Brummell Horology November 2012 by Show Media Ltd

HOROLOGY 2012

tHe LittLe bLAck bOOk fOR tHe citY

Time zone AnnuAL wAtcHes speciAL / industRiAL-stRenGtH timepieces / sALOn qp pReview stYLisH HOROLOGY / mOdeLs fit fOR A queen / tHe wAtcH tHAt LeApt tO eARtH

MATTE BLACK HIGH-TECH CERAMIC

www.chanel.com

A powerful aesthetic unites with watchmaking excellence in the J12 Calibre 3125. Exquisitely crafted in 18K yellow gold and matte black high-tech ceramic, a highly scratch and stain resistant material, this arresting timepiece features a self-winding mechanical movement. The CHANEL - AP 3125 (40 jewels, 21,600 vibrations per hour) comes fitted with a high-tech ceramic rotor visible through a sapphire crystal. This threehand Haute Horlogerie movement pays homage to the roots of the highest watchmaking tradition.

In 1839 Vacheron Constantin created several machines, among them the famous pantograph, a mechanical device which meant that for the first time in history principal watchmaking components could be reproduced with total precision, raising the quality of its timepieces once again. This invention carried the brand into the future and would revolutionise Swiss watchmaking.

Patrimony Traditionnelle 14-day Tourbillon Calibre 2260 18K 5N pink gold, Silvered opaline dial, Hallmark of Geneva, Hand-wound mechanical movement, Tourbillon, Ă&#x2DC; 42 mm RĂŠf. 89000/000R-9655

www.vacheron - constantin.com

www.thehourlounge.com

Faithful to the history for which it is renowned, Vacheron Constantin undertakes to maintain, repair and restore all watches it has produced since its foundation: a sign of excellence and confidence which still today gives the manufacture its reputation.

For stockists please call 020 7312 6830

Editor’s LEttEr | BrUMMELL 07

hand-pickEd Watch, cartier. Suit, canali. Shirt, Ermenegildo Zegna. Tie, harrods

Now’s the time…

elcome to Brummell’s dedicated horology edition, exploring the universe of high-end timepieces. In this issue, our expert watch writers probe the practice of reviving iconic models, follow the trend for black, examine how materials and technical innovation developed in the worlds of science and industry are applied to watches to make them tougher, stronger and more durable, with enhanced time-keeping qualities. We trace the allure of vintage pieces, made all the more desirable by rarity, interesting back stories and illustrious former owners, pair stylish tailoring, haute horology and smart accessories for sartorial sharpness, and oﬀer timely advice on the attractions and functions of some of the most interesting and covetable timepieces in this year’s collections from elite brands. Working all hours in the City, timing is essential and you know how to maximise every spare minute. Allow Brummell Horology to make you time-rich – if only in the abstract sense. Joanne Glasbey, Editor

High performance Flybridge Motor Yachts and V Class Sports Yachts from 39–130 feet PRINCESS MOTOR YACHT SALES +44 (0)1489 557755 · sales@princess.co.uk · www.princess.co.uk London · Southampton · Plymouth · Ireland · Channel Islands · North Germany Switzerland · Mallorca · Menorca · Ibiza · Spain · Portugal · Turkey

A member of the MoĂŤt Hennessy Louis Vuitton family

www.princessyachts.com

sphĂ&#x2030;rotourbillon (0,000558 kg) vs. Earth (5 973 600 000 000 000 000 000 000 kg). a fair gamE?

THE CHALLENGE

AVANT-GARDE EXPERTISE

On the one hand, a planet and its incredible power of attraction. On the other, a complex mechanism weighing less than one gramme. The Duomètre Sphérotourbillon features a multi-axis tourbillon capable of compensating for the effects of gravity in all positions. The ingenious Dual-Wing concept once again paves the way for extraordinary functions: this exceptional model can lay claim to being the ﬁrst multi-axis tourbillon watch adjustable to the nearest second thanks to the small seconds ﬂyback system.

The Duomètre Sphérotourbillon is a revolutionary model ﬁtted with an original multi-axis tourbillon. The traditional tourbillon was designed for pocket-watches and cannot compensate for the effects of gravity in all positions – a feat that requires an additional rotation axis. As well as spinning around the axis of its titanium carriage, the Sphérotourbillon also turns around a second axis, inclined at a 20° angle. The combination of these two distinct rotations releases the watch from gravity-related disturbances in every possible position. This spectacular tourbillon incorporates the full range of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s unique expertise, expressed through features such as the carriage machined from a single block of titanium; the cylindrical balance-spring with two terminal curves; and the high-inertia gold balance. The new JaegerLeCoultre Calibre 382, testifying to the horological genius of the Manufacture, is accommodated in an ideally proportioned case measuring just 14.1 mm thick and 42 mm in diameter. A matchless technological accomplishment and a visually stunning complication demonstrating full respect for traditional watchmaking codes make the Duomètre Sphérotourbillon one of the most exceptional 21st century horological creations to date.

THE SPIRIT OF INVENTION It was in 1833 that the brilliant inventor Antoine LeCoultre founded the first workshop of the Manufacture Jaeger-LeCoultre. Perpetuating its founder’s inventive spirit, the Grande Maison has registered almost 400 patents and created 1,231 mechanical movements, an absolute record in the watchmaking world. Over the past decade, building on its unique expertise, the Manufacture has achieved technical performances that have enabled it to develop some of the most noteworthy horological complications of this early 21st century. This inventiveness has given rise to the Dual-Wing concept, based on two separate mechanisms united within one case and providing scope for unprecedented functions. Until now, no tourbillon mechanism had enabled ultraaccurate adjustment of the time, a feat now accomplished with the Duomètre Sphérotourbillon. Powered by the new DualWing Calibre 382, this major new milestone in the inventive tradition of Jaeger-LeCoultre maintains maximum precision and represents the first multi-axis tourbillon watch adjustable to the nearest second, thanks to the flyback principle.

DuomÈtrE sphÉrotourbillon. Jaeger-leCoultre Calibre 382.

You DEsErvE a rEal WatCh.

CONTENTS | BRUMMELL

Cover illustration by Noma Bar 68

Show Media Brummell editorial 020 3222 0101 Editor Joanne Glasbey Art Director Dominic Bell Chief Copy Editor Chris Madigan Managing Editor Lucy Teasdale Picture Editor Juliette Hedoin Designer Jo Murray Copy Editor Gill Wing Fashion Director Tamara Fulton Styling Assistant Clare Harrington Creative Director Ian Pendleton Managing Director Peter Howarth Advertising & Events Director Duncan McRae duncan@ﬂyingcoloursmarketing.com 07816 218059 showmedia.net brummell@showmedia.net

Contents 16

Visit Brummell’s website for more tailor-made content:

ANDY BARTER; PARko PoLo

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Features

Foreword Appearances matter, says David Charters, and clocking your colleagues’ timepieces tells you much about their individual style

Beaumonde

News Schumacher designs for AP; Linley’s timbered Watch House; the Fine Watch Room at Harrods; new F1 piece from Hublot; Vacheron Constantin’s centenary Vintage Rarity, a history, and illustrious owners add to the charms of a ‘pre-owned’ piece Retail detail More and more watch houses are opening their own boutiques in London Fashion watches Couture houses producing haute horology are raising their game with historic Swiss watchmaking companies Watch fair Get up close and personal with many elite timepieces to view and discuss with the experts at SalonQP

Watches for women Horologically minded women want pieces to be as complicated as they are good-looking Historic reissues Blast from the past: why launch new designs if your back catalogue is rich with hits? Tough love How technology developed for industry is applied to a new generation of watches Dress watches The sleekest, thinnest, most attractive examples of the watchmaker’s art Back to black The stealth fighter trend keeps growing – and new finishes are more durable than ever Sports watches Timepieces to accompany adventurers as they dive deeper, go faster and jump farthest Get smart Teaming the finest watches with stylish accessories and sartorial styling By George A watch – and grand parure – fit for a queen, made by historic horology house Breguet

foreword | BrUMMeLL

On the face of it First impressions count and, says David Charters, while some sartorial ‘character’ details can be aﬀected, sporting an excellent watch still chimes with those whose opinion you should value Illustration Brett Ryder

They say you can tell a man by the company he keeps. His friends will tell you a lot about him, consciously or not. But he will tell you a lot more himself, even before he opens his mouth. The impression a man creates in the critical one-and-a-half seconds after he enters a room reveals much. Does he arrive at a cocktail party looking like a master of the universe, striding into the centre and expecting attention – think Goldman Sachs, at least in the old days – or with mouse-like timidity, sticking to the side of the room, looking around for someone he knows or, failing that, someone harmless and inoﬀensive to chat to? And what does he actually look like? Does he walk tall and look people in the eye, or is he beaten-up, tired and slightly sheepish – postcredit crunch, newly humble banker-style? Men have the advantage over women in that, in business situations, we can put on our standard corporate uniform: conservative dark business suit, black shoes – lace-ups, unless you’re Italian or an old-fashioned stockbroker with a racy reputation – white shirt and designer tie. We can opt for a coloured shirt, and the tie can be quite striking if it carries the right label, but essentially we are all the same. Individuality comes through in some cases in the shape of brightly coloured socks or a ﬂashy lining in our jackets, the latter emphasising in a vulgar and unnecessary way both that the suit is bespoke and that the wearer may look grey on the outside, but is bright and exciting underneath. Yeah, right. If we are desperate enough, we can go for studied eccentricity. So desperately do we want to make an impact/be remembered/ stand out from the crowd, that we have our own special trademark. Maybe it is wearing a waistcoat, or even a waistcoat with a pocket watch. Or a bow tie. Or an unlit pipe clenched

between the teeth. In our mind, it puts years on us, gives us a chance to pause for thought while we fiddle with it without looking clueless in meetings, and, above all, makes us interesting. At least in our own mind. Personally, when I see any of these things, I wince, groan inwardly and try not to dismiss the culprit as a desperate wannabe with an absurd affectation. There are very few options for a man to stand out that do not look contrived, inauthentic or simply borne of insecurity. Doing things – climbing mountains, flying planes, running marathons – and then having those things become known can certainly change people’s perception of you, providing you only mention them yourself if asked. Cars work well, particularly classics, but you can hardly keep one in the office. In day-to-day office life, corporate man has to rely on subtleties, and the best of these is his watch. There are other possibilities – cufflinks or a fine fountain pen have definite potential – but a watch can encapsulate a great deal of information in a way that seems functional and unforced. The fact is that most of us no longer need to wear a watch. An awful lot of under-25s – particularly the techie ones, which seems to include most of them – are happy to dispense with a watch altogether, dismissing it as a single-function device, and use an iPhone or other device to check the time. If they are

A lot of under-25s are happy to dispense with a watch altogether and use an iPhone to check the time. But where’s the style?

active in sports, they might wear a chunky black plastic he-man watch that costs very little and looks brutally functional. But where is the style? The style of an elegantly crafted timepiece speaks volumes for its wearer. Yes, I could buy a £20 piece of plastic that would serve the same purpose, and I would not even need to wind it, let alone service it every five years. And, if I ever needed a new strap, I could just buy a new watch, rather than spending several hundred pounds on a finely crafted piece of leather at Watches of Switzerland. But it would not be the same. And when people who know about these things spot what I’m wearing, they inwardly nod in recognition and view me differently. Of course, expensive does not necessarily mean stylish. Expensive and handmade can also mean loud, oversized and vulgar, screaming ‘Look at me!’ at everyone in the room. Or it can mean super-high tech, with a face made up of dots and flashing lights that leaves me scratching my head – although at least it says something about the chiphead wearing it. The point is that wearing a watch is a choice. We don’t need one. There is no business requirement, since our phones and laptops can tell us the time. And there is no standardised watch everyone must wear in order to conform. It is down to free will and individual style. Personally, there are at least six watches that I would like to wear, and owning them would be a pleasure – I have just two ‘serious’ ones so far. So, long live freedom. And long live the one area of our daily lives where we can truly show who we are.

The Ego’s Nest, by David Charters, the ﬁfth novel in the series about City anti-hero Dave Hart, is published by Elliott & Thompson, priced £6.99

NEWS | bEAumoNdE

unique watches and stylish storage; plus pieces designed by Schumacher & owned by Clapton

old hands Vacheron Constantin – which has the distinction of being the world’s oldest watchmaker in continuous production, with timepieces originally owned by Napoleon Bonaparte and the Duke of Windsor – unveiled its first tonneau-shaped wristwatch exactly a century ago and marks the anniversary with two new Malte models based on scaled-up versions of a vintage design. Choose from the high-end tourbillon at £133,100 or the simple, elegant (and far more affordable) three-hander at £17,800. vacheron-constantin.com The Schuey fits Questions as to how Michael Schumacher will spend his imminent retirement have been (partly) answered with the launch of his self-titled special edition of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore. He said he plans to work more with his Swiss neighbours in the Jura mountains. ‘I often cycle past the factory, so it was great to go in and work with them.’ The watches (in titanium, rose gold or platinum) have subtle design touches that give observers only the subtlest hint of the co-designer’s identity: seven stars (two in Benetton blue, five in Ferrari red) on the dial indicate his F1 titles; the crown resembles a gear wheel; and the bezel is attached with automotive-style nuts. So, is the driver who worked so well with race engineers ready for the quiet life of the watchmaker’s bench? ‘I have learnt to be patient, but not enough to do that job.’ From £31,550; audemarspiguet.com

An app a day Florentine watchmaker Oﬃcine Panerai, a marriage of Italian design ﬂair and Swiss horological expertise, has created two new apps for iPad and iPhone available online and downloadable from the Apple Store. Information on new products and technical details about the in-house movements are some of the features, plus on the iPad version, a section has been created to enable users to navigate more than 40 Panerai boutiques worldwide, and it can seek out special editions on sale only in particular markets. panerai.com

Speed, power and style The Swiss luxury watch company Hublot, maker of the official timepieces of Formula One, is marking the return of Grand Prix racing to the USA with a special version of its King Power model, the King Power Austin – referring to the circuit in Texas. The watch incorporates carbon fibre and titanium in a nod to its racing-car inspiration and features a super-flexible strap made of alligator leather and rubber. Just 250 examples will be made. hublot.com

20 beAumonde | neWS

Healthy tickers To keep your watch collection attractively and eﬃciently, Linley has a collection of watch winders housed in craftsmen-produced joinery using highest-quality materials and fabulous woods. The Watch House features a high-gloss walnut ﬁnish and a lockable clear glass window, the house has two levels of removable trays containing rolls and compartments for displaying and storing timepieces. Behind the glass door, three motor-driven winders, battery- or mains-powered, keep the watch hearts beating. £8,500; linley.com

Slowhand (in a good way) Eric Clapton is a renowned watch collector, and the sale of one of his ﬁnest timepieces looks set to make horological history in Geneva on 12 November. The exceptionally rare platinum Patek Philippe 2499 chronograph will go under the hammer at Christie’s in a sale entitled Important Watches including A Gentleman’s Pursuit For Excellence, Part 1 (which sounds like an obscure album track by Cream). The watch, which is estimated to fetch between £1,680,000 and £2,690,000, is one of only two of the platinum timepieces ever made. It is suggested (but unconﬁrmed) that the two watches were made in platinum purely for display purposes, for the private collection of Patek Philippe to be displayed in Geneva. However, this 2499 model made its way to Clapton via several collectors 10 years ago, to add to his large collection of vintage Rolex watches. christies.com

Forces of time Lovers of unusual, military-look wristwatches will appreciate the new WW2 Vintage Bomber Regulator from French company Bell & Ross, which has its own production in Switzerland. Based on observation watches of the Forties, it has a 49mm case and a regulator dial, with a large hand to show the minutes and a small subdial to show the hours. Other quirky features include a left-hand ‘onion’ winding crown and mobile strap lugs. The steel case has a gunmetal PVD ﬁnish. £4,300; bellross.com

Rare anniversary Harrods’ Fine Watch Room is celebrating its ﬁrst anniversary with an ambitious project: eight of its leading ﬁne watch brands have been commissioned to create one-of-a-kind timepieces. Audemars Piguet, Breguet, Franck Muller, Hublot, Maurice Lacroix, Roger Dubuis, Vacheron Constantin and Zenith have produced daring, collectible pieces that will be available from mid-November, and can be seen in preview at SalonQP (at the Saatchi Gallery, 8-10 November; see page 28). Shown here is a unique edition of Zenith’s Christophe Colombe. harrods.com

The pilot always has the best view.

I can see you. Spitfire Chronograph. Ref. 3878: Ten tijde van de eerste luchtgevechten was er geen technologie die het vliegen voor je deed. Een piloot die het maximale uit zijn Spitfire wilde halen, moest oog hebben voor elk detail. Niet toevallig geldt hetzelfde vandaag de dag voor een IWC Spitfire Chronograph: de grote secondewijzer in het midden samen met de datumweergave en de op propellers geïnspireerde uuren minuutwijzers vallen allemaal binnen het blikveld van de piloot. En dat kán bijna niet aantrekkelijker. IWC. Engineered for men.

IWC Schaf f hause n, Sw it ze r la nd. w w w.iwc.c om T he wor ld’s f ine st time pie c e s a re exclusi ve l y ava ila ble f rom se le cte d watc h s p e cialists. For a n illustrate d c atalogue or list of nationwid e c onc e s siona ire s ple ase c ontact IWC UK . Te l. 0 845 337 186 8. E-ma il : info -uk @ iwc.c om

22 beAumonde | vintAge

Old timers Vintage watches have many things going for them: rarity, classic craftsmanship and, like senior citizens, many a story to tell

Given that a watch is often a major purchase, that it says a lot about the wearer, that exclusivity is being rediscovered among luxury consumers and that an item with a story behind it is particularly appealing to many men, it’s hardly surprising that vintage – ‘pre-owned’ – watches are enjoying an unprecedented demand. ‘At the most basic level it’s about oneupmanship,’ says Anthony Green of Anthony Green Antiques, who has been in the business for 35 years. ‘Vintage watches are more likely to be unique and they have a different look and feel compared to modern watches because they were made at a time when processes such as laser cutting and high-tech tooling simply weren’t available.’ Green currently has, among others, a vintage Omega two-button chronograph dating from around 1948 in 18-carat gold on offer for about £12,000 and he recently sold a rare 14-carat gold Rolex ‘Bombay’, self-winding waterproof Oyster, circa 1967, with a centre second hand and bright-cut bezel. ‘There are so many different aspects to collecting watches – some like the heritage side of both pocket watches and vintage wristwatches while some just like the technical side of watches,’ says Kate Lacey, watches specialist at Bonhams. ‘Some people like the strong association with racing cars or sports, media, film or fashion.’ Bonhams recently sold a rare stainless steel, manual-wind chronograph ‘Paul Newman’ Oyster Cosmograph Daytona by Rolex, dated around 1971, for £93,000. Another Rolex that generated interested among collectors (it went for £24,700) was a 1959 stainless steel chronograph, presented to Chris Conn by Rolex for winning the 1963 Malaysia Grand Prix. In a lower price bracket was a fairly rare stainless steel, manual-wind Jaeger-LeCoultre reversible watch, dating from the Forties. Although slightly damaged, it started with an estimate of £1,200 to £1,800 and sold for £3,510. ‘It’s not necessarily a fashion-led market,’ says Lacey. ‘That said, Rolex chronographs are still doing well, their logo dials are popular, as are their brightly coloured Stella dials. Anything very complicated and produced in a limited number such as Patek Philippe split-seconds chronographs or tourbillons are also very popular.’ Naturally, rarity is an important factor, as is a celebrated brand. Pieces by well-respected

Many men still wore pocket watches until the Thirties, so wristwatches from the early part of the century are in demand

vintAge stArs From top: Rolex 18ct gold automatic watch with day-date and women’s automatic calendar; Omega 18ct gold automatic calendar chronograph – all in the next Bonhams sale

makers who are no longer in production are particularly sought after, says Anthony Green. But a smart wristwatch hasn’t always enjoyed the cachet that it has today. They were introduced to a wider audience during the First World War because the traditional breast pocket watch wasn’t easy to use with the greatcoat. ‘Wristwatches were actually considered a bit effeminate because traditionally women had always worn them,’ says Anthony Green. ‘They continued after the war because they were practical but many men still wore pocket watches up until the Thirties, and so wristwatches from the early part of the century are in great demand.’ Aaron Simpson, co-founder of Quintessentially Group, has a collection of over 800 watches. ‘It very quickly becomes an addiction,’ he says. ‘I started because an uncle bought me an oval, silver Zenith 1922 watch for my 18th birthday. My favourite is an oversized Omega from 1946. It’s actually a nice manly size and it wasn’t that expensive, about £2,000.’ For Simpson, who now buys through a number of brokers who know his taste and budget, it’s the craftsmanship that appeals. Next on his list is a Dunhill silver tank watch from about 1924. ‘It’s only about £750 but it is stunning,’ he says. Manuela de Kerchove of Schroders Private Bank has seen an increase in demand for vintage watches as an alternative investment. They’re featuring significantly in new funds that focus on luxury goods. Well known names such as Rolex, Vacheron Constantin and Lange & Söhne are in greatest demand. ‘Vintage watches have exclusivity which is very important,’ she says. ‘They’re more sought after if there’s an interesting story attached to them, for instance, if they were once owned by a famous person.’ For those buying vintage watches themselves to wear as well as an investment, de Kerchove warns against trying to predict the most likely pieces to appreciate in value. She suggests: ‘As with art - just buy something that you love.’ The next Bonhams watch sale in London is on 20 November in Knightsbridge, then a fine watches sale on Bond Street on 18 December; bonhams.com; Anthony Green, London Silver Vaults, Chancery Lane; anthonygreen.com Words Simon Brooke

24 beAumonde | bouTIQueS

SHoP TALK Bremont’s ﬁrst stand-alone store, on South Audley Street in Mayfair

Face to face London is the beneficiary of many high-end watch companies deciding to open their own boutiques in the city There have been plenty of examples this year of how important London is to global luxury and fashion brands. Watch brands and retailers know this, too. London’s high-end brands and boutiques retain their allure, particularly to newly empowered consumers hailing from emerging markets. As a result, watch boutiques of all shapes and sizes are popping up across the city. Harrods unveiled its 5,000sq ft Fine Watch Room last year; Bremont, the fast-growing British brand, opened for business on South Audley Street in the summer; Parmigiani will join it at the end of November on neighbouring Mount Street; Breitling has announced a Bond Street store, landing in the spring; and Zenith and Bell & Ross had pop-up outlets in Canary Wharf this autumn. Other watch houses are said to be scoping out addresses in ‘the right part of town’, and because of that, competition is fierce and prices are heading skyward. West End landlords are now able to charge rents of £375 per square foot for the type of retail space brands believe will put them in full view of moneyed domestic and international shoppers. Grosvenor Estates is turning offices into retail units and has taken deliberate steps to

invite watch brands to move in as it looks to build clusters of complementary outlets that will attract higher footfall together than on their own. That, at least, is the theory behind the approach it made to Bremont, which led to the opening of its first boutique, opposite the quintessentially British gun- and rifle-makers Purdey in July. Bremont has grasped the opportunity to stamp its personality on it, bringing it to life with a World War II motorbike, a Martin Baker ejection seat and a licensed bar, as well as a broad collection of watches. ‘Here, people can enter the world of the brand,’ says founder Giles English. ‘And we can also sell more unusual items and hold our own events.’ Although the surge of London-bound cash-flashing tourists does much to explain the rise of the watch boutique, it’s only part of the equation. Spending habits have changed irrevocably over the past five years. Formerly, critics of the boutique strategy suggested it was flawed, largely because it strips consumers of choice. But now they exercise choice online, where hours of research and decision-making can lead a buyer to a particular brand – and, just as likely, a particular watch – before they’ve even set foot on the high street.

That’s certainly the impression of Omega’s president, Stephen Urquhart: ‘These days, customers are setting out not just to buy a watch, but to buy an Omega.’ His brand now has 260 boutiques worldwide, including those that have opened in the past 18 months on Regent and Oxford Streets and at Westfield Stratford. These are carefully controlled spaces, from the store design to the staff it hires and trains itself. Mono-brand boutiques also cater for collectors in a way third-party retailers can’t. Vacheron Constantin will open its first London store on Old Bond Street in the spring. As well as offering exclusive boutique models, it will provide access to its Atelier Cabinotiers service, which allows the customisation of a watch. ‘Previously, UK customers had to travel to one of our boutiques overseas for this,’ says Celine Larose, who oversees the brand in the UK. ‘ Of course, if they wish to see the watch being made, they can travel to Geneva, and also follow its development online, but the London store will open this up to a new clientele.’ The message is clear: boutiques work for brands and they present a more interesting and familiarising opportunity for consumers, too. Words Robin Swithinbank

26 beAumonde | fAshion houses

form & function From left: Burberry’s newly launched watch, The Britain; the Arceau Marqueterie de Paille by Hermès, with faces handcrafted from straw

Making their marque The trend for esteemed fashion houses entering the world of haute horology continues, with some recent launches oﬀering serious propositions

A short film on the company website, set to piano music, sees the many complex components of the new The Britain watch coming together in artful synchrony. Gloved hands delicately assemble the movement. Precision tools do a precision job. The second hand sweeps around and the crystal back displays the whirring of little cogs. So far, so much more of showcasing the art-of-craft values in which the high-end Swiss watch industry revels. But The Britain is different, not least in that it is not a watch from Patek Philippe or Audemars Piguet. This is a fashion watch, from a fashion brand. Indeed, it’s Burberry’s first automatic. Once, no self-respecting connoisseur would even have looked at timepieces from any other than houses with a heritage of specialisation, and not always out of snobbery: fashion or luxury-goods purveyors’ watches tended to be licensed accessories cashing in on brand kudos

and driven by seasonal trends. But the past few years have seen a number of them come up with serious propositions, which have been taken seriously by said experts, following Chanel’s launch of its Jacques Helleu-designed ceramic J12 and Dior’s of watches with crisp Hedi Slimane design and esteemed Zenith innards. Indeed, Burberry’s new launch follows on the heels of this year’s DG7 – the first watch line, complete with self-winding movements, from Dolce & Gabbana. Both follow the likes of Gucci’s recent Pantheon model – its first with a chronograph automatic movement. Bottega Veneta has teamed up with Girard-Perregaux and Hackett with TAG Heuer, while Ralph Lauren partnered with Richemont to create a new 50/50-owned company to make watches using movements from Jaeger-LeCoultre and IWC. Meanwhile, Montblanc, Louis Vuitton and Hermès have backed their moves into the pedigree-watch market by attaining hallowed ‘manufacture’ status – Louis Vuitton by last year building dedicated watchmaking premises in La Chaux-de-Fonds and Hermès by buying esteemed movement maker Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier. All these outsiders reflect their aspiration to haute horology in their prices, too – which range from £1,500 to £20,000 – while, unlike the historic watchmakers, still being able to produce more affordable (and profitable) quartz pieces without so far damaging their reputations. Indeed, might the big names in style be stealing a march on the Swiss watchmakers in more than the commercial advantage of being globally recognised names? According to Luc Perramond, CEO of La Montre Hermès, one outcome of the economic crisis is that customers are more interested in quality movements and more able to make their own assessment of the appeal of a new timepiece regardless of the name on it. ‘No brand can declare itself a manufacture overnight, but the level of investment in the watch field is showing we can apply the same standards to watches as we do other products,’ he says. This year, Hermès launched a model with a dial made from intricately arranged straw and Burberry a watch in the shape of the D-ring detail on its famous trench coats. Unburdened by history, the newcomers are introducing the fresh design interest that could help the watch market make an evolutionary leap. Words Josh Sims

28 beAumonde | wAtch event

It’s showtime SalonQP, the UK’s premier horology event and one of the highlights of the watch connoisseur’s year, returns this month to the Saatchi Gallery When it comes to fine mechanical watches, you can learn a lot from reading what horology writers and bloggers have to say, but there’s no substitute for seeing and handling a timepiece ‘in the metal’. And that’s where SalonQP, now in its fourth year, really makes its mark. The only event of its kind in the UK, SalonQP has become the go-to watch event for British collectors and enthusiasts. For 2012, it will be returning to the Saatchi Gallery in Chelsea, where, from 8 to 10 November, more than 50 of the world’s finest watchmaking brands will be on display to both industry insiders and the general public. Grand maisons such as Vacheron Constantin and Piaget will rub shoulders with high-jewellery houses Harry Winston and Bulgari, as well as innovative independents, including Urwerk, Speake-Marin and MB&F. And, while most save major releases for trade shows SIHH and Baselworld, many now see SalonQP as a place to unveil exclusives, giving visitors the chance to see new launches, as well as view archived collections not usually made generally available. SalonQP offers the chance to get up close and personal with the world’s most exceptional timepieces and to engage with the watches they’re reading about in a way that the retail environment is not set up to provide. According to founder James Gurney: ‘It has a different

set-up and purpose to the retail environment, discovery being more important than sales.’ For this reason, as well as the watches on show, there will also be designers and makers from Switzerland, artists and artisans (both independent and from the manufactures), brand directors, owners and communication professionals on hand to help give a deeper understanding of their pieces. As Gurney says: ‘SalonQP transforms the way the public experience watches by placing them in a gallery context, which allows brands and visitors the time and space to connect.’ As well as the watches on display, SalonQP has a number of interactive events in which visitors can get involved: Jaeger-LeCoultre will be oﬀering visitors the chance to take a seat at the watchmaker’s bench for a masterclass and the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie returns with an exhibition based on the book La Conquête du Temps (The Mastery of Time) by Dominique

the mAin event Clockwise from above left: A visitor takes a closer look at the workings of a watch; SalonQP 2011’s opening-night party; the Bremont display stand at last year’s event; Bremont founder Giles English with Ronnie Wood, revealing one of the 14 Marine Clocks he has created with the watchmaker

Fléchon. There will be presentations by and debates between watchmakers, designers, auction experts and QP magazine contributors, with a series on high-jewellery watches led by Maria Doulton, founder of e-zine The Jewellery Editor. There will also be a first screening of The Watchmaker’s Apprentice – a new film documenting the work of the late, great George Daniels and his protegé Roger Smith. But, of course, the biggest draw of the show is the watches, and this year’s highlights will include: the world premiere of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s AMVOX7 – the sixth piece in its collaborative series with Aston Martin; the UK launch of TAG Heuer’s MikrotourbillonS, which combines the precision of 1/100th of a second with the ultimate accuracy that only a tourbillon can guarantee; the UK debut of Urwerk’s UR-210, a timepiece that ‘monitors the symbiotic relationship between man and his mechanical watch’; and a rare showing of Harry Winston Opus 12, which continues the Opus tradition of working with only the most extraordinary craftsmen – in this case, Emmanuel Bouchet. SalonQP offers Brummell readers 15 per cent off ticket prices. Prices start at £20. To purchase tickets or for further information, visit salonqp.com and quote BRU2012 words Tracey Llewellyn

About time What do women want? Beautifully designed but also high-quality mechanical watches â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and now they are spoilt for choice Words Simon de Burton Photography Andy Barter

WOMEN’S WatchES | BRUMMELL

32 BRUMMELL | WOMEN’S WAtChES

Chanel Mademoiselle Privé Facettes Visitors to this year’s Biennale des Antiquaires in Paris may have seen Chanel’s dazzling display of jewellery and timepieces, which included a selection of its high-end, gem-set cocktail watches. Among them was the Mademoiselle Privé Facettes, a seriously eye-catching creation in a numbered series, each one of which is subtly diﬀerent. Set around the bezel with 547 snow-set diamonds, the watch also has diamonds set into its sky-pattern dial and white-gold hands. The integral strap is neatly integrated into the 37.5mm case, which is also made from white gold. You will have guessed, by now, that it doesn’t come cheap… £109,250; chanel.com

Jaeger-LeCoultre Rendez-Vous Night and Day Jaeger-LeCoultre’s dedication to feminine watchmaking dates right back to the Twenties, when it created its legendary Calibre 101, which remains the world’s smallest watch movement. Until now, the default JLC model for most women has been the small-sized Reverso (which is available in a number of guises), but the introduction of the Rendez-Vous model has broadened the options considerably. The Night and Day combines bold Arabic numerals with a rotating disc that displays sun and moon symbols – hence the name. The pink-gold, 34mm version has a bezel set with 60 brilliant-cut diamonds weighing around 0.69 carats. £15,750; jaeger-lecoultre.com

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore This year marks the 40th anniversary of the legendary Royal Oak, which was dubbed ‘the world’s first, luxury sports watch’ when it was launched as a men’s model in 1972. This 37mm version of the Offshore (originally an extra-large model for men only) has become a holiday favourite among stylish, female jet-setters because the rubber-clad bezel and matching strap make it ideal for wearing at the beach or on the boat, while the gem setting provides the necessary sparkle for evening wear. It’s water resistant to 50m – and Audemars Piguet’s 304-part chronograph movement gives it real horological integrity, too. £20,340; audemarspiguet.com

Bovet Dimier Recital 0 The number of female horophiles – women who care as much about the mechanics of a watch as its looks – is said to be rapidly growing. It is for them that Bovet oﬀers pieces such as the Dimier Recital O – a superbly crafted skeleton watch featuring that apotheosis of the horologist’s art: a tourbillon. The tourbillon complication sees the regulating organ of the watch contained within a tiny, rotating cage in order to counteract the eﬀect of gravity on timekeeping accuracy. In this case, it also carries the small seconds indicator which, like the hour and minute hands, is made from Bovet’s trademark ‘blued’ steel. £151,000; bovet.com

Chopard Imperiale Chopard’s best-known women’s watches are undoubtedly the Happy Diamonds models, in which precious stones, sandwiched between a pair of crystals, appear to ricochet around the dial. But one of its most popular designs from the Nineties, the Imperiale, was recently reprised in a variety of models. Perhaps the best is this shamelessly ostentatious rose-gold version with matching bracelet and lugs that are encrusted with small, briolette-cut diamonds. The dial is made from mother-ofpearl and the crown is inspired by the shape of a lotus leaf. Other variations include bi-colour interpretations and one with a tiny, 28mm case. £39,940; chopard.com

Dior VIII This Dior watch model is said to have been named after Christian Dior’s favourite number – it is the name of the house’s ﬁrst haute-couture collection in 1947, and also an allusion to its hourglass silhouette and the numeral’s similarly feminine curves. The high-end Grand Bal versions have decorative dials based on the look of some of Dior’s couture creations, but this 33mm model is more practical and versatile, with its scratch-resistant ceramic bracelet and steel-and-ceramic case. A central ring of diamonds adds a touch of discreet glamour to the dial, behind which is a self-winding, mechanical movement. £5,300; dior.com

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Classic Fusion Skeleton Tourbillon. Tourbillon movement, extra-thin skeleton manufactured in-house by Hublot. Case in 18K red gold, crafted using a unique new alloy: King Gold. Sapphire dial. Black rubber and alligator-skin strap. Limited edition of 99 pieces.

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historical re-issues | BruMMell 35 history lesson Below, from left: PAM00422 Luminor Marina 1950 3 Days 47mm, £7,100, Panerai; panerai. com. WW1 Monopoussoir Heritage, £4,900, Bell & ross; bellross.com. Ventura, £580, hamilton; hamiltonwatch.com

Second time around The allure of reissued iconic models – just don’t call them ‘replica’

When words are co-opted for speciﬁc uses, it leaves us with a dilemma: how does one describe exact replicas of classic watches, brought back to life by the original companies, when ‘replica’ now means ‘fake’? It’s a waste of a perfect term, because nearly every brand with a history worth exploiting has revived its classics from the past. A practice born in the Nineties, reissuing iconic models is a pursuit that is proliﬁc in the 21st century. But the counterfeiters have turned that innocent word ‘replica’ into a polite term for ‘forgery’, which does a disservice to the authentic surrogates for long-out-of-production masterpieces. Choosing which watch to reissue would seem to demand a milestone model as the only

36 BRUMMELL | histoRicaL RE-issUEs

The immortal Cartier Tank, born during World War I, which has never known retirement, will live to mark a century

tiME iMMEMoRiaL From top: Monaco ‘Steve McQueen’ Calibre 11, £5,700, taG heuer; tagheuer.com. PR516 Automatic, £485, tissot; tissot.ch. Malte 100th Anniversary Edition, £37,100, Vacheron constantin; vacheron-constantin.com

worthy subject of reincarnation, given that no sane maker would revive a flop. But some brands don’t have to think at all about reissuing their classics, because they never let them go out of production. Many, such as the immortal Cartier Tank, born during World War I, which has never known retirement, will live to mark a century. Rolex has a half-dozen, among them the Explorer, the Submariner and the GMT, that have been in uninterrupted production for more than 50 years. The Patek Philippe Calatrava has been a horological perennial since 1932, Breitling’s Navitimer has known no respite since 1952. And their makers need never turn to the thesaurus to describe those pieces because they’ve never required revivification. So, let’s define exactly what qualifies as a (legitimate) replica: it applies to any watch that was dropped from the catalogue and revived after a period of dormancy. During the past 20 years, the most prestigious watch houses have all re-introduced heritage pieces. Even Swatch – which turns a youthful 30 next March and is therefore barely old enough to be used in the same sentence as ‘heritage’ – has launched a series of ultra-simple models that recall its first. Because of the ever-increasing number of watch histories available, and thanks to the internet, companies know that added scrutiny will be applied by pedantic enthusiasts. To prevent criticism, they try to keep the changes to a minimum. But even the wisest of manufacturers commits damning blunders: one brought back a diving watch that can’t actually be used for diving, while another produced a replica of a timepiece designed and known for its anti-magnetic properties, but fitted a glass case back that rendered it no more immune to magnetism than a normal timepiece. However slavishly the brands want to adhere to the original watch, for nearly all of the quality reincarnations, at least two changes are needed to ‘modernise’ them. The trick is to undertake this in a manner that respects the original. First and most likely, the reissued timepiece will undergo a change of movement, simply because it is not viable to recreate the original one when, in all likelihood, nothing remains of the tooling. In extreme cases, such as Hamilton’s Ventura – the world’s first electric wristwatch – the late-Nineties reissues were offered with modern quartz movements.

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38 bRUMMeLL 00 Re-issUes BRUMMELL || histORicaL FEATURE TITLE Later, in a display of irony rarely seen from the Swiss, it was even issued with a mechanical movement, which is a bit like McDonald’s creating a vegetarian Big Mac. Purism aside, the Ventura remains one of the most successful of all the revivals. It is still in the catalogue, thanks to Elvis Presley wearing one, the characters in Men in Black sporting them and the public’s taste for cool retro seeming to be here to stay. As for the second change, if the model being revived is one that was smaller than 36mm back in the day, the manufacturer must ‘upscale’ the case size. Thanks to two replicas of the early Nineties, the median size for a man’s watch has crept up from 32-36mm to 38-42mm, while even larger models are not uncommon for men with the wrists to manage them. Think Sylvester Stallone and you have the poster child for oversized timepieces. Indeed, it was Stallone who almost single-handedly popularised an utterly obscure watch from the Thirties to Fifties that was reissued as a limited edition in Italy in 1993: the Panerai Luminor. Panerai was best known for creating diving watches for the Italian navy’s underwater saboteurs, and known only to serious wristwatch collectors, of which there were achingly few 20 years ago. Experts diﬀer as to how many were made for the military before the civilian replica appeared – certainly it was only in the hundreds – but now Panerai stands as one of the fastest-growing, most coveted watch brands in the world. From a limited edition of a few thousand pieces aimed at Italian enthusiasts, it produces around 45,000 watches a year, and they start at Rolex prices. All it took was Stallone wearing it in a few ﬁlms and another given to his buddy Arnold to wear in Eraser, and the brand was snapped up by the people who happen to own Cartier. If this was enough to inspire the entire watch industry to look to the historical

back in the Day From top: Grande Reverso Rouge 1931, £5,700, Jaeger-Lecoultre; jaegerlecoultre.com. Omega Seamaster Co-Axial Olympic Collection ‘London 1948’ limited edition, £3,910, Omega; omegawatches.com.HyperChrome Golden Horse, £2,190, Rado; rado.com

models the enthusiasts wanted to buy as new, the IWC Portuguese of the same periods as the Panerai – born in the Thirties and revived in the Nineties – made it two-for-two. In contrast to the inescapable, unbridled, testosterone-dripping Panerai, the IWC, although of equally impressive dimensions, has a dressy mien. If the original was based on a full-sized pocket watch, making it something of a rarity when nearly all other timepieces of the day were barely the size of a 50p piece, the current circa-44mm piece looks almost normal by today’s standards. Like the Panerai, the original has sired a family that includes chronographs, tourbillons and others that weren’t available 75 years ago, so the hardcore will stick to the reissues that most closely resemble the originals. Jaeger-LeCoultre nailed this perfectly with the recent reissue of the evergreen Reverso, in the exact guise of the original. With only its name on the dial and no complications – not even the distraction of a second hand – the Grand Reverso 1931 replica already changes hands at a premium. Other hot replicas to consider this year – they tend to be produced as limited editions – include Glycine’s gorgeous reissue of the 1953 Airman multiple-time zone watch with 24-hour dial; Tissot’s Heritage Visodate Automatic Seastar with its Sixties F1-driverstyle drilled bracelet; Vacheron Constantin’s exquisite Malte, which recalls the earliest days of the wristwatch; and the HyperChrome Golden Horse by Rado, which looks so utterly 1957 you’ll want to go out and buy a DVD of that year’s Oscar-winner The Bridge on the River Kwai. All are handsome and, unlike a mint original, all are readily available, but above everything else, they kind of make you wish that the Braun/Apple/B&O design-ethos revolution had never happened. Words Ken Kessler

WW1 CHRONOGRAPHE MONOPOUSSOIR Bell & Ross UK +44 207 096 0878 路 information@bellross.com 路 e-Boutique: www.bellross.com

Paradise Found Petite Anse Bay, on the south west coast of Mahe, is the location for one of the world’s finest and most exclusive beaches. The three - to six - bedroom freehold Four Seasons Private Residences nestle amid secluded plots averaging one hectare. Each villa is uniquely designed by the internationally acclaimed architect Cheong Yew Kuan to harmonise with the dramatic granite landscape and panoramic ocean views. Owners can take advantage of the Concierge Service and the extensive facilities at the renowned Four Seasons Resort Seychelles set in the middle of the 70 hectare estate.

Prices from US$7,250,000 LONDON: +44 20 8166 8122 sales@petiteansedevelopments.com www.petiteansedevelopments.com Four Seasons Private Residences Seychelles are not owned, developed or sold by Four Seasons Hotels Limited or its affiliates (Four Seasons). The developer, Petite Anse Developments Ltd., uses the Four Seasons trademarks and tradenames under a license from Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts Asia Pacific Pte Ltd. The marks “FOUR SEASONS”, “FOUR SEASONS HOTELS AND RESORTS,” any combination thereof and the Tree Design are registered trademarks of Four Seasons Hotels Limited in Canada and U.S.A. and of Four Seasons Hotels (Barbados) Ltd. elsewhere.

technology | beAumonde

Industry standard Drawing on technology more often deployed in engineering, the latest hard-wearing watches are winning praise for their longevity as well as their looks Words Robin Swithinbank Illustration Parko Polo

tech inspiration 1: Space travel One of the stars of NASA’s Space Shuttle was ceramic. Although sufficiently lightweight to withstand the 1,650°C temperatures the Shuttle experienced, it is difficult to work with – manufacturing involves sintering zirconiumoxide powder (whose granules are one fifth the diameter of a human hair) at 1,450°C, and the end product is notoriously brittle. But that hasn’t stopped umpteen watch brands using it, and with good reason. Ceramic is also hypoallergenic, bio-compatible, almost completely scratchresistant, and loses little of its new quality over time. Rado first used it in watchmaking in the late-Eighties and continues to find innovative ways of working with it – the new HyperChrome collection features monocoque cases created by injection-moulding ceramic under pressures of 1,000 bar. The result is a single-piece case, including lugs, hardened to 1,250 Vickers. Rado HyperChrome Chronograph, £3,390

tech inspiration 2: Formula 1 Forget tyre-tread straps and watch dials smattered with team colours, if you want a real F1 watch, cast an admiring eye over Richard Mille’s collection of high-tech timekeepers. The RM 035 was built to be worn on Rafael Nadal’s sinewy wrist and survive his relentless ball-bludgeoning, but it gets its sturdy constitution not from tennis racquets but manufacturing techniques also used in F1 engines. Its bezel and case back are engineered from Aluminium 2000 – a brutally tough aluminium and copper alloy used to machine F1 engine pistons because it can sustain huge mechanical pressure and work in high temperatures. Like an F1 car, the watch is lightweight (the movement weighs just 4.3g) yet strong – it even passed the unforgiving Chronoﬁable test – an oﬃcial rating that guarantees a watch won’t skip a beat, even when beaten to within an inch of its life. Richard Mille RM 035, £68,000

42 beAumonde | technology

tech inspiration 3: military Watches and war have always had a symbiotic relationship – think World War II and pilot’s watches, for example. Even so, the idea of using technology found in modern warfare in a luxury watch might seem a bit of a stretch, but when Omega went looking for a new material that would bond with ceramic, it found Liquidmetal – an amorphous alloy used in weaponry that can be moulded like plastic yet is three times harder than steel. It is produced by an American company that supplies the US Army with armour-piercing shells among other things, but Omega’s treatment couldn’t be further removed – it deploys Liquidmetal in the numbering and scaling on the ceramic bezels of a limited run of Seamaster Planet Ocean models. Its silvery ﬁnish is highly resistant to scratches and corrosion, and also aesthetically very pleasing to the eye. Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean Chronograph Liquidmetal, £6,300

Rado HyperChrome Chronograph

Richard Mille RM 035

tech inspiration 4: chemical industry When transporting acid, it’s important to use containers made from a highly resistant, anti-corrosive material that won’t leak your cargo somewhere it’s less than welcome. One such material is 904L steel – a superalloy also used by Rolex in watch cases, crowns, bezels and bracelets. Manufacturing 904L steel involves ﬁrst casting it, then remelting it in a vacuum to purify it. To ensure the ﬁnished product is free of inclusions that could cause corrosion, sheets of the material are scanned with an electronic microscope before being cut to shape – if the microscope picks up even a single imperfection, the whole batch is ditched. Rolex is a vertically integrated company these days and manufactures its own 904L steel. It boasts, with plenty of evidence to back up its claim, that the material gives its watches remarkable longevity. Rolex GMT Master II, £5,600

Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean Chronograph Liquidmetal

tech inspiration 5: Aviation The pilot’s watch is one of the big trends in watchmaking at the moment, but while aesthetic and historical ties to designs of the Forties and Fifties have their place, not many of the new generation of fly-boy timepieces are made using techniques developed in the aeronautics industry. Breaking the mould is Bremont, the ambitious young British brand building watches using steel hardened in a Cambridgeshire factory that also strengthens jet-engine turbine blades. The process involves heating watch-grade stainless steel to 800°C, at which point its surface is diffused with carbon, increasing its hardness from 300 to 2,000 Vickers and significantly improving scratch-resistance. The treatment also gives Bremont cases their gunmetal finish. Bremont Solo, £2,550

Rolex GMT Master II

Bremont Solo

Jazzmaster auto Chrono

Bond is Back Fifty years have passed since Dr. No was released, and the new Bond ďŹ lm Skyfall has just hit screens. We take a closer look at the accessories, clothing and cars that make up the legend of 007, in association with The Royal Exchange London Illustration Noma Bar

PROMOTIONal feaTuRe | BRuMMell 47

Sharp suiter What is it about Bond that has made him such a sartorial legend? ‘I have a dinner jacket,’ Bond tells Vesper Lynd. ‘There are dinner jackets and dinner jackets,’ she replies. ‘This is the latter. And I need you looking like a man who belongs at the table… I sized you up the moment we met,’ she adds with the obligatory double entendre. Quite aside from the shock this exchange from Casino Royale might induce – that here is a revisionist Bond who knows little about good tailoring – the look, of course, is pure 007. Few cinematic heroes have become so closely identiﬁed with a style as Bond with dinner dress – Indiana Jones’s hat and leather jacket aside, perhaps – that a man only has to don his elasticated bow-tie and novelty cummerbund to start cracking jokes about being ‘licensed to kill’. Bond is back in black-tie in the forthcoming Skyfall of course. Like gadgets and casinos, evening wear – dark, masculine, anonymous – has been central to Bond lore, ever since Sean Connery emerged from the sea and unzipped his wetsuit to reveal a perfectly pressed ivory-wool dinner jacket and black dress trousers. Indeed, while Lindy Hemming, costume designer on recent Bond ﬁlms, has been keen to keep it classic – in fact, as if in homage, Daniel Craig’s Tom Ford shawlcollar, midnight-blue dinner suit in Quantum of Solace is close to that worn by Connery to introduce the character in Dr. No – Bond’s evening wear has tracked shifts in fashion, usually subtly.

Few men today would care to wear George Lazenby’s ruffle-front shirt in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, for example. Fewer men could pull off the white dinner jacket – as worn beautifully by Connery in Goldfinger and Roger Moore in The Man with the Golden Gun – without being asked less to enjoy a Martini as to mix one. And no man should wear clip-on braces, ever: Timothy Dalton in The Living Daylights, you brought shame on the Service. But they might care to break with dress etiquette as Connery does in Dr. No by not wearing a cummerbund, a touch of styling more daring then than it is today; and perhaps it is only possible to break the rules when you know them, as Bond creator and well-to-do playboy Ian Fleming certainly did. Indeed, Bond fans might well debate the best blacktied Bond to date: Craig certainly has his work cut out to top Hemming’s three-piece Brioni suit for Pierce Brosnan in Tomorrow Never Dies. It was inspired by the dinner suits of the Thirties, unarguably black tie’s golden age, and a rather good one for espionage, too.

Words Josh Sims

Evening wear has been central to Bond lore from the start

SeaMaSTeR PlaNeT OCeaN Skyfall SPeCIal edITION As Bond takes to the screen for the 23rd time, Omega has created just 5,007 new Seamaster watches. Ready for underwater adventure, the limited-edition Planet Ocean is water-resistant to 600m and features a screw-andpin stainless steel bracelet whose diver’s clasp is engraved with ‘007’. As Bond fans and Omega enthusiasts will know, 007 has been wearing Seamasters that feature blue dials since 1995, and it was in 2008’s Quantum of Solace that the black dial was introduced. The Planet Ocean Skyfall’s rotating diving bezel is distinguished by its matte black ceramic ring with a chromium nitride diving scale. The minute hand emits a green light, as does the dot on the diving bezel, so keeping track of time while down in the depths is simple. The watch is powered by Omega’s exclusive Co-Axial calibre 8507, and the movement is visible through sapphire crystal in the brushed screw-in caseback. Available to buy at The Royal Exchange, 020 7929 7706

48 BRUMMELL | PROMOTIONaL fEaTURE

Live and let fly Why Bond’s missions are set in the most extraordinary locations The seductive allure of the ‘exotic location’ has always been a key component in any James Bond film. It is there in the source novels, too. Ian Fleming’s 007 made his debut in print at a time of post-war gloom and Casino Royale was a flash of Technicolor in a monochrome world, when gaming the night away at a French casino seemed impossibly glamorous. Fleming soon had Bond in New York, New Orleans, Istanbul, Las Vegas and Tokyo. The movie Dr. No was filmed in Jamaica, where Fleming had built his dream home, ‘Goldeneye’. The film performed a similar trick to the novels, heralding the Sixties proper – it came out the same month as the first Beatles’ single, Love Me Do – and showing the world just what a tropical shore with a beautiful bikini-clad girl actually looked like. The wish-you-were-here locale quickly became a staple of the series and some of the spots are now stars in their own right. Khao Phing Kan, or ‘James Bond Island’, in Phuket (The Man With The Golden Gun), Thailand, is a huge tourist attraction, as is Piz Gloria, the revolving restaurant on the Schilthorn near Mürren, Switzerland, used in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. Goldeneye itself is now a swanky beach resort, the heart and soul of the place being the five-bedroom ‘Fleming Villa’, where

he wrote the books and which you can rent from $5,500 a night. You can also visit Laughing Waters, the beach where Ursula Andress rose from the waves. Other Bond sites include the Lake Palace at Udaipur (Octopussy), Iguazu Falls, Brazil/Argentina (Moonraker) and the waters around Nassau, Bahamas (Thunderball). These days it isn’t always the destinations we aspire to, but the apparent ease and style with which he crosses continents. In Dr. No, the spy travelled like the rest of us, arriving in Kingston on Pan Am 323 to be met by cursory immigration. It is hard to imagine, though, Daniel Craig in the security line taking oﬀ his shoes, belt and shoulder holster. A diplomatic passport (an old MI6 trick) allows the holder to avoid luggage searches; that, along with the kind of meet-at-the-plane limo service popular with celebs, means Mr Bond’s globe-trotting is still the envy of us mere mortals.

Words Paul Cross

Dr. No heralded the Sixties, and showed the world what a beautiful bikini-clad girl actually looked like

SPEEDMaSTER MOONWaTCH: THE fIRST OMEGa IN SPaCE Created in 1957, the Speedmaster Chronograph quickly became renowned for its reliability, sturdiness and ease of use. These qualities led to the watch being used in the 1969 moon landing; forever cementing it in the annals of horological history. This edition of the Speedmaster is numbered, meaning that each of its pieces is numbered sequentially in the order it was produced. In addition, it has a tachymeter, meaning that the wearer is able to measure speed over a 1000m distance. The Speedmaster Moonwatch is powered by the famous manual winding movement that was worn on the moon, providing a power reserve of 48 hours. The brown leather strap complements the steel case and black bezel ring, giving you that look of Sixties’ chic, and it’s even waterproof to 50m. You may not be heading to the moon, but it’s nice to know that if you were, this watch would see you right. Available to buy at The Royal Exchange, 020 7929 7706

PROMOTIONal feaTuRe | BRuMMell

A racing pulse A keen and skilful motorist, James Bond’s choice of cars over the years reflects the different Bond characters we’ve come to love James Bond may be promiscuous, but there is one thing he will always come back to. He might flirt with motorbikes (he rides a Honda CRF250R in Skyfall), trains (From Russia with Love), planes (Quantum of Solace), autogyros (You Only Live Twice), or even a tuk-tuk (Octopussy), but you know that his real love sits on four wheels. James Bond’s choice of car instantly signals which version of the spy we are watching – jokey Roger Moore ends up in a yellow Citroën 2CV, dour Timothy Dalton does battle in Land Rovers, smooth Pierce Brosnan has an invisible car and hard-man Daniel Craig is behind the wheel of a modern, muscular, gadget-free Aston Martin. Cars first moved centre-stage in Goldfinger, with the famed Aston Martin DB5, but it was there, from the very beginning, in Ian Fleming’s books. ‘Bond’s car was his only personal hobby,’ we learn in Casino Royale, ‘One of the last of the 4½-litre Bentleys with the supercharger by Amherst Villiers.’ And in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service: ‘James Bond had been nursing his car, the old Continental Bentley – the ‘R’ type chassis with the big six-engine and a 13:40 back-axle ratio – along that fast but dull stretch of N1 between Abbeville and Montreuil.’ Film-makers, however, don’t want ‘fast but dull’ but fast and breathless. Which is why the DB5 in Goldfinger first shows its paces on the sweeping curves around the little town

of Realp, Switzerland. In Goldeneye the same model takes on a Ferrari 335 on the even more sinuous roads above the Grand Corniche in the South of France. Another Aston Martin, the DBS, comes off rather badly in Quantum of Solace. Filmed around Lake Garda along the Gardesana road and onto the mountainsides of Tremosine, the chase is one of the film’s highlights. Although Aston Martin is the brand most associated with 007, Bond has car-hopped over the years. There have been Audis (The Living Daylights), BMWs (Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough), Range Rovers (Casino Royale, Octopussy) and a Lotus Esprit S1 that turned into a submarine (The Spy Who Loved Me). But guess which car is back at the heart of Skyfall? Yes, his first true love, the DB5. Classic.

Words Tom Noble

Jokey Moore ends up in a Citroën 2CV, dour Dalton gets Land Rovers, smooth Brosnan has an invisible car and hard-man Craig has a gadget-free Aston Martin

OMeGa SeaMaSTeR aQua TeRRa GMT With its eye-catching design, the Seamaster Aqua Terra collection has already garnered an impressive following. Both elegant and robust, the Aquaterra GMT is suitable for any occasion, so you can be happy in the knowledge that it will suit whatever you’re doing, and whatever you’re wearing. The self-winding movement with Co-Axial escapement allows for greater precision, and is on full display thanks to the transparent caseback. The domed scratchresistant sapphire crystal with anti-reﬂective treatment on both sides provides protection for the stylish face that features the date and a neat red-tipped hand on a sub-dial that tracks ‘small seconds’. Both the case and face are available in a range of colours and materials, and can come with a leather, red gold or steel strap. On top of all this, the Seamaster Aqua Terra GMT is water-resistant to 150m and has a power reserve of 60 hours, making it one of the most stylish ‘go anywhere-do anything’ watches on the market. Available to buy at The Royal Exchange, 020 7929 7706

52 BRUMMELL | PROMOTIONaL fEaTURE

Man of mystery A background in international intelligence during WWII gave Ian Fleming the perfect tools with which to fashion his 007 Who was James Bond? A fiction, yes, but when he first appeared in Casino Royale almost 60 years ago, he leapt off the page with such verve and vitality that many suggested he was drawn from real life. Author Ian Fleming claimed he wanted 007 to be an ‘empty vessel’ for the reader’s own fantasies, but it was clear someone had inspired the spy who was licensed to kill. The first suspect in the line-up is Fleming himself. Born in 1908 into a wealthy banking family, he went to Eton where he failed to excel except at sports. He was then forced to leave Sandhurst after a dalliance with a prostitute. His furious mother sent him to the Austrian town of Kitzbühel, where he learned to ski and bed the local girls with equal facility and, later on, met the splendidly named Conrad O’Brien-ffrench, who steered him towards his WWII intelligence work. Fleming worked for the Naval Intelligence Division and later ran 30 Assault Unit (aka Fleming’s Red Indians), an intelligence-gathering commando force. So was James Bond simply autobiographical? Not entirely, because Fleming was never a man of action – he mostly

led 30 Assault Unit from Whitehall. For that part of Bond we perhaps need to look at his older brother Peter, a high-ﬂyer at Eton and a great adventurer who, pre-war, thanks to his classic travelogue Brazilian Adventure, had been as famous as Ian was to become. Laconic and charming, he also served in intelligence in WWII, although post-war he opted for the very un-007 life of a country gent. When Fleming sat down to write ‘the spy story to end all spy stories’ in Jamaica he must also have thought of frontline agents he knew, men like Fitzroy Maclean, who operated in Yugoslavia; mining engineer, demolition expert and ladies’ man Duane Hudson; and Patrick Dalzel-Job, skier, diver, linguist and parachutist (although he didn’t drink or womanise). So who was 007? The answer is all of the above. Fleming poured his own experience, tastes, proclivities and snobberies, together with the traits he admired in real life, into the ‘empty vessel’ that was James Bond. He gave it a shake and a stir, and out of the mould popped the greatest spy of them all.

Words Rob Ryan

a TIME Of CHaNGE Omega’s City store once occupied a modest plot at The Royal Exchange, the luxury shopping and dining destination in the heart of the City. But since the beginning of August, they have moved across the courtyard to a much larger space. The new store houses all the latest watch models, including the De Ville Hour Vision Blue – Daniel Craig’s watch of choice. Through the sale of this watch, Omega has pledged to donate $1m to the Orbis Flying Eye Hospital charity. But the original shop at The Royal Exchange hasn’t been abandoned – for the next couple of months it will serve as Omega’s vintage outlet. In a collaboration with Somlo Antiques, the space has been dedicated to a collection of rare and unique chronographs. Exhibits include a second-edition 1961 Speedmaster and the rarest of them all, the 1970 Seamaster ‘Bullhead’, named after its trapezium-shaped case. Omega, Unit 8 The Courtyard, The Royal Exchange 020 7929 7706

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Smart move Dressing to impress? Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget the ďŹ nishing touch: an elegant wristwatch words Simon de Burton Photography Andy Barter

DRESS watchES | BRUMMELL 55

56 BRUMMELL | DRESS WATCHES

Blancpain Villeret Ultra-Slim Automatic Blancpain is said to be the oldest watch brand in the world, but it might have disappeared had it not been for the legendary watch marketeer Jean-Claude Biver, who revived it from dormancy in 1982. It is now one of the ‘premium’ brands owned by the Swatch Group and creates 10,000 watches per year, all powered by exquisitely made mechanical movements - quartz is not countenanced at Blancpain. The Villeret range, named after the Swiss village in which the brand is based, is personiﬁed by this ultra-slim, self-winding dress model –about as elegant as a wristwatch can get. This one has a steel case, but gold versions are also available. £5,250; blancpain.com

Hermès Arceau Grande Lune Hermès was established in 1837 by high-end Parisian harness maker Thierry Hermès, but it was not until 1978 that the brand set up the dedicated watchmaking division that has since grown to include part ownership of the respected Swiss movement maker Vaucher. Hermès now produces more than 100,000 watches per year, with the Arceau range being made up of elegant, understated dress models that are named after the distinctive arched lugs at the top of the case. This is the steel-cased moon-phase version with triple-date display and stylised swooping Arabic numerals. £5,100; hermes.com

Montblanc Nicolas Rieussec Open Hometime The chronograph was invented in 1821 by Nicolas Rieussec and comprised a rotating disc which was marked with a dot of ink every time an elapsed time measurement was called for – hence the name ‘chronograph’, which derives from the Greek words chronos (time) and graphein (to write). In honour of the great man’s achievement, Montblanc has created a range of high-end chronograph watches carrying his name, one of the latest of which is this Open Hometime model, which combines a single button chronograph with a second time-zone display that can be quickly set by a push piece on the left side of the case. £8,400 (£42,600 in platinum); montblanc.com

Cartier Tank Americaine In 1917, Louis Cartier was inspired to design a revolutionary new watch case along the lines of a tank he had seen in action during a visit to the Western Front. Basing the sides of the case on the silhouette of the tracks and the view of the dial on the shape of the cockpit, he made a prototype that was presented to General John Pershing, then head of the American Expeditionary Force. The Tank became commercially available in 1919 and has remained in production ever since, albeit in more than 30 diﬀerent variants. The Americaine is a classic, and this medium-sized version with diamond setting is possibly one of the most elegant watches you can buy. £36,500; cartier.com

Glashütte Senator Perpetual Calendar Glashütte Original is named after the town near Dresden that has been the home of German watchmaking since the 18th century. Owned by the Swatch Group, Glashütte makes high-end timepieces in low volume, with an emphasis on classic design and superlative ﬁnishing. The Senator Perpetual Calendar has a beautifully balanced dial that incorporates the brand’s signature Panorama date window, plus day and month readings and a moon-phase display. The small opening between the signature and the hands is a leap-year indicator – the perpetual calendar means the mechanism automatically accounts for leap years and short months. £14,600; glashuette-original.com

Frédérique Constant Classic Chronograph If you’re keen to buy a decent mechanical watch without spending a fortune, Frédérique Constant is a brand worth considering. The Swiss ﬁrm majors on making aﬀordable, high-quality watches, many of which are powered by its own in-house movements. One of the best value entry-level pieces is undoubtedly the Classics chronograph (model FC292MC4P6), which contrives to combine the sportiness of a chronograph with the elegance of a dress watch – it has a hobnail dial, Roman numerals and Breguet hands. Despite the expensive looks, however, the price is low thanks to a quartz movement. £600; frederique-constant.com

WE’VE DEVELOPED A WATCH FOR THE STEALTH BOMBER SQUADRON THIS IS ALL WE CAN SAY ABOUT IT

You may have seen the Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit stealth bomber in photographs. But very few people ever see it for real. Because every aspect of the aircraft, from its low-drag flyin-wing dgfjkj cati dgn to its anti-reflective paint has been designed to avoid detection.

With a single stop for refueling, the B-2 has a range of 11,500 miles. From its home at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri it can go anywhere on earth, on sorties lasting more than 40 hours. What’s more ditium apis arum es ad mod ut omniendam culpa con.

Its surfaces are coated with teil teiluttlybsioue vendioresdfsm aut volore, aliqui ipsuntum tlym and fugit labtlmojhssoris dita to absorb radio waves.

If the two man crew need to sleep, there are beds. If they’re hungry, they can prepare a hot meal. And if they need to know the time, well, that’s where we come in.

(So that, despite a wingspan of 172 feet, its radar trace is no bigger than a sparrow’s.)

We’ve designed watches for more than forty squadrons both here and in the United States, including the U-2 spy plane. (So we’re used to keeping secrets.)

Even the engine exhaust passes through cooling vents to hoodwink enemy infra-red sensors and heatseeking missiles.

The watch we built for the B-2 can withstand extremes of gtboth

temperature and altfbbxytitghe, and allows the wearer to display not just the local time but also Universal Time Coordinated (the standard reference time for the military). Handy if you’re flying around the world in a matter of hours. B-2 crews tested the watch on missions to Duundhhddydt esscbit dhAa,voe rernatur, rerndfyatur and ipsuntumaeiouby.

But many of the other fine watches we have developed for the military are. Should you wish to know more about them, simply visit our website. Or you could always drop in at your nearest Bremont retailer. There at least, you’ll find us positively loquacious.

Their verdict? “Mod ut aceaquatum faccusclyi dolaeiou it or accuptaspis ides audis in reperia ectiatium dolu” We couldn’t have put it better ourselves. For obvious reasons the B-2 watch is not available to buy.

What Watch? What Watch? What Watch? What Watch?

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black Watches | bRUMMell 59

black ops From left: Big Pilot Perpetual Calendar Top Gun, £29,500, IWc; iwc.com. U-2 DLC, £2,295, bremont; bremont.com

Dark matters Black as night, black as coal… it seems these days many people want to see their watches painted black Words Ken Kessler

If the actual Black Watch – as in the 3rd Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland – doesn’t have its own wristwatch, it’s a crying shame. Black timepieces are about as hot as they get, and that battalion’s name is used in vain a few hundred thousand times a day in watch stores the world over: ‘I’d like a black watch.’ ‘Got anything in black?’ It seems everyone loves black watches, though why this intrinsically militaristic look should possess such allure is baffling, when the most obvious watch equivalent of haute couture is one fashioned of platinum or rose gold. Perhaps it’s the sinister Stealth fighter, which insinuated its way into the macho consciousness and has dwelt there for 30 years, or childhood attachments to Darth Vader. Watches with black finishes have been around for decades, but the coatings themselves were always – literally – flaky.

60 BRUMMELL | BLack watchEs

PVD – physical vapour deposition – gave the black watch a fighting chance of keeping its colour intact Basic anodising could never withstand the abuse meted out daily to a wristwatch, and certainly not that dealt to a sport watch in environments where the case is likely to be scraped against an unyielding surface. Watches with old-fashioned black coatings quickly acquired the look of beaten-up cameras – think of Dennis Hopper’s Nikons in the Vietnam epic, Apocalypse Now. Show any enthusiast a well-worn Leica, its metal body peering out in spots where the black has worn away, and they’ll sigh the sigh of an Antiques Roadshow expert enamoured of ‘patina’ and how it cannot be faked. Actually, that’s not quite true: Ralph Lauren’s new Safari chronograph bears a gunmetal finish with the look of something black that has been faded by the elements. For those who love individuality, the process ensures that no two look exactly alike. The company uses an advanced process to embed the colour into the metal at a molecular level. It is then ‘distressed’ to look as if the case has been through the wars. It’s only because of the advances in metal treatments that the Safari can be so attired. Processes such as this also mean modern black finishes are more durable than anodising. What gave the black watch a fighting chance of keeping its colour intact was physical vapour deposition (PVD) – a process that deposits thin films of a given material on to various surfaces. But early black PVD watches, such as the Panerai reissues of the mid-Nineties, soon showed signs of wear-and-tear. Unlike those who have no problem with well-worn cameras, watch collectors have yet to display an affinity for the patina of age on black cases, though they will put up with aged dials. What has increased the hardness of black finishes to realistic levels of durability is the costlier diamond-like carbon (DLC). This describes a group of amorphous carbon materials that possess some of the hardness properties of diamonds. In its toughest form, a two-micrometre thick coating of DLC is said to increase the durability of stainless steel against abrasion. If measured in time-vs-usage, that’s a gain from one week to 85 years. Steel isn’t the only case that can be made in black. In 1986, IWC presented the world’s daRk agE From top: Safari RL67 £6,850, Ralph Lauren; ralphlaurenwatches.com. Combat Sub Stealth, £795, glycine; glycine-watch.ch

M ESURE ET D ÉMESURE *

TONDA QUATOR Rose gold Automatic movement Hermès alligator strap Made in Switzerland

* EXACT AND EXULTANT

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62 BRUMMELL | BLack watchEs

BLack Magic From left: Tuttonero Luminor 1950 3 Days GMT Automatic Ceramica, £10,500, Panerai; panerai.com. King Power Unico GMT Ceramic, £21,400, hublot; hublot.com

first watch in a case made of coloured ceramic. The market is now awash with all-black watches that completely avoid the matter of coatings or deposits by being made of either the latest ceramics – models by Chanel and Rado, and Hublot’s King Power Unico GMT Ceramic – or achieving the Spinal Tap hue (‘none more black’) with cases entirely of carbon fibre. This path has been taken by Audemars Piguet, Mazzuoli’s Manometros, certain Blancpain Fifty Fathoms variants and every watch from new Italian brand Full Carbon. But carbon-fibre cases usually possess a distinctive, visible pattern under the surface that one either loves or hates. Black watches are offered at every price point, with entry-level models available from Victorinox, Luminox, Hamilton, Casio, Bulova and Seiko, on up through every sector to the hautest of haute horlogerie. Glycine’s instant hit for this season is an all-black military watch rightly called the Stealth, with even the hands in black, while Mühle-Glashütte’s limited edition for Fulda accents the black with a red bezel. British banner-waver Bremont has clad a number of pieces in black, including the sleek

U-2, named after the spy plane. IWC and Bell & Ross also offer numerous all-black pilots’ watches, while Panerai has come a long way since the Nineties PVD model. Its aptly named Tuttonero (Italian for ‘all black’) doesn’t use ceramics just for the case – even the bracelet is made from that material. For those with an automotive bent, Breitling has added the all-black Barnato 42 to the Bentley range, while Richard Mille, Urwerk, Franck Muller and MB&F have always offered black pieces. Too sporty, too macho, too militaristic? Consider Hublot’s dressy Big Bang in black ceramic – a counterpoint to its butch offerings, such as the King Power Unico GMT. Piaget has blacked out its iconic Polo and Dior offers black versions of the Chiffre Rouge. Meanwhile, Chanel’s J12 remains the black watch of choice for women. And the ultimate in all-black watches? At Bond Street’s Marcus, to celebrate the store’s 10th anniversary this summer, Greubel Forsey produced one of every model it has made in black. Ten watches, with an average price of £450,000 – black isn’t just beautiful. It can also prove costly.

Many watches achieve the Spinal Tap hue (‘none more black’) with cases made entirely from carbon ﬁbre

Action heroes Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no arguing with the credentials of watches worn by the likes of Top Gun school pilots, James Bond or Felix Baumgartner words Simon de Burton Photography Andy Barter

SPORTS waTcheS | BRUMMeLL 65

66 BRUMMELL | SPORTS WATCHES

Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean Skyfall Skyfall marks 50 years of James Bond on screen and the seventh time Omega has supplied the wristwear. In the books, of course, Ian Fleming equipped 007 with Breitlings and Rolexes, but Omega’s Seamaster is the watch most people now associate with Bond. The actual Planet Ocean Daniel Craig wore in Casino Royale fetched more than £165,000 at auction in 2007; this Skyfall special edition is considerably cheaper. Available in 5,007 examples, it has the ﬁlm’s title engraved on the winding rotor and a 42mm steel case water-resistant to 600m. The Super-LumiNova coating on the indexes and hour and second hands glows blue, while the minute hand glows green. £4,420; omegawatches.com

IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Top Gun IWC first announced its allegiance with the US Naval Fighter Weapons School in 2007 when it launched the first black, split-seconds Top Gun chronograph. This year, a new range of Miramar models has been introduced, named after the US Marine Corps installation near San Diego that was the school’s base until 1996. This chronograph features an in-house flyback movement contained in a 46mm ceramic case with an inner cage of soft iron to enhance the anti-magnetic qualities of the watch. The minute markings are inspired by wartime observer’s watches and the date display resembles an altimeter. Note the military-style textile strap. £9,750; iwc.com

Breitling SuperOcean Chronograph M2000 There are plenty of chronograph dive watches on the market, but Breitling’s SuperOcean M2000 is the ﬁrst to remain ‘fully operational’ at a depth of 2,000m (not that you’re ever likely to descend that far). Operating push pieces on a conventional watch at depth is usually the kiss of death to the movement because it allows water to seep in. The push pieces on the new SuperOcean are operated via the actual metal of the hefty 46mm case, preventing ingress. A 4mm-thick sapphire crystal, unidirectional bezel and high-luminosity dial also make this watch a proper piece of kit for serious divers. A selection of four diﬀerent leather or rubber straps is also available. £3,620; breitling.com

TAG Heuer Monaco 24 Calibre 36 It’s well known that Steve McQueen sported a Heuer Monaco when he played Michael Delaney in the cult 1970 motor-racing movie Le Mans – and one of the actual watches he wore on set recently fetched $800,000 at auction in the US. TAG has, understandably, milked the association with the King of Cool for all it’s worth (and then some), producing various replica and tribute versions of the original. This interpretation of the Monaco is available with McQueen-style blue-and-white stripes or without, as pictured. It contains TAG’s high-frequency Calibre 36 movement, protected by tiny ‘manifold arm’ shock absorbers visible through the sapphire case back. £9,295; tagheuer.com

Zenith Pilot Big Date Special Felix Baumgartner wore a Zenith El Primero Stratos chronograph beneath the right cuﬀ of his pressure suit when he jumped out of a balloon capsule from the edge of space last month. Thus the Zenith became the ﬁrst watch to break the speed of sound in a ‘near-space’ environment – and it was still ticking nicely when he touched down 24 miles and nine minutes later. The Pilot Big Date special contains the same El Primero movement in a case inspired by one of Zenith’s Sixties chronographs. The watch can be ordered with the retro mesh bracelet pictured, or on a traditional, pilot-style leather strap. £4,700 (with strap) or £5,100 (with bracelet); zenith-watches.com

Bulgari Octo Maserati Lovers of exotic Italian automobiles might be tempted by the latest watch to be wheeled out from the workshops of luxury-goods house Bulgari. The Octo Maserati is based on a design from the old Gerald Genta brand, which specialised in retrograde mechanisms. It features retrograde minutes, date and chronograph hands that automatically revert to zero when they reach the end of their range, while the hour is displayed in the aperture below the 12 o’clock position. The centre of the dial resembles a Maserati radiator grille, the transparent case back carries the famous trident logo and the calfskin strap is redolent of the cars’ upholstery. £21,100; bulgari.com

68 BRUMMELL | styLE

wRist capitaL Pink-gold Calibre de Cartier watch with a leather strap, £15,750, cartier. Cashmere-tweed suit, £1,340, and waistcoat, £240, both canali. Shirt with mother-of-pearl buttons, £220, Ermenegildo Zegna. Brown leather wallet, £195, Dunhill. Navy tie, £70, Harrods. Polka-dot silk pocket square, £42, Richard James. Brown-framed glasses, £297, Oliver peoples

New issue Measured in daily enjoyment, a handsome watch always pays dividends and completes a stylish demeanour photography Andy Barter styling David Hawkins

70 BRUMMELL | styLE

coRpoRatE action This page: Matt-black 42mm J12 watch, £4,150, chanel. Grey suit with leather trimming, £2,380, and white ‘Italia’ shirt with

mother-of-pearl buttons, £470, both angelo Galasso. Black tie, £135, Hermès. Houndstoothcheck silk pocket square,

£42, Richard James Opposite: Rose-gold Octo watch, £16,700, Bulgari. Shirt with mother-of-pearl buttons, £220, Ermenegildo

Zegna. Red gold-plated ‘Star Walker’ fountain pen, £765, Montblanc. Orange Ulysse calfskin notebook cover: small, £200, and

large, £325; and reﬁll notebook: small, £40, and large, £50, all Hermès. Mother-of-pearl cuﬄinks, £2,700, William & son

style | BRUMMell 73

POsItIVe CARRy Opposite: Chiﬀre Rouge M01 watch with stainlesssteel case, bezel bracelet and lacquered black dial £5,700, Dior. Honey

gabardine trench coat, £995, Burberry. Shirt with mother-of-pearl buttons, £220, and brown napa-leather gloves,

£190, both ermenegildo Zegna. Black ‘Grand Angle 3’ leather briefcase, £1,430, JM Weston

This page: Master Ultra-thin Réserve de Marche 39mm watch £13,000, Jaeger-leCoultre. Dark brown suit, £1,095,

etro. Shirt, £140, Canali. Burnt orange organiser (just seen), £355, Montblanc. Tumbler, £19.95, Conran Shop

stylIst’s AssIstAnt: Gemma Carmichael STOCKISTS ON PAGE 74

BRUMMELL | BY GEORGE

ROYAL APPOintMEnt From left: The Reine de Naples reference 8973; Queen Caroline and her eldest daughter, the Countess Rasponi

Fit for a queen Wristwatch pioneer Breguet is celebrating its groundbreaking 1812 invention – a royal commission, no less – with two very special bicentenary models

Ever wondered who made the first wristwatch? It was probably the great Abraham-Louis Breguet. Exactly 200 years ago, he delivered a watch to Napoleon Bonaparte’s sister, Caroline Murat, Queen of Naples. According to the Breguet archives, it was commissioned by the queen in 1810 for the sum of 4,800 francs and completed two years later. In 1849, it underwent a thorough overhaul – including regulation, restoration of the repeater mechanism and re-setting of the thermometer – after passing into the ownership of Countess Rasponi, her fourth and last child. In 1855, it was sent back again to Breguet, so a new set of keys for winding and time-setting could be made for it. And that is the last trace of the timepiece, which, if it were to be rediscovered today and offered on the open market, would undoubtedly command a seven-figure sum. Nonetheless, the modern-day Breguet house was able to use the archived description of the original when it set out to create a new version in 2002. According to the records, the queen’s watch was an oblong-shaped minute-repeater with a thermometer, mounted on a strap made of

hair and gold thread that had to be knotted around the wrist. Employing a certain amount of artistic licence, Breguet interpreted this description by creating an egg-shaped case to accommodate a series of mechanical movements (the company doesn’t countenance quartz). Two bicentenary models have been made this year, the first of which is the reference 8908 version, which features a gold-thread bracelet (without the hair), a dial made from black Tahitian mother-of-pearl and a self-winding movement with the complications of a moon-phase display and power-reserve indicator. There are 117 brilliant-cut diamonds around the bezel, and the crown is topped with a cabochon – resulting in the right royal price of £47,400. If that’s not sufficiently regal, however, Breguet unveiled an even more elaborate model last month. The reference 8973 has a repeating mechanism that sounds the top of the hour with a pair of chimes repeated three times and the movement is a work of art – through its transparent case back can be seen the bridges and oscillating weight, arranged to resemble the queen’s garden. The silvered-gold dial is set with 233 brilliant-cut diamonds and 303 sapphires, the case with 28 diamonds and 27 sapphires. A briolette-cut diamond adorns the winding crown and a further 26 diamonds the clasp of the alligator-skin strap. The price? A majestic £146,300. For the woman who has everything, meanwhile, there is a Reine de Naples parure – a tiara, ring, necklace and earrings in platinum, diamonds and sapphires. However, as the old saying goes, if you have to ask the price, you probably can’t afford it. breguet.com Words Simon de Burton

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For any enquiries, please call +44 (0) 1428 656822

hermĂ¨s. time in movement

dressage la montre hermĂ¨s tames time so as to master its measurement. at the heart of the dressage model ticks the steady beat of the manufacture h1837 mechanical movement. from development through to the final adjustments, and from the making of each part to their finishing by hand, la montre hermĂ¨s dedicates elegance and fine craftsmanship to the service of precision.

Her mes.com

BESPOKE PrOmOtiOn | BrUmmELL 07

A PortrAit by the Artist From the very inception of the technique, writes Michael Prodger, photographers have always pointed their cameras at people

‘Cuban Workman’ by Walker Evans, 1933

In 1838, Louis Daguerre, one of the founders of photography, set out to take a photograph of a street and accidentally took the ﬁrst of a person – in fact, two people. The names of these characters are unknown. He had set up his camera in an upstairs window overlooking the Boulevard du Temple in Paris and removed the lens cap, but because his process required exposures lasting up to 10

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minutes, the street’s ebb and ﬂow of pedestrians and horse-drawn carriages moved too quickly to register on his plate. In the bottom corner of his composition, however, a man having his shoes polished by a boot-black stood there long enough to appear – a pair of stick ﬁgures, taking their place unawares in history. The following year, Daguerre’s innovation – and that of his English rival Henry Fox Talbot

– was announced. The ensuing rapid advances in lenses and chemical technology meant that exposure times dropped and pioneering photographers could turn their cameras on faces and expect more than a blur. In 1843, Elizabeth Barrett Browning enthused over daguerreotype portraits as containing ‘the very shadow of the person lying there forever!’ And, by 1860, portrait photographs were so common

that one critic wrote, not altogether approvingly: ‘A poor soldier’s wife can now get a more authentic miniature of her husband for one shilling than a rich lady could have procured a century ago for a hundred pounds.’ The ﬁrst generation of photographers looked to art for inspiration. So it was that the likes of Julia Margaret Cameron, André Disdéri and the duo David Octavius Hill and Robert Adamson photographed faces as if they were paintings. As their subjects sat for 15-second exposures and had their features preserved on 14in x 11in negatives, they had to rest an arm on a table, sit in a chair or be supported by a hidden armature to minimise any movement. The photographers, meanwhile, applied the compositional techniques of portrait painting

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to their craft: Cameron’s softness of tone, for example, was likened to a sketch by Correggio and, when photographing the writer Thomas Carlyle, she claimed her ‘whole soul has endeavoured to do its duty in recording faithfully the greatness of the inner as well as the features of the outer man’. In this, she was acknowledging the frequent criticism that photography was a merely mechanical procedure. ‘What was at ﬁrst only suggestion is now all careful marking-out – the likeness to Rembrandt and Reynolds is gone,’ lamented the Victorian art critic Elizabeth Eastlake. Neither photographers nor the public were in full agreement, however. As photography progressed, barely a practitioner of note missed the chance to capture

faces. The best of them are both documents and art. It is thanks to Felix Nadar that we have proof of what Rossini and Gustave Doré looked like and to Cameron that we owe the likenesses of Tennyson and Ellen Terry. Their tradition developed over the next century and a half to encompass Yousuf Karsh’s monolithic portrayals of the great political and cultural power-players of 20th century life, such as Churchill and Hemingway, and Irving Penn’s hyper-stylish portraits of the likes of Picasso and Dietrich. But, from the start, photographers have immortalised the little-known and anonymous, too. Roger Fenton, for example, the ﬁrst combat photographer, captured the faces of some of the men who rode into the Valley of Death during the Crimean War and never

00 BESPOKE PROMOTION A BRUMMELL| PROMOTION BRUMMELL 09

The Art in Our Communities programme brings Bank of America Merrill Lynch’s photography collection to the public

rode out again. His example has been followed by photographic chroniclers who have specialised in the higher form of reportage. The skill and pitiless eye of Weegee and Diane Arbus have made the faces of New Yorkers, in all their variety, caring and callousness, as indelible as any celebrity’s. August Sander’s portraits of the ordinary German volk of the Twenties – from fresh-scrubbed farmers on their way to a dance to a brick-carrier impervious to his load – are the faces described by Joseph Roth and Thomas Mann in their novels. Brassaï preserved the denizens of louche Thirties Paris enjoying brothels and cafes while, on the other side of the Atlantic, Walker Evans was photographing the worn visages of Depression-era rural

1 ‘The Brown Sisters, Greenwich, Rhode Island, 1980’ by Nicholas Nixon; 2 ‘Olivier, Camp Rafalli, Calvi, Corsica, June 18, 1980’ by Rineke Dijkstra 3 ‘The Critic’ by Weegee, 1943 4 ‘Untitled’ by Hellen van Meene, 1996 5 The Istanbul Museum of Modern Art

Bank of America Merrill Lynch’s extensive photography collection is brought to the public through the company’s ‘Art in Our Communities’ programme, which has converted the Bank of America Collection into a unique resource. The collection itself has grown in scope and size in recent decades, and is rich and varied, including works on paper, oils, sculpture, textiles, glass, and pottery. It also contains an important photography component, which includes thousands of photographs by the medium’s finest masters. Art in Our Communities offers museums and galleries around the world the chance to borrow fully fledged or customised exhibitions from the Bank of America Collection at no cost, allowing them to expand their programmes, reach new audiences and generate vital revenue. Since 2008, more than 50 exhibitions have been supported in this way – this year alone has seen shows in Dublin, Madrid, London and Milan. Gaze: The Changing Face of Portrait Photography is the latest, currently on display at the Istanbul Modern.

America, lined by poverty and their hardscrabble existence. What the great photographers caught was not physiognomy but history: as well as personality, their subjects bear the imprint of time and place. As such, they are not always comfortable eyes to gaze into. The camera as the pencil of nature – the title Fox Talbot gave in 1844 to his book about the development of photography, the ﬁrst ever illustrated with photographs –is an unsparing instrument because of its ability to capture, in every face, a little piece of the human condition. It is an ability reﬂected currently at the Istanbul Modern Photography Gallery. Gaze: The Changing Face of Portrait Photography, which runs until 20 January 2013, features 72

works by 54 photographers. The exhibition trace changes in both photography and wider society over the past 160 years. The faces on show were captured in studios, on the street, in battle, in repose and when agitated. The photographers represented are a rollcall of the medium’s masters, from Julia Margaret Cameron and Roger Fenton to Thomas Struth and Rineke Dijkstra. Divided into chronological sections – Fiction of the Self, Inspirations, Candid Lives and Subjective Reality – the pictures show how photography itself has developed from an experimental medium into one capable of documenting not just the outer form but the inner life of its inhabitants, and indeed that of the modern world. istanbulmodern.org