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Romain Jerome Mysterious Luxury Fine Watchmaking Vincent Van Gogh CHF 10 / USD 9 / EUR 7
Spring 2009 www.swissmademagazine.com
The greatest luxury in life is time. Savour every second.
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THE FLYING B CHRONOGRAPH
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sm editorial
Dear Readers, We welcome you to our latest edition of Swiss Made Deluxe magazine. The main theme of this Spring issue is time in all its forms and interpretations. A great focus is given to watches, a field in which Switzerland has excelled for over three centuries.
counting 19 brands covering all price ranges, from Swatch to Tissot, from Longines to Omega, from Blacpain to Breguet. After a period of struggle, mechanical watches regained their leading place in the market, continuing a tradition of over 300 years.
In this time of turmoil and financial crisis, real values, tradition and creativity are more than ever the key words in breakthrough and success. Global economies have experienced many crises before, forcing them to find new grounds and balance, resulting in even stronger growth.
Tradition and true values are the other key factors upon which discerning customers base their choices. Whether you are buying a car, a watch, a jewel or an artwork, you want to be reassured that your investment has solid grounds, and what stronger ground than a pedigree of excellence?
Interestingly, in Chinese language and culture, the ideogram for “crisis” also is used to express “opportunity.” It is a fact that difficult situations and crises, either global or personal, force us to reconsider our business or personal life, often leading to new directions or innovative solutions for a successful change.
A continuous quest for excellence we invite you to discover in these pages.
Creativity and innovation are two key factors to overcome any sort of turmoil. In the 1970s, the introduction of quartz movement led to stronger competition and lower prices. The Swiss watchmaking industry as a whole faced a tremendous crisis, forcing key players to rethink their business model. Some unfortunately disappeared, but others found opportunities for greater success. It is thanks to a great and visionary man that many Swiss watch companies owe their current success. The approach: an innovative concept, a creative idea mixing design and tradition. The result: SWATCH. The name of the man now called “King of Swiss Watchmaking”: Nicolas G. Hayek, the self-made patron of the biggest watch group in the world, now
Enjoy your reading!
Massimiliano Pantieri
Staff Editor Massimiliano Pantieri Creative Director Sherry Williams Senior Watch Editor Pascal Brandt Graphic Designer Jo Denning Office/Operations Manager Mara Carboni Photographers Lionel Deriaz - Mysterious Luxury Sean Russell - Love in Basel Denis Hayoun Cover Romain Jerome by Denis Hayoun
Contributors Noah Joseph Susan Robinson April Boland Sherry Williams Bob Ecker Yolanda Evans Nicky Taylor Printing Tecnografica Srl Editorial office SwissMade Magazine Via Taiada 50 6517 Arbedo (TI) Switzerland
Contacts editor@swissmademagazine.com advertising@swissmademagazine.com Exclusive distribution in exclusive boutiques, luxury hotels, golf resorts, executive lounges, private limousine services, Swiss embassies, special events and exhibitions. Published by Bespoke Communication Sarl
All the published material has been provided by the mentioned brands. Therefore, SwissMade Magazine cannot be responsible for copyright issues and assumes no responsibility on inaccurate information or changes in the products or prices displayed. Copyright by SwissMade Magazine. Reproduction or use of the content in whole or in part without the written permission of the editor is strictly prohibited.
Don’t miss the next issue of SwissMade Magazine. Subscribe for your own personal copy on www.swissmademagazine.com
editorial 7
sm index
66
74 68
56
92
84
32
82 SM Magazine Spring 2009
28
96
Haute Horlogerie 10 Tradition Rather Than Bling
Innovations 12 Time Machines
Watches 18 Mechanical Momentum
For Her 24 Roses are Gold
Art 28 Vincent Van Gogh
Fashion 32 Love in Basel
Cover Story 44 Romain Jerome
Ambassadors
52
48 A Match Made in Heaven - Longines
Haute Joaillerie 52 Enchanting Elements 56 Mysterious Luxury
Boutiques 66 L’Atelier Parmigiani
Icons 68 King of Cool
44
12
Cars 74 On Goes the Show
For Him 82 Boys Toys
Travel 84 Paradise Found
Culture 92 Hermann Hesse
48
Accessories 96 Swiss Kubik
index 9
sm haute horlogerie
BREGUET Classique Grande Complication 5347 Twin Rotating Tourbillons The spectacular outcome of years of methodical development, the Breguet Twin Rotating Tourbillons features a hand-wound movement with a pair of toubillon regulators rotating on the hour axis. An aesthetic as well as a technical masterpiece, this watch comes with a 44 mm pink gold case housing over 570 components, all painstakingly assembled by Breguet’s master watchmakers. Working independently from one another, two tourbillons are coupled by means of differential gears and are mounted on a rotating centre plate effecting a complete revolution in twelve hours. The differential device conveys the two tourbillons’ mean rate to the rotating centre plate, resulting in a degree of precision twice that of a standard watch. The hour is shown by means of the bridge connecting the tourbillon regulators that doubles as a watch hand, while the minutes are indicated by a standard hand at centre.
SM Magazine Spring 2009
Tradition Rather Than Bling Back to fundamental values with a focus on essentiality By Pascal Brandt
As the watch industry slows down worldwide, Swiss watchmaking ingenuity heads toward the classical track, driven by a partially renewed discretion. It is displayed within the frame of BASELWORLD 2009, the world’s biggest and most important event for the watch and jewellery industry, which combines a great deal of skills and expertise. Held in Basel from March 26th to April 2nd, the World Watch and Jewellery Show gives a true view of the industry as it is represented in its global diversity. The art of a watch creator is summed up through its ability to translate the contemporary spirit on a few square centimeters so that watches are symbols, expressions and mirrors of an era. The current year therefore will be a time of pragmatism for the established brands and historical companies. After a long period of constant and strong growth that seemed to allow any creative excess, the mood today is back to reality. Sobriety takes over showy bling, and traditional values come back strongly to the forefront, but without killing creativity! The focus now is on the values that have forged the reputation of Swiss horology legend across the centuries: know-how, skills, mastery of excellence and innovation. Let’s speak this year of watch and watchmaking culture rather than ostentation. What does it mean basically? The movement - historically mechanical - retakes its pre-eminent place at the heart of the timepiece. To achieve
authenticity, the flamboyant finishing of recent years has given way to refinement. Dials with delicate openwork reveal the fine mechanical architecture of watches with one main objective: clear and reserved delivery of information on a multilevel architecture. The vogue, in fact, is for movements designed and manufactured in-house, a manufactory spirit that confirms the legitimacy of Swiss watchmakers. The trend is a positive sign for the forthcoming years. Many watch brands also have drawn on their past. Old movements and legendary models - revamped to meet current tastes - embody the world of famous names that have shaped the history of watchmaking. This is purely marketing, but why not if it meets consumers’ tastes as these particular models (re-editions of timepieces that shaped the history of watch models) still generate emotion and desire? The 2009 trends include the return of one of the oldest small complications, the regulator. At the same time, the standard of past years, the tourbillon mechanism, is far more discreet. Rarely have the heritage and crafts of watchmaking been so prominent as this year. And it is certainly no accident that perfectly mastered technical elements are being valorized, rather than an excess of complications.
anthracite gray and solid black take prominence this year, while brands have been happy to combine steel cases with colored bezels pink gold in particular. Also popular are plain gold watches. The size is definitely important. As small-diameter watches were still in vogue during the 1990s, oversized watches gained ground in the second half of the past decade. The 42mm grew to 44mm, and sometimes far bigger. Today’s tastes confirm large cases as a standard for both men and women, even if some companies propose smaller-diameter watches due to their strong exposure to specific markets such as Asian countries. On the design side, the tendency this year among the established brands is to avoid eccentric shapes and turn back to formal simplicity. The focus shifts to the eternal round shape, which remains the best-selling design. The round case often is combined with square components. Hands design remains minimalist to ensure the optimal legibility of information. Should we summarize in a few words, we could say that Basel 2009 symbolizes a global consolidation year, a dynamic that shows the industry’s capacity to adjust to the world environment.
As for design, the trend is toward unpretentious refinement among established and historical companies. Even if the trend is not really new,
Tradition rather than bling 11
sm innovations
T Machines ime
The Explorers of the Watch Universe
By Pascal Brandt
The past eight years have been characterized by the appearance of many new brands known for in-depth renewal of design and mechanical movement
SM Magazine Spring 2009
time machines 13
In 2009, the Swiss watchmaking industry encounters a year of turmoil after a long period of euphoria and deep evolutions. The past eight years were effectively highlighted by very competitive results for Swiss watch exports, which showed year after year of constant growth. This period was marked by the appearance of brand-new clients and consumers in new markets. This trend has favored the emergence on the watch scene of new actors and new brands. More often, they have been launched from scratch. A powerful trend came out of this phenomenon, revealing a few common denominators for all
CONCORD C1 Quantum Gravity Free, disruptive. The latest Concord specimen grants time a space that befits its very nature: free from constraints or ties. With an aerial bi-axial Tourbillon mechanism, a structure that makes emptiness its core material, a 3D dial, functional elements fitted to the side of the case and an industrial and minimalist spirit, the C1 QuantumGravity timepiece defies all laws, including that of watchmaking logic and most of all, of gravity. The Tourbillon carriage, which is fitted outside the movement and case where it is suspended, literally, rotates in a multidimensional manner on two axes, the main one being vertical. The design of this disconcerting time device borrows its rigid and light structure from renowned cable-stayed bridges; an extended arm of cables fastened to the plate holds the cage in a vertical position, thus highlighting the sensation of autonomy.
SM Magazine Spring 2009
these newcomers: Most do not have either any historical background or any traditional legitimacy, so all of them tried to get into the already crowded market through a narrow niche approach and concept. Nearly all of these brands tried to attract a fresh and wealthy clientele with creations highlighting strong design and watch architecture. They also focused on the added value given to the content. Last but not least, small productions and a top-of-the-range price positioning characterized the trend. This dynamic drove most of the newcomers to seek the ultimate tip of the market. The result?
Eight years of extreme creativity supported by a global wealthy environment and an asserted taste for “fresh air� in a fully opened market. Today, euphoria is replaced by realism and unadventurous attitudes. The spirit of classicism is back on the scene, in line with the world’s economy and cautious customers. The main question today is: Who will be able to survive among the new brands? Most of them cannot avoid difficulties and international volatility through the means of groups and big independents. While a reliable answer cannot be provided today, it appears clear that some of these newly
URWERK UR 103T ‘T’ for Tarantula! With the UR103T, time takes on a different conceptual and even philosophical dimension to that of the open satellite system on the classic UR103. The orbital satellite complication is over 300 times heavier than traditional hands, a factor that requires absolute precision in the manufacture of its minuscule components, and in assembling, balancing and regulating the complication to obtain the excellent chronometric performance URWERK demands of its exceptional timepieces.
launched companies chose the exclusive way of pure opportunism, selling products without real content or added value. It will be difficult for these to survive without fresh and massive injections of money. At the same time, some others played the right game. They tried to explore brand-new fields within the watch universe, and followed tracks that the established and classical brands really are not allowed to go. Should they do it, the established brands
would definitely distort their perceived image and consequently take a huge risk. Some of these newcomers have developed a real effort to research — rethink — the mechanical movement, redesigning its architecture and its functionalities, and giving the engine a genuine added value. A few of these new companies brilliantly refreshed the tourbillon mechanism so that this complication became
a standard, just as the automatic movement is a must in any serious brand watch collection. On the other side, the newcomers of the past eight years opened new doors with materials. This is an additional characteristic of the trend as the work done on the face of the watch belongs to their innovative dynamics, displaying information with a new and contemporary eye.
time machines 15
GREUBEL FORSEY Quadruple Tourbillon Between art and technological innovation, the four tourbillons of this stunning composition contribute independently to its exceptional time-keeping performance. This is made possible by the asynchronous position of each of the four tourbillons, which are connected to two autonomous regulating organs. These organs, each housed in a tourbillon cage, are coupled to the spherical differential which ensures transmission to the display system. A pinnacle of virtuosity poised to write a new page in the art of horology.
Antoine Preziuso 3volution The hand-winding mechanism of the Tri-Tourbillon winds a twin barrel that ensures optimal efficiency and a comfortable power-reserve. The last wheel and pinion of the gear-train drives the heart of the system; a circular roller carrying no less than three flying tourbillons. Each of the three tourbillons performs a complete rotation around its axis in one minute, while the entire roller needs only 2 minutes and 15 seconds to complete one revolution.
But the design remains without any doubt the key and the symbol of these new brands. They went away from the usual and traditional watch shape to bring a new vision, developing audacious and unknown formal shapes other than round, oval and tonneau. This trend sometimes led to incredibly eccentric creations. Some developments — concept watches — switched the watch codes and demonstrated
SM Magazine Spring 2009
that aesthetical conventions can be changed. Some of the established brands regarded these new conceptors and creators as contemptible adventures. But they do not hesitate to follow the path these young creators opened. Their track will survive even if the trend were to slow down in the coming years.
Montblanc Star Nicolas Rieussec Monopusher Chronograph Open Date One of the most outstanding watches in the Montblanc collection, this timepiece makes a fitting tribute to the ingenious watchmaker by the name of Nicolas Rieussec who invented the chronograph almost two hundred years ago. Even the way the stopwatch function records times is unusual and, unlike conventional chronographs, does not involve hands revolving round the main dial and counters on subdials. The dial features two small, calibrated discs from which the elapsed seconds and minutes can be read off with the help of fixed hands.
time machines 17
sm watches
MECHANICAL MOMENTUM
OMEGA Apollo 11 “40th Anniversary” Limited Edition OMEGA joins the world in the cel¬ebration of the 40th anniversary of the first moon landing with the release of the Speedmaster Professional Moon¬watch Apollo 11 “40th Anniversary” Limited Edition. dial is protected by Hesalite, the same robust, shatter-proof acrylic crystal found on the original Moon Watch. The Apollo 11 “Eagle” mission patch is stamped on the caseback along with the words, “THE FIRST WATCH WORN ON THE MOON”, the limited edition number (0000/7969), and “July 21, 1969”, the date Armstrong and Aldrin first stepped onto the moon’s surface at 02:56, the time which is printed on the dial.
SM Magazine Spring 2009
BLANCPAIN
JAEGER LECOULTRE
VINCENT BERARD
500 Phatoms
Master Grande Tradition
Luvorene I
More high-performance and high-tech than ever, the brand’s latest diver’s watch displays an uncompromisingly sporting design. Waterresistant to 1000 metres, it is equipped with a helium decompression valve that is vital when diving in a closed environment. The ultra-virile 500 Fathoms is fitted with a 48 mm-diameter titanium.
The new line is distinguished by distinctive aesthetics and the joint presence on each model of two complications interpreted in a manner that is at once historical and innovative. The two first watch creations in the Master Grande Tradition collection feature combinations of functions that are new to the Manufacture: on the one hand, the first tourbillon associated with a perpetual calendar; and on the other, the first minute repeater with a two-week power reserve allied with a regulator display. Moreover, this new line will welcome the first ever silicon escapement from the Grande Maison, stemming from the research undertaken in the Jaeger-LeCoultre laboratories and aiming to further enhance the performances of this complicated timepiece.
LUVORENE I features a round, domed case reduced to wristwatch size, with the famous bulge from the “Quatre Saisons” model shifted to 3 o’clock, openworked on the dial side to reveal the oscillations of a balance with screws and a Breguet overcoil balance-spring, from which the escapement and the lever-wheel have mysteriously disappeared.
The 500 Fathoms is powered by the self-winding Calibre 1315, specifically designed to equip sports watches. It incorporates a glucydur balance with micrometric regulating screws, which helps to prevent any jarring from disturbing the smooth running of the watch. Three series-coupled barrels guarantee constant energy and a five-day power reserve.
Due to its characteristic construction, inherent to the very shape of the watch, the mechanical handwound movement features a winding-crown at 9 o’clock instead of 3 o’clock.
machanical momentum 19
PARMIGIANI
EBERHARD & CO
HARRY WINSTON
Tondagraph Collection
8 Jours Grande Taille
Histoire De Tourbillon 1
Two major new features: its grand complication, still unparalleled since the creation of the Fleurier brand, and its new case, with more markedly classic curves.
The 8 JOURS by Eberhard & Co. was the first wrist watch with an indicator for an eight-day power reserve. A technical feat that was made possible by a special patented device with two superimposed springs with a combined length of one and a half metre.
Harry Winston introduces a unique new collection of rare timepieces. Featuring five distinct timepiece designs, the highly collectable series will explore the function of the tourbillon. Each unique design will be a limited edition of 20 timepieces.
Combining the hypnotic beauty of the Tourbillon with the technical function of the Chronograph, the Tondagraph model (Calibre PF 354) is a real masterpiece. While the chamfering of the two tourbillon bridges alone requires 20 hours’ work to achieve the requisite finish quality, the cage as a whole will require nearly 40 hours. Available as a 30-piece limited edition in 18 carat white gold (with individual numbering on the case back).
SM Magazine Spring 2009
The generously dimensioned 42 cm case has been retained. An especially refined special feature is the caseback that allows watch enthusiasts to catch a glimpse of the precious mechanical movement with hand winding. Through the bull’s eye on the sapphire caseback, the proud owner can admire the bridge of the large barrel, adorned with a silhouetted “8”.
Exploring the movement and sculpture of the complication, the Histoire de Tourbillon 1 envisions a modern interpretation of the tourbillon, through innovative materials and a highly sophisticated mechanism. Sleek and unique, the 48mm case is constructed of white gold and Zalium. The timepiece also features two 25° inclined singleaxis tourbillons with rapid 36 second rotations, which work together to neutralize any effects of gravity.
PIERRE DEROCHE
BREILTING
GERALD GENTA
Grandcliff Double Retrograde
Navitimer Limited Series
Octo Tourbillon Sunray
Skyscrapers
For its 125th anniversary, Breitling has revived its legendary Navitimer. Launched in 1952, this timepiece became an iconic object. With its exclusive chronograph movement, certified by COSC to ¼ of a second, and centre 60-minute totalizer, this revival is embellished by the highly original Air Racer rigid bracelet with holes, a tribute to a modern design icon dating from the 1960’s. More than ever, Breitling has remained faithful to its history: to its passion for chronographs on the one hand and to its destiny, closely linked to aviation, on the other. It is not by chance that the “official supplier to world aviation” has chosen to celebrate this most emblematic of instruments for professionals in this anniversary year.
The legendary octagonal Octo case, testimony to the modernity Gérald Genta has brought to watchmaking, returns in a Tourbillon Sunray version. The two yellow gold plates making up the dial reveal a retrograde hour on a black lacquer ground, while an octagonal window highlights a beautifully constructed tourbillon. The final act of splendour in this dazzling composition, – a veritable ode to the sun –, is the manufactory-made movement, coated with old gold. This is the Gérald Genta signature, the “Potter finish”, so typical of vintage movements.
Inspired by the famous urban constructions vying with each other in terms of height and daring, Pierre DeRoche pays tribute to the gravity-defying skylines of our modern cities. GrandCliff Skyscrapers is also a genuine technical feat in its own right. Both futuristic and classic by nature, this timepiece reveals a highly original feature in the form of two dizzying half-moon counters facing each other to provide a retrograde read-off of the hours and minutes. The dial is simply breathtaking with its more than 55 parts imparting an unmistakable sense of technical sophistication and power.
SM Magazine Spring 2009
sm for her
Roses are Gold Flowers are on the top ten list of women’s favorite gifts and considered the most romantic. A wife or girlfriend will prefer the gift of the rose above any other flower. Roses can help convey your feelings, but last only for a short time. Is there something better than a withering rose?
Jean Richard BRESSEL LADY “JULIETTE” The young and beautiful Juliet Capulet who closed her eyes to prejudice, is the extraordinary heroine of Shakespeare’s famous play, Romeo and Juliet. The Bressel Lady “Juliette” achieves an idyllic blend of time and emotions. Displayed across its elegant white mother-of-pearl dial is a sentimental flourish, “je t’aime, un peu, beaucoup, à la folie…” winding its way past the subsidiary seconds at 7 and the power reserve at 4.30. The small hours and minutes dial located at 12 is illuminated by a paved path of 127 diamonds, separating itself from the sentimental hand-written letters.
SM Magazine Spring 2009
Fashioned in precious gold or studded with the eternal nature of diamonds, in these pages we have handpicked a selection of watches that will forever say what you need it to.
Montblanc
Waltham
Parmigiani Fleurier
Profile Lady Elegance Etoile Secrète
Lady Amelia
Kalparisma Ouranos
Dedicated to the classically elegant ladies’ watch and designed to provide a style statement based more on subtlety and discretion. The pavé diamond setting on the red gold case and dial is reminiscent of virgin snow on an Alpine peak, the elegant arc of countless minuscule diamonds of a shower of shooting stars, with the extraordinary Montblanc Diamond resplendent as the most radiant of them all. Given a scene like this, there are no limits to the imagination, but the true emotions linked to the watch will remain the secret of the woman who wears it on her wrist.
This sumptuous Waltham chronograph is a tribute to the pilot Amelia Earhart, who made a solo crossing of the Atlantic in 1932. Bringing femininity and fortitude together, it embodies the spirit of this pioneer, who still inspires a whole generation of liberated women.
The creation of the kalparisma collection is to be a return to the essence of the form, redesigned to house the firm’s automatic movement (Calibre pF 331) in a compact size. Its lugs, its tonneau shape and arched profile are the signature of Parmigiani, which the Kalparisma has adopted, while symbolising the two essential areas of the brand: watchmaking mechanics and refined aesthetics of the lines. The kalparisma Ouranos rose gold model, more elaborate via the “constellation” setting of its diamonds, offers the choice of a more jewellery oriented watch, distinguished by its white motherof-pearl dial also set with precious stones.
roses are gold 25
Tissot
Versace
Lady Chrono Rose Gold
Eon
Tissot brings elegance and sparkle to black and white design with four new chronograph timepieces for dynamic ladies. The cases of all the Tissot Lady Chrono watches are in 18-carat rose gold, stylishly contrasting with black and white materials in the dials and straps. Two models rise high on the glamour scale with the addition of a circle of sparkling diamonds around the bezel. Sporty elegance meets precision, for some memorable and detailed timekeeping. In all its variations, the Tissot Lady Chrono perfectly complements numerous looks in the today’s woman’s wardrobe, from the no-nonsense, tailored business suit to the elaborate cocktail dress.
SM Magazine Spring 2009
The new “Eon” watch from Versace symbolizes the contrast between cool sensuality and elegant femininity. The round case encloses a white mother-of-pearl dial with diamonds on indexes. The outer rotating ring bears ‘Clous de Paris’ decorations on one side and the Versace logo on the other side . The rose gold plated metal sphere bracelet adds a romantic and stylish appeal to the watch.
Chopard “chocolate” Watch in chocolate-coloured ceramics and 18-carat rose gold, chocolate-coloured dial and 5 mobile diamonds. Rotating bezel, quartz movement, waterresistant to 30 metres, and chocolate-coloured rubber strap with 18-carat rose gold buckle.
Van Cleef & Arpels Rendez-Vous A legacy of the House’s tradition, High Jewellery timepieces are spectacular and outstanding adornments that tell the time. Each one is unique, set with exceptional stones and extremely rare. From the creative universe of Une Journée à Paris, the Rendez-Vous watch is a jewel with a secret, stunningly beautiful. At first glance the dial is concealed by the leaf from a Parisian tree. Entirely set with diamonds, the bracelet imitates a supple branch. Beneath the sliding secret mechanism, lies the white mother of pearl dial, set with diamonds.
roses are gold 27
sm art
Vincent Van Gogh Between Earth and Heaven: The Landscapes By Massimiliano Pantieri
Self-portrait, December 1887, Kunstmuseum Basel
SM Magazine Spring 2009
Cypresses, end of June 1889 The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Rogers Fund, 1949. (49.30) Foto: Š The Metropolitan Museum of Art
The most important European art event in 2009 In a spectacular, comprehensive exhibition taking place from April to September 2009, the Kunstmuseum Basel is staging the first showing worldwide of the landscape paintings by the legendary artist Vincent van Gogh. Seventy paintings – both world-famous key works as well as paintings barely seen previously by the general public – will give a completely new insight into van Gogh’s body of work. In
addition, forty masterpieces by contemporaries, from Kunstmuseum Basel’s world-famous collection, will place van Gogh’s groundbreaking approach to nature in a broader context. A multimedia introduction to the life and work of van Gogh will open up the exhibition to the general public. This makes the exhibition the most important European art event in 2009. The exhibition includes loans of van Gogh paintings from private collections and museums in Europe, the United States and Asia, some
of which have never been seen by the general public. This unique survey will be accompanied by landscape paintings by contemporaries of Van Gogh from the Kunsmuseum Basel’s world-famous collection – from Monet and Pissarro via Degas and Cézanne to Renoir and Gauguin. They will place the oeuvre of one of the most important and best-known painters in art history into a broader context. The landscapes in which Vincent van Gogh lived had a profound effect on him and on his art.
Feld mit Korngraben, Juli 1890 Fondation Beyeler, Riehen/Basel Foto: Robert Bayer, Basel
vincent van gogh 29
Olive Trees with the Alpilles in the Background, June 1889 The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Mrs. John Hay Whitney Bequest. 58.1998. Foto: © 2008. Digital image, The Museum of Modern Art, New York/Scala, Florenz
By concentrating on the landscape paintings, we learn to understand and experience Vincent van Gogh in a completely new light. In his encounter with nature he found his way, step by step, to his own artistic language and, in doing so, to a radically new freedom in painting. Thus we can see directly for ourselves how the earthy hues of the early Dutch works made way in Paris to a lighter and color-flushed style of painting. Then in the south of France, Van Gogh began to paint in the intensely luminous colours and vigorous brushstrokes that make his paintings so fascinating. During every phase of his brief productive life in Arles, as well as during his stay at the sanatorium of Saint-Rémy and finally in Auvers, he celebrated in his paintings the glory of creation. With themes such as the flower, flowering fruit trees, the wheat harvest or the reaper, he reaffirmed the eternal cycle of nature’s renewable forces. While painting outdoors in natural surroundings, the restless Van Gogh found his own voice
Summernight, 1888 Kunstmuseum Winterthur, Winterthur, Geschenk von Dr. Emil Hahnloser, 1922 Foto: Kunstmuseum Winterthur, Winterthu
and achieved a harmony and equilibrium that was otherwise so often denied to this difficult solitary. In world-famous masterpieces such as Cypresses (The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York), Olive Trees with the Alpilles in the Background, (The Museum of Modern Art, New York) or La Crau with Peach Trees in Blossom (The Courtauld Gallery, London), he reaffirmed the cycle of nature. In and with the landscapes – between earth and heaven – Vincent van Gogh became the pioneer of modernism and, like no other artist, influenced the course of painting in the 20th century. The exhibition will present an impressive panorama of Van Gogh’s world: village or river views, garden or park scenery, farmland or land already under industrial use. The exhibition ‘Vincent van Gogh – Between earth and heaven: the landscapes’ will be open from 26 April to 27 September 2009 at the Kunstmuseum Basel.
Kunstmuseum Basel The Kunstmuseum Basel is considered one of the world’s leading and oldest museums. Its collection goes back to the acquisition of a major private collection by the municipality of Basel in the 17th century. Long before princely collections were made accessible to the public in other European cities, the City of Basel had a public art collection. This unique collection ranges from the paintings and drawings by artists from the Upper Rhine region from the 15th and 16th century to modern art.
www.kunstmuseumbasel.ch www.vangogh.ch
Romantic Escape Combine your visit to this year’s leading European art exhibition with a stylish stay at the Grand Hotel Les Trois Rois: Junior Room (1 person per night) from CHF 328 Double room (2 persons per night) from CHF 538 Junior Suite (2 persons per night) from CHF 828 Suite (2 persons per night) from CHF 1353 www.lestroisrois.com
SM Magazine Spring 2009
sm fashion
SM Magazine Spring 2009
Love in Basel
It is springtime in Basel, flowers are in bloom, romance is in the air and there is a feeling of love and new things to come. This season we bring you Time in all walks of life whether a leisurely stroll with a sporty Cuervo Y Sobrinos or a beautiful black diamond Omega for a night on the town. You can be sure there is something for everyone in this time of spring.
Photographer : Sean Russel (www.saruniverse.com) Art Director: Sherry Williams Make-Up: Tamara Cottiati Models: Rahda & Richard, Option Model Agency, Zurich Location: Grandhotel Les Trois Rois, Basel love in basel 33
- HIM: Longines Admiral chronograph stainless steel, CHF 3’250.- HER: Victorinox Swiss Army Alliance Sport Chrono Lady, CHF 995 SM Magazine Spring 2009
HIM: Cuervo Y Sobrinos Torpedo Pirata Cronografo CHF 8500.-HER: Frédérique Constant Love Heart Beat Automatic, CHF 4’100.-
love in basel 35
HER: Parmigiani Kalparisma Ouranos (ref. PF601644), CHF 44’500.HIM: Parmigiani Kalpagraph Abyss (ref. PF602492), CHF 32’600.-
SM Magazine Spring 2009
love in basel 37
HIM: Oris Chronoris Grand Prix 70’s Limited Edition, 42.5 mm, CHF 3’900.HER: Paul Picot C-Type Chrono 43 mm, stainless steel & rubber, CHF 6’000.-
The Napoleon Suite at Grand Hotel Les Trois Rois: Deluxe Suite , which reminds us of a stay of General Napoleon Bonaparte (he was not Emperor of France at this stage) in 1797 at the hotel. Him and his troops marched through Basel between two war campaigns and received a glittering state reception in the “Francophile” Basel. The Napoleon Suite is a reminiscence to this unique happening. The suite is classically decorated with high end antiques and is even equipped with an original Rixheimer Tapete, a superb French silk wallpaper dating back to Napoleons days. The Suite is listed as a historic monument.
SM Magazine Spring 2009
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SM Magazine Spring 2009
Eberhard 8 Jours Grande Taille, CHF 9’360.-
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Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean Jewellery black chrono, CHF 15’100.SM Magazine Spring 2009
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sm cover story
BREAKING ALL CONVENTIONS Design, added-value content and … irony By Pascal Brandt
A blend of watchmaker’s refinements and emotional dream for Romain Jerome latest creations...
SM Magazine Spring 2009
Design, added-value content and … irony: Romain Jerome’s latest creations are a blend of watchmaker’s refinements and emotional dream Remember back to BaselWorld 2007, where Romain Jerome introduced the Titanic-DNA watch. This shocking creation generated a wide discussion on the limits of boldness within the high-end watch market. The use of steel scavenged from the sunken Titanic in association with the ship’s coal removed from the bottom of the sea did not allow either indifference or mildness. Thus the DNA of Famous Legends was born. Hate or love One hates or loves the Titanic-DNA, as it is so strong that it breaks all that has been done since the birth of the brand in 2004. The new concept replaces the Romain Jerome watches that targeted golf aficionados. From 2007, the brand switched to the “no limits” option, as was for years the Sector motto. Managing director since 2006, Yvan Arpa is the one who kicked the brand to this novel and powerful concept after years spent at Baume & Mercier, among other companies. A mathematician, Arpa is properly atypical within the watch industry and does not fear pushing the limits with the use of innovative materials and highly audacious design. When the DNA of Famous Legends concept was launched, it gave an answer to necessities and constraints that any new watch brand and company has to face to penetrate the market. The keys: definition of a powerful product and clear distinction from the thousands of watches launched each year by hundreds of established companies. Emotional impact This approach to the market is quite new and unusual. It capitalizes both on the inspiration and creation of time-measuring objects that pay tribute to the great legends of our era. This marketing channel allows Romain Jerome to give the creation a genuine historical dimension via authenticity guaranteed by legal documentation. This global dimension generates a highly emotional impact that few brands can claim.
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The DNA of Famous Legends certainly has been a big hit. The concept developed by Arpa plays the game of a taut marketing strategy. Every new creation must be powerful enough to push the boundaries of audacity, and any new model’s production must be strictly limited. This process is enhanced by a watchmaking content full of real added-value. After developing a large number of variations with the Titanic relics, Romain Jerome followed with the recent launch of Moon Dust DNA. This collection refers to the lunar adventure and integrates the dust of the moon as well as genuine relics of U.S. and Russian space capsules. One more time, the reference is strong for one of the most memorable astral expeditions during the 20th century. Strong design and irony Romain Jerome’s taste for irony within the serious watch universe does not stop with the spirit that drives the brand’s creations. The strong identity of the design obviously is central to the concept’s spirit and combines a wide range and variety of materials to dress the watch object, from gold to ceramic to carbon fiber. The apparent irony carries on to the product’s content with a complicated and sophisticated mechanism. For instance, Romain Jerome launched a double tourbillon watch without any hands! The brand has left behind the classicism conventions that rule the watch universe. It is fully aware of its watchmaker’s status, as demonstrated by its brand-new Chronographe Tourbillon, which will be presented at the Basel 2009 watch fair. The piece continues the stylistic codes of the Famous Legends with the rusted bezel. It proposes, on the other hand, a pure watchmaking content that could not be denied by the prestigious Geneva Manufacture. It would be unproductive to speculate about the next endeavors of Yvan Arpa. Legends do not lack as well, as he does not hesitate to run on paths where others don’t!
SM Magazine Spring 2009
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sm ambassadors
A Match Made In Heaven By Sherry Williams
“...captures the genuine heart-felt generosity and empathy of the couple.�
SM Magazine Spring 2009
Married in real life, the two tennis legends and Longines Ambassadors of Elegance, Andre Agassi and Stefanie Graf, have united on screen for the brand’s latest advertising campaign shot in December 2008. The previous year Andre Agassi joined the family of Longines’ ambassadors. The first spot showed the tennis star and the children supported by Agassi’s charity, the Andre Agassi Foundation. The humanitarian ideals of the famous watch manufacturer and those of Agassi have a lot in common. One year later, tennis legend Stefanie Graf also became a Longines Ambassador of Elegance. Under the dazzling Las Vegas sun a second film adventure began. Mandy Walker captures the magic of the couple’s visit to the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy.
Longines’ history is closely linked to that of sports timekeeping. As the official partner of the legendary Roland Garros tennis tournament since 2007, the brand has yet again reinforced its links with the world of tennis by choosing Andre Agassi and Stefanie Graf as its Ambassadors of Elegance. The couple share the watch brand’s values of excellence, elegance, beauty and compassion, thus the perfect embodiment of Longines’ famous slogan “Elegance is an attitude”. By supporting the two tennis legends’ charities Longines is demonstrating once again its humanitarian commitment. Early December saw the start of filming in the warmth of the Las Vegas sun with the young director Terry Hall in the driver’s seat. An advertising spot, but at
the same time a real film, it captures the genuine heart-felt generosity and empathy of the couple. The commitment of Andre and Stefanie can be clearly seen in the work that their respective foundations do to help disadvantaged children. Followed by Mandy Walker’s camera, Andre Agassi visits various classes at the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy, which is supported by his Foundation. The youngest pupils are having a drawing lesson. After a good deal of laughter, the children concentrate on their masterpieces. Agassi looks at their work closely. The budding artists don’t seem to be particularly intimidated by their famous visitor nor by the presence of the film crew. For most of them, it is actually their second experience of
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filming because they were also featured in the first film made in 2007. What is more, the children are not acting because most of the little stars are students at the school that bears Andre Agassi’s name. Mandy Walker zooms in on the tiny faces. A little girl looks at her quite openly and says “I learn effort.” A young boy says “I learn respect.” The scene changes: a lawn basking in the sun, an ancient tree. The radiant Stefanie Graf is sitting with a group of children who are also drawing. Ms. Graf smiles and casts a caringeye over the group. The children speak to the camera again: “I learn to be myself,” says one. A boy sitting next to Stefanie says “I learn to conquer my way.” Stefanie looks at his drawing and realises that he is drawing her! A portrait of Andre then appears alongside hers.
The film ends with a close-up of the couple, who announce in unison “It’s time to give a bit of your time to others” as an echo the Longines slogan appears on the screen and offers the final word: “Elegance is an attitude”. The film offers a few moments of intimacy, generosity, humanity and sharing between the Swiss watch manufacturer and its two ambassadors. About the Andre Agassi Foundation The Andre Agassi Foundation is dedicated to transforming U.S. public education for underserved youth. The Foundation drives reform by engaging in practice, policy and partnerships that provide quality education and enrichment opportunities. The Foundation’s primary beneficiary and centrepiece of its mission is the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy. Located in the most socio-economically
disadvantaged neighbourhood in Las Vegas, Nevada, the public charter school is designed to enhance students’ character, motivation, and self-discipline with individualized learning for college preparation. The Foundation is a 501(c) (3) not-for-profit public charity that was established in 1994. Learn more at www.agassifoundation.org. Children for Tomorrow Foundation Children for Tomorrow Foundation is a non-profit that provides assistance to children and families who have become victims of war, persecution, and violence by helping to heal the psychological wounds within. The Foundation was established 1998 by Stefanie Graf in cooperation with the Outpatient Clinic for Refugee Children and their Families at the University Clinics of Hamburg-Eppendor. Learn more at www.childrenfortomorrow.de/en-index.html
“The Andre Agassi Foundation is dedicated to transforming U.S. public education for underserved youth.”
SM Magazine Spring 2009
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sm haute joaillerie
Enchanting Elements... By Sherry Williams
Water, fire, ice - chimaeras and their extraordinary myths, from the end of the world to the outermost boundaries of dreams, Cartier’s fine jewellery collection exhibited at the 2008 24th Biennale des Antiquaires transforms the extraordinary into an enchantment...
SM Magazine Spring 2009
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SM Magazine Spring 2009
“Moonlit parures following the paths of a dream world. The finest Cartier high jewellery - unshackled and bursting with imagination”. ...Seventy pieces of a dreamlike mystery where creatures from an imaginary or real world, from the seas, criss-cross one another in full flight, a menagerie of chimaeras, plumed serpents and wild dragons.Cartier captures the secrecy, movement, sporadic fits of rage and entertaining facets of these timeless legends. A lyrical inventory of animal expressions where spectacular stones depict the universe, lacustrine blue opals, ribbed emeralds that reflect ocean shades, aquamarines, green beryls, sky-blue tanzanites.
mists, draped in diamond-encrusted scales fashioned into a cuff bracelet. Soft and delicate parures of Chinese dragons, a player encircled by lavender jade rings or encrusted with motherof-pearl set into a signet ring.
Enter time, colours that symbolise hot and cold, diamond peaks and padparadscha (lotus flower) sapphire flames, rare stones sourced from ancient Ceylonese mines whose weight, colour, transparency, purity and subtle orangey hues are legendary.
Magical and gentle images, such as a sea chimaera whose watery blue gaze reflects the engraved aquamarine, green, orange and blue sapphires... an aquatic melody. Emotive and awe-inspiring, like the diamond-loving fire dragon whose explosive aura Cartier has tinged with extraordinary shades of crimson, rows of spinels, rubies engraved with dragon motifs, cabochon rubellites, garnets and spessartites. A world where plants dance, leaves are in motion, held on delightful diamond wreaths suffused with tear drop rubies, yellow sapphires, orange or pink cushion padparadscha sapphires, raindrops of pearls.
A collection that is like a precious tale, a quest for the invisible, tracking beautiful mythical creatures snaking their way straight out of the
Moonlit parures following the paths of a dream world. The finest Cartier high jewellery - unshackled andbursting with imagination.
Cartier Tradition Cartier Tradition is an outstanding service aimed at collectors and connoisseurs, and making pre-1970s Cartier creations available in the fine jewellery Maison boutiques. “Egyptian pectoral” necklace The reflection of a unique know-how, a piece that makes the stylistic link between past and present, a creative confrontation where Cartier integrates antique faiences to a contemporary one. A rare and moving object that pays tribute to the influence of far-away civilizations on Cartier creations.
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sm haute joaillerie
Mysterious Luxury Photographer: Lionel Deriaz, Lausanne. Assistants: Giovanni Paolo Antonelli, JĂŠrome Boudry, Make-Up and Hair-stylist: Julie Monot, Lausanne. Stylist: Pascale Hug, Lausanne. Model: Maria, kaizenmodels.com agency. Furniture : Batiplus, Lutry
SM Magazine Spring 2009
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SM Magazine Spring 2009
LEFT: - Ballon Bleu de Cartier watch, (18-carat white gold case set with brilliant-cut diamonds (~1.03 carat), 18-carat white gold bracelet set with brilliant-cut diamonds (~6.23 carats), CHF 112,000.- Boudoir de Cartier necklace (18-carat white gold, 947 brilliant-cut diamonds (~40.98 carats), price on request). - Boudoir de Cartier earrings (18-carat white gold, 244 brilliant-cut diamonds (~11.33 carats), price on request) - Chloe dress (BongÊnie Grieder, Geneva) - Prada shoes (Anita Smaga, Geneva) ABOVE: - Chanel shoes - Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Traditionnelle 18K gold full diamonds, CHF 111’000.-
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SM Magazine Spring 2009
- Marc by Marc Jacobs shorts (Bongénie Grieder, Genève) - Céline top - Chanel shoes Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Traditionnelle 18K gold full diamonds, CHF 111’000.-
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- Jaeger LeCoultre Master Grande Tradition Tourbillon Perpétuel CHF. 138’000.- Céline top
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Audemars Piguet Collection Millenary Précieuse - Giorgio Armani sunglasses (Bongénie Grieder, Geneva) - La Perla top - Audemars Piguet Collection Millenary Précieuse watch, CHF CHF 44’000.- Audemars Piguet Collection Millenary Précieuse necklace, CHF 24’900.-
SM Magazine Spring 2009
www.mollerus.com
sm boutiques
L’ATELIER PARMIGIANI PASSING ON EXCELLENCE IN KNOW-HOW From global know-how to local expertise Haute Horlogerie according to Parmigiani Fleurier is more than a philosophy - it is about people and an incredible diversity of skills. As proof of this, there are 500 craftsmen, 50 trades, four production sites and as many regional watchmaking cultures working and shaping the identity of the Parmigiani manufacture, which is fully verticalised and now firmly established in the top-end segment of the watchmaking industry landscape. Parmigiani Fleurier laid the foundations for this over thirty years ago in the heart of Val-de-Travers; a region which, thanks to the Fleurier brand, is now able to call on age-old watchmaking skills.
SM Magazine Spring 2009
Since 2000, major industrial challenges have been met, in conjunction with the support of the Sandoz Family Foundation, the undisputed guarantor of Swiss know-how. An entire craft and industrial unit covering the watch’s core to its body has been built up (MHF: Watchmaking Manufactures of the Foundation), incorporating know-how of all types, from the rarest to the essential. From the hairspring to the train wheel, from the case to the dial, all the links come together to form a complete manufacture of irreproachable excellence in its quality. Now, this idea of respect for excellence is to be transposed so that the “Manufacture spirit” so dear to Parmigiani can be conveyed to the wider world.
The “L’ATELIER PARMIGIANI” concept is the means of reaching a wider audience and providing local expertise. A focal point of knowledge. Like an haute couture workshop, “L’ATELIER PARMIGIANI” will represent the essence of the brand, in the heart of the world’s main cities. Starting in 2009, Dubai, Hong Kong and Moscow will be the first metropolises to host a “L’ATELIER PARMIGIANI”.
Know-how: every visitor, whether simply curious, a watchmaking enthusiast or an existing customer of the brand, will be welcomed by an Haute Horlogerie watchmaking expert, with discussions, advice and assessment available. Trained in all the particularities of Parmigiani movements, and equipped for all technical scenarios, the expert will be able to offer genuine customer service. If the request is outside the field of Parmigiani itself, the expert will also be able to give advice on the best step to take. Choice: an exceptional platform for the brand, all the collections will be exhibited in full, to allow enthusiasts but also the press easy access to Parmigiani’s simple models and grand complications. Style: As an extension of Parmigiani’s headquarters abroad, the primary value of “L’ATELIER PARMIGIANI” is above all as the relay for manufacturing know-how. A centre for discussion and comprehension of the brand, it is also valuable as a support to the country’s official distribution network and as an authorised technical centre. Built to measure by Parmigiani, every detail of the fittings will be true to the spirit of the brand. The consultant watchmaker’s workbench, set in the centre of the room, will be the cornerstone of the premises.
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sm icons
King of Cool 40 Years of Legend By Noah Joseph
After its scene-stealing debut on Steve McQueen’s wrist in Le Mans, the TAG Heuer Monaco, the squarecased icon of sporting glamour that captured the spirit of an era and changed forever the face of luxury Swiss watchmaking, remains as cool and cuttingedge as ever... TAG Heuer’s classic Monaco chronograph became an instant cult favorite when it adorned the wrist of the inimitable Steve McQueen in the 1971 motorsport epic Le Mans, kicking off a new era of motorsport sponsorship, brand ambassadors and product placement in the process. Today the iconic wristwatch celebrates its 40th anniversary and unprecedented success in an age when style and substance compete for attention. Time is a precious commodity. As the world seems to turn faster with each passing day, that’s one thing that’s not about to change. But when the time of day can be obtained from your mobile phone, computer screen or microwave, the role of the analog
SM Magazine Spring 2009
wrist watch in the digital age has become as much about style as it is about substance. The style which a watchmaker conveys to the public, however, is shaped as much by perception and image as it is by how their timepieces actually look and feel. In an increasingly brand-conscious market, that image for many watchmakers is shaped by the celebrities seen wearing their timepieces in films and in sports. Brand ambassadors and product placement play a vital role in shaping a company’s public profile; for prime examples, look no further than the Omegas and Aston Martins we brought you this past fall in our special James Bond issue. Few watchmakers are as keenly aware of this
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phenomenon, however, as TAG Heuer, a company which has recruited legions of the biggest film stars – from Burt Reynolds and Charlton Heston to Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt – and top racing drivers – from Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost to Kimi Raikkonen and Lewis Hamilton – to represent the brand. Few are as keenly aware of the phenomenon because few have shaped it as acutely as TAG Heuer. But that wasn’t always the case. Forty years ago, few had even heard of the mobile phone, personal computer or microwave oven, much less had them at their beck and call. The wrist watch still performed a vital role in our everyday lives, and the notions of
SM Magazine Spring 2009
product placement and brand ambassadors hadn’t even been dreamt of yet. That’s the era which TAG Heuer is celebrating this year, and it’s where our story turns to the company’s most iconic ambassador and one of a handful of actors in Hollywood history to successfully bridge the gap from silver screen to black tarmac: the legendary Steve McQueen. The most successful actor of his time, McQueen became known in equal measure for his driving skills and love of motor vehicles. The public got a spectacular glimpse of this second side of their favorite actor from the famous chase scenes in such films as Bullitt and The Great Escape. But as exciting as those high-speed sequences proved to
be, they would pale in comparison to the octaneinfused motor racing epic that would follow. While McQueen was earning his keep on the big screen, he indulged his love for racing on the side. By 1970, he had earned the respect of even the most talented of professional racing drivers when, his leg in a cast from a recent motorcycle accident, he teamed up with American grand prix champion Peter Revson to take a class win at the 12 Hours of Sebring, narrowly surrendering an overall victory to Mario Andretti’s more powerful Ferrari 512S. McQueen considered leaving acting behind to pursue a full-time career in motor racing, and given his sheer talent, he probably could have made it. But
then he wouldn’t have shot Le Mans the following year and we wouldn’t have the ultimate pantheon of motor racing to enjoy to this day. McQueen, in his legendary rough-and-tumble bravado, insisted on doing much of the driving sequences that characterized the film himself. But even he needed help, so they solicited the talent of Swiss racing driver Jo Siffert. One of the most famous drivers ever to hail from Switzerland, Siffert took the checkered flag at several grands prix and 24hour endurance races, but in marketing and watchmaking spheres Siffert would be remembered for something ostensibly quite parenthetical: he was the first racing driver to be sponsored by a
watchmaker, his racing suit adorned by the Heuer logo. Having had more than a modest share of hands-on racing experience, McQueen wanted the film to be as authentic as possible, so he had the studio order an exact replica of Siffert’s overalls, sponsors’ logos and all. To go with the Heuer logo on his chest, McQueen would need a Heuer racing watch on his wrist, but instead of the aeronautic Autavia worn by Siffert, McQueen opted for the original Monaco chronograph. Both McQueen and Siffert were destined to leave this world long before their time. Later the same year after filming Le Mans, Siffert perished in a tragic Formula One racing accident at the Brands
Hatch circuit where he had claimed victory three years prior and to which the British Grand Prix will return this season. McQueen succumbed to a prolonged and much publicized battle with cancer nine years later. But while these two great racers who came together to film a movie died young, they jump-started a new era for TAG Heuer, for the timekeeping industry and for professional motor sports, the company’s logo and involvement in racing forever immortalized on their common racing suits and its timepieces on their wrists. Heuer’s unanticipated marketing success wasn’t the only “first” for the Monaco, however. Although the Monaco was hardly the first square watch
“...the TAG Heuer Monaco Sixty Nine Concept Watch, was presented as the first Swiss wrist-worn mechanical watch combined with a 1/1000th of a second chronograph. The brand’s first reversible, mechanical/digital watch is a daring timepiece that brings together traditional and cutting-edge in a way never seen before.”
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ever created, it was the first fully water-resistant one, pioneering a new seal system previously unseen. The Heuer Monaco also broke with convention with its unique Calibre 11 chronograph movement, the first micro-rotor self-winding chronograph movement: traditional chronographs were packaged in the usual round case, while the Monaco stood out from the crowd with its sub-dials contained in a square case. In the words of the company’s chief executive JeanChristophe Babin, “The Monaco has been imitated and, frankly, copied, but never matched!”
was all the encouragement the company needed to give the Monaco a new lease on life, and in 2003 the company released a redesigned Monaco imbued with a more modern look. The newer, more compact Calibre 12 movement allowed Heuer to slim down the case, whose sharp corners were softened slightly and capped by a domed sapphire crystal. To accompany the timeless leather wrist band, TAG Heuer also developed a new steel bracelet, characterized by seven rows of small square links to complement the unusual case shape.
Today’s TAG Heuer is a very different company from the family-owned watchmaking atelier of forty years ago. Presently the TAG Heuer catalog encompasses eight different model lines, including the motorsportthemed Monaco, Carrera, SLR and Formula 1 models, the golf-inspired Link and Golf Watch, the nautical Aquaracer and the digital Microtimer. But long before luxury purveyor Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy (LVMH) bought the company in 1999, even before the Formula One technology supplier Techniques d’Avant Garde (TAG) took over in 1985, Heuer offered only the Autavia worn by Siffert and the enduring Carrera. When the Monaco debuted with simultaneous premieres in Geneva and New York in March of 1969, the square chronograph became an instant classic. But the following year, the cutting edge already began moving into the digital age as American watchmaker Hamilton debuted the Pulsar, the first digital watch, and the Monaco eventually fell out of style.
The relaunch of the Monaco at the annual Baselworld watch and jewelry show in 2003 heralded another new direction for the Monaco as well, as TAG Heuer has chosen the classic shape as the basis for a series of concept watches that have stolen the public’s attention with a slew of innovative new features. The TAG Heuer Monaco Sixty Nine concept watch was the first Swiss timepiece with chronographic measurement down to an unfathomably miniscule 1/1000th of a second. As if that party trick weren’t enough to impress, the Sixty Nine also featured a reversible case that flipped to reveal a second, digital movement borrowed from the TAG Heuer Microtimer, giving the Sixty Nine the classic appeal of the Monaco and the high-tech utility of the latest digital watches.
The approaching new millennium, however, ushered in a renewed love for the classics. Traditional watchcraft returned to popularity as consumers gained a new appreciation for old-world craftsmanship as a mark of distinction. In 1998, TAG Heuer re-issued a limited run of 5,000 Monaco timepieces, completely faithful to the original design and bringing the classic square chronograph immortalized by Steve McQueen back to the forefront. The success of the short run
SM Magazine Spring 2009
The following year, TAG Heuer returned to Baselworld with the Monaco V4, featuring an advanced fourcylinder mechanical movement inspired by racing engines, replacing traditional gears and wheels with belts and ball-bearings in a spectacularly innovative design made fully visible through the sapphire crystal face and case-back. Three years after its unveiling in concept form in 2004, TAG Heuer returned with a further developed movement to demonstrate that the Monaco V4 was on its way to production.
In 2007, TAG Heuer came to Baselworld with yet another innovation to the Monaco formula, incorporating the company’s latest Calibre 360 Linear Second movement, putting a decidedly avant-garde twist on the classic square-cased chronograph. The Monaco Watch Grande Date followed, with an elegantly splendid elaboration incorporating 26 diamonds to accentuate the case’s right angles and another 13 diamonds adorning the watch face. After all these spectacular re-interpretations of the timeless timepiece, TAG Heuer is celebrating the Monaco’s 40th anniversary by retracing its roots with a pair of throwback classics. The Monaco Classic Chronograph features the original blue and silver motif of the watch originally worn by Steve McQueen in Le Mans, but embracing the modern improvements made to the timepiece in its 2003 re-introduction. The Monaco 1969 Original Re-edition, however, forgoes the modern Calibre 12 movement in favor of the original’s Calibre 11, produced in a limited edition of 1000 examples dedicated to McQueen and signed by the company’s chairman and figurehead Jack Heuer. As strong as the Monaco’s ties may be to the past, the best could be yet to come. As we go to print and the 2009 Baselworld show waits around the corner, the aforementioned TAG Heuer chief executive J.C. Babin hints at yet another new Monaco variant to be unveiled at this spring’s show. We’ll have to wait and bring you the highlights of the show in our next issue, but any further development of the classic square-cased chronograph promises to be as timeless and enduring a combination of style and substance as the man who propelled it to popularity nearly forty years ago.
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sm cars
On Goes The Show
Europe’s Finest Automakers Bring their Best to the 2009 Geneva Motor Show
By Noah Joseph
SM Magazine Spring 2009
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Climb in, settle down and buckle in as we hit the open road to the lakeside city of Geneva to see what the automotive industry has rolled out to tantalize us with this year. Europe’s Finest Automakers Bring their Best to the 2009 Geneva Motor Show Of all the countries in the world to host a major auto show, Switzerland would seem the least likely. While several of its neighbors are home to major carmakers, Switzerland is almost entirely bereft of this industry. And yet, for many years, the Geneva auto salon has remained the most prominent annual motor show in Europe, if not the world. What has remained a bit of an anomaly most years, however, seems to make perfect sense this time around. With the world’s economy in shambles, the automotive industry has certainly not been exempt from financial turmoil. The newspapers have, for the past year or
SM Magazine Spring 2009
so, been packed with stories of automakers posting record losses, closing factories, laying off workers, scrambling to streamline operations, trimming extraneous spending, canceling programs, changing ownership and appearing before government bodies, hats in hand. With red ink encroaching on black on balance sheets across the industry, what better place, then, to convene than in the world’s banking capital? However, as the veils lifted at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show, the world’s automakers seemed keener than ever to put their troubles behind them and celebrate the automobile in all its glory. By the time the doors will have closed this spring at Geneva’s
Palexpo, some of Europe’s – and indeed, the world’s finest automakers will have unveiled their latest concept and production vehicles, leaving us with little doubt that, financial crisis or not, the show must go on. So climb in, settle down and buckle in as we hit the open road to the lakeside city of Geneva to see what the automotive industry has rolled out to tantalize us with this year. Our road strip starts just offshore from the Continent in the United Kingdom, home to several of our favorite luxury automakers. A small carmaker by all accounts, Aston Martin astonished by unveiling no fewer than four new vehicles. The production version of the V12 Vantage showcar – the company’s smallest
model stuffed with its biggest engine – is joined by the DBS Volante, a convertible version of the GT which James Bond drove in the last two films. The One-77 project was also unveiled in full, but the big news was the revival of Aston Martin’s long-dormant Lagonda marque with a new ultra-premium crossover utility vehicle concept. Not to be upstaged, Rolls-Royce unveiled the 200EX, a concept previewing the company’s upcoming second line-up to complement the Phantom in a smaller form still exuding the Spirit of Ecstasy in every way. Bentley meanwhile showcased its approach to environmentally-friendly motoring with the Supersports, a version of its Continental GT running
on bio-ethanol that is both Bentley’s most earthfriendly vehicle to date as well as its fastest and most powerful, with 621 horsepower pushing it to 100 km/h in a blistering 3.7 seconds. Traversing the English Channel from Dover to Calais en route to Geneva, we pass through France, whose automakers have not historically fared well in their forays into luxury segments. Citroen launched the revival of its iconic DS model line with a premium hatchback targeting the Mini Cooper, while on our way towards the German border we stop in Molsheim, home to Bugatti. The Alsatian marque fetes its 100th anniversary this year, celebrating in Geneva with a unique Bleu Centenaire edition of the Veyron,
painted in a unique tone-on-tone matte/glossy French Racing Blue scheme. Crossing into Germany we visit Bugatti’s parent company Audi, whose preparations for the Geneva show brought two new model variants to life. The long anticipated TT RS fills the gap between the base TT and the top-of-the-line R8 supercar, with a 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-five driving 340 hp through all four wheels. Audi also presents an alternative to the SUV trend with the Allroad Quattro version of its A4 estate. Meanwhile former Audi motorsport director Roland Gumpert unveiled the latest Apollo Speed, a supercar capable of ludicrous performance (0-100 km/h in 3 seconds, top
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speed of over 360 km/h) in 700hp spec, with 650and 800-horsepower versions also available. Wiesmann, another German niche automaker, marked its 20th anniversary by launching the new retro-styled MF4 Roadster, complete with a V8 engine sourced from the BMW M3. Meanwhile BMW itself confounded the industry by traversing traditional market segments yet again with the 5 Series Gran Turismo concept. Billed as a “Progressive Activity Sedan”, the show-car is a cross between a sedan, wagon and sport-utility vehicle, the last project lead by departing BMW design chief Chris Bangle, whose curious work remains a source of controversy in the industry. Bavarian tuning house Alpina came to Geneva with the B7 Bi-Turbo, a performance-tuned version of BMW’s new 7 Series flagship sedan, and the B6 GT3, a radical customer racing car based on the 6 Series coupe.
SM Magazine Spring 2009
Although Porsche had been anticipated to finally reveal its upcoming four-door Panamera, in a move that undoubtedly pleased the purists, the Stuttgartbased automaker chose instead to showcase its updated 911 GT3, complete with a naturally-aspirated 435hp 3.8-liter flat-six, and lightning-quick 4.1-second 0-100 acceleration time. Across town from Porsche headquarters, Mercedes-Benz was hard at work on the latest E-Class Coupe, replacing the outgoing CLK with a two-door version of the new E-Class sedan and bearing the most aerodynamically streamlined shape in the industry. By now of course we could have crossed into Switzerland and settled in for the show, but our European tour of the latest premium automobiles isn’t quite complete yet. En route through the Alps to Italy, we pass through Austria, where the Mercedes-
Benz Geländewagen has been built for the past 30 years now. To commemorate the anniversary, Mercedes has launched a pair of special edition G-Wagens, while various aftermarket tuners prepared celebrations of their own, chief among them a 700-horsepower twin-turbo V12 version from Mercedes tuning house Brabus – certainly enough grunt to make the trek through the mountains and down into northern Italy, the country’s industrial heart and home to some of the most revered marques in the industry. Starting small, Alfa Romeo punched above its weight class with the MiTo GTA, packing a 230hp, 1.8-liter turbocharged, direct injection four in a carbon-fiber and aluminum body, complemented on the Alfa show stand by an updated version of the 159 sedan and sportwagon, due to be replaced in a couple of years
by the new Milano. Ferrari excited show-goers with two new versions of its flagship 599 GTB Fiorano: the new Handling GT Evoluzione package offers an even more dynamic suspension, while the radical 599XX jump-starts Ferrari’s latest client-test-driver program with an experimental, track-focused rolling test bed for the adaptation of Formula One technology for the road. Meanwhile arch-rival Lamborghini unveiled what promises to be the ultimate iteration of the Murcielago; called the Superveloce, Lamborghini has again applied the more power/less weight formula to dramatic effect. The famed Italian carrozzerieri weren’t about to let the factories have all the fun, though, as celebrated designer Giorgetto Giugiaro revealed the Namir design study, a hybrid rotary supercar developed with British automaker Frazer-Nash. Milanese
coachbuilder Zagato, meanwhile, teamed up with South African niche automaker Perana to debut the Z-One, quite possibly the most beautiful design at this year’s show, packing a 440hp Corvette V8 into a body that artfully combines classic design cues with contemporary styling arguably better than anything from Zagato’s recent history. Dutch supercar-maker Spyker took the occasion to unveil the production version of the C8 Aileron unveiled as a concept car at last year’s show, boasting a redesigned chassis and a more commodious rendition of its deliciously Jules Vernes-esque interior. While European automakers dominated the show, Japanese luxury brand Infiniti, which is just now entering the European market after twenty years in business, was keen to prove its mettle, teaming up with French fashion label Louis Vuitton to reveal the
“...the Stuttgartbased automaker chose instead to showcase its updated 911 GT3, complete with a naturally-aspirated 435hp 3.8-liter flat-six, and lightning-quick 4.1-second 0-100 acceleration time.”
on goes the show 79
“This year Rinspeed followed up with the iChange, a shape-shifting electric vehicle that adapts to the number of occupants on board.”
Essence concept car, an elegantly aggressive hybrid sportscar design which garnered more attention than many of its European competitors. However, after touring the best on offer from England, France, Germany and Italy, perhaps the most intriguing vehicle unveiled at this year’s Geneva auto salon was home-grown. Local innovator Frank Rinderknecht, founder of Swiss niche automaker Rinspeed, always brings something interesting to the Geneva show each year. In the Summer 2008 issue we presented you with Rinspeed’s
SM Magazine Spring 2009
last concoction, a submersible Lotus called the sQuba. This year Rinspeed followed up with the iChange, a shape-shifting electric vehicle that adapts to the number of occupants on board. Look forward to reading more about the iChange in the next issue of SwissMade magazine. The Geneva auto salon isn’t the only major car show in the world. In fact, it’s not even the biggest. Groundbreaking and heart-thumping new designs debut around the year in locations as diverse as Tokyo, Shanghai, Paris or Frankfurt and at various
shows in the United States. But with automakers dropping their participation from many of the world’s major auto expos at alarming rates, Geneva’s has emerged as the mainstay of the industry. With the latest crop of sports and luxury cars making their debut this year in Geneva, the world’s automakers have shown that it takes more than fiscal restructuring to answer the hard-driving questions of the industry’s future. And if these are the answers they’re coming up with, were lucky for it.
“the world’s automakers have shown that it takes more than fiscal restructuring to answer the harddriving questions of the industry’s future”.
on goes the show 81
sm for him
BOYS TOYS By Massimiliano Pantieri
CHOPARD
ORIS
DUBEY & SCHALDENBRAND
L.U.C. Twist
Chronoris Grand Prix 70 Limited Edition
Gran’Chrono Astro
Scarcely out of the workshop and the L.U.C. Twist is already turning heads! The asymmetrical positions of the crown at 4 o’clock and the small seconds at 7 create an amusing effect, while the identifying features of the Chopard Manufacture have been faithfully preserved: the COSC-certified movement decorated with the Poinçon de Genève hallmark along with two superposed barrels, the symbols of L.U.C. Twin technology. Not to forget the noblest of materials as befits mechanical elegance of this quality.
The brand new Chronoris Grand Prix ’70 is a tribute to the 1970’s, the golden age of automobile racing. A subtle blend of retro and contemporary Formula One, this legendary timepiece is now more powerful with a new movement, a larger case, a central second time zone, and a 10-minute countdown, all offered in British Racing Green. This is a limited, individually numbered series of 1970 pieces and each watch comes in a case with a pair of vintage racing gloves.
This imposing model adds a triple date (day of the week, day of the month, month) and moon phase function to the previous model, the Gran’Chrono. These new complications are housed in the same curved tonneau case. Shaped pushpieces have been specially designed to improve the watch’s aesthetics and guarantee optimal comfort. It took over 90 operations and 16 months to produce the final prototype of the double curvature of the case, while the exclusive guilloché dial required the same meticulous attention, a total of 85 different stages.
HAMILTON
ICELINK
MAURICE LACROIX
Ventura XXL Automatic
6 Timezone Mechanical
Masterpiece Le Chronographe Squelette
Hamilton made its mark on the world of horology by creating the world’s first battery-driven electrical watch, the legendary Ventura. Stamped with the seal of pioneers, the iconic Ventura has returned to centre stage more than a half century later in this limited-edition XXL interpretation. While it has preserved its highly emblematic triangular shape in a more generous dimension, the Ventura XXL Automatic is now powered by an automatic mechanical movement and its design has taken on a novel and futuristic identity.
The rectangular mechanical movement with its 5 time zones is a world first. Combining the creative extravagance of Los Angeles with the sophistication of Swiss savoir-faire, the jewellery watchmakers from Icelink are launching a rectangular mechanical movement that powers 5 time zones simultaneously. With its unique exterior, this new timepiece represents a “Swiss Inside” evolution of the 6Timezone range. Available in white or pink gold, with or without diamond settings, the 6Timezone Mechanical testifies to the brand’s progress in uncomplicated complexity.
Spearhead of the Maurice Lacroix manufacture, the Masterpiece line is a skilfully proportioned combination of technology, tradition and modern aesthetics. The skeleton dial, sculpted with a goldsmith’s precision, reveals all the workings of the movement, a delicate labyrinth in which the gear-trains have been refined to a bare minimum. The structure of the Chronographe Squelette, a veritable metallic sculpture, transforms the lifeless material into a living mechanism. A model that clearly belongs in this century.
SM Magazine Spring 2009
CIMIER
ALFEX
PERRELET
Retrograde
azzola Giant Alarm
Chronographe à rattrapante Louis-Frédéric
The new Rétrograde from Cimier is a real mechanical jewel! A subtly decorated automatic movement keeps the time, giving rhythm to the retrograde displays of the days and date in a choreography complemented by the power reserve at 6 o’clock.
For its 60th anniversary, Alfex has enhanced its Bernhard Russi collection with a creation that is as original as it is unusual. For the first time, a mechanical watch alarm function is activated by a disc integrated into the movement and positioned behind the dial. Produced in a limited series of 600 pieces, the remarkable “Giant Alarm” timepiece has opened up new horizons for the Swiss-Italian watchmaker in technology and design research. With its extravagant Marcus Eilinger design, this model is poised to become an icon.
Perrelet revisits its past and pays tribute to its founder’s grandson. Born in Le Locle, the young Louis-Frédéric emigrated to Paris towards the end of the 18th century. He soon caught the eye of the royal court and became watchmaker to three successive kings of France. In 1827 he applied for a patent for his invention, the split-seconds chronograph counter. Almost two centuries later, Perrelet is reinterpreting this complication in two exceptional versions: one in white and pink gold limited to 50 pieces; the other in white gold in a limited series of 27. Both feature a black or blue semi-skeletonized dial.
CUERVO Y SOBRINOS
LOUIS ERARD 1931
UNIVERSAL GENEVE
Torpedo Pirata Moonphase
Régulateur Réserve de Marche
Compax - Limited Edition
Drawing on its Caribbean roots, the Torpedo Pirata returns in a moon phase chronograph version, more defiant and triumphant than ever, with an innovative modular case in bronze, burnished/polished steel and titanium. Secret beaches, buried treasure and Caribbean islands like Cuba, Tortuga and Santo Domingo: this limited edition of 125 pieces summons up so many romantic images. A real rebel, each of its elements – from dial to case, from the prow-shaped space between the lugs to the materials - evokes the toughness and self-assurance of those notorious buccaneers.
Almost 400 years after the appearance of the regulator in the field of chronometry, Louis Erard pays tribute to this veritable symbol of precision. For the occasion, it has introduced an exclusive complication thanks to a new module developed in partnership with Soprod. A world-first and exclusive to the brand! Offering both ancestral craftsmanship and modernity, Louis Erard has pulled off a master stroke in a spirit of haute horlogerie at affordable prices.
Launched in 1936, the Compax chronograph displayed a revolutionary third chronometer counter for totalizing the hours and minutes timed. Seventy-three years – and a full history – later, Universal Genève is bringing out a version that is both luxurious and simple, contemporary and respectful of tradition, with Côtes de Genève bridges, rhodium-plated and finely sand-blasted plates, hand chamfering, and a dial featuring the star of Copernicus, in a composition with two alternating tones of anthracite creating a subtle play of light.
boys toys 83
sm travel
Paradise Found... By Susan Robinson
“Whether you are planning a wedding, a romantic couple’s trip, a family vacation or an outdoors adventure, the British Virgin Islands has everything you are searching for — and more.”
SM Magazine Spring 2009
Discover blissful tropical getaways in British Virgin Islands... Blessed by temperate weather that averages 81 degrees Fahrenheit and year-round trade winds, plus stunning natural beauty, the British Virgin Islands are known as “Nature’s Little Secrets.” Outdoor living is a way of life on the islands. Varied and intriguing natural surroundings on the 50-plus islands and cays beckon to hikers, divers, boaters and those who just want to relax on a pristine white sand beach. Tourism is a pillar of the economy, so the populace is happy to cater to your every whim and ensure a vacation to remember long after you return home.
paradise found 85
Necker Island Or Sir Richard Branson’s Private Island… Ringed by coral reefs and white sand beaches, beautiful Necker Island is Sir Richard Branson’s private getaway. And for a mere $51,000 per night, Necker can become your own private hideaway. With a maximum capacity of 28 guests, Necker consists of the nine bedrooms in the Great House and five private Balinese Houses. Necker can be hired exclusively, or you can experience a “house SM Magazine Spring 2009
party” during Celebration Weeks, when singles or couples can book individual rooms for $25,400 to $28,350 per week. Necker Island offers plenty of activities. State-ofthe-art water sports equipment and a team of instructors are provided for kite-surfing, sailing, windsurfing, waterskiing, kayaking, power boat trips and more. A fully equipped gymnasium features sea views, and two floodlit courts are available for tennis buffs. A two-hour walk around the island
affords a close-up view of the flora and fauna. The Beach Pavilion pool is located at the Main Beach and can be accessed from both land and beach sides. The freeform infinity pool features a waterfall and a swim-up bar complete with rocks in the pool where guests can sit and enjoy a drink. Those who simply desire to be pampered can spend time at the Bali Leha spa, built into a cliff overlooking the sea. If you prefer, you can take your treatment in a room or on the beach. Treatments include the
future. Don’t chase the
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Sustainable Swiss Private Banking since 1841.
The only Swiss luxury watch with a true Latin legacy
Cuervo y Sobrinos Habana SA Via Greina, 2 CH-6900 Lugano, Switzerland - Phone: +41 91 921 27 73 www.cuervoysobrinos.com
“The Great House sits on Devil’s Hill and boasts a large infinity pool and panoramic views of the Caribbean, the Atlantic Ocean and neighboring islands.”
Necker Island Facial, Healing Honey for Hands and Feet, and the Four-Handed Massage. Also available is the newly launched bamboo therapy, which is based on Asian wisdom and incorporates cupping and muscle stretching techniques. The result is a combination of relaxation and invigoration. Rates are fully inclusive of all food and beverages. Dining can be formal or informal, inside or outside, themed or traditional, or a mixture of all — it’s completely up to you! Necker stocks a fine range
of international wines, spirits and beers and an excellent house champagne. No limit is placed on the amount of food or beverages. Help yourself to anything you want at any time. The Great House sits on Devil’s Hill and boasts a large infinity pool and panoramic views of the Caribbean, the Atlantic Ocean and neighboring islands. Eight double rooms all feature a balcony (some shared), king-size beds and en-suite bathrooms. Make yourself at home in the Master Suite, which
includes an outdoor Jacuzzi and bath, and a home entertainment system. Children of all ages are welcome at Necker Island. Children’s meals can be provided any time, and babysitting is provided at an additional cost. For more information on Necker Island, visit www.necker.com.
paradise found 89
Biras Creek Resort A member of the prestigious Relais & Chateaux hotel group and one of the top luxury destinations in the Caribbean, Biras Creek Resort features 31 suites on beautiful Virgin Gorda. Accessible only by boat or helicopter, Biras Creek is on a strip of land between two hills on a peninsula. Set amid three bodies of water — the lagoon of North Sound, the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean bay — Biras is a haven for those who love water sports.
SM Magazine Spring 2009
Each cottage has two bikes for guests to use, and the beach is just a quick ride away. Swim, snorkel and sail in Deep Bay and explore the North Sound reefs. Meander through the lush gardens, work on your tennis game or take a hike. For a change in pace, just take it easy on your private patio or nap in a hammock. For the ultimate in serenity, visit the Biras Spa. Choose from treatments such as facials, wraps, massages and more, featuring locally grown
aloe and neem leaves. Unwind with the Island Cooler, Biras Creek’s signature treatment, which incorporates a tingling salt scrub, aloe, a body wrap and a soothing massage. When it’s time for dinner, peruse the four-course Prix Fixe dinner menu at the Hilltop Restaurant. At the highest point on the property, the restaurant and terrace bar provide gorgeous views of the North Sound through “open walls.” Watch the sun set and choose from award-winning European and Caribbean dishes and a selection of superb wines.
As the evening winds down, let the sound of the ocean waves lull you to sleep. In the morning, sip your coffee on your private veranda overlooking Bercher’s Bay Beach on the Atlantic side of the island.
provide shade, extends from the living room with a breathtaking view of the Caribbean Sea from the plunge pool. Each en-suite bathroom features a dressing area and a large shower with two showerheads.
The crème de la crème, the Premier Suite is a twobedroom, two-bath suite with a sitting room and a private plunge pool. The arched entry door opens into a large living area. Doors on either side lead to two identical bedroom suites, each with private access to its own outdoor furnished veranda with an ocean panorama. A third veranda, covered to
Daily rates for 2009 range from $700 to $2,500, depending on the suite and the season. Packages include the Ultimate Romance Package, the Wedding Package, the British Virgin Islands Sailaway with two nights on a sailing yacht and five nights on land, the Girlfriend Getaway, and the Family Fun Package.
For more information on Biras Creek Resort, visit www.biras.com.
paradise found 91
sm culture
Hermann Hesse at his desk, 1930’s © Editionsarchiv Volker Michels, Offenbach am Main
HERMANN
HESSE By April Boland
SM Magazine Spring 2009
“At the age of sixteen, Hermann Hesse began to teach himself from a collection of books he found in his grandfather’s library. The subjects ranged from art and literature to philosophy, history and various languages”.
Museo Hermann Hesse, library of Hermann Hesse © Fondazione Hermann Hesse Montagnola
The writer Hermann Hesse once said, “From my thirteenth year on, it was clear to me: I wanted to be either a poet or nothing at all.” These words indicate a startling level of ambition and awareness of talent in an individual so young, and yet, Hesse did go on to achieve this and much more. A Nobel Prize-winning author, Hesse was born on July 2, 1877 in Calw, a town located in Württemberg, Germany. He was then taken to Basle, Switzerland at the age of three, by his parents - his father, Johannes, who grew up in Estonia, Balticum, and his mother, Marie, who was German with a FrenchSwiss mother. At the age of sixteen, Hermann Hesse began to teach himself from a collection of books he found in his grandfather’s library. The subjects ranged from art and literature to philosophy, history and
Hermann Hesse, Certenago, 1926 Water-colour on paper © Editionsarchiv Volker Michels, Offenbach am Main
various languages. Hesse also started writing poetry during this time, fulfilling the dream he envisioned at age thirteen. In 1904, at age 26, he found success with his debut novel, Peter Camenzind, which tells the story of a young Swiss man who travels across Europe in search of meaning for his life. In the same year, Hesse married his first wife, Maria Bernoulli. The couple would eventually have three sons together. Hesse had come from a family that was intensely interested in India, a country from which he himself would draw great inspiration. His maternal grandfather studied Indian culture and both of his parents were missionaries who had spent time in India. In 1911, Hesse took a trip to the “Indian countries” Ceylon, Malaysia and Indonesia that caused him to write his epic novel, Siddhartha. Hesse was particularly
hermann hesse 93
Museo Hermann Hesse Montagnola, close-up © Fondazione Hermann Hesse Montagnola
moved by Eastern mysticism, and consequently, Siddhartha focused on the spiritual journey of a man who lived in ancient India during the lifetime and ministry of the Buddha. Its main theme is enlightenment and what it takes to achieve it. In 1919, Hesse separated from his wife, who suffered from schizophrenia and in 1923 he gained Swiss citizenship. Unfortunately, Hesse would continue to have trouble with romantic relationships, causing him to engage in three marriages total. In 1927, he published Der Steppenwolf, a highly autobiographical novel that would become known as a hallmark of modern literature. Like Peter Camenzind, this work also focused on man’s isolation and search for Hermann Hesse, Casa Rossa, 1926 Water-colour on paper © Editionsarchiv Volker Michels, Offenbach am Main
SM Magazine Spring 2009
meaning, a theme that was very powerful for Hesse. Hermann Hesse went on to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1946, one of the highest honors an author can aspire to. He passed away in his sleep in August of 1962 due to cerebral hemorrhage. Germany and Switzerland are home to three museums dedicated to his memory: the Hermann-Hesse-Museum in Calw, where Hesse was born, the Hermann-HesseHöri-Museum in Gaienhofen, where he began his family, and the Casa Camuzzi in Montagnola, where he spent his last 43 years. *Source: “Life Story Briefly Told,” Herman Hesse.
Hermann Hesse Museum
“Hermann Hesse went on to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1946, one of the highest honors an author can aspire to.” Hermann Hesse in the library of Casa Rossa, 1940’s © Editionsarchiv Volker Michels, Offenbach am Main
Opening hours:
The Hermann Hesse Museum in Montagnola offers a variety of activities. Temporary exhibitions, lectures, concerts, films, walking-tours, and weekly readings in two languages make the Museum a lively meeting point for visitors from all over the world.
Tel. 0041 91 993 37 70
bust of Hermann Hesse by Otto Bänninger, 1957 © Fondazione Hermann Hesse Montagnola
The Hermann Hesse Museum was established in the rooms of the Torre Camuzzi, in Montagnola, on the shores of Lake Lugano (Ticino, Switzerland) in 1997. This ancient tower is part of the picturesque Casa Camuzzi.
March – October : every day from 10am to 6.30 pm November – February: only Saturday and Sunday
info@hessemontagnola.ch www.hessemontagnola.ch
hermann hesse 95
sm accessories
Swiss KubiK SM Magazine Spring 2009
A brand : SwissKubiK is a Swiss brand that defines itself as “A human adventure that goes so much further than the simple creation of a concept.� Its philosophy : A vibrant desire to produce a product that combines all the experience and values of a team whose passion for watchmaking can be likened to a profession of faith. The SwissKubiK watch winder has been entirely conceived and produced in Geneva, fully respecting Swiss quality tradition, in order to satisfy the most exacting requirements imposed by the highest-quality Swiss Watch Manufacturers. The SwissKubiK watch winder distinguishes itself by its modern design, housed within the minimal space of a compact square cube 3.937 inches (10 cm), exclusively dedicated to the continuous rewinding of automatic mechanical timepieces.
Versions of the watch winder are available for 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 12 or 15 watches. Personalized special orders can also be accommodated with specific colors or materials or for a larger collection of watches. For antique watches, collection timepieces or watches with specific requirements recommended by the watch manufacturers, the SwissKubiK watch winder can be programmed using the optional USB computer interface cable. The SwissKubiK watch winder is guaranteed 3 years from the date of purchase. The SwissKubiK watch winder is available in numerous colors and materials: -
anodized aluminium leather saddle style stiching precious wood stingray skin
www.swisskubik.ch
swiss kubik 97
sm directories
Summer 2009... coming in June
Featured brands Antoine Prezluso +41 22 771 40 60 www.antoine-preziuso.com
Greubel Forsey +41 32 751 71 76 www.greubelforsey.ch
Patek Philippe +41 22 884 20 20 www.patek.com
Audemars Piguet +41 21 845 14 00 www.audemarspiguet.com
Harry Winston +41 22 716 29 00 www.harry-winston.com
Pierre DeRoche +41 21 841 11 69 www.pierrederoche.com
Balmain +41 32 942 57 41 www.balmainwatches.com
H. Moser & Cie +41 52 674 00 50 www.h-moser.com
Piaget +41 22 884 48 44 www.piaget.com
Bertolucci +41 22 756 95 00 www.bertolucci-watches.com
Hublot +41 22 990 90 00 www.hublot.com
Rado +41 32 655 61 11 www.rado.com
Blancpain +41 21 796 36 36 www.blancpain.com
Icelink +41 22 819 18 01 www.icelinkwatch.com
Rolex +41 22 302 22 00 www.rolex.com
Breguet +41 21 841 90 90 www.breguet.com
Jaeger LeCoultre +41 21 845 02 02 www.jaeger-lecoultre.com
Romain Jerome +41 22 319 29 39 www.romainjerome.ch
Breitling + 41 32 654 54 54 www.breitling.com
Jean Richard +41 32 911 33 33 www.jeanrichard.com
TAG Heuer + 41 32 319 80 00 www.tagheuer.com
Cartier +41 22 818 54 54 www.cartier.com
Leon Hatot +41 32 343 48 92 www.leonhatot.com
Tissot +41 32 933 31 11 www.tissot.ch
Cimier +41 41 720 29 29 www.cimier.com
Longines +41 32 942 57 00 www.longines.com
Ulysse Nardin +41 22 307 78 80 www.universal.ch
Chopard +41 22 719 31 31 www.chopard.com
Louis Erard +41 32 957 66 45 www.louiserard.ch
Universal Genève +41 22 719 31 31 www.universal.ch
Concord +41 32 329 34 00 www.concord.ch
Maurice Lacroix +41 44 279 1111 www.mauricelacroix.com
Urwerk +41 22 900 20 25 www.urwerk.com
Cuervos y Sobrinos +41 91 921 27 73 www.cuervoysobrinos.com
MB&F +41 22 786 36 18 www.mbandf.com
Cavheron Constantin +41 22 930 20 05 www.vacheron.ch
Delance +41 22 817 81 00 www.delance.com
Montblanc +41 32 933 88 88 www.montblanc.com
Van Cleef & Arpels +41 22 311 60 70 www.vancleef-arpels.com.com
Dewitt +41 22 750 82 13 www.dewitt.ch
Mido +41 32 933 35 11 www.mido.ch
Victorinox Swiss Army +41 32 344 99 44 www.victorinoxswissarmy.com
Dubey & Schaldebrand +41 32 937 14 30 www.dubeywatch.com
Versace +41 91 610 87 00 www.versacepreciousitems.com
Eberhard & Co +41 32 341 51 41 www.eberhard-co-watches.ch
Omega +41 32 343 92 11 www.omegawatches.com Parmigiani +41 32 862 66 30 www.parmigiani.ch
Frédérique Constant +41 22 860 04 40 www.frederique-constant.com
Paul Picot +41 32 911 18 18 www.paulpicot.ch
Zenith +41 32 930 62 62 www.zenith-watches.com
SM Magazine Spring 2009
Vincent Berard +41 32 926 16 46 www.vincentberard.ch
BASELWORLD THE WATCH AND JEWELLERY SHOW MARCH 26 – APRIL 2, 2009
WHERE BUSINESS BEGINS AND TRENDS ARE CREATED WWW. BASELWORLD.COM
H A U T E
H O R L O G E R I E
A U T H E N T I Q U E
l a collec tion
BENOÎT DE GORSKI, Genève, Gstaad • BRÄNDLI CREATION & CO, Villars-sur-Ollon ESPACE CHRONOMÉTRIE, Crans-Montana • GOLD TIME SA, Chiasso GÜBELIN AG, Basel, Bern, Genève, Lugano, Luzern, St. Moritz, Zürich GUILLARD SA, Lausanne • HAUTE HORLOGERIE SCHINDLER, Zermatt HERSCHMANN DORIS, Ascona • KIRCHHOFER AG, Interlaken • MAISSEN & CO, Klosters MICHAUD SA, Neuchâtel • ZBINDEN, Montreux • ZEIT ZONE ZÜRICH, Zürich PARMIGIANI FLEURIER SA • SWITZERLAND
www.parmigiani.com