Watch_Journal Issue 4

ZENITH

WEMPE

originality The completely original case presents indication of time via planetary discs and incorporates a “control board” on the back.

character The Urwerk UR-103 portrays a certain irreverence in its unconventional but ingenious approach to analog timekeeping.

VA N C L E E F & A R P E L S

VA C H E R O N C O N S TA N T I N

U LY S S E N A R D I N

TUTIMA

SIHH

S E I KO

ROLEX

RITMO

RICHARD MILLE

RE AC TO R

R AY M O N D W E I L

PIAGET

PAT E K P H I L I P P E

™

PA R M I G I A N I

[JOURNAL]

PA N E R A I

OT I U M

MONTBLANC

MCT

MAURICE LACROIX

L U M I N OX

KRIËGER

IWC

HERMÈS

H A M I LT O N

G U CC I

GTE

GREUBEL FORSEY

GEVRIL

FP JOURNE

ETERNA

E D OX

DE BETHUNE

D AV I D O S C A R S O N

CORUM

CLERC

CITIZEN

CHRONOSWISS

concept The design turns on an orbital cross with a structure that obscures all but the current hour, conceptually focusing attention on the present.

04: 2010 | W A T C H J O U R N A L . C O M

C H R I S TO P H E C L A RE T

CHANEL

C A R L F. B U C H E R E R

C A M PA N O L A

BUBEN & ZÖRWEG

BREGUET

B L A N C PA I N

B L A C K B E LT

BELL & ROSS

BASELWORLD

AUDEMARS PIGUET

ARMIN STROM

ARMAND NICOLET

ALAIN SILBERSTEIN

A SANDOW MEDIA PUBLICATION

WATCH THE WATCH MAGAZINE REDEFINED

U RW E R K U R -1 03

White high-tech ceramic watch. Self-winding mechanical movement. 42-hour power reserve.

CHANE L.COM

¥

CHANEL BOUTIQUES

¥

800.550.0005

© 2009 CHANEL®, Inc. J 12®

Alfredo H채berli, Industrial Designer.

Creating smart simplicity with passion.

The Patravi TravelTec GMT chronograph in stainless steel, featuring multiple time zone functions and using a single push-button mechanism is a perfect example of Carl F. Bucherer’s unique philosophy. As an independent family business in Lucerne since 1919, our passion for perfection and love of detail have never changed. Also available in 18 K rose gold. www.carl-f-bucherer.com and www.patravi-traveltec-gmt.com

the word “Chronometer” has a superlative form.

Zeitmeister.

The WEMPE ZEITMEISTER is the only German chronometer-certified wristwatch. As a sign of the uniqueness of this new collection, the back of each watch is engraved with a depiction of the Glashütte Observatory, where our watches undergo a strict 15-day testing procedure which verifies their precision. Only after passing these tests do they earn the distinction of being awarded an official chronometer certificate. Available exclusively at Wempe. $2,780.

700 Fifth Avenue at 55th Street

New York

TEL: 212.397.9000

Hamburg Berlin Munich Dusseldorf Frankfurt London Madrid Paris Vienna

wempe-ZEITMEISTER.com OPEN SUNDAYS 12–5

FOLLOW YOUR CONVICTIONS ”FREE ACCESS TO ALL HUMAN KNOWLEDGE. SOME CALLED IT IMPOSSIBLE, I CALLED IT WIKIPEDIA.” Jimmy Wales, Founder of Wikipedia

In 2003, Jimmy Wales stayed true to his beliefs by turning Wikipedia into a non-profit foundation. At Maurice Lacroix, we create our unique movements and award-winning designs by hand – because, like Jimmy, we too follow our convictions.

For more information visit www.MauriceLacroix.com Pontos Décentrique GMT

© EPE, Reg. U. S. Pat & TM Off

Automatic movement Sapphire crystal Swiss made

VENTURA XXL ELVIS 速

www.hamiltonwatch.com 866-382-2471 ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION

+ QUICK READS T H E W AT C H M A G A Z I N E R E D E F I N E D 04.2010

WATC H J O U R N A L .COM

INDUSTRY WATCH

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The inside track from the world of watches—the brands, the business, the industry as a whole.

LUXE FINDER Watch Journal brings together top products from every corner of the luxury market.

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058

CHRISTOPHE CLARET

LOUIS MOINET

ZENITH

The DualTow's column-wheel chronograph, striking mechanism and tourbillon operate in perfect harmony.

Four rare meteorites in four gold tourbillon wristwatches are only part of the Meteoris story.

The Mega Port Royal Open Grande Date Concept presents a chronographic vision of the future in blackened titanium.

+ MAÎTRES DU TEMPS The Chapter One comprises 662 finely finished and decorated components.

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EVENT WATCH Who's doing what, where and why: discover how the watch industry influences events, philanthropy and celebrity.

17th of September 1755. In the offices of the solicitor Mr. Choisy, a young Master Watchmaker from Geneva named Jean-Marc Vacheron is about to hire his first apprentice. This agreement is the first known reference to the founding watchmaker of a prestigious dynasty and it represents the establishment of Vacheron Constantin, the oldest watchmaking manufacturer in the world in continuous operation.

Ever since this agreement, and true to the history that built its reputation, Vacheron Constantin has been committed to passing on its knowledge to each of its Master Watchmakers in order to guarantee the excellence and durability of its craftsmanship and of its timepieces.

Patrimony Contemporaine Retrograde Day and Date Hallmark of Geneva, Pink gold case, Self-winding mechanical movement Ref. 86020 / 000R-9239

For information, contact our Concierge at 877-862-7555 or www.vacheron-constantin.com

+ FEATURES T H E W AT C H M A G A Z I N E R E D E F I N E D 04.2010

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WATC H J O U R N A L .COM

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NEW REVELATIONS

ANCIENT MODERN

WELL MATCHED

Sweet anticipation is rewarded when the Baselworld trade fair reveals its secrets.

One of the most cutting-edge makers in watches, Urwerk looks to the ancients for timekeeping inspiration.

Parmigiani and Bugatti, makers of handcrafted machines, are redefining craftsmanship.

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SINGULAR DUALITY

GENTLEMAN DRIVER

CREATOR OF COMPLICATIONS

The old and the new, the decorative and the high-tech are equally at home at the new Armin Strom.

Marc A. Hayek is both at the helm and behind the wheel as Blancpain partners with Lamborghini in Super Trofeo racing.

Christophe Claret, a master of horological complications, and his story of passion, perseverance and drive.

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TIMING IS EVERYTHING Essential information on watchmaking's most useful and versatile complication: the chronograph.

+ DEPARTMENTS T H E W AT C H M A G A Z I N E R E D E F I N E D 04.2010

WATC H J O U R N A L .COM

IN FOCUS A closer look at a significant model or design process; in this issue: Black Belt Watch, page 36, and Rinspeed's commuter solution, page 38.

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5 MINUTES WITH

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Notable personalities and the watches that make them tick; in this issue: GĂŠrald Clerc, page 76, and Svetlana Zakharova, page 78.

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WORLD TIME

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Watch Journal's city guide: places to be, things to see in Dublin, Geneva and Johannesburg.

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OPENING THE SALON

INDEPENDENTS PARTY

SIHH 2010 opens to frigid weather, but there may be signs of a thaw in the business climate.

A new annual exhibition showcases independent makers and unconventional watch designs in Geneva.

ON THE COVER

The Urwerk UR-103 portrays a certain irreverence in its unconventional but ingenious approach to analog timekeeping.

+ PUBLISHER’S LETTER T H E W AT C H M A G A Z I N E R E D E F I N E D 04.2010

WATC H J O U R N A L .COM

TIME

A MOST IMPORTANT INVENTION

OF HUMAN PERCEPTION

—Glen B. Bowen PUBLISHER

024 04:2010 | WAT C H J O U R N A L . C O M

Charles Hard Townes (left) and J. P. Gordon present their atomic clock (NY, 1955)

SPLITTING TIME The International System of Units states that a second is defined as the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the cesium-133 atom. But what is a period? A period is a distance divided by a distance divided by a time. It’s part of a circular equation of time based on wave frequencies—the number of times that a repeated event occurs per unit of time.

Therefore, time is counted, or measured, by the number of events occurring within a period. Because radiation waves never slow down or speed up, the atomic clock has become a beacon of accuracy.

Photo courtesy of Boyer/Roger Viollet/Getty Images

From the moment of birth to the instant of death, our lives are ruled by time. No living thing escapes its influence. We see time as the reason for just about everything, including the best and worst parts of life: childhood, adulthood, aging, times shared with family and friends, time spent sitting under a shade tree. We say we never have enough time, and once it’s gone, it’s gone forever. I even know people who set their watches ahead so they will have “more time.”

Scientifically speaking, time is defined as the perception of an interval separating two points on a non-spatial continuum in which events occur in apparently irreversible succession from the past through the present to the future. Such intervals are measured in seconds, minutes, hours, days and years. But our experience of time seems more complicated than this definition allows. For instance, we often wish for more lead time, better response time or time extensions.

We are reminded that we should never waste time or forget the time. Sometimes we need to suspend time, interrupt time—take a time-out. There are instances when time seems variable.

I am sure you’ve experienced how time seems to fly or stand still depending on circumstances.

For me, time is fleeting when I’m playing golf, but cleaning out my attic seems to take forever.

So, what is the speed of time? If the present is the interval between the past and the future, how long does the present last? By the time we can perceive “present” events visibly (at the speed of light) and audibly (at the speed of sound), they are already in the past. Does the present endure for 3 millionths of a second, like a photon of light traveling 1 meter? Does it endure only for a nanosecond, a picosecond or some even shorter interval? How can we know?

Time is a conundrum, an invention of the creative human mind. What we experience as present time may only be the bridge between past and future. Let’s just say that the past is the past and exists only in our memories. And let’s say that the future is only anticipation of what’s to come. The present is the experience of now. It lasts for no time at all and is ever changing, immediately transitioning into the past.

I hope you enjoyed our brief time together. I am counting the seconds until we meet again.

Enjoy the intervals of time that come your way between now and then, and don’t forget the past we shared less than a second ago.

“Arceau” chrono watch, automatic movement, strap in Barénia calf.

FOR I N FORMATION 1-800-441-4488

[ J O U R N A L ]™ T H E WAT C H M AG A Z I N E R E D E F I N E D

Glen B. Bowen

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Scott R. Yablon James Dimonekas Yolanda E. Yoh Erik I. Herz Pamela Lerner Jaccarino Michael J. Ruskin Tyler Moss Brian A. Yablon Joseph Alexander Fern E. Meshulam Lawrence Freeman Andrea Efland Kristen Delisio Shirley Cruz Stephanie Malmgren Julia Perez Jody L. Yablon Kristen Hitchcock Lisa F. Silver Monica Del Borrello Stephanie Brady Brian Wilpon William Joey Green Christina Flick Heather McKean Laurie Platkin Williams Rick Jacobs Andrea Ocampo, Tamas Szakal Maritza Severino, Jennifer Kimmerling Christopher Ferris Max Kreutzer Ron Sklon

M E D I

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C H I E F O P E R AT I N G O F F I C E R & C H I E F F I N A N C I A L O F F I C E R

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Watch Journal™ is published bimonthly. Watch Journal™ is a registered trademark of InSync Media Group, a subsidiary of Sandow Media LLC. Copyright 2010, InSync Media Group. All rights reserved. Reproduction or transmission in whole or in part in any form or by any means without written permission is prohibited. Opinions expressed in Watch Journal™ are not necessarily those of the publisher. Watch Journal™, InSync Media Group, Sandow Media LLC, its affiliates, employees, contributors, writers, editors and publisher accept no responsibility for inaccuracies, errors or omissions in the information and/or advertisements contained herein.

The publisher assumes no responsibility for the claims made by advertisers or the merits of products or services advertised or promoted in Watch Journal™. The publisher makes no representations or warranties of any kind, expressed or implied, as to the information, services, contents, trademarks, patents, materials or products included in this magazine. Advertisers and their agencies assume all liability for advertising content. All images reproduced in Watch Journal™ have been accepted by the publisher on the condition that such images are reproduced with the knowledge and prior consent of the photographer and/or other creator and the subject. As such, the publisher is not responsible for any infringement of the copyright or otherwise arising from any publication in Watch Journal™.

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WAT C H J O U R N A L . C O M

POSTMASTER Send address changes to: 3731 NW 8th Avenue, Boca Raton, FL 33431

THE SIMPLICITY OF INNOVATION. LUMINOR 1950 3 DAYS GMT AUTOMATIC Automatic mechanical movement P.9001 calibre, two spring barrels, second time zone, 3-day power reserve indicator on the back, seconds reset.

Water-resistance 300 metres.

Steel case 44 mm Ø. Steel bracelet.

www.panerai.com

Available exclusively at Panerai Boutiques and select authorized watch specialists.

NEW YORK BOUTIQUE .-. FZ]blhg :o^gn^ +*+&++,&*./+ BEVERLY HILLS BOUTIQUE 2-2): ;kb`amhg PZr ,*)&++1&*.*.

+ INDUSTRY WATCH

WATCH REPORT | N EWS A N D H A P P E N I N G S F R OM T H E WORLD OF WATCHES

A fascination with boots characterizes the life and work of Pedro Muñoz, the founder of El Paso–based leather manufacturer Stallion and the enthusiastic new brand ambassador for Carl F. Bucherer watches. Muñoz received his first pair of boots from his grandfather and then designed a pair of boots for himself while at college. Today, he travels the world in search of exotic leathers such as alligator, crocodile, elephant, hippopotamus, python, ostrich and stingray. He combines these with exquisite metals or stones in unusual creations. He explains, “By enhancing designs from the rich history of cowboy boots with new ideas, I am creating modern classics.” The boot designer focuses on traditional workmanship together with innovative ideas and manufacturing perfection, values that are shared by Carl F. Bucherer.

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WALK THE WALK

PEDRO MUÑOZ: new brand ambassador for Carl F. Bucherer

“I recognize in these watches the same claim to the unusual that I make with my own work,” he says. “They are inspired by the same spirit as my products.”

As a brand ambassador, Pedro Muñoz wears the Patravi TravelTec, a chronograph with simultaneous display of three

time zones and an ideal companion as Muñoz pursues his quest for exquisite materials.

800.395.4306, carl-f-bucherer.com DIVE DEEP

On January 23, Rolex marked the 50th anniversary of a historic dive to the deepest place known in Earth’s oceans, Challenger Deep in the heart of the Mariana Trench. When the bathyscaphe Trieste piloted to the bottom of the trench, a Rolex watch was strapped to the outside of

The bathyscaphe Trieste

the submersible. The thirdgeneration prototype of the Rolex Deep Sea Special was specifically engineered to withstand the tremendous pressure— approximately 8 tons per square inch—encountered at 35,000 feet below the surface. When the Trieste surfaced more than eight and a half hours later, it had completed the deepest dive ever undertaken by a vessel, and the Rolex Deep Sea Special was in perfect working condition. After 50 years, this dive remains an unmatched record and constitutes a milestone in underwater exploration and in increasing awareness of the need to protect our oceans. Rolex continues to earn notoriety as a maker of iconic dive watches. Its Submariner has been the watch of choice for the US Naval School for Deep Sea Divers and for the US Navy’s SEA-LAB program, which also provided developmental testing of the Rolex Sea-Dweller in advance of its 1967 introduction. Today, the Deepsea represents the newest generation of Rolex dive watches.

800.36.ROLEX, rolex.com

Rolex Oyster Perpetual Deepsea

028 04:2010 | WAT C H J O U R N A L . C O M

Swiss manufactured high frequency chronograph foudroyante - 1/10th of a second (patent N째 ep 1 499 929 b1)

ZENITH, OBSESSION WITH PRECISION SINCE 1865 www.zenith-watches.com

+ INDUSTRY WATCH

WATCH REPORT | N eWs A N d H A p p e N i N g s f R Om T H e WORLd Of WATCHes

among politicians and the general public of young people’s need for self-expression and providing the means to help them fulfill their potential.

888.214.6858, audemarspiguet.com INVENTING SERVICE

music maestro, watch enthusiast and philanthropist

VIVA ELVIS

musical taste is a subjective matter that people disagree about all the time. No one, however, disagrees about the impact elvis presley has had on music and American culture. The Hamilton watch brand became involved with elvis early on, putting the Ventura watch on his wrist in the movie “Blue Hawaii.”

And, recently, Hamilton redesigned its iconic Ventura in honor of the 75th anniversary of elvis’ birth. Now Hamilton is partnering with Cirque du soleil and its new Las Vegas show, “Viva elvis,” which opened in late december. Arman Thomas, director of creation for the show, says, “We are bringing elvis back to Las Vegas. The show has the feel of who elvis was—the glamour, the spectacle, the humor, the sexiness.” show-goers have the

opportunity to take a bit of that glamour home with them on their wrists, since Hamilton’s elvis-inspired watches will be available in the Cirque store as part of the partnership.

800.234.8463, hamiltonwatch.com

Jones sees a natural fit between music and horology. “They are both structured and aesthetic, a combination of science and soul,” he says. driving the beat of the watch is Audemars piguet’s in-house Calibre 3120, a selfwinding mechanical movement.

This special edition watch, limited to 500 pieces, will benefit Jones’ project Q, an initiative aimed at raising awareness

KEEPING TIME

inimitable music maestro Quincy Jones never stops making music. Now he combines his talent with Audemars piguet to create the millenary Quincy Jones watch. Characteristic of the millenary series, the dial features an off-center hours zone accompanied by a date window at 3. Against the high black gloss reminiscent of a grand piano, white gold Roman numerals stretch to fit the dial, while the minutes circle resembles a piano’s keys.

030 04:2010 | WAT C H J O U R N A L . C O m

Audemars Piguet Millenary Quincy Jones watch

Viva Elvis photo Ethan Miller/Getty Images

+ QUINCY JONES:

f.p. Journe, the swiss maker known for inventing and manufacturing precision chronometers of extreme complexity, opened a boutique at 721 madison Avenue in New York City in November.

This is the maker’s first Us location and its fifth in the world. managing its distribution network as carefully as it crafts its remarkable timepieces, the brand has sought to offer its clients a level of service corresponding to its philosophy and work ethic by opening its own network of boutiques around the world. six retail locations have opened since 2003 in Tokyo, Hong Kong, geneva, paris, New York and Beijing, the latter also opening its doors in November. The brand’s namesake, françois-paul Journe himself, appears at every boutique opening, and New York was no exception. The intimate madison Avenue space is divided between an entry area and a comfortably furnished lounge where clients may view the latest f.p. Journe creations.

561.750.2310, fpjourne.com

e ecutive

dual time

Self-winding. Patented time zone quick setting.

Black ceramic bezel and 18 ct rose gold case.

Water-resistant to 100 m. Rubber band.

W W W . U LY S S E - N A R D I N . C O M

F O R A C ATA L O G , C A L L 5 6 1 - 9 8 8 - 8 6 0 0 O R E M A I L : U S A 1 3 @ U LY S S E - N A R D I N . C O M

+ INDUSTRY WATCH

WATCH REPORT | N EWS A N D H A P P E N I N G S F R OM T H E WORLD OF WATCHES

EILEAN: Panerai's classic boat, restored to her original splendor

+ SHARED SPACE

RETURN TO THE SEA

True to its commitment to protect, promote and salvage classic and vintage yachts, Panerai, Italian maker of highend watches, undertook to restore the 22-meter Bermudian ketch Eilean, built in 1936 by William Fife & Son. Panerai CEO Angelo Bonati discovered the vessel, floating neglected in English Harbor, Antigua, in 2006 and immediately arranged for Panerai’s purchase of the boat. Now returned to her original splendor after two and a half years of extensive restoration work, Eilean set out in January for her first Atlantic crossing in many years, sailing from Italy to Antigua, and, in April, she will represent Panerai in the Antigua Regatta, the first event of this year’s Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge.

877.PANERAI, panerai.com

nearly $20 million state-of-theart Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier near its headquarters in Fleurier, Switzerland. The new facility provides nearly 7,000 square meters for production of the brand’s own movements, including workspace for finishing, assembly and adjusting, to meet growing demand. In addition, the Vaucher Manufacture has the capability to provide a vast range of components and services to some of the most recognized names in watches.

Parmigiani Fleurier CEO JeanMarc Jacot comments, “Parmigiani Fleurier is proud of

the ability to dramatically expand production capabilities at a time when virtually the entire Swiss watchmaking industry is experiencing the negative effects of slowed growth globally. The opening of this facility is testimony to our sustained leadership in creating aesthetically unique, technically sophisticated timepieces that embody enduring value. That leadership is recognized within the industry, for which we have become one of the largest suppliers of top-tier components for luxury timepieces.”

949.489.2885, parmigiani.com

The US subsidiary of the Swatch Group has announced the expansion of its exclusive retail concept with the opening of the third US-based Tourbillon Boutique in Las Vegas’ Crystals at City Center. Tourbillon is a multibrand watch and jewelry boutique, bringing all the prestige brands of the Swatch Group (Breguet, Blancpain, Glashütte, Jaquet Droz, Leon Hatot, Omega and Tiffany & Co.) together under one roof.

The Swatch Group points out that it is forging ahead with expansion plans at a time when some companies are contracting. The opening of the Tourbillon Boutique in Las Vegas is intended to enable the Swatch Group to emerge from the recession in a better position; it’s a strategy in line with the group’s long-term investments in the US. swatchgroup.com

STATE OF THE ART

Parmigiani Fleurier has announced the opening of its Left: Parmigiani Fleurier CEO Jean-Marc Jacot; right: Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier

032 04:2010 | WAT C H J O U R N A L . C O M

PADRAIG HARRINGTON British Open Champion 2007 British Open Champion 2008 PGA Champion 2008 European Tour Golfer of the Year 2007 European Tour Golfer of the Year 2008 PGA TOUR Player of the Year 2008 Unstoppable.

THE MAKING OF A LEGEND

44mm

Introducing

Š2010 Citizen Watch Company

SIGNATURE GRAND COMPLICATION Minute Repeater 1/4 Second Chronograph Perpetual Calendar Anti-Reflective Sapphire Glass Crocodile Strap

CITIZEN ECO-DRIVE Fueled by light, it never needs a battery.

UNSTOPPABLE citizen-signature.com

REEDS JEWELERS

SELECT LOCATIONS

1.877.406.3266

+ INDUSTRY WATCH

WATCH REPORT | N eWs A N d H A p p e N i N g s f R Om T H e WORLd Of WATCHes

identity, its brand dNA. He says, “Today marks the end of a chapter in Corum history.

Through his work, skill and motivation, René Bannwart brought Corum to the top of the watchmaking art.”

949.788.6200, corum.ch RETAIL E-VOLUTION

+ RENÉ BANNWART: founding father of Corum

REIGN OF REINVENTION

JCK events will welcome exhibitors, buyers and the press to Las Vegas again this year when JCK 2010 opens its doors on June 4. The organizers have undertaken a reinvention of the trade event, intended to make it more retailer-focused, and their efforts are credited with attracting new and returning high-profile jewelry and watch exhibitors to the 2010 event. The show’s transformation will continue in 2011, when JCK moves to its new venue at mandalay Bay. JCK announced recently that the 2011 show is already 92 percent sold-out, with all the major industry associations and groups already on board. These include: the American gem Trade Association (AgTA), Hong Kong Jewelry manufacturers Association (HKJmA), Luxury, the plumb Club, the prestige

promenade, swiss Watch and the Vicenza Oro italian pavilion. dave Bonaparte, group vice president with JCK events, says, “We are looking to welcome the entire industry to the 2010 event and will keep the strong momentum going into 2011 when we move to mandalay Bay.” 800.257.3626, jckshows.com LEGACY OF RESPECT

The world of watchmaking lost a respected entrepreneur when Zurich-born René Bannwart, the founding father of Corum, died recently. A final tribute was paid to him in La Chaux-de-fonds on January 15. Bannwart studied business in geneva and began

his career at patek philippe in 1933. He founded Corum in 1955 with his uncle gaston Ries, and his creativity soon found expression in the design of watches that became icons of Corum’s history. in 1958, he had his first success with the sans Heures model. His 1966 reinterpretation of the sans Heures concept became the Romulus model, today one of four key pillars in Corum’s product line.

Bannwart was known as much for his humanist and aesthetic values as for the company he established. He earned the trust and deep respect of his colleagues, clients and employees. Corum CeO Antonio Calce remembers Bannwart as the man who established Corum’s creative

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Bell & Ross announced that it has begun selling its entire watch collection, a total of approximately 300 models, online in europe. The new venture is part of an unprecedented partnership with its european retail network and is a first in the watch industry. The project will be a model for the brand’s planned expansion of its online presence in the Us this year.

Bell & Ross CeO Carlos A. Rosillo describes the move as an “important strategic step and part of the brand’s ongoing pledge to offer the best possible service to its clients.” According to Rosillo, development of the eboutique concept could not have taken place without the full support of Bell & Ross’ european distribution network. its european retailers recognize that the e-boutique can be mutually beneficial to both retailers and the brand and are reportedly excited about the new project.

888.307.7887, bellross.com

Bell & Ross BR Minuteur Tourbillon

S05 Collection. Automatic Movement Complete Calendar. Titanium D.L.C. Black Treatment.

NEW U.S.A. DISTRIBUTOR: NICOLET MD S.R.L.

e-mail: info@armandnicolet.com www.armandnicolet.com

+ IN FOCUS

BLACK BELT WATCH | YVAN ARPA’S LATEST TWIST ON EXCLUSIVITY mUST BE EARNED TEXT BY: KEITH W. STRANDBERG

The height of exclusivity is a watch that one must qualify to buy.

The TAG Heuer SLR debuted as a timepiece available only to owners of the eponymous Mercedes supercar. Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Amvox2 DBS Transponder watch unlocks its owner’s Aston Martin DBS, and Aston Martin ownership is a prerequisite. Now, in a slightly different twist on exclusivity, watch industry veteran and black belt martial artist Yvan Arpa, most recently at Romaine Jerome and responsible for the Titanic DNA watch, has created a timepiece with a different kind of barrier to ownership. His customers must own something that money can’t buy, something that must be earned through sweat and discipline: a black belt in the martial arts.

Above and at right: Yvan Arpa (at left above) with business partner and martial arts opponent Claudio Alessi

“This is the only watch you can’t simply buy,” explains Arpa over lunch at an Afghan restaurant in Bellevue, Switzerland. “my partner in this project, martial arts instructor Claudio Alessi, and I wanted to make a watch for people who share the values of the martial arts. If you have the watch and you see someone else with this watch on, you know it’s someone with whom you share certain values; you immediately have something in common.”

“When you have a black belt, you suffer to get it,” he continues. “When you spend $2,729 for this watch, you

have to suffer a little bit as well to buy it. You can be proud of the watch once it’s on your wrist; it’s like a trophy.”

Black on black, the 44-mm Swissmade automatic timepiece features a black satin-finished and PVD-coated steel case. Its textured dial replicates the fabric of a kimono. The Black Belt name appears here along with an engraved representation of a black belt, while the hands resemble shinai, traditional bamboo swords used in martial arts practice and competition, particularly in kendo. The sandblasted bezel features polished Kanji characters. And

the engraved specification “For Black Belts Only” appears on the caseback.

The watch is available through established martial arts channels— schools, tournaments, trade fairs—and also directly from the maker. Every purchaser is required to provide written proof that he or she is indeed qualified to own the watch or be turned away.

The timepiece is an attractive, high-quality Swiss-made watch, bold, understated and imbued with symbolic meaning. If you’re not yet a black belt, start training! blackbeltwatch.com

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SEVEN VIRTUES Yvan Arpa’s Black Belt watch reflects and honors the seven virtues, the samurai code of conduct, associated with the Bushido warrior: Gi (rectitude) Yu (courage) Jin (benevolence) Rei (respect) Makoto (honesty) Meiyo (honor) Chugi (loyalty)

DOING GOOD A percentage of Black Belt watch sales is donated to No Difference (a program of the Little Dreams Foundation), which aims to grant young people with a handicap the chance to realize their passion for martial arts.

WJ readers who are black belts are invited to order the Black Belt watch using promotional code A10BB1 to receive free shipping (a $200 value).

+ IN FOCUS

COMMUTER CONCEPT | THE FUTURE OF URBAN MOBILITY IS HERE TExT BY: KEITH W. STRANDBERG

Rinspeed, the world-renowned concept car developer based outside of Zurich,

Switzerland, has done it again with the new UC? (the question mark is part of the model name) electric car, which debuted at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show in March. Working with Swiss watchmaker Carl F. Bucherer and other partners, Rinspeed CEO Frank Rinderknecht has come up with a completely new mobility concept. The UC?—the unconventional name stands for “Urban Commuter” or “You See?”—is a vehicle designed for series production, not a one-off of the kind Rinspeed usually creates.

Avoiding snarls and traffic jams in the urban traffic environment of the future was the goal when Rinspeed created the UC? The tiny joystick-operated car, just over 8 feet long (about half the length of a minivan), achieves a top speed of 75 mph and an operating range of about 75 miles per charge. But the most innovative part of the UC? mobility concept is the way automobile, train and World Wide Web form a new kind of symbiosis to move people. The car is connected with an advanced railway loading system: for longer trips, the UC? owner logs on to the Internet, books a carport space on a train, drives aboard, plugs into the integrated battery-charging station and switches off for the trip.

“The UC? is a new and highly emotional Web-based car world that interweaves individual and public transport in an intelligent way,” says Rinderknecht. “We want to create a community of people who are open for a new definition of mobility.”

Frank Rinderknecht, Rinspeed CEO

Carl F. Bucherer has been collaborating with Rinspeed for several years. “We support Rinspeed, because Frank Rinderknecht is a visionary and he’s always ahead of the times, which represents exactly the philosophy of Carl F. Bucherer,”

says Thomas Morf, global CEO at Carl F. Bucherer.

Rinderknecht says that discussions at the highest level are underway to make the UC? and its railway integration a commuter’s reality. rinspeed.com, carl-f-bucherer.com

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Rinspeed UC? electric car

“We support Rinspeed, because Frank Rinderknecht is a visionary and he’s always ahead of the times, which represents exactly the philosophy of Carl F. Bucherer” —Thomas Morf, global CEO, Carl F. Bucherer

+ WORLD TIME

CITY GUIDE | WATCH JOURNAL’S BLACK BOOK OF PLACES TO BE, THINGS TO SEE

+ DUBLIN Newly cosmopolitan Dublin is a

+ GENEVA

+ JOHANNESBURG

European capital unlike any other and the cultural center of Ireland.

Nestled between the Alps and the inland sea of Lake Geneva, this city is a cultural center second to none, and the center of the watchmaking universe.

Johannesburg, Joburg, Jozi or Egolithis, by any name, this is where the soul of Africa is fused with Eastern and Western influences.

Paul Sheeran Jewellers 7-8 Johnsons Court Grafton Street Dublin paulsheeranjewellers.ie

L’Heure Asch 19 rue de la Cite Geneva heure-asch.com

Mark Gold Jewelers No 8 The High Street Melrose Arch Johannesburg markgold.net

HOTEL

The Merrion Hotel Upper Merrion Street Dublin merrionhotel.com

La Réserve route de Lausanne 301 lareserve.ch

The Michelangelo 135 West Street Nelson Mandela Square Sandown michelangelo.co.za

RESTAURANT

Town Bar & Grill 21 Kildare Street Dublin townbarandgrill.com

Le 3 Rive Gauche Grand-Rue 3 Geneva

Moyo Shop 5 The High Street Melrose Arch Johannesburg moyo.co.za

Louis Copeland Burberry House 39-41 Capel Street Dublin louiscopeland.com

Marcel Retchitzky, Tailleur rue Micheli-du-Crest 1 Geneva

Geri Fashions Melrose Piazza

Lillie’s Bordello Adam Court Grafton Street Dublin lilliesbordello.ie

Le FLOORTWO du Grand Hôtel Kempinski quai du Mont-Blanc 19 Geneva kempinski-geneva.com

Manhattan Club 19 Wessels Road Rivonia

National Gallery Ireland Merrion Square West & Clare Street Dublin nationalgallery.ie

Rue de la Cité and the old town

Pilanesberg Game Reserve Mogwase pilanesberg-game-reserve.co.za

Head south to Dalkey to enjoy lunch and a view of Dublin Bay in front of the fireplace of the famous Queens public house on Castle Street. thequeens.ie

During the warm months, cross Lake Geneva at sunset in an elegant Venetianstyle mahogany boat with someone special for a romantic excursion.

Soweto Tours 11749 Mampuru Street Orlando West Extension Soweto vhupo-tours.com

WATCH RETAILER

MEN’S CLOTHING

CLUB

MUST SEE

OFF THE BEATEN TRACK

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*SPRON is a registered trademark of Seiko Instruments Inc.

1895-2009. it takes time to achieve perfection.

dedicated to perfection ANANTA. In 1895, SEIKO crafted its first mechanical watch. For more than a century, we have built a tradition of continuous innovation that has enriched luxury watchmaking: the magic lever winding system in 1959, award-winning chronometers in the 1960’s, the mechanical chronograph in 1969, the SPRON 510* alloy for the mainspring in 1997. Today, with a 45 hour power reserve, 34 jewels, and a design inspired by Katana, the ancient Japanese art of sword making, Ananta renews this tradition. SeikoUSA.com

RIGHT TIME INTERNATIONAL WATCH CENTER - 303.862.3900 - www.righttime.com SuLLIvAN’S S&S JEWELERS - 321.254.8030 - www.sandsjewelers.com ELEGANT JEWELERS - 225.773.9786 - Baton Rouge, LA

LUXE FINDER LUXE FINDER WATCH JOURNAL’S CURATED SELECTION OF THE HOTTEST WATCHES AND MOST LUXURIOUS PRODUCTS

BELL & ROSS INSTRUMENT BR01 94 CARBON FIBER V Y R U S 9 8 7 C 3 4 V M O T O R C YC L E

M O N T E G I R O L U S S O T U R N TA B L E C H R I S T O P H E C L A R E T D UA LT O W H D 3 C O M P L I C AT I O N B L A C K P E A R L ICON CJ3B "THE DOG"

MB&F HM3 SIDEWINDER C H R O N O S W I S S PAT H O S

X S M G W O R L D X S R S U P E R B O AT LOUIS MOINET METEORIS DE BETHUNE DB25

B L A N C PA I N S P É C I A L I T É S T O U R B I L L O N D I A M A N T S MAÎTRES DU TEMPS CHAPTER ONE

BUBEN & ZÖRWEG X 007 VIRIDIAN GLK Z E N I T H M E G A P O R T R O YA L O P E N G R A N D E DAT E C O N C E P T

Baguette-cut gems of high-tech ceramic are the thoroughly modern embellishA R T I Elugs R C Aand L I B Rbracelet E D E C Aof R Tthe IER ments on the coin-edged bezel, double chapterCrings, Chanel J12 Intense Black, a 42mm timepieceLpowered I N D E W Eby R Dthe E L Iautomatic N S P I D O L IChanel TE SA AP 3125 movement. 800.550.0005, chanel.com

VA N C L E E F & A R P E L S T O U R B I L L O N M I D N I G H T E X T R A O R D I N A RY D I A L S

44 45

46 47 48 49

50 52

53 54 55

56 58

59 60 61

62 64

66

LUXE FINDER

ARCHITECTURE

STRENGTH

Aeronautical construction techniques provided inspiration for this watch. The bezel and upper plate with angled ribs enhance the solidity of the case and emphasize the high-tech architecture of the watch.

The automatic ETA 2894 chronograph movement lies inside a case fashioned from a single block of material comprising layers of carbon fiber. The ultra-light and extremely strong 46-mm case is solid but also comfortable to wear.

SHOW

The case, dial and strap of the Bell & Ross Instrument BR01-94 Carbon Fiber are made entirely of carbon fiber, the high-tensile-strength, lightweight woven material favored in aeronautic applications. $9,800, 888.307.7887, bellross.com

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LUXE FINDER

HOT PROPERTY

The 987 C34V is the latest light sports bike with hub-center steering from Italian boutique builder Vyrus. Only 20 are expected to be built this year. $90,000, vyrus.it

STRUCTURE The bike is equipped with Marchesini magnesium or aluminum forged wheels. A carbon fiber front frame is a structural solution that lends high-tech appeal.

PERFORMANCE Brake later and corner harder: the bike's breathtaking acceleration is paired with a hub-center steering system that prevents the front end from diving when braking into corners.

LUXE FINDER

FINISH The stainless steel and acrylic chassis is topped by a specially damped, 5-kg aluminum platter, shaped from a single piece of metal.

DRIVE A flat belt attached to a specially treated two-phase synchronous motor with sliding contact bearings drives the turntable.

SPIN

The Lusso by Montegiro creates a perfect world of sound: between precise, crystalline high notes and weighty bass is a generous, softly melting midrange that helps produce an ideal, musically balanced turntable. montegiro.de

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LUXE FINDER

TRACKING TIME

Christophe Claret's DualTow brings together a column-wheel chronograph, an original striking mechanism and a tourbillon regulator in a demonstration of this maker's varied skills and spirit of invention. CHF 490,000, 954.610.2234, dualtow.ch

STRIKING The monopusher chronograph, which uses three planetary gears, is the subject of a new patent. A mechanical striking mechanism produces a chime each time the chronograph is started, stopped or reset.

UNCONVENTIONAL Notched rubber belts mounted on rotating cylinders form the unconventional hours and minutes displays.

Metal forks frame the numerals indicating the current time.

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LUXE FINDER

VIEW SIDE

The Black Pearl, a new creation from HD3 Complication, explores buccaneer style with horological prowess and a retro-futuristic aesthetic.

Approximately $400,000, 310.205.5555, hd3complication.com

OPEN A bi-axial tourbillon is the horological heart of this timepiece. A hatch on the left caseside opens to offer a view of the tourbillon mechanism from the side.

NAVAL In a salute to the early days of naval exploration, hours are shown on a wheel and minutes on a disc, while the power reserve indicator takes the form of a sextant.

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LUXE FINDER

AGILE “The Dog” is all business as a simple but rugged bespoke utility vehicle with focus on agility and high quality.

EFFICIENT The drive train is a high-efficiency variable valve timing GM Ecotec 2.4 fuel-injected four-cylinder motor, producing more than 200 hp and an estimated 28 mpg.

MAN’S

Nicknamed "The Dog," the CJ3B is a handcrafted off-road vehicle inspired by the flat-fendered Willys of the 1950s and built in California by Icon. $79,000, icon4x4.com

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LUXE FINDER

ORIENTATION

MOTION

The Sidewinder configuration option places the hour and minutes cones in a line perpendicular to the arm. Starcruiser configuration places the cones in line with the arm.

The kinetics of the winding rotor are on view at the front of the case, out of which rise twin truncated cones, housing the time and day/night indications.

MACHINE CULTURE

The HM3 by MB&F is an open-air theater of a timepiece. The action of the balance wheel, the winding rotor and the date wheel are all on display. $77,000, 310.470.1388, mbandf.com

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Š2010 Citizen Watch Company of America, Inc.

As functional art... this is a masterpiece.

Grand Complication.

Case, dial, band and movement are crafted and hand assembled by master watchmakers.

From cutting and hand polishing its case, to minutely finishing its precision parts, the exceptional beauty of a Campanola is born.

www.campanola-timepieces.com AVAILABLE AT

WEYERS CAVE, VA 540-234-9075

LOS ANGELES, CA 310-470-1388

Perpetual calendar with moon phase, chronograph, and the delicate bell tones of a minute repeater. Hand lacquered dial.

Dual curved sapphire crystal.

Crocodile band.

Case: 45mm.

LUXE FINDER

SPLITTING TIME

The Chronoswiss Pathos is a hand-skeletonized and engraved masterpiece cased in stainless steel with diamond embellishments and featuring splitseconds chronograph functions. $22,100, 631.776.1135, chronoswiss.de

CODED Pushbuttons at 2 and 4 control the start/stop and reset, respectively, of the chronograph function. The rose gold pushbutton at 10 activates the split-seconds function and corresponds to the rose gold split-seconds hand.

ENGINEERED Chronoswiss Caliber C.732, created

by Ruediger Lang, is an 18-karat rose gold split-seconds column-wheel chronograph with split-seconds mechanism integrated on the dial side, a feature patented by Chronoswiss.

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LUXE FINDER

SPEED With a ZF two-speed gearbox, ZF Trimax surface drive propulsion and STAB stabilization, the 48-foot XSR is the ultimate performance machine with maximum speeds of 70–85 knots.

DESIGN More than 100,000 man-hours went into the development of the XSR Superboat with designers, architects and engineers exploring every aspect of its hydronamics, aerodynamics, aesthetics, ergonomics, propulsion, power and performance.

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With no less than 1,600 hp, the XSR Superboat

by XSMG World is a supercar on water. It offers acceleration to match its stunning appearance. xsmgworld.com

LUXE FINDER

PRECISE

RARE

A unique art object 5 feet high, the planetarium is a feat of precision clockwork, in which the planets revolve around the sun in seconds.

A diamond-studded blue dial shows the passage of the planets through the 12 signs of the zodiac.

A Rosetta Stone meteorite and meteorites from the moon, Mars and the asteroid Itqiy display their beauty on the dials of four gold timepieces, each one of a kind.

TOWERING A new form of planetarium, Louis Moinet's Meteoris depicts the solar system in spectacular fashion and unites four legendary meteorites in four solar system–inspired tourbillon wristwatches. $4.7 million, 866.703.1806, lmtime.com

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LUXE FINDER

BLUE MOON

The quest for perfect isochronism was the guiding principle in the development of the new mechanical movement of the DB25 by De Bethune. $69,500, 212.729.7152, debethune.ch

BEAUTY The watch's pure aesthetic is enhanced by a three-dimensional platinum and blued steel representation of the moon, set in a blued steel dial decorated like a sky dotted with stars. The moon phase display is accurate to one lunar day in 123 years.

BALANCE The new Caliber DB2105s uses a silicon balance wheel fitted with a platinum ring. Perfectly poised, it never requires adjustment. A hairspring with De Bethune flat terminal curve also needs no adjustment following assembly.

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LUXE FINDER

SUBSTANCE & STYLE

The watchmaker's art meets the gem setter's art in the Spécialités Tourbillon Diamants from Blancpain, a precious timepiece featuring more than 20 carats of diamonds and an extraordinary mechanism. $1,342,700, 877.520.1735, blancpain.com

JEWELRY

MECHANISM

The pavé-set dial holds 164 diamonds. The white gold case is set with an additional 571 diamonds.

Eight diamonds decorate the crown, which is topped with a briolette-cut diamond. Even the hands sparkle with a sprinkling of diamond dust.

Caliber 25A is a self-winding mechanical movement with tourbillon regulating mechanism, designed to augment timekeeping accuracy by combating the effects of gravity on the movement.

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LUXE FINDER

ROLL CALL

Expanding upon its Chapter One collection, MaĂŽtres du Temps introduces a limited edition 18-karat rose gold version of its signature complicated timepiece. $72,000, 570.970.8888, maitresdutemps.com

INFORMATION Complications include monopusher chronograph with 60-minute counter, retrograde date and GMT, one-minute tourbillon, day of the week and moon phase indication on rollers.

SOPHISTICATION The watch is built from 662 finely finished and decorated components. Its Caliber SHC02 comprises 558 of these, including 58 jewels.

LUXE FINDER

INTERIOR Its luxurious interior is clad in hand-sewn Italian leather and offers a luxurious environment for watch storage and display.

EXTERIOR Its elegant high-gloss lacquer, macassar inlay and handpolished stainless steel trim make this a security device that is equally an art object.

EARLY

The high-security Buben & Zรถrweg X-007 safe opens upwards, making it the ideal presentation platform for the valuables it conceals. $173,000, 43.3685.224.80, buben-zorweg.com

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LUXE FINDER

LASER SHARP

The cutting-edge laser technology of the Viridian GLK produces a compact, powerful green laser with 2-mile range and four operating modes for military, law enforcement and civilian use. $279, viridiangreenlaser.com

BEAM The Class IIIa laser beam has 5 mW peak intensity, 5 nm wavelength and halfinch spot size at 50 feet.

SECURITY Constructed of high-strength Zytel polymer, the attachment slides onto the Glock tactical rail and locks into place; a quick-detach system makes for easy removal.

CHARGED One CR2 3V lithium battery powers the device for up to four hours (constant beam) or seven hours (pulsing).

060

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LUXE FINDER

MECHANISM The El Primero 4039 C movement winds itself and produces frequency of 36,000 bph, allowing time measurements to tenths of a second. The heart of the movement is revealed through an opening in the dial.

FUNCTIONS The chronograph function tracks seconds and fractions of seconds via a central hand and minutes via a 30-minute counter at 3.

The chronograph function is complemented by grande date and horizontal power reserve indicators.

BOLD

VISION

061

Zenith presents its chronographic vision of the future in the Mega Port Royal Open Grande Date Concept in blackened titanium. $19,400, 866.260.0460, zenith-watches.com

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LUXE FINDER

HOUSE SPECIAL

Cartier presents the Calibre de Cartier, featuring the first self-winding mechanical movement crafted entirely by Cartier. $6,500, 800.CARTIER, cartier.com

Caliber 1904 PS MC features double mainspring barrels, a fine regulation system, a stop-seconds mechanism, winding rotor mounted on ceramic bearings and efficient bidirectional winding. An exhibition caseback offers a view of the decorated movement.

The 42-mm steel case houses the movement and holds a sapphire crystal above a black dial marked with seven white Roman numerals—including a large XII in subtle relief—and four luminescent hour markers.

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Franck Dieleman © Cartier 2010

PRESENTATION

TECHNIQUE

Haute-Performance TM

The Kriëger Gigantium Skeleton Skeleton Collection. Visible skeleton movement shows special hand engraved carvings and skull with ruby eyes. Available in 18kt rose gold, 18kt white gold, PVD gun metal coating or all stainless steel, with or without diamonds. Impressively oversized at 43mm. Swiss made superlative mechanical wound movement with exhibition back.

Anti-reflective sapphire crystal. Limited edition. KRIEGERWATCH.COM - 800 441 8433 Available at: TOURNEAU For locations nationwide, or shop at home 800 348 3332 LA VIANO JEWELERS Englewood NJ 201 569 4556 LOUIS BLACK Toronto Ontario 416 920 8338 KENJO JEWELERS New York NY 212 333 7220

LUXE FINDER

VERSATILE

VINTAGE

The distinctive drilled case is produced in three variations: grade 5 titanium, DLC-finished titanium and rose gold. It provides a lightweight base for attachment of the maker's Rock or Reef electronic sports instruments.

The automatic mechanical movement, a 1970s new old stock Caliber AS 1876, is modified by Andersen Genève Atelier and offers 42-hour power reserve. A partially open dial exposes the movement.

SKELETON CREW

Linde Werdelin's SpidoLite SA collection has expanded to include a choice of three case options. Water-resistant to 300 meters, each of the sport-ready watches is ready for anything. $11,970–$22,000, 888.894.4255, lindewerdelin.com

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GLAMOUR Diamond Collection Automatic 25 Jewels Available with Bracelet Louisiana Crocodile

Gevril USA – 1-866-425-9882 www.gevril.com

LUXE FINDER

GARDEN PATH

The Tourbillon Midnight Extraordinary Dials collection from Van Cleef & Arpels includes the Renaissance, portraying an Italian garden in enamel, gold and diamonds. $310,000, 877.826.2533, vancleef-arpels.com

UNIQUE Production is limited to eight unique numbered pieces in 42-mm platinum cases set with baguette-cut diamonds; total diamond weight is 7.65 carats. Enamel colors vary from piece to piece.

SPECIALIZED The 24-jewel Swiss mechanical movement was developed for Van Cleef & Arpels by Piaget.

It features a tourbillon regulator that improves accuracy by countering the effects of gravity.

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BREITLING

HARRY WINSTON

REVEALING

BASELW The off -ce OPEN CONCE black d nter time disp PT ia lay of th l featur mented e e s t e draggin xtured by moo g hou matt n ph in reced ase, day/nigh rs and is supp e le t ing pos itions o and date disp n the m lays ultileve l dial.

MAURICE LACROIX

MAURI

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SPLIT LEVEL The Pon to watche s DĂŠcentrique s featur Phase d in e Lune, new ad ditions g moon phase a limite t $8,600 d ed d o is it play, is s award , 800.7 one of M ition of 500 94.773 w in ning Po 6 , M AU aurice L n RICELA acroix's CROIX.C tos collectio n.

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NOTHING IN THE WORLD OF WATCHES ATTRACTS QUITE THE SAME INTEREST AS THE PHRASE “BASEL INTRODUCTION.” Everyone is curious to see what horolog-

ical creations will be unveiled at the Baselworld trade fair each spring. When the doors of Baselworld 2010 open, the world will learn what so many designers, engineers and assemblers have been occupied with since the doors of this annual fair swung closed 12 months ago. It’s a cycle of creation, anticipation and revelation that never ceases to thrill watch enthusiasts around the world. Some of the new watches will surprise us; others will delight us. One or two are sure to be revelations. All will reveal the skill, dedication and inventiveness of their makers. Here are a few.

nd black set white a in h it w d 38-mm rate ation. The e are deco z g li n a ta e fl d m n ld a d go Dial e crystal. d black an ck sapphir n la a b rl h a e it p w t fd bezel. l se mother-o the dial an has a beze to e s s a d c n l o e m te stainless s eled version adds dia A jew

OR

QUICK CHANGE The constant motion of the six decorated plates that make up the time display of the Dior Christal Mystérieuse creates kinetic art that changes second by second. $16,800-$21,900, 866.260.0460, DIOR.COM

DI

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WORLD 069 04:2010 | WAT C H J O U R N A L .C O M

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WHEN THE DOORS OF BASELWORLD 2010 OPEN, THE WORLD WILL LEARN WHAT SO MANY DESIGNERS, ENGINEERS AND ASSEMBLERS HAVE BEEN OCCUPIED WITH SINCE THE DOORS OF THIS ANNUAL FAIR SWUNG CLOSED 12 MONTHS AGO.

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NEW TRADITION Breguet's Tradition 7047 Fusee Tourbillon uses the hand-wound, numbered and signed Breguet Caliber 569, revealed by a small off-center dial and sapphire crystals at the front and back of the platinum case. $172,100, 866.458.7488, BREGUET.COM

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BLANCP AIN

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GÉRALD CLERC | C R EAT I V I TY D E F I N ES C L E R C WATC H ES A N D T H E I R N AM ESA K E E X ECU T I V E TEXT bY: KEITH W. STRANDBERG

When asked to describe Clerc watches,

Gérald Clerc, fourth-generation president of Clerc SA, responds with two words: “powerful” and “exciting.” To his mind, Clerc watches are different from the typical watch in every way. Clerc explains, “They are different in design, in the complex case construction and in the mix of high-tech materials with precious metals. They are also exciting in terms of the mechanics. In many of our collections, we use manufacture movements with special features such as double-barrel power reserves. The whole approach is about being different and being special.

Odyssey Lady Galaxy

“Today’s watch buyer is looking for something unique and different,” he continues. “Just looking at the inventory in the stores, the opposite of unique and different is just sitting in the windows, not selling. Creativity is the No. 1 element that people are looking for—creativity at every level.”

This maker’s pursuit of creativity even shapes the way new watches are developed at Clerc.

“Creating a watch is like creating a sculpture; it’s a work of art,” Clerc explains. “For us, there is no reverse engineering, no benchmarking the competition; there is no cutting corners or

taking shortcuts. It’s really about going all the way to the end and doing what it takes to be satisfied with what we’ve created. People can see this in the products we’ve made. Integrity and real creativity are the reasons people are attracted to our watches.”

Clerc became interested in watches early in life, thanks to a family that was involved in the watchmaking industry. “I was born into the watch industry,” he says. “We are a family business. I was stung by watches early on.

Sitting next to the watchmakers in our shop and looking at them working on things and creating beautiful pieces of watchmaking art did it for me.”

Clerc’s first watch was a Mickey Mouse, but the first “real” timepiece he remembers owning was a Clerc Atlantic.

“It was a manualwinding watch, and I had great pride in possessing such a beautiful object, one that was created by my father,” he recalls.

When asked about his

current favorite watch, Clerc hedges his bets. “There are different things I enjoy in each of the watches we’ve made,” he answers. “I like the Hydroscaph, our latest collection, because it’s

with sophistication and elegance.

There is something I like in each of our collections.”

When he is not working, Clerc spends time with his family. “I really enjoy my children, and I love to discover new places with them,” he details. “I enjoy skiing, and I am a runner, so I am going to run the New York City Marathon. I turn 40 this year, and I promised myself that I would do it.”

Where business in concerned, Clerc faces the same difficult economic climate that every watch brand faces. In response, Clerc is expanding distribution.

“WE HAVE HAD INCREDIBLE SUCCESS WITH OUR NEW LINES IN MARKETS ALL OVER THE WORLD.” a very exciting watch, it’s real ‘techno-luxe.’ I also like the sophistication and the mechanical aspects of the Odyssey, which combines futuristic horology

Currently, the brand is found in about 20 stores in the US, and Clerc is looking to increase that number. “We have had incredible success with our new lines in markets all over the world,” he says. “We are putting things in place now to begin building on our foundation.” clercwatches.com

Above and left: Hydroscaph in blackened titanium and carbon fiber

“I HAD GREAT PRIDE IN POSSESSING SUCH A BEAUTIFUL WATCH, ONE THAT WAS CREATED BY MY FATHER.” — GÉRALD CLERC FOURTH-GENERATION PRESIDENT OF CLERC SA

+

Inset: Hydroscaph GMT in blackened titanium and rose gold

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SVETLANA ZAKHAROVA | R US S I A N BA L L E R I N A D E mA N DS B EAU TY A N D R E L I A B I L I TY TExT BY: KEITH W. STRANDBERG

Svetlana Zakharova, principal dancer with the Bolshoi

Ballet, is considered one of the world’s greatest living ballerinas. Celebrated and adored in mother Russia, this artist is one whose star is certainly on the rise, and now she is also an Audemars Piguet ambassador.

Because of the extreme demands on her time, Zakharova’s day is highly managed, and she depends on her watch to keep her on schedule.

“In my profession, timing is vital,” Zakharova says. “I have so many classes, rehearsals and meetings throughout the day

Piguet watches are real works of art,” she says. “They are beautiful, elegant and sophisticated.

And, along with all the tradition preserved by Audemars Piguet, the watches are modern and comfortable.”

Although she has attained the pinnacle of her profession,

“WATCHES ARE THE MAIN ACCESSORIES FOR ME, AND THEY SHOULD LOOK ELEGANT AND BEAUTIFUL.” that I cannot imagine my life without watches. my watches are important tools. I must be able to trust them; they must be reliable.

“I also participate in official events and cocktail parties, and, of course, my watches are the main accessories for me, and they should look elegant and beautiful. In the watches of Audemars Piguet, I have found all these qualities—precision, beauty, elegance and style.”

As an artist, Zakharova appreciates beauty wherever she can find it, and now she can find it on her wrist. “Audemars

Millenary Précieuse in rose gold

her hard work has not slowed.

Zakharova continues to practice every single day. “Daily, tireless training has been vital to my success, as is total devotion to my profession,” she says.

Compared to time spent in training, time on stage seems to fly for Zakharova, but she says, “I never think about time during a performance—apart from the productions where I have to change my costume in a minute or less in order to come back on stage exactly on time.”

Zakharova is excited about working with Audemars Piguet, and the company pledges to present her around the world in ad campaigns and in events with retailers and customers. “I am very pleased to be accepted into this wonderful family, and I will do my best to represent this outstanding company,” she says.

“The art of ballet and the art of watchmaking have much in common. There is tradition, a combination of the classic and the modern, and the quest for perfection. It is a great honor to be an ambassador for Audemars Piguet.”

888.214.6858, audemarspiguet.com

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DANCING THE WORLD Since becoming the Bolshoi’s principal dancer in 2003, Zakharova has been named an Honored Artist of Russia (2005) and a People’s Artist of Russia (2008). In February, she performed in Washington, DC, and Costa mesa, Calif., with the Bolshoi tour. In April, she dances “Swan Lake” at the Bolshoi Theatre in moscow and at the mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg. svetlana-zakharova.com

Right: Millenary Précieuse in diamond-set white gold case with 187 diamonds totaling approximately 2.35 carats and white mother-of-pearl dial; Millenary Précieuse earrings Above: Zakharova in the Bolshoi’s production of “Swan Lake”; photo by Andrei Melanin

+

“THE ART OF BALLET AND THE ART OF WATCHMAKING HAVE MUCH IN COMMON. THERE IS TRADITION, A COMBINATION OF THE CLASSIC AND THE MODERN, AND THE QUEST FOR PERFECTION.” — SVETLANA ZAKHAROVA PRINCIPAL DANCER WITH THE BOLSHOI BALLET

CHRONOGRAPHS

101 THE CHRONOGRAPH HAS BEEN CALLED WATCHMAKING’S MOST USEFUL AND VERSATILE COMPLICATION. It is also certainly one of the most S T A R T

attractive, with its signature pushbuttons, its array of subdials and its gorgeous movement architecture, often beautifully displayed through an exhibition caseback and, sometimes, through an open dial. The chronograph—the name comes from the Greek words chronos (time) and graphos (writing)—is basically an instrument that measures and records elapsed time, making it a popular complication of many sports watches. Chronographs come in handy for timing everything from the most exciting Formula 1 race to the most routine morning run. The first chronographs were straightforward, stand-alone stopwatches, with no display of current time.

Later, chronographs were integrated into pocket watches and, eventually, into wristwatches. Today, tremendous variety is available in this category of timepieces. Chronographs have been pressed into service for a range of specific applications, from storm tracking to flight computation. THIS SPECIAL SECTION PRESENTS A SELECTION OF CHRONOGRAPHS AND EXPLAINS THEIR OPERATION.

E X A M P L E

TURNAROUND

The sports-inspired Grand Cliff Countdown by Pierre DeRoche pairs a flyback chronograph with GMT, power reserve indicator and 60-minute countdown capability. $13,000 pierrederoche.com

DISTINCTIVE: The central 60-minute chronograph counter is a characteristic that distinguishes this maker's chronographs from most others.

ENGINE: The skeletonized Caliber RM011S features automatic winding with adjustable rotor geometry.

E X A M P L E

RACE READY

Richard Mille's RM 011 Felipe Massa Ti Black Grand Prix Brazil special edition commemorates the homeland of the Ferrari F1 driver with yellow and green details. $85,000 310.205.5555, richardmille.com

PERFORMANCE: The flyback chronograph function is useful for timing consecutive events, such as laps at the racetrack. It is paired with a 60-minute countdown timer and annual calendar.

LIVERY: The DLC-coated titanium case is 40 mm wide and 50 mm in length. The yellow flange that surrounds the dial is carbon fiber, and the crown is rubberized.

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11S ble

E X A M P L E

01

HIGH PERFORMANCE

Inspired by the ultra-light, high-performance speed machines of motor sports, the Millenary Carbon One emerges from Audemars Piguet's research lab in a limited series of 120 pieces. $268,100 888.214.6858, audemarspiguet.com

CHRONOGRAPHS

STANDARD TWO-BUTTON CHRONOGRAPH: The standard

chronograph has two pushbuttons for controlling the timing function.

One of these pushbuttons starts and stops the chronograph seconds hand, while the other resets the hand to zero. Operating the chronograph is a simple matter of pressing a button when an event begins and pressing it again when the event ends. The duration of the timed event is indicated by the position of the hand when it is stopped. Chronographs may or may not include counters, also known as totalizers, which track the revolutions of the chronograph seconds hand and display total elapsed time in minutes and/or hours.

OPERATION: A pushbutton at 2 starts and stops the chronograph; another at 4 resets it. A 30-minute counter between 3 and 4 on the dial jumps forward each time the central chronograph seconds hand completes a revolution.

E X A M P L E

HIGH CALIBER

Chronographs occupy a key position in Patek Philippe's complications portfolio. The Ref. 7071R is the first watch to use this maker's CH 29-535 PS column-wheel chronograph movement. $79,800 212.218.1240, patek.com

PRECISION: Caliber 2884's chronograph mechanism includes an efficient coupling lever, entirely machined in black PVD-coated nickel. It enables double adjustment, guaranteeing enhanced precision and preventing any jerking of the chronograph hand when the function is activated.

02 C H R O N O G R A P H S

MONOPUSHER CHRONOGRAPH:

A variation on the typical chronograph configuration, and an earlier chronograph design, is the single-pushbutton chronograph, often known as a monopusher chronograph. Instead of two pushbuttons controlling the function of the chronograph, a single button controls start, stop and reset actions. The single button might be a feature on the side of the case, or it may be integrated into the crown.

E X A M P L E

CIRCULAR REASONING EXCLUSIVITY: Production is limited to 50 pieces cased in 18-karat rose gold with sapphire crystals front and back and matching folding clasp. The crown is marked with the Montblanc logo.

Adapting a principle introduced in the 1820s by inventor Nicolas Rieussec, Montblanc's Nicolas Rieussec Open Date Silicon Escapement Chronograph uses rotating discs to indicate its chronograph and date functions. $37,800 800.995.4810, montblanc.com

TECHNOLOGY: This latest addition to the Nicolas Rieussec Collection encases the manufacture MB R120 movement with silicon lever and escape wheel, representing state-of-the-art horological technology.

Because silicon is relatively lightweight, the mass of the escapement is reduced when it is made of silicon, improving efficiency.

SIMPLICITY: A single pushbutton at 8 controls the chronograph mechanism, which features column-wheel control and a vertical disc clutch. The chronograph tallies elapsed seconds and minutes on rotating disks with stationary hands.

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03 C H RO N O G R A P H S

SPLIT-SECONDS CHRONOGRAPH: Also known as a rattrapante, the split-seconds chronograph has two chronograph seconds hands, stacked one on top of the other, and the ability to time concurrent events of different lengths, such as the individual times of multiple runners in a footrace. When the chronograph is started, both hands begin circling the dial. When the first runner crosses the finish line, another press of a button stops one of the hands while the other continues on its course. Once the first runner’s time is noted, pressing another button causes the stopped hand to catch up to the running hand in preparation for recording subsequent runners’ times.

E X A M P L E

DUAL DUTY The Luminor 1950 8 Days Rattrapante Pink Gold 47 mm, designed and manufactured

by Panerai, offers a splitseconds chronograph in which the timing functions are controlled by two pushbuttons. Three barrels make possible this timepiece's eight-day power reserve. $43,000 877.PANERAI, panerai.com

EASE: The pushbutton at 8 starts, stops and resets the first chronograph seconds hand, while the pushbutton at 10 controls the split-seconds function, facilitating the timing of concurrent events.

E X A M P L E

INNER BEAUTY The Perrelet Semi-skeletonized Split-seconds Chronograph features chronograph counters on rotating mineral glass discs, automatic winding and a stainless steel case with DLC finish. $13,400 888.596.9483, perrelet.com

CLARITY: Split-seconds hands of different lengths indicate elapsed times on separate seconds scales for easy read off of intermediate times.

E X A M P L E

SPORTING STYLE

The sporting 45-mm Piaget Polo FortyFive Chronograph features a flyback chronograph mechanism as part of its self-winding Piaget manufacture movement. $17,900 800.628.8119, piaget.com

OPERATION: The flyback chronograph with 30-minute totalizer instantly returns the chronograph hands to zero and automatically restarts timing with the press of one button.

DISPLAY: The gray dial displays chronograph minutes at 3, small seconds at 6, time in a second zone at 9 and date at 12

04 CHRONOGRAPHS

SIGNATURE: A rubber strap with steel godron inserts continues the iconic horizontal line pattern of the Polo case.

FLYBACK CHRONOGRAPH: A flyback chronograph offers one-

button reset/restart. A single depression of a pushbutton sends the chronograph hand “flying� back to zero and instantaneously restarts timing. Useful for timing consecutive events, this feature replaces three depressions of a pushbutton (stop, reset, start) with a single one.

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E X A M P L E

AGELESS

The Patrimony Traditionnelle Chronograph from Vacheron Constantin is a classically styled wrist chronometer with tachymetric scale for calculating rates of speed. $39,000 877.862.7555, vacheron-constantin.com

FUNCTIONALITY: Totalizers for minutes and hours allow easy tracking of elapsed time up to 12 hours. The chronograph coupled with the tachymetric scale make calculations of speeds possible.

E X A M P L E

TRACK TIMER

The Louis Moinet Twintech Chronograph Racing commemorates the brand's sponsorship of South Florida's Primetime Race Group. Its tachymeterequipped dial features subdials in racing red. $9,900 866.703.1806, lmtime.com

MECHANISM: Caliber 1141 is powered by manual winding, incorporates 21 rubies and vibrates at a rate of 18,000 bph. Its column-wheel chronograph mechanism controls a central chronograph seconds

05 C H RO N O G R A P H S

TACHYMETER: The tachymeter provides a graduated

scale that is useful for determining speeds over a known distance, such as a kilometer or a mile. For example, to determine the speed of a car traveling between mile markers on the highway, the chronograph would be started as the car passed the first mile marker and stopped when the car passed the second mile marker. The time it took for the car to travel one mile is indicated by the chronograph hand on the seconds scale of the dial. The number pointed out by the chronograph seconds hand on the tachymetric scale is the car’s average speed in miles per hour.

06 C H RO N O G R A P H S

FUNCTIONS: While the tachymeter is used to calculate rates of speed over a given distance, the telemeter is used to calculate the distance between the wearer and an observable event based on the speed of sound.

SHOCK-RESISTANT: This watch uses automatic Caliber ETA 7750 with a chronograph function that tracks elapsed time for up to 12 hours. A shockresistant stainless steel case, 43 mm in diameter, protects the movement from 5,000 G shocks.

TELEMETER: A telemeter

allows read off of distances based on the known speed of sound when an event is both visible and audible to an observer.

An often-cited example is a distant lightning strike. The chronometer is used to measure the time between the visible lightning strike and the audible thunder. The chronograph hand points to a number on the telemetric scale, which indicates the distance, in miles or kilometers, between the lightning strike and the observer.

E X A M P L E

ALIGNED: The caseback bears the logo of the Dr. Joshua Wurman's Center for Severe Weather Research, a top organization in the field of hurricane and tornado science.

WEATHER REPORT

The Fireman Storm Chaser by Ball combines two measurement scales in order to provide information about speeds and distances. $2,699 727.896.4278, ballwatchusa.com

07 C H RO N O G R A P H S

PULSOMETER: The pulsometer uses a specialized scale

to convert chronograph time into a reading of heart rate.

The chronograph is started at the first detected heartbeat and stopped a specified number of beats later. The number indicated by the chronograph hand on the pulsometric scale corresponds to the heart rate in beats per minute.

RECTO: The first dial, on the front side of the case, displays the time—hours, minutes and small seconds—and flyback chronograph with central seconds and minutes counter.

E X A M P L E

DOUBLE TIME

VERSO: The second dial, on the back side of the case, displays a single central hand and scales for tachymeter, telemeter and pulsometer, which facilitate calculations of rates of speed, distances and heart rates, respectively.

Franck Muller's Double Face Chronograph, Ref. 7008 CC RC DF, in stainless steel organizes a multitude of time-tracking complications into two separate displays. $34,300 212.463.8898, franckmullerusa.com

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E X A M P L E

AIR TIME

The Hamilton X-Wind is a wrist computer designed for flight.

Its functions give pilots the ability to calculate essential information in the air. $1,695 800.234.8463, hamiltonwatch.com

TASK SPECIFIC: Multiple rotating bezels facilitate specific calculations. The exterior rotating bezel is used to calculate flight speed, the upper interior bezel is useful for finding wind direction, and the lower interior rotating bezel is scaled for heading.

08 C H RO N O G R A P H S

SLIDE RULE BEZEL: Handy

for on-the-fly computing are chronographs paired with slide rule bezels. Basically a circular slide rule, the feature enables calculations and unit conversions involving multiplication or division. A slide rule bezel can be used to determine speeds, fuel consumption, ascent rates and much more.

E X A M P L E

BIGGER, BETTER

In uninterrupted production for more than 50 years, the Breitling Navitimer is one of the most successful chronographs in existence. A late addition to this legendary line is the Navitimer World, which is, at 46 mm, the largest Navitimer ever produced. $6,800 800.641.7343, breitling.com

CALCULATE: The bidirectional rotating bezel functions as a circular slide rule, useful for multiplying or dividing; converting miles into kilometers or nautical miles; calculating in-flight fuel consumption, and ascent and descent rates; and even computing currency exchange rates.

U R W E R K

P R E S E N T S

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N E W

V I S I O N

O F

T I M E

When I first heard about the fascinating watch company called Urwerk, I immediately liked the name; I assumed that the first syllable signified time (like the German uhr), and the second syllable signified manufacturing works (werk). But talking with co-founder and co-owner Felix Baumgartner, I discovered I was wrong. The Urwerk name pays homage to the history of Babylon. “Ur is the city where commerce started around 6,500 years ago,” Baumgartner explains. “When you do commerce, you have to be able to make appointments, set deliveries and so on, so the Babylonians had to invent ways to measure time, indications of time. They used obelisks and the sun, measured the time with fire, with sand and by other means. So does Urwerk.” This focus on novel time displays is an even better reason to like this brand.

UR-103: Stainless steel case treated with AlTiN (aluminium, titanium, nitride); manual-winding Caliber 3.03 with frequency of 3 Hz and power reserve of 43 hours; triple bridges in ARCAP P40, an extraordinarily stable copper/nickel alloy; control board in grade 5 titanium; power reserve indicator; precise time setting; user-adjustable fine-tuning screw

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Baumgartner is a third-generation watchmaker, driven to make his mark on the industry he learned about at the benches of his watchmaker grandfather and father. But this graduate of the Schaffhausen watchmaking school doesn’t relish working in a traditional vein. “For me it’s about creating the watchmaking of today, with the possibilities of today,” he says. “I don’t want to do traditional complications; I want to do new things. This is my reason for being.”

Master watchmaker Felix Baumgartner Urwerk has become known as a company that displays the time in different and unique ways. Starting with the 2003 introduction of its first watch, the UR-103, Urwerk has had an image all its own—eccentric, irreverent and rebellious. “We combine new mechanisms, new complications, new indications of time with a concept that has never been seen before in an expensive watch,” Baumgartner details. “When we presented the UR-103, it looked totally different from a traditional watch, in terms of the design, the mechanics and even the name of the brand. It was a total provocation. The price of that watch was equal to the price of a perpetual calendar by a maker like Patek Philippe, but it is not that kind of watch at all.”

F I R ST T H I N G S F I R ST That first watch—inspired by a 17th-century clock in which each hour rises and sets in an arc like the sun—replaced the conventional watch dial with a system of four orbiting and rotating satellites suspended from an orbital cross. Numerals on each of the satellites indicate the hour, and the satellites themselves indicate the time in both analog and digital fashion as they move across the curving minutes chapter. The hour satellites complete a full revolution under the orbital cross every four hours. As the satellite approaches the crown position, it undergoes a 120-degree rotation on its own axis. This rotation positions the subsequent hour for its journey across the minutes arc.

The hour satellite indication has come to form the basis of Urwerk’s successive introductions, including its latest ones. “Our

watches give a new feeling of conceiving time,” Baumgartner says. “This mission of alternative ways of telling the time gives the watchmaker a new challenge. When we create a new product, there has to be a challenge for us. We don’t want to repeat something that has already been done, ever.”

Urwerk started the way that a garage band might: in the founders’ spare time, they built new watches on a shoestring budget and barely made ends meet. Now, however, Baumgartner and his business partner, martin Frei, head a full-fledged business. “For the first six or seven years, it was almost impossible to exist,” Baumgartner remembers.

“The company was a passion and a hobby, but I was convinced that it would become a real company.”

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FROM THIN AIR Urwerk’s designs are so unusual that one wonders how they were conceived. And once I discovered that designer Frei is based in one part of Switzerland while Baumgartner is in another, I wondered how they manage to collaborate effectively. “We have two offices; martin is in Zurich, and I am in Geneva,” Baumgartner explains. “We have the efficient German side in Zurich, and the romantic French side in Geneva.” However, both draw inspiration from the history of clockmaking.

“It might be either of us who comes up with an idea,” Baumgartner details. “When we have the basic idea of what we want, what kind of indication (often beginning with a mechanical idea), then we start to look at what kind of case, and we ping-pong ideas back and forth.”

Frei studied art at Lucerne’s College of Art and Design and learned to find inspiration in just about anything. “There is nothing I can’t draw from,” he says. “There are filters, of course, and fields of interest. my father is an engineer, so I have a technocratic side. I used to watch my father work. He had crazy ma-

Caseback control board of the original UR-103

“ W E H AV E FO CUS E D O N WO R K I N G FO R O U R V I S I O N A N D O U R

The UR-103T introduced a redesigned orbital cross in dark ARCAP alloy that wraps its arms around the four hours satellites. This ensures that only the numeral for the present hour is visible, simplifying time read off

Urwerk’s 200 series watches, the UR-202 and UR-203, are even more unusual. They use minutes hands that extend and retract from the centers of three orbital hours satellites. Each telescopic hand adjusts precisely to the vector of the minutes scale as it moves across the dial, and then retracts completely as another hand begins its course. These are also the first wristwatches using an automatic winding system protected from shock by miniature air pressure–regulated turbines—the action of the turbines is visible through windows in the caseback.

Designer Martin Frei chines to speed up atoms, and I found this fascinating. They didn’t make those machines aesthetical, but the machines were beautiful to me.”

About the development of the duo’s first watch, Frei recalls, “We had, at the beginning, the time indication, and the design followed the content.” In other words, form followed function. “Because I am not a purist, function can also follow form,” Frei adds. “Playing with the way to indicate time was what was most important to us. I was editing films, playing with time in that way, so this was interesting to me. I am really enjoying myself. I love doing new projects, and we can more or less do what we want. We have to go for the things we want to do; we have to enjoy it.

Then we will see if the world around us allows us to do what we want to do.”

control board, another original feature. The power reserve is displayed here as well as a “chrono meter,” facilitating accurate time setting, and a precision adjustment screw, which allows the owner of a 103 to precisely regulate the watch. It also makes it possible for a watchmaker to regulate the watch without opening the case. Baumgartner comments, “Abraham Louis Breguet, 250 years ago, also had a fine tuning system, so the idea comes from history, but it is reinterpreted by us for Urwerk.”

T EC H N I CA L LY S P EA K I N G The outward appearance of the UR-103 might be seen as its most distinctive feature, but realizing this design was not without its technical challenges. Baumgartner explains, “The three-dimensional satellites allow you to read the time without turning your wrist, but the carousel [on which they turn] is 160 times heavier than a standard minutes hand, and moving this carousel without disturbing the mechanical movement is the technical challenge.” Taking up that challenge, Baumgartner chose high-tech materials to minimize mass and thus maximize chronometric efficiency. Lightweight materials such as titanium were pressed into service. making things even more complex is the back of the watch, where Urwerk places its

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GOOD THINGS Urwerk is constantly introducing variations on these two models, including limited editions. One recent introduction uses sapphire crystal satellites instead of the original aluminum satellites. Both Frei and Baumgartner seem to be enjoying themselves, and they are pleased to finally see the fruits of their hard work. Baumgartner downplays the angst of the early years. “Even during the first years, it was fun,” he says. “We have focused on working for our vision and our passion since the beginning, and now it is commercially possible to survive.” And that’s a very good thing, for Baumgartner and Frei and for watch lovers the world over. urwerk.com

The double turbines of the UR-203's automatic mechanical UR 7.03 movement, visible and adjustable through the caseback

“PLAYING WITH THE WAY TO INDICATE TIME WAS WHAT WAS

The UR-203 applies robotics to the display of time; telescopic arms controlled by cams extend and retract to precisely point out the minutes as they move across the scale

PA R M I G I A N I A N D B U G AT T I : W E L L- M AT C H E D M A K E R S O F H A N D C R A F T E D M A C H I N E S

REDEFINING C R A F T S M A N S H I P BY M I K E DA LY

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Parmigiani Bugatti Atalante flyback chronograph in white gold with diamond bezel

Born into a world blossoming with technological innovations, the boy showed remarkable inventiveness and intellectual capacity—not a future soldier, soccer player or politician but a new disciple in an old tradition of handcrafted precision and technology. He made long, precocious strides as he matured into his teenage years and as a young man began to solidify a reputation as a luminary in his field. Striking out on his own, he founded his own company far from the place of his birth and upbringing, in a region traditionally known for the exquisite objets d’art that he produced with such precision.

messaging and marketing for all involved.

But when Bugatti approached Michel Parmigiani in 2001 to discuss a potential partnership, the horologist really took the task to heart, searching for an innovative means of capturing the essence of Bugatti and its thenunder-development supercar, the 1,000-horsepower Veyron 16.4. A quick examination of the car gave Parmigiani all the inspiration he needed. When his Bugatti Type 370 wristwatch appeared three years later, there was an obvious resemblance between the transverse positioning of the movement and its complications, which lay unusually exposed through a curved glass face, and the Veyron’s mid-rear-mounted, 16-cylinder W-shaped engine that sits uncovered and in plain view behind the cockpit. The Type 370 also matched the Veyron conceptually as a high-quality, handcrafted machine characterized by its

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That man is Michel Parmigiani, who, in 1976 at the age of 26, began restoring classic timepieces and, in 1996, with the investment of the Sandoz Family Foundation, started producing eponymous wristwatches of the highest quality. That man is also Ettore Bugatti, who, almost a century earlier, founded a workshop in Molsheim, Alsace, that would eventually come to be regarded as one of the fabled sites of European automobile manufacture. Given the similar paths that both men took in their respective fields, it seems less coincidence and more inevitability that their companies would one day combine efforts to peel away the traditional notions of form and function that have typically defined the intersection of watch design and car design.

Such partnerships are nothing new. Similar arrangements between Jaeger-LeCoultre and Aston Martin as well as Breitling and Bentley have been effective tools for brand

price point and limited manufacture. Just 300 examples of the $2 million Veyron and 200 of the $233,900 Type 370 were slated for production, the kind of low volume that guarantees desirability.

Executives from each company believe that the partnership offers them less in terms of expanding their brand awareness into new demographics than it does in strengthening the appeal they already hold with aficionados in their individual milieus. Parmigiani maintains that the unequivocal success of the Type 370 is attributable to its groundbreaking design and artistic appeal as much as its association with the Bugatti nameplate. CEO Jean-Marc Jacot explains, “The partnership has not directly contributed to the development of our brand, nor to raising awareness.

It is the watch, the Bugatti Type 370, that has boosted Parmigiani’s position to the highest levels of acknowledgment and recognition in the watchmaking world. It is through our timepieces more than through our partnerships that we reach out to new customers and gain brand awareness.”

T H E R E WA S A N O B V I O U S R E S E M B L A N C E B E T W E E N T H E T R A N S V E R S E P O S I T I O N I N G O F T H E M OV E M E N T A N D I TS CO M P L I CAT I O N S , A N D T H E V E Y R O N ’ S M I D - R E A R - M O U N T E D , 1 6 - C Y L I N D E R W- S H A P E D E N G I N E

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From left: The Parmigiani Bugatti Type 370 Centenaire in rose gold, one of two unique anniversary pieces; the Bugatti Veyron 16.4

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Similarly, Bugatti director of sales and marketing Alasdair Stewart states, “For us, [the partnership is] not really about spreading brand awareness. We’re much more focused on spreading awareness among the people who are likely to be our potential customers.

And that’s a very special group of wealthy people, of course, almost entirely car enthusiasts and car collectors.” Although, he adds, “Many of the special watch collectors around the world are also very special car collectors.”

Jacot agrees, pointing out, “Quite commonly, it is claimed that the only objects a man can collect are cars and watches.”

Since the introduction of the Type 370, Parmigiani’s efforts have closely mirrored those of Bugatti. In 2007, for example, when Bugatti chose to create a very limited series of Veyrons upholstered by Hermès, Parmigiani answered with an equally limited set of appropriately restyled Type 370 watches, dubbed the Bugatti Faubourg. This was surely a relatively easy adaptation, as Parmigiani was already using Hermès leather in its watch straps. In fact, the relationship between Parmigiani and Hermès had reached a new corporate level in October 2006 when the famed leather and luxury goods company

acquired a 25 percent stake in Parmigiani’s manufacturing division, Vaucher Manufacture.

A greater challenge lay in last year’s celebration of Bugatti’s 100th anniversary. In order to commemorate the centennial, Parmigiani finished its run of the Type 370 series with two one-off versions, one in rose gold, the other in platinum. These so-called Type 370 Centenaires, the 199th and 200th examples of the series, cost $308,000 and $400,000, respectively, and feature extremely intricate hand-engraving that required more than 300 hours of work per piece.

With these achievements under their collective belt, Bugatti and Parmigiani took the collaboration a step further with the revelation last September that the watchmaker had designed and built a one-off multitransformation tourbillon for Bugatti’s new concept car, an immaculate sedan called the 16 C Galibier.

Evoking tradition with the name of the Type 57 Galibier saloons of the 1930s, Bugatti explored the possibilities of a sedan that retained elements of the company’s flashy supercar identity, including a polished aluminum exterior and an automatically retractable split-hinged hood. What better interior amenity for such a bespoke luxury car than a dashboard clock that doubles as a wristwatch?

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Above and right: the Bugatti Galibier 16 C and the convertible timepiece developed for it by Parmigiani

avis, Ventoux, Stelvio and the Galibier, are named for such landmarks.

Obviously, the similarity in inspiration is more than mere coincidence; values that are common to both companies are precisely what attracted them to each other in the first place. Both Stewart and Jacot use terms like “brand DNA,” “quality,” “innovation” and “craftsmanship” to describe each other’s companies. Even their locations, Bugatti’s Molsheim factory and Parmigiani’s Fleurier workshops, beg comparison. As Stewart comments, “It really is quite spectacular to see the craftsmanship that goes on [in Parmigiani’s Fleurier workshops]. The team of people that work on the decoration and on the works of the watch and the movements— it really is quite a special place. And that type of approach suits us. They’re not a big, loud, brash brand. They concentrate on marketing to the right people. They don’t try to go out of their way to be something that they’re not.

What they are is exquisite, beautiful. They’re handmade. They’re precious. And that suits our brand very well.” bugatti.com, parmigiani.com

Above: The Parmigiani Atalante flyback chronograph in white gold Left: 1937 Bugatti Type 57 Atalante

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Pawel Litwinski © 2009, courtesy of Gooding & Company

Meanwhile, this January marked a new chapter in the combined ventures of Parmigiani and Bugatti. At this year’s annual SIHH watch industry trade show in Geneva, Parmigiani revealed a new line of Bugatti-themed wristwatches. Not quite as limited as the preceding Type 370, the new watch is more traditionally designed, and Stewart, for one, believes that such accessibility will increase the series’ appeal to a wider group of collectors. “[The new watch is] a little more mainstream, still extremely expensive, extremely beautiful, but maybe a little bit more toward the mainstream, away from solely collectors and more toward those who are buying watches that they will wear every day.” As usual, details prior to the series’ debut at SIHH were shrouded in secrecy, but when the show opened, it was revealed that the new series is called Atalante, a fitting name given that the Bugatti Type 57 Atalante of the 1930s remains one of the most valued and desirable collector cars of all time.

According to Jacot, Parmigiani designers have immersed themselves in Bugatti tradition in order to accurately reflect the car company’s values. “Our designers try to gather information and knowledge [about Bugatti] in many ways that include reading a lot of documentation, seeing the cars, meeting with Bugatti, visiting the site and even comparing it all with other brands.

Some ideas are actually triggered in other environments such as museums, the mountains, in cities—there are no limits to inspiration.” That Jacot should mention the inspiration of the mountains is especially relevant given Bugatti’s propensity to name its cars after Alpine passes and peaks. Four of the great prewar Type 57 models, the Ar-

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As it turns out, Parmigiani had clamored for such a piece for some time. “The Bugatti Tourbillon Concept is a piece I have been dreaming of over years,” says Jacot. “I have always asked myself, how come a luxury car was never equipped with a luxury watch, even in the presence of a partnership with a watch manufacturer? The Galibier represented a great opportunity to develop this concept.”

Stewart’s take is a tad more revealing. “For [a watchmaker], it’s a terrible thing to see a plastic clock in a car. They can’t understand that. Jean-Marc Jacot has always talked to me about that. He says, ‘You know, it’s rubbish to have a plastic screen in front of this. I would never, ever put any type of plastic in front of a good watch.’ We listened to that, and we thought it was a nice idea.”

The Tourbillon Concept is also innovative in that it features four transformations. In addition to neatly fitting into the Galibier’s console and onto a separate wristband, the timepiece is also designed to function as a pocket watch and a table clock. Stewart points out, however, that while a removable, glass-faced dash clock is an aesthetic triumph well suited for a concept car, it may hold safety ramifications that preclude implementation into a production car. “There are safety regulations, and to have watches and clocks with glass faces and mechanisms in cars [creates] head crash test implications.” Stewart doubts whether the dash clock as currently constructed is realizable under modern safety standards. And so a new challenge looms for Parmigiani’s capable designers.

T H E B U G AT T I T Y P E 5 7 ATA L A N T E O F T H E 1 9 3 0 S R E M A I N S O N E O F T H E M O S T VA L U E D A N D D E S I R A B L E C O L L E C T O R C A R S O F A L L T I M E

ATALANTE UNVEILED

Dubbed the Atalante series, a reference to the highly collectible Bugatti Type 57 Atalante automobiles of the 1930s, Parmigiani’s newest Bugatti watch features a large round dial and a case that is certainly more traditional than the transverse layout of its predecessor. Beyond that, however, there are still a number of innovations that continue the groundbreaking character of the partnership between the Swiss watch manufacture and the Alsatian automaker. Powered by Parmigiani’s new in-house movement, the automatic Calibre PF 335, the Atalante features the maker’s first flyback chronograph. Chronograph pushbuttons are positioned on the watch’s left caseside and are easily

thumb-operated while driving. Once the chronograph is started, one press of a button simultaneously resets and restarts the chronograph. Two separate tachymetric scales— one at the dial perimeter and the other on the chronograph’s 30-minute counter—are useful for calculating the speeds of either high-speed events, occurring in seconds, or low-speed events. The Atalante is also rich with automotive design motifs, such as a striped dial that emulates the appearance of a Bugatti radiator grille and cutaways in the center case that are reminiscent of automobile air intakes. There is also the famous EB monogram that has adorned Bugatti models since the brand’s inception.

SPLIT

DECISION

THE NEW ARMIN STROM PROJECTS A SINGULAR DUALITY

Armin Strom is a master watchmaker who has made his name specializing in one-ofa-kind, hand-wrought skeletonization of mechanical watch movements. His watches are magnificent and highly valued masterpieces of decorated mechanical art. Now 70, Strom has built an eponymous brand over the past 30 years on the foundation of this skeletonization, but changes have been in the works, and, recently, Armin Strom AG opened a new facility and introduced a new movement, its first to be entirely designed and built in house, the ARM09. So, what is going on at Armin Strom?

In 2007, Strom brought new investors into his company. As it happens, the investors were from Burgdorf, the same town in the Emmental region of Switzerland from which Strom hails. In a small town like Burgdorf, everyone knows everyone else, so the investors entered the picture with an established appreciation for the watchmaker and for Armin Strom watches.

B Y K E I T H W. S T R A N D B E R G

MOVEMENT BY MOVEMENT Armin by Armin Strom introduced Elements collection watches containing an earlier in-house constructed movement, the ASR07, in 2009. Designed

by Claude Greisler, the ASR07 featured a proprietary regulator module on a Unitas base movement. Elements watches for 2010 feature the ARM09, which, by contrast, is fully designed and built in house at Armin Strom AG. Regulator Water with ASR07 movement

A R M 09 The new movement, ARm09 (the name signifying Armin Reserve marche and the year of its introduction), is an attractive engine for future watches in the Armin by Armin Strom line. The idea is to produce the most basic iteration of the movement in 2010 and then expand the offerings by adding complications in subsequent years.

Constructed of 146 individual parts, the ARm09 is 36.6 mm in diameter and 6.2 mm thick. It incorporates 34 jewels, twin mainspring barrels made of a special brass alloy, escape wheel and pallets of gold with hardened functional areas and a balance adjusted via steel screws. It features power reserve indication in addition to hours, minutes and seconds functions. An interesting interactive feature of this manual-winding movement is found in its winding mechanism, the gears of which have been reconfigured to be visible on the dial side. When the user winds the watch, the gears can be seen turning.

“It has always been Armin Strom’s dream to have his own movement,” says CEO Serge michel. “And Strom consulted on this movement from the beginning. Independence is one of the main reasons we decided to create our own movement. We are not only financially independent now but also technically independent. We can make the movement as we want to make it, and we can do the finishing the way we want to do it. We have complete control.”

The first watches to use the ARm09 will be additions to the Elements collection, cased in titanium. For his part, Strom is pleased. “I am truly delighted to see the development of the brand,” he says. “This is the 21st century, and Armin Strom AG is entering a new era, maintaining its legacy while adding high-tech materials and methods: titanium, in-house manufacturing. I have spent years building the Armin Strom brand. I want my name and my brand to carry on in a serious and strong way.”

According to michel, Strom is not the only one who is pleased with these developments. “The feedback has, so far, been absolutely great,” says michel. “We have a lot of interest from customers and retailers.

Part of this is image; we enhance the brand image when we have our own movements.

But, for us, the main reason is to have independence and to be flexible, and this is a way to show that we mean business.”

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Claude Greisler, Serge Michel and Armin Strom

When Serge michel became CEO in 2008, it was a match made in heaven. Strom has known the michel family for more than 20 years, and, with the new CEO focusing on expanding the company’s capabilities and offerings, Strom would be free to continue working in his specialty, hand skeletonization.

Shortly after michel’s arrival, the decision was made to develop an in-house movement and to build a new facility specifically for the production of this movement. movement constructor Claude Greisler, formerly with Christophe Claret SA, immediately began to design the new movement. Coincidentally, Greisler is also from Burgdorf. It’s a small world, and Switzerland is an even smaller one.

DUALITY The duality of tradition and innovation, the old and the new, the decorative and the hightech now embodied by Armin Strom AG is matched by the somewhat split personality

Armin Strom Blue Chip Automatic Skeleton

of Bienne/Biel, where the new Armin Strom manufacturing facility is located, a town that straddles the line between the Germanspeaking and French-speaking regions of Switzerland. Here, every street sign appears in two languages. Even the facility falls in line with the split character of the city in that it’s an old building on the outside but completely renovated and modern on the inside.

High-tech production takes place in an impressive space on the lower floors. It is clean, well organized and filled with expensive CNC machines. “The new facility was finished in January 2009,” michel details. “We are now able to do production for our own movement as well as the finishing. In fact, we have two separate rooms, one hyperclean assembly room and another for Côtes de Genève, perlage and more.” meanwhile, on the main floor, Armin Strom works in his skeletonization workshop, hand-finishing movements, using processes that haven’t changed in hundreds of years. In so doing, he practices what he calls “a true craft and art.” He began skeletonizing and engraving movements in the 1970s, and the work became the foundation of his brand. “I delivered the pieces that I made, one by one, to consumers and collectors. This developed into a full-fledged business.”

Today, that business carries on one level above a factory floor buzzing with activity.

The new machinery manufactures most components needed to build movements for the latest timepieces. Even the screws are made in house. A few parts, including mainsprings and rubies, are sourced from reliable suppliers in Switzerland. “We are now producing a series of 400 of each part, which will go into the Ele-

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ments collection,” explains michel. “For 2010, we will produce 400 movements; then the goal is to produce 1,000 movements a year.”

FO RWA R D T H I N K I N G In Bienne/Biel, it makes perfect sense that Armin Strom will continue to produce highend, hand-skeletonized pieces, created by its namesake, and that, at the same time, Armin

by Armin Strom will produce watches powered by proprietary movements. The handmade pieces will continue to have their audience, while future serial production will

satisfy clients who are looking for a distinctive mechanical wristwatch of a different kind. “We have invested in the infrastructure and machinery to make the ARm09, and we have a great future,” michel says. “We specialize in high-quality watches, which is the future for us and for the watch industry.”

Looking toward the future is exactly what’s going on at Armin Strom.

Armin Strom watches are distributed in the US by Totally Worth It, 888.894.4255; arminstrom.com, arminbyarminstrom.com

Innovation on the move.

Eterna Madison Three-Hands with Eterna Spherodrive. Revolving on the new Eterna Spherodrive ball bearing system, the spring barrel of the Eterna 3505 proprietary movement rotates more smoothly and effi ciently, guaranteeing extended longevity and easier servicing of the movement. Eterna’s innovative spirit once again drives traditional watchmaking forward. www.eterna.com Tel: 866-425-9882

Eterna · Spherodrive

Another landmark Eterna innovation.

IT’S NOT UNUSUAL TO HEAR OF A WATCH COMPANY PARTNERING WITH AN AUTOMAKER OR A RACING SERIES. Typically, a watch company decides to collaborate on a project with a high-end car company, working together on a watch or sponsoring a driver or a car. Not Blancpain. True, Blancpain has created a racing series with Lamborghini, but this is not a typical partnership. Blancpain president and CEO Marc A. Hayek is one of the drivers taking the wheel of a gleaming Gallardo LP560-4 decked out in Blancpain livery.

And he’s winning.

If it seems incredible that Hayek can be both the president of a worldwide watch brand and a successful racecar driver, a little information about his background elucidates it all.

Hayek, 39, has had an itch to race from his earliest days, and as a young man, he competed in Swiss Champion BMX cycling and motorcycling. He thought the itch was gone when he took over Blancpain. He was wrong.

DRIVING

Marc A. Hayek is both at the helm and behind the wheel

BLANCPAIN

BY K E I T H W. ST R A N D B E R G

G SERIERSIES IN C A R E H T : FEO O RACING SE SUPER TGRHO SUPER TROFE IN PA s C N A BL I IN 4 speed machine THE LAMBOR

allardo LP560finest high-powered G 30 , 09 20 er ob me of Europe’s ct hO competed on so rs lo From May throug ries. co se ni d hi an rg mono-br ancpain-Lambo most demanding ’s rld wo displaying the Bl ting e pe th m as co d en drivers at has been bille al and gentlem on si es racetracks in wh of pr th curs this year wi ce car.

The spectacle re Super Trofeo ra the wheel of the nd hi be de si side by

RESULTS 2009 RACING A.

ering’s Marc Reiter Engine the second place in Hayek secured ter Pe e at ile teamm Pro-Am title, wh le. tit o Pr e nd in th Kox claimed seco

2010 RACING

SCHEDULE

–25 ermany) April 23 Hockenheim (G 3 public) May 21–2 Brno (Czech Re 4 2– ly Ju nce) Paul Ricard (Fra ly 29–31 ps (Belgium) Ju m ha rc co an Spa-Fr –22 21 ungary) August Hungaroring (H 6 –2 ) September 24 Vallelunga (Italy

Marc A. Hayek and his Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Tourbillon

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Clockwise from top left: the 2009 champions; the Super Trofeo race car; Hayek and teammate Peter Kox

“The virus came back before I had anything in mind for Blancpain,” he details. “I started racing privately to get back on the circuits. For Blancpain, we were developing a new sports watch line, starting with the Fifty Fathoms, so we decided to take the next step. I was searching for an activity that included hightech mechanics and challenge, adventure, dynamics, but I didn’t immediately go to car racing, I considered sailing and other sports.

“I heard last year that Lamborghini was starting in works racing, and I was interested in racing with them,” he continues. “I met with them as a driver, and it turns out they were interested in working with Blancpain. I was interested as well, but I felt that any partnership had to have the human spirit behind it.

What we are doing is not co-branding, it’s cotechnology. We decided to do the partnership, and I decided to do the driving as well. I am having a great time, finding my second youth. my wife is happy that this is my mid-life crisis, not something else.” many brand presidents sponsor drivers, but Hayek decided to do the driving himself.

“When this opportunity came up, I jumped at it,” he admits. “Now that I am winning, it is really fun. The problem is finding the time. I didn’t practice enough before the start of the

season, but I had absolutely fantastic help from my co-driver, Peter Kox, in terms of driving tips and mental motivation as well. my declared goal was not to be last!”

“For now, I try to drive whenever I have the chance, one training with the car in between the races, not always on the circuit where we are to race. I also get practice driving up to Le Brassus to the Blancpain manufacture,” he adds. “The rest is getting into shape mentally and physically. I am now working out two or three times a week.”

The link to Lamborghini makes sense for Blancpain, helping to reach a new customer. “It has been so nice to see the clients who discover Blancpain for the first time,” Hayek says.

“The biggest pleasure for me was that people arrived and said they knew Blancpain, but they thought we offered only thin, beautiful dress watches. They put us in a box; they didn’t know that we were also making sports watches. We are attracting new clients that we couldn’t reach before. The goal of the partnership with Lamborghini is to get people to look at Blancpain again.”

Hayek enjoys the challenge of racing. “First of all, there is the challenge of getting better every time,” he notes. “There is never perfection, but there is perpetual challenge. You can

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always go faster in the corners, go faster in every straight. I love competition. I think we have way too much fear of losing—I like the risk and the challenge to improve.

“Time passes both more slowly and more quickly while racing,” he continues. “For 10 laps in the last race, I had a car right behind me, and the time passed really slowly, because I was thinking about that car. Then there are other times when I am driving well and pushing myself hard when the time goes quickly. At the beginning of this, my second racing career, when I came back to racing with Blancpain, it was harder and I was struggling, so it seemed much longer. Now, 20 minutes out on the track is like two minutes.”

Like most drivers, Hayek does not wear his watch while racing. “The only time I take off my watch is for racing,” he admits. “I don’t like to wear anything other than what I absolutely have to have. I hate anything on my wrist when I am racing. I think it goes back to my motorcycle racing days, when I refused to wear a watch while racing my bike.”

Blancpain recently introduced the Super Trofeo Flyback Chronograph, a limited edition watch dedicated to the racing series Blancpain sponsors with Lamborghini. “Next year, we will bring out pieces with joint technology,” he says. “Last year, it was a new case, harder angles, mixing Blancpain with inspiration by Lamborghini. From this year on, you will see more elements from Lamborghini.” blancpain.com

SUPER TROFEO: THE WATCH On the occasion of the 79th International Motor Show in Geneva, Marc A. Hayek and Stephan Winkelmann, the respective CEOs of Blancpain and Lamborghini, sealed the deal on the union of two legendary names.

Just ahead of Baselworld 2009, the watch industry trade fair where Blancpain was set to debut its Lamborghini-inspired timepiece, Hayek treated the press at the Lamborghini booth to a sneak preview of the limited edition Super Trofeo Chronograph.

The 43.5-mm steel case is inspired by the sleek profile of the Lamborghini Gallardo. Its DLC (diamond-like carbon) treatment is blacker than ruthenium and more impervious than PVD. Water-resistant to 100 meters, the case features alternating polished and satin-finished surfaces. Like the upholstery of the Lamborghini Gallardo, the watch strap is made of Alcantara, a luxury composite material, and secured by a steel folding clasp. Each of the 300 examples is engraved on the caseback with its individual number.

As the relationship between Blancpain and Lamborghini evolves, watch for further product introductions. A 2010 edition of the Super Trofeo watch is expected to be unveiled at Baselworld 2010.

SUPER TROFEO VILLAGE At the heart of the Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo weekend is the Super Trofeo Village—the style, quality and layout of which naturally complement the Lamborghini brand. Within the Super Trofeo Village, a boutique features both Automobili Lamborghini and Super Trofeo merchandise, while the series title sponsor, Blancpain, showcases its watch collection, with demonstrations from its master watchmaker. lamborghini.com/supertrofeo

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THE HILLS SURROUNDING LE LOCLE, SWITZERLAND, IN THE HEART OF THE JURA MOUNTAINS, HAVE BEEN HOME TO SOME OF THE MOST FAMOUS WATCHMAKERS THE WORLD HAS EVER SEEN. Among the most prolific and successful, the Christophe Claret workshops must be mentioned. It is here, in a state-of-the-art facility, that some of watchmaking’s most beautiful and complicated movements have been created—all beginning in the mind of Christophe Claret.

Claret started out in the usual way, attending watchmaking school and then training with a cabinotier who taught him the tricks of the trade. Following this apprenticeship, he started purchasing, restoring and reselling complicated watches to collectors.

“At the 1987 Basel Watch Show, I met Rolf Schnyder, an industrialist who had just purchased the prestigious Ulysse Nardin brand,” Claret remembers. “Schnyder entrusted me with an unexpected commission: to create, develop and produce 20 minute repeater movements. In addition to the complication, the movement also had to incorporate power take-off points to drive the San Marco jacks featured on the dial.

This heralded a new era in my career, which led to the creation of a limited liability company bearing my name and based in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, in 1989. Moving away from restoration work, I started in the field of movement development.”

The Genius of CHRISTOPHE

BY KEI TH W. STR AND BER G

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In 1999, Claret relocated his company to the heights above Le Locle and the Soleil d’Or Manor, an elegant mansion with workshops attached, which he says “seduced” him. Claret started making movements for other watch companies, some of the best in the business, and he soon developed a reputation for the development, creation and production of complicated movements of the highest quality. Want to create a neverbefore-seen mechanism? Christophe Claret is your man. Christophe Claret SA has grown from a group of about 20 workers to more than 110. Recently, Claret added a new wing, the center of parts production for his various enterprises.

ported independent watchmakers like Maîtres du Temps, and he recently created the self-branded Christophe Claret DualTow timepiece to celebrate his 20th anniversary in 2009.

“What I do particularly well is the production of a movement with various complications and innovations, which are in perfect harmony with each other in terms of aesthetics and techniques and coherent with the brand image of the company for which we work,” Claret details. “My secrets to success are: a great motivation and a great passion for watchmaking and innovations; perseverance; a will to battle and overcome difficulties; a drive to never do

more years (if I am still alive!), I think I will have been able to make the company grow along with the evolution of the market, as I have been doing until now,” Claret says. And looking back on 20 years of complicated movement development, Claret is more than satisfied with what he has accomplished.

What’s more, he’s still fascinated by the fundamentals at the heart of his occupation. “I still love innovative and coherent complications. I like developing and producing watches with many innovations, starting from simple ideas, written on a piece of paper.”

Numerous of those innovations are clearly contained in the limited edition DualTow timepiece. “I chose it as it repre-

“ WE HAVE THE CAPABILITY OF A MASSIVE COMPANY DOING THOUSANDS OF WATCHES, 420 PIECES “I was aware that there was a real potential to sell complicated movements,” Claret explains. “Twenty years ago, I settled in this region, because I was convinced that we have to be here if we want to be near our suppliers and have the skilled personnel necessary to produce complicated watches.

Ten years ago, I settled in Le Locle.”

Claret was so sure at the time that he would succeed that he invested in machines and watchmakers when no one else would and became the default movement developer for haute horlogerie. As it turns out, Claret was right. His company has continued to grow, and he currently works with 18 different brands in addition to his own—he is part owner in Jean Dunand, he has sup-

things tomorrow when they can be done today; perfectionism; and optimism.”

The watch companies Claret contracts with don’t always give credit where one might presume credit is due. Claret has worked with some of the greatest names in watchmaking, but it’s the rare company that broadcasts the fact that movement maestro Claret is the genius behind its movements— even though, given Claret’s notoriety, it might be a selling point. But, that doesn’t really bother Claret. “The people in the know know who does the movement, and that’s what matters to me,” Claret says.

Celebrating his 20th anniversary in business last year made Claret somewhat contemplative regarding the future. “In 20

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sents what has been created for 20 years by Christophe Claret SA with several symbols: the sapphire dial, the striking mechanism, the tourbillon cage and the overall innovation,” Claret details. “The extreme innovation of the planetary-gear chronograph with its nine central arms is one of the things that interests me the most.”

The Christophe Claret workshop is an amazing place where some of the most complicated movements ever known are created.

Like the titans of watchmaking who toiled in the Jura before him, Christophe Claret works hard to realize his watchmaking dreams, and to claim his place in the annals of horological history. claret.ch

DUAL The monopusher chronograph mechanism of the Christophe Claret DualTow operates by means of a column wheel and three identical planetary gears and is the subject of a new patent. The torque required of this mechanism is consistent regardless of position (start, stop or reset), and this prevents major variations in the demand for power, improving the preci-

sion of the timepiece. The watch also features a striking mechanism that functions in tandem with the chronograph: a small mechanical hammer strikes a hollow metal tube to produce a chime each time the chronograph starts, stops or resets. The watch’s tourbillon-regulating mechanism, displayed at 6, executes a complete rotation of the balance every 60 seconds

ROLLING

to counter the effects of gravity on its operation. The tourbillon carriage features the maker’s double-C logo.

Notched rubber belts mounted on rotating cylinders replace the usual circular hour and minutes scales in the DualTow’s manual-winding CC20A movement. Production of the DualTow is limited to 68 customizable examples. dualtow.ch

The Jean Dunand Shabaka featuring manual-winding CLA88QPRM with cathedralgong minute repeater and instantaneous perpetual calendar functions displayed on rolling cylinders

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SIHH 2010 | T I m E L ES S D ES I G N A P P EA R S AS BUS I N ES S C L I mAT E T H AWS

January 2010 was one of the coldest months on record in Geneva, and opening day of

the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie was no different. Outside, it was cold and gray, and the Jura mountains in the distance were blanketed with snow.

Above left: Alain Zimmerman, CEO, Baume & Mercier; Stanislas De Quercize, CEO, Van Cleef & Arpels; Richard Mille, CEO, Richard Mille; Juan Carlos Torres, CEO, Vacheron Constantin; Philippe Léopold-Metzger, CEO, Piaget; Norbert Platt, CEO, Richemont International; Bernard Fornas, CEO, Cartier

Montblanc Metamorphosis

Panerai Luminor 1950 Ceramica

achieved mechanically when a slide is activated. Incredible.

Panerai presented a slew of great introductions. These include the Radiomir Composite marina militare 8 Giorni, with a 47-mm case made of an engineered material, and the eye-catching Luminor 1950 10 Days GmT Ceramica, with a 44-mm black ceramic case and crown protection device.

Van Cleef & Arpels expanded upon its poetic complications and incredible enamel work with Le Pont des Amoureux (the lovers’ bridge), one of the watches garnering the most attention.

A female figure on the dial is the hour indication, and a male

IWC Portuguese Tourbillon Mystere Rétrograde

figure indicates minutes. The two meet atop a bridge twice a day, at noon and at midnight, for the “longest kiss in watchmaking history,” and then snap back to their starting positions.

Vacheron Constantin introduced a great collection of Japanese maki-e lacquer watches to continue its métiers d’Art series. Like Les masques collection, which preceded it, La Symbolique des Laques will comprise multiple series.

IWC introduced many interesting pieces, particularly in its Portuguese line, which enters its eighth decade this year.

Portuguese introductions include the Yacht Club

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Chronograph, the limited production Grande Complication and the limited edition Tourbillon mystère Rétrograde.

This is the second year that SIHH has been on its own, so to speak. For many years, SIHH adhered to a schedule that placed it on the calendar at the tail end of the larger Baselworld trade fair in late march. Now, standing on its own in January, the Salon can be appreciated for what it is—an early look at the coming year in high watchmaking and the place where some of the world’s best companies showcase their new pieces.

Even when it’s cold outside. sihh.org

Event photos courtesy of SIHH

Inside, although the mood was still somber, there were signs that the business climate just might be thawing.

The Richemont Group, founder of this annual trade event, is said to have experienced promising pre-holiday sales at the end of 2009, and this year’s SIHH was better attended than last year’s, with a reported 10 percent increase in visitors.

Noticeable trends at SIHH adhered to the theme of authentic value—high watchmaking, complicated movements and artisanal handcraftsmanship.

The outrageous watches of years past were gone, replaced by classic timepieces that are less ostentatious but highly illustrative of quality, attention to detail, timeless design and the talents of the artisans behind them.

The star of the show was the montblanc TimeWriter 1 metamorphosis, which transforms from a simple three-hand time and date watch to a chronograph. The conversion is

+ WATCH JOURNAL REVIEW GTE | I N D E P E N D E N TS PA RTY

On a snowy winter morning in January, a new watch event launched in Geneva, coinciding with the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH). The Geneva Time Exhibition opened its doors for the first time, welcoming visitors from around the globe to an exhibition of independent watch brands at the International Conference Center. By almost all accounts, this first-of-its-kind exhibition was a huge success, exceeding nearly everyone’s expectations.

REPEAT PERFORMANCE

GTE exhibit floor at the International Conference Center; organizers Florence Noël, Dominique Franchino and Paola Orlando

Well attended, the inaugural event demonstrated the current high level of interest in independent watchmakers—some well established, others representing a new generation in watchmaking. Other than each one trying hard to be unconventional in its own way, discernable trends were not to be found among the brands exhibiting at GTE or their products. Numerous young brands, such as Cabestan, HD3 Complication and Ladoire, exhib-

ited watches with bold, fresh styling and ingenious engines.

Relative newcomer Volna, which unites Soviet style with Swiss technology and knowhow in marine sports watches, draws on Soviet-designed submarines as inspiration. Quite a few newcomers, including Artya, Steenman, Titanium Cargo and others, were showing for the first time or launching their brands at the show.

Swiss brand Rebellion, launched

in 2008, exhibited a family of contemporary timepieces with what it calls a radical, nonconformist nature. Design cues are taken from motor sports. In the Predator, crank-shaped bridges decorate the chronograph subdials, while sectorial seconds are indicated by a double hand reminiscent of an engine’s flywheel.

The year-old brand Valbray unveiled its collection of contemporary watches incorporating a diaphragm operating like a camera’s shutter. When closed, only the time functions are visible, but when the diaphragm is opened, the complete dial of a chronograph appears. The mechanism takes the watch from dressy to sporty instantly and easily.

But it was Louis moinet that presented the showstopper: the unique meteoris planetarium with four tourbillon wristwatches, each incorporating a different rare meteorite material.

Valbray V.01 Chrono Titanium

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Event organizers report attendance of more than 5,000 buyers and 500 members of the international press during the week-long event. Official partners of GTE included BMW, Laurent Perrier champagne and Sotheby’s auction house.

Following the success of this exhibition, organizers plan to introduce the show to India in the fall and, of course, return to Geneva next January for a bigger and better second annual show.

geneva-time-exhibition.ch EXHIBITORS Alain Silberstein Antoine Preziuso Aquanautic Artya Aspen Ateliers deMonaco Ateliers Louis Moinet Badollet BRM Cabestan Cecil Purnell Claude Meylan Clerc Cornelius & Cie HD3 Complication Jean-Mairet & Gillman Ladoire Linde Werdelin Louis Chevrolet Magellan Marvin MCT Metal CH Peter Tanisman Pierre de Roche Quinting Rebellion Ritmo Mundo Robert & Fils Saint Honoré Snyper Steenman Swisskubik Tempus Computare Titanium Cargo Valbray Volna Zandidoust

Tuesday, Dec. 8, 9:14 a.m.

©2009 Tracy Kraft

Right Place. Right Time.

Tracking Life’s Greatest Moments Famed tow surfer Chuck Patterson knows conditions like this occur only a few times a year. Being late could mean missing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Wherever you go and whatever you do, your Reactor watch will be with you when life’s greatest moments occur.

Share your greatest moments with us at reactorwatch.com Neutron • Solid 316L stainless • 200M depth tested • 1/20th sec. retrograde chrono • Unidirectional timing bezel • The world’s brightest, longest

©2010

lasting luminous dial & hands

One of more than 100 styles from $200 to $1000.

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DRESSED IN DIAMONDS

Chris Harrison Raymond Weil Nabucco chronograph

HOSTING CHIC

As the unofficial kick-off to award show season, the People’s Choice Awards showcases many of the world’s most glamorous people and offers a look at red carpet trends. Taraji P. Henson, one of Hollywood’s brightest rising stars, dazzled in jewels from Swiss jeweler and watchmaker Piaget as she presented the People’s Choice award for Favorite Action Star to Hugh Jackman in January. Henson wore a pair of white gold and diamond earrings from Piaget’s Limelight Paris–New York collection and the chic white gold and diamond Skyline bracelet. But the ultimate accent was Piaget’s 36-carat pink tourmaline and diamond cocktail ring. The actress became a fan of Piaget since wearing the maker’s jewelry during last year’s Oscar festivities. Piaget is proud to be an official sponsor of the 25th Film Independent Spirit Awards, another noted event on the Hollywood calendar and perhaps another opportunity for Henson to dress in Piaget.

800.628.8119, piaget.com

Raymond Weil hit the red carpet at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards, as Chris Harrison, host of the TV Guide Network’s “Live at the Grammy Awards” as well as ABC’s hit reality series “The Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette,” showed off his Nabucco chronograph. The bold dimensions of this mechanical wristwatch—46 mm in diameter, 15.6 mm thick, 55.5 mm lug to lug—underline its rugged appearance. The titanium and steel case is fitted with a tachymeter bezel in brushed steel. The anti-reflective sapphire crystal is 2.5 mm thick, and the fluted screw-down crown ensures 200 meters of water resistance. A sporting timepiece for a star-studded evening. 212.355.3350, raymond-weil.com

Taraji P. Henson in Piaget jewelry

TIMELESSNESS REVEALED

Luxury brands Buben & Zörweg, Erwin Sattler and Döttling jointly offer their masterpieces of artistry, technology and craftsmanship using a new presentation concept designed by Buben & Zörweg.

The opening last November of the Timeless Gallery in Singapore is being celebrated as a milestone for the brands, makers of clocks, winders and safes. From complicated mechanical movements to highsecurity storage and display, products in the Timeless Gallery are shown just as they might appear in the ambience of a luxurious residence. Stylish and bold in design, combining valuable materials and master craftsmanship, many of the items on display are only available in limited editions; the Timeless Gallery offers an opportunity to marvel at these pieces in the flesh. buben-zorweg.com

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THE YEAR: ALL DONE

Dario Franchitti

PRIZE PACKAGE

Ritmo Mundo honored the 2009 season IndyCar Series champion, Dario Franchitti, upon his winning a second title in three years.

At the Indy Racing League Championship Celebration last October, Ali Soltani, founder and president of Ritmo Mundo, presented Franchitti with the Ritmo Mundo Championship Driver Award, a $100,000 diamond-encrusted Persepolis timepiece. Franchitti was also presented with a $1 million championship bonus check and a mini IndyCar Series championship trophy by the president of the Indy Racing League competition, Brian Barnhart.

Franchitti won the Firestone Indy 300 championship by using fuel strategy to beat teammate Scott Dixon and Team Penske’s Ryan Briscoe.

Ritmo Mundo has been a partner of the IndyCar Series since 2007. 866.RITMO.US, ritmomundo.com

Bids poured in from China, Italy, Russia and Hong Kong at Patrizzi & Co’s final auction of 2009, held in New York.

The sale comprised just 93 lots of collector-level timepieces, and buyers responded positively, with sales particularly strong for Patek Philippe and two exceptional Art Deco clocks. The top lot of the sale was the rarer of two Patek Philippe Ref. 2499 18-karat yellow gold round-button astronomic chronographs (ca. 1957), which brought $720,000. Patek Philippe fetched more than half of the auction total of $4,225,300. Art Deco clocks, created for Black, Starr & Frost and attributed to newly discovered designer Pierre Gravoin, sold for $380,000 and $340,000. Patrizzi & Co. chairman and CEO Osvaldo Patrizzi believes that buyers bid more freely because the auction house does not charge a buyer’s commission. The house finished its year with sales of more than $34 million from a total of eight auctions held in New York, Geneva and Milan. patrizziauction.com

Patek Philippe Ref. 2499

REACTING TO NEED

When the Reactor watch company designed a special Diamond Nucleus watch to commemorate the St. Louis Cardinals’ star first baseman Albert Pujols’ stellar 2008 season, it was only the beginning of what would become an ongoing partnership benefiting a worthy cause. A second watch was soon produced for donation to the Pujols Family Foundation. Through the foundaAlbert Pujols tion, this athlete has been able to improve the lives of children and young adults with Down syndrome as well as provide much-needed support to underprivileged children in his homeland, the Dominican Republic. The Pujols’ Diamond Nucleus Red features a uniquely shaped 50-mm stainless steel case. It has a screw-down crown with triple O-rings for added water resistance, a strong screw-bar case-to-band interface and a hardened K-1 crystal for both scratch and shatter resistance. Reactor president Jimmy Olmes says, “We are honored to have Albert as our partner and wanted to design a very special watch to commemorate his many personal achievements and also acknowledge his off-field efforts on behalf of the Pujols Family Foundation.” 800.291.6600, reactorwatch.com FIRST TIME OUT

Ritmo Mundo Persepolis

When some of the world’s most beautiful classic sailboats, yachts and multihull racers convene in St. Barth for a week of competition in the inaugural international sailing regatta Les Voiles de Saint Barth, April 6–11, Swiss watch brand Richard Mille will be the event’s title sponsor. The new sponsorship strengthens the brand presence in the nautical world, a realm that has already served as inspiration in the Richard Mille watch line. Richard Mille introduced its first dive watch, the RM 025 tourbillon, in 2009.

This year, a second dive watch was unveiled, the slightly smaller automatic RM 028. Two earlier models, the RM 014 and RM 015 tourbillon, have yachting themes. While the watch brand is already a sponsor of several international events, this is its first partnership with a nautical competition. richardmille.com, lesvoilesdesaintbarth.com

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LIVING ON THE EDGE

People who enjoy living on the edge are often drawn to the Luminox watch brand. That’s one reason the US Bobsled and Skeleton Federation chose Luminox as a partner in an arrangement that runs through early 2011. “Living on the edge and giving 100 percent at all times describes the USBSF and its athletes,” says federation CEO Darrin Steele. All USBSF World Cup team members are outfitted with durable Luminox timepieces that are water- and shock-resistant, ideal for bobsledding. Luminox’s newest timepieces incorporate selfilluminating Luminox Light Technology, which provides visibility for more than 25 years, even in complete darkness, via hour markers and hands equipped with micro gaslights.

“We are very proud to have been selected by this elite group,” says Barry Cohen, founder of Luminox.

“These athletes are performing at the highest level in a sport requiring splitsecond timing and decision making, where even a small adjustment can result in a winning time.”

800.858.5215, luminox.com; bobsled.teamusa.org GOLDEN GLOBES WATCH

“Twilight” star Taylor Lautner, wearing an IWC Portuguese Chrono Automatic

Several big names of the watch world made appearances at the 67th Annual Golden Globes—on the wrists of big names from the world of entertainment. Nick Cannon, host of NBC’s “America’s Got Talent,” wore an iconic Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Tuxedo watch and coordinating cuff links for the pre-show red carpet and as he hosted NBC’s “Golden Globe Awards: After Party Show.” Also spotted on the red carpet: tween idol and “Twilight” star Taylor Lautner, wearing an IWC Portuguese Chrono Automatic.

Chronoswiss took a stroll down the red carpet as well with Steve Carell, one of American comedy’s most popular figures, sporting the brand’s classically styled Kairos model. audemarspiguet.com, iwc.ch, chronoswiss.de

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UP IN THE AIR

For the past five years, Parmigiani Fleurier has been the presenting sponsor of the Château-d’Oex International Hot Air Balloon Festival, one of Switzerland’s most popular annual events. In 2009, the festival saw more than 40,000 visitors, approximately 100 pilots at the controls of hot air balloons, and total flight time of more than 1,000 hours. The 2010 edition took place in late January and offered a host of attractions for spectators and competitors alike: balloon flights for visitors, competitions emphasizing precision and other competitions emphasizing technique. Throughout the nine-day festival, Parmigiani’s own hot air balloon was available to guests of the brand. As presenting sponsor, Parmigiani aims to broaden the international scope of the ballooning event.

949.489.2885, parmigiani.com

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Tuxedo

ESSENTIAL GEAR. Invented in the United States. Made in Switzerland.

FIELD CHRONO ALARM No. 1847: 42mm, stainless steel case, screw-down crown & case back, antireflective sapphire crystal, genuine leather strap with signature buckle, water resistant to 100 meters, and Luminox self-powered illumination. Swiss Made. Preferred timepiece of hunters and outdoorsmen.

www.luminox.com Available At These Fine Retailers NATIONWIDE Bass Pro | Cabela’s | Orvis | Precision Time | Tourneau Watch Gear | ALABAMA Mark’s Outdoor Sports, Birmingham | Woods & Water, Tuscaloosa | ARIZONA Ganem Jewelers, Phoenix | Scottsdale Fine Jewelers, Scottsdale | ARKANSAS Mack's Prairie Wings, Stutgart | CALIFORNIA Total Time, Arcadia | Timepiece Network, Burbank | Julianna’s Fine Jewelry, Corte Madera | Time Zone, Costa Mesa | Ara Karkazian Jewelers, Fresno | Time Center, Huntington Beach | Feldmar Watch, Los Angeles | Boutique du Temps, Pasadena | Pasadena Watch Co, Pasadena | Tic Time, Redondo Beach | Prime Time UTC, San Diego | Ravits, San Francisco | Gene Hiller Menswear, Sausalito | Vana Watch, South Pasadena | Time Spot, Thousand Oaks | Watch City, Torrance | Valencia Time Center, Valencia | One More Time, Ventura | FLORIDA Bere Jewelers, Gulf Breeze | Ferguson Jewelers, Homestead | Shooters Firearms, Jacksonville | London Watch Co., Miami | Peoples Jewelers, Miami | Watches Plus, Orange Park | Jay’s Watches, Orlando | Orlando Watch Company, Winter Park | GEORGIA It’s About Time Stores, Atlanta | Worthmore Jewelers, Atlanta | Armen & Joseph Jewelers, Duluth | D. Geller & Son, Smyrna | Steel’s Jewelry, Valdosta | HAWAII A&E Creations, Honolulu | Kupulau, Honolulu | ILLINOIS Chicago Clock Company, Chicago | Howard Frum Jewelers, Chicago | Mari Lou's Fine Jewelers, Orland Park | INDIANA G Thrapp Jewelers, Indianapolis | Ashcraft Jewelers, Munci | Albert's Jewelers, Schererville | IOWA Herteen & Stocker, Iowa City | KANSAS Randy Cooper, Wichita | LOUISIANA Bowie Outfitters, Baton Rouge | Coleman Adler, New Orleans | MAINE Kittery Trading Post, Kittery | MARYLAND Little Treasury, Gambrillis | Atlantic Guns, Rockville | MICHIGAN Thomas A Davis, Holland | MISSISSIPPI Sollberger Watches, Ridgeland | NEW JERSEY Campmor, Paramus | Ramsey Outdoor, Ramsey | Orilogio, Short Hills | Orogio, Tenafly | NEW MEXICO Shelton Jewelers, Albuquerque | NEW YORK F&J Uniforms, Bronx | Mohawk Army Navy, Schenechtedy | Iceberg, New York | Las Americas, New York | Tent n Trails, New York | United Uniforms, Rochester | Woodrow Jewelers, Rye | NORTH CAROLINA Sharon Luggage, Charlotte | OHIO Gino's Jewelers, Cleveland | Ricky Tanno, Cleveland | OREGON Klondike Gold Jewelers, Portland | PENNSYLVANIA The Fire Store, Coatsville | Tanner's Sports, Jamison | Jems Jewels & Gold, North Whales | WhiteHall Army Navy, Whitehall | RHODE ISLAND Saltzman's Watches and More, Cranston | Watches Etc., Middletown | SOUTH CAROLINA Grady's Great Outdoors, Anderson | TEXAS Throckmortons Watch, Austin | Mon Cadeau, Dallas | Watches Etc., Grapevine | Cristianis Jewelers, Midland | VIRGINIA Belle View Jewelers, Alexandria | WASHINGTON Swissa Jewelers, Seattle | WISCONSIN The Watch Company, Appleton | THE CARIBBEAN John Bull Ltd., Nassau, BS | Island Companies, Grand Cayman, BWI | Baci Duty Free, St. Croix, USVI | Royal Caribbean, St. Thomas, USVI

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HAPPY RETURNS

Lang Lang and President Barack Obama

In celebration of the return of the Winter Olympics to North America in 2010, Richard Mille has created a 30-piece limited edition RM 011. This new watch debuted just in time for the lighting of the Olympic torch in Vancouver this February. The RM 011 DLC Titanium Americas White is a chronograph with hours and minutes totalizers, a 60-minute countdown timer and a tachymeter for calculating speeds— functions that are valued by athletes and sports fans alike.

White details such as numerals, markers and inner bezel evoke the snow that blankets the slopes of Whistler, British Columbia. The skeletonized RM011S movement features automatic winding with variable rotor geometry. Black DLC coating on the titanium case is sleek and scratch-resistant.

Representing the historic synergy between timekeeping and sports, the RM 011 also reflects Richard Mille’s commitment to precision performance. The limited edition watch is available only at Richard Mille retailers in the Americas.

310.205.5555, richardmille.com

NOBEL CAUSE

Montblanc has been a long-time prominent supporter of the arts. Late last year, the chairman of the Montblanc Cultural Foundation, renowned pianist and Montblanc brand ambassador Lang Lang, was honored to perform at the presentation of the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway. Named one of Time magazine’s most influential people of 2009, Lang Lang began playing the piano at age 2 and gave his first public performance at age 5. Now 27, he is an internationally recognized piano virtuoso and a proponent of classical music education for children throughout the world. Lang Lang performed Liszt’s “Liebestraum” and Chopin’s “Etude No. 10, op. 3 in E major” during the ceremony honoring the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, President Barack Obama. Lang Lang selected both pieces because he believes they are among the most moving and passionate works in piano literature.

800.995.4810, montblanc.com

RM 011 DLC Titanium Americas White

COOK WITH CHRONOSWISS

“American Idol” star David Cook joined Chronoswiss CEO, North America, Hartmut Kraft and other VIPs in December to celebrate the opening of the watch brand’s first US boutique, in New York’s trendy SoHo neighborhood. Found at 339 West Broadway, the retail location conveys a fresh, vibrant and artistic feeling through interior styling featuring brick walls, natural wood and glass display cases. A wide selection of Chronoswiss timepieces is on display at the boutique, from the sporty Timemaster series to the limited edition and collector pieces from the Signs of the Times collection and other hard-to-find models. A German watch manufacturer based in Munich, Chronoswiss values exclusivity and produces fewer than 6,000 watches per year. Every component of its timepieces is manufactured in Switzerland and then handfinished and assembled in Germany. The brand operates five boutiques worldwide.

631.776.1135, chronoswiss.de Chronoswiss CEO, North America, Hartmut Kraft and “American Idol” star David Cook

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BR INSTRUMENT MINUTEUR TOURBILLON . 44 X 50MM . HOURS, MINUTES AND SMALL SECONDS M I N U T E U R T I M E R W I T H F LY B A C K F U N C T I O N ( 2 G R A D U AT I O N S : M I N U T E S A N D 1 / 1 0 TH O F HOUR S) . 3 -DAY P OW ER RE SERV E INDICATOR . 18K S ATIN-P OLISHED PINK GOLD CA SE B E L L & R O S S I N C . 1 . 8 8 8 . 3 0 7. 7 8 8 7 . I N F O R M A T I O N @ B E L L R O S S U S A . C O M . W W W . B E L L R O S S . C O M

Breguet, the innovator.

Inventor of the Tourbillon, 1801

With the Classique “ Grande Complication ” Tourbillon Messidor wristwatch, Breguet reinvents its most spectacular invention, the tourbillon, designed to compensate for the effects of gravity. Held between two sapphire crystals, the tourbillon floats weightless inside its carriage, while the sapphire dial offers a transparent vision of the complex proprietary movement and its meticulous hand finishing. History is still being written … www.breguet.com/inventions

Breguet Boutiques – 779 Madison Avenue, New York, +1 212 288-4014 – 280 North Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills, +1 310 860-9911 GENEVA

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