THE WATCHES MAGAZINE #46 Autumn edition by THE WATCHES MAGAZINE

Swiss International Magazine Autumn 2016 #046 Interviews Pierre & Carole Dubois - Chadi Nouri Gruber - Guest Eileen Hofer

English Edition

Breguet

A jou r n ey b ack in time Alpina - Breguet - Breitling - Bvlgari - Cartier - Certina - Chopard - Cuervo y sobrinos - Frédérique Constant - Girard-Perregaux Glashütte Original - Graham - Hermès - IWC - Jaeger-LeCoultre - Longines - Louis Erard - MB&F - Mido - Nomos - Omega - Oris - Patek Philippe Piaget - Richard Mille - Rolex - TAG Heuer - union Glashütte - Vulcain - Zenith suisse: 10 francs FRANCE MéTRO: 7 EuROs - BEL/LuX/POLAND: 8 EuROs - uK: £8 - A/D/GR//PORT.CONT: 8,40 EuROs - CAN: 11,95 $CAN - usA: 14,99 $us

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C ove r wat Ch

Breguet type XXI 3817 By Sharmila Bertin

he new Type XXI 3817 model epitomises the symbiotic and historic union between watchmaking and aviation and the genius watchmaker AbrahamLouis Breguet ( 1747-1823 ) and the aeronautic mind of his great-great grandson Louis Charles Breguet ( 1880-1955 ). This characterful timepiece has embraced period design and modern technology. The slate grey dial is inspired by the first pilot watches with large hour markers in luminescent Arabic numerals. A pair of wide phosphorescent hands track the hours and minutes in the centre whilst a central seconds hand and openwork diamond-tipped hand count down the chronograph seconds and minutes respectively. The hours appear in a subdial at 6 around the date display and the seconds tick down at 9 opposite the day / night indicator at 3.

The 42 mm steel case has a bezel that rotates both ways and fine notches on the body. It houses the self-winding Breguet Cal. 584Q/2 movement that fuels the hour, flyback chronograph and date functions and the 48-hour power reserve.

THE WATCHES MAGAZINE

autumn 2016

Grande Seconde Dual Time Silver, ref. J016030240 Silver opaline dial and applied ring. Stainless steel case. Large seconds, reference time and date display with hand at 6 oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;clock. Self-winding mechanical movement. Power reserve of 65 hours. Diameter 43 mm.

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E DIT OR IAL

Back to school !

n most western countries, September means back to school for children and back to work for us after a few weeks of well-earned holidays. Returning to work and reconnecting with the professional world with a clear and rested head full of memories of beach and mountain getaways paves the way for new challenges, new ideas and new creations. Most watch brands have also taken a summer break known as “ watchmaking holidays ” in Switzerland. They have 2 to 4 weeks off depending on the company and the factories come back to life in late August. Creativity courses through their veins like sweet sap running through a tree. Watches unveiled at the SIHH and Baselworld will hit the international markets in September. They are available in store, your favourite retailer and maybe even on certain brands’ online shops. As I write I can picture my doctor’s happy face (September is also the time to check the cogs are working properly before getting back to real life) whose wrist was recently treated to a new watch unveiled in Basel and bought a few days before. I can picture the pride in his eyes and emotion in his voice when he told me the shop had called to tell him his longanticipated timepiece had arrived and he’d gone out to buy it between appointments. His story was like a declaration of love for his new watch and gave me a motivational boost to tackle returning to work. The brands will unveil the fruit of months of work in September. After a few weeks of silence, new timepieces will suddenly appear in the pages of specialist magazines and social network newsfeeds. You’ll want to find out about them, see them, touch them and try them on. As excitement grabs the general public, another form of excitement bubbles up in brands taking on new projects to be revealed at the end of the year or next year at watch fairs. And lo, creativity gets a second spring in early autumn.

Sharmila Bertin Editor-in-Chief

THE WATCHES MAGAZINE

autumn 2016

Gu e st The Watches Magazine invites a new guest writer to share their vision of time in each issue.

“ I’ve made time my most precious asset ”

Eileen Hofer Film director, journalist and blogger / eileenexpresso.com

s a little girl I would hop up and down and tap my feet all year long waiting for Christmas to come. Why ? To unmask the mysterious bearded old man who always got my presents wrong.

Over the years I realised that there was no such thing as Father Christmas but I carried on tapping my feet with the same impatience. I’m no materialist. I never have been and I couldn’t care less about owning the latest car model. To prove it, I ride around in an old heap of rust that I use as a bike. I’ve made time my most precious asset. For example, I can’t stomach wasting an evening in bad company. I’m now a film director. Since I like spontaneity and speed, I hold my independence dear to my heart and am always in a mad rush. In the Swiss cinema world, you send your project and wait 3-4 months for an answer. I’m faithful to my impatience so in those four months I’ve taken a plane, got the funds and made the film. Lately I’ve been targeting more reactive private support so I don’t have to wait forever for my artistic projects. Now I am supported by UBP Bank, Nespresso and Jaeger-LeCoultre. I’ve become friends with the watch brand that’s intrinsically linked to cinema. Maybe because we have the same passion and we understand the importance of time.

I always want to do everything at once so I have two other careers : I’m a journalist for the written press and in charge of PR for a Genevan palace. The only time I allow myself to press pause is on intercontinental flights. I have 12 hours where I can eat sweets and watch 5 films. Last time I smiled when I saw the little girl next to me. She was tapping her feet whilst watching a cartoon. We were flying over the ocean and Father Christmas was giving out presents on her small screen. I pictured her planning a Machiavellian way to unmask him herself. That day I was grabbed by nostalgia. What good is it to skip things and go ever faster ? The next day in Washington I was to present my latest feature film at a gala hosted by the Swiss Embassy. Instead of rushing, I sat on a bench and watched the clouds change shape in the blue sky. It did me the world of good.

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MP-05 LaFerrari Sapphire. Case made of sapphire, paying tribute to Hublot's extensive expertise. The absolute transparency reveals the tourbillon movement with a world-record 50-day power reserve. A high-tech design developed with Ferrari. Limited edition of 20 pieces.

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INSIDE

30 Cover Story Breguet

9 10 18 20 22 26 30

Editorial Guest Eileen Hofer We love Vintage spirit We love Vintage spirit Trends The Eye of Jewelry Cover Story Breguet

40 44 48 52 54 56

Richard Mille Piaget Jaeger-LeCoultre Omega Cartier Interview Pierre et Carole Dubois THE WATCHES MAGAZINE

autumn 2016

60 Interview Chadi Nouri Gruber 63 MÃ©tiers d'art 66 Campus Genevois de Haute Horlogerie 68 Alpina / Breitling 69 Certina / Chopard

CALIBRE RM 35-02 RAFAEL NADAL

78 Rue du Rhône 1204 Genève - Tel. : +41 22 810 85 73 • Grand Hôtel Kempinski, Quai du Mont Blanc 19 1201 Genève - Tel. : +41 22 732 20 22

INSIDE

63 Métiers d'art

70 Cuervo y Sobrinos / Frédérique Constant 71 Girard-Perregaux 72 Glashütte Original / Graham 73 IWC / Jaeger-LeCoultre 74 Louis Erard / MB&F 75 Mido / Nomos

76 Omega / Oris 77 Patek Philip / Rolex 78 TAG Heuer / Union Glashütte 79 Vulcain / Zenith 80 Facts 82 Opinion THE WATCHES MAGAZINE

autumn 2016

IMPR E SSU M

Swiss International Magazine Automne 2016 #046 Interviews Pierre & Carole Dubois - Chadi Nouri Gruber - Guest Eileen Hofer

WElCOME TO THE WOrld OF WATCHES www.watches-news.com Édition francophone

Breguet

U n v o y a g e à t r a v e r s l e t e mp s Alpina - Breguet - Breitling - Bvlgari - Cartier - Certina - Chopard - Cuervo y sobrinos - Frédérique Constant - Girard-Perregaux Glashütte Original - Graham - Hermès - IWC - Jaeger-LeCoultre - Longines - Louis Erard - MB&F - Mido - Nomos - Omega - Oris - Patek Philippe Piaget - Richard Mille - Rolex - TAG Heuer - union Glashütte - Vulcain - Zenith suisse: 10 francs FRANCE MéTRO: 7 EuROs - BEL/LuX/POLAND: 8 EuROs - uK: £8 - A/D/GR//PORT.CONT: 8,40 EuROs - CAN: 11,95 $CAN - usA: 14,99 $us

Rédaction/Edition ACE Publishing SA Direction/Management Alain Carrier acarrier@ace-publishing.com Rédactrice en chef/Editor-in-Chief Sharmila Bertin sbertin@ace-publishing.com Designer graphique/Graphic designer Célia Sozet Contributeurs/Contributors Tiffany Cartier-Millon - Fabrice Eschmann Mickael Gautier - Eileen Hofer - Serge Panczuk - Eléonor Picciotto Publicité/Advertising ACE Publishing SA Alain Carrier acarrier@ace-publishing.com Yannick Ortolan yortolan@ace-publishing.com T +41 22 752 60 12 Traduction/Translation Atenao www.atenao.com Impression/Printing Brailly

Distribution Marchés principaux/Major markets Suisse, France, Allemagne, Royaume-Uni, États-Unis Autres pays/Other countries Abu Dhabi, Andorre, Australie, Autriche, Belgique, Brésil, Canada, Dubaï, Grèce, Hong Kong, Koweït, Maroc, Pologne, Portugal, Russie, Singapour, Taïwan, Thaïlande, Turquie, Ukraine

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Kiosques/Kiosks Suisse: Naville SA & Valora AG - France: MLP - Export: Export Press Abonnement/Subscription Dynapress Marketing SA Avenue Vibert 38 - CH-1227 Carouge/Genève T +41 22 308 08 08 - abonnements@dynapresse.ch Édité 4 fois par an/Published 4 times a year Mars-March/Juin-June/Septembre-September/Décembre-December En 4 langues/In 4 languages Français-French/Anglais-English/Allemand-German/Chinois simplifié-Chinese ISSN: Français1664-8048/Anglais1664-820X/Allemand1664-8056 ACE Publishing SA Principal actionnaire/Major shareholder Alain Carrier Route de Thonon 152A - CH-1222 Vésenaz/Genève T +41 22 752 60 12 - F +41 22 752 60 14 N° TVA CHE-112.276.791 TVA - REF 618 137 La reproduction des articles parus dans THE WATCHES MAGAZINE est interdite sous toutes ses formes, sauf autorisation écrite de l’éditeur. Any form of reproduction of articles published in THE WATCHES MAGAZINE is prohibited without the prior written consent of the publisher.

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autumn 2016

HERMÃ&#x2C6;S BY NATURE

Hermes.com

WE LOVE VintagE Spir it

ZENITH

El Primero 36,000 VPH Classic Cars By Sharmila Bertin

egendary cars, vintage leather seats, growling engines : curvaceous Classic Cars are the stuff that dreams are made of for speed freaks, vintage car enthusiasts and those who love beautiful things. Le Locle’s Zenith has joined forces with the world of stylish cars and put it in the spotlight with the El Primero 36,000 VPH Classic Cars. The anthracite dial has the “ engine ” design with wide brushed horizontal stripes and the collection’s three classic colours on the counters which all have red hands : light grey for the small seconds, petrol blue for the minute counter and chronograph at 3 and dark grey for the hour counter at 9. The hours and minutes are tracked from the centre as are the chronograph seconds with a red hand topped by a luminescent rectangle. The 42 mm steel case houses the powerful self-winding El Primero 400B calibre.

THE WATCHES MAGAZINE

autumn 2016

WE LOVE VintagE Spir it

LONGINES Heritage 1969 By Sharmila Bertin

he Heritage collection plucks vintage models from the brand’s archives, some of which are currently at the Longines Museum in Saint-Imier. One of them is the new Heritage 1969 inspired by a model from the late 1960s whose design oozes 70s style with its square shape and smooth lines. Its shiny cushion-shape steel case has curvy lugs and measures 36 x 36 mm. The self-winding L888.2 movement brings to life the time and date functions alongside the 64-hour power reserve. The brushed silver dial has an hour rim with a slim black minute track and rose gold “ applied ” markers. The warm gold also coats the batonshape hour, minute and seconds hands in the centre whilst a black-onwhite date display lies at 4.30.

THE WATCHES MAGAZINE

autumn 2016

The Watch for Presidents. 50s PRESIDENTS’ WATCH TRADITION Stainless steel case, 42 mm Grained beige with pink indexes dial Center hour and minute, alarm at 4 o’clock, second at 8 o’clock Vulcain Cricket Manufacture Calibre V-40 with alarm Power reserve 52 hours Manufacture des Montres Vulcain S.A. - Chemin des Tourelles 4 - 2400 Le Locle - Switzerland - Tel +41 (0)32 930 80 10 - info@vulcain-watches.ch - vulcain-watches.com

T R E NDS

Watchmaking in all its glory By Sharmila Bertin

et’s be honest, even if it gets me a slap on the wrist: watch shops all look the same. The atmosphere, product range and layout may differ slightly from one place to the next but in general, they’re all pretty similar. You go in, you get a hello, you look at the watches, you try them on then, for the lucky ones among us, you go home with one. From that point of view, La Maison de l'Horlogerie on Geneva’s left bank is revolutionary. It’s more than your ordinary shop; it’s a concept store which the two brothers behind the project, Alain and Olivier Guttly, can be proud of. La Maison de l'Horlogerie is first and foremost a family saga and future legacy. You just have to step into the store to realise it: you get a warm welcome and the shop is divided into several sections like a house. Watch brands chosen by the Guttlys appear in the Boutique section. There’s a wide range of timepieces to suit a large

number of clients with models by brands from Hermès and Vulcain to Oris and Perrelet. There are classic and trendy models alongside watches with complications and diamond timepieces in the jewellery range. After exploring the contemporary models, venture down a wide stone-walled corridor: welcome to the Gallery hosting watch exhibitions. When we visited, Longines was exhibiting a retrospective with vintage watches and advertising posters. This section then leads into the cosy Book Store where two soft armchairs await visitors who want to flick through the watch publications in the library, buy them or just sit down and admire their surroundings. Tall displays mark the entrance to the Workshop and Watch Trade, two services provided by Alain and Olivier’s former Au Vieil Horloger shop which restores and resells watches and jewellery. Clients can bring their items ( be they vintage or new ) to resell so they can buy, exchange or display them.

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autumn 2016

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T R E NDS

Last but not least, the launch of the Swiss Made bar and grill is scheduled for autumn and if you want to get in, you need to go through La Maison de l'Horlogerie. Naturally, it will only serve Swiss produce to keep the watchmaking experience alive in the kitchen. The concept of La Maison de l'Horlogerie seems obvious but no-one thought of it before! Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the brainchild of Alain Guttly, the maestro who supervises building work, runs a sales team and meets clients all with a smile on his face !

THE WATCHES MAGAZINE

autumn 2016

The e ye of Je we lry

Bvlgari

Vintage is the new modern By Eléonor Picciotto

hen you look at vintage ladies’ watches, you realise what femininity was all about. Real femininity. The curves, colours, style and size. Everything was more delicate and simpler. The watches ran off batteries with buckle straps and gemstones. Nowadays a vintage timepiece is grandma’s watch whose dial is so small you can’t tell the time. But often they’re unique pieces whose sentimental value is priceless. The vintage watch is more a piece of jewellery than a timepiece. Sometimes paved with antique-cut stones or made using a long-dead technique, some are lucky enough to pop up at auction whilst others are lost forever… until the day… What is vintage ? When you ask the ultimate watch expert Aurel Bacs to define vintage trends, his answer couldn’t be clearer. First you have to understand that quality isn’t a trend. Everything changes but quality doesn’t! With vintage there are trends in terms of looks, fashion and style but the biggest trend is the quest for quality. Quality in our industry is rarity, historical importance, condition, originality and provenance. These features all make a piece what it is, they’re part of it and won’t ever go away. Once we decided that Mozart was important, he stayed that way …

Which brands regularly appear at auction? Piaget is a real auction regular, especially its ladies’ cuffs and watches. At the Phillips sale in Hong Kong and the one in Geneva in May, a classic 1973 Oval piece (a signature Piaget with a ruby dial on white gold with marquise-cut diamonds and rubies) sold for 20,200 CHF despite its estimate being 9000-11,000 CHF. It’s rare to see a Piaget gemstone cuff but the sapphire and diamond 164 model on yellow gold drops in the Phillips catalogue sold for 70,000 CHF, double the estimate. The stylish Patek Philippe wristwatch covered in lapis lazuli from the dial to openwork strap sold for its top estimate at Christies New York: $15,000. Where can you find vintage pieces for women? Aside from the major auction houses, Crésus, Chrono24 and Collector Square have an extensive range of relatively vintage watches. What’s different about Collector Square which opened in May on Boulevard Raspail in Paris is its specialist service in a 600m² showroom. Loic Bocher and Nicolas Orlowski (CEO of Artcurial) got the idea of breathing new life into luxury items, watches and jewellery. Ranging from modern vintage to classic, Collector Square constantly updates its range with the help of a watch expert.

THE WATCHES MAGAZINE

autumn 2016

Calibre Maison Eterna 3916A

SU P ER KO N T I K I C HRO N O GR AP H SPECIAL EDITION

eterna.com

The e ye of Je we lry

28 Piaget

Patek Philippe

Although there are fewer women going to auction than men, Aurel Bacs believes that “it would be so much more fun if women took over from these hungry wolves. It would be more fun and intellectual.” It would destroy the image of the harpy clinging to her prize for fear someone else will snatch it. A Café Society feel for the modern age.

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Darwel

EmbracE timE Our story, our brand, our passion. carole & Pierre Dubois

carole and Pierre Dubois. a love story that gives a unique beat to their lives and their watch creations. Pictured here, two his and hers world-exclusive royal retro models with their six dancing retrograde seconds hands. PiErrE DErOchE - LE rEvErs 1 - 1345 LE LiEu - switzErLanD - t. +41 21 841 11 69 - www.PiErrEDErOchE.cOm

Cove r st ory B r e GU e t

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Type XXII 3880

THE WATCHES MAGAZINE

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Cove r st ory B r e GU e t

Breguet-Richet Gyroplane No.2a

Breguet’s wings : a journey back in time By Sharmila Bertin

hen watch enthusiasts think about Breguet, what springs to mind is Abraham-Louis Breguet, his revolutionary timekeeping inventions, his seamlessly designed timepieces and renowned clients. However, Breguet is a name that’s part of our history as the family is full of great inventors in various industries who have taken the world forward in science, engineering and technology. The fate of an illustrious legacy Despite being both French and Swiss, the family name now famous for watchmaking first appeared in the 16th century in the Neuchâtel region. The word “genius” didn’t appear alongside it until the 18th century. Abraham-Louis Breguet ( 1747-1823 ) made watchmaking a science, playground and hotbed for engineering that gave rise to fabulous inventions such as the gong-spring on repeating watches, tourbillon and updating so-called perpetual watches to name but a few. He was succeeded by his son Antoine-Louis Breguet ( 1776-1858 ) who designed marine chronometers.

His descendants all went their own way: Louis-Clément Breguet ( 1804-1883, Abraham-Louis Breguet’s grandson and Antoine-Louis Breguet’s son ) was a watchmaker and physician. In 1870 he left the watchmaking workshop founded by his grandfather to one of his employees, Edward Brown. Louis-Clément Breguet invented the dial telegraph, was a member of the Science Academy in 1874 and appears alongside the great names engraved in gold on the front of the Eiffel Tower facing Avenue de La Bourdonnais in Paris’ 12th arrondissement. His son, Antoine Breguet ( 1851-1882 ), was a polytechnic student who brought the Bell telephone to France. He left two sons when he died at the age of 31: Louis Breguet ( 1880-1955 ) who had just turned 2 and his little brother Jacques ( 1881-1939 ). Louis Breguet : the aviation visionary Louis Breguet was born on January 2nd 1880 on the left bank in Paris ( the 6th arrondissement to be precise ) and is the fifth generation of the family since his great-great grandfather Abraham-Louis Breguet came to France over a century

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Breguet-Richet Gyroplane No.1

Production line

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Cove r st ory B r e GU e t

Louis Breguet ( 1936 )

earlier in 1762. After his father’s premature death, he grew up in a mainly scientific environment before enrolling at the prestigious Supélec engineering school in the 15th arrondissement. The engineer graduated in 1903 and he soon turned his attention to aviation by designing an aircraft with rotating wings and vertical lift in 1907: the gyroplane, the helicopter’s ancestor. The flying machine was inspired by a Jules Verne novel ( 1828-1905 ) published in 1886: “ Robur the Conqueror ”. The sci-fi tale tells the story of people on board a craft with rotating wings called the “ Albatross ”, the airborne equivalent of the Nautilus. Louis Breguet joined forces with his polytechnic brother Jacques Breguet and aviation enthusiast friend Charles Richet ( 1850-1935 ) in 1905 to design a gyroplane called Breguet-Richet N°1. The quadrotor with a 45HP engine and 32 wings was first trialled in spring 1907. By late summer that year, the manned craft managed to fly 60cm then approximately 1.5 m off the ground for 1 minute. The world first was praised in a newsletter by the Science Academy.

A second reduced-wing gyroplane with a tiller launched in 1908 followed by a second model in 1909 : the Breguet-Richet N°2. Although he firmly believed in the future of vertical lift, Louis Breguet stopped working with his brother and Charles Richer as gyroplanes were costly and complex to make. He then turned his attention to first making biplanes then monoplanes. Wartime aviation Louis Breguet passed his pilot test in 1910 and founded his own company a year later called the Société anonyme des ateliers d'aviation Louis Breguet. The first Breguet-designed plane in 1909 beat a speed record in 1911. The company mainly made biplanes with two parallel wings on top of each other, monoplanes with a single pair of wings and hydroplanes to land and take off on water. Four planes ( mainly biplanes, single seaters and single engines ) were manufactured for military purposes in the aircraft manufacturer’s workshops between 1909 and 1913 before World War I : the Breguet Type II in 1909, Breguet

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autumn 2016

Breguet XIV planes

35 Type III in 1910, Breguet Type R.U1 in 1911 and Breguet Aerhydroplane hydroplane in 1913. Most of them were intended for European armies such as the French, British, Belgian, Swedish, Spanish and Russian and soon became tactical military tools. Throughout World War I, Louis Breguet’s company made seven types of plane including the famous Breguet Type XIV from 1916 ( almost 8000 were made ). The bombardier was also used for reconnaissance and was a fast biplane seating two pilots. The Breguet Type XIV was ideal for precise strategic bombing and made the aviator world famous as his bravery during a reconnaissance flight in 1914 saw him awarded the French Cross of War.

that would affordably transport dozens of people, fly at an altitude of several miles and connect the world in a matter of hours. However, he went back to his first loves in 1932: the gyroplane and vertical lift. He joined forces with two engineers and employees in his company: René Dorand ( 1898-1981 ) who he’d been working with for 7 years and new employee Maurice Claisse ( 1905-1986 ). They collaborated between 1935 and 1936 to design the Breguet-Dorand gyroplane, a coaxial helicopter fitted with an overlaid double rotor which beat world speed, altitude and flight duration records. Two years earlier, in 1933, Air Union merged with four competing companies to become Air France making Louis Breguet a founding member of the French national company.

Wings of the future Louis Breguet supplied planes ( mainly the Breguet Type XIV ) to the French airmail service from 1919 and founded Compagnie des messageries aériennes in 1921 to transport post then passengers. As a renowned aviator, his greatest aeronautic feat was the Breguet XIX : over 2000 of the ultralight twin-engine two-seater biplane were made between 1922 and 1924. Compagnie des messageries aériennes opened new doors and fuelled civil aviation with commercial flights connecting Paris to Le Havre ( 1921 ), Paris to Marseille and Lyon to Geneva ( 1922 ). A year later the company merged with Compagnie des grands express aériens to form the Air Union group. The late 1920s saw new routes launch including some with stopovers. The visionary Louis Breguet imagined the plane of the future

From the wrist to the stars Although the Paris workshop founded by Abraham-Louis Breguet in 1775 was sold by his grandson Louis-Clément Breguet in 1870 to Edward Brown, the British watchmaker, Louis Breguet had a good relationship with Henry Brown and his son George who succeeded Edward Brown. Not only did he stay in touch with the watch brand but he also became a regular client from 1922 as proven by sales ledgers at the time. There were frequent orders for timekeeping instruments designed especially by Breguet the watchmaker for Breguet the aviator. 1952 saw the launch of the first steel chronograph model fitted with the so-called flyback function to reset and restart the chronograph counters instantly without constant handling and time wasting. Louis Breguet’s aeronautics company

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Cove r st ory B r e GU e t

Breguet 531 Saigon transport hydroplane

36 bought one of these new timepieces. Two years later in 1954, the chronograph was named Type XX after the planes manufactured by Louis Breguet. The solid watch with large Arabic numerals and wide luminescent hands for easy timekeeping was sculpted to fit French Air Force pilots. After overcoming the feats of the gyroplane, civil aviation and military aviation to revolutionise the skies, Louis Breguet died in 1955 aged 75. His aeronautics companies ( renamed Breguet Aviation ) were taken over by French businessman Sylvain Floirat ( 1899-1993 ) after the aviatorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s death then the French engineer and entrepreneur Marcel Dassault (18921986) in 1967.

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Chronique des Avions Louis Breguet ( 1930 )

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Type XX ( 1954 )

A legend between heaven and earth

By Sharmila Bertin

he eponymous watch brand launched in Paris in 1775 by Abraham-Louis Breguet and run by the Brown family for a century ( 1870-1970 ) turned its attention to watches designed especially for pilots in the 1950s. The first model of the steel chronograph designed for aeronautics was bought and tested by Louis Breguet in 1952 but it wasn’t until 1954 that the workshop bid on a tender from the War Ministry ( now the Ministry of Defence ) despite supplying the US Army since 1918 and the French aircraft manufacturer since 1922. The specifications were clear: the watch had to be easy to read, sturdy, easy to handle with a power reserve of at least 35 hours ; a real mechanical instrument with every pilot’s must-have flyback function worn on the wrist or screwed to the cockpit dashboard like in the 1920s. The watch was named Type XX in tribute to Louis Breguet’s aircrafts and approved by the French State. Over 2500 timepieces were provided mainly to the French Airforce who chose a model with a 30 minute counter whilst the French Naval Aviation department opted for one with an anti-magnetic internal container and 15 minute counter. The Type XX couldn’t look more different to classic Breguet

watches. It doesn’t have a pale engine-turned dial, hour rim with Breguet numerals or slim blue openwork “ pomme ” hands off-centre; its black dial features large Arabic numerals, two counters at 3 and 9 and wide luminescent hands. The indentation that adorned past Breguet designs reappeared on the Type XX’s bezel and the large crown. The notches gave the watch a masculine and military look. The 38mm round steel case was unusually large for the time and its Valjoux 22 calibre (manual wind mechanical movement providing a 35-hour power reserve) had a flyback function. The flyback was one of the demands listed in the War Ministry’s specifications enabling wearers to reset and restart the chronograph. The resistance of the case and pushers was reviewed to ensure the watch could handle hundreds of manipulations with ease. Breguet made the third generation of the Type XX almost 50 years later in 1995. The Type XX 3880 Aéronavale was true to the spirit of its forebear but with a contemporary design and technical features. The 39mm steel case had a rotating bezel bearing the minute scale and housed the selfwinding Breguet 582 calibre with a chronograph and flyback

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Type XX 3800

Type XXI 3810

Type XXII 3880

Type XXI 3817

function. The hour numerals and hands were coated in tritium (a radioactive material thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s now banned in watchmaking and usually replaced by Super-LumiNova) on the matt black dial whilst a chronograph hour counter joined the small seconds and minute counters. Three versions of the Type XXI 3810 chronograph were unveiled at Baselworld 2011 : rose gold or titanium case with a chocolate dial and polished bezel or titanium case with a black dial. Its case had grown to 42mm and housed the self-winding Breguet 584Q/1 calibre which, on top of the signature Type XX functions, also fuelled the date, day/night indicator and 45-hour power reserve. The Type XXII 3880 launched in 2010 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first Type XX delivery to the French Airforce and was a little more complex than the aforementioned models. Its self-winding Breguet 589F calibre featured cutting-edge watchmaking technology. Its high-frequency escapement (10 hertz, 72,000 beats per hour) had a Breguet balance wheel with timing screws, a spring, anchor and silicone escapement wheel. The flyback chronographâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mechanical movement had a second time zone and date. Its notched 44mm case

with a bidirectional rotating bezel came in steel ( black dial ) or rose gold (chocolate dial) on a leather or metal strap. The hours and minutes stood in the centre whilst a second time zone appeared at 6 finished off by the seconds at 9. The red varnished chronograph seconds hand tracked a 30-second scale split into white and red sections whilst the minutes ticked by in the centre.

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R ic haRd Mille

Graffiti time By Fabrice Eschmann

a self-taught street artist. He goes by the pseudonym Kongo and made a name for himself as a graffiti artist on the Parisian street art scene. Twenty-odd years of experience have made him a renowned international graffiti figure.

“I don’t paint a single place or a single surface.” It still takes some doing! Cyril Phan was born in 1969, lives in Paris and is

It took over a year of planning for this extraordinary collaboration, a first for both the watchmaker and the artist. Given the size of the canvas, an airbrush had to be specially made for Kongo to spray his colours carefully and dropby-drop. Even the design was painstaking as there was a weight limit ( otherwise the movement may not have worked correctly ) and it had to adhere to the titanium components.

his is a real fusion of engineering and graffiti! The bright and summery new RM 68-01 Tourbillon has been designed in collaboration with Parisian street artist Cyril Kongo. He used specially designed tools and paint to hand-paint the movement’s titanium components. The calibre echoes the colourful hues: the platinum on the case back seems to burst forth like paint splashed against a wall ; the bridges on the front fly in every direction like the dashes of spray that street art is famous for.

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R ic haRd Mille

RM 68-01 Tourbillon >

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RM 68-01 Tourbillon

The 30 hand-decorated RM 68-01 watches are unique pieces. Everything about the watch is extraordinary: the bezel and case back are in black TZP ceramic which is highly scratchresistant and a poor heat conductor. The case is made of NTPT carbon whose layers of parallel filaments are made by splitting carbon fibres. The carbon layers are 30 micrometres thick, filled with resin then woven using a machine. The composite material is machined hot and under pressure and reduces tension breaks by 25% and microcracks by 200%. The limited edition ( 30 available ) RM 68-01 has a manual wind movement powering the hours and minutes. The oversize NTPT carbon case measures 50.24 x 42.70 x 15.84 mm. The design is handmade by Parisian street artist Cyril Kongo.

Cyril Kongo

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BR-X1 HYPERSTELLAR CHRONOGRAPH The BR-X1 HYPERSTELLAR is the perfect synthesis of Bell & Ross’s expertise in the world of aviation watches and master watchmaking: an instrument with an innovative design, conceived for an adventure in space and produced in a limited edition of only 250 pieces. Lightweight and resistant, the grade 5 titanium case of the BR-X1 is protected by a titanium and high-tech rubber “belt”, that serves as a defensive shield. Ergonomic and innovative, the push buttons allow the chronograph functions to be used easily and efficiently. Sophisticated and reliable, the skeleton chronograph movement of the BR-X1 is truly exceptional and combines haute horlogerie finishes with extreme lightness | e-boutique: www.bellross.com

Piage t

A star on a star’s wrist By Sharmila Bertin

iaget has had a close bond with polo since the 1940s and 50s. The jewellery and watch brand declared its love for the equestrian team sport in 1979 with the launch of the Piaget Polo, a racy watch with smooth lines whose strap melts into the case and oozes the spirit of polo : Elegance, Quality and Performance. Almost forty years later and a new model has joined the iconic Piaget Polo collection. This is no case upgrade or improved dial design based on the original; this is a brand new watch. The Piaget Polo S is a classic in itself with its very own personality. The 42 mm steel case has a chunky brushed bezel and the brand’s classic play on shapes, a creative signature and anticonformist design that Piaget has showcased since it started out. The watch is the perfect balance between a circular silhouette and square dial with curvy edges ( cushion-shape ). This is a timepiece that makes its own rules and is designed for game changers who want to stand out from the crowd and whose style influences the world.

With this in mind, Piaget naturally asked Ryan Reynolds to be the face of Piaget Polo S. The Canadian actor was born in 1976, is a former model and muse to Calvin Klein and Hugo Boss, is married to the wonderful Blake Lively ( an actress and fashion icon herself ) and shares the same values as the watch : “ the idea of casual luxury ” that he sees as “ incredibly versatile. ” The classic design of Piaget Polo S means he can wear it anywhere, day or night. There are two models in the collection each with two or three dial colours : a three-hand version and a chronograph version. The first houses the self-winding 1110P calibre which brings to life the time, date functions and 50-hour power reserve. The cushion-shape dial exudes elegant simplicity with horizontal stripes and bears the minute track on the chapter ring. The dial comes in three colours : silver white, bright blue and storm grey. Curved spear-shape hands and a central seconds hand track the hours, minutes and seconds in the middle whilst a white trapezoid date display lies at 6.

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Piage t

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The second model is powered by the self-winding 1160P calibre which fuels the chronograph. The silver or blue stripy dial has the same layout of markers, central hands and date display. Two counters appear at 3 and 9: the small seconds and 12-hour chronograph counter.

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Jae ge r - Le C ou Lt r e

Irreversibly legendary By Fabrice Eschmann

an you recognise a watch – brand and model – on someone’s wrist from 3m away? Try it, it’s almost impossible. Unless you’re dealing with an icon. Every watchmaker’s dream is to make a timepiece that’s so unique that it stands out from the crowd and is instantly recognisable. Look back through modern watchmaking history and you can count them on one hand. The Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso is undoubtedly one. The Vallée de Joux brand wanted to give it a new look to celebrate its 85th anniversary in 2016: three distinct ranges, three sizes, self-winding movements in certain ranges and the launch of the Atelier Reverso for seriously bespoke treatment. First and foremost, the Reverso has a unique design: a rectangular case of painstaking proportions on a base that you can easily rotate on its strap. This one-of-a-kind watch isn’t just good looking; it has history. The Reverso was invented to solve a problem rather than please fans of gadgets.

In 1920s India under British rule, polo players often came off the field with broken watches. It was a constant problem as mallet shots were often random. Whilst visiting in 1930, César de Trey, a Swiss watch seller from Switzerland, was asked to design a model that better suited polo. One year later and the engineer Alfred Chauvot filed a patent for the Reverso system and it was manufactured by Jacques-David LeCoultre. The watch has become an icon in the space of 85 years with dozens of different versions. CEO of Jaeger-LeCoultre, Daniel Riedo, decided to clarify things: “ The evolution had to be true to this legendary watch and we had to stick to a few essentials : distinguish the collections with three designs – Reverso Classic, Reverso Tribute and Reverso One ; structure sizes with three options – small, medium and large ; put a self-winding movement into several Reverso Classic models; last but not least, encourage new owners to tailor their watch with Atelier Reverso ”. The latter is based in Jaeger-

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Jae ge r - Le C ou Lt r e

LeCoultre stores and forms a bond between the client and brand. Customers can choose dials, colours and designs to make their piece truly unique. The cherry on the cake is that Jaeger-LeCoultre invited a guest of honour to join the Atelier Reverso and design a range of limited editions to add to the current models for 1 year. Christian Louboutin launched the concept in 2016.

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Jae ge r - Le C ou Lt r e The Reverso One Duetto Moon has two dials fuelled by a manual wind mechanical movement : a moon phase on a mother-of-pearl disc and the hours and minutes on the other side. It comes with an alligator strap or steel or gold link strap.

The Reverso Tribute Gyrotourbillon is the star of the new 2016 collection. The limited edition (75 available) platinum piece has a unique Gyrotourbillon®.

The Reverso in tribute to René Magritte depicts one of his most famous pieces, La Trahison des Images, with a lacquered engraving on the case back. The picture is of a highly-detailed pipe beneath which it says : “ Ceci n’est pas une pipe ”.

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Ome ga

Taming the big blue By Sharmila Bertin

he Seamaster Planet Ocean has reigned over the ocean since 2005, been made to dive with sea life to depths of 600 m and has become a star of Omega’s collections in a matter of years. The oversize case, dial design and curvy strap links make the watch instantly recognisable. Its orange bezel was a surprise when it was unveiled at Baselworld over a decade ago and this diver’s watch is now clad in black ceramic available in four spellbinding models. Its full name, Seamaster Planet Ocean Deep Black, brings to mind coral and shoals of fish with an air of mystery. “ Deep Black ” intensifies the wild and unknown aspect of the seabed where marine life keeps its secrets. This Planet Ocean quartet is fuelled by the ambition of adding a GMT function to a diver’s watch with a 24-hour scale running along the chapter ring and venturing deeper along the path carved out by the Speedmaster Dark Side of the Moon in 2014. The case, bezel and dial are also made of technical ceramic which forms a sturdy, light and almost scratch-resistant coating. There are more technological innovations to boot: Liquidmetal® or CeragoldTM to enhance the diving scale on

the bezel, SednaTM gold on the black and gold model, rubber injected into the bezel ( 0-15 ) on the blue and red models and the “ Naiad Lock ” system on the caseback. Just like the new products unveiled by the Bienne brand in 2016, the Seamaster Planet Ocean Deep Black is METAScertified ( Federal Institute of Metrology ) proving the watch has undergone a series of 8 thorough tests hence the name of its self-winding movement, the 8906 Co-Axial Master Chronometer calibre, and engraving at 6 on the dial. The powerful movement fuels the time, GMT and date functions alongside a 60-hour power reserve. The 45.5 mm case glows in four colours: scarlet for guaranteed readability at depths of up to 5 m, cobalt visible to depths of 275 m, midnight black for an edgy and trendy look and casual chic SednaTM red gold. The black dial ( polished on the full black and gold models or matt on the blue and red models ) has four central hands coated in Super-LumiNova that glow green or blue depending on the design to track the hours, minutes, seconds and second time zone whilst the low-key date display lies at 3.

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C ART IE R

A craftsmanship haven By Sharmila Bertin

nce upon a time, in the peaks of the Swiss canton of Neuchâtel, a leafy 14th century meadow turned 16th century farming village became a small industrial town in the 1800s : La Chaux-de-Fonds. A huge fire ravaged the town in 1794 and it was rebuilt in the checkerboard layout we see today ( or almost ). Two watch factories are housed in glass buildings on a former farmyard in the heart of the cubic architecture. The 18 th century Bernstyle setting has turned its back on the present with its huge stone building and delicate woodwork in leafy floral surroundings. The farmhouse was destroyed, rebuilt in 1872 and fully renovated in 2012. Work lasted a year and a half and breathed new life into the stunning rural architecture. It took 18 long months to rebuild, hunt down and collect old pieces of wood, upgrade and fit large windows in keeping with the original structure and materials. The result is simply breath-taking. Aside from the architectural feat, the building has a mission: to house Cartier’s artistic expertise within its walls to preserve it, revisit it, explore new techniques and

share it. The artisan brand is first and foremost a haven of peace gathering different crafts from the “classic” such as gem-setting to the rare such as rose petal inlay. These sometimes age-old crafts are split into departments (setting, enamelling, marquetry and gem work) and floors. Visitors are welcomed to a warm and luxury world in the 350m 2 ground floor’s woodwork and limestone slabs. The large and small reception rooms and presentation room all have period furniture. The first floor is home to metalwork crafts including unusual ones such as granulation ( small gold beads of different sizes fused to form a pattern ) and filigree ( precious metal wire that’s twisted, hammered and welded to form a design ). Jewellery, gem-setting ( grain, inset, random, multigrain, bezel, claw, invisible, baguette and vibrant ) and gem polishing and resizing ( since 2015 ) are also on the first floor. The second floor is home to marquetry ( petal or straw design and stone mosaic ) and enamelling ( champlevé, cloisonné, plique-à-jour, paint, grisaille and grisaille gold paste ).

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To end the tour, the third and final floor in the attic with wooden beams and large glass windows has a meeting and presentation room. Cartierâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Maison des MĂŠtiers d'Art employs around 40 people ( 28 artisans and the rest in the technical department ) all involved in producing and making small series of spectacular watches and unique pieces designed in Paris and Geneva.

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The eInt ye eof r vIe Jew we lry

Pierre DeRoche : a family saga By Sharmila Bertin & Mickael Gautier

couple, a family and a passion are key to the success of Pierre and Carole Dubois, founders of the Pierre DeRoche watch brand. They met us at their home in L'Orient in the heart of the Vallée de Joux to tell us the story of Pierre DeRoche.

Why call your company Pierre DeRoche ? Pierre : Our school was near the family business in Le Lieu. I used to walk there from home and often spoke to a farmer. He nicknamed me Pierre Caillou De Roche ( “ Stone Pebble of Rock ” ) which was a bit of a surprise. I was only 4 or 6 at the time. The farmer told me that wood and stone were contradictory so if your surname was Dubois ( “ of Wood ” ), you couldn’t call your son Pierre (“Stone”). He thought my parents were “completely mad.” I didn’t want to call my company “ Pierre Dubois ” because I didn’t want it to be about me. There were also two issues with using my surname. On the one hand there would have been confusion with the family business Dubois-Dépraz. I have 2 brothers, we’re very close, we do lots of things together and people always struggle to tell

us apart. On the other hand, there’s a watch brand founded in Le Locle in 1785 called Philippe Dubois. I kept thinking and thinking then I suddenly remembered Pierre Caillou De Roche. We thought Pierre DeRoche sounded good, it was a good name. Carole : At one time you wanted to call it Pierre C. DeRoche with a C for Carole but it got complicated! ( laughs ) Pierre : I had to check the name wasn’t an issue in terms of meaning and pronunciation among a network of friends abroad and the feedback was very positive. How do you manage your work-life balance ? Pierre : We always kept the home and office separate when our kids were young and even now they’re in their twenties. It’s rare to find watch publications on the lounge table. We prefer doing things as a family and we don’t bring our work home or else we’d never go out. I worked from home for the first six months of our project when I left Audemars Piguet. It was a disaster. Our children were between 8 and 10 at the time. I was home every day so they thought it was to play or it was

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The e ye of Je we lry

a holiday. When it was time for them to do their homework, I could hear Carole getting cross from my office and I couldn’t get involved to help her out... Carole : I threw him out after three months and told him to find an office... Pierre : It’s impossible to work and have a family life under the same roof with young children so we moved the office to Le Lieu where Dubois-Dépraz is based. Most of the product development is carried out with Dubois-Dépraz and my brothers given it’s a family business. My parents also own a big house built in the 1940s that’s split into two apartments so we set up our office in the 3-room apartment. What made you decide to found a brand together ? Carole : Pierre had two options when he left Audemars Piguet: apply for a job in another company or start his own business. He and his brothers started the project. At the time we had to see if Pierre had Dubois-Dépraz’s support in terms of products to launch a company fairly soon. I got involved in starting the company and I was truly happy as I’d just taken

time off work to look after our three children...I’ve jumped on the bandwagon before so I jumped at this one! ( laughs) Pierre : I handled the initial phase, administration and launch alone for 6 months then Carole came on board. Have you had any training in watchmaking Carole ? Carole : No, I learnt as I went since I didn’t get the bug as a child like Pierre did. We met when we were 18 and being part of the Dubois family is like being part of a watchmaking religion! Four generations, parents, brothers, cousins...No family meal went without talking about watchmaking so I learnt by being with them. I took a PR and marketing course because I realised that I may know how it works but I don’t know the specific language. So I did theory after practice. You’re a duo in private, a tandem in work. Have you sometimes wanted or needed to hire a third person ? Pierre : People are always really surprised to hear that it’s just the two of us. We actually adopted a system from the start : subcontractors. We work with partners in every industry and >

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The eInt ye eof r vIe Jew we lry

we’re in constant direct contact with them. We don’t allow them to develop a project without our go-ahead and supervision. We work as “ head ” supervisors in product development and designing our catalogues. Carole : It’s also enabled us to survive the toughest years because we completely streamline “ wages ”. All the suppliers we commission are paid by the hour so there’s no loss and it means we can be more flexible. Pierre : 2015 and 2016 were very tough. Luckily we have a small structure and external resources which means we can focus on the important things : sales and attending fairs. Has your family influenced Pierre DeRoche ? Pierre : Since the initial discussions based on technical discussions, my brothers ( who run Dubois-Dépraz ) and my two cousins ( who also work for Dubois-Dépraz, one of them is the Technical Director ) mainly influenced it. Carole : We’ve come full circle because I went to school with his cousin ( laughs ) Pierre : Yes it’s a real microcosm. We’re all a similar age, are originally from Combiers and have a close family. It’s been the driving force in our business up to now. I wouldn’t have done it without my family and the structure that Dubois-Dépraz provided. But it could very well have failed. It’s not always easy working with family members. Will your children take over one day? Pierre : People tend to like to see a plan for the future. Our children have been coming to Basel with us for the last 3 or 4 years and stay for a few days. My sons recently joined me in Geneva for a presentation and to meet our clients.

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INSTRUMENT COLLECTION

UTTE SKELETON World thinnest skeleton tourbillon Calibre A&S8220: manufacture one-minute flying tourbillon movement / ultrathin 3.30 mm / skeletonized / hand-wound / double barrel / power reserve over 90 h / Haute Horlogerie finishing: chamfered bridges with polished edges, côtes de Genève rayonnantes, satin-finished wheels and ratchets with chamfered and polished edges, screws with bevelled and mirror-polished heads. Tourbillon cage: satin-finished with hand-chamfered and polished edges. Functions: hours, minutes and tourbillon. Dial: 8-shaped with sapphire insert in upper half for the hours and minutes indication. Case: very elaborated and tapering from top to bottom to perfectly fit on the wrist / 18-karat red gold / thickness 8.34 mm / diameter 42 mm. www.arnoldandson.com

Int e r vIe w

Chadi Nouri Gruber : an iron hand in a velvet glove By Tiffany Cartier-Millon & Mickael Gautier

orn to an Iranian father and Swiss Italian mother, Chadi Nouri Gruber studied in the US and Canada before delving into the world of retail and luxury. She joined Audemars Piguet in 2015 after managing Cartier’s Fine Jewellery department in Switzerland. As the Exclusive Products and Sales Manager, she is involved in Fine Watchmaking and precision engineering in complicated watches. Chadi Nouri Gruber was promoted to Product Management Leader in March 2016. Why Audemars Piguet after Cartier ? I wanted to try something new after 5 years in jewellery and fine jewellery. I immediately targeted Audemars Piguet as I’ve always loved their pieces. Once I’d chosen my new company, it was just a question of meetings, patience, determination and, like everyone else, a bit of luck. How are you developing ? What’s your strategic vision ? The aim is to be number 1 in fine watchmaking and my vision doesn’t just end with the product. Audemars Piguet has a long-term strategic vision. Nothing’s left to chance. We have to maintain our results in a tough climate (2015 results were

good with over 800 million in turnover and level growth worldwide). Constantly improving quality and customer experience are still key. In terms of product vision, our aim is to carry on inspiring people with our iconic Royal Oak with consistent updates and the model’s fantastic legacy. I also want more women to wear this piece. We want to carry on surprising people with different models like the Royal Oak Offshore Diver Chronograph Collection that we unveiled this year. Last but not least, we are going to continue streamlining the number of models to focus our attention on our key collections. What are your strengths and areas for improvement ? Our products are fuelled by over 140 years of history and the brand stands out in sectors such as art (the official Associate Partner of Art Basel, Hong Kong and Miami) and golf as the 15 best golfers in the world are our Ambassadors. One area for improvement is highlighting the incredible work our watchmakers do every day. We know how to make watches but we’re still learning how to share our expertise and passion. We make no more than 40,000 watches a year and we have to ensure that our clients and watch enthusiasts

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Int e r vIe w

know. The best way to achieve this goal is to bring people here to the Vallée de Joux so they can see what we do on a daily basis. What’s your vision for the products ? What are 2016’s star products ? The brand image is already well defined, clear and true: “ To break the rules you must first master them ”. We want to keep a certain balance between the regular collection and new pieces, men’s collections and women’s collections whose ratio has settled at 70%-30%. 2016’s products are strong. For example, the Royal Oak Supersonnerie ( put into production just 12 months after the prototype was unveiled ) is a technological revolution in terms of alarms. The Royal Oak Double Balance Wheel is a new patented model and the Diamond Fury is the second to last in the trilogy… Surprise !

Punk which won the diamond watch prize at the GPHG last October followed by the Diamond Fury which launched at 2016’s SIHH…The third Fine Jewellery piece will come out in 2017 and push the boundaries of design and expertise. How is it being a female manager in this industry ? There aren’t many of us ! Do we have lots to offer ? Certainly ! To succeed as a woman in this industry you need a combination of hard work, drive, humour and passion.

So the Royale Oak still takes pride of place. The Royal Oak is vital to us. It enables us to grow. It’s our icon, our must-have that keeps us on track no matter what’s going on around us. It’s been a rule breaker in design terms since 1972 and appears in every book about the history of fine watches. But we never rest on our laurels. We’ve updated it from steel to precious metals with the same success and we have lots of projects in the pipeline. Are there any projects in the pipeline that you can tell us about ? There’s a new Royal Oak to celebrate the 40 th anniversary of the first women’s Royal Oak but that’s all I can tell you. You’ll have to wait until November, it’s going to be amazing. There’s also the fantastic trilogy beginning with the Diamond

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mé t ie r s d'art

® Johann Sauty

HERMès

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mé t ie r s d'art

PIAGET

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mÃ© t ie r s d'art

CHOPARD

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Cam p us G ene vois de Hau t e Hor loG e r ie

Pass on knowledge ; pass on the baton By Sharmila Bertin

n a lovely spring morning in late May the brand new Campus Genevois de Haute Horlogerie ( CGHH ) opened its doors to the happy few and specialist press. Richemont CEO Richard Lepeu officially opened the site before an audience of representatives from Meyrin town and area ( in the Geneva canton ) and the collaboration of the group’s brands. The CGHH not only provides training but also aims to increase the presence of the watchmaking giant and its involvement in Geneva’s economic and timekeeping fabric. Richard Lepeu believes “ watchmaking is a historical asset and we have to ensure it stays that way.” The Richemont group’s project launched in 2010. The aim is primarily to discuss and share expertise, keep watchmaking-

related trades alive and create a bond between the brands’ various factories and sectors such as Roger Dubuis, Cartier, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Vacheron Constantin and Van Cleef & Arpels. There are almost 10,000 employees in five buildings on the 45,000 m² Meyrin site housing the Ecole des Métiers et Artisans de Haute Horlogerie ( sponsored by Piaget, Panerai, Vacheron Constantin, Roger Dubuis and Van Cleef & Arpels ), Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie ( FHH ) and Atelier de Maroquinerie & Richemont International. The campus welcomed its first students in 2012. There are now 32 apprentices and the long-term plan is to train 50 by 2020 as Richard Lepeu underlined during his inauguration speech. Training covers improvement classes, introductory workshops, skills assessments, watchmaking certificates,

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micro-engineering, fine crafts and will develop in the near future in partnership with other courses overseas. Meyrin is an exciting town and area on the right bank of Geneva near the airport whose boom began in the 60s and is still going strong. It covers less than 10 km², has a population of over 21,000 and is a hotbed for businesses with almost 1500 companies based here. Meyrin upholds an eco-friendly policy which the CGHH adheres to entirely as 100% of its energy consumption comes from renewable energy and produces no carbon emissions. The De Planta & Portier architecture firm designed the site to be a developing project that can be changed to suit requirements with an eco-friendly focus: 2600 m² of solar panels, 40 geothermal probes, air cooler system, 50 % recycled concrete and lots of

leafy areas. A town in a town or, as Richard Lepeu puts it, a real “ eco-business area.”

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wat c hE S nEwS

BREITLING

ALPINA

Seastrong Diver 300 Chronograph Big Date

Navitimer 46 Blacksteel

By Sharmila Bertin

eastrong first appeared in the Alpina collections in the 1960s. The sturdy and reliable watch enables owners to dive to depths of 200 m. The brand with the red triangle logo gave the icon its own collection in 2015 which this year features the Seastrong Diver 300 Chronograph Big Date. Its 44 mm steel cushion-shape case is entirely coated in black ( PVD ) ; it is topped by an aluminium black rotating bezel bearing a beige luminescent diving scale. Its quartz movement brings to life the time, date and chronograph functions. The hour rim is also in beige with spear-shape hands on the dial. The seconds appear in a counter at 6 o’clock above the double date display whilst the chronograph minute and hour counters lie at 9 and 3 respectively.

“

Blacksteel” is what Breitling calls the black carboncoated steel which some of its cases are made of, including the new Navitimer 46 Blacksteel. The model has grown to 46 mm whilst its dial has been streamlined from three counters to two. But Navitimer fans need not fret : the rotating bezel still has the circular calculation scale essential to air travel. The case houses the powerful self-winding Breitling 01 chronograph calibre to display the time and date functions and fuel the power reserve for over 70 hours. The hour and minute hands lie in the centre of the dial whilst the seconds count down at 9. A red central seconds hand tracks the chronograph seconds, the minute counter appears at 3 and the date display at 6.

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CHOPARD

CERTINA

DS-1 Powermatic 80

Grand Prix De Monaco Historique 2016 Race Edition

By Sharmila Bertin

Swiss expedition left on May 13th 1960 to become the first to reach the top of Dhaulagiri, one of the highest peaks ( 8167m high ) in the Himalayas in Nepal, ten days later. The mountaineers wore the first Certina models on their wrists during the historic ascent. It’s only natural that the watch brand has designed a special series in tribute to this amazing feat of humanity : the Certina DS-1 Powermatic 80 “ Himalaya Special Edition.” The watch is fuelled by a powerful self-winding Powermatic 80 calibre which, as the name suggests, provides an 80-hour power reserve. The domed silver dial has a rose gold PVD central ring and bears the hours, minutes and seconds in the centre alongside the date at 3. The 40 mm steel case back’s sapphire crystal gives you a glimpse of the movement and its oscillating weight engraved with a mountain and the words “ Dhaulagiri, 8167m, 1960.”

hopard has been the partner and official timekeeper of the highly prestigious Grand Prix de Monaco Historique since 2002. The competition brings classic cars from the 30s-70s together every two years and is hosted by the Automobile Club de Monaco. Chopard has designed a special edition in rose gold or titanium and steel to celebrate the 10th race : Grand Prix de Monaco Historique 2016 Race Edition. Its 44.5 mm case has pushers reminiscent of engine pistons. The COSC-certified self-winding movement fuels a 46-hour power reserve as well as the time, ( hours and minutes in the centre, small seconds at 9 ), date ( at 3 ) and chronograph functions. The grey counters lie on the silver dial : minutes at 12, hours at 6 and seconds tracked by a blue or orange central seconds hand depending on the model.

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wat c hE S nEwS

CUERVO Y SOBRINOS

FREDERIQUE CONSTANT

Torpedo Pirata GMT

Runabout

By Sharmila Bertin

he pirates of the Caribbean didn’t spring from a Hollywood director’s imagination : they actually existed. The Caribbean was teeming with buccaneers in search of silver cargo and precious goods transported by the Spanish Empire’s galleons between the 16th and 18th century. Tales of pirates gave Cuervo y Sobrinos the idea of designing a “ swashbuckling ” piece fuelled by a self-winding movement : Torpedo Pirata GMT. The 45 mm bronze, titanium and steel case brings to mind a cannon hole; its finishing touches are lugs in the shape of a ship’s bow and a sphere-shaped crown like the globe. The hours, minutes and seconds lie in the centre of the ivory or black dial ; they are joined by a short hand that tracks the Arabic hour numerals for the second time zone and a date display at 6.

Runabout is a motorboat which was first made in the 1920s. It’s also the name of a watch collection by Frédérique Constant which was born of a 2009 partnership with the Riva Historical Society to protect Riva boats. This year, two new limited edition Runabouts ( 2888 of each available ) have sealed their bond. The self-winding FC-303 calibre fuels the hours, minutes, seconds, date and 38-hour power reserve. The 43 mm case comes in steel or rose gold-plated steel. The dial comes in two colours: chocolate to warm up the rose gold model and stylish silver to match the steel model. A central engine-turned disc bears the spear-shape hands and central seconds hand in bronze or gunmetal gliding over the luminescent Arabic numerals and hour markers.

THE WATCHES MAGAZINE

autumn 2016

GIRARD-PERREGAUX

By Sharmila Bertin

Cat's Eye Water Lily

Competizione

wo water lilies lie on calm shimmering water on the Cat's Eye Water Lily’s dial. The star of the bejewelled GirardPerregaux watch collections has been transformed into a zen garden awash with brilliant-cut diamonds ( 412 gems for a total of two carats ) set concentrically using the so-called “ à grains ” technique. Two lotus flowers bloom at 5 and 9 o’ clock each with three petals in pink sapphire ( 0.24 carat ) or emerald ( 0.15 carat ) depending on the model. Two leaf-shape hands blossom in the heart of the piece to float over the hours and minutes. The time functions are brought to life by a selfwinding mechanical movement by Girard-Perregaux which also provides a 46-hour power reserve. The GPO 3300-0101 calibre lies in the oval white gold 35.44x30.44 mm case with 62 diamonds glittering on the bezel.

a Chaux-de-Fonds-based Girard-Perregaux was founded in 1791 and is celebrating its 225th anniversary this year with a new collection rooted in motor racing : Competizione. The brand has unveiled two versions of a selfwinding chronograph : the vintage-style “ Stradale ” and the seriously sporty “ Circuito ”. The Stradale has a 42 mm steel case whilst the Circuito is made of a titanium and carbon composite ( with black DLC pushers and a titanium crown ). The classic model has a silver and black dial whilst the sportier piece has a black honeycomb openwork disc. Both versions have the same hands : silver baton-shape hour and minute hands, a red chronograph seconds hand ( in the centre ) and small seconds hand ( at 3 ). The date appears at 4.30, the minute counter at 9 and the hour counter at 6.

THE WATCHES MAGAZINE

autumn 2016

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GLASHÜTTE ORIGINAL

GRAHAM

Senator Excellence

Chronofighter Vintage

By Sharmila Bertin

ne heart brings three different personalities to life : the 36 calibre. The self-winding movement by Glashütte Original fuels the time functions and 100hour power reserve in the Senator Excellence which comes in two 40 mm case colours ( rose gold or steel ) with 3 dial colours and layouts. Two of the three models have a grained silver dial with black hour markers and Roman 6 and 12 numerals plus a minute track with a black or red scale. Two blue “ poire ” hands in the centre track the hours, minutes and seconds alongside a central seconds hand. The third dial is totally different. The black lacquer dial has floral luminescent Arabic numerals and a white minute track with two luminescent spear-shape hands.

striking name, an impressive build and a nod to the past : this is the Chronofighter Vintage by Graham, a brand founded in 1995 inspired by the brilliant London watchmaker George Graham ( 1695-1751 ). This sturdy piece has a piston-shape trigger and pusher to start / stop/ reset the chronograph and four different dials to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the collection that launched in 2001. The 44mm steel case houses the self-winding G1747 calibre that fuels the time, date and chronograph functions as well as the 48-hour power reserve. The grained black or blue sunburst dial has a silver or sandy hour rim beneath two white or beige pilot-style hands coated in Super-LumiNova®. The seconds appear in a counter at 3 under the double day and date display at 12. A large chronograph minute counter lies at 6 whilst the seconds count down in the centre.

THE WATCHES MAGAZINE

autumn 2016

IWC

JAEGER-LECOULTRE

Portugieser Yacht Club Chronographe Edition “Boesch”

Reverso Classic

By Sharmila Bertin

his summer will see a profusion of boats parade on the water including super-stylish yachts from Swiss boat builder Boesch’s workshops. IWC has joined forces with the famous manufacturer to unveil a new limited edition ( 150 available ) exclusively available in Switzerland : Portugieser Yacht Club Chronograph Edition “ Boesch ”. The watch dial features a premium material that adorns Boesch’s famous boats : mahogany. Two silver leaf-shape hands in the centre track the hours and minutes whilst the seconds appear in a blue counter at 6. The chronograph hours and minutes are in a single counter at 12 and the date display is at 3. The time, chronograph and date functions are brought to life by an in-house self-winding calibre. The movement provides a 68-hour power reserve from inside the 43.5 mm steel case.

he iconic Reverso by Jaeger-LeCoultre may be 85 years old but it doesn’t look it. To celebrate its anniversary, it’s reliving its youth with more streamlined lugs on the rectangular steel case. The Reverso Classic collection has been designed to have something for everyone with three different sizes: Small ( 34x21 mm ), Medium ( 40x24.4 mm ) and Large ( 45.6x27.4 mm ). The time functions are brought to life by two types of movement: quartz for the small model and selfwinding mechanical for the other two ( 965 calibre, 38-hour power reserve ). Engine-turned honeycomb lies in the centre of the silver dial surrounded by a black minute track beneath blue baton-shape hands. The decal Arabic numerals display the hours on a vertically brushed surface. Flip it over and the back can be customised with initials, a romantic message or even a picture.

THE WATCHES MAGAZINE

autumn 2016

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LOUIS ERARD

MB&F

Excellence Régulateur Automatique

LM1 Silberstein

By Sharmila Bertin

atches with regulators have a seductive power: they grab your attention and impel you to adapt to a way of telling the time that couldn’t be more different from the classic way. Time is split with the minutes taking centre stage whilst the hours and seconds are relegated to support acts in sub-dials. Louis Erard unveiled a new model at 2016’s Baselworld : Excellence Automatic Regulator. It is powered by a selfwinding Sellita SW200 calibre which features a complication designed by Dubois Dépraz inside the 42mm steel case. The silver dial is splashed with vertical “ Côtes de Genève ” and two horizontal screwdown strips which house the large blue minute hand. A small blue javelin-shape hand at 12 glides over the Roman hour numerals whilst the seconds lie at 6 and the date at 3.

ou instantly think of Alain Silberstein when you see three shapes ( rectangle, triangle, circle ) paired with three colours ( red, yellow, blue ). The French designer made these two features, shape and colour, his signature and he’s putting them into the LM1 Silberstein by MB&F, 7 years after his first collaboration with the Genevan brand. There are 12 of this limited edition manual wind piece available ( 42 mm case in rose gold, titanium or black PVD titanium ) with two hollow dials for the two time zones featuring Alain Silberstein’s hands. Two red triangles display the hours, blue baton-shape hands track the minutes and rectangular markers glow yellow. These colours and shapes appear on the vertical power reserve indicator and the two arches supporting the balance wheel have been replaced by a sapphire bridge.

THE WATCHES MAGAZINE

autumn 2016

NOMOS

MIDO

Baroncelli Heritage

Metro Neomatik

By Sharmila Bertin

he Spanish verb medir means “ to measure ” and, once conjugated in the first person singular, forms yo mido ( I measure ). How fitting for a watch brand whose main function is…to measure time! Mido was founded in 1918 by watchmaker Gorges Schaeren and 40 years ago it launched a classic collection with a very exotic name : Baroncelli, joined by the Baroncelli Heritage in 2016. The steel or PVD-coated rose gold case comes in two sizes ( 33 mm or 39 mm ) with a smooth gadroon-shape bezel. It houses the self-winding ETA-based Mido 1192 calibre which provides a 42-hour power reserve and fuels the time and date functions. The delicately grained ivory dial bears three hands : two gold dauphine-shape hour and minute hands and a blue seconds hand. The date appears in a display at 3.

omos is a young independent German brand that was founded in 1990 and based in Glashütte. It makes its own movements on-site ( 10 calibres in total ) whilst its watches are designed in Berlin ( 80 models in 12 collections ). The Nomos timepieces are instantly recognisable with their large low-key dials awash with contemporary yet classic colours, just like the new Metro Neomatik. The 35 mm steel case means both men and women can wear it. Its self-winding DUW3001 calibre fuels the 42-hour power reserve, hours and minutes ( in the centre ) and small seconds ( at 6 ). There’s a choice of two dial colours : silver white and sandy beige. The subtle dotted minute track glows turquoise or orange, depending on the model, whilst the hour markers are all different sizes and colours.

THE WATCHES MAGAZINE

autumn 2016

wat c hE S nEwS

ORIS

OMEGA

Speedmaster Grey Side of the Moon “Meteorite”

Aquis Date

By Sharmila Bertin

fter taming the moon in 1969, the Bienne-based firm Omega is now launching the race to the stars, or rather to the meteorites, with its new model, the Speedmaster Grey Side of the Moon “ Meteorite ”, a contemporary and more technical version of the famous Moonwatch. The grey ceramic case measures 44.25 mm in diameter and features a pink gold SednaTM bezel – a precious metal made from an alloy, giving it a warm and lasting feel – with a gilded tachymeter scale. But what immediately attracts attention is the dial which is made up of a Gibeon meteorite disc with a striped Widmanstätten pattern, the famous highly graphic silvery lacerations. The hours and minutes are displayed in the centre, with the seconds shown at 9 o’clock and the date at 6 o’clock. The seconds on the chronograph also run in the centre and there is an hour and minute recorder at 3 o’clock. The movement is fuelled by the self-winding Caliber 9300.

ater sports fans and scuba diving lovers know that yellow and orange are the most visible colours ( and so the most readable ) when you’re deep underwater away from sunlight. So Oris has injected two versions of its Aquis Date with citrus : one in orange or yellow and one in orange. All three are powered by the Oris 733 calibre designed on a Sellita base to bring to life the hours, minutes, seconds and date. The self-winding movement is housed in the sturdy 43 mm steel case whose unidirectional rotating black ceramic bezel has a white diving scale with a bright or partly orange triangular marker. White or orange indices and leaf-shape hour and minute hands all coated in Super-LumiNova® appear on the black dial.

THE WATCHES MAGAZINE

autumn 2016

ROLEX

PATEK PHILIPPE

Quantième Annuel Référence 5396

Oyster Perpetual Yacht-Master 40

By Sharmila Bertin

016 sees Patek Philippe celebrate the 20th anniversary of its iconic Annual Calendar with its 22nd timepiece with a full calendar that only needs correcting once a year as February runs into March. There are two versions of the Quantième Annuel référence 5396 : a classic rose gold one and a wildly contemporary white gold one. The 38.5 mm case houses the self-winding 324 S QA LU 24H calibre whose power reserve lasts up to 45 hours and displays the following functions on the dial : hours, minutes and seconds ( centre ); 24 hour indicator with hand, moon phase and date display ( at 6 ); double day and month display ( at 12 ). The dial’s design depends on the choice of gold case: glittering silver or sunburst galvanic grey. Breguet Arabic hour numerals appear alongside a shimmering minute track beneath a set of dauphine-shape hands.

olesor, Everose, Perpetual, Cyclope, Oysterlock, Chromalight ...Rolex is an innovative brand that comes up with new technology and its own language to the delight of its clients. The patented watch terminology has been injected into the Oyster Perpetual Yacht-Master 40. Rolesor Everose describes the combination of steel ( body and crown ) and Everose rose gold ( rotating bezel with raised graduation ) on the 40 mm case. Perpetual is the name of the rotor that fuels the self-winding 3135 calibre and its 48hour power reserve. Cyclope is the magnifying glass in the sapphire crystal over the chocolate dial that allows you to read the date with ease. Oysterlock applies to the ultra-secure lock on the strap. Last but not least, Chromalight is the luminescent coating on the geometric hour markers and three central hands. This piece is COSC and Rolex Superlative Chronometercertified.

THE WATCHES MAGAZINE

autumn 2016

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TAG HEUER

UNION GLASHÜTTE

Aquaracer 300m Calibre 5

Viro Date

By Sharmila Bertin

he Aquaracer first appeared in 2003 and has made its mark on the TAG Heuer collections. Its chunky case sculpted for underwater exploration has gone from 41 mm to 43 mm and its striped dial comes in blue or black. The self-winding Calibre 5 has been chosen to bring the Aquaracer 300 m Calibre 5 to life. It powers the time and date functions, provides a 38-hour power reserve and is housed in the steel case that’s waterproof to depths of 300 m. The silver lacquer diving scale is engraved on the blue or black ceramic dodecagonal rotating bezel with 12 facets. The horizontal stripes on the dial set the scene for luminescent indices and a minute track printed near the chapter ring. Two wide hands track the hours and minutes whilst a central seconds hand with a yellow rectangular tip glides over the seconds. The magnifying glass in the sapphire crystal makes it easy to read the date at 3.

he Saxony brand that’s been part of the Swatch Group since 2000 may be low-key but it’s made a big impact. With over 120 years behind it and a “ Made in Germany ” flagbearer, Union Glashütte stands for classic, well-made and affordable watches. A great example is the Viro collection whose new models this year, Viro Date, are powered by a self-winding calibre and come in two steel case sizes ( 41 and 34 mm ). The large model has a delicately sandblasted silver dial whose hour rim has black decal markers and gold indices. The hours, minutes and seconds in the centre are tracked by three batonshape rose gold PVD-coated hands whilst the date display stands at 6. The small model has the same layout and its white mother-ofpearl dial features the time functions with silver hands and markers.

THE WATCHES MAGAZINE

autumn 2016

ZENITH

VULCAIN

50s Presidents' Watch Heritage

El Primero Chronomaster 1969 Cohiba Edition

By Sharmila Bertin

lue – a colour already found in the Vulcain watch collections – has been given an electric hue to adorn the face of the new 50s Presidents' Watch Heritage

model. The dial, with a spiral guilloche pattern producing a stylised sunbust effect, is covered in transluscent blue enamel and features two, silvery and luminescent hands in its centre, making their way around the hour and minute markers. The seconds are tracked by a central seconds hand. A fourth hand with a red arrow tip also joins the three others. This is the famous Cricket Alarm that will ring for 20 seconds and is set using the button at 2 o’clock on the middle of the case, turning the alarm hand on the circular scale near the flange. The steel case measures 39 mm in diameter and contains the mechanical manual wind Cricket-V10 calibre ( power reserve of 42 hours ). The watch features a Milanese mesh strap that is likewise made of steel.

he latest from the Zenith collections, El Primero Chronomaster 1969 Cohiba Edition brings two legends together : the expertise of a 101 year old watchmaker and the prestige of an iconic Cuban cigar brand. The new limited edition piece ( 50 in rose gold and 500 in steel ) celebrates Cohiba’s 50th anniversary. The 42mm case houses the El Primero calibre designed by Zenith. The COSC-certified self-winding movement fuels a 50hour power reserve, time and chronograph functions. The tobacco-coloured dial with a tachymeter scale on the chapter ring features Cohiba’s signature black, white and buttercup yellow checkerboard and the profile of the Taino Indian. A display at 11 gives you a glimpse of the El Primero Chronomaster 1969 Cohiba Edition’s movement and echoes the hour and minute counters at 3 and 6 o’clock.

THE WATCHES MAGAZINE

autumn 2016

Fac t s

Titbits and tales

By Tiffany Cartier-Millon

ome designers have gone as far as to put unusual materials into watches such as steel fragments from the Titanic, moon dust ( Romain Jerome ), fluids ( Ressence ), dinosaur bone ( Louis Moinet ) and even human hair ( to delicately stop Moritz Grossmann’s tourbillon ).

Epson may now be better known for its printers but it started out making mechanical watches in the 1940s. The company designed the world’s first quartz watch with Seiko. Alongside this project, the development of a chronometer for the Tokyo Olympics sped up research.

The first mechanical self-winding wristwatch patented by John Harwood in 1923 had no crown and was set using its bezel. Production soon stopped because of its delicate manufacture and poor resistance.

Swatch is the abbreviation of “ Second Watch ” and not “ Swiss Watch ” as most of us think. Nicolas Hayek got the idea of designing an affordable plastic watch when Swiss watchmaking collapsed in the face of competition from Asia!

An aviator called Alberto Santos-Dumont ( 1873-1932 ) helped make men’s wristwatches popular when he asked his friend Louis Cartier to design a device that would allow him to tell the time whilst he kept his hands on the controls. That’s how function makes design. The first quartz clock appeared in 1927 following an engineer’s experiments in …telecoms ! Warren Marrison was researching reliable frequency standards at Bell Telephone Laboratories. In the end he made a clock based on the regular vibrations of quartz crystal. The clock was so big that it needed a small lorry to transport it.

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autumn 2016

2 7 t h S A L O N I N T E R N AT I O N A L D E L A H A U T E H O R L O G E R I E G E N E VA FROM 16 TO 20 JANUARY 2017 OPEN TO THE PUBLIC ON FRIDAY 20 JANUARY Prior registration required via sihh.org

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OpiniOn

What if Confucius wore a watch? By Serge Panczuk

he peaceful mountain pastures and serene Vallée de Joux have a completely different feel to the Californian beaches, Han riverbanks and bustling Tokyo! The styles may be on opposite ends of the spectrum but they hide a very real tsunami. Until recently, Asia boiled down to China’s commercial draw where nothing was too good to win over the country’s rich, novice and devoted watch enthusiasts; the perfect suckers. The pride of armies and the watchmaking industry’s sense of absolute power cast the distant Pacific as a “ concession ” and forgot all too quickly that the Asian Tiger almost ate them alive not so long ago… But in business terms, there’s nothing worse than a sense of superiority and a short memory. History always repeats itself and now the Pacific is back on the watchmaking scene.

market but are slowly infiltrating American and European markets. Their calibres and finishes hold their own against most Swiss designs.

“ The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones ” : the dawn of wearable watches Praised by some, mocked by others, the Apple Watch 1 has already managed to make Apple one of the top watchmakers in the world…in just 18 months ! In case you didn’t know, the Cupertino HQ is just a few miles from the Pacific coast. 7 miles away lies Santa Clara, the Intel realm, which is entering the watchmaking arena following its fruitful partnership with troublemaking TAG Heuer. Who would have thought that Intel Inside would get into Swiss Made ?! Another electronics giant, Samsung, is based a few thousand miles from San Francisco Bay and wants its slice of the smartwatch action. The Korean engineers behind the Galaxy Gear S2 are giving the Californian boys a run for their money. What’s happening in Seoul seems like a logical alliance between Korea and California to dominate the future smartwatch market by freeing them of the shackles of their ecosystems.

“ Experience is like a lantern hanging from your back; it only ever lights up the path you have already travelled ”: the Trojan Horse has stopped before the Jura The most striking example is Miyota ( Citizen group ) whose calibres are winning over more and more up-and-coming brands such as Seven Friday and Briston as they free them of Swiss Made limitations. These brands have replaced the watchmaking giants’ caution and big marketing budgets with creativity and risk-taking. Their appealing and affordable collections are redefining the international watchmaking scene and help make the industry open-minded and free… For now, the big boys in luxury watchmaking are still laughing at these cheeky upstarts. They don’t believe they’re in the same playground. But as Confucius said, “ respect yourself and others will respect you.”

“ A picture is worth a thousand words ”: a hit to the big marketing budget Every brand wants to join forces with fighters epitomising virility, strength and solidity. SEALs, legionnaires, Top Gun, elite troops from Italy, Israel, Germany etc. The world of war is appealing and attractive. But do you think our brave warriors go to war wearing their precious watches? No way! Their go-to is another Asian legend: Casio and their unbreakable G-Shock watches. But the Pacific Rim’s rise to power can also come in more subtle forms and appear in Swiss made products.

“ It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop ”: the other land of watchmaking Seiko has given Japan serious strike force that hasn’t ( yet ) focused too much on luxury goods made in Switzerland. The invasion set its sights on the quartz technology revolution in the 70s. Invented in Switzerland and operated by Seiko, it floored the entire European industry. Today’s target seems different. Seiko is now a credible figure in the plush world of luxury watches. The Japanese brand’s Grand Seiko and Credor give it the weapons it needs to shake up Swiss watchmakers. Seiko’s mechanical watches have long been just for Japan’s domestic

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autumn 2016

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