Find out here.
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Petermann Bédat is a young company comprising a youthful duo of independent watchmakers by the names of Gaël Petermann and Florian Bédat. Their first watch features a deadbeat style of seconds created with the help of grand master Dominique Renaud. Our friends at The Watches TV hosted Gaël Petermann and Florian Bédat in their Geneva studio to find out more. Watch their talk here!
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The 2020 edition of the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) has just published the list of shortlisted (“nominated”) watches in the run-up to the eagerly anticipated red-carpet event in Geneva on November 12. Elizabeth Doerr shares all of the finalist watches in each category here. Let us know your favorites!
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Not only Martin Green thinks that a date has the power to swiftly ruin the appearance of a watch. But that didn't happen to Breguet's latest addition to the Tradition family, the smart Quantième Rétrograde 7597 with its clever new date function. See for yourself!
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Joshua Munchow feels a philosophical bond with John-Mikaël Flaux, an independent watchmaker and automaton designer, just from how Flaux describes himself and why he creates. Joshua loves the mechanical marvels he constructs, but it’s deeper than the result of his craftsmanship: Flaux is a mechanically curious person and his passion comes through in the objects he makes. Find out exactly what those are right here.
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