For the Curious, The Collector and the Connoisseur
Summer 2013
April 1819. François Constantin takes responsibility for the worldwide business expansion of Vacheron Constantin. During a business trip to Italy, this visionary man coined the phrase which would become the company motto in a letter addressed to the manufacture: « …do better if possible, and that is always possible …».
True to this motto and to the spirit that forged its history, Vacheron Constantin remains committed to pushing the boundaries of watchmaking in order to provide its clients with the highest standards of technology, aesthetics and finish.
$6.95
Patrimony Contemporaine Hallmark of Geneva, Pink gold case, Hand-wound mechanical movement
summer 2013
Réf. 81180/000R-9159
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Number one hundred three
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Montegrappa Rambler Ranch Amelia Island Concours Time and Navigation at the Smithsonian
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© D YURMAN 2013
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PILOT WATCHES MADE IN SWITZERLAND
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TIME DESIGNED
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46MM STEEl CaSE. aUToMaTIC ChroNoGraph. SWISS-MaDE
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Summer 2013
No. 103
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Editor's Outline
Braun’s Design Legacy Lives On Page 44
8 News
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Montegrappa Star Power and Brain Power by Carol Besler
Rambler Ranch
Previews
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33 Christophe Claret’s Striking Watches by Carol Besler
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Smithsonian
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Ellsworth Kelly at the Barnes Foundation by Hannah M. Zweifler
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38 Hermès at Baselworld
Historic Tavannes by Bruce Shawkey
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Jaeger-LeCoultre takes a tour with Aston Martin by Carol Besler
Amelia Island Concours by Denis L. Tanney
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Sebring 12 hrs. of Fun by Denis L. Tanney
Rambler Ranch by Stuart Leuthner
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94 Watch Collector
Time and Navigation at the Smithsonian by Andrew Siskind
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CHRONOS (ISSN # 1083-5458) is published bi-monthly for $30.00 per year by Kalbe Associates, Inc., 257 Adams Lane, Hewlett, NY 11557. For postal requirements, this is considered the June/July issue. Periodicals postage paid at Hewlett, New York, and at additional entry offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to CHRONOS at 257 Adams Lane, Hewlett, NY 11557
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Editor'S Outline Function and its relationship to design and beauty are common threads in the articles below selected for this issue of Chronos. A pen, a watch, a car and Maritime Navigational instruments owed their design and development to the fact that their functions dictated their form and consequently their beauty. On our cover the Christophe Claret Soprano, a fantastic mechanism that forges new territory in watchmaking and is highly sought after by serious collectors. Christopher Claret is one of a few celebrated geniuses in the watchmaking industry known as the “independents”. He has had a lifelong fascination with striking watches, including minute repeaters and automatons. The functions performed by the Soprano combine two of the finest horological complications: a 60-second tourbillon and a minute repeater with a Westminster chime, giving the watch its impressive and exceptional look. See story on page 33. The Montegrappa brand embodies a mix of Italian style, design and clarity of purpose according to CEO Guiseppe Aquila. Now producing both watches and pens, Montegrappa has created a limited edition pen that recognizes the positive impact of writing on the brain. The pen pays tribute to the scientific fact that writing is an important exercise for the brain. The story on page 64 illustrates the effect of function on design and the resultant beauty of the product. Jaeger- LeCoultre and Aston Martin are two luxury brands whose collaboration since 2004 has resulted in innovations and design that influenced both companies. See story on page 42. Among the innovations is a transponder that controls the locking system of the Aston Martin and was built into a Jaeger-LeCoultre timepiece. Additional innovations include several watch movements with features designed to meet sports driving requirements. The first Aston Martin racing cars were equipped with Jaeger dashboard counters, chosen for their precision. Design collaboration between these two luxury brands has produced products of great beauty in two different worlds. Measuring Man’s Achievement Over Time and Distance, an exhibition at The Smithsonian on page 52 outlines the story of the development of devises related to the day to day function of letting us know where in the world we are and how far from home we have travelled. The many exhibits which focus on function have given us answers to questions about our world. The exhibits are fascinating to see and to understand. Nash, American Motors and Kelvinator may have disappeared from our vocabulary but their fascinating history is on display at a remarkable museum in Colorado. Located an hour’s drive south of Denver, the museum is called Rambler Ranch. All of the models on display were produced over the years in answer to the needs of American business and resulted in products that are well remembered. See story on page 44. On page 78 read about the Amelia Island Concours and the unusual vehicles shown every year for the past 18 years that make this concours different from, and sets it apart from all other concours. There is everything from “what were they thinking” cars to cars of Henry Miller to American Classics, to Rolls Royce, to Duesenberg, to sports cars and on and on and on. Winning the Concours d’Elegance award this year the 1936 Duesenberg SN was considered a very fast car in its day, reaching 100 mph in less than 17 seconds, with a narrow windshield over the long, long nose in front. Truly a rolling sculpture, its function most surely dictated its form and its beauty.
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hermès. time in movement
arceau grande lune la montre hermès evokes the immemorial ties binding watchmaking and astronomy by displaying the phases of the moon. first or last quarter, new moon or full moon: your watch shows you the position of the earth’s satellite in relation to the sun. time elegantly and poetically entrusts itself to the rhythm of the moon.
1.800.441.4488 - hermes.com
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news Summer 2013 Stars wear Jaeger-LeCoultre Actor Clive Owen wore a Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Grande Tradition à Tourbillon 43 to the premiere of his latest film “Blood Ties” at the Cannes Film Festival. The watch is one of a limited series of 200 pieces in platinum. Actor and JLC ambassador Diane Kruger celebrated the opening of her new film, “Free.” She wears the fully gem-set Reverso Cordonnet Duetto.
No. 103
PUBLISHER & EXECUTIVE EDITOR Bertram Kalisher MANAGING EDITOR Patricia Renzo ART DIRECTOR Raj Walia PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Jay Lazar ONLINE EDITOR Samuel Siskind Watch & Jewelry Editor Carol Besler WRITERS Jeff Prine Carol Besler Stuart Leuthner Bertram Kalisher Marceline Kalisher TECHNICAL WRITER David Christianson
Jaeger-LeCoultre fan Clive Owen
Diane Kruger wearing the Reverso Cordonnet Duetto
AUTOMOTIVE EDITOR Denis L. Tanney PRODUCTION OFFICE Chronos 257 Adams Lane Hewlett, NY 11557 (516) 295-2516 Ads@ChronosWatchMagazine.com EXECUTIVE OFFICE EDITORIAL ADVERTISING CIRCULATION 257 Adams Lane Hewlett, NY 11557 (516) 295-2516; Fax: (516) 374-5060 www.ChronosWatchMagazine.com
The Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Grande Tradition à Tourbillon 43
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The Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Cordonnet Duetto
CHRONOS (ISSN # 1083-5458) is owned and published bi-monthly by Kalbe Associates, Inc., 257 Adams Lane, Hewlett, New York 11557. Copyright 2011 by Kalbe Associates, Inc. Special permission is required to reprint anything which appears in CHRONOS. No responsibility is assumed for unsolicited manuscripts. Subscriptions: $6.95 per copy; $30.00 per year in the United States; add $18.00 per year for foreign postage.
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95855
Schaumburg Watch
©2013 CHANEL®, Inc.
Ice Crystal
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18K YELLOW GOLD AND DIAMONDS Frisco, TX p:(214)494-4241 chanel boutiques 800.550.0005 chanel.com
Distributed by ATLG (401)952-4684
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news Nicole Kidman wears Omega Nicole Kidman wears a vintage Omega watch in her latest film, Stoker. The watch, made in 1962, has a 14k white gold case set with 32 brilliantcut diamonds and eight baguette-cut diamonds. It is presented on a black suede cord bracelet and powered by a caliber 483. In the film, Kidman plays an unstable widow.
Nicole Kidman in the film Stoker
Vintage Omega jewelry watch
Longines goes to the races Longines continues its support of equestrian events in the U.S. as entitlement partner of the Longines Kentucky Oaks and official timekeeper and watch of the Preakness Stakes. The Swiss watchmaking brand is already the official watch and timekeeper of the Kentucky Derby. As a result of its existing and expanded partnership, the Kentucky Oaks has been renamed the Longines Kentucky Oaks, and Longines is the official timekeeper of Churchill Downs Racetrack. Longines will award watches from the elegant Longines Saint-Imier Collection to the winning horses’ owner, trainer and jockey on race days. Longines times the Kentucky Derby
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Chrono
Crossing the globe in two seConds.
Grande Reverso Ultra Thin Duo. Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 854/1. two dials driven by a single movement: for the very first time, the iconic reverso reveals a second face within its ultra-thin case. it combines two back-to-back dials to offer its owner a fascinating journey through time. A refined blend of style and watchmaking performance stemming from 180 years of expertise cultivated by the inventors of the vallĂŠe de Joux.
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news Ralph Lauren’s safari on Madison Fashion legend Ralph Lauren hosted a private champagne reception at the brand’s Madison Avenue flagship recently to celebrate the RL67 Safari watch collection. Lauren parked his vintage Series 1 Land Rover from 1950 outside the boutique, along with a matte black Land Rover Defender owned by his brother. Also adding to the atmosphere, models dressed in safari-attire greeted guests. “The romance of a safari is a dream that I have returned to many times,” says Ralph Lauren. “It is an adventure, a world of refinement set against a rugged and powerful landscape.” The new collection includes the Ralph Lauren Safari RL67 Tourbillon and the RL67 Chronometer. Introduced in January at the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie in Geneva, the RL67 Tourbillon received rave reviews from watch aficionados. A bold and sophisticated sport watch, the timepiece is equipped with the brand’s first tourbillon complication. In addition, the company presented the COSC-certified RL67 Chronometer timepiece which is distinguished by a dial with Arabic numerals, boldly sized at 6 and 12 o’clock and comes on Ralph Lauren’s signature faded olive canvas strap.
Ralph Lauren and guests outside the brand’s Madison Avenue flagship
Guests enjoyed champagne while viewing the new Ralph Lauren RL67 Safari watch collection
A safari themed backdrop served as atmosphere for the introduction of the Ralph Lauren RL67 Safari watch collection
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news Top watches at Sotheby’s Geneva auction Sotheby’s recent sale of important watches in Geneva concluded with a total of $7,248,045. The top selling lot was a Reference 5029 by Patek Philippe, a platinum minute repeater, which sold for $561,116. Another high point of the auction was an Audemars Piguet No.10 Royal Oak Chronograph Leo Messi limited edition watch, selling for $81,850, which was sold to benefit the charitable foundation established by football player Leo Messi. Other highlights include a Greubel Forsey limited-edition tourbillon in 18k pink gold, which sold for $343,520, and a Richard Mille skeletonized tourbillon/ chronograph/diver’s watch, for $228,678.
Patek Philippe Ref. 5029, a platinum minute repeater
Audemars Piguet No.10 Royal Oak Chronograph Leo Messi
Geoffroy Ader, Head of Watches, Sotheby’s Europe commented: “Today’s results confirm that the watch auction market is driven by two main trends: the unfettered desire for star brands, on the one hand, and on the other, a strong and ever-increasing demand for iconic models, as shown by the outstanding price achieved by the No.10 Royal Oak Leo Messi.”
Greubel Forsey limited-edition tourbillon
Richard Mille skeletonized tourbillon/ chronograph/diver’s watch
IWC supports the arts IWC auctioned a Portuguese Automatic “Tribeca Film Festival 2013” unique timepiece recently for $60,000. The buyer was Michael Ferdman of New York City, an avid IWC fan, who also purchased the IWC Big Pilot Edition Muhammad Ali timepiece last spring. The proceeds of the sale support the Tribeca Film Institute, its students and works of charity within New York and the film industry at large. The watch was auctioned by Antiquorum.
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Jon Patricof, president of the Tribeca Film Festival, and Gianfranco D’Attis, president of IWC North America
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raymond-weil.com | nabucco collection
Summer 2013
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news Vacheron Constantin opens in L.A. Vacheron Constantin celebrated the opening of its new boutique on Rodeo Drive in May with a celebration and dinner. This is the brand’s fourth boutique in the United States, with others open in New York City, Las Vegas and Costa Mesa, California. The evening began with a ribbon cutting ceremony at the boutique, attended by JuanCarlos Torres, CEO of Vacheron Constantin, Hugues de Pins, president of the brand in North America, and Beverly Hills Mayor John Mirish. Elegantly dressed guests arrived in chauffeur-driven cars provided for the evening. They enjoyed an inaugural Champagne toast and hors d’oeuvres while viewing a live watchmaking demonstration and admiring the timepieces on display. After being chauffeured to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, The ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new guests were escorted through Chris Burden’s Vacheron Constantin boutique on Rodeo Drive spectacular sculpture, Urban Light and led to a five-course dinner at a 144-foot long, chandelier-lit table under mirrored arches open to the spring sky and adjacent to Levitated Mass, a monumental outdoor sculpture by artist Michael Heize. “At Vacheron Constantin, supporting the arts is more than a commitment, it is a duty. For both watchmaking and the arts, great accomplishment is a human story,” said Juan-Carlos Torres. “We are delighted to begin our relationship with the Los Angeles community through our sponsorship of the upcoming exhibit James Turrell: A Retrospective at LACMA.”
The dinner party at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, celebrating the new Vacheron Contantin boutique on Rodeo Drive.
Richard Mille teams with Lotus F1 Team
Richard Mille has formed a partnership with Lotus to serve as the Formula 1 team’s official timing partner. The two-year deal includes placement of the Richard Mille logo on the team’s 2013 Formula 1 challenger – the E21, and on driver overalls. Richard Mille will be producing a limited-edition watch using the latest lightweight materials to commemorate the partnership. “As a team, we are extremely proud of our brand identity, and the innovative approach adopted by Richard Mille in the design and manufacture of their wristwatches is certainly in keeping with our core value of standing out from the crowd,” says Eric Boullier, team principal of the Lotus F1 Team.
Richard Mille supports Lotus F1 team
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13-C
INTRODUCING CITIZEN ECO-DRIVE SATELLITE WAVE-AIR PRECISE TImE… ANyWhERE ON EARTh
Eco-Drive SATELLITE WAVE-AIR™ citizenwatch.com
SATELLITE WAVE-AIR. Light-Powered Eco-Drive Movement Never Needs a Battery. Satellite Timekeeping System with Worldwide Reception Area.
Perpetual Calendar. Caliber H909 Movement. Power Reserve Indicator. World Time in 26 Cities. 200 Meter Water Resistant. Titanium Case with Diamond Like Carbon Coating. Non-Reflective Dual Curved Sapphire Crystal. ©2013 Citizen Watch Company
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news Blancpain and the Gombessa
Blancpain is supporting The Gombessa Project of French marine biologist and scientific diver Laurent Ballesta. He was recently accompanied by specially trained divers and researchers from the South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity SAIAB and ten scientists from the Museum of National History and from CNRS, the French National Research Institute, for 40 days of deep water diving to study legendary bottom-dwelling sea creature, the Coelacanth, a living fossil. Locally known as Gombessa, this peaceful giant measures two meters long and was thought to have become extinct 70 million years ago, but was discovered alive in 1938. Ballesta was equipped with a Blancpain Fifty Fathoms timepiece on his wrist.
Blancpain Fifty Fathoms
The Gombessa or Coelacanth
Richard Mille sets sail in St Barth
Richard Mille recently sponsored Les Voiles de St Barth sailing regatta for the fourth consecutive year. The winner of the Maxi-Yacht category of boats was awarded a Richard Mille RM 028 Automatic dive watch, the grand prize. This very high-performance timepiece featuring a unidirectional rotating bezel complies with the ISO 6425 standard for diver’s watches and is water-resistant to 300 meters. Taking part in the race were over 60 sailing vessels and 800 sailors together from the four corners of the world for this remarkable event.
The Richard Mille RM 028 Automatic dive watch
The race at St Barth
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Cristiano Ronaldo
EPIC SF 24
Split Flap Display 45mm 18K Rose Gold Automatic Movement N e w Yo r k + 1 . 2 1 2 . 7 1 9 . 5 8 8 7 Geneva +41.22.310.6962 jacobandco.com
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news A. Lange & Söhne awards Ralph Lauren top prize in Concorso d’Eleganza car rally A. Lange & Söhne recently presented a oneof-a-kind Concorso model of the Lange 1 Time Zone watch to fashion designer Ralph Lauren, the winner of the 2013 Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, an exclusive classic car rally held in Como, Italy. Lauren received the jury’s Best of Show prize for his Bugatti 57 SC Atlantic Coupé. The watch was awarded to him at a gala dinner at Villa d’Este in Como. In presenting the watch, Lange & Söhne CEO Wilhelm Schmid commended the Concorso d’Eleganza for “the contemporary aura with which it expresses the human quest for eternal beauty. As a sculpture for the wrist,” he added, “the Lange 1 Time Zone is a fitting prize for the most beautiful sculpture on wheels, and because it indicates two time zones, the watch also stands for the art of traveling in style.” The caseback of the white-gold watch displays the hand-engraved coat of arms of the Concorso d’Eleganza. On the rotatable city ring, Como represents Central European Time as homage to the venue.
Left to right: Lange & Söhne CEO Wilhelm Schmid, Ralph Lauren, and Ulrich Knieps, head of BMW Group classics
This is the second year A. Lange & Söhne has sponsored the event, which has taken place on the shoreline of Lake Como since 1929. Numerous VIP guests and visitors gathered to express their enthusiasm for technology, style, and elegance. For Lange, the event has proven to be a perfect match alongside its other cultural commitments.
Ralph Lauren’s Bugatti 57 SC Atlantic Coupé, winner of the Best of Show prize in the Concorso d’Eleganza
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WW1 CHRONOGRAPHE MONOPOUSSOIR HERITAGE 路 TEl: +1.888.307.7887 路 WWW.bEllROSS.COM
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previews Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe Blancpain celebrates the 60th anniversary of the introduction of its iconic diver’s watch, the Fifty Fathoms, with the vintage-inspired Bathyscaphe. This vintage design has been infused with modern technical innovations, such as a nonmagnetic silicon balance spring. In addition to its corrosion-resistant properties, silicon is extremely resistant to wear and natural aging. The Bathyscaphe diver’s watch was introduced in the late 1950s to celebrate the underwater exploration of Swiss adventurer Jacques Piccard. It is water resistant to 300 meters and has a unidirectional bezel. The luminescent dot on the bezel serves to ensure the permanent readability of diving times. An optional NATO-style strap adds a sturdy practicality. Blancpain 201-271-1400 www.blancpain.com
Ulysse Nardin Carnival of Venice Ulysse Nardin has made a specialty of jaquemarts, and its latest creation, the Carnival of Venice Minute Repeater, is a painterly rendition of the famous masked street carnival for which the city is famous. The two figures depicted on the dial raise their masks in sync with the chimes of the minute repeater. The dial is crafted in champlevé enamel over hand-engraved gold, depicting an architectural scene in front of the Rialto Bridge on the Grand Canal in Venice. The Carnival of Venice Repeater will be made in a limited edition of 18 pieces in platinum and on a per order basis in 18k rose gold. It chimes hours, quarters and minutes on two chimes. Ulysse Nardin 561-988-8600 ulysse-nardin.com
Patek Philippe Calatrava Ref. 5227 The Calatrava 5227 features a sapphire crystal on the caseback, rare for this brand. The crystal is covered by an officer’s style case and has a hinged dust cover that fits over the caseback to protect it. The hinge for this cover is totally concealed, something that calls for the ultimate in craftsmanship on the part of the casemaker. It is also a remarkable feat to include all together a hinge, caseback and sapphire crystal on the caseback, on such a slim (9.24mm) watch. The case is hand polished, as are the gold flutes that extend from the case flank to the lugs. The watch contains a decorated caliber 324SC movement, with a patented Spiromax balance spring. Patek Philippe 212-218-1240 www.patek.com 22
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previews Omega Sedna and Ladymatic The Omega Constellation Sedna is named for the brand’s new proprietary gold alloy, developed by the brand. Sedna is a blend of three elements: 18k gold, copper and palladium. Copper gives the gold its rose color, and palladium helps to ensure that the reddish hue will be long lasting. It takes its name from an Inuit goddess who is said to live at the bottom of the Arctic Ocean. The silver “pie-pan” dial is inspired by the original Constellation, launched in 1952, and the new version is limited to 1,952 pieces. It contains the Omega Co-Axial caliber 8501, with a Si14 silicon balance spring.
Omega Ladymatic
Omega has infused new life into its ladies’ line this year with a new series in the Ladymatic collection. The watches beam with color thanks to mother-of-pearl dials dyed in a variety of hues – a choice of blue, purple or pink. These dials are engraved with a Supernova pattern and set with 11 diamond-set indexes. The case is available in a choice of white, black or rose ceramic, and the bezel is set with diamonds arranged in a snow-set pattern. It contains the Omega Co-Axial caliber 8520. Omega Swatch Group USA 800-76-OMEGA www.omegawatches.com
Omega Constellation Sedna
Summer 2013
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previews Chopard Imperial Chrono All Black Chopard’s Imperial Chrono All Black is an elegant black on black design. This chronograph, with an automatic movement, has a 40mm steel case with black DLC coating. The hands are metallic black and the crown is set with a black onyx. The black rubber strap can be changed to a steel bracelet for a contrast to the toneon-tone black. Chopard transforms it into a fashionable women’s watch by setting diamonds on the bezel. A date window at 4:30 makes this watch as practical as it is beautiful. The Imperiale evokes the motifs of ancient Roman monarchs, with Roman numerals, arabesque dial patterns reminiscent of royal insignias and hands shaped like the tapered daggers sovereigns used in combat. The shape of the lugs reflects the tradition of ancient columns of Rome. Chopard USA 800-CHOPARD 212-821-0300 www.chopard.com
Breitling Emergency II The Emergency II is the second in a series of watches that saves lives. The Emergency was first launched in 1995 and sends messages through an international satellite alert system to search and rescue stations. The Emergency II is the world’s first wristwatch with a dual frequency locator beacon (it is called a Personal Locator Beacon, or PLB). The idea is an extension of the brand’s pilots watches, enabling the location of pilots or passengers following a plane crash. So far, the Emergency II has been instrumental in saving at least 20 lives, according to Breitling marketing director Lisa Roman. Breitling USA 877-BREITLING www.Breitling.com
Hublot Classic Fusion High Jewelry The movement of this dazzling high jewelry watch has been skeletonized – cut away to its essential components in order to display the mechanism – and then fully set with diamonds. Altogether, the watch and movement are set with 1,185 baguette-cut diamonds totaling about 40 carats, all of which required 4,100 hours of cutting and 500 hours of dimensional matching and quality control as the diamonds on a watch must be perfectly matched. It took Hublot’s gemsetters four months to set the diamonds. The watch also tells time, with a hand-wound tourbillon movement. This watch is limited to eight pieces. Hublot 800-536-0636 www.hublot.com
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www.edifice.casio.com
FUELED BY SOLAR POWER DRIVEN BY SMART ACCESS.
Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel
A SOLAR PANEL COMBINED WITH A LARGE-CAPACITY RECHARGEABLE BATTERY ENABLES THIS IMPRESSIVE SOLAR TIMEPIECE TO RUN SMOOTHLY UNDER ANY LIGHT WITH NO BATTERY REPLACEMENT.
SMART ACCESS EQSA500DB-1A
SOLAR POWERED
THIS SYSTEM PROVIDES FAST, INTUITIVE ACCESS TO ALL OF THE KEY FUNCTIONS VIA AN ELECTRONIC CROWN. THE CROWN CAN BE PUSHED AND TURNED TO SWITCH BETWEEN INDIVIDUAL MODES TO OPERATE VARIOUS FUNCTIONS.
©2013 CASIO AMERICA, INC.
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previews Harry Winston Histoire de Tourbillon No. 4 The HDT4 is a triple tourbillon, with each case rotating at a different speed and at a different angle. The innermost cage, which encloses the oscillator and escapement, rotates once every 45 seconds. The intermediate cage, which encloses the first, rotates once every 75 seconds. And the third, outermost cage rotates at a speed of once every 300 seconds. This system of three cages ensures that at no moment will gravity be able to disturb the heartbeat of the oscillator. The balance is adjustable with 18k gold timing screws on its rim. The plates and the bridges are made of lightweight titanium. Arranged in multiple levels, the triple tourbillon carriages are fitted with an indicator for the running seconds, reminiscent of the air-carving blades of high performance aircraft propellers. Harry Winston 800-988-4110 www.harrywinston.com
JeanRichard Aquascope The new JeanRichard Aquascope reflects one of the hottest colors in timepieces this year: blue. The aluminum bezel is accented with dark blue PVD coating, matching the color on both the dial and the rubber strap. The Aquascope is a diver’s watch, with 300-meter water resistance, a highly readable dial and indexes, and a unidirectional bezel. The red-tipped second hand allows the wearer to quickly check if the watch is working. It features an automatic movement, caliber JR60. There is also a titanium version. The ambassador for this collection is Franck Cammas, a French yachtsman who was named Sailor of the Year in 2012. JeanRichard 877-357-8463 www.jeanrichard.com
Bulgari Commedia Dell’Arte Bulgari’s Commedia Dell’Arte is a tribute to the traditional theatre of 16th century Italy with masked characters. The three most iconic of these characters, Brighella, Pulcinella and Harlequin are depicted on the dials of three different versions of the watch, where they come alive when the cathedral gong is activated. The movement is based on a Christophe Claret caliber, with a striking mechanism developed by Bulgari that uses two gongs wrapped twice around the inside of the case for a richer sound. The backdrop, an Italian palazzo, is a tribute to Bulgari’s Italian roots. Dial treatments include miniature painting, engraving and chasing. Bulgari 800-BULGARI www.bulgari.com 26
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previews Seiko Astron GPS Kintaro Hattori The Seiko Astron Kintaro Hattori Special Limited Edition is a tribute to the original Astron and named for the founder of Seiko Watch. The Astron was originally introduced in 1969, bringing quartz accuracy to the world. The watch has a GPS solar-powered function, which automatically tells the time in all 39 time zones. Most world time watches track 24 time zones. However, there are 13 additional half-hour and quarter hour offsets to the world’s time zones. Altogether, the number of time zones totals 39 when you consider the International Date Line, which splits a single time zone into two different days. The case is made of high-intensity titanium with a black hard coating. It will be made in a limited-edition quantity of 5,000. Seiko Corp. of America 800-782-2510 www.seikousa.com
Victorinox Chrono Classic 1/100th Victorinox has updated its Chrono Classic collection with a new quartz chronograph movement, the FM13D quartz caliber made by Soprod. It displays lapsed time to 100th of a second on the dial. By simply pressing the crown twice, the classic watch turns into a chronograph accurate to 1/100th of a second, which shows numerically by means of two rotating disks in the window at 6 o'clock. A second pushbutton at 4 o’clock resets the chronograph. Functions also include a perpetual calendar, as well as hours and minutes. Dial color options include dark grey or champagne. The watch is stainless steel and water resistant to 100 meters. Victorinox Swiss Army 800-243-4032 www.SwissArmy.com
Corum Heritage Vintage Chargé D’Affaires The Corum Heritage Vintage Chargé D’Affaires is a practical watch with an alarm function. It is inspired by a Corum timepiece made in 1956, with design details from that era, including a domed dial, and a movement identical to the one used in the original piece. The movement, mechanical hand-wound caliber CO 286, has been entirely restored, however, according to current standards of quality and finishing. The watch is fitted with two barrels, one to control the hands and the other, the alarm. The alarm will sound for over 12 seconds. The watch will be produced in a limited edition of 150 pieces. Corum USA 954-279-1220 www.corum.ch
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Two new Type 20 GMTs were introduced, each as a tribute to a special aviator. The first is dedicated to early aviator and Zenith customer Louis Blériot who flew across the English Channel in 1909. The caseback is composed of a medallion struck with the effigy of Blériot’s plane. The second is a tribute to the Red Baron, the legendary ace Albrecht von Richthofen, who piloted a bright red-painted Fokker Triplane Dr.1. The Pilot Montre d’Aéronef Type 20 GMT Red Baron is made in black DLC-coated steel and fitted with an overstitched black leather strap. This model is also distinguished by its red GMT marking and by the caseback medallion depicting the Fokker Triplane Dr. 1. Zenith 866-675-2079 www.zenith-watches.com
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Oris Aquis Depth Gauge The Oris Aquis Depth Gauge is a professional diver’s watch, distinguished by a patented depth measuring instrument that incorporates a joint between the crystal and case that is sealed by a Zytel (nylon resin) gasket. This seal enhances water resistance. The bezel is black ceramic with an engraved 60-minute scale. The steel case features a screw-in security crown, and the caseback is engraved with a meter-tofeet conversion scale that tracks to 100m/325ft. The watch can withstand depths of up to 500 meters and features a fully adjustable rubber strap.
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Chanel J12 White Phantom The White Phantom, with white dial, bezel, case, numerals, hands and bracelet commemorates the 10th anniversary of the introduction of the J12. It is crafted in white high-tech ceramic, with a steel caseback engraved with the model number and style. The White Phantom is limited to 2,000 pieces. It is water resistant to 200 meters. It is available in a 33mm version with a quartz movement and 38mm version with a selfwinding mechanical movement. There is also a 38mm diamond version, with bezel, lugs and bracelet set with 520 baguette-cut diamonds totaling 30.28 carats, as well as12 baguette diamond markers on the mother-of-pearl dial. Chanel Inc. 212-688-5055 www.chanel.com 30
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Official USA Dance National Sponsor
Ernest Borel Swiss Made since 1856
Retro Collection
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TAG Heuer MikroPendulum
TAG Heuer MikroPendulumS
TAG Heuer’s racing heritage TAG Heuer created a buzz at Baselworld this year by extending its “Mikro” technology in the Carrera line, introducing two new models – one commercially available, the other in the concept stage. The Carrera MikroPendulum 100th-of-a-Second Chronograph is the first-ever magnet-driven 100th-of-a-second chronograph. The magnetic system improves the amplitude, resulting in greater precision and stability. For now, this technology is only commercially applicable for frequencies higher than 10 Hz, which TAG Heuer has achieved. It is presented in the Carrera MikroPendulum, which is inspired by the TAG Heuer Carrera Mikrograph, the first integrated column wheel mechanical 100/s wrist chronograph with a flying central hand display. TAG Heuer’s new concept piece is the Carrera MikroPendulumS, the world’s first magnetic double tourbillon. It keeps a 12 Hz frequency beat for time and a 50Hz frequency for the chronograph (360,000 beats per hour). The case is an alloy of chrome and cobalt, which is harder than titanium. TAG Heuer 800-321-4832 www.tagheuer.com
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Christophe Claret’s striking watches The master of musical timepieces and complicated calibers by Carol Besler
The Soprano is a tourbillon and a minute repeater with Westminster Chime
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hristophe Claret is one of a handful of celebrated geniuses in the watchmaking industry known as the “independents.” From his own workshop in the Jura Mountains, the famous Swiss watchmaking district, Claret has for the past almost 25 years created some of the most memorable watch movements, mostly on behalf of other brands, but now under his own label. He specializes in the invention of new calibers – fantastic one-of-a-kind mechanisms that forge new territory in watchmaking, and are highly sought after by serious collectors.
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Claret began his watchmaking education as child, when he set about to dismantle his parents’ alarm clocks to satisfy his curiosity about how they worked. When he was old enough, he attended the Geneva Watchmaking School, graduating with exceptional honors, all the while operating his own repair shop in his nearby home town of Lyon, France. Claret’s first creation was an hour-andquarter-repeater with automatons
(jaquemarts), a mechanical feat he would repeat and continue to perfect when, in 1987, the prestigious brand Ulysse Nardin commissioned him to develop and produce 20 minuterepeater calibers with jaquemarts. Thus began a lifelong fascination with striking watches. “The illusion of giving life to a character or animal, through a sophisticated mechanism fascinates me,” says Claret. “The most sophisticated example we have achieved to date is The Enchanting Bird, created for Freres Rochat, with 1,227 components.”
The Kantharos is a monopusher chronograph with cathedral gong and a constant force mechanism
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Soon after his collaboration with Ulysse Nardin, Claret created a limited company bearing his own name in La Chaux-deFonds, Switzerland, specializing in developing movements, a niche in which he would become recognized and respected around the world. Today, his workshops are situated at the beautiful Manoir du Soleil d’Or, a magnificent mansion perched on the hills overlooking Le Locle, in the heart of Switzerland’s watchmaking district. Here in this peaceful setting, Claret has transformed the building into a superb contemporary watch production facility,
uniting all the professions involved in the design, development and production of movements as well as other parts of the watch, such as cases. Claret’s virtuosity has been applied in particular to striking watches, including minute repeaters and automatons. His first creation as an independent movement designer was a minute repeater,
The Christophe Claret Baccara is a miniature casino with three games: baccarat, roulette and dice. The baccarat cards appear in small windows on the dial. Each time a new card is revealed, a cathedral chime is activated, which can be seen through a caseband window at 2 o'clock.
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the Caliber CLA88, followed by his introduction of the first “music box” wristwatch to chime in passing and on demand, featuring a 20-tooth comb that plays two tunes. A more recent example is the Adagio, which, in addition to being a cathedral minute repeater with a patented gong system, includes a dual time-zone display with day/night indication and a patented large date. In 2009, after two decades of creating movements exclusively for other brands, Claret officially launched his own label, beginning with
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the DualTow watch, a planetary gear single-pusher chronograph featuring a striking mechanism and tourbillon. This was followed by the impressive casino-on-the-wrist, the 21 Blackjack, an interactive watch on which the wearer can play blackjack on the dial. The wearer can go up against a dealer in any one of 4,096 possible hand combinations – the dealer 216 different card combinations, for a total of 884,736 ways to win or lose. On the back is an operable roulette wheel, which doubles as a rotor, and on the side, two windows reveal the striking hammer and two dice. Every time the shutter opens to reveal a new card for either the player or the dealer, a cathedral gong can be seen through a caseband window at 2 o' clock. One of his latest inventions, the Soprano, combines two of the finest horological complications: a 60-second tourbillon and a minute repeater with a Westminster chime. The watch is fitted with four patented cathedral gongs and four hammers, for a rich, clear sound unlike any other. It is highlighted by stepped bridges inspired by the Charles X style, characterized by columns and beveled edges. “The Charles X style has greatly inspired many artisans, including the makers of pendulum clocks The DualTow is a chronograph with a striking mechanism and a tourbillon
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The 21 Blackjack is an interactive watch, on which the wearer can play the dealer in Blackjack
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(with their four columns) and of course, watches, with these famous Charles X stepped bridges,” says Claret. In 1998, he created the Tourbillon movement with stepped bridges and plate, crafting them out of sapphire – a world premiere. “These bridges are of course more difficult to produce, especially in sapphire,” he says, “but they make a very interesting architectural and aesthetic movement.
Christophe Claret
The Kantharos is his latest masterpiece, introduced at Baselworld 2013. It is a monopusher chronograph striking on a cathedral gong, with a constant force mechanism that enhances the regularity and accuracy of the watch. It has a fully integrated automatic movement. “Launching my own brand, Christophe Claret, is a fantastic challenge for me,” says Claret. “For all these years, my real source of motivation has been to actually make watches based on simple sketches of the initial ideas behind a product. Seeing that special sparkle in the eyes of collectors and devotees of extremely high-end watchmaking who acquire my timepieces is a source of great satisfaction to me.” Christophe Claret
Manoir du Soleil d'Or, the Claret workshop in the Swiss Jura Mountains
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Hermès
at Baselworld
Toyo Ito and Hermès – A Perfect Pairing
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hen Hermès partnered with world-renowned Pritzker Prize winning Japanese architect Toyo Ito to design their pavilion for Baselworld 2013, both parties must have known great things were to come. Ito’s progressive, exciting designs were the perfect match to Hermès’ focus on innovative conceptual work and their commitment to the highest level of craftsmanship. The pairing elevated the timeless designs of the French company’s pieces to
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a new height, and proved to be the perfect environment for their product. Ito’s design combined a warm, naturalistic feel with the minimalism and lightness of contemporary design, creating a space that resonated with Hermès’ own unique combination of oldworld sophistication and modern simplicity and elegance. By using a wooden lattice to define the boundaries of the structure, Ito created a pavilion with an inviting openness within and a lightness and transparency when viewed from outside. The
balance of interior and exterior space, and of form and light, produce a very modern feel that relies on traditional materials to maintain a connection with the past. The parallel to Hermès’ own concept of melding classic style and timeless craftsmanship with modern design concepts is right on the mark in such a unique and show-stopping architectural space. The partnership between these two great creative entities has yielded something of true artistic merit, a remarkable structure we will not soon forget.
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The Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Compressor Extreme W Alarm, from the Aston Martin collection
Jaeger-LeCoultre takes a tour with Aston Martin A partnership that pairs luxury watches and luxury cars by Carol Besler
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aeger-LeCoultre and Aston Martin began a partnership in 2004 that has always been about more than marketing. Collaboration between the two brands’ research and development departments has resulted in several innovations. Among these innovations is a transponder with a microtransmitter that controls the locking system of the Aston Martin that was built into a Jaeger Le-Coultre timepiece. Additional innovations include several movements with specific features designed to meet sports driving requirements. In fact, the first Aston Martin
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racing cars were equipped with Jaeger dashboard counters, chosen for their precision. This year, on the occasion of the 180th anniversary of the Jaeger-LeCoultre and the centenary of the famous British car manufacturer, three original timepieces have been created to symbolize the ties between these two avant-garde companies The first is the Master Compressor Extreme W-Alarm Aston Martin watch, with a titanium and steel case. It is a world timer with an alarm function in a stylish retrograde
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Darren Turner wearing a Jaeger-LeCoultre AMVOX
display indicator at 9 o’clock. The black dial with red and white indicators is finished with a surface treatment evoking the grill on Aston Martin cars. The logo created by Aston Martin to celebrate its centenary is engraved on the caseback and on the presentation box. The watch comes with two straps – rubber and alligator. The second is the Master Hometime Aston Martin timepiece, with a dual time function. A 24-hour counter occupies the upper part of the dial, while the lower part is devoted to the running seconds. Time indications are adjusted in one-hour increments, either forward or backward. The black, white, red and anthracite colors reflect the Aston Martin colors.
The Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Hometime, from the Aston Martin collection
The third is the AMVOX5 World Chronograph Cermet, a new entry in the AMVOX series, made of cermet, a ceramic/aluminum alloy. The watch is a world timer, with cities listed in the inner bezel. Aside from chronograph and world time functions – and of course hours and minutes – there is a power reserve indicator and a date window at 6 o’clock. It will be produced in a limited edition of 500 pieces. In order to mark the 180th anniversary of JaegerLeCoultre and the centenary of Aston Martin, the two brands took a symbolic drive in April: a journey through the two partners’ history and heritage. Darren Turner, the official works driver for Aston Martin Racing – winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2007 and 2008 – led the journey from Aston Martin’s headquarters in Gaydon, England to Switzerland’s Vallée de Joux, the watchmaking district where Jaeger-LeCoultre makes its headquarters. He was accompanied by friends and devotees of the two brands, who drove the latest Aston Martins and wore the new watches from the Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Aston Martin line.
The Jaeger-LeCoultre AMVOX5 World Chronograph Cermet, from the Aston Martin collection
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Rambler Ranch by Stuart Leuthner Photography by William Taylor
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uring the fall of 1949, Tom McCahill was test driving the new Nash Ambassador at the auto maker’s Burlington, Wisconsin proving ground. Beginning in 1946 McCahill, the man who invented the "0-60" acceleration measure, reported in detail on the pros and cons of more than 600 automobiles for Mechanix Illustrated.
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While circling the track, McCahill passed several unfamiliar cars being put through their paces by the company's engineers. A Nash representative explained they were Ramblers, an innovative new model that would be released in the spring of 1950. Smelling a scoop, McCahill promised he would refrain from telling anybody about the cars if he was allowed to drive the car and be the first reporter to break the story.
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Three second-generation Rambler Americans displayed in the AMC building. Built between 1961 and 1963, body styles included a coupe, sedan, convertible and station wagon. Popular Science described the cars as, "Sturdy, solid dependable little automobiles...a good buy for what it’s built for – transportation, not a status symbol"
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On the cover of the May, 1950, issue of Mechanix Illustrated, McCahill and a comely bathing beauty pose with a yellow Rambler convertible on a Florida beach. The headline announces, "McCahill Drives the New Ultra-Small Nash." In addition to describing the Rambler as, "cute as a cupcake," McCahill reported the car was capable of a top speed of 84 to 86 mph and was impressed with its "excellent riding qualities and quite a bit of snap and punch." Independent car companies have always had it rough. General Motors, Ford and Chrysler – the Big Three – were able to dominate production and marketing with their financial muscle. During the seventy years Nash and American Motors manufactured automobiles, the auto maker survived, and sometimes prospered, by introducing a remarkable list of innovations.
Thomas B. Jeffery built the first Rambler in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in 1902. Advertised as "The Right Car at the Right Price," the vehicle was one of the first to incorporate a steering wheel, a frontmounted engine and a spare tire fitted to a wheel so a flat could be easily replaced. Jeffery died in 1910, and six years later, his son sold the company to Charles Nash. Nash, who began his career at Buick, was hired as General Motor's president in 1910. Four years later, he had a falling out with GM's founder Billy Durant, and quit, vowing never to work for anybody again. Nash debuted the first car with his name on the radiator in 1917. The Model 671's body styles included a roadster, touring car and sedan. Power was supplied by a six-cylinder engine featuring overhead valves, a rarity at that time. In 1932, the Nash Ambassador Eight was equipped with a synchromesh
transmission, a suspension system that could be adjusted from inside the car, twin ignition and the industry's first flowthrough ventilation system. The 1930s also saw the introduction of vacuumcontrolled shifting and of Nash's famous "Bed-In-A-Car", a feature allowing two adults to sleep in the car. Charles Nash wanted George Mason, head of Kelvinator Corporation to succeed him when he retired. Mason agreed, but only if Nash would purchase the high-end appliance manufacturer. As of 1937, the parent company was known as the NashKelvinator Corporation. Nash scored again in 1941, with the advent of the "600", the first mass-produced unibody construction automobile made in the U.S. When the Nash Airlyte was unveiled in 1949, it was described as "the most alarming of the post war designs." Conceived in a wind tunnel, wags referred
One end of Terry Gale's AMC building. In the foreground, an AMX and three Javelins, AMC's interpretation of the "muscle car". Available with a powerful V8 engine, manual four-speed transmission and dealer installed performance accessories, the cars offered exceptional performance at a reasonable price
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In the foreground, a burgundy 1919 Nash Chummy. This was the first Jeffery car to wear the Nash badge and only three are known to exist. Adding to the car's rarity, it is the only one of the three to be fitted with a California top. An after-market accessory, the top converted an open touring car into a closed sedan
to the cars as "upside down bathtubs." Love them, or hate them, the Airflyte’s teardrop shape with enclosed fenders provided the cars with exceptional fuel mileage making them a popular choice for economically minded Americans. During the 1950s, Nash continued to introduce new ideas – the compact Rambler, subcompact Metropolitan, Nash-Healy sports car, a single heater and air conditioning unit and seat belts. In 1954, George Mason orchestrated the merger of Nash with Hudson, creating American Motors Corporation (AMC), but he died that same year and his assistant, George Romney took over. Although Romney left after two years
to run for governor of Michigan, a race that he won, his "AMC Philosophy of Difference" would embody the company until its demise in 1988. The second generation Rambler, along with the Hornet, Matador, Pacer, Gremelin, Le Car, Javelin, AMX, Jeep and Eagle represent the good, bad and ugly of automotive design and technology. In 1988, Chrysler purchased what remained of AMC and the Kenosha plant, which had been producing cars since 1897, was torn down. Nash, American Motors and Kelvinator may have disappeared from our lexicon, but their fascinating history is on display
at a remarkable museum in Colorado. Located an hour's drive south of Denver, the aptly named Rambler Ranch embodies Terry Gale’s passion to salute and remember these fallen marques. Every collection starts with one acquisition, and Gale's was a 1954 Nash Ambassador. "My dad purchased the car for fifty dollars from a Utah car dealer in the early 1970s," Gale explains. "When the oil pump gave up the ghost, the car was parked for eighteen years on a family farm in Grand Junction, Colorado. On his periodic visits, Gale would slide behind the wheel of the forlorn Nash and imagine he was cruising the local highways.
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Terry Gale holds court in the AMC building. The footballsized building contains 107 cars and an amazing collection of memorabilia encapsulating the car builder's products manufactured between 1958 and 1988
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A 1954 Nash Statesman Country Club two-door hardtop. This was the first American car to offer a fully integrated heating, ventilating and air-conditioning system – the Weather Eye – that fit under the hood. Performance minded owners could also order dual carburetors to provide additional zip from the flathead six
A 1955 Nash Ambassador Super. Responding to Detroit's horsepower race, the 1955 Nash could be equipped with a 220 horsepower "Jetfire" V-8. Since the auto maker had not yet designed their own V-8, the engines, and transmissions, were purchased from Packard
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Shortly after Gale's father's death in 1977, his brother asked him if he wanted the Nash. "If I didn't want it," Gale says,” he was going to junk it.” I decided I should save a piece of family history and that was the beginning of what has turned into Rambler Ranch." Restoring a Nash, Gale discovered, is a challenge. Original parts are scarce and few reproduction parts are available, but after a three year renovation, the Ambassador was returned to showroom condition. While he was buying parts cars for the restoration, Gale kept finding examples too good to part out. By 1993, he had accumulated thirty cars and built his first garage. Today, Rambler Ranch includes five major buildings and more than 600 cars. In addition to an unparalleled cross section of Nash and American Motors products, thirty-seven other manufacturers are represented. Gale has also assembled an extensive collection of toys, literature,
clothing, signs (including original twentyfour sheet billboards), photography and other memorabilia – everything and anything involved with Nash, Kelvinator and American Motors.
with vintage pumps and signs, serves as a welcome center and gift shop. Future plans include a building devoted to AMC Eagle, another for Jeeps, a library and more space to display memorabilia.
One building is dedicated to Nash. Vehicles, including a reproduction of the first 1902 Rambler, encompass the manufacturer's important milestones. Another building showcases the thirtyfour year history of American Motors. A collection of Kelvinator appliances rates a building of their own. Of special interest is a Food-A-Rama from the 1950s. One of the first side-by-side refrigerators, the rare behemoth is loaded with features, including a "Breakfast Bar" providing room for eggs, bacon and fruit juice. Another building is home to the shop where Rambler Ranch's resident mechanical artisan, Roger Scott, practices his trade. A charming reproduction of a vintage Sinclair gas station, complete
Rambler Ranch is not open to the public, but car clubs and special interest groups are always welcome. If you would like further information or would like to make a reservation to visit the Rambler Ranch, Terry Gale can be reached at nash1954@aol.com
Rambler Ranch
This Nash Ambassador Country Club rolled off the Kenosha assembly line in 1957, a year that marked the marque's last hurrah. A year later, Nash and Hudson were merged to form American Motors. The first American production car fitted with stacked quad headlights, only 997 of these models were built
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At one time, these gas stations could be found in most American cities. A smartly uniformed attendant would pump gas, check the oil, water and tire pressure, clean the windows and share the local gossip. The Rambler Ranch's reproduction of an early 20th century Sinclair station serves as a welcome center and gift shop. Gale also serves visitors killer ice cream cones
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Time and Navigation at the
Smithsonian Measuring Man’s Achievement over Time and Distance by Andrew Siskind
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owadays we rely on clocks to tell us what time it is, to see whether we are late or early, or if we are done with work or just getting started. However, it wasn’t long ago that our timekeeping devices served another important day-to-day function – letting us know where in the world we might be, and how far from home we had traveled. The relationship between time and navigation, and the development of technologies for both, is a closely intertwined story of innovation, labor, and craftsmanship. This summer, the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum is telling this compelling story in a museum setting for the first time with their spectacular new exhibit “Time and Navigation: The Untold Story of Getting from Here to There”, which spans history and looks to the future in its examination of that special relationship. The exhibit, which opened April 12th at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, in Washington, D.C., is actually a collaboration between two of the Smithsonian’s most venerable institutions, the National Air and Space Museum and the National Museum of American History. Based upon the concepts of navigation and exploration as they relate to the development of America, the exhibition considers the varied ways that timekeeping and navigation have worked hand in hand over three centuries to ensure our explorers get to where they’re headed and return home again safely – whether it’s sailing across the ocean, traveling across
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the open west, or heading up towards the stars. A combination of rare artifacts and instruments, educational installations, films, and of course the National Air and Space Museums trademark collection of exploratory vessels are on display. The exhibit is broken into five sections that cover three centuries of exploration, and each one is a worth a visit in itself. It opens with “Navigation at Sea,” which deals with early pre-chronometer maritime navigational instruments such as the astrolabe, the sextant, and the dividing engine as well as the early timekeeping devices of John Harrison. A highlight of this section is William Cranch Bond’s Chronometer, the first accurate maritime chronometer produced in the United States, designed to aid our ships in the war of 1812. Visitors can examine replicas of ancient navigational tools, and try their hand at guiding their own ship by using a sextant in an innovative interactive display. The exhibit is a wonderful example of curating that enriches our understanding of the world around us. The second section, “Navigation in the Air,” tells the story of our conquest of aerial navigation through the stories of Wiley Post and Harold Getty, Charles Lindbergh, and a personal account from a Second World War Navigator. Post and Getty’s Lockheed Vega “Winnie Mae”, which set the record of an aerial circumnavigation in 1931 is on display in the exhibition hall, and looks as fast and thrilling today as it must have eighty-four years ago. This section of the exhibit also
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includes information on the development of quartz crystals in timekeeping instruments, and the corresponding creation of LORAN, or LOng RAnge Navigation, which guided pilots and boaters up until the development of satellite Global Positioning Systems not too long ago. “Navigation in Space”, the third section, contains some of the most exciting pieces in the entire exhibition, including a space shuttle star tracker, equipment from a ground tracking system, and a duplicate of the Mariner 10 spacecraft – the first to reach Mercury in 1973. This section focuses on the development of high tech timekeeping equipment to keep track of objects far above the Earth’s atmosphere – the many scientific and technological breakthroughs that were driven by our nation’s space program in the Sixties and Seventies. The historical NASA equipment is very impressive. The use of
technology that seems almost modern is far beyond what the average citizen would have been familiar with in the early years of the space program. One of the most impressive parts of the exhibition is “Inventing Satellite Navigation”, which traces the development of our modern satellite Global Positioning System – a now ubiquitous technology that we rely on every day for everything from driving directions to electronic security. Featuring such impressive pieces of equipment as the NIST-7 Atomic Clock, which kept time for the USA throughout the nineties, the navigational system of a Nuclear Submarine, and an actual GPS satellite for museum-goers to observe up close, this section of the exhibition hall is a must see by those interested in the origins of our modern navigational systems. Time and Navigation – “Winnie Mae” Gallery Shot Post and Gatty’s Lockheed Vega, the “Winnie Mae” Photo: Eric Long, Smithsonian
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Time and Navigation – Longine Sidereal Second-Setting watch Highly accurate watches such as this Longines held the key to navigation in the first half of the twentieth century
Time and Navigation – Dutch Pendulum Clock A fine example of an old-world pendulum clock, one of the earliest types of mechanical timekeepers
Photo: Mark Avino, Smithsonian
Photo: Eric Long, Smithsonian
The final section of the exhibit, “Navigation for Everyone”, demonstrates how three centuries of timekeeping and navigational technology all come together in our modern smart phones and other GPSenabled devices to help us on our journey through the modern world, and includes stories from regular people relating to the use of navigational equipment in contemporary times. This last section does a tremendous job of tying together the various threads of the exhibition into a cohesive whole, and makes clear just how much we owe today to navigational pioneers in the eighteenth, nineteenth, and twentieth centuries. A masterfully curated and eminently accessible exhibition that appeals to museum-goers of all ages and all walks of life.
Time and Navigation - A Ramsden Sextant An example of early navigational equipment Photo: Eric Long, Smithsonian
Time and Navigation – Bond Chronometer The Bond Chronometer, built for the War of 1812 and the first of its kind made in the USA Photo: Eric Long, Smithsonian
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Auction News Bonhams APRIL 24, 2013 New York
Jean-Eugene Robert-Houdin Mystery clock. Circa mid-19th century – LOT 1136
Sold For: $68,500
Thomas Reid George III balloon clock. Circa 1800 – LOT 1152
Sold For: $5,250
photos courtesy: BONHAMS
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Thomas Tompion London No 93. Circa 1685 – LOT 1154
Sold For: $116,500
Jean-Baptiste Baillon Regence ormolum regulateur. Circa 18th century – LOT 1143
Sold For: $42,500
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Auction News Heritage Auctions May 21, 2013 New York
Patek Philippe CIRCA 1995 Patek Philippe Ref. 5004P Extremely Rare And Important Platinum Wristwatch With Split-Seconds Chronograph, Registers, Perpetual Calendar, Moon Phases, Leap Year And 24 Hour Indication Case: platinum, No. 4493069, three body, transparent screwed down back, case band with four correctors, co-axial push button in the crown for the split-second function, concave bezel, fluted lugs, sapphire crystals, 37 mm Dial: black with applied and faceted white gold indexes, white gold baton hands, outer scale calibrated to fifths of a second, thirty minute register at three, leap year cycle, date and moon phases at six, constant seconds and 24 hours at nine, day and month apertures Movement: caliber CHR 27-70 Q, 28 jewels, straight line lever escapement, Gyromax balance, shock absorber, self compensating free-sprung Breguet balance spring, stamped with Geneva quality hallmark, rhodium plated, fausses cotes decoration, manual wind, No. 4493069 Band: black cousumain with platinum Patek Philippe buckle Signed: Patek Philippe with presentation box, all tags and papers, large leather bound portfolio, Certificate of Origin LOT 58271
Sold For: $242,500
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photos courtesy: HERITAGE AUCTIONS
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Auction News Heritage Auctions May 21, 2013 New York
Patek Philippe CIRCA 1903 Patek Philippe Rare & Important Minute Repeater With Split Seconds Chronograph & Register For Tiffany & Co., circa 1903 Case: massive, four body, 18k yellow gold, No. 124744, invisible hinges for the back and front bezel, 50 mm, gold slide for the repeat, gold cuvette, gold push button on the band for the split seconds function, back with a ribbon script monogram Dial: white enamel, radial Arabic hour numerals, blue spade hands, subsidiary seconds at six, thirty minute register at twelve, outer minute track and 1/5th second divisions, small red numerals at the fives Movement: No. 124744, nickel, 40 jewels, straight line lever escapement, counterpoised pallet, bi-metallic compensated balance with Breguet spring, swan's neck regulator, 18 lignes, jeweled to the hammers Signed: dial and movement signed Tiffany & Co., movement also signed Made In Switzerland, with Patek Philippe Extract from the Archives stating date of manufacture as 1903 LOT 58224
Sold For: $42,500
photos courtesy: HERITAGE AUCTIONS
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Auction News Sotheby’s APRIL 7, 2013 HONG KONG
Panerai Diamanti Della Officine. Circa 2000 – LOT 2108
Sold For: $27,374
Omega
Sold For: $3,059
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Submariner. Circa 2006 – LOT 2115
Sold For: $7,729
Girard-Perregaux
Speedmaster Professional Apollo 11 40th Anniversary. Circa 2009 – LOT 2123
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ROLEX
World Time Chronograph. Circa 2005 – LOT 2126
Sold For: $6,763
photos courtesy: SOTHEBY's
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Auction News Sotheby’s APRIL 7, 2013 HONG KONG
Chopard Automatic chronograph. Circa 2010 – LOT 2129
Sold For: $6,118
Patek Philippe Annual Calendar. Circa 1999 – LOT 2134
Sold For: $35,425
photos courtesy: SOTHEBY's
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Auction News Christie's April 09, 2013 amsterdam
Patek Philippe Lady's Art Deco Evening Watch. Circa 1913 – LOT 146
Sold For: $6,521
Luminor 44 Marina. Circa 2001 – LOT 175
Sold For: $3,587
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Portuguese Regulator. Circa 2004 – LOT 174
Sold For: $20,379
Piaget
Panerai
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IWC
Man's wristwatch. Circa 1990 – LOT 180
Sold For: $4,239
photos courtesy: CHRISTIE'S IMAGES LTD. 2013
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Auction News Christie's April 09, 2013 amsterdam
Van Cleef & Arpels Lady's wristwatch. Circa 1990 – LOT 181
Sold For: $4,239
Patek PhilipE Lady's wristwatch. Circa 1970 – LOT 185
Sold For: $3,261
photos courtesy: CHRISTIE'S IMAGES LTD. 2013
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Braun: who hasn't heard of this great brand of shavers, kitchen appliances, hifi systems and alarm clocks? Reliable, reasonably priced and ultimately functional, Braun's consumer electric and electronic goods grew from a radio manufactured in 1921 in a garage by Max Braun, to a worldwide ubiquitous brand by the 1960s and 70s. In 1971, Braun’s design team, led by Dieter Rams and Dietrich Lubs, released its first clock, followed in 1977 and 1978 with the DW 20 and DW 30 digital wristwatches with LCD screens. Analog watches followed in the late 1980s, and sold well right into the 1990s, when the company was acquired by Gillette.
acquisition of Gillette allowed for rediversification. Although Braun no longer manufacturers its timepieces directly, the company’s current design team, led by Marcus Orthey, intimately carry on the Rams and Lubs ethos in their detailed approach to design and editing. Since 2011, a growing body of Braun timepieces are available in the market again--carefully designed, well executed, affordable and functional. Some are re-editions, some are reinterpretations of older designs, others are clearly new products, using technology not available 20 years ago, but using a design approach laid down more than 50 years ago.
Thereafter came a hiatus in production. Braun's acquisition by Gillette led the new owners to focus on the production of its shavers and personal care line. But Proctor & Gamble's subsequent
For information please contact Ameico, the US distributor of Braun at telephone 888-350-8765, 860-354-8765 or visit the website www.Ameico.com
Braun's design legacy lives on in new timepiece releases
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Prestige Analog Single block steel case chronograph, 2013
Men's digital watch BN76SLBKG, re-edition of DW 30
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Sylvester Stallone is a Montegrappa shareholder and designer of the Chaos watch
Star power and brain power by Carol Besler
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r
With a host of high-profile fans, a celebrity investor and a book about the positive effects of writing on the brain, Montegrappa makes a case for the luxury writing instrument
J
ust as the owner of a luxury watch knows that a timepiece is not just about telling time, the fans of fine writing instruments know there is more to a pen than simply conveying a message. The utilitarian act of typing words into a computer and hitting “print” cannot match the beauty of writing by hand using a finely crafted writing instrument that is a work of art in itself. Connoisseurs of the writing instruments made by Montegrappa, known for its limited editions, understand this distinction. Those connoisseurs include Nicolas Sarkozy, King Juan Carlos of Spain, Antonio Banderas, Al Pacino and Michael Schumacher. Ernest Hemingway used a Montegrappa, as did Benito Mussolini, and Boris Yeltsin famously gave his Montegrappa Dragon pen to Vladimir Puton in 2000 when he handed over power to the new Russian leader. The brand’s most dedicated celebrity fan, however, is Sylvester Stallone, an official ambassador for the brand. There are many types of celebrity endorsements of luxury products. Some are based on multi-million dollar contracts that stipulate the celebrity must wear and be photographed wearing or using the product, but in rare cases, a brand ambassador is more than a beacon. He is also a dedicated fan, a longtime customer and even a product designer for the brand he supports. This is the case with Stallone, whose authentic relationship with Montegrappa extends to his investment in the company and a position on the board of directors.
As Italy’s largest manufacturer of luxury writing instruments, Montegrappa was founded in 1912 and has remained a family owned operation for most of that time. It is located on the banks of the Brenta River in the picturesque northern Italian town of Bassano del Grappa. The brand, says CEO Guiseppe Aquila, “embodies the mix of Italian style, design expertise and clarity of purpose that keeps other Italian houses such as Missoni and Armani self-determining and free to continue the traditions that allowed them create and maintain their positions as marques of note.” In 2000, the Richemont Group acquired Montegrappa from the Aquila family, which had owned the company for several decades, acquiring it in the 1970s from the Marzotto family, partners of the founder, Austrian entrepreneur Edwige Hoffman. “Montegrappa was producing pens for my family under various private labels for many years,” says CEO Guiseppe Aquila. “We bought the company from the Marzotto family.” In 2009, Richemont, having decided to focus on its watch brands – including Cartier, Vacheron Constantin and Jaeger-LeCoultre – sold the company back to the Aquila family, at which point Stallone
The Dragon pen was gifted to Putin by Yeltsin during the exchange of power in 2000
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The Chaos watch contains an automatic ETA 2824 movement
became a minority shareholder. “Sylvester Stallone symbolizes our brand DNA – Italian heritage, global recognition, strength of spirit, deep intelligence and an underlying sense of artistry,” says Aquila. Ironically, Montegrappa is now moving into the watch business, the purview of its former owner, Richemont. Just as pens are divided into two categories (regular lines and limited editions), the same goes with the watches. There are the regular watches (NeroUno, Parola and soon Fortuna) and the limited editions, of which the Chaos watch is the first example. Chaos was designed by Stallone, as was the writing
instrument of the same name, which Montegrappa describes as its first “heavy-metal” pen. The iconography is inspired by images of chaos in the paintings of Hieronymus Bosch. The watch features a bold skull-and-serpent motif, made of silver or gold, mounted on a black PVDcoated steel case, and includes a small,
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The Salvador Dali pen depicts an elephant with a conical head
The Chaos pen, designed by Sylvester Stallone
The Brain pen by Montegrappa, designed to resemble the neurons of the brain
engraved skull on the winding crown. Some editions are enameled. Montegrappa is known for its many limited edition writing instruments, one of the most recent examples of which is the Salvador Dalí. It is the third installment of the Genio Creativo (Creative Genius) series – the first two limited editions honored Antonio Stradivari and the other, Amedeo Modigliani. The pen was inspired by a number of Dalí’s paintings that contain depictions of elephants, in some cases with legs stretched to unreal lengths. On the Dalí pen, the elephant embraces a barrel of Mediterranean blue celluloid for the silver edition, or malachite green for the gold version. When the pen is opened,
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a quote from the autobiography, The Secret Life of Salvador Dalí, is inscribed on the sterling silver inner barrel. Montegrappa has even created a limited edition pen that recognizes the positive impact of writing on the brain. The pen is designed to look like the neurons in the brain and pays tribute to the scientific fact that writing is an important exercise for the brain. The design was a collaboration with famed American neurosurgeon Richard Restak, the author of more than 20 books on the brain. Included with each pen is a book, penned by Dr. Restak written especially for Montegrappa by Dr. Restak. The limited edition Brain Pen collection from Montegrappa is issued in numbers
that hold special “brainy” associations: the 1,012 silver fountain pens represent the precise number of neurons in the human brain; 900 silver roller ball pens represent the number of neurotransmitter molecules released by a single synaptic vesicle in the brain. Just what does the act of writing do for the brain? It engages the memory, the motor skills and keeps your brain sharp as you get older. Certainly the average luxury brand cannot claim this as one of its owner benefits. For information please contact Kenro Industries, the North American distributor for Montegrappa at 800-741-0005, 516-741-0011 or visit their website www.KenroIndustries.com.
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If you are a collector, a connoisseur, or just curious, a subscription to CHRONOS brings you the latest in watch technology and design with an in-depth analysis of individual watches. Each issue includes The Watch Collector, a showcase of the latest unique and limited edition watch masterpieces certain to be of interest to collectors and connoisseurs.
CHRONOS includes
interesting stories about the world of automobiles and racing. Coverage of outstanding museum exhibits, fashion trends, and travel stories all add to the enjoyment and satisfaction of this unique lifestyle magazine.
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Sculpture on the Wall: Ellsworth Kelly at the Barnes Foundation, Philadelphia May 4, 2013–September 2, 2013 by Hannah M. Zweifler
P
aris—the “city of lights”—has long been a hotbed of artistic activity, a creative nexus for writers, cultural thinkers, and artists alike. During his six-year sojourn in Paris beginning in 1948, American painter, sculptor and printmaker Ellsworth Kelly (1923– ), found himself particularly inspired. Kelly was moved by the glittering effect of sunlight on the Seine River, as well as by the play of light and shadow on the facades of the city’s buildings. Shortly after returning to the U.S. in 1954, his perception
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of these phenomenon was reflected in his monumental 65-foot-long Sculpture for a Large Wall (1956-1957), a work that is now the centerpiece of an exhibition on Kelly at the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia. “Ellsworth Kelly: Sculpture on the Wall” (May 4–September 2, 2013) features five works made by the artist between the years 1956 and 2012. While the artworks are few in number, the exhibition successfully hones in on the themes central to Kelly’s work. The exhibition also marks the artist’s
90th birthday this May, and the Barnes Foundation is one of several museums around the world—including Tate Modern, London, Museum of Modern Art, New York, and the Art Institute of Chicago—that are celebrating this year with exhibitions and other programming featuring the life and work of Ellsworth Kelly. Kelly’s effort to break away from artistic conventions and challenge perceptions of art is at the forefront of the Barnes’ exhibition. In addition to exploring how abstraction
Ellsworth Kelly (American, b. 1923). Sculpture for a Large Wall, 1956–1957. Anodized aluminum, 104 panels, 136 x 782 1/2 x 12 in. (345.4 x 1987.6 x 30.5 cm). The Museum of Modern Art, New York (Moma.org) gift of Jo Carole and Ronald S. Lauder, 1998. ©Ellsworth Kelly. Photo courtesy Matthew Marks Gallery, New York
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could be employed to represent nature and observed reality, Kelly also takes great interest in exploring the intersection of art and architecture, painting and sculpture. In turn, he often makes his sculptures flat and his paintings three-dimensional. The painted aluminum works—floating sculptures that hang on the walls like paintings—that make up the exhibition challenge viewers to wonder, are they paintings or sculptures? Kelly’s work is also concerned with the relationship of artwork to walls, and the interplay of positive and negative space. One cannot look at Two Curves (2012), for example, a white sculpture hung on a white wall, without considering the relationship of the sculpture’s curved form to its backdrop. The sculpture becomes almost part of the wall. Were it hung elsewhere, Two Curves would take on a different aesthetic entirely. The sixty-five-foot long Sculpture for a Large Wall (1956-1957) is the exhibition’s centerpiece, and in its scale and composition, the work dominates the space. Made of 104 anodized aluminum panels supported by five rows of horizontal bars, the sculpture encompasses the explorations of color, form, light, and positive and negative space that are so important to Kelly. Specifically,
Sculpture for a Large Wall demonstrates the way in which Kelly aims to free color and form from the constraints of the picture frame. Each aluminum panel is oriented in a different way, so that color and form are made to interact with both the wall and the space of the viewer, to striking effect. The work does seem to capture the glittering effect of sunlight on a river and the play of light and shade on buildings so ubiquitous in cityscapes. In this way, the sculpture becomes more than just a collection of panels of varying forms, but rather, a masterful composition of light, shade, positive and negative space, line, and shape. Sculpture for a Large Wall holds particular significance to the exhibition because its inclusion in the show marks a kind of homecoming for the sculpture. The piece was originally commissioned by architect Vincent Kling for the Philadelphia Transportation Building, located at 18th Street and JFK Boulevard in Philadelphia, where the work was installed in 1957, and where it remained above the lobby’s elevator banks for over forty years. However, when the building underwent renovations in 1993, the sculpture was removed, purchased by Ronald S. Lauder, and donated to the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New
York. The work is now on loan from MoMA for this exhibition, the first time since 1998 that Sculpture for a Large Wall is back in Philadelphia. This time, however, it is being hung at eye-level. Born in 1923, Ellsworth Kelly is considered a leading contemporary artist. He studied at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn and the Boston Museum of the Fine Arts School before studying in Paris for six years between 1948 and 1954. It was while he was abroad that Kelly developed his unique style. By 1949 he had started to make abstract paintings. In May 2012 the Barnes Foundation opened a new museum in Philadelphia with space, for the first time, for temporary exhibitions. “Ellsworth Kelly: Sculpture on the Wall” is the Barnes Foundation’s first solo exhibition and first contemporary exhibition in ninety years. However, as Derek Gilman, executive director and president of the Barnes Foundation notes, Kelly’s focus on line, form, and color, were similarly of great interest to Albert C. Barnes, the founder of the collection. Finally, the Barnes Totem (2011) provides a wonderful complement to the “Sculpture on the Wall” exhibition. Visitors will marvel
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Ellsworth Kelly (American, b. 1923), Barnes Totem, 2011 Stainless steel, 480 x 80 x 20 inches (1219.2 x 203.2 x 50.8 cm) The Barnes Foundation. Made possible through the generosity of The Neubauer Family Foundation, 2012.01.01
Ellsworth Kelly (American, b. 1923). Two Curves, 2012, Painted aluminum, 74 7/8 x 114 x 3 in. (190.2 x 289.6 x 7.6 cm). ©Ellsworth Kelly
Sources: Barnes Foundation Press Release: “Barnes Foundation Announces Ellsworth Kelly: Sculpture on the Wall, On View May 4 – September 2, 2013” (November 29, 2012) Barnes Foundation Press Release: “American Master Ellsworth Kelly to Install his Sculpture on the Grounds of the Barnes Foundation, Philadelphia” (April 5, 2012) Museum of Modern Art: “Ellsworth Kelly: Sculpture for a Large Wall: April 30 – June 4, 2012” Museum of Modern Art: “About this artist: Ellsworth Kelly” StamfordAdvocate.com: “Barnes Foundation presenting Ellsworth Kelly show” by Joann Loviglio, April 30, 2013 Newsworks.org: “Ellsworth Kelly exhibit inaugurates Barnes’ nod to contemporary art” by Peter Crimmins, May 1, 2013
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Sculpture on the Wall
Ellsworth Kelly (American, b. 1923). Black Form I, 2011. Painted aluminum, 80 x 71 3/4 x 4 1/4 in. (203.2 x 182.2 x 10.8 cm). ©Ellsworth Kelly. Photo by Joshua White, courtesy Matthew Marks Gallery, Los Angeles
Ellsworth Kelly (American, born 1923), Red Curve. 1986. Painted aluminum, 120" x 204" x 1/2" (304.8 x 518.2 x 1.3 cm). ©Ellsworth Kelly
Ellsworth Kelly (American, b. 1923). Black White Black, 2006. Painted aluminum, 60 3/4 x 230 x 1 7/8 in. (154.3 x 584.2 x 4.8 cm). ©Ellsworth Kelly. Photo courtesy Matthew Marks Gallery, New York
at the forty-foot metal sculpture by Ellsworth Kelly permanently installed on the Barnes Foundation’s site. The sculpture, commissioned through the Neubauer Family Foundation, sits at the end of a reflecting pool, and is meant to harmonize with the trees leading to the museum’s entrance.
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In just a few artworks, “Ellsworth Kelly: Sculpture on the Wall” captures the themes central to the artist’s work. The exhibition demonstrates how Kelly strove to break away from artistic convention, and visitors will be pleasantly intrigued, challenged, and captivated by these works.
“Ellsworth Kelly: Sculpture on the Wall” is on view at the Barnes Foundation’s new Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia location from May 4 to September 2, 2013.
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Historic Tavannes Rebuilding the Brand by Bruce Shawkey
This advertisement by Tavannes was used for years, beginning in the late 1930s, to symbolize its preeminence as the world's fourth-largest watch manufacturer. The artist's rendering shows the five factories located in Tavannes (the company's headquarters); Neuchatel; La Joux; La Chaux de Fonds; and LeLocle. Combined, the factories made 4,000 finished pieces a day.
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I
t might be a watch brand you haven’t heard of. Or if you HAVE, you’ve probably heard it pronounced incorrectly. The name is Tavannes. It’s pronounced ta-VAHN, like the lady’s name LaVonne.
It used to be one of world’s largest watch manufacturers. During its heyday in the 1920s and ‘30s, five manufacturing plants turned out as many as 4,000 watch movements a day. It employed around 2,000 workers, and had turned the little town of Tavannes, Switzerland, into a booming manufacturing center. The company not only made movements for its own branded watches, but supplied movements to other prestigious watch manufacturers and retailers, including Jaeger LeCoultre, Dunhill, Hermes, and Cartier. The company even made a custom watch for the king of England that eventually became one of the company‘s iconic models. But through a series of marketing decisions and market realties, the brand virtually disappeared. It would have become extinct altogether, save for the efforts of three men who, in 2008, decided to rebuild the brand from the ground up. They have brought fresh ideas and designs to the “affordable luxury” watch market, but at the same time have a deep and tangible respect for the brand’s rich heritage. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. The story of Tavannes begins in 1891 with the founding of the company by a 40-year-old master watchmaker, Henri-Frédéric Sandoz, in the town of Tavannes, today a small city of approximately 3,500. Sandoz was a mechanical genius; his company not only made its own movements -- called Calilbers In addition to being distributed through Dunhill, the Tavannes "La Captive" model caught the attention of luxury jeweler Cartier. This specimen's sterling silver case is overlaid with beautiful white and red enamel. Cartier sold these watches using the signature "Lisica S.A." on the movements, which was a subsidiary of Tavannes. Photo by Sotheby’s.
-- in-house (one of the few Swiss companies to do so), but also developed proprietary watch-making machinery (lathes, milling machines, etc.) which was sold to other manufacturers. An early adopter
The company early on saw the market potential for wristwatches, producing finished models as early as 1905. By the 1910s, it was producing Calibers specifically manufactured for wristwatches, while most other companies were still using pocket watch movements adopted (some rather crudely) for conversion into wristwatches. One of the first wristwatches we see is a Tavannes wristwatch made for the U.S. Signal Corps (Figure 1). By the early 1920s, Tavannes entered the U.S. market, and this must surely be considered the company’s golden era. A number of extraordinary Calibers and models were developed.
The belt-buckle version of Tavannes innovative "La Captive" watch model (at left) started out as a custom order for King Edward VIII, and was eventually made available to the public, with distribution through Hermes Photo by poupishop.com
got the idea to apply the design to a hermetic watch, called “La Captive,” which the company began offering around 1929. It was first offered as a desk or purse watch, often with decorative enameling, and distributed through Dunhill, a prestigious European jeweler, as well as Cartier.
The Tavannes company's early manufacture of practical wristwatches for men resulted in a contract by the U.S. Signal Corps. Watches of this type saw service during World War I Photo courtesy oldwristwatches.com
Watchmaker to a king
Around 1926, Tavannes was presented with a challenge. The man who would eventually be crowned King Edward VIII of England (yes, the one who gave up the throne to marry American socialite Wallis Simpson) commissioned Tavannes to make him a custom watch that could be worn as a belt buckle while playing golf. With a discreet press of a small button, the watch portion of the buckle would flip open at an approximate 90 degree angle to its case. In this position, the time could be read. Eventually, a golfer’s belt buckle version of the watch (pictured top right) was offered to the public, and distributed through Hermes. From the custom order, Tavannes
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A Watch Fit for a King
The "335" is another iconic Tavannes model, introduced in the late 1920s, and named for the movement Caliber inside the watch. The elongated movement allowed for a more streamlined case, and room for a longer mainspring which gave the watch a three-day running time, an amazing feat for its day
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In 1931, another boom occurred for Tavannes. The watch company of JaegerLeCoultre (JL) was trying to come up with a hermetic watch of its own. JL wanted to make a true wristwatch that would rotate a full 180 degrees within its case. Worn either way, the watch would lie flat on the wrist. The one problem is that JL did not make an in-house caliber suitable to fit their patented swivel case. They turned to Tavannes, and for the first two years of production, used the Tavannes Caliber 064 in its watch. Thus, the famous “Reverso” was born.
(The early Reverso models with the Tavannes Caliber 064 are signed “Lisica S.A.” on their movements. Lisica was merely a holding company established by Tavannes to create a “buffer” between the two companies which otherwise would have confused jewelers and consumers as to who actually made the Reverso watch. The “La Captive” watches sold by Cartier also can be seen with the Lisica signature on the movements.)
Over the next several decades, various marketing decisions (that seemed prudent at the time) pushed the Tavannes company more and more into the background. The factories themselves eventually closed, and the brand all but became extinct. But in 2008, the brand was re-introduced with a fresh lineup of designs, along with affordable prices.
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Building for the future, respecting the past
Undertaking that challenge are three men: Florin Niculescu, president of the company’s Switzerland operations in Tavannes; Bruce Cummings, president of Tavannes U.S.A., based in Valencia, Pa.; and Marc Cummings, vice president. “We see the brand as exclusive, yet anything but expensive,“ says Bruce Cummings. Men’s models start at $500. For $995, you get a watch with a Swiss-made automatic movement with date, and genuine crocodile strap with deployment buckle.
The “exclusive” part comes from the fact that Tavannes watches are sold strictly through a network of authorized dealers, most of them independent. No big-box or department stores, no direct (or third-party) Internet sales. “We don’t want our customer buying a watch, and then seeing it offered a month later on a home shopping channel at half of what they paid,” says Cummings.
The company’s respect for its heritage shows in its “Vintage Club.“ Visitors to the company website can become members of the club and post pictures and information about their vintage Tavannes watches. Once registered with the website, owners’ identities are kept confidential, but pictures and information about vintage watches are shared with club members. This is highly
unusual, as many watch companies devote little or no attention to their heritage. The mentality seems to be that they don’t make any money when their vintage watches are bought and sold on the secondary market. Tavannes views this differently … that caring about people’s vintage watches (whether they are current Tavannes customers or not) is part of an overall culture of building relationships with existing (and potential) customers.
Tavannes watches are currently sold through 120 retail jewelers in 34 states. There are also several locations in Europe. They produce a full line of men’s and ladies’ watches, including a variety of karat gold watches, and fashion dress watches for women. The men’s lineup includes such specialties as a diver’s model, and a full skeletonized watch. Their full line can be seen at the company website, www. tavanneswatches.com. About the author: Bruce Shawkey is a dealer and collector of vintage watches. Based in Evansville, Wis., he is also a freelance writer whose articles have appeared in numerous watch and clock publications during the past 25 years.
Some current Tavannes models. Left: Gents 14kt Gold Collection, 37mm one-piece lug construction, sapphire crystal, three – or 11-Roman dial, hand-made crocodile strap. Center: Ladies LaJolie Collection Stainless Steel, 76 diamond bezel, black or white Mother of Pearl dial. Right: 3000-meter Limited Edition Skin Diver, automatic (ETA 2824) movement, case/bracelet design with Allen screws. Interchangeable steel bracelet/ orange carbon fiber strap/wet suit black rubber strap
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The Art of Swiss Watchmaking
SKELETON COLLECTION 17 Jewel Swiss Unitas MVT | Rose/Gray/Rhodium Movement Sapphire Crystal | Highly Decorated Front & Back | 165 Feet WR.
$1,375 MSRP
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Museum Watch
Edward Hopper, Study for Nighthawks, 1941 or 1942, fabricated chalk and charcoal on paper; 11.13 × 15 in. Whitney Museum of American Art; gift by Josephine N. Hopper.
HOPPER DRAWING
Whitney Museum of American Art, New York through October 6 The first major museum exhibition to focus on the drawings and overall creative process of Edward Hopper, this show includes many of his great oil paintings paired with preparatory sketches.
BILL BRANDT: SHADOW AND LIGHT Museum of Modern Art, New York through August 12
One of the earlier figures of modernist photography, Brandt and his distinctive vision are expressed in this collection of his photos of Britain from the 1930s through the 1950s.
HANS RICHTER: ENCOUNTERS Los Angeles County Museum of Art through September 2
The exhibition, presenting 150 works by the artist alongside those by his many colleagues, positions Richter's artistic output in the context of his collaborations.
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LACMA: Hans Richter, Schlittenfahrt (Skating), c. 1915, oil on canvas, 31.13 x 23.53 in. Photo/Collection: Kunsthaus Zürich. © 2013 Hans Richeter Estate.
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HANS HOFMANN: RECTANGLES Berkeley Art Museum through September 1
Drawn from the museum's collection of paintings by the artist, this exhibition provides an opportunity to experience Hofmann's dynamic, Cubistinfluenced compositions.
ABELARDO MORELL: THE UNIVERSE NEXT DOOR Art Institute of Chicago through September 2
Berkeley Art Musuem: Hans Hofmann, Combinable Wall I and II, 1961, oil on canvas, 84.5 x 112 in.
This collection of over 100 works by the Cubanborn, American artist from 1986 to the present demonstrates his use of experimental techniques and confirms his high place in the world of contemporary photography.
THE LIVING YEARS: ART AFTER 1989 Walker Art Center, Minneapolis through August 11
Charting the course of art since the fall of the Berlin Wall, this exhibition of diverse media mirrors the political and social context that has led us to our present reality.
GEORGES BRAQUE AND THE CUBIST STILL LIFE, 1928-1945 The Philips Collection June 8 - September 1
Along with Picasso, Braque was a pioneer of Cubism. This showing of forty-four paintings is the first in-depth look at the artist's work in the years leading up to and through World War II, a period in which he sharpened his indiivdiaul style.
The Philips Collection: Georges Braque, Vase, Palette, and Mandolin, 1936. oil, charcoal, and graphite on canvas, 32 x 39 5/8 in. SF MoMA. © 2013 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris.
James Turrell, Rendering for Aten Reign, 2013. Daylight and LED light. Site-specific installation, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York © James Turrell. Rendering: Andreas Tjeldflaat, 2012 © Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation.
THE SUMMER OF JAMES TURRELL This summer, three exhibitions across the country are devoted to conceptual artist James Turrell, who creates immersive light environments. The largest of the three shows is in his home region at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Opening May 26, the career-spanning retrospective features both early projections and recent experiments. From June 9 through September 22 at the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, several new installations complement an existing underground passageway that's designed to create the illusion of floating in space. Finally, starting on June 21, Turrell will transform the rotunda of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum by using shifting artificial and natural light to re-imagine the iconic structure. Other works from the artist's career will also be displayed.
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Amelia Island Concours Turns 18 and Is Still Showing Off Article and Photography by: Denis L. Tanney, Automotive Editor
I
t is always a thrill for me to make the drive along the grounds of the Ritz Carlton, entering the main driveway into the majestic and beautiful hotel that plays host to the Amelia Island Concours each year. The northern Florida landscape and the lush weeping trees full with early spring are so inviting and the cool air is invigorating to the soul. Arriving on a Friday, one would think that this “off day” would be just that. But, the nearby driving range which is used for the main parking area was almost full by mid- day. That says a lot right there. Walking into the hotel, it was already abuzz with tons of guests registering and mingling about discussing this weekend’s doings. Many classics were already parked or still waiting to be unloaded from their trailers, while their owners made themselves right at home for the weekend. Celebrating 18 years, founder Bill Warner, was in his typical concours mode ready for another spectacular Amelia weekend that would set records for attendance and just about everything else one can imagine. His amazing team of people put this show on each and every year, and no matter what is said or done, it is always better than the year before. The auctions set records and the cars themselves seem to come out of the woodwork. The classifications or categories in this concours are unique in many ways. There is everything from “What Were They Thinking” cars to cars of Harry Miller, to American Classics, to Rolls Royce, to Duesenberg, to Sports cars and on and on.
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Most Elegant Sports Car went to Kim and Mark Hyman and their 1909 Pierce-Arrow UU 36 HP Runabout. (Note their White Lab in the front area and their daughter in the rear)
Warner gives justification to creations that most have never even seen before. Their substance is their existence and the attention they garner is no less than that of the great period cars from the 1920’s and ‘30’s. They are unique. As well, the vehicles he brings to the field are outstanding and worthy of any award anywhere in the world. We all know that and we also know that Amelia has climbed to the very top of the show ladder and in many ways is a more relaxed version of Pebble Beach. Pebble has that little extra
twinkle to its name, location and history, but the cars are very much on the same level for both shows. The unusual vehicles are the ones that make Amelia different and sets it apart from all other concours. Of course the way the show is run is one of the strong suits that make it so special to this journalist. Three wonderful days are filled with activities for just about everyone. Each year it seems something else is added to make the decision of where to go and what to do, and at what time to do it, more
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Sport Award. This is the exact car that took the overall win at LeMans from Ferrari in the mid 1960’s and established it as one of the greatest American race cars of all time.
Receiving Best In Class- Cars of Henry Miller was this 1926 Miller 91 Locomobile Junior 8 of Sam Mann from Englewood, New Jersey
difficult. Deciding what to miss in place of the thing we chose to do gets harder and harder for me. The seminars with the famous drivers, manufacturers and celebrities has grown so large that folks wait on line for almost two hours in order to secure their place for a good seat in the auditorium. The once single seminar has grown into two seminars; one on Friday and another on Saturday and each one has a packed house with standing room only. In addition, there is the Fine Arts exhibition each day. The Marque Car Road Tour takes the finest examples of the show and drives them through downtown Fernandina for the general public to see for a few short hours on Friday. There are numerous exhibits of photography, watches and stereo equipment. There are assorted other activities including a silent auction and select manufacturers give rides outside the front door of the hotel to anyone interested. This is all part of this amazing circus called the Amelia Island Concours. And if the cars and people aren’t enough to fathom, think about this: one needs to realize that for the past seventeen years, over $2 million has been donated by the show’s Foundation to The Community Hospice of Northeast Florida, Inc., and to various other charities. That is very impressive indeed! This year Chevrolet chose this venue to showcase the newly redesigned Corvette. Amelia Concours celebrated the 50th anniversary of this American sports car icon in style. Speaking of celebrating 50 years, Porsche was honored for their famed 911 with a variety of examples and the very first 911 ever produced, labeled by Porsche as
the 901 Prototype. Another special show feature included the single seat Formula Jr. race car, a small stepping stone to Formula One. General Motors had a large exhibit of special interest cars including the famous 2003 “Sixteen” Concept car that produced
Amelia presents two trophies each year for Best in Show. The winner of the Concours d' Elegance Award was presented to the 1936 Duesenberg SJN (Supercharged) belonging to Helen and Jack Nethercutt of the Nethercutt Collection. This famed car produced some 320 horsepower with a 420 cu inch straight eight engine. This very sporty Rollston convertible coupe, done up in apple green paint, was considered a very fast car in its day reaching 100 mph in less than 17 seconds. The car is no slouch by today’s standards either, with its gobs of torque or its comfortable ride for the passenger and driver peering out the narrow windshield over the long long nose in front of them. The car is truly a rolling sculpture. In the Concours d' Sport division, one of the featured marques, the 1968 Ford GT 40, owned by the Rocky Mountain Auto Collection, took top honors. This car, chassis #1075, a lightweight Mirage style racer won the 24 hours du Mans in both 1968 and again in 1969. Its racing history
Taking an Amelia Award for American Classic (1930-1934) is this stunning 1932 Auburn 12-160A Boattail Speedster belonging to Linda and Dave Kane from Bernardsville, New Jersey.
1000hp and was fashioned after the great V16 Cadillac’s of the early 1930’s. The key featured car of this year had to be the wonderfully successful Ford GT 40 and its derivatives. Fourteen examples of this iconic racer were present, one of them taking Best of Show for the Concours de
states that it won an amazing six races in its eleven race entries. The car was on display for many years at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum before being returned to its owner in 1984. The entire show field was seen by over 25,000 spectators this year. Warner says,
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The 1936 Jaguar SS100 of the North Collection out of St. Michael’s, Maryland. This car took the Jaguar of North America award for The Most Historically Significant Jaguar.
voice has graced the introduction to every Formula One race broadcast on network television with an authority that draws the listener in for a deeper understanding of what might unfold during the race. Sam is an incredibly talented man who has done it all, seen it all and enjoyed it all. The grounds of The Ritz Carlton were graced all weekend long by Sam and Ellen, his lovely bride of many years, as the crowd could not get enough of his presence.
The special leather seats that help make the 1936 Jaguar SS100 a unique example of an already outstanding car.
“We gathered the very best in classic cars, racing history and automotive superstars together for the 2013 Concours and I don’t know how we’ll repeat it in 2014. Then again, I’m sure we’ll think of something.” Speaking of stars…the honoree this year was none other than Sam Posey. Sam is best known for being a great race car driver from the early 1960’s into the early 1980’s. He raced everything from Formula cars to Nascar to Trans Am to Sports cars, and
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won just about everything he could in as many types of cars as he drove. He raced with such luminaries as Paul Newman, Mario Andretti, Bob Grossman, Tony Adamowicz, David Hobbs and many more. But his life was to be fulfilled in so many other endeavors. He is an established artist and architect with buildings to his name, including several that he designed and stand proudly at his native Lime Rock Race Track in Lakeville, Connecticut among other venues. For the past few years his
The Concours folks have stated that over 300 cars and motorcycles from all over the world were part of the 2013 event. There were other highlights adding to the overall lustre of this year’s event: the only original Lamborghini Miura Roadster ever built, the Bill Mitchell Corvette Stingray driven by Elvis Presley in his movie, “Clambake”, a Cadillac Coupe de Ville prototype not seen in public for over 50 years, and a custom built Alfa Romeo Stradale TZ3s, never seen in North America before, and of course, the earlier mentioned Cadillac “Sixteen” Concept car with its giant 13.6 liter V16 engine that produced over 1000 hp and was 19 feet long! Celebrating the great racing cars of Henry Miller, and his first win in the Indy 500, was the
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The Best in Show Concours d' Sport winner was this 1968 Ford GT 40 from the Rocky Mountain Auto Collection out of Bozeman, Montana.
Taking Best in Show in the Concours d' Elegance division was this 1936 Duesenberg SJN of Helen and Jack Nethercutt and the Nethercutt Collection out of Sylmar, California.
The very first Porsche 911 prototype from 1963, tagged by Porsche as the 901.
The huge crowd on Sunday, viewing the cars on the ground for the main event.
This 1934 Bugatti Type 57 Aravis of Paul Emple Rancho in Sante Fe, California drew plenty of attention long before it was judged as the winner of the Meguire’s Award for Most Outstanding Finish.
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The Most Outstanding General Motors car and the GM/Dave Holls Award went to this 1952 Cadillac Convertible Coupe of Heather and John Mozart from Palo Alto, California.
supercharged Miller 91, a front wheel drive car that set a record speed in 1928. Some 20 other Miller cars were represented this year along the fairway. Another addition this year was the introduction of the duPont Registry Cars and Coffee at the Concours. This new Saturday activity drew thousands of fans
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Summer 2013
Both best in Show cars together: the 1936 Duesenberg SJN and the 1968 Ford GT 40 (rear view)
Show Founder and Chairman, Bill Warner stands with 2013 show Honoree, Sam Posey
to walk the 18th fairway to view makes like Mercedes Benz, Cadillac, Jaguar and Bentley and others. Many local car clubs displayed their examples of prized vehicles alongside the manufacturer’s to make Saturday even more special. And of course, the Friday and Saturday auctions made huge sales and put lots of smiles on new owners’ faces.
2013 was for sure a banner year for the Amelia event. And, as Warner says, he is certain that they will come up with something to best it in 2014. Make your way down to Amelia Island next March and check it out for yourself.
Chronos 2013 Issue 103
Both Best in Show cars together: the 1936 Duesenberg SJN and the 1968 Ford GT 40 (front view)
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The start of the 12 hour race at 11 am
Sebring 12Hrs. Fun
in the Florida Sun Early March Article and Photography by: Denis L. Tanney, Automotive Editor
T
ypically the Sebring 12 hour is a race with a party atmosphere. It is one of the great races in the world. It is the oldest sports car race in this
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country that is organized and held on the same basic track since its concept became a reality back in 1950 with the 6 hour race and then in 1952 when the first 12 hour
race began. Sebring oozes with history and carries its own particular type of atmosphere and feeling like no other track in the world today. The 12 hour race is the one sports car
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race in this country not to miss if you like fast, manufacturer based sports cars. It is the only 12 hour race in America and renowned for its party atmosphere. Fans arrive days, weeks and yes even months ahead of time to set up their temporary camp sites and begin their frolicking and making this a real happening. The fans at the 12 hour are as unique as this race itself. As I said they start arriving many days in advance and they begin partying seemingly from the time they hit the Sebring grounds. The exuberance they show usually stems from a large amount of imbibing that starts early on and continues non- stop. That is what makes this event different from others. So Sebring stands alone. And what an event it always is! Each year I look forward to this race. It just jumps out at me every time I think about the place. It has hallowed ground like a Watkins Glen but it has this mystique that is all its own and makes Sebring so very special. This year Audi came back to say goodbye to the American fans with their amazingly fast, quiet and efficient R18 e-tron Quattro LMP1 cars. These all-wheel drive turbo diesel hybrid race cars are stunning examples of today’s high tech sports car racers. Audi decided to enter two almost identical cars: last year’s R18 Ultra and this year’s version, the R 18 Hybrid e-tron Quattro. The Quattro label refers to the fact that the hybrid drive adds power to the front axle when the car reaches speeds of 75 mph and higher giving the car an extra boost of acceleration. Both cars share the same 510 bhp turbo diesel power. These cars performed their swan song for the American fans at Sebring this year at this race. They then went on to continue racing in Europe while the remaining LMP 1 cars like the Dyson Mazda and the Muscle Milk HPD ARX-03a will be racing here for their final year of the American LeMans Series. The big news at this year’s race was of course the announcement and press conference held on the Thursday of the race week. The announcement was the name of the new series that begins a new era starting in 2014 at the Rolex 24 @ Daytona. The series will be called, United Sports Car Racing. The talk was all about how this would work, and what the classifications
will be, and who is eligible, and who is not, and how many cars can a track field, and what races and at what tracks will the races take place, and on and on. But, I will reserve some of the answers for a future article as things are constantly evolving and until everything is set in stone, there is no need to give information that is not 100% accurate. This year’s 12 hour race went down pretty much as expected. Audi taking the overall win and made it their 11th in the past 14 years. Their amazing e-tron hybrid machines were something to marvel at. The technology is so far advanced in high end racing that it boggles the mind. These cars are not only fast but near silent with their diesel engines. Taking the overall win was ironically last year’s winning Audi R18 e-tron Quattro with drivers Marcel Fassler, Benoit Treluyer and Oliver Jarvis. Their margin of victory was 7.68 seconds over the newer spec Audi R18 driven by six time Sebring winner Ton Kristensen, Lucas di Grassi and four time Sebring winner Allan McNish. Taking third was the Rebellion Racing Lola B12/60 Toyota with Nicolas Prost, Nick Heidfeld and Neel Jani. Because there will not be an LMP 1 classification
Fans at Sebring come in all sizes
at least will not be seen in this configuration again here in America. The next class of note was the LPM 2 group which will be carrying on the banner into 2014 in the new series as the highest tech race cars replacing the LMP1 class. The winning P2 car was the Level 5 Motorsports team with owner Scott Tucker, Marino Franchitti and Ryan Briscoe driving their HDP ARX-03b Honda based car. Tuckers other HDP ARX-03b entry took second in
The GT winning Corvette of Oliver Gavin, Tommy Milner and Richard Westbrook, in the heart of the notoriously bumpy turn 17
next year, this was the swan song for these cars at Sebring. It is a shame, really. They exemplify the highest level of manufacturer representation and technology in sports car racing, and other than at LeMans and the remainder of the races in Europe the Audis
class and a Zytek Z11SN took third in class. In the GT class we saw Oliver Gavin, Tommy Milner and Richard Westbrook sweep their group with the Chevrolet Corvette C6 ZR1 machine. Taking second place was the Risi Competizione Ferrari F458 Italia of drivers
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The Prototype Challenge winner, Spec racer Oreca FLM09 car of David Cheng, Mike Guasch and David Ostella all alone along the old airport runway section of this classic race course
Gianmaria Bruni, Olivier Beretta and Matteo Malucelli. Third place was taken by the Falken Racing Team Porsche 911 GT3 RSR with Wolf Henzler, Bryan Sellers and Nick Tandy driving.
The less sophisticated machines are restricted in weight and power but nonetheless wonderful to watch. These are the competitive PC or Prototype Challenge machines. Here the Oreca FLM09 PR1
Mathiasen Motorsports team with drivers David Cheng, Mike Guasch and David Ostella took their class win. And in the GTC (GT Challenge) class the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car of Alex Job Racing with
Making its debut this year was the SRT Viper GTS-R of Marc Goosens, Dominik Farnbacher and Ryan Dalziel seen here ahead of the Rebellion Racing Lola Toyota B12/60 P1 car of Nicolas Prost
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Cooper MacNeil, Jeroen Bleekemolen and Dion von Moltke took first place. It so happened that this was Alex Jobs ninth win at Sebring as a team owner. Sebring is a track that punishes the drivers as well as the cars. The surface is the same rough concrete and asphalt that has been there since the beginning and the treacherous bump in turn 17 remains a thorn in every driver’s side - probably in their backs and arms as well. The 3.74 mile 17 turn road course is infamous around the world. Yet drivers come from all over to take the challenge this old airport circuit shells out to everyone on an equal basis. It is in fact the premier road course for high tech sports car racing in America today. The track is in use year round for testing and on this weekend we saw a number of support series racing as well as the Sports Car Vintage Racing Association (SVRA). Some 65 or so historic and vintage racers showcased their talents and the thrill was seeing these good old classics roaring around the course not unlike they did in their own eras. The fans always enjoy this race. It is a time when they can let their hair down and
The second place Audi R18 e-tron Quattro up close and personal
hang their beer cans over the fence, and just be race fans, sober or drunk. The temporary structures many of these fans build for the time they are there can be rather astounding and very elaborate. Structures to sleep in and sit on and stay dry under, should there
be rain. By the way only 5 times in 60 years has rain pelted this race and made a mess of things. Lights, barstools, ovens and varieties of cooking stoves, barbeques, smokers and swimming pools are some of the equipment brought to the scene. You
The LMP2 Honda HDP ARX-03b Level 5 Motorsports of Dario Franchitti at the wheel at night with his front rotors aglow brightly
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Overall winner of this year’s race on the podium. L-R: Benoit Treluyer, Oliver Jarvis and Marcel Fassler along with Miss Sebring 2013 showing the headlines for the morning paper
have to see it to believe it! Once in a while the television coverage will fade out into a commercial break and show you one or two of these structures. If you ride around the circuit you will note thousands of these structures in all shapes, sizes and materials. This aspect of Sebring helps to make this race so special and unique. The famous craziness of the place, especially in the area
LMP2 winner Scott Tucker with the LMP1 winners (l-r: Treluyer, Jarvis and Fassler) on the podium showing off their new Rolex watches
known as Green Park, has settled down quite a lot over the last ten or so years. The entire crowd really gets into the scene here and makes sure they enjoy every moment of it. I should not forget the weather as a contributing factor either. As I said, rain is rare here in the central portion of Florida, at least during this races active week in midMarch. The sun is hot, the clouds few and
tanning seems to be every bit a part of the atmosphere here. Sebring is an experience and worth every penny and every minute of ones time to just be a part of this once a year affair. Ask anyone who has been here before- no one will tell you anything other than their experience was fantastic. I can’t wait until next March for the new series, the new cars, and the old fans once again.
Sebring 12Hrs. Fun in the Florida Sun Early March
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A Porsche 911 GT3 RSR and a LMP2 car coming under the Mobil 1 bridge at sunset with other cars following behind
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Chronos Magazine wins Award at
Pictured from left to right: Denis L Tanney, Chronos Automotive editor, Bertram Kalisher, Chronos editor, and presenting the car trophy, Bruce Wennerstrom
At the Greenwich Concours d’ Elegance 18th Annual event held on Saturday June 1, 2013 Chronos magazine was presented with an award for excellence in automotive reporting. The award was presented by Bruce Wennerstrom, the founder of the Greenwich Concours d’Elegance, now regarded as one of the top automotive events of its kind in the country.
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Watch Collector Harry Winston Opus XIII The thirteenth edition of Harry Winston’s series of unconventional timekeeping inventions is one of its most subdued, yet one of the most ingenious. It represents a return to the basic timekeeping units of hours and minutes, but defies the conventional means of doing so. It tells time with 59 pivoting minute hands and 11 rotating hour triangles (and a sliding trap door for 12 o’clock), that instantaneously click into place to tell the time. Every twelve hours, Harry Winston’s logo is revealed on the dial, only to vanish sixty minutes later. This constant pivoting and rotating is made possible by a complex system of steel shafts held between ruby bearings. The movement contains 242 functioning rubies, more than any other timepiece. You can see the mechanism at work beneath a faceted sapphire crystal on the dial. It was invented in partnership with independent watchmaker Ludovic Ballouard. 130 pieces will be made.
Harry Winston 800-988-4110 www.harrywinston.com
Rolex Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona Rolex created a buzz at Baselworld by introducing a new version of its iconic Cosmograph Daytona. It is one of only a very few watches that Rolex has crafted in platinum, a metal saved for special editions and introductions. The brand’s platinum editions always feature an ice blue dial, and, to date there have only been four others issued with this combination – something rare and collectible when you consider Rolex makes hundreds of thousands of watches a year. (The others are on three separate versions of the DayDate and on a Lady Datejust). The watch has a brown Cerachrome bezel, with a tachymeter scale. The Cosmograph Daytona was originally introduced in 1963, and is on record as a favorite timepiece of Paul Newman. Rolex Watch USA 212-758-7700 www.rolex.com
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Watch Collector
Breguet
Classique Chronometrie 7727 Breguet’s most high-frequency timepiece contains the caliber 574DR, a 10Hz movement that vibrates at 72,000 VpH (vibrations per hour), compared to the standard 28,000 VpH. The higher the frequency, the greater the accuracy. However, because the high frequency creates more friction in faster moving components, Breguet made the balance spring, pallet lever and escape wheel out of silicon, which is strong enough to take the abuse of higher frequency. Also working its magic in this movement is the brand’s patented magnetic pivot, consisting basically of two magnets that create an artificial gravitational force that repels the effects of gravity and makes the escapement more stable. The stability results in greater accuracy, bringing the movement’s average rate to 1/+3 seconds a day. The COSC chronometer standard is 4/+6 seconds a day. Breguet Swatch Group USA 866-458-7488 www.breguet.com
Omega Speedmaster Dark Side of the Moon A favorite of the show among lovers of the iconic Speedmaster was the striking “Dark Side of the Moon” version featuring a black ceramic and zirconium oxide dial and case. The dial is also black, featuring two black subdials on a black background. The chronograph pushers are black ceramic. One subdial does double duty, serving as 12-hour and 60-minute chonograph totalizers, while the other is a small seconds dial. The central chronograph hand has a red tip for greater readability. It contains the Co-Axial caliber 9300 and is engraved “Dark Side of the Moon,” on the caseback, a tribute both to the Speedy’s heritage as the watch that astronauts wore to the moon on six lunar missions, and to the new blackon-black design. Omega Swatch Group USA 800-76-OMEGA www.omegawatches.com
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Watch Collector Jaquet Droz Eclipse Perpetual Calendar The Eclipse is a perfect example of what Jaquet Droz is famous for: exquisitely finished dials. This dial is noteworthy for its wonderfully unusual moonphase display and well organized information. Against an ivory or black grand feu enamel dial, an 18k gold moon face is gradually eclipsed by a disc that is anchored at the end of a wand fixed with a pinion at 6 o’clock. Eight gold stars (eight, the symbol of infinity, is the brand’s favorite number) surround the moon on the dial, representing the night sky – quite dramatic on the black enamel version. The wavy gold hand on the right points to a retrograde date, while the wavy hand on the left gives the day of the week. This is truly one of the most discreet and symmetrical presentations of a perpetual calendar/moonphase indicator on the market. Jaquet Droz Swatch Group USA 888-866-0059 www.jaquet-droz.com
Tag Heuer Jack Heuer Carrera Calibre 1887 Chronograph This is the year of the Carrera at TAG Heuer, as it celebrates the 50th anniversary of the brand’s iconic chronograph. The watch was created in 1963 by Jack Heuer, who retires this year as honorary chairman. To mark his retirement, as well as the anniversary, Heuer created a modern limited edition piece to represent the continuation of the Carrera collection while echoing the past. The new Jack Heuer Edition of the Carrera Calibre 1887 Chronograph is inspired by the original, yet the asymmetrical case design is based on the TAG Heuer Carrera Mikrogirder, slightly rising at an angle at the top, where the crown and chronograph pushers are located. The perforated leather strap is lined with red to match the markings on the dial, and on the caseback. Jack Heuer’s coat of arms and signature are etched in red on a sapphire caseback. TAG Heuer 800-321-4832 www.tagheuer.com
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Watch Collector
Girard-Perregaux Constant Escapement The principle of a constant-force mechanism is to manage the flow of energy to the escapement wheel of a watch movement. Its function is to correct the gradual diminishment of energy that makes a watch run fast when it is first wound and finish like a machine running out of steam as the power from the mainspring subsides. This new method of implementing a constant escapement uses a silicon blade measuring one sixth of a hair’s thickness. It stores the energy from the mainspring and then redistributes it in a more constant form. The mechanism functions with the use of two escapement wheels, for a remarkable looking movement which is displayed through a sapphire window. To offer maximum visibility to this new component, with its butterfly wing frame, the hours and minutes occupy a subdial off-centered at 12 o’clock. The first prototypes for this movement were presented in 2008, and altogether, it took eight years of research and development to produce the movement. Girard-Perregaux 877-846-3447 www.girard-perregaux.com
Louis Vuitton Tambour Twin Chrono Louis Vuitton’s new double Chrono is a special kind of regatta watch that no one else has done before. Technically it is a split-seconds chronograph that uses two separate subdials (driven by separate balances) to display the running time of each of two boats. A third balance drives a differential display to track the difference between the two boats. Most regatta chronos are geared to the 10-minute countdown at the start of the race, when boats must manouver to the start line. This one pays particular attention to the finish. Louis Vuitton is the sponsor of the Challenger races for the America’s Cup, and this watch is one of several that are geared toward the event, called the Louis Vuitton Cup. It is a 437-component movement with a three-layer column wheel, to be produced in a limited edition of 30 pieces. Louis Vuitton 866-VUITTON (884-8866) www.louisvuitton.com
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© D YURMAN 2013
D AV I DY U R M A N. C O M 8 8 8 DY U R M A N ChronosCovers F.indd 3
nothing impossible TIME DESIGNED
PILOT WATCHES MADE IN SWITZERLAND
T hE C laSSIC C hroNoGraph ®
46MM STEEl CaSE. aUToMaTIC ChroNoGraph. SWISS-MaDE
T20306 $625
MADE
IN
SWITZERLAND
www.torgoen.com
6/26/13 4:41 PM
As a Service to Our Readers If you would like a catalog or the name and address of the nearest authorized dealer, please contact our advertisers. Please mention that you saw them in Chronos when you call.
BELL & ROSS 605 Lincoln Road, Ste. 300 Miami Beach, FL 33139 Tel: 786-454-9730 Tel: 888-307-7887 www.bellross.com BRAUN AMEICO, INC. 1 Church St. New Milford, CT 06776 Tel: 888-350-8765 www.ameico.com BULGARI Tel: 800-BULGARI www.Bulgari.com CHANEL 15 East 57th St. New York, NY 10022 Tel: 212-715-4100 www.chanel.com CHRISTOPHE CLARET Route du Soleil d’Or 2 2400 Le Locle-Switzerland Tel: 954-610-2234 Tel: +41 79 678 13 64 www.ChristopheClaret.com CITIZEN 1200 Wall Street West Lyndhurst, NJ 07071 Tel: 201-438-8150 www.citizenwatch.com DAVID YURMAN 24 Vestry St. New York, NY 10013 Tel: 212-896-1550 www.davidyurman.com
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EDIFICE 570 Mt. Pleasant Ave. Dover, NJ 07801 Tel: 973-361-5400 www.edifice.casio.com ERNEST BOREL 76 Littleton Road Chelmsford, MA 01824 Tel: 877-566-1824 www.ernestborel.ch
HERMES 55 East 59th Street New York, NY 10022 Tel: 212-835-6417 www.hermes.com JACOB & CO. Tel: 877-70-JACOB Tel: 212-719-5887 www.jacobandco.com JAEGER-LeCOULTRE 877-JLC-1833 www.jaeger-lecoultre.com MTM SPECIAL OPS WATCH 1225 South Grand Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90015 Tel: 800-284-9487 Tel: 213-741-0808 www.specialopswatch.com RAYMOND WEIL 635 Madison Ave., 6 Fl. New York, NY 10022 Tel: 212-355-3350 www.raymond-weil.com
ROLEX WATCH USA 665 Fifth Ave. New York, NY 10022 Tel: 212-758-7700 www.rolex.com 88 RUE DU RHONE 635 Madison Ave., 6 Fl. New York, NY 10022 Tel: 212-737-8882 www.88rdr.com SWISS INTERNATIONAL AIRLINES Tel: 877-FLY-SWISS www.swiss.com TAVANNES P. O. Box 85 Valencia, PA 16059 Tel: 412-600-4240 www.tavanneswatches.com TORGOEN SWISS Cosmos Marketing, Inc. 445 West Main St. Wyckoff, NJ 07481 Tel: 201-560-0101 www.torgoen.com VACHERON CONSTANTIN Tel: 877-862-7555 Tel: 855-729-1755 www.vacheron-constantin.com WEMPE JEWELERS 700 Fifth Ave. New York, NY 10019 Tel: 212-397-9000 www.wempe.com
Summer 2013
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For the Curious, The Collector and the Connoisseur
Summer 2013
April 1819. François Constantin takes responsibility for the worldwide business expansion of Vacheron Constantin. During a business trip to Italy, this visionary man coined the phrase which would become the company motto in a letter addressed to the manufacture: « …do better if possible, and that is always possible …».
True to this motto and to the spirit that forged its history, Vacheron Constantin remains committed to pushing the boundaries of watchmaking in order to provide its clients with the highest standards of technology, aesthetics and finish.
$6.95
Patrimony Contemporaine Hallmark of Geneva, Pink gold case, Hand-wound mechanical movement
summer 2013
Réf. 81180/000R-9159
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Number one hundred three
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Montegrappa Rambler Ranch Amelia Island Concours Time and Navigation at the Smithsonian
Christophe Claret Soprano 6/26/13 4:41 PM