Huber Watches Jewellery Lifestyle
Legendary Liechtenstein
White Cube Vaduz
Hoi there!
A wise decision.
GRAFF
Kultuhr no. 45
Spring / Summer 2015
The King of Diamonds.
7 | EDITORIAL
I’m well known for taking quick decisions. If something feels right, then I don’t spend too much time thinking it over. Each spring I travel with my team to Baselworld, the most important international fair in the watch and jewellery industry. Some two thousand exhibitors present their latest creations at Baselworld, which is also open to the public. We deliberately go on a shopping spree without statistics or a fixed budget. Only then, I think, are we able to trust in our instincts and our decades of experience. The well-known brain researcher Gerhard Roth has provided scientific evidence that instinctive decisions are often better and above all faster than purely rational ones. He has demonstrated that the subconscious makes far swifter decisions – and that such decisions are no worse than those arrived at by the power of reasoning. After four days at the fair and after countless appointments, I treated myself to a final special day in Basel this year. I visited the Fondation Beyeler in Riehen. It is staging an exhibition of works by Paul Gauguin, one of the most famous and most fascinating artists there has ever been. Around fifty of Gauguin’s masterpieces make the exhibition one of the great cultural European highlights in 2015. You certainly shouldn’t miss out on this experience, I think. The exhibition remains open until June 28. For Gauguin, painting was the most beautiful of all the arts and the sum of all feelings. With the move to the White Cube, which we will be sharing with the Hilti Art Foundation, I’ve never been closer to art and particularly to painting. I'm grateful for that and I look forward to presenting to you all this unique symbiosis of watches, jewellery and art in what I believe is an exceptional building. In this sense, I wish you a wonderful summer and relaxing days, when instinctive feelings can triumph over rational considerations. Kind regards Norman J. Huber
12 WHITE CUBE Interview with Michael Hilti and Norman J. Huber. 20 WHITE CUBE Eminent dignitaries write messages for the opening. 26 BON ANNIVERSAIRE 75 years of the Portugieser Chronograph from IWC Schaffhausen. 30 EXPEDITION Liechtenstein – a little Principality makes it big.
8 – 9 | CONTENTS
35 COLLECTION Graff – the King of Diamonds.
No. 45 / 2015
44 MEN’S CLASSIC WATCHES The talk of the town.
12 | White Cube After four years of intensive construction it’s high time for the grand opening. Michael Hilti and Norman J. Huber, the fathers of the White Cube, have every reason to feel satisfied. This building is a magnificent piece of architecture. Inside and out. A gem. A work of art. The dream shared by two visionaries has finally come true. 30 | A country with character. Liechtenstein is the smallest of the German-speaking countries and one of the most delightful in regard to its landscape. Young Liechtenstein author Daniel Batliner set off on an exciting search for clues. He explores worlds shrouded in mystical legend and hikes along beautiful mountain trails. The Principality is indeed truly stunning.
48 MEN’S CASUAL WATCHES Sporty style in Vaduz. 52 WOMEN’S WATCHES Last minute. 42 WOMEN’S WATCHES Time for the ladies. 58 CULINARIUM Telser whisky – the thrilling world of good taste. 64 HISTORY The new Treasure Chamber of the Principality of Liechtenstein in the English Building.
35 | A diamond geezer. Laurence Graff has a passion for superlatives. His ardour for the most beautiful diamonds and gemstones has been driving him for 60 years. Graff is one of the world's finest jewellery houses. Its precious jewellery creations are now available from Huber at the White Cube and in Lech.
68 ART Summer of culture 2015: Bad RagARTz and Art Basel.
58 | Liquid gold.
71 IMPRINT
One man from Liechtenstein has a particular interest in Scotland’s national drink. Marcel Telser distils unique, award-winning whisky and gin in Triesen. He spent twenty years of his life preparing for this. Today, he garners euphoric reviews from whisky experts all over the world.
64 | Open Sesame. One place in Vaduz is more than just well guarded. Several elaborate alarm systems keep the Treasure Chamber of the Principality of Liechtenstein secure. Located in the heart of Vaduz, it has delighted visitors with its spectacular, over 400-year-old treasure since Easter 2015.
70 HUBER STORES Contact details and opening times.
Can you remember the first conversation you had when you both decided to join forces and build a shared museum? How did that come about? Michael Hilti: Actually, we never intended to build our own museum. But our first exhibition in 2005 in the Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein went down very well with the public. It featured numerous examples from the Hilti Art Foundation’s collection. So we gradually started thinking about having our own museum premises. As the idea took shape, we also thought a tie-in with the Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein would be the best solution. When we looked at the urban setting and the internal spatial structure of the museum, we found that a solution with Norman Huber was the most sensible option. As a highly creative person, Norman had already given quite a lot of thought to the idea of having an exhibition space in his shop, so we quickly agreed to agree to tackle this unusual and ambitious project together.
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Photo 1: A good reason to rejoice: The foundation stone for the White Cube was laid on 5 November 2012 after a delay of nearly three and a half years. From left to right: Norman J. Huber, Uwe Wieczorek, Johannes Matt and Michael Hilti
12 – 18 | WHITE CUBE
Norman J. Huber: Yes, that’s right. We swiftly agreed that this project should be a joint one. I was already positively impressed by the first meeting with Michael. Personally speaking, a gallery in a jeweller’s shop belonging to a friend of mine was a role model and source of inspiration. I very much enjoyed the exciting symbiosis of watches, jewellery and art. I’ve always felt that the boundaries between fine art and high craftsmanship overlap, so all this added up to an absolutely coherent picture for me.
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A wise decision. White Cube Vaduz. It exudes a special aura. When the sun shines, it lights up and gleams like a diamond. Even overcast skies can’t disrupt its energy and peace, for then it warms up in a soft white at the heart of the action. The White Cube in the centre of Vaduz – the new, shared home of Huber Watches Jewellery and the Hilti Art Foundation at Städtle 34 – is set to convey beauty and emotions both on the inside and the outside. Text Eva Engel Photos Roland Korner, Eddy Risch,
Adolf Bereuter The White Cube shall create thematic synergies with the Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein and present uniquely precious watches and valuable jewellery across international borders. From now on, it shall also be an attractive visual complement, bridge a gap and make the urban landscape complete. We accompanied the two pioneers of the building – Mr Michael Hilti and Norman J. Huber – on a walk through the White Cube before the opening.
Photo 1: Building developer Norman J. Huber with girlfriend Christine de Rouvre, general contractor Kaspar Hilti and site manager Köbi Steiger from Gebr. Hilti AG
The White Cube is the visual counterpart to the Black Cube, the Kunstmuseum. Who came up with such a brilliant idea for this exceptional coupling of buildings in the urban landscape? Michael Hilti: The idea of two cubes engaging in a dialogue with each other came from Prof Meinrad Morger from Morger und Dettli Architekten AG. He’d already designed the Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein. But we didn’t want the new building to compete with the existing art museum: instead, our intention
was to create a more powerful overall impression. I definitely think we’ve succeeded in that respect.
Which situations did you personally find critical and which particular moments made you feel especially happy?
Strictly speaking, the White Cube consists of two completely separate buildings with no spatial link to each other. How important was this strict separation for your two companies? How did you arrive at such a surprisingly elegant solution for the interior and exterior?
Norman J. Huber: With Gebrüder Hilti as a general contractor and Arthur Willi as the client representative we’ve been fortunate to have two true professionals on the job. They enabled me to sleep well. I’ve always been and remain very grateful to them for that. Now that we’re in the final stages of the project, I’ve started to notice the time pressure much more. An extremely good moment was when I finally saw the White Cube as a standalone structure. Other than that, all I can say is that I’ve very much enjoyed working on the interior design and decorations. It makes me develop quite intense feelings, because it’s part of me. Given that the architecture of the White Cube comes across as being somewhat cool and futuristic, it was important for me to create a modern contrast for the interior – which we successfully managed to do by using high-quality materials and warm colours. Tino Zervudachi from Mlinaric, Henry and Zervudachi in Paris was once again responsible for the interior design. I’d already commissioned him to design the interior of our shop in Lech am Arlberg, so I know he’ll carry out this task to my complete satisfaction.
Michael Hilti: Right from the outset it was clear we needed two separate spaces, simply because we pursue two different objectives. You can’t just place a watch and jewellery business in the public areas of a museum. That’s why we also make a sharp distinction between the names we’ve given to the building. So whereas Huber AG refers to and bases its advertising on the White Cube, we talk about the premises of the Hilti Art Foundation museum. What unites us, however, is our close affinity to beautiful objects that people enjoy. After all, Huber AG customers are no doubt also interested in good art, just as our exhibition visitors appreciate high-quality jewellery and watches. In any case, the reason we managed to find such elegance in a joint solution stems from the many intensive and creative discussions we’ve had with everyone involved in this project. Norman J. Huber: That’s true. Yes, it was clear from the start that the spaces should be separated. Safety and security were overriding considerations. They were absolutely necessary for both sides. The Cube, as it were, is the corset which laces everyone together. Unlike the Hilti Art Foundation, it was also important for me to get plenty of natural light in our sales and display rooms. We now have around 300 m2 retail space on two levels. Display rooms for showcasing goods from different manufacturers are located on the ground floor and in the part of the shop you can’t see into from outside on the street. We also have an area specially reserved for exhibitions. The second floor with an additional 150 m2 of space offers us an ideal venue for staging functions and events.
Michael Hilti: What especially delighted me was the moment when we were really able to appreciate the building in its conception and urban integration. I was also delighted by our neighbours’ generous understanding – as we all know, having a building site on your doorstep in such precarious conditions isn’t always a laughing matter. But of course those times will finally be over with the opening in May. The two of you went into your respective family businesses at an early age for similar reasons. Both companies are prime examples of tradition and lasting value. Is the White Cube a symbol of the strength of the Liechtenstein economy? What do you wish Liechtenstein from an economic and cultural point of view?
The White Cube was an extremely challenging construction project in every respect. The site was on the worst ground imaginable – it was cramped, right in the centre, with high slope pressure. As the building developers, did that cause you any sleepless nights?
Michael Hilti: I can’t really judge the extent to which the White Cube symbolises the strength of the Liechtenstein economy. In any case, however, it shows you that visions can become reality, even if you have to go down unconventional routes and are forced to think outside the box.
Michael Hilti: Personally, I slept very well! Above all, that’s because I was fully aware of the opportunity I had to work in a highly qualified and highly motivated team. I’d already worked extremely well together with our project manager Arthur Willi and Meinrad Morger when we built the Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein. Obviously, Gebrüder Hilti AG is hardly unknown to me as a building company and as a very reliable and experienced partner. True, there were some critical moments, but the nice thing was that most of the problems had already been solved by the time I was informed about them.
Norman J. Huber: I think that the tourism industry will benefit from this building in particular. Although Vaduz will never be a world city, the Principality offers a surprising number of exhibitions, cultural activities and museums. I myself am always pleasantly surprised by the quality of the events. Almost of them are world class. It’s very positive to see Vaduz moving in this direction – and obviously, it also has spin-off benefits for the economy and trade.
Start of May 2014 Shell construction complete 13 May 2014 Topping-out ceremony January to April 2014 Connection to the Kunstmuseum May 2014 to April 2015 Interior finishing Mid-May 2015 Opening
18 – 19 | WHITE CUBE
The White Cube is also set to be a sensation far beyond Liechtenstein’s borders. Which building or structure in the world has particularly impressed you in recent years and why? Michael Hilti: I’ve had the opportunity to see many highly interesting buildings in the world due to our close dealings with the construction industry and on my many travels. Each of them has impressed me in their different ways. The fascinating thing about the Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein is not only its exceptional architecture, but also the building’s high userfriendliness. Ultimately, that’s what makes it so distinctive. The point is that a sensational building serves no purpose at all if, at the planning stage, it wasn’t designed for the people who want to visit it. Such buildings shouldn’t function as some ego trip or as a monument to an architect. They must above all fulfil the goals and objectives which have been set instead. Norman J. Huber: The Fondation Louis Vuitton museum which recently opened in Paris is an impressive work of art. It was designed by Frank Gehry. What has always fascinated me over the years is the Louvre Pyramid in Paris. The simplicity of this modern glass structure and its impact in the surroundings of the neo-classical buildings is simply unique. Project milestones 29 June 2011 Start of preparatory work and installations 30 November 2011 Demolition of the Postgass pedestrian bridge Until February 2012 Demolition of the Huber building Until September 2012 Site excavation pit and excavation support 5 November 2012 Laying of the foundation stone August 2013 Shell construction at the Städtle level
20 – 21 | WHITE CUBE
A further enhancement to the attractive cultural mosaic of Liechtenstein. by Adrian Hasler, Head of Government of the Principality of Liechtenstein The White Cube enriches the centre of Vaduz, our capital. Its radiance extends far beyond the borders of our country. Huber Watches Jewellery and the Hilti Art Foundation have joined forces to create the White Cube. The two partners embody enduring tradition and permanence. Evidently, the combination of watches and gems and of jewels and art under one roof has now become a key focal point in the heart of Liechtenstein. The White Cube stands for high-quality interior and exterior design. This is reflected in its architecture, its interior design and the contents of the building. The forces behind Huber Watches Jewellery and the Hilti Art Foundation are two entrepreneurs who insist on careful, long-term planning in order to dedicate themselves completely to their challenging tasks. They epitomise the notion of «business excellence» and all but made it their brand name. They set only the highest standards for themselves and enthral everyone else, day after day, with their commitment and hard work. This type of entrepreneurship has
shaped our country, which has now found two new excellent ambassadors. And so in addition to Schloss Vaduz, the government district and our extensive art and museums, I now have the honour of presenting the White Cube to future visitors. People from all over the world who appreciate the values of enduring tradition and enduring values shall once again be reminded of us and look forward to visiting our country.
I wish to congratulate all those involved on the completion of this impressive project and thank them for this tremendous enrichment of our cultural resources.
Contrasts as the linking element by Ewald Ospelt, Mayor of Vaduz The Austrian architect Hermann Czech clearly defined his view of architecture by stating: «Architecture is not life. Architecture is background. Everything else is not architecture». Huber Watches Jewellery and the Hilti Art Foundation have come together to provide Vaduz with a new landmark, and they have done this with great courage and confidence. The contrasts and combination of the old and new and of light and dark are timeless, yet no less interesting for that. Here, the two initiators have bridged the gap between art and filigree handicrafts in a highly distinctive and unique way. The opening of the White Cube in Vaduz’s Städtle marks a valuable contribution to the capital’s museums, the local economy and its art scene. This additional space for art and the «decorative» enriches Vaduz enormously. Consequently, there is no doubt that Vaduz can expect to see even more visitors wishing to look at these buildings and benefit from what they offer. In the spirit of the above quotation, we are now challenged to breathe new life into this latest addition to our urban landscape.
A strong position as a site of culture and art. by Dr Aurelia Frick, Government Councillor of the Principality of Liechtenstein Liechtenstein is placing a very clear emphasis on culture in 2015. A special highlight is the extension of the Kunstmuseum by the Hilti Art Foundation. As a result, the Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein and Liechtenstein itself shall be impressively enriched by a superb art collection and an architecturally outstanding building. The fact that this high-quality collection, which focuses on the Classical Modern, has now become permanently accessible to the general public in Liechtenstein is a generous gesture to the country and its people. Consequently, the Hilti Art Foundation and its collection close an important gap in Liechtenstein’s museum landscape. This will help Liechtenstein to position itself with even greater impact at home and abroad as a site of culture and art. It is also certain to benefit national tourism. Liechtenstein – and Vaduz with its cultural district in particular – is set to become an even more attractive destination for visitors.
22– 23 | WHITE CUBE
Ebony and ivory live together in perfect harmony. by Dr Thomas Zwiefelhofer, Deputy Head of Government of the Principality of Liechtenstein / Minister of Home Affairs, Justice and Economic Affairs Vaduz has been enriched by a new architectural gem and attraction: the Black Cube of the Kunstmuseum is now juxtaposed with the White Cube. While form and colour are reduced to the bare essentials, the two buildings display a unity in their architectural interaction which is heightened, not diminished, by the use of contrasting black and white. The architectural vocabulary of the exterior shell points the way to the interior, which hosts a wide variety of arts. Hence the visual arts are complemented by the goldsmith’s art and the art of watchmaking. Inside the White Cube, the watches at the Huber jewellery store are surrounded by artworks and, indeed, are works of art themselves. The way they constantly count the time reminds us of something which Hippocrates, the Greek physician and founder of scientific medicine, once said: «Vita brevis, ars longa». The opening of the White Cube gives me the opportunity to congratulate the building developers and wish them much joy and success as well as many delighted visitors. My congratulations also go to all the companies involved in the construction work for their outstanding craftsmanship which has shaped this new and highly impressive attraction in the centre of Vaduz. This project is an outstanding example of how private initiative can enrich the economic and cultural location of Liechtenstein and make it even more attractive.
A significant cross-border event. by Ludwig Muxel, Mayor of the Municipality of Lech am Arlberg Norman Huber first opened his branch in Lech 25 years ago. Just like our tourist destination of Lech-Zürs, Huber Watches Jewellery has also committed itself to the goal of delivering the highest levels of quality in combination with personalised, expert advice. Since then the former branch store has turned into «Huber Flagship Austria», which is now located directly on the main road next to Sporthaus Strolz. Huber has become an extremely well established name among visitors and local residents. As well as the highly exclusive ambience of «Huber Flagship Austria» – which is completely in keeping with the today’s world – and in addition to the store’s unique high-quality products, ultimately it is the people dealing directly with customers who hold the keys to success. The opening of the White Cube in Vaduz also signifies an extraordinary upgrading of Huber’s headquarters. It is now far more than a sales building. Instead, it has become a piece of exemplary architecture with worldwide impact and relevance. On the occasion of the opening of the White Cube, I am delighted to offer my congratulations not only to Norman Huber and his team but also to honour 25 years of Huber in Lech this year. May the next 25 years prove just as successful.
Vaduz as a venue of art and culture. by Dr Friedemann Malsch, Director of the Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein The building that has now emerged next to the Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein fits beautifully into the urban landscape of Vaduz and adds a fresh impetus to its centre. Its new structure is symbiotically related to the Kunstmuseum: one of the three architects who designed the White Cube was also responsible for designing the Black Cube. The result is a particularly distinctive ensemble which is also enhanced by the highly attractive re-design of the square south of the museum. Consequently, the centre of the capital of Liechtenstein has been markedly improved thanks to the initiative and commitment of two private building developers. The extension of the Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein through the rooms of the Hilti Art Foundation is a great stroke of luck – all the more so because the items in the Foundation’s collection signify a quantitative expansion of artistic content and, at the same time, even greater quality at the highest artistic level. This represents a great gift, not only to the museum but also to the whole of Liechtenstein, and will significantly enrich the location as a site of art and culture. We are extremely grateful for this and look forward to taking our previously fruitful collaboration with the Foundation a step further. This opportunity also marks a commitment which we gladly undertake.
26 – 27 | BON ANNIVERSAIRE
75 years old, but still young at heart. 75 years of the IWC Portugieser. What was once a visionary timepiece has become an icon today: the «Portugieser» from IWC Schaffhausen celebrates its 75th anniversary this year. The fact that the jubilee watch still looks as fresh as ever is because the collection has always remained state-of-the-art in technical and visual terms. Text Ludwig Satara Fotos IWC Schaffhausen
Kevin Spacey, Karolina Kurkova, Aloe Blacc and Christoph Waltz all visited the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) in Geneva to pay homage to an icon: the Portugieser. After all, the top model, the singer, and the two Oscar winners are friends of luxury watch brand IWC Schaffhausen and the Portugieser is one of the company’s most outstanding watches. It’s hard to believe that it already has three quarters of a century under its belt. «The Portugieser is one of our oldest, most famous watches and arguably the most prestigious of our brands» is how CEO at IWC Schaffhausen Georges Kern explains the significance of the Portugieser range of watches for his company, which has been producing timepieces of enduring value since 1868. Ahead of its time Initially, however, it appeared highly unlikely that the collection would be so successful. Naturally, with the benefit of hindsight, some might say that the watchmakers from Schaffhausen had sent out a visionary signal with this oversized watch in the late 1930s. Fashion evidently played an important role. To a certain extent, the timepiece simply wasn’t in keeping with the spirit of the times which leaned towards embellishment and eyecatching accessories. Only a few hundred specimens had been made by the start of the 1980s. It wasn’t until 1993 that the Portugieser made a comeback and became an icon under its widely known name today. «We now know that the watchmakers at IWC pulled off a great feat in designing the dial and case of the Portugieser. Their design work is now receiving the recognition it has always merited» was Creative Director Christian Knoop’s comment on the history of the watch.
«The original dial and simple Arabic numbers alternate with simple luminous indices. The Portugieser has always influenced the look of stylish watches. Its clear structure, minimalism and elegance remain unsurpassed». Its pocket watch movement set new standards in terms of precision and ultimately justified the large format for wristwatches which is so popular in the industry today – and has also created high recognition value for IWC family of watches across the world. But how did the Portugieser arrive at its name? In actual fact, the name really does refer to two Portuguese men. In the late 1930s, two Portuguese merchants at the International Watch Co. placed an order for wristwatches having all the precision of navy chronometers. At the time, the desired accuracy could only be achieved with a voluminous pocket watch movement. Without further ado, the watchmakers simply installed the pocket watch movements with the 74 – and later the 98 – calibres in a wristwatch case. Quite unpretentiously, the result was christened «the large wrist watch» before being born a second time as the «Portugieser» to mark the 125th anniversary of IWC Schaffhausen in 1993. In the style of an icon A new Portugieser collection with further visual and technical developments as well as new features has now appeared to mark this year’s anniversary. The focus has been firmly placed on the recently built 52000 range of Manufacture calibres, which are already used in four models of the current Portugieser collection – in the Portugieser Automatic, for example. It’s also interesting to note that the Pellaton winder, named after its inventor Albert Pellaton (the Technical Director at IWC until 1966), has once again undergone substantial improvements: the pawls, the automatic wheel and the oscillating weight bearing are now made of extremely wear-resistant ceramic, a material that is completely up-to-the-minute in watchmaking today. The core of the family of watches is formed by the Portugieser Hand-Wound Eight Days Edition «75th anniversary». Its purist design harks back to the original Portugieser from the 1930s. Obviously, the IWC 59215 Manufacture calibre with an eight-day power reserve is state-of-the-art. What’s more, the Schaffhausen-based manufacturer intends to establish two further new families of calibres from its development and production resources in the coming years. These are the 69000 and 42000 series. As Stefan Ihnen, Associate Director Research & Development at IWC Schaffhausen comments: «Striving for independence and a high level of vertical integration have had a long tradition at lWC ever since the time of F. A. Jones, our founder. Just like our forefathers, we ourselves don’t have to produce everything right down to the last cog, but can focus on movements and complications». The final word goes to CEO Kern: «The recently developed calibres not only round out our existing portfolio but also set new technical and aesthetic standards. They help us develop ourselves as a brand and continue to position IWC as an internationally successful company within the world of Fine Watchmaking.»
30 – 31 | EXPEDITION
«Hoi there!» Legendary Liechtenstein From prehistoric settlements and castle ruins to hidden treasures and a mystical world of legend. With its past, its breathtaking scenery and its characteristic down-to-earth attitude, the little Principality definitely has more up its sleeve than just banks and large corporations. Text Daniel Batliner Fotos Ruedi Walti, Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein, Sonnenhof, Jens Weber, Liechtenstein Marketing
Over five thousand years ago, the Rhine which now forms the border with Switzerland was still wild and untamed, making life in the lowlands with their swampy terrain all but impossible. Only the hills and slopes offered settlers protection against the water and were habitable. So it’s hardly surprising that the first traces of prehistoric settlements were discovered on and around the Eschnerberg in Liechtenstein’s «Unterland». The Eschnerberg is a hill which connects the five municipalities in the Unterland. It rises up in the middle of the Rhine Valley and the surrounding mountains. In addition to the nearby Three Sisters mountain chain, you should be able to see as far as the Grison Alps with the Calanda to the south and almost as far as Lake Constance on the border to Germany in the north on a clear day. in the north. The most impressive way for hikers and walkers to experience the Eschnerberg is to amble along its Historic Mountain Trail. Its narrow paths lead through a landscape dominated by spruce, beech and silver fir. The forest smells at its most pungent and most natural after a small thunderstorm in spring. In the autumn, the magnificent colours of the foliage and the sight of fog slithering along the ground make it an unforgettable experience from a visual point of view. The Historic Mountain Trail The start is located at the Bendern post office, at a point where several main roads converge. Unsurprisingly, the
noise and exhaust fumes of the vehicles from the industrial areas immediately awaken a desire to seek the consolation of Mother Nature. Fortunately enough, it only takes you a few minutes to walk up to the first high point – the «Kirchhügel» (Church Hill) in Bendern. Viewed from above, the traffic then seems nothing more than a constant, soothing flow and is no longer a nuisance. Here you can finally take a deep breath for the first time. The views of the Liechtenstein and Swiss mountains to the north are so impressive that everything else appears to dwindle by comparison. According to legend, Church Hill is also the site of a hoard of treasure which the sexton of Bendern squirreled away at the time of the Napoleonic wars of (1792-1802). It’s said that despite being tortured, the sexton didn’t reveal the location of the treasure. Since he died under torture, the treasure was never found. During my visit to Church Hill I didn’t find the treasure either, although that shouldn’t deter future visitors from taking a closer look. A mystical world of legends The legend of the Church Hill treasure in Bendern is one of the many stories which people from Liechtenstein have been familiar with since their earliest childhood. Such legends constitute an important part of local identity and have enjoyed a comeback in recent years.
32 –34 | EXPEDITION
This is why they appear so often in literary and theatrical texts, in schools and at many events such as the «Legends Festival» which will be held for the first time in Triesenberg in May 2015. Hikers encounter one of the most important legends of the Liechtenstein Unterland when they set off on the Historic Mountain Trail from Church Hill in Bendern. After a short walk they soon arrive at Malanser Hill, a prehistoric settlement site. A robber baron is said to have lived here with his many servants hundreds of years ago. Because he mistreated the peasants of Eschen and Mauren, they decided to join forces. One day, they marched to the robber baron’s castle and set fire to it. All the servants perished in the fire, but the scoundrel managed to escape on his white horse. Ah, but the peasants were out for revenge, so they pursued him. Filled with fear, he brushed
against a rock while fleeing and was fatally injured when he fell. According to local legend, the robber baron will continue to haunt the area on his white horse until he is forgiven for the misery he inflicted on the peasants. From «Cervelat» sausages to «Käsknöpfle» pasta After two hours of a less than arduous stroll uphill, I arrive at the ruins in of the upper castle in Schellenberg. In summer families barbecue their «Cervelat» sausages on a campfire while children scamper up and down on stone walls at the listed site. If you don’t feel in the mood for making a campfire or eating whatever it is you’ve taken along with you, you can always consider popping into the nearby «Wirthschaft zum Löwen». This traditional family-run inn has an outdoor terrace with views of the Rhine Valley to the north. The indoor lounges with their panelled timber walls offer a good alternative in the event of inclement weather. Furthermore, the «Wirthschaft zum Löwen» is not only a great place to stop off for light refreshments on your hike. It’s also a perfect choice for dinner in a pleasantly informal and extremely cosy atmosphere. The inn is well known among locals and tourists for its «Käsknöpfle» (a pasta dish with melted cheese). Everyone should sample this unique Liechtenstein speciality. The moon landing and Russian Easter eggs Naturally, the joys of hiking in the Unterland shouldn’t stop you from visiting Vaduz, the capital of Liechtenstein. With a population numbering just under 5,500, Vaduz is one of the smallest capital cities in the world. Even so, it remains a highly rewarding destination. Those with an insatiable curiosity about the Principality’s history should head straight to the «Landesmuseum», Liechtenstein’s National Museum. One of the amazing things you’ll discover there is that Liechtenstein made a major contribution to the first manned lunar landings – which explains why a token of the former US President Nixon’s gratitude has also been included among the exhibits at the National Museum. Others items on display feature presents from King Frederick the Great of Prussia and Emperor Joseph II as well as several Fabergé Easter eggs for the Russian Tsars Alexander III and Nicholas II. The time-honoured walls of the National Museum, its precious contents and the slightly musty smell which clings to historical museums tell the history of Liechtenstein in a uniquely intriguing way. If you prefer more contemporary works, however, you might wish to consider a visit to the Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein, the museum of modern and contemporary art located barely 100 metres from the National Museum. The large Black Cube immediately strikes you on a drive or walk through Vaduz. When it was built, the design came in for severe criticism. Yet now it would be all but impossible to imagine the townscape of Vaduz without it. If you don’t wish to see the exhibition but still want to capture some of the intriguing atmosphere, I recommend you pay a visit to the museum’s café. Many local residents and tourists go there every day, as do many creators of Liechtenstein’s art and culture. The large glass façades of the visitors’ area and the modern though comfortable furnishings
make the café one of the most distinctive places in the country to enjoy a cup of good coffee.
TIPS FOR TRIPS.
Meeting strangers is all about seeing eye-to-eye with friends One of the more unusual aspects of everyday life in Liechtenstein is that people on the street tend to use the informal «du» rather than the polite «Sie» form when they talk to each other – even if they’re strangers. Once you get out of the urban centres in Vaduz or Schaan you soon find yourself in villages or in districts where the locals meet and greet each other with a friendly «Hoi!» – and look each other in the eye while doing so. People know each other, you see. Even strangers are greeted in this way. So it’s not surprising that a shop in the Vaduz pedestrian zone is called the «Hoi-Laden». I strongly recommend anyone visiting Liechtenstein to check out this shop. To take just one example, the store offers coasters and postcards with typically quirky Liechtenstein sayings such as «Bischt etz o ka Lads» («actually, I think you're quite decent!») or «grääsgröösgräs» («grass-green grass»), although in the latter case certain sections of the population would say that the correct term is «graasgrüasgras». Well, there you go. Despite these subtle differences between the various Liechtenstein dialects in the Unterland and Oberland, and whether or not customers speak German or English, the Hoi-Laden store welcomes everyone with a friendly smile before initiating them into the mysteries and secrets of Liechtenstein’s language and the country’s produce. For in addition to a wide choice of accessories, you’ll also come across Liechtenstein beer, coffee and farm produce (of which the local people are all extremely proud) – not to forget Herbert Hilbe’s book of legends, which retells Liechtenstein’s traditional fairy tales.
Tourism The «Liechtenstein Center» operates as the official tourism agency. It is located in the pedestrian zone in the centre of Vaduz and provides visitors with all the information they need in regard to attractions, restaurants and activities.
«Fürstenfest» national holiday celebrations The so-called «Fürstenfest» refers to Liechtenstein’s national holiday celebrations which are held on 15 August each year. If you ask me, mid-August is the best time to visit Liechtenstein – and you really shouldn’t miss out on the national holiday celebrations. On the morning of that day you can go to the Castle Meadow, get a close-up view of a dynamic monarchy and listen to the speeches delivered by the President of the Parliament and the Hereditary Prince. Afterwards, a reception (paid for by the Princely House) is held in the castle gardens. This is the only day of the year on which the beautiful castle gardens perched high above Vaduz open their gates to the public. It also offers a good opportunity to have a chat with leading politicians and representatives of the Princely House. For the afternoon, you’re well advised to go to the centre of Vaduz and watch the colourful proceedings. Crowds of people (at least in terms of the size of Liechtenstein’s population) talk over a glass of exquisite white wine while vendors sell copious amounts of candy floss and sweet-glazed «Magenbrot» biscuits. Even so, you shouldn’t forget to reserve a good spot for the evening because the fireworks display which begins at 10 pm is the climax to what has been a long day of national celebrations.
Further details: Liechtenstein Center Städtle 39, 9490 Vaduz Website: www.tourismus.li E-mail: info@liechtenstein.li Tel.: +423 239 63 63 Liechtenstein National Museum In addition to the permanent exhibition which explores the history of Liechtenstein, the National Museum delights visitors with its numerous temporary exhibitions, special guided tours, lectures, workshops and classical concerts. Further details: Liechtensteiner Landesmuseum Städtle 43, 9490 Vaduz Website: www.landesmuseum.li E-mail: info@landesmuseum.li Tel.: +423 239 68 20 Hotel A stay at the Park Hotel Sonnenhof rewards you with breathtaking views of Vaduz and the surrounding mountains. Awardwinning chef Hubertus Real is sure to delight guests with his culinary creations. Further details, room rates and booking channels: Park Hotel Sonnenhof Mareestrasse 29, 9490 Vaduz Website: www.sonnenhof.li E-mail: real@sonnenhof.li Tel.: +423 239 02 02 Fine food & drink The «Wirthschaft zum Löwen» is a traditional, family-run inn situated in Hinterer Schellenberg and an ideal complement to the Historic Mountain Trail. It’s also the perfect place to go for a sublime evening meal. The inn is especially renowned for its cheese dumplings. Further details: Wirthschaft zum Löwen Winkel 5, 9488 Schellenberg Website: www.loewen.li E-mail: loewen@powersurf.li Tel.: +423 373 11 62
«Hoi-Laden» The «Hoi-Laden» store is located right in the centre of Vaduz’s pedestrian zone opposite the Kunstmuseum. Further details: Hoi AG Liechtenstein Städtle 35, 9490 Vaduz Website: www.hoiladen.li Historic Mountain Trail This route links a scenic walk with visits to historic sites. The information boards placed along the way offer a special insight into Liechtenstein’s past. Further details: Liechtensteiner Unterland Tourismus Giessenstrasse 24, 9491 Ruggell Website: www.hoehenweg.li E-mail: info@unterlandtourismus.li Tel.: +423 373 58 54
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The King of Diamonds Superlative jewellery from Graff. Laurence Graff has a passion for superlatives. His dedication to diamonds has been driving him for 60 years. Graff Diamonds is one of the world’s finest jewellery houses. The jewellery he has created is now available from Huber at the White Cube and in Lech am Arlberg. Text Karin Pollack, Graff Fotos Adolf Bereuter, Graff
Laurence Graff’s life has been dedicated to diamonds – a passion which has driven him for over sixty years. Our story begins at the Schindler jewellery workshop in Hatton Garden, London’s jewellery quarter. «I started off as an apprentice at the age of fifteen and learned what I wanted to know during daytime courses at the Central School of Arts and Crafts» he recalls. After three months he was called in to see his boss, who told him that he’d never make it as a jeweller. «He was doing his utmost to provoke me and put me off, but his words had precisely the opposite effect. I was now even more determined to keep going» says Laurence. After all, his family had always worked always hard and been driven by the desire to succeed. When he started, Victorian jewellery was all the rage.
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The most fabulous jewels in the world GRAFF Diamonds. SIHH Geneva Fine Watchmaking Fair Men’s favourites. Summer on your wrist Time for the ladies.
The courage to do the extraordinary «Diamonds have always fascinated me, right from day one. I found myself looking over and over again at each gemstone, studying it carefully to understand its clarity and the way it had been cut» he explains. He and his partner began to make copies of old Victorian jewellery and to repair jewellery items. Before long, he was able to expand his workshop. Buying and selling became his speciality. He invested all his profits in new gemstones. His entrepreneurial talent, unerring instinct for making astute deals and courage to take risks have always been the driving forces behind his career. One typical example of this dates back to the 1960s. Laurence met and managed to persuade a dia-
mond merchant to sell him thirty-three small diamonds for sixty pounds sterling each. «Instead of thirty-three individual rings, I combined them all on a single ring – quite a fireworks display, I can tell you!» Laurence recalls. As it turned out, this approach proved highly successful. «Then I worked on the uniqueness of each jewellery item, placed many diamonds close together and also began to work with emeralds, rubies and sapphires.» In particular, he benefited from the great oil boom of the 1970s. The sheiks loved Laurence’s «lavish» creations. Laurence became a globetrotter and expanded his business to parts of the world where people wanted to spend money on jewels. His revenue grew, giving him the opportunity to make a good business out of dealing with the world’s biggest diamonds. Stones and wisdom This part of the story begins in 1974 with the yellow 47.39 carat «Star of Bombay». «I always loved the depth and mystery of these rare stones» he explains. In addition to famous historical stones, the biggest diamonds to have been found in recent years have also passed through his hands. They include the «Star of America» with a flawless 100.57 carats in 2001 and the «Letseng Legacy» rough diamond with 493 carats in 2007. Graff buys and refines diamonds. He is a master in such matters. In 2009 Laurence hit the headlines when he spent $24.3 million on purchasing a long-lost deep greyishblue diamond which had been immortalised in a Velázquez portrait of the Infanta Margarita Teresa and become a
into a celebration of beauty. A gemstone must be effortlessly elegant. It has to evoke a sense of mystery and magic. That way, it exudes an aura of fascination» he states with utter conviction. What the British jeweller stresses is his reluctance to follow short-term, ephemeral trends. Gems are processed in accordance with their intrinsic nature. «This sets us apart from the competition» Laurence maintains. Laurence has met many famous stars and celebrities over the course of his lifetime. «I’ve had the good fortune to meet many interesting members of royalty, CEOs of major companies and TV and movie stars.» It’s one of the side-benefits of being in the jewellery business, he admits. «I’m friends with many of my clients and many such friendships have now been handed down to the next generation» he says, referring to his son François. «We feel like one big family». Anyone who enters into business with him becomes a part of the family, says the patriarch. «Our customers buy what we love, and we love our jewels in the same way we love our children. They truly matter. Our aim is to make jewellery for all time.» A global network– now in Vaduz, too In his long career, Laurence has managed to gain a foothold in every area of the diamond processing business. He holds shares in the South African Diamond Corporation (SAFDICO) mine. Laurence is regarded as one of the world’s major diamond merchants. He buys and sells diamonds on the major stock exchanges in Antwerp and at auctions, and he employs over 70 master jewellers.
38 – 39 | COLLECTION
40 – 41 | COLLECTION
legend as the «Der Blaue Wittelsbacher». After acquiring the stone at an auction, Laurence christened it «The WittelsbachGraff Diamond» – and had it cut. «The nature of a gemstone very much dictates how a diamond will eventually look» is his way of justifying the enhanced quality he obtained by taking this step. Perfection is a keyword in Laurence’s repertoire, meaning that he’s willing to make bold decisions. Laurence can also boast of having acquired and processed the 603-carat «Lesotho Promise», the biggest flawless diamond ever discovered in the world. «We turn each diamond
The company also operates a global sales network that offers only the very best of jewellery to aficionados around the globe. Its retail distribution network is extremely selective. This helps to explain why Norman J. Huber is now more than delighted to offer rare items of jewellery from Graff – all of them located in the high-end market segment – at the White Cube and in Lech am Arlberg: «Graff always insists on creating the perfect gemstone. For me personally, the opportunity to offer our customers this top label represents an absolute highlight in our company’s history.»
Graff Diamond’s worldwide expansion began in Monaco in 2000. Since then Laurence has opened shops in America, Russia and many countries across Asia. For all its global activities, Graff Diamonds has remained a family-run business. Laurence’s brother Raymond has worked with him right from the start. His son François has now taken over the day-to-day management of the company. The basic idea he still pursues is for each item of jewellery to be an icon. One example is the 120.81-carat «Peacock Brooch» worth $100 million. Since 2008, Graff Diamonds has also been making lavish diamond-studded watches. The «Floral Graff», the «Graff Butterfly» and the «Jewellery Watches» are impressive examples of its work both in regard to gemstone setting as well as technology. Laurence was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2013 Birthday Honours for services to the jewellery industry. Six years ago, he departed from his traditional area of expertise and went into the hotel industry. Art and wine are also celebrated and produced at the Delaire Graff Estate in Stellenbosch near Cape Town. Icons and art After all, Laurence nurtures a passion for art as well as for precious stones. He began with the Impressionists in the 1970s. The first painting he acquired was by Auguste Renoir. It was tiny. «For me, a picture at that time was like a gem which I’d keep in the safe. I was reluctant to hang the painting on the wall» Laurence says with a smile. But all that changed very quickly. Today, Laurence is one of the world’s foremost collectors, famous for his expertise in modern art. Rare examples of veteran cars are now a recent source of inspiration for Laurence. His son François ignited his interest in this field just as he, François, was ignited by his father’s passion for jewellery. That comes as no surprise: François grew up with gems. In an interview with his friend Peter Brandt for «Interview» magazine, Laurence remarks: «In recent years, collecting art has become so modern. There are just too many events. Art is not my profession – it’s my passion. I no longer have enough time.» He follows this up with the observation: «What appears to be in today always risks being out tomorrow.» But, he insists, this is not the case in his dealings with diamonds. And that makes all the difference.
44 – 45 | MEN’S CLASSIC WATCHES
With its high degree of finishing, the Rotonde de Cartier annual calendar watch clearly indicates that it belongs to the select circle of Fine Watchmaking by Cartier. The way the calendar features have been arranged is as smart as it is innovative. Readability and the clarity of the dial with its calendar displays have been fully optimised. The dial is divided up into three parts: the large date, the circle of days of the week around which a red hand revolves, the month window and the actual time, which is read by means of the blued-steel hands above the black, stamped Roman numerals. Sun-brushed elegance shines on the dial. The new Portugieser Annual Calendar with a 7-day power reserve combines two IWC premieres and three masterstrokes of Fine Watchmaking in one single case. Here, the recently developed annual calendar bridges the gap between a perpetual calendar and a simple date display. The new 52850 calibre manufactured by IWC Schaffhausen provides the new feature by using two barrels with more than enough energy and a 7-day power reserve when fully wound. In order to free up as much space as possible for the date display, the designers replaced the indices from 11 o’clock to 1 o’clock with the three display discs. With its voluminous 44.2 mm case, chamfered bezel, a classic minute scale resembling a railway track, slim feuille hands and virtually unchanged Arabic numerals, the Portugieser Annual Calendar combines typically stylish elements of the archetypal Portugieser from 1939 which was a true design icon. Founded by David Zanetta and Denis Flageollet in 2002, the De Bethune label is regarded as the latest sensational addition to the top segment of highly complicated, precious watches. Whether it’s a matter of tourbillons, perpetual calendars or minute repeaters, mechanical watches by De Bethune combine the highest levels of craftsmanship and the latest scientific findings with the manufacturer’s distinctive signature look. The DB25 Midnight Blue is a particular source of delight with its simple and elegant form and colouring. Its burnished and pol-
ished titanium dial boasts a natural white outer ring as well as a mechanical movement with a self-winding feature, a 6-day power reserve and double anti-reflective sapphire glass.
enormously to the exclusive appearance of this exceptional watch, the balance spring bridge is distinguished by its particularly harmonious and balanced aesthetics. The new Piaget 1200 S calibre fits into a case with a diameter of 38 mm.
Featuring a polished satin steel case with a diameter of 43 mm, the Clifton has a balance and sophistication which testifies to the endeavours of the Baume & Mercier label to provide aficionados of beautiful watches with a purist timepiece. This watch has been inspired by a profound tradition of watchmaking at Baume & Mercier. It is powered by a mechanical calibre with an automatic winder. In addition to the hour display, the watch has a large date at 12 o’clock on the silver-coloured dial with a sun-brushed finish and a power reserve indicator at 6 o’clock. Waterproof down to depth of 50 meters, this model features a brown alligator leather strap with rectangular scales.
Innovative features make the Luminor Submersible 1950 CarbotechTM 3 Days Automatic – 47 mm truly one of a kind. The case is made of Carbotech, a composite material based on carbon fibre and never before used in the world of watchmaking. The technical heart consists of the automatic P. 9000 calibre which was developed and manufactured by Panerai. The black dial features appliqué hour markers and a date display at 3 o'clock. A small second pointer with details in Panerai Blue is located at 9 o'clock. Decorated in black, the screw-down case back ensures the high water resistance of the watch (down to depths of about 300 m).
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48 – 49 | MEN’S CASUAL WATCHES
Astronomy has inspired the virtues and look of the new JaegerLeCoultre Master Calendar. The architecture of the dial – made of meteorite rock – testifies to superb craftsmanship. Here, the symbolic complication of the complete calendar of the new Master Calendar includes the annual calendar with its long indicator, the tip of which is crowned by a red crescent moon that moves along a scale from 1 to 31 on the dial ring. In addition, it displays the days and months in two windows at 12 o'clock. Finally, the complete calendar includes the different moon phases – the new moon, waxing moon, full moon and waning moon.
Only diamond tools can be used to craft the Big Bang Unico Magic Gold. It features probably the hardest gold bezel ever to have been developed in the history of Fine Watchmaking. Fusing materials appears to be part and parcel of Hublot’s DNA. Hublot developed Magic Gold four years ago. It is the only scratch-resistant gold in the world. Thanks to its sophisticated construction, colour and design as well as the UNICO HUB 1242 calibre which was developed and manufactured by Hublot, the Big Bang Unico Magic Gold is a chronographic jewel and once again surpasses the highest expectations.
The technical features and visible movement of the new Piaget Altiplano are as evident as its modern lines. In this regard, the ultra-flat skeletonised Piaget 1200 S has been completely developed and manufactured by Piaget. Its state-of-the-art and subtly structured 1200S calibre adds a whole new dimension to the art of skeletonising and offers a number of new features. In addition to the micro-rotor in 950 platinum, which contributes
The «Méga Tapisserie» dial of the Royal Oak Offshore Diver by Audemars Piguet delights watch aficionados with its elegant silver look. For the first time it reveals an open case back which offers a good view of the fascinating movement. The distinct shape of the Royal Oak underscores its distinctive expressiveness as a sports watch which is also waterproof down to a depth of 300 meters. Historically, the Royal Oak
was the first sports watch to be made of steel when Audemars Piguet launched it in 1972. Its design rewrote the rules of Fine Watchmaking that had existed up that time, and it is still one of the outstanding classic watches today. The Royal Oak Offshore Diver is available in ceramic, stainless steel, gold, carbon, titanium, platinum and pink gold with matching straps. Elegance versus sportsmanship. A Cartier always remains a Cartier. The Calibre de Cartier Diver is unmistakably masculine. This authentic diver’s watch features water resistance to 30 bar and a rubber strap offers maximum precision: the unidirectional rotating bezel has an ADLC coating. The hour and minute displays with their Super-Luminova® coating indicate a high-performance and accurate watch. Amazingly, the 18-carat case measures barely 11 mm in height. Red gold is perfect for day-to-day use. Cartier’s multi-edge crown with a faceted blue sapphire and a large luminescent Roman numeral XII at 12 o’clock also underlines the classic stylishness of Cartier. Piaget introduced a new, ultra-thin and manually wound chronograph at the 25th Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH). This is the first big complication in the famous Altiplano series. The sun-brushed finish of the dial is adorned by the typically slender baton hands. Sophisticated chronograph pushers have been subtly integrated into the curvature of the ultra slim 41 mm case. With a movement measuring just 4.65 mm in height enclosed in an 8.24 mm high case, this watch continues the impressively excellent track record which Piaget has established in this specialist field since 1957. This timepiece is a source of delight for any connoisseur of Fine Watchmaking.
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Contemporary sculptors have gone the extra mile. To mark the 260 years since it was first established, watchmaker Vacheron Constantin is proud to present the first models of its new Harmony Collection. They vindicate the principle of uniting aesthetics of form with technical sophistication. Here, the generously dimensioned rosé gold case houses the new
3300 calibre with an automatic winding feature. The anniversary model of this new chronograph is available in a limited edition of 260 numbered specimens. It features an hour and minutes display, a small second pointer at 6 o’clock, a mono-pusher chronograph feature, a pulsometer scale and a power-reserve display. Just like other timepieces by Vacheron Constantin, the Harmony Chronograph is certified with the prestigious Hallmark of Geneva. Inspired by the world of the deep sea, fluorescent points and Arabic numerals on a black dial make the Luminor Submersible 1950 3 Days Chrono Flyback Automatic Titanio – 47 mm from Panerai shine brightly, even at a depth of 300 metres. The distinctive crown protection bridge immediately accentuates the iconic design of the case. All this is accompanied by an element with historical origins that go back to a model that Officine Panerai developed for the Egyptian Navy in 1956. The solely unidirectional rotating bezel tracks the time spent underwater. Power reserve: 72 hours; water resistance: up to 30 bar. The Clifton Collection has been designed for men in search of a masculine timepiece that is recognised and appreciated by everyone. Thanks to its urban design – inspired by a historical Baume & Mercier watch dating back to the 1950s – this Clifton Chronograph really can’t be beaten for stylishness. Enclosed in a case with a diameter of 43 mm, the elegant timepiece is powered by a mechanical calibre with an automatic winder (made in Switzerland, of course) which is visible through a sapphire glass. This model provides calendar information about the date and day of the week in an aperture at 3 o’clock.
by the most feminine of all the celestial bodies. The arrangement of the main features – the time display and the calendar complication – highlights the sensuality of the watch. The two crowns are decorated with diamonds. One serves to set the time of day and the moon phase while the other moves a star to personalise the time. The astral body hovers above the dial in a deeply thrilling and intriguing way, perhaps reminding the wearer of a secret and deeply private rendezvous. Available in 36 and 39 mm.
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Made of white gold, the Harmony Dual Time ladies’ watch is only available in a limited edition of 500 specimens. Completely state-of-the-art is the display of a second time zone – a most useful and coveted complication, deeply appreciated by both men and women, which is why Vacheron Constantin has developed the new automatic 2460DT calibre with this essential feature. Moreover, the external attributes of this beautiful ladies’ watch are simply stunning. They include a silver plated opaline dial, Arabic numerals painted in blue, sun and moon symbols in gold, a bezel set with 88 round-cut diamonds and a light blue alligator leather strap made by hand. The Clé de Cartier was designed with a specific goal in mind: to create a new form based on a perfect circle. The bezel is delicately rounded and the case lugs are gently sloped. The Clé de Cartier ladies’ watch collection is distinguished by its subtle sense of balance and gentle grace. The combination of advanced technology and in-depth expertise has also resulted in a new movement, developed and manufactured by Cartier in Switzerland. A further highlight consists of the new, very simple winding mechanism. Hublot’s romantic and sexy Big Bang Broderie with authentic embroidery by Bischoff from St. Gallen certainly excites the imagination. As understated as it is frivolous, it masters the subtle art of revealing things without disclosing them. The mechanical HUB1110 movement with an automatic winder consists of 63 components and 21 rubies – and adds the finishing touch to the watch. The Big Bang Broderie has a power reserve of 42 hours. Intensely feminine, it impresses ladies with its highly intimate details and has initially been launched in three first variants: in gold or silver tones or entirely in black with black diamonds. Hublot is writing a new chapter in its history with the launch of this completely new development in the world of Fine Watchmaking. With its beautifully accentuated moon phase, the RendezVous Moon by Jaeger-LeCoultre invites ladies to be guided
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Ultra-slim Piaget Altiplano timepieces with gold straps are unveiled for the first time in this prestigious watchmaker’s collection. At the SIHH 2015 watch fair, Piaget presented its new range in different sizes. The models are made of white or rosé gold and feature polished or diamond-studded bezels – just the right design for chic, relaxed ladies who consider elegance a natural part of their daily lives. The new versions are driven by Piaget’s mechanical 534P movement calibre, with a self-winding feature documented by the word «Automatic» on the opal white dial. It displays hours and minutes and has more than 42 hours of power reserve. For three decades, the classically elegant Portofino Automatic watch has had three hands and withstood each and every fast-moving fashion trend. With its new 37 mm Portofino Midsize Automatic, IWC Schaffhausen has now made the silent star even more appealing to discerning ladies with slimmer wrists. The ten models with diamond-studded bezels or dials combine purist design with timeless elegance. As well as its hour, minute and second hands, the Portofino Midsize Automatic also features a quick-set date display. Three slightly larger Portofino Automatic models are embellished with gemstones and complement the current collection. Audemars Piguet brings modern luxury and new materials to ladies with slender wrists. The slim shape and subtle look
of the brushed stainless steel finish add an irresistible charm to this legendary model which comes to the fore day and night. First launched in 1976, the Royal Oak for ladies now epitomises watch design and has set new standards. The story continues in 2015 with a Royal Oak made of rosé gold and stainless steel for the very first time. Although the look and feel of this attractive, elegant and extremely up-to-date watch has been redesigned, the classic, understated features of the originals have been preserved. Women today are as adorable as they are impressive. So it’s hardly a coincidence that Baume & Mercier has always paid special attention to meeting their wishes right from the very start. The new Classima models for ladies, for example, come in an attractive size of 36.5 mm and are powered by highprecision quartz movements or automatic movements visible through a sapphire glass case back. Available in stainless steel and in a two-colour version, they are all distinguished by their subtle guilloché sunray pattern on the white or mother-ofpearl dials. Some of them also shine with eight diamonds on the indexes or a filigree moon phase display.
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Take a steep mountain road in Triesen and you’ll find a house that makes you stop, stare and think. The ancient building fabric is evident at first glance. A timber roof with its hay-drying racks reaches right down into the courtyard. A curtain behind a small window twitches – it’s the 90-year-old father who likes to keep an eye out on visitors. The master distiller of kirsch, apricot and plum brandies has been here for forty years. When his son Marcel first came up with the idea of distilling whisky, he bluntly commented: «Are you out of your mind, you chump?» Visitors enter the barn through a wooden door; the inside smells of whisky, firewood, cigars and coffee. Sounds of crackling are heard coming from the stove. The floor is uneven and you frequently have to duck under the timber roof beams. The walls are stacked with honey-gold liquids in diamondshaped bottles and life outside seems a world away. Visitors from the United States in particular find this place «truly awesome». The tastes of others In the course of guided tours, guests take their seats at a wooden table and are invited to taste five glasses of whisky. Without conferring, they are asked to assign the whiskies to their country of origin within just five minutes. The whiskies come from Scotland, Liechtenstein, Australia, the United States and Japan. After a thorough education in London, Marcel – who also serves on the jury of the International Wine and Spirits Competition, which which is one of the world’s major tasting events – knows precisely what he wants from his guests. He’s fully aware of just how difficult blind tastings can be without proper preparation. Ninety-five percent of tasters fail at the first hurdle when they try to distinguish a Scotch from a Japanese whisky. Marcel’s visitors soon realise that not everything is exactly as they think. «People should form an opinion without prejudices» says Marcel. Relaxed, open minded and modest, he radiates a friendly dynamism that leads to interesting discussions. Not only about whisky but also the psychology behind it, about opinion leaders, about superficial snobs, connoisseurs and the unrepentant who dismiss everything that is not Scotch as inferior – the type of people who have no idea of how big the world of whiskies has become.
Planet Whisky. 60 | CULINARIUM The thrilling world of good taste. The house in which Marcel Telser distils unique, awardwinning whisky and gin in Liechtenstein is five hundred years old. It has taken him twenty years to complete his painstaking preparations. His passion and knowledge have matured and aged like the distillates in his Pinot Noir barrels. Although initially derided by local «connoisseurs», he received euphoric accolades from Scottish whisky experts for his first «drop of the hard stuff». Text Irmgard Kramer Fotos Sven Beham, Telser Distillery Ltd.
The dreams of a young distiller The oldest whisky Marcel has ever tasted dates back to 1880 – coincidently the same year when his great-grandfather founded the distillery, which isn’t exactly the easiest place to create distillates. Isolated by national borders and local restrictions, Liechtenstein’s distilleries do not enjoy the support of the political establishment – unlike in neighbouring Vorarlberg, where the art of turning the fruits of Mother Nature has always been regarded as a valuable part of local cultural heritage. Not that this deterred the godfathers of
good distillates from getting on with the job of creating hard liquor. Marcel went to Scotland with some of his friends on what was supposed to be a leisurely holiday in 1991. He returned to Liechtenstein infected by a virus which he has been unable to shake off ever since. As the young men discovered to their surprise, there’s more to whisky than just Johnny Walker and Ballantine’s. Marcel decided to pursue this path while completing his studies to become a lawyer. Over the next twenty years, he took over the distillery and dedicated himself to his «whisky» project. He soon realised you can’t just chuck grain into a barrel, hope for the best, and wait years for magic to emerge. «The art of good distilling is incredibly underestimated» he says. A prophet in his own country By 2006, Marcel knew precisely what he wanted. His product was to be rooted in the region and recognisable all over the world. He did what no-one else had dared to do: he filled the three varieties of his distillate in barrels of Pinot Noir sourced from local growers. Years of waiting followed. After all, no-one had reckoned with whiskies that also taste of Pinot Noir. As it turned out, the local experts delivered a devasta-ting appraisal of his initial efforts. His Telsington I was harshly criticised and grudgingly accepted as being little better than grappa. Marcel stood alone, yet calmly and with confidence at the first trade fairs: but he had enough expertise to realise he was onto a good thing. Expert reviewers such as Jim Morray and Dave Broom proved him right. They lavished praise on Marcel’s first attempt. Suddenly, visitors to the fair clutching the whisky bible under their arms all wanted to make a beeline to Marcel’s stand. By the time the region received the message, Telsington I had long been sold out. Whenever the maestro sits there in front of his gently simmering, hissing and gurgling paraphernalia, like some alchemist in a leather apron, no-one (but no-one) can disturb him for more than five minutes. OK, except for his wife – an amiable Frenchwoman who is already initiated into the real mystery of distilling: the second run. And heavens above, don’t forget that you should always add a drop of water.
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Apple blossom and moon rock. The new Treasure Chamber of the Principality of Liechtenstein. Liechtenstein enjoys the benefits of its convenient location. When Chinese, Russian and South American pilgrims take the route from Bavarian castles to Vienna, they sometimes make a little detour to check out the Principality on their journey. What they get to see on a visit to the new «Treasure Chamber of the Principality of Liechtenstein» leaves them amazed. One of the most unique museums in the Alps opened punctually in time for Easter. And one glittering exhibit truly stands out above and beyond the paintings, ceremonial arms and moon rock: Fabergé’s world-renowned «Apple Blossom Egg». The stories behind the way all these items ended up in Vaduz are as adventurous as the treasures themselves. Text David Malik Fotos Sven Beham
After a long winter, people start creeping back into the open. Waiters in the pedestrian zone set out the tables under the spring sun. A smell of charcoal, Italian herbs and garlic wafts over from the pizzeria. It’s lunchtime as usual in Vaduz. The trees on the steep rock slope under the castle reveal their first blossom. You can still see snow on the mountains as the White Cube gets its finishing touches next to the Black Cube. The English Building stands diagonally opposite. Built as the headquarters of a British lottery company in 1933/34, it was the first steel skeleton building in the country and once housed a dental factory, a radio station, the tourist office and the postal museum. The building also hosted the state art collection that has since moved to the Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein. It has been used as a venue for staging temporary exhibitions of contemporary art since 2002. Impressive largeformat photos of pearls, filigree flowers and jewels now hang on the walls where there were once seven display windows at the front of the street. Visitors stand in amazement before
the recently built Treasure Chamber. The black gate reminds you of a high-security safe. Those wishing to enter the building have to buy a gold token from the cash desk at the Postal Museum or the National Museum for eight Swiss francs. In the black silk heart First, you insert the token into a slot. A door opens and you enter the Treasure Chamber as if you had walked through the narrow entrance of a cave. The walls are draped in black silk. The ceiling is black. The black floor starts to sway under your feet at the sight of the glittering treasures. In fact the narrow, elongated room is not very large. Only a few paintings and sketches hang on the walls. A glass display cabinet extends lengthwise across the room. It is flanked by the ducal crown which features magnificent pearls. The air conditioning ensures a permanently constant temperature. The treasures are all numbered. A catalogue is also available in four languages: German, English, Chinese and Russian. Sixty people squeeze into this room on some days. People from all over the world meander through the pedestrian zone and have to wait their turn to enter. But on this day, at one o’clock in the afternoon, this particular visitor is permitted to share the treasures with the supervisor alone. It’s not easy to read the catalogue in the darkness. Only tiny spotlights illuminate the imperial Tsars’ eggs, the hunting implements, the porcelain plates and the perpetual calendar – a gold-plated copper disk created by Habermel, a master craftsman from the sixteenth century. The disk mechanism is virtually impossible to understand.
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Photo:1: Treasure Chamber of the Principality of Liechtenstein in the English Building, Vaduz Photo:2: Dr Rainer Vollkommer, Director of the Treasure Chamber of the Principality of Liechtenstein
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All this begs many questions: What are the pictures all about? What are the little black stones doing there in the showcase? Why so many Easter eggs? And above all, how did they get here?
Easter eggs instead of a firing squad The story begins almost a hundred year ago when Adulf Peter Goop is born into a poor peasant family in Schellenberg. There isn’t much to eat. Times are hard. He is barely a teenager at the start of the Second World War. He joins the Boy Scouts and witnesses how five hundred starving Russian soldiers march with their carts and wagons across the border near Nofels in early May 1945. They are White Army soldiers seeking asylum. Most of them consist of nobles and intellectuals who want to re-establish the Tsarist regime. They are welcomed by the population with open arms and put up in the Schellenberg school house. Goop is instructed to get their food organised. All this takes place around the time of the Russian Orthodox Easter. When an officer explains the importance of this festival to him, Goop does the rounds of all the local farms, taking all the eggs he can get. He dyes the eggs red as a symbol of love, hope and resurrection. Instead, of being shot or extradited, the soldiers are given Easter eggs. An emotional moment not only for Goop – his love for Russia and Easter eggs has been awakened. It will never leave him. Top-quality masterpieces of jewellery Goop’s initiative has made an impression. Above all on a lawyer called Marxer, who hires the young Boy Scout as a postman and quickly notices how intelligent he is. Marxer finances his studies. Goop becomes a lawyer and later joins his patron’s law firm. He starts collecting Easter eggs when he goes into retirement – and ends up with four thousand of them! Liechtenstein is a little country and word quickly spreads of his passion. He assembles a collection of china and porcelain as well as silver and enamel works. In 1996, Goop manages to do what is now impossible today. He buys Peter Carl Fabergé’s Apple Blossom Egg from an oligarch. Fabergé eggs have been known to a wide audience ever since the successful French film comedy «The Intouchables». It seems there’s more to this innocent-looking egg than meets the eye. The Russian economy grew steadily in the late 19th century. Goldsmiths in Saint Petersburg experienced a boom – the likes of which had never been known before. Wealthy customers with enormous purchasing power were desperate for new products. Competition became ever fiercer. Ingenuity flourished just like the diamond buds on the eggs. It was the golden era of jewellery. Only the legendary name of Fabergé has really survived from the many former players on the jewellery scene. He was an artist, entrepreneur and purveyor to the Russian Imperial Court. But not only that: he was also an appraiser of the imperial treasures and purveyor to the royal courts of Scandinavia, England, Greece, Bulgaria, and Siam. The list could go on and on. He founded one of the world’s largest jewellery companies. In their perfection, his works of art continue to shine out as a symbol of their times. Then the revolution broke out, bringing communism in its wake. The new regime sold off aristocratic wealth in public. Today it’s the other way round. Many jewellers have once again taken Fabergé to be their role model. Only with the dif-
ference that they have added even more diamonds and that their prices are sometimes stratospheric. Pictures from home Goop also collected landscape paintings, old views of Liechtenstein by the Russian-Ukrainian artist Eugen Zotow, who lived here in exile, and gouaches by Johann Ludwig Bleuer – the only painter to portray the Rhine River from its source to the mouth between 1820 and 1830. Goop spent forty years collecting the originals. Ten such pictures are on display in the exhibition. Declaring that he owed his wealth to the nation and wished to give something back in return, he bequeathed his collection to the Liechtenstein National Museum. Goop died shortly after his ninetieth birthday. He had always wanted to have a suitable venue for his treasures, a wish that has now come true. They are on display alongside other precious items belonging to the Princely Collection in the English Building. Great gifts With over 800 years of tradition behind it, the Liechtenstein dynasty is one of the world’s most ancient ruling families. It also has one of the world’s oldest and continuously updated art collections. Assembled in the course of over four hundred years, the exceptional collection includes paintings by old masters and an equally world-famous collection of arms. The Princes of Liechtenstein always maintained close relationships with other major rulers. Dr Rainer Vollkommer doubts whether these magnificent weapons were ever actually deployed on the battlefield. Crafted from ivory, silver and precious stones in Europe’s foremost chambers of art, they were far too valuable and precious for such purposes. They served the purposes of displaying ostentatious wealth, power and legitimacy instead. Frederick the Great immediately sent the second production batch from his Royal Porcelain Manufactory (KPM) as well as splendid plates to Vaduz. Not to be outdone, Emperor Josef II also splashed out and provided luxury shotguns fashioned by the royal gunsmiths at the Spanish court. Dutch paintings hang on the wall, somewhat surprisingly alongside letters. It’s easy to recognise the postage stamps – with or without a date mark – for they’ve already indelibly etched their way into the collective memory. The letters are not made of gold or precious stones. There is nothing valuable to detect in this regard here. Only when you take a closer look at the majestic design of the two-heller postage stamp with the Prince of Liechtenstein in its centre and framed by the «Jugendstil» embellishments in brown does a more rewarding context emerge. Koloman Moser designed Liechtenstein’s first postage stamp. Born in Vienna in 1868, he was a graphic designer, painter, craftsman, a close friend of Gustav Klimt and deeply involved in the establishment of the Vienna Secession. And what’s with the two small black stones that glitter in the showcase? Well, you’d have to fly to the moon to find the likes of them – on a spacecraft with a payload including technology from Liechtenstein.
More than banks and letter box-companies More than anything else, Liechtenstein impresses by virtue of its meticulous craftsmanship in regard to watches, teeth, drilling machines and space technology. On behalf of NASA, for example, Balzers-based Oerlikon developed a sleeve to protect the fragile spacecraft when it entered the vacuum outside Earth’s atmosphere. By way of gratitude, President Nixon had the Liechtenstein flag hoisted on the moon. The flag returned to Vaduz accompanied by a crate filled with moon rock. The Treasure Chamber of the Principality of Liechtenstein is the only museum outside the United States to document the Apollo 11 and Apollo 17 lunar missions which featured the first and the last manned landings on the moon. «From the Principality across the World into Space» is the title of the exhibition by which Dr Vollkommer intends to indicate some of the links which bind the world together. «Evidently, we live in a globalised world. We are growing together». Extensive – and expensive – preparations were made to ensure that the Treasure Chamber is open to the public. It has been secured by multiple alarm systems, both evident and unseen. Once the door closes, you can exit the chamber through the door on the opposite side. Outside, visitors squint in the dazzling sunlight and think carefully back to what they have just seen. There were not very many treasures. But those which there were have made an enduring and memorable impression.
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The instigators of Bad RagARTz: Esther and Rolf Hohmeister Artists appearing at the 6th Bad RagARTz: 1 Irene Anton, 2 Milan Spacek, 3 Werner Zemp, 4 Markus Hofer, 5 Alberto Timossi
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A breath of fresh air. Bad RagARTz: art in free space. Ninety artists from thirteen countries showcase their works outdoors at the sixth triennial of sculpture in Bad Ragaz and
Vaduz. This is the latest edition of a much-praised exhibition founded by private initiative. The world of art is presented in larger and ever more temporary form each year at Art Basel: an unmissable show for gallery owners, artists and collectors. Text Rebecca Testi Fotos Bad RagARTz
«Nowhere else will you encounter art as if it were a sculpture under an open sky» says Rolf Hohmeister, who has organised the Triennale in Bad Ragaz together with his wife Esther. «A picture in a museum is two-dimensional. It is flatter and creates more distance. Bad RagARTz reaches out to art. You can walk around and touch it. Art always looks different depending on the light and season. It’s extremely tangible». This is the sixth time that the dedicated couple has organised the outdoor exhibition, which can be viewed both in Bad Ragaz and Vaduz. «We’re doing this for our region. We like Bad Ragaz and we like Liechtenstein. It’s important for us to provide our local area with a platform for art. Nowhere else can you get this <art in your face> sort of experience», Esther Hohmeister explains. «There are no borders or limits to art». Art: overcoming the fear of the unknown So what gave the couple the idea of launching the exhibition in the first place? «For us, it’s a wonderful opportunity to provide everyone with access to exceptional works of art. This kind of public art belongs to everyone. Access is free. No-one needs to worry about engaging in art. It’s hardly a scary monster, you know. That’s what we like about the idea» says Rolf. The same idea also drives the concept behind this year’s «See – Understand – Love» Trienniale. Entrance fees are waived. The only requirement is a willingness to take in and think carefully about art. The 10 km walk features an incredibly wide range of sculptures; you have to kneel down in front of some in order to get a good look, while others tower six metres above the ground. In the changing seasons from spring through summer into autumn, the artworks on display look quite different from day to day and from week to week. «We’re especially looking forward to exhibiting a work by Herbert Mehler who will be contributing eighteen sculptures along the whole of Bahnhofstrasse in Bad Ragaz. Many of them are extremely large! What’s more, we’re also proud of the fact that major Italian artists such as Palladino, Riccardo Cordero and Graziano Pompili will be displaying their works. The entire exhibition is absolutely full of highlights, both in Bad Ragaz and Vaduz», says Rolf. Bad Ragaz and Vaduz go regional In Vaduz, the open-air celebration of art extends from PeterKaiser-Platz down along the whole of the «Städtle» street. «We’re delighted to have the honour of presenting a total of 46 works that are set to transform the city for several months into an outdoor museum» says Esther. Here, passers-by have little alternative. It becomes all but impossible to ignore
this presentation of art in public space. Especially for young artists, the show represents an important opportunity to present their ideas to a wider public. «About a third of the artists exhibiting their works at Bad RagARTz are young and unknown. We support them financially and offer them the opportunity to present their works alongside the major players» says Esther. Art Basel: a benchmark of modern art Once again, this year’s Art Basel is set to offer an intriguing combination of experience, professionalism, chaos (!), business and all the latest trends. Around three hundred of the world’s major galleries shall be exhibiting their artworks and offering an extensive view of the art world. The wide range of genres on display over the four days includes images, installations, sculptures and prints, performance and video. Ever since it was first founded in 1970, the Swiss art fair has blossomed into a groundbreaking event which sets the highest standards. Moreover, it doesn’t just serve as a platform for artists and gallery owners. All art lovers have the opportunity to see a wide range of modern art over these four turbulent days. Art Basel displays works by the world’s best artists with the sort of quality that would otherwise only be found in museums. This makes them a must-have for art lovers, whether professional or private. Whether at the largest open-air museum in the world in Bad Ragaz and Vaduz or in the compressed world of art at Art Basel, the 2015 summer of art promises to be nothing less than thrilling.
A journey into art Bad RagARTz: Ninety artists present their works under the open skies along a 10 km walk. There is no entrance fee. The sculpture park in Bad Ragaz and Vaduz is always open between 9 May and 1 November. Further details are available from badragartz.ch 46th Art Basel: Art Basel opens its doors again to the public from 18 to 21 June. Three hundred galleries from all over the world shall be showcasing the works of approximately four thousand artists. This is a must for artists, gallerists, curators, and all those interested in art. Many events have been planned in and around Basel to coincide with the exhibition. Further details are available from artbasel.com.
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