Ode to nature

Ode to nature Grand Seiko has added to its iconic Heritage collection with a line of four watches, designed in tribute to the traditional Japanese calendar of 24 seasons.

For philosophers, nature has always been a subject for reflection on the immutability of time and contemplation of its intrinsic beauty, and that is exactly what is on offer at the Mifuneyama Rakuen park in Kyushu, located in Saga prefecture in southern Japan. The exquisite garden, created in 1845 during the Edo period, leads visitors to sacred temples and ancient trees. This year, the walk is accompanied by an exhibition staged by the teamLab collective, called “A Forest Where Gods Live, Ruins and Heritage — The Nature of Time”. In the light of this theme, it is no surprise to see Grand Seiko working with teamLab, whose artists are known for questioning our relationship with nature in a world where art meets science, and where technology collides with design. It is not the first time that Grand Seiko has supported the arts to bring a philosophical dimension to its historical activity and quest for perfection. It has held its exhibition “The Nature of Time” during Milan Design Week for the past two years, examining the passing of time and the Japanese

approach to time, notably through a mise-en-abyme of the Spring Drive, Seiko’s proprietary movement that revolutionized the industry when it was unveiled in 2004 after more than 20 years of research and development. By uniting in a single caliber the best in watch mechanisms with the ultimate precision of electronics, Seiko propelled the measurement of time straight into the twenty-first century.

Fascination with the universe True to its nature-centered approach, this year Grand Seiko offers a more poetic stance to the measurement of time by celebrating the cycle of seasons as perceived by the Japanese in the past. Before the Gregorian calendar was introduced to the archipelago in 1872, Japan used a calendar made up of 24 Sekki, which were defined by 15° sections of the solar ecliptic. Although the calendar is no longer in use, it is still part of Japanese traditions relating to the cycles of nature, a topic close to the heart of Grand Seiko. Now, the watchmaker has dedicated four timepieces to this ancient system, which have been added to its iconic Heritage collection. To create continuity, Grand Seiko has chosen to reinterpret the symbolic design of the 62GS, the company’s first self-winding watch, launched in 1967. Faithful to the original, these four seasonal watches feature a faceted case finished in the brand’s characteristic “Zaratsu” polish, and an open dial design achieved by the bezel-free architecture. For the movement, Grand Seiko has chosen the self-winding high-frequency caliber 9S85 (36,000 vibrations per hour) for the models in steel: Summer, with a vibrant green dial, and Fall, in a more contemplative blue. The titanium watches, Winter and Spring, in gleaming white to represent snow and shimmering pink for the blossoming of the new season, are powered by caliber 9R65, a Spring Drive movement with a 72-hour power reserve and an accuracy of +/- 10 seconds per month. “The new Grand Seiko timepieces pay homage to Japan’s ever-changing nature,” concludes the watchmaker. It is a source of inspiration that has resulted in instruments as reliable as the universe itself. Christophe Roulet

TAG HEUER CARRERA CALIBRE HEUER 02T TOURBILLON NANOGRAPH. TAG HEUER PRESENTS THE FIRST EVER CARBON-COMPOSITE BALANCE SPRING INSIDE THE IN-HOUSE HEUER 02T CHRONOMETERCERTIFIED TOURBILLON MOVEMENT, AND USHERS IN THE NEXT GENERATION OF TOURBILLON WATCHES.

Material world

Luxury watches are hyped as future heirlooms. Do they have the staying power?

One of the most famous slogans in the business tells us: “You never actually own a Patek Philippe; you merely look after it for the next generation.” This is the new promise of luxury, and watch companies have been working hard to make sure it is more than just a tagline. Over the past decade, they have been heading down the path of indestructibility when it comes to making timepieces. It is now possible to make a watch that will be around long enough to serve the next generation without having to be sequestered in a safety deposit box — some without even having to be serviced. Thanks to carbon, silicon, titanium and ceramics, alone or in combination with other elements or each other, watches can easily last well beyond our lifetime. Like warriors in a perpetual fight against the elements, these new super materials can withstand shocks, temperature fluctuations, magnetic fields and even the force of gravity, without ever being more than a few seconds off.

Silicon, a game-changer Gravity, magnetic fields and fluctuations in temperature are the enemies of accurate timekeeping. They cause expansions and contractions in movement components, making them speed up or slow down, and affecting their regularity. The balance spring is particularly vulnerable, hence one of the main goals of R&D departments has been to find an alternative to the various metals traditionally used. Rolex was one of the first

“What is now proved was once only imagined.” — William Blake (1757-1827)

to find an alternative. In 2000, it patented a balance spring made of Parachrom, an alloy of niobium, zirconium and oxygen that is impervious to the elements, particularly magnetic fields which are a growing problem in the age of electronic devices. It is still used today in the company’s elite movements. The following year silicon came along, and it is a game-changer. Silicon is a hard and lightweight alternative to metal that is amagnetic, impervious to temperature change and, because it has very low friction, needs little to no lubricant. It can be formed with remarkable precision — the shape is accurate to the micron — without losing strength, which makes it perfect for small components, including watch escapements. Ulysse Nardin was the first to introduce silicon components in a movement in 2001 with its Freak (the Freak X is the most recent model, fitted with the latest generation of its silicon-based movement). Around the same time, Patek Philippe, Rolex and Swatch Group formed a consortium and teamed with Centre Suisse d’Electronique et de Microtechnique to develop silicon technology, resulting in new products for all those brands. In 2005, Patek Philippe introduced its Spiromax balance spring, made of monocrystalline silicon. A year later Breguet introduced a silicon escapement, and by 2014, Rolex had introduced a Syloxi silicon balance spring. Other Swatch Group brands have since followed suit, including Blancpain, Omega, Tissot, Mido and Jaquet Droz. Last year Zenith took the technology one step further, introducing the ZO 342 caliber whose single-piece oscillator made of monocrystalline silicon replaces the entire 30-component standard regulating organ of a watch. It eliminates the need for assembly, adjustment, testing and lubrication. The ZO 342 vibrates at an unprecedented frequency of 15 Hz or 108,000 vph (vibrations per hour): that’s five times faster than the standard 28,800 vph or 3 Hz. This super high frequency means unprecedented accuracy without sacrificing amplitude or power reserve.

LONGINES CONQUEST VHP CHRONOGRAPH. LONGINES’ HISTORY WITH QUARTZ HAS BEEN ONE FULL OF TECHNICAL INNOVATIONS. AS AN EXTENSION, THE BAND PRESENTS ITS NEW CONQUEST V.H.P. CHRONOGRAPH. THE MOVEMENT DEVELOPED EXCLUSIVELY FOR LONGINES STANDS OUT FOR ITS HIGH DEGREE OF PRECISION FOR AN ANALOG WATCH (±5 S/YR) AND ITS ABILITY TO RESET ITS HANDS AFTER AN IMPACT OR EXPOSURE TO A MAGNETIC FIELD, USING THE GPD (GEAR POSITION DETECTION) SYSTEM. THESE ATTRACTIVE FEATURES ARE LIKELY RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS STATUS AS AN EXCEPTIONAL MOVEMENT, TO WHICH A VERY LONG BATTERY LIFE AND A PERPETUAL CALENDAR MUST BE ADDED.

Emerging America Since silicon technology gives watch companies an obvious competitive edge, it is not surprising that entrepreneurial Americans are getting in on the action. A team of U.S. researchers has developed a silicon balance spring that could kickstart a revival of the American watchmaking industry. The technology was developed by Firehouse Horology, co-founded by Nicholas Manousos and Kiran Shekar, who are co-CEOs of the company. They are producing the balance

springs at Columbia University’s Columbia Nano Initiative Clean Room, a micro- and nano-fabrication lab in New York City. The partners started Firehouse Horology in 2015 with a goal to “explore the future of horological nanofabrication,” says Manousos. Firehouse Horology holds patents for the new balance spring, which has been tested and validated by Swiss watchmaker F.P. Journe. Journe installed a series of the balance springs in his movements and put them through a battery of tests. Results confirmed that they perform to ISO 3159, the industry standard. “The biggest challenge we faced was convincing people that we were actually making balance springs ourselves in New York City,” says Manousos. “We view this as an opportunity. The United States used to be a world leader in horological manufacturing, and there is no reason why we cannot get back to that with some determination and hard work.” On its side, the Swatch Group recently led another charge in the race to improve watch escapements with the introduction of nivachron, a titanium-based alloy that is resistant to variations in temperature, shocks and aging. Case material is another crucial factor in durability and value retention. When a watch sells at auction or elsewhere on the secondary market, condition is an important value factor. A scratched case is a drawback, but a repolished case is even worse, and can shave up to a third of the value off a vintage watch. Today’s collectors prize original condition above all. A watch designated as a future heirloom or an investment should be strong enough to be worn and enjoyed by its present owner, which means it should resist scratches, shocks, water and other elements that can give it an unattractive patina or wreck the

insides. Gold and steel have good properties, but they scratch, so the goal has been to find alternatives. Several companies, including Hublot, Rolex, Omega and Chopard, have simply improved their gold alloys by adding elements such as ceramic, titanium, palladium, platinum or extra copper to make them harder and more scratch-resistant. IWC has just introduced what it calls “hard gold,” a red gold alloy with a modified microstructure to obtain a hardness of 320 Vickers; that’s almost twice that of ordinary gold. Ceramic, which was made popular in the 1990s by Chanel, and by Rado before that, is evolving as a strong alternative to gold and steel, either alone or in combination with other alloys. Rolex uses a proprietary ceramic — cerachrom — on the bezels of its sports watches. Titanium is another strong contender: it is 50% lighter than steel but 30%

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I · ULYSSE NARDIN FREAK NEXT. THIS PROTOTYPE WATCH, A SHOWCASE FOR ULYSSE NARDIN’S TECHNOLOGICAL EXPERTISE AND THE FLEXIBLE SILICIUM BLADE TECHNOLOGY IN PARTICULAR, SETS THE TONE FOR A NEXT GENERATION OF FREAK MODELS. THIS NEW CHAPTER IS COMBINING ALL THE MOST ICONIC INNOVATIONS OF THE FREAK VISION MODEL WITH AN EXTRAORDINARY NEW 3D FLYING OSCILLATOR. II · PIAGET ALTIPLANO ULTIMATE AUTOMATIC 910P. THIS ALTIPLANO ULTIMATE 910P IS A LESSON IN ULTRA-THIN AT A MERE 4.3 MM HIGH. THE SECRET LIES IN ITS CONSTRUCTION: THE CASEBACK DOUBLES AS THE MAINPLATE FOR THE 219 PARTS IN THE AUTOMATIC MOVEMENT. VITAL MILLIMETRES HAVE BEEN SHAVED FROM THESE PARTS. III · TONNEAU DE CARTIER DUAL TIME SKELETON. RECENT YEARS HAVE SEEN CARTIER RETURN TO SOME OF ITS MOST ICONIC STYLES. INTRODUCED IN 1906, TWO YEARS AFTER THE SANTOS, THE TONNEAU ALSO BROKE THE MOULD IN AN ERA OF POCKET WATCHES. THE SKELETON DUAL TIME MODEL SHOWN HERE IS PURE CARTIER STYLE. IIII · HUBLOT BIG BANG MP-11 CARBON. RENOWNED FOR ITS EXPERTISE IN MACHINING HIGH-TECH MATERIALS, HUBLOT HAS MADE THE CASE OF THIS BIG BANG MP-11 IN 3D CARBON. THE MOVEMENT IS ON A PAR, WITH SEVEN SERIES-COUPLED BARRELS AND AN IN-LINE INDICATOR COUNTING THE 14 DAYS OF POWER RESERVE.

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V · GIRARD-PERREGAUX BRIDGE COSMOS. LUMINESCENCE AND DEPTH ARE INHERENT TO THIS NEW TIMEPIECE FROM GIRARD-PERREGAUX. THE TERRESTRIAL GLOBE AT 3 O’CLOCK SHOWS A SECOND TIME ZONE WITH A DAY/NIGHT INDICATION. AT 9 O’CLOCK, THE CELESTIAL GLOBE COMPLETES ONE ROTATION IN 23 HOURS, 58 MINUTES AND 4 SECONDS — THE PRECISE LENGTH OF A SIDEREAL DAY. VI · AUDEMARS PIGUET CODE 11.59 TOURBILLON OPENWORKED. THIS MODEL HOUSES THE UNIQUE HAND-WOUND CALIBRE 2948. THE CONTRAST CREATED BETWEEN THE 18-CARAT PINK GOLD CASE AND THE DARK OPENWORKED RHODIUM GERMAN SILVER MAINPLATE AND PVD BRIDGES ACCENTUATES THE MOVEMENT’S ARTISTRY.