THE WATCHES MAGAZINE Spring 2017 by THE WATCHES MAGAZINE

Swiss International Magazine Spring 2017 #048 Interview Alain Zimmerman - Guest Mélanie Chappuis

English Edition

Tissot Pr ou d To B e Swis s ! Audemars Piguet - Baume & Mercier - Breguet - Carl F. Bucherer - Cartier - Chopard - Corum - Dior Emile Chouriet - Giampiero Bodino - Girard-Perregaux - Graham - H. Moser & Cie - Harry Winston Hermès - Hublot - IWC - Jaeger-LeCoultre - MB&F - Omega - Panerai - Piaget - Richard Mille urwerk - Vacheron Constantin - Van Cleef & Arpels

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

“...and OMEGA is the watch that went to the Moon.”

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C ove r wat Ch

Tissot Ballade Powermatic 80 By Sharmila Bertin

he Locle-based Tissot has made a major move and now proudly boasts silicon in its Ballade collection. The silicon balance-spring that now equips the mighty Powermatic 80 calibre is made with an element that brings a host of clear advantages. Silicon is light, resistant, insensitive to magnetic fields and warping. The Ballade collection, comprising a range of ever-so timeless-looking watches for both ladies and gents, plays with materials and textures on its dials. The Clous de Paris motif, covering the heart of the black dial on the masculine version, adds a hint of visual innuendo and adorns the bezel. Other effects enhance the piece: the grained-finished ring that features the chapter ring embellished with silvered applique indexes and Arabic numerals and the finely-sunrayed ring that hosts the minute tracker printed in white. The heart of this concentric design clasps two Dauphine hands indicating the hours and minutes and a direct-drive ticking away the seconds. The white-backdrop date is displayed in a bevelled aperture set at 3 o’clock.

These different displays – hours, minutes, seconds in the centre and the date – are driven by the Powermatic 80 calibre, a self-winding movement developed hand-in-hand with ETA, chronometer-certified by the COSC (the Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute), offering 80 hours’ autonomy and nestling in a 32 or 41 mm-diameter steel case, topped with a silvered or PVD-coated yellow or rose gold bezel, depending on the version selected.

THE WATCHES MAGAZINE

Spring 2017

Some watches tell time. Some tell a story «

For nearly three centuries, Jaquet Droz has placed time under the banner of astonishment, excellence and constantly renewed creativity. The Grande Seconde Dual Time, ref. J016030240

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E DIT OR IAL

Let the sunshine in !

f you are a regular reader you will know that spring is my favourite season and that I am a colour-addict. Basically, nature’s awakening, the return of the sun and the vibrancy of the colours really make me want to live life to the full. I am gradually pulling myself out of my winter slumber so that I can discover the new creations devised by watch brands at the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie [International Luxury Watchmakers Trade Show] in Geneva and later at Baselworld. At the SIHH, I was surprised by the return of yellow gold which was used to decorate boxes as well as the watch faces themselves. Personally, I only like so-called white metals silver, white gold, platinum, steel - but I have to admit that yellow gold has this fabulous ability to radiate warmth like the summer sun. The result is not at all old-fashioned but instead offers a slightly vintage edge which is perfectly in keeping with the “ I’ve just stolen my father’s watch ” trend. Having tested the waters in 2016, Audemars Piguet confirmed the return of this gilded metal in this year’s collections. So what are the must haves ? Team your yellow gold watch in its yellow gold case with your yellow gold bracelet. Yellow gold everywhere ... but without a hint of bling. Another trend : colour ! Even though blue and its variations ranging from turquoise to navy remain popular in 2017, new colours are brightening up watch faces. Warm tones come in the form of mauve stones and celadon enamel encrusting for Van Cleef & Arpels, deep plum with purple flecks for JaegerLeCoultre and fuchsia pink and taupe for Piaget. These colours may well seem unusual, but they are not as unexpected as the magnificent emerald green found on the limited edition Endeavour Concept by H. Moser & Cie and in the Altiplano anniversary collection by Piaget. The latter is perfectly on trend as the soft warmth of yellow gold has been combined harmoniously with the natural intensity of the dark green. Black, however, continues to feature, even if it withholds its “ Great Classic ” status and is seen as a safe bet. Nevertheless,

in order to differentiate itself, it has been intensified through the use of new materials that absorb almost 100% of light : carbon nanotubes or Vantablack are used by Panerai and MCT to create a pure and rich black. Now it’s time to discover what’s new in Basel !

Sharmila Bertin Editor-in-Chief

THE WATCHES MAGAZINE

Spring 2017

LEGENDS ARE FOREVER

www.zenith-watches.com

EL PRIMERO I Chronomaster

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

“ These words that echo down the years ”

Mélanie Chappuis Writer

was Argentinian in another life. A daughter of Buenos Aires, between childhood and adolescence. I lived in two languages: French and Spanish – my native language and that of my mother country. Daniela’s – that little girl with curly hair, a rounded tummy and bulky nappies. My family found the daughter of our housekeeper sulky and rude. I kept her joy and grace as my secret. Daniela – I was the only one who knew how marvellous she was, and how much I loved her. I missed her and was keen to see her when I came home from school. Her face lit up, she dropped her doll and what she was eating and leapt into my arms. We would go and hide somewhere and she told me all the stories that she kept from the others. She gave me the most beautiful smiles, the sweetest kisses, dozed while I stroked her hair and sang her lullabies taken from her mother. Duermete mi niña, duermete mi sol …* Her features relaxed, her mouth relaxed as sleep overtook her under my fascinated gaze. One day, there were no more little bare feet running to meet me in my school shoes. No more Argentina and no more Daniela. My father’s job imposed a move on us. Buenos Aires was not my city any longer. Daniela had never been my child, nor my sister, my friend nor my god-daughter. I cried till I choked, secretly, felled by the violence of this first sorrow. My daughter was born nearly nine years ago. The words of the lullaby came back to me at the same time as this motherly love that I came close to long ago – duermete pedazo de mi corazon.

Paloma no longer has the curly hair of her sweet childhood, nor the rounded tummy nor the cumbersome nappies. She is the age that I was when Daniela came into my life. She does not speak Spanish, but she does know this lullaby that I still sing to her. Paloma has passed it on to her cousin; in Spanish first, then in French – endors-toi mon soleil** She looks at me, proud to offer me these words that echo down the years. She has an intuitive feeling about things that she does not know. Thanks to her, Argentina remains my country. Daniela remains in my heart. Time and space no longer exist. Eternity resides in the melody sung by my daughter. * Literally, “ Sleep, my little girl, sleep, my sunshine, sleep, fragment of my heart ” ** “ Sleep, my sunshine ”

THE WATCHES MAGAZINE

Spring 2017

BOUTIQUES GENÈVE • PARIS • LONDON • BERLIN • NEW YORK MIAMI • BEVERLY HILLS • LAS VEGAS MOSCOW • DUBAI • TOKYO • HONG KONG SINGAPORE • SAINT-TROPEZ • CANNES COURCHEVEL • ZERMATT • ZÜRICH

Big Bang Meca-10 All Black. Case in black ceramic. In-house manual movement, with a 10-day power reserve and an innovative architecture inspired by Meccano-type design. Interchangeable strap with a patented attachment. Limited edition of 500 pieces.

INSIDE

32 Cover Story Tissot

10 12 20 22 24 28

Editorial Guest Mélanie Chappuis We love Technique We love Speed Trends The Eye of Jewelry

32 Cover Story Tissot 42 Baume & Mercier Interview Alain Zimmerman 45 Hermès 46 Richard Mille 48 Hublot

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Spring 2017

50 52 54 56 59 60

Chopard Urwerk Audemars Piguet Panerai Carl F. Bucherer IWC

INSIDE

66 Vacheron Constantin

62 64 66 68 69 70

Jaeger-LeCoultre Harry Winston Vacheron Constantin Corum Girard-Perregaux Graham

72 74 76 77 78 80

Cartier MB&F Baume & Mercier Emile Chouriet Van Cleef & Arpels Dubai Watch Week

THE WATCHES MAGAZINE

Spring 2017

82 Opinion

* LA PERFORMANCE MÉCANIQUE POUSSÉE À L’EXTRÊME

CALIBRE RM 11-03

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IMPR E SSU M

Swiss International Magazine Printemps 2017 #048 Interview Alain Zimmerman - Guest Mélanie Chappuis

WElCOME TO THE WOrlD OF WATCHES www.watches-news.com Tissot

Édition francophone

Fi e r d ' ê t r e S u i s s e ! Audemars Piguet - Baume & Mercier - Breguet - Carl F. Bucherer - Cartier - Chopard - Corum - Dior Emile Chouriet - Giampiero Bodino - Girard-Perregaux - Graham - H. Moser & Cie - Harry Winston Hermès - Hublot - IWC - Jaeger-LeCoultre - MB&F - Omega - Panerai - Piaget - Richard Mille urwerk - Vacheron Constantin - Van Cleef & Arpels 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 - Dan Diaconu Eléonor Picciotto - Fabrice Eschmann - Mélanie Chappuis Olivier Müller 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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Spring 2017

FINESSE AND REFINEMENT

by the motorist of time

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We Love T e c hniqu e

Breguet Tradition Dame By Sharmila Bertin

he Tradition collection by Breguet, which was first launched over ten years ago, in 2005 to be precise, has an aesthetic quality inspired by the famous subscription watches made by Abraham-Louis Breguet (1747-1823), one of the greatest craftsmen in the history of watchmaking. These timepieces, known as subscription watches, because a deposit was needed to order one â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a system that was very much in vogue in the 19 th century, and not only for watches â&#x20AC;&#x201C; had a simple appearance, and were driven by a simple movement including a large central barrel, and all at an affordable price. Today, the Tradition collection, paying homage to the great watchmaker, Abraham-Louis Breguet, is the epitome of quality watchmaking, with a perfect mechanism superbly displayed on the watch face. Although technique is considered as a mainly masculine preserve, the Tradition Dame model puts paid to this received idea. Because in line with the Tradition collection, the pink gold case body with a diameter of 37mm is beautifully fluted, like the grooved crown featuring a synthetic ruby. To make it even more feminine, a bezel covered in 68 brilliant-cut

diamonds completes the watch setting. On the dial, the plate and rhodium-plated, frosted bridges are discrete enough to leave the hours and minutes as the central focus. The hours and minutes are offset at 12 o'clock and embodied by two gold Breguet open-tipped hands moving across a white, motherof-pearl disc engraved in a Clous de Paris pattern. The hour rim is made up of black Arabic numbers, known as Breguet figures. Retrograde seconds with a gilded hand are set at 10 o'clock, directly on the plate.Placed at the centre of the watch, like in subscription watches and partially hidden by the hour and minute dial, the barrel is engraved with a floral pattern similar to a chrysanthemum with a large number of long, rounded petals. This pattern is repeated on the gold rotor, unveiled by the sapphire caseback. The new, pink gold Tradition Dame timepiece is driven by the Breguet 505SR calibre, an automatic mechanical movement providing a power reserve of 50 hours.

THE WATCHES MAGAZINE

Spring 2017

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We Love Spe e d

Omega Speedmaster Automatic By Sharmila Bertin

mega’s Speedmaster collection is a treasure chest of iconic timepieces, like the legendary Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch – whose ceramic variations have been an outstanding hit – and other ever-so seductivelydesigned models like the Speedmaster '57, the Speedmaster Racing and the Speedmaster Mark II. The design of the latter’s dual-level minute tracker, originally created in 1968, has integrated the new Speedmaster Automatic. As its name suggests, the Speedmaster Automatic is powered by a self-winding mechanical movement. The calibre 9900 – which already beats inside quite a few Seamaster Planet Ocean – hosts a co-axial escapement and has been granted METAS certification (Swiss Federal Office for Metrology), which confirms that the watch underwent a battery of resistance, sealing and precision tests and passed with flying colours. This calibre 9900 breathes life into the time, calendar and chronograph functions and offers around 60 hours’ autonomy. The Speedmaster Automatic case, housing this engine, is designed in steel and has a diameter of 44.25 mm. It is topped with a black ceramic bezel that boasts a Liquidmetal®

tachymetric scale. This celebrated yet atypical minute tracker runs around the black dial flange. The hour chapter comprises luminescent arrow-shaped white gold indexes. The hours and minutes are displayed in the centre by two bright orangevarnished hands, a colour that also adorns the small second hand (at 9 o’clock) and the squares crowing the indexes. It is also used on the tip of the chronograph’s white directdrive ; the chronograph hours and minutes are clustered in a totalizer (at 3 o’clock) and are equipped with white hands. The date ticks over at the bottom of the dial at 6 o’clock. Omega’s new model is proposed with a black leather, punchpatterned strap, lined with orange rubber.

THE WATCHES MAGAZINE

Spring 2017

T R E NDS

24 Piaget

Green spring By Sharmila Bertin

reen is THE must-have colour for 2017 for everything from decorative objects through fashion and to watches. This hue, with its infinite number of shades, symbolizes spring embracing nature that is just awakening after a (too) long winter break ; it is energizing even electrifying when it becomes moss, prairie or apple and is intense when it conjures up the emerald coat that covers mountain-set pine trees and lakes. This ever-so harmonious colour was centre staged at the heart of watchmakers’ collections, during the 27th edition of the SIHH, where it illuminated the dials of quite a few creations. Jewellery, sportive and classical, watches are going for green. Pine green Two classically-styled timepieces boast a face decorated with deep-dark green : a model from Piaget’s Altiplano collection, a company that celebrates its 60th anniversary this year, and

H. Moser & Cie’s Endeavour Centre Seconds Concept Cosmic Green. Yellow gold has been making a slow but sure comeback over the last two to three years, a trend that Piaget has picked up on for the 40 mm diameter case of this Altiplano driven by the extra-slim self-winding calibre 1203P. This manufacturemade movement stimulates the golden, baton-style hour and minute hands as well as the direct drive on the green dial above an hour chapter featuring slimline applique indexes. H. Moser & Cie, an advocate of less is more and, above all, allergic to the one-upmanship of logos, proposes a limited rose or white gold edition (20 pieces each) of its Endeavour Centre Seconds Concept Cosmic Green. Following on from “ Funky Blue ”, Edouard Meylan, the brand’s dashing CEO, has invented a new dial colour : “ Cosmic Green ”, a smoky, misty bottle green over which a pair of leaf-shaped hands hover. Its 40.8 mm diameter case embraces the HMC 343 hand-wound mechanical calibre which offers autonomy of seven days!

THE WATCHES MAGAZINE

Spring 2017

T R E NDS

Cartier

Light green Among the Parisian firms acknowledged for their poetic jewellery-watchmaking creativeness, Cartier with its Papyrus watch and Van Cleef & Arpels with its Cadenas watch stand out. With a certain degree of passion, both place the emphasis on the luscious green luminosity of emeralds. A single ribbon of stones for one, an unequivocal gem-filled cocoon for the other, green embraces the heart of these precious masterpieces. Cartier’s Papyrus watch, created with a set of 32 emeralds (totalling 38.20 carats), interspersed with triangular diamonds, is a bracelet watch whose fan-shaped silhouette draws its inspiration from the eponymous semi-aquatic plant. Cloaked by this forest of emeralds, nestling between two rows of onyx, the diamond-covered dial discreetly displays the hours and minutes, driven by the manual calibre 846. Cadenas, created in Van Cleef’s studios in 1935, continues to captivate ladies fascinated by the graphic design of its case and the gracefulness of its bracelet. In 2017, its white gold body is adorned with circular diamonds and is attached by a slinky twine featuring princess-cut emeralds. The centre of the dial, also set with diamonds, hosts a pair of baton-shaped hands that indicate the hours and minutes.

Audemars Piguet

42 mm diameter steel case, offers a 60-hour power reserve. It is proposed in five different colours but, obviously, the “ lime green ” version is the one – in my opinion- that “ rocks ” the most, especially worn with its matching rubber strap. The “ Méga Tapisserie ” checkerboard motif dial is covered with a fresh, energizing tint similar to the colour of a Granny Smith apple, which gives you good vibes. It is encircled by a blue ring crisscrossed with circular micro-striations and hosts the luminescent hour indexes. In the centre, two Royal Oak hands and a direct drive tipped with a dot display the hours and seconds, whilst the date features in an aperture at 3 o’clock. The internal rotating bezel displays the diving scale and 0-15 minute zone in green on a blue backdrop.

Apple green Let’s finish off on a rather bubbly, pop-styled note with the Brassus-based brand, Audemars Piguet, which is bringing electrifying colours back into play after having presented them in its Royal Oak Offshore Diver collection in 2016. This year, chronographs have given way to three-hand models incorporating the date, paced by the self-winding calibre 3120. This movement, nestling in a 300-metre water-resistant,

THE WATCHES MAGAZINE

Spring 2017

The e ye of Je we lry

Giampiero Bodino

Dreams of Beauty By Eléonor Picciotto

urprising, sometimes bafflingly beautiful, the feminine timepieces unveiled at the beginning of this year have made an impact. The time display on secret watches is no longer elegantly disguised – it is now properly hidden, and our wrists look even more beautiful. It’s daring, but what a provocation is revealed! The Diamond Outrage is part of the trio in the series of pieces of fine jewellery designed by Audemars Piguet three years ago. Offering protection or seduction, this conical wristband hand-set with 11,043 sapphires (ie 65.47 carats of stones) divided into six shades of blue, now hides a clip (set with precious stones, of course) beneath the wrist which enables the wearer to open a window in which a little sapphire dial allows a glimpse of the time. This latest work by the watchmaker / jeweller from the factory in Le Brassus may seem aggressive to some, but certainly gives others a lot to think about. In 1998, Victoire de Castellane set her first stones in the House of Dior’s jewellery. Described as a creative genius

who loved colours, she imposed her style and her taste, but in particular, was the first to use both opals and diamonds together. This year, she is using and abusing her favourite stone, devoting her latest collection, entitled Dior et d’Opales, to it. The collection comprises twelve majestic bracelets – or rather secret watches. They are crowned with opals, and set with stones that pick up exactly the fire of the colours of the black or white opal in the centre. Sapphires, garnets, tsavorites, emeralds, rubies or amethysts are all combined in the decoration – real jewels that express the love that Victoire de Castellane has for opals as closely as anything could. Giampiero Bodino, is the child prodigy at Richemont. The “ little ” 56-year-old protégé has also been the artistic director of the group since 2002. Since he launched his eponymous line of finest jewellery, this creative artist, inspired by his Italian heritage, has not ceased to surprise. All his collections have been a real success. Acclaimed by the greatest, he is trying working on a watch for the first time. Three pieces > in three different styles that are in the process of becoming

THE WATCHES MAGAZINE

Spring 2017

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

The e ye of Je we lry

Dior

30 three icons. After all, why choose between a bracelet and a watch when you can have both ? On the other hand, if the choice becomes too difficult, the Objet Extraordinaire from Van Cleef & Arpels is the solution. It has taken seven years to develop the Automate FĂŠe Ondine â&#x20AC;&#x201C; an object that tells the time, but when the magic brings it to life (every fifteen minutes), you forget the main function. From the fully-articulated body of the fairy, through the rippling of the waterlily, the opening and closing of the lotus flowers, or the beating of the wings of the butterfly set with precious stones, to the movement of the ladybird with hidden baguettecut rubies weighing less than four grammes, this animated world becomes a sublime reality.

Audemars Piguet

THE WATCHES MAGAZINE

Spring 2017

Cove r st ory tissot

Defeating the enemies of chronometry By Sharmila Bertin

nfortunately, watchmaking has numerous enemies that affect the mechanical heart of certain timepieces, or even damage them irremediably. To combat these, Tissot has introduced a new material in its watch collections : silicon. Shocks, corrosion, friction, damp, magnetic fields, wear and tear – the life of a watch is not always easy. Contrary to what one might think, they are not comfortably installed on a wrist away from all danger, but each day, come across many situations that are dangerous for the watch, the case, and the movement inside it. Since the 1930s, Tissot has been working to find innovative solutions to produce timepieces that are reliable and accurate at a reasonable price. Magnetic fields: enemy no 1 Don’t bother to try looking for culprits : they are everywhere

– and they are invisible ! In fact, magnetic fields fill our everyday world, from the fridge that you open to grab a bottle of milk to the handbag with a magnetic clasp where you keep your purse, house keys and mobile phone. So many ordinary objects and actions that, despite everything, have an impact on the life of a watch. Why ? Because “ strong magnetic fields can affect accuracy, especially in mechanical watches. They disturb the natural functioning of certain components, like the balance wheel that guarantees accuracy ” explains Louis Nardin, watchmaking journalist and author of the excellent practical guide La Magie des Montres ( The Magic of Watches). And a timepiece that loses its accuracy and is therefore no longer reliable is no longer useful. The first innovations At the beginning of the 20th century, watchmakers became aware of the problem of magnetism, and decided to protect

THE WATCHES MAGAZINE

Spring 2017

their mechanical workings from its harmful effects. Vacheron Constantin was the first to take action, designing an antimagnetic pocket watch in 1915. Fourteen years later, in 1929, it was the turn of Tissot to present the first wristwatch called simply Tissot Antimagnétique (Tissot Antimagnetic). Made of resistant metals of the soft iron type, this model obtained very good results in the tests conducted by the Swiss laboratory Recherche Horlogère de Neuchâtel (Neuchâtel Watchmaking Research). Antimagnetism, guaranteeing accuracy, became the object of a quest within the Le Locle factory where in 1938 the firm installed a “chrono-electromagnet” – a device that produced magnetic fields of differing intensities and enabled the resistance of timepieces to be tested. There are many solutions: alloys of metals that are not susceptible to magnetic fields or the use of a soft iron case to protect the movement. However, the best solution today is to use silicon.

Silicone, a reliable solution A new material appeared in watchmaking at the beginning of the 21st century: silicone, especially “ in certain parts of the movement that are delicate, such as the components of the escapement ” continued Louis Nardin in his work before specifying further on, “ like the spring, the lever or the escape wheel ”. The first person to use silicone in the collections from 2006 among the watches of the Swatch Group was Breguet, particularly with the Classique 5197 model that included an escape wheel, a lever and a flat spring in silicone. There are many advantages with this material. In fact, “silicone is able to work without lubrication, and has other qualities : it is non-magnetic, hard, light – which means that it has a low density and resists corrosion, and this is a fundamental quality for the watchmaking world ”, as you can read in La Conquête du Temps ( The Conquest of Time – Flammarion), a real bible of the history of watchmaking written by Dominique Fléchon.

THE WATCHES MAGAZINE

Spring 2017

Cove r st ory tissot

34 Unaffected by magnetic fields or corrosion yet light and hard at the same time, not needing lubrication, silicone is a sort of superhero destined to protect our watches. The watch ready to fend off danger This year, after the Prestige names of the Swatch Group (Breguet, Omega and Jaquet Droz), it is Tissot’s turn to reap the benefits of silicone technology. The factory at Le Locle is actually introducing this magic material within its mechanical movements, especially for the Ballade collection from the T-Classic family. With a timeless attraction, reliable movement and really reasonable price – this is the recipe for success chez Tissot ! Fitted with a silicone spiral balance wheel, the famous Powermatic80 movement, a COSC-certified chronometer, self-winding, that powers the time-keeping and calendar functions of the Tissot Ballade collection while providing an impressive 80-hour power reserve. It is held in a steel case – polished or partially covered in PVD yellow or rose gold – available in four different diameters (41, 39, 32 or 30.6mm). The Clous de Paris motif that covers the fixed bezel is also found in the middle of the dial. Two dauphine-shaped hands in the centre – silver or gold coloured – that display the hours and minutes lie above an hour rim with markers and Arabic numerals mounted on it. The seconds are also marked in the centre by a fine seconds hand while the date is shown in a display at the 3 o’clock position.

THE WATCHES MAGAZINE

Spring 2017

THE WATCHES MAGAZINE

Spring 2017

Cove r st ory tissot Peak Walk by Tissot

Proud To Be Swiss! By Sharmila Bertin

rom the Chemin des Tourelles to the Jungfrau summit and Le Locle to the Bernese Oberland, Tissot proudly displays its Swiss identity with every endeavour, demonstrating endless devotion for its homeland through branded watches and partnerships with local businesses.

Tissot tick. Considered the top volume brand worldwide, Tissot does not confine itself to watchmaking, staying active in the sports world both as an official timekeeper and preferred partner. Then again, what Tissot loves most is acting as an ambassador at home in Switzerland.

Conquering the highest summits – literally and figuratively – has always been Tissot’s lofty ambition. Since its 1853 Le Locle founding and 1907 establishment of the Chemin des Tourelles factory, the Tissot passion for watchmaking and sweet obsession for precision timekeeping has never wound down, producing innovation after innovation. From the gold pocket watches designed by original shop founderturned modern day factory owner Charles-Félicien Tissot and son Charles-Emile in the 19 th century to the latest, greatest digital timepiece from the T-Touch collection, innovation is still today the driving force that makes

Destination : Europe’s Highest Peak The indisputable watchmaking capital worldwide, Switzerland abounds with lush landscape and the steep rugged terrain of the Jura Mountains and Alps surrounding it. And, it was here in this very Bernese Oberland that Tissot and the Jungfrau Railway forged a rock solid partnership in 2012. In operation from 1912, the Jungfrau Railway (Jungfraubahn in German) is a rack rail line running from Kleine Scheidegg up to the impressive 3471-metre Jungfraujoch station located in the saddle between the

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First Cliff Walk by Tissot >

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Cove r st ory tissot

Tony Parker

38 Mรถnch and Jungfrau peaks. All the more magnificent, the 4158-metre Jungfrau summit towers over Grindelwald Valley ski resorts, hiking areas and Lake Thun in the Canton of Bern. Vertiginous Strides The Walk concept came from its fierce fascination for the Swiss Alps. Dubbed the Peak Walk by Tissot , the first took place in October 2014 at Glacier 3000 overlooking the Diablerets ski area in the Canton of Vaud. Explorer and adventurer Mike Horn inaugurated the original and only 107-metre long suspension bridge to connect two mountain peaks. In fact the second, the First Cliff Walk by Tissot was held in September 2015. Boasting the longest luge track on the planet, First is actually a ski resort located in the village of Grindelwald. Flanking the mountain, this skywalk culminates in a suspension bridge overlooking an awesome 45-metre drop below. High Altitude Basketball In September 2016, Tissot built a special basketball court at Jungfraujoch to accommodate the match-up between NBA champ Tony Parker and a Swiss professional team. Despite extremely cold conditions, the top San Antonio Spur played a full five-on-five basketball game and at 3454 metres altitude to boot. Wearing just a sweatshirt and insulated anorak, this Tissot brand ambassador made an effortless display of his legendary agility and speed, all to the great delight and

applause of the hundred or so journalists who came from all over the world to see it happen. A Watch Designed for Adventure Clearly inspired by their very own stunning Alps, Tissot pays them tribute with the special edition Jungfraubahn T-Touch Solar Quartz watch. In shades of grey, the majestic Eiger, Mรถnch and Jungfrau mountains rise up to meet the centre of the dial. Two solid luminous hands sweep from their base, the minute hand tipped in a red arrow pointer. Much like a Swiss Army knife watch, the Jungfraubahn T-Touch Solar features a 45mm diameter black PVD titanium case, water-resistance to 100 metres and an engraved Jungfraubahn logo on the back. Powered by solar movement, the watch sports a quartz touchscreen providing a host of useful features for mountain climbers and adventurers alike: weather conditions, altimeter, compass, countdown timer, chronograph, dual alarm, second time zone and perpetual calendar, just to name a few. End of the Road and Return Home to Le Locle To some extent, Chemin des Tourelles is considered the actual birthplace of Tissot. This is where the factory started operations in 1907 and Tissot celebrates the continued success of its home base with a timepiece collection showcasing the Swiss Chemin des Tourelles special edition. Available in 32 or 44mm with a PVD gold bezel, the back of the case bears an effigy of the Goddess Helvetia

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T-Touch Solar Jungfraubahn >

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Cove r st ory tissot

encircled by 23 stars, embodying the Swiss Confederation and proudly displaying spear, shield and laurel crown prominently. On the front side, a mosaic of Swiss crosses studs the silver dial. Powered by the Powermatic 80 selfwinding calibre providing up to 80 hours of power reserve, the hour, minute and second displays are situated at the centre of the dial whilst the date display shows clearly at 6 oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;clock.

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Chemin des Tourelles Switzerland Special Edition

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Int e r vIe w

Alain Zimmerman : “ We must successfully seize the spirit of the moment, without succumbing to the fads of fashion ” By Tiffany Cartier-Millon

lain Zimmerman started watchmaking around twenty years ago. The course of his career has not been typical – he came into the luxury industry by way of perfumes, at L’Oréal – and that is probably why he does not think like most leading watchmakers. Watches Magazine had the opportunity to talk to him, in the comfortable surroundings of Dubai Watch Week. This man treads lightly and modestly, giving priority to ideas and creativity. He talks of his profession and his challenges with passion, but also, especially, with a frankness and simplicity that is oh so refreshing.

of Baume & Mercier while at the same time prompting something new. We must successfully seize the spirit of the moment, without succumbing to the fads of fashion.

How would you define your role ? I think I need to protect the historical watchmaking capital

How did you then decide to reposition yourselves ? You need to know how to recognise your mistakes and get

Why did you take the decision to go up-market a few years ago ? Seven years ago, the brand was languishing a bit. We did have enough valid elements (design, watchmaking credibility, etc) to decide to go up-market, up to a point, of course. Perhaps we did so too rapidly – our clientele was not ready, or it wasn’t the right time.

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Int e r vIe w started again. That’s what we did about five years ago. Of course we didn’t change the recipe completely, just mix the cocktail differently. We repositioned the brand, aiming at a younger, feminine market. More accessible collections, like Petite Promesse which has just been launched, are the fruit of this strategy. It is a simple piece, but with lots of character, and captures the spirit of the moment : a double-wrap bracelet in a mini format. Having said that, once a year we also get back to basics by demonstrating our watch-making skill ! The complicated pieces of the Clifton Collection display fine watchmaking, and show the quality that we are capable of producing while successfully controlling prices. Which are your current best-sellers ? The Classima Collection remains one of our must-haves taking all categories together. As far as the regions go, there are also Clifton or Capeland, for men, and of course Promesse for women.

Good value for money is obviously what a buyer is looking for, but it’s not the only thing. What makes people choose Baume & Mercier ? Our brand and our products are strongly linked with the idea of “ highlights ”. The gift sector is one of our great strengths, and this strength of at the heart of our strategy. Irrespective of age, religion or culture, celebration is linked to human nature. One of the key moments, for example, is graduation. Professional promotion is another step that needs to be acknowledged. We have done a lot of work on these occasions in the last few years, especially with the prestigious universities, but also with contemporary institutions like LinkedIn.

research, and – particularly – be challenged by all these great minds ! We also have a partnership with LinkedIn and have taken the initiative with events in the United Kingdom, Italy, and Switzerland, always planned around very constructive subjects. Does this sort of positioning influence the life cycles of products ? We are a brand for initiation, and we don’t pretend that our clients will stay with us for thirty years. It seems to me that the life cycle of a product can last between three and five years. Then things change : size, colour, materials, etc. Sometimes you want to go too fast, widen the range etc. You risk diluting the product. Then there are the exceptions that prove the rule, the iconic pieces that last and never really disappear. I am thinking of our Catwalk in the 90s. Without being linked, Chanel, Chaumet and Baume & Mercier had presented cuff watches. That’s what I see as the spirit of the moment, going beyond a fashion trend. There was something in the air ! Then, of course, there was Twenty~4, launched in 1999 by Patek Philippe, which followed on from this first wave and has remained iconic !

Exactly – what is your communication strategy ? With competitors like Longines, how can you make yourselves heard in this milieu where communication is crowded with the big players ? By proving our creativity and with the means at our disposal! Choices have to be made – to attract or surprise, sometimes with humour; to use social media. We have changed our tone to appeal to a public of millennials among others. You also need to understand the spirit of the moment, without falling into the trap of becoming just a “fashion accessory”. In particular, we have approached the world’s prestigious universities ( Editor’s note : London Business School, Hong Kong UST, the American University of Dubai, The Haute école de Gestion de Zurich, The Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne or Les Mines in Paris, just to quote a few) to support the students up to their graduation. We organise leadership seminars, “ digital days ”, we invite them to the SIHH (Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie – Fine Watchmaking Show), etc. We create pieces specially for promotions so that they become focal points. But be very clear : we make sure that they stay a real symbol of what is happening – no degree, no Baume & Mercier ! The advantage is that the collaboration goes both ways. It is very rewarding for me, since I can ask questions, carry out

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He r mè s

All the strength of mechanical memory By Sharmila Bertin

een as one of the finest watch complications, the perpetual calendar is now part of the Slim collection by Hermès.

It's been two years now since Hermès released its Slim model, a simple and elegant classic watch with a face displaying the famous, almost ethereal type and figures designed by Philippe Apeloig. Its simplicity meant it could serve as a creative canvas for such artistic elements as the champlevé enamelwork graphic designs (Slim Perspective Cavalière) or the miniature painting on mother-of-pearl (Slim Mille Fleurs du Mexique), and for classic techniques like on the Slim Email Grand Feu. Today, Hermès is introducing a prestigious complication to this collection with the creation of the Slim Quantième Perpétuel Platine model. To make this piece, Hermès has chosen platinum, a noble and resistant material. The sapphire crystal background on the 39.5mm case reveals its mechanical heart, the H1950 calibre, together with an Agenhor module. This self-winding movement, which runs at 21,600 alterations an hour (3Hz) and provides 42 hours of power reserve, drives a wide range of functions and displays : hours and minutes, perpetual

date, second time zone, moon phase and day / night indicator. Made up of different levels, the blue face is encircled by a sunburst scale housing a silver hour rim. The centre, with stick-shaped hands for the hours and minutes, as well as four counters, is decorated with a circular guilloche pattern. Slightly bigger than the other dials, and with a red hand, the second time zone is set at 6 o'clock. The perpetual calendar is shared by two sub-dials : the months and the position in the leap-year cycle are grouped together at 9 o'clock, while the date is shown by a hand at 12 o'clock. Housed in an open, crescent-shaped display, the moon phase is represented by a white mother-of-pearl disc set against a blue aventurine background. The Slim Quantième Perpétuel Platine by Hermès features an abyss blue alligator strap matching the ocean-blue tint on the dial.

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R ic haRd Mille

Featherweight and extraordinarily resistant By Dan Diaconu

, 5,000, 40, 1,0980,000, 10, 200 … This torrent of jumbled-up figures does not correspond to figures of a Swiss bank account but reveals a few clues as to the key features of Richard Mille’s RM 50-03 McLaren F1. Created in partnership with McLaren the English Formula 1 constructor, the new RM 50-03 incorporates the latest high-tech-material state-of-the-art innovations that feature in the world’s most powerful racecar chassis. Conclusion ? The French brand enhances its catalogue with the lightest mechanical chronograph the world has ever seen. 7 grams ! This is the incredible weight of the RM 50-03 calibre combining the tourbillon and split-second chronograph. This unbelievable lightness is reiterated throughout the timepiece. The RM 50-03 weighs less than 40 grams, strap included. This preternatural exploit was made possible by marrying

grade 5 titanium, carbon TPT and a nanomaterial, graphene. Graph TPT – carbon TPT injected with graphene – is also used in the bezel and the caseback. This composite is characterized by its unique qualities. It is six times lighter than steel but also 200 times more resistant. Graphene was also injected into the strap, enriching it with greater elasticity and wear-resistance. This blend of materials endows the watch with unprecedented power of resistance. It can withstand accelerated boosts up to 5,000 G, i.e. the shock a timepiece would experience if it fell from a one-metre height at a speed of 4.43 m/s, on a hard wooden surface (according to the ISO 1413 standard). But technology is nothing without watchmakers’ traditional savoir-faire. And, in this instance, it is illustrated through the ultimate in skeletonizing and fine-watchmaking finishing details. Smoothing, polishing, satin-finishing and other subtle

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movement component touches are all meticulously carried out by hand. Each PVD-coated, grade 5 titanium skeleton dial needs more than three hours bevelling and polishing. The whole movement was revisited and enhanced to provide the power required to drive the myriad of coloured indicators featured on the dial side, chronograph counters, power reserve (totalling 70 hours) and torque sensor. For the owner/ wearer, the work performed is also a guarantee that the watch is absolutely user-friendly and totally risk-free. The 75 numbered pieces will be delivered with a 1:5 scale model of the 2017 McLaren F1. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Simplicity is the ultimate form of sophisticationâ&#x20AC;? declared Leonardo da Vinci. The watch has a price tag of course... 1,098,000 euros...

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Hu b lot

A fusion of swiss expertise By Sharmila Bertin

asters in the art of melding materials, Hublot is now going further in this direction and merging three different worlds into one. Or rather two : a chronograph and a three-hand watch. Each new piece made by Hublot comes as a surprise, since the Nyon-based watchmakers can generally be found where you least expect them. And on this occasion, it was on the heights of Zermatt, the chic Valais ski resort in Switzerland, facing the impressive Matterhorn, that Hublot introduced two new watches in the Big Bang collection. Named the Big Bang Sugar Skull – sounding something like the name of a rock group – they are both similar and different, but each represents a blend of three typically Swiss worlds : watchmaking, skiing and embroidery – a trio sharing the same three values of passion, patience and performance.

Hublot has continued the collaboration begun in 2015 with the Bischoff workshops, which led to the Big Bang Broderie, to design the new Big Bang Sugar Skull Hot Pink, a piece adorned in black and bright pink. Its carbon fibre dial features a calavera – a skull symbolising the Mexican día de los muertos – made from organza, an embroidered pink muslin silk material, and decorated with floral arabesques with curls reaching a bezel engraved in counter-relief. At the centre of this delicate canvas are two large openwork hands displaying the hours and the minutes, and making their way around twelve markers set with black diamonds. The case is made of polished ceramics with a diameter of 41mm and features the famous composite resin ears. It houses the automatic HUB1100 calibre, providing a power reserve of 42 hours. The second watch presented by Hublot, the Big Bang Sugar Skull Blue Cobalt, is a black chronograph tinted in electric

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Spring 2017

blue. The dial also shows a polished skull adorned with climbing plants. But unlike the previous model, the black disc reveals the self-winding movement, the HUB4214 calibre, which drives the hour functions (the hours and minutes at the centre of the dial and the seconds at 9 o'clock), the calendar function (the date at 4.30) and the chronograph (seconds at the centre and the minute counter at 3 o'clock). The whole mechanism is housed in a solid case measuring 44mm in diameter and 14.70mm thick, made of black micro-beaded ceramics. Both the Big Bang Sugar Skull watches have been made in 50 pieces, and have been designed in collaboration with AK, the ski brand founded by Aldo Kuonen in 1996, and later taken over by his children Francesca and Marco. AK is famous for its sturdy skis made in limited quantities, and manufactured in layers of wood, rubber, steel, fibre glass and carbon. A

blend of materials that is similar to the fusion that Hublot has been carrying out for years on its timepieces. Each Big Bang Sugar Skull comes with a pair of black AK skis, decorated with the watchmaker's logo and the famous flowered calavera.

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Spring 2017

C hopar d

Mastering the sky By Fabrice Eschmann

ur calendar principles are founded on astronomical observations : a year defines the time that the Earth takes to revolve around the sun ; a month is the time it takes the moon to turn around the Earth and a day the time for the Earth to rotate around its own axis. Yet, nothing is as straightforward as it seems. The Earth does not actually make a complete orbit around the sun in 365 days but, more precisely, in 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes and 45 seconds. This variation, which distinguishes civil time from astronomical time, led Jules Caesar, back in 46 BCE, to initiate adding an extra day every four years – leap years. His Julian calendar was not totally perfect however as the difference between civil time and astronomical time totalled slightly less than four days after 400 years. And, this is why the Gregorian calendar came into being in 1582 : it deducts three days every four centuries, simply by replacing three leap years by

three ordinary years. These are the famous exceptions of the current Gregorian calendar (1700, 1800, 1900, 2100, 2200, 2300). It is easy to imagine then that these dating chinks have given watchmakers quite a few nail-biting moments over the years. Dates began to feature on pocket watches fairly early on – well before the minute and second hands. From the end of the 16th century, astronomical watches principally displayed the date, the day and the month. These calendars were, however, “ simple ” ones that had to be manually adjusted after each month containing less than 31 days. It was only at the end of the 18th century that calendars, referred to as “ perpetual ”, were developed, i.e. which took the varying length of months and the leap-year cycle into account. Even nowadays, this complication is only favoured by a handful of watchmaking firms. Chopard is one of these and, through

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its L.U.C. movement manufacturing facility in Fleurier, strives to create extremely skilfully-crafted calibres. This L.U.C Lunar One, showcased for the first time in 2005, has since become one of the brandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s great classics. Previously proposed in gold, it is now in platinum and retails in a 100-piece limited edition. Its perpetual calendar hosts a 1,461-day mechanical memory, i.e. a four-year cycle. It does not take into account, however, the Gregorian calendar exceptions. Its mechanism must be manually adjusted, for the first time in 2100. Likewise, its lunar phase is stunningly accurate. It is not just a simple disc that rotates under the dial but a complex interplay of components that provides an exact depiction of the moon as it appears in the sky. It will take some 122 years before this display is offset by a day vis-Ă -vis the real moon.

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Spring 2017

U r we r k

20 years of wandering

By Fabrice Eschmann

e’ve got used to wandering with the two of them over the last 20 years. Two decades that Martin Frei – the designer – and Felix Baumgartner – the watchmaker – have been proposing their “ wandering hour ” concept in timepieces, where each is more fantastic than the last. An idea that, from the moment they presented their first model UR-101 at the Basel show back in 1997, led them to be considered as crazy. The two partners did not pay any attention to this. “ Our aim was to bring something original to watchmaking ”, proclaimed Martin Frei to the world. And, yes, the world heard him, far more than what we can imagine. Unknowingly, our 2 Urwerk pioneers had blazed a trail that a host of other creators would then follow and had conceived a real movement: new watchmaking. The wandering-hour concept is expressed through an extraordinary mechanical construction : three discs each hosting four hour indexes. Whilst rotating around their own axis, these satellites also belong to a planetary system that prompts them to rotate on the dial. And, the minutes are displayed on a circular arc set between 1 and 5 o’clock. Whenever a satellite reaches the edge of this track, it pivots in such a way that the current hour is indicated. The index will then glide over the minute section, displaying the time ticking over digitally and analogically. The anniversary UR-T8 Transformer piece, however, conceals

a few ingenious subtleties : the first is its reversible system. Two push-pieces on either side of the bezel unlock the case from its cradle. Then you just need to raise it up vertically, rotate it 180° on its axis, turn it over and click it back into place on its cradle. The movement is protected by a titanium shield, like in Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Reverso pieces. Incredibly easy to use, the UR-T8 Transformer is Urwerk’s first-ever transformable watch ! Second subtlety : the hour index is permanently horizontal even though the track runs circular. A counter-geartrain offsets the satellite movement to optimize time-reading. Awesome! The UR-T8 Transformer, qualified as “ a Urwerk history milestone ”, may well be the last piece to embrace wandering hours. This is what the brand may be suggesting, when it states that : “ The next part of history has still to be written. There are still so many areas to explore, so many wishes to fulfil. The time has come to mark the end of a chapter, and we wanted to do it in style ”. Stay tuned ...

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A u de mAr s Pigu e t

Royal Oak, the Sun King By Sharmila Bertin

ow ... the Audemars Piguet stand at the SIHH was just unbelievable ! As I headed into the press space with colleagues to get comfortable and ready to discover this year’s creations, we were greeted by “ Can’t Stop the Feeling ! ” by the ever-so exuberant Justin Timberlake, blasting out loud. Given such an ambience, I couldn’t help but grin as I walked in. The upbeat tempo of this track actually boosts me. The presentation kicked off and the Audemars Piguet team whisked us away through a virtual world, via three gigantic screens, to the Joux Valley. The movie we watched invited us to fly over the valley’s magnificent landscapes crossing the four seasons of the year, each accompanied by a new watchmaking innovation. I was so dazzled by the sheer beauty of the Royal Oak Extra-Thin that I can’t quite recall

if it was during spring or summer that it appeared on the screen. Having said that, I don’t normally go for yellow gold... But right then, with the watch straight in front of me, it was blatantly obvious why they had chosen this metal colour. To understand the whys and wherefores of yellow gold’s comeback in the Audemars Piguet collections, we need to take a little trip back in time. 45 years to be precise, back to 1972 when the first Royal Oak saw the light of day. This first Royal Oak, designed by Gérald Genta (1931-2011), stood out from the crowd back then with its state-of-the-art physical features. Five years later, it would momentarily cast aside its steel attire to take on a first 39 mm-diameter yellow gold guise. Towards the end of the 1990s and then for some fifteen years, the overly bling-bling, flashy and unhip (or maybe even all

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three) yellow gold was temporarily forsaken in favour of more neutral- (white gold, platinum) and cheerful-coloured (rose gold) metals. But we know the story only too well : fashion goes round and round in cycles, tastes change over time and, well there you go ... yellow gold has made its comeback on the Audemars Piguet scene since 2016. A trend that the watchmaker confirms this year by showcasing two versions of its Royal Oak Ultra-Thin, one with a blue dial, where the shade has been slightly lightened, and the other a golden champagne face beaming bright like the sun. Physically-speaking, the Royal Oak has not undergone any physical alteration (well, almost not) since its creation. Its yellow gold case, crowning the famous octagonal bezel set with six hexagonal screws, measures 39 mm in diameter, just

like the 1977 version, and is 8 mm thick. It houses the same motor as the 1972 Royal Oak, the calibre 2121. This automatic movement offers a 40-hour power reserve. The dial, decorated with a “ Petite Tapisserie ” checkerboard motif, hosts an hour chapter featuring luminescent indexes over which two Royal Oak hour and minute hands hover, and an aperture at 3 o’clock displaying the date on a blue or gold background, depending on the watch version selected.

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Spring 2017

Pane r ai

Ideas embracing wrists By Sharmila Bertin

he tremendously-creative Panerai kicks off 2017 by whizzing straight to the cutting-edge with a range of variations for its Luminor 1950 collection, notably its Luminor Submersible 1950. Two pieces, with somewhat “medical” stagenames created in the Neuchâtel-brand’s ideas laboratory attract particular attention: the LAB-IDTM CarbotechTM and the BMG-TECH TM. Carbon wizardry A watch with a 50-year guarantee? That seems... crazy. But that’s what Panerai actually proposes to those purchasing one of its 50-piece limited edition LAB-IDTM Luminor 1950 CarbotechTM models (also retailed under reference PAM00700). You really need great self-confidence to offer your customers a guarantee that’s going to last half a century! Apparently Panerai firmly believes in this revolutionary composite material known as CarbotechTM.

created through the high-pressure CarbotechTM , compression of fine layers of carbon fibre bonded by a polymer, adorns the case (as well as the famous crownprotecting lever bridge) and gives it a subtly-marbled black look. Although this marvel has a rather imposing 49 mm diameter, it is lightweight and scratch- and corrosionresistant. The carbon inspiration is not limited to the casing, but also enhances the dial and the movement. The face of this LABID TM Luminor 1950 CarbotechTM is covered with a carbon nanotube coating that absorbs light and produces an intensely dark-black hue. The contrast with the turquoiseblue Super-LumiNova® embellishing the hour chapter indexes and numerals, the hour and minute hands and the small second hand is striking! This timepiece embraces the hand-wound P.3001/C calibre which comprises carbon components (the reason for the “C” in its name). This

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material graces the baseplate, bridges, barrels, escapement and the anti-shock system, reduces staff-level friction and excludes the need to use additional lubricant. It goes without saying, of course, that all these technical, high-design components, infused with the beneficial power of carbon, offer Panerai the opportunity to propose a 50year guarantee for its LAB-ID TM Luminor 1950 CarbotechTM .

Metallic glass resistance When you get the chance to hold the Luminor Submersible 1950 BMG-TECH TM (PAM00692) in your hands, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re immediately wowed by the silvered-grey intensity of its case, which is also quite an impressive size with its 47 mm diameter! More dazzling, more luminous than platinum and lighter than steel, this case is forged with metallic... glass! Actually, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not glass

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Pane r ai

in the literal sense of the word, like the glass we can find in kitchens or on windows, but a Panerai-developed technology dubbed BMG-TECH TM. BMG, aka Bulk Metallic Glass is made from an alloy of zirconium, copper, aluminium, titanium and nickel subjected to a high-pressure, high-temperature injection process that lasts just a few seconds. This time lapse prevents the atoms from becoming arranged and produces a chaotic structure that endows metallic glass with heightened resistance to shocks, scratches, corrosion and magnetic fields – the ever-so dreaded combo for watchmakers – and enhanced lightness. The entire case (caseband, bezel, crown and crownprotecting lever bridge) was designed in metallic glass. Only the caseback is made with titanium. As the Luminor Submersible 1950 BMG-TECH TM is first and foremost a dive watch, its waterproofness was tested for submersion up to 300m and its unidirectional, revolving bezel features a diving scale adorned with engraved markers (from 0 to 15 minutes) and other relief-styled markers (15, 30 and 45 minutes). This case hosts the P.9010 calibre, a self-winding movement manufactured in Panerai’s Neuchâtel workshops, which breathes life into the time and date functions and provides the timepiece with powerful 72-hour autonomy (3 days). Another reason to wow: the blue dial whose dazzle, radiance

and translucency call to mind the stylish properties of enamel. The hour chapter is bedecked with luminescent applique indexes and dots over which two open-worked regatta hands hover. The central hour and minute display is complemented by a small seconds counter with a blued hand set at 9 o’clock, and the date features in an aperture at 3 o’clock.

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C ar l F. B u C he r e r

2017: it’s champagne o’clock! By Sharmila Bertin

he Lucerne firm’s star-chronograph is clothed in rose gold and champagne to celebrate the festive season and to mark 2017 in a neo-retro spirit

Carl F. Bucherer, the firm started in 1888 and established in Lucerne, in central Switzerland where lake and mountain meet, is offering a rather vintage classic version of their timeless chronograph : Manero Flyback. Arranged in a “ champagne ” dial (a bronze yellow typical of the middle of the 20th century which is becoming increasingly fashionable), the information in the different displays is shown using fine black lines that allow them to melt into the warm background colour. On the edges of the disc there is a tachymetric scale that surrounds an hour rim made up of triangular markers, facetted in rose gold, as well as a precise minute track. In the centre, two dauphine-shaped hands, also in rose gold, with a cut-out along their length, display the hours and minutes. The seconds are also displayed off-centre in a sunken counter at the 9 o’clock position, and the date is shown on a white background in a display at the 6 o’clock position. All this is protected by slightly raised sapphire crystal with rounded edges.

As its name indicates, this Manero Flyback is equipped with a chronograph flyback function, a system initially developed for aircraft pilots in the 1930s so that they could instantly relaunch the seconds hand of the chronograph and to reduce the number of actions, going from three operations (start, stop, and rewind to zero) to just one. The seconds are thus counted down in the centre by the seconds hand and the minutes of the chronograph are displayed in a counter at the 3 o’clock position. Apart from these functions, the self-winding CFB 1970 calibre movement manufactured by Carl F. Bucherer and housed inside a 43mm-diameter rose gold case, offers a power reserve of 42 hours. It is visible thanks to a sapphire crystal back. The Manero Flyback is attached to the wrist by a nut-brown alligator leather strap with a rose gold pin lock folding clasp.

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IWC

60 Michael Muller

Ticking shark By Sharmila Bertin

ecause the company cares about the marine environment, IWC continues to raise awareness through its timepieces and with this diving watch designed for underwater exploration in particular. On a personal note, sharks have fascinated me since the age of 7. In fact, I can name nearly every species from memory. But, until I started doing some in-depth research on Michael Muller for this IWC article, I wasn’t even aware that he was known for his celebrity portraits of actors, musicians and athletes long before garnering acclaim as one of today’s premier underwater photographers. To me, Michael Muller was above all an American shark whisperer, born in 1970, who shunned the cage in favour of his camera, capturing hammerhead sharks and whales in his lens and putting the primary focus on great whites.

Mislabelled as terrifying monsters since the original Jaws in 1975, these huge sharks have unfortunately now fallen victim to overfishing. Among other parts, their fins are quite soughtafter and the complete democratization of mass commercial fishing has reduced their food supply considerably. As protecting our oceans is one of the primary IWC missions, it was a natural choice to create the Aquatimer Chronograph Edition “ Sharks ” diving watch. Available in a limited edition of 500, each timepiece also comes with a signed copy of Michael Muller’s book entitled Sharks, packaged in a rusted metal cage replica. As its name suggests, the Aquatimer Chronograph Edition “ Sharks ” is a diving chronograph that’s water-resistant to 30 bars, or 300 meters in depth, as substantiated by its robust 44mm diameter stainless steel case and double internal/ external bezel for tracking dive time. Also in stainless steel,

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the case back features a medallion with an engraving of a school of hammerhead sharks. A luminescent steel grey dial sports a large chapter ring with the renowned rotating internal bezel, luminescent elements displaying the dive time and must-have triangular marker. Two large luminescent sword hands sweep from the centre to display hours and minutes, the watch face also featuring markers and minute tracking. Elapsed seconds are shown in a black counter at 6 o’clock and the date is displayed at 3 o’clock. Sporting a discreet arrow tip, the central second hand displays seconds whilst a minute counter at 12 o’clock displays minutes. The display features and functions of the Aquatimer Chronograph Edition “ Sharks ” are powered by the proprietary IWC 89365 calibre and the chronograph features flyback, automatic winding and 68-hour power reserve.

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Spring 2017

Jae ge r - Le C ou Lt r e

A Rendez-Vous with the stars By Sharmila Bertin

aeger-LeCoultre’s Rendez-Vous collection, first unveiled in 2012, has been revamped this year to include three diameters of timepieces hosting stunning complications, including the famous Night & Day and the magically-romantic Sonatina. For the average person, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Manufacture is, above all, epitomized through its Reverso model, an iconic piece created some 86 years ago and whose collection was “ revamped ” last year to bring the offering up-to-date. Although the Rendez-Vous series is much younger than the Reverso one – it was created less than 5 years ago –, it was also redesigned and split into three clear-cut diameters : 29, 34 and the brand new 38 mm (38.2, to be precise), i.e. Small, Medium and Large. The 2012-unveiled Rendez-Vous watch was a hit from the start and found its niche. Today, it is Jaeger-LeCoultre’s second bestselling model just behind the inevitable Reverso. What is more, the Vallée de Joux-based brand has stated that 45% of its sales are ladies’ models, a figure that does not take into account the so-called gents’ watches worn by women.

For this 27th edition of the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH - International Fine Watchmaking Exhibition), which took place in Geneva in January, JaegerLeCoultre centre staged new Rendez-Vous models, including the new-sized Rendez-Vous Night & Day and the dazzling Rendez-Vous Sonatina. Both feature the day / night display on their dial but the Sonatina version includes an alarm function that chimes for a rendez-vous time, a task to be completed and – why not ... – a mechanical wake-up alarm. As yellow gold has made a tremendous comeback in watchmaking these past two years, the Rendez-Vous Night & Day has embraced it for its Medium model, giving its 34 mm diameter case a sort of warm-hearted solar aura touch mixed with a rather vintage look. The two blued swordshaped hands, driven by the JLC 898A/1 calibre, indicate the hours and minutes in the centre and are completed by the direct-drive. The “ creased-look ” guilloché-engraved, silvered opaline dial hosts an hour chapter comprising large black Arabic numerals and opens up a semi-circle at 6 o’clock where the day / night feature is displayed. The Large version

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Spring 2017

(38.2 mm diameter) is proposed in steel with the hour figures speckled with diamonds or in rose gold topped with a precious stone-paved bezel. Last but not least , the Rendez-Vous Sonatina model appears outwardly to have the same body and the same face as the Rendez-Vous Night & Day stone-set rose gold version. However, it features a golden star on the edge of its dial. This little star hosts the alarm function which can be set via the crown located at 2 oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;clock on the case flange (the crown at 4 oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;clock is for winding and setting the time) to alert the watch wearer. In other words, a mechanical notification that is much more poetic and discreet than the strident sounds of our smartphones ...

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Spring 2017

Har ry Winst on

The moon on a mother-ofpearl and diamond bed By Sharmila Bertin

arry Winston, “ the diamond king “, strikes again ! This time, he has created a miniature version of the queen of the night with its iridescent reflections, to bring a thousand sparkling lights to the most elegant wrists.

Since time immemorial, the moon and its vast silver disc has fascinated mankind. Untameable, it wanders across blackblue starry skies, modestly displaying its different moods. Sometimes impressive and full, sometimes discreetly waxing, the queen of the night goes through multiple phases, and each lunation – that is, the period between two new cycles – lasts about 29.5 days. For the greater pleasure of the most romantic among us, whose loved ones want to give us the moon as a

gift, Harry Winston has captured the essence of the Earth's only natural satellite and placed it in a timepiece, the Midnight Date Moon Phase Automatic. The Midnight Date Moon Phase Automatic model has a 36mm case and is available in two versions, one in pink gold, and the other in white gold, and adorns the wrist with the help of a white alligator strap with an ardillon buckle set with precious stones. The bezel and the lugs extending from it are studded with 83 brilliant-cut diamonds. They are matched by a trio of gems placed on the famous triple arch at 3 o'clock, evoking the entrance-way of the Harry Winston boutique in New York. With its sapphire crystal, the case back reveals the HW3205 calibre, a self-winding mechanism providing 68 hours of

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Spring 2017

power reserve. The calibre drives the functions and the hour, minute, second and moon phase displays. The dial on the Midnight Date Moon Phase Automatic model consists of a white mother-of-pearl disc, on top of which two interlaced circles are set to show the double bow of a precious 8. The first circle, highlighted by a ring set with 43 brilliantcut diamonds, shows the hours and minutes with hands moving across an hour rim with rectangular indexes and three gemstones (at 3, 6 and 9 o'clock). The second circle is a date counter with a hand and a ring, and with figures to show the odd numbers and silver or golden dots for the even numbers. But the star of the dial is at 4 o'clock in a bevelled display of a crescent moon : the queen of the night, in all its

splendour, embodied in a pink gold or white gold disc against a galvanic blue mother-of-pearl background. Last but not least, a diamond rounds off the Harry Winston logo, which stretches round the chapter ring in the upper part of the dial.

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Spring 2017

Vac he r on c onstant in

When a master watchmaker takes control of the stars By Sharmila Bertin

fter having dazzled the world with an incomparable timepiece embracing no less than 57 complications to celebrate its 260th anniversary, Vacheron Constantin renews the experience by showcasing an ultra-complex wristwatch powered by an extraordinarily groundbreaking calibre. During the 18th century in Geneva, “ cabinotiers ” was the name given to craftsmen (watchmakers, engravers and jewellers) who made individually-commissioned, bespoke creations for a privileged circle of connoisseurs, in workshops known as “ cabinets ”, located on the top floors of buildings, in the attic spaces, where they could take optimal advantage

of natural daylight. Although “ cabinotiers ” in their original sense no longer exist, Vacheron Constantin has immortalized the name, by using it for its collection of ever-so rare pieces, which includes the Cabinotiers Celestia Grand Complication 3600 timepiece, to be unveiled during the 2017 edition of the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH International Fine Watchmaking Exhibition), which will take place in Geneva from 16 to 20 January. The Cabinotiers Celestia Grand Complication 3600 is a dualfaced watch that could be qualified as ingenious as it hosts 23 complications, features a triple time display (civil, solar and sidereal) implemented by three independent geartrains, and offers around three weeks’ autonomy through its six barrels

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Spring 2017

assembled in two rows of three. These intricate indicators are driven by an innovational Vacheron Constantin-created and -produced movement, the hand-wound mechanical 3600 calibre, housing 514 components and beating at a rhythm of 18,000 vibrations per hour (2.5 Hz), yet measuring only 8.7 thick, set in a 45 mm diameter white gold case. The slate grey opaline dial showcases 15 complications, including civil time (the universal 24-hour-based clock where each hour comprises 60 minutes) displayed in the centre by two white gold hollow moon-tip hands. A second, rose gold minute hand, tipped with an open-worked sun, tells solar time. This time is calculated based on the hour angle indicated by the sun’s movement during the day for a given location. The variation between these two aforementioned time displays is measured by an instantaneous, running equation of time. The dial also boasts a perpetual calendar which, through its mechanical memory, automatically integrates 30 and 31-day months, 28 and 29 days for February and leap years (featured in an aperture). The day and month are revealed in two rectangular windows at 1 o’clock whilst the date ticks over in a counter incorporating a silvered serpentine hand at 3 o’clock. An aperture located at 9 o’clock proposes a specific moon phase and indicates age. The dial is complemented by

various other displays : day / night and its duration, sunrise and sunset times, a mareoscope indicating tide levels and a 3D depiction of the Earth-moon-sun alignment as well as a counter comprising the signs of the zodiac, the seasons, solstices and equinoxes. The Cabinotiers Celestia Grand Complication 3600 caseback, which centre stages a tourbillon, is made of two sapphire crystal discs: one etched with a sky chart illustrating the constellation as seen from the northern hemisphere and the other displaying sidereal time – obtained by measuring the movement of the stars in relation to the prime meridian and counts 4 minutes difference with civil time, and the four cardinal points. These displays are encircled by a large anthracite flange featuring the months of the year and the power reserve indicator. This unique Vacheron Constantin masterstroke, which required five years of work from the initial vision to the finished piece, is stamped with the Hallmark of Geneva (Poinçon de Genève).

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Spring 2017

C or u m

Fate, chance, good luck and a watch

By Sharmila Bertin

orum has designed a few of its Bubble collection models around the world of gambling, and in particular this timepiece that reiterates the famous black billiards ball which is meant to bring good luck... or bad luck. “ Stand out ” (from the crowd) is an expression that Corum literally uses for almost all its watch launches. Already illustrated back in 2000 when the watchmaker released its first Bubble timepiece that wowed with its magnifying glass effect created by the sapphire crystal on its dial. In 2015, La Chaux-de-Fonds brand repeated the experience with a new version of the watch, bigger – the diameter was now 47 mm instead of 44 mm – and with a checkerboard-patterned face. This year, it’s a whole series, based on the world of gaming, that Corum invites us to admire, including this Bubble 8 Ball. Unlike the other pieces of this one-of-a-kind selection, Bubble 8 Ball is not laden with colours but proposes an ever-so graphical black and white harmony, though with black taking pride of place. The black-lacquered brass disc of its dial is decorated with a white lozenge, with a black-figured 8, set at ... 8 o’clock ! This is, of course, the famous 8-ball, the black ball, star of any billiards show. This sphere is, generally-

speaking, the one that must be pocketed last out of the 15 on the green gaming table to win the round. If pocketed before, the player loses the game. The domed sapphire crystal enveloping the dial intensifies the billiards-ball effect as well as the size of the two large open-worked baton-style hands set in the dial centre. The hands display the hours and minutes – the minute tracker is engraved in white on the black flange – whilst a silvered, circle-tipped direct-drive ticks away the seconds. The timepiece’s C0082 calibre, housed in a 47 mm-diameter steel case and visible through the sapphire crystal caseback, drives the hour, minute and second functions. This selfwinding movement also offers a 42-hour power reserve. A bimetallic Bubble 8 Ball version is also available, with bezel and ball-crown fashioned in rose gold. Both of these Corum models are retailed in 88-piece limited editions.

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Spring 2017

Gir ar d- Pe r r e Gau x

Synchronise yout time with the rest of the world By Sharmila Bertin

irard-Perregaux’s classic 1966 collection has a new complex feature intended for travellers : world time, with 24 countries together on just one watch dial.

The world as a playground and watchmaking as a form of expression : you could make this hastily-written phrase the unofficial motto of Girard-Perregaux’s new watch. Indeed, the 1966 collection, which pays homage to the Chaux-deFonds factory’s past, in the Neuchâtel canton, has embarked upon a complex feature that has been specially developed for hardened travellers or people who work in different time zones. The world’s times are at the heart of this new 1966 ww.tc model, available in rose gold or steel. In the centre of the opalescent dial with its delicately brushed finish lie two leaf-shaped hands that mark the hours and minutes, sweeping rhythmically round the hour rim. On this rim, gold or silver-coloured markers and fine black lines are used in harmony with each other. The seconds are displayed off-centre at the 6 o’clock position in a sunken counter with a blue leaf-shaped hand.

A first two-tone ring on the dial displays the scale of 24 hours as well as the day / night indication. Over it lies a second, larger, circle on which the names of 24 capital cities and major towns of the world are marked in upper case letters. Thanks to this complex feature, the fortunate owner of the 1988 ww.tc can instantly and simultaneously know the time in any of the 24 countries. The world times can be selected using two crowns placed on the body of the case at the 9 o’clock and 3 o’clock positions. These can be turned both ways, to position the town concerned at the 12 o’clock position and to adjust the hours and minutes respectively. All the displays are powered by the GP03300 self-winding calibre, to which Girard-Perregaux has added a special module developed in their workshops. Housed in a 40mmdiameter case, this movement, which provides a 46-hour power reserve, is visible through the sapphire crystal back.

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Spring 2017

Gr aham

Jean as second skin By Sharmila Bertin

elebrating its 15th anniversary this year, the Chronofighter model has adopted a youthful and original design. A look at a furiously trendy teenage watch.

The particularity of teenagers is not to do anything like the others. On the contrary, they tend to choose anti-conformity or even provocation and rebellion, in spirit and appearance. This is somewhat the case of the Chronofighter model, first created in 2001, and whose creators, the Graham brand, are celebrating its 15th anniversary in 2016. This is a watch that impresses with its size, accentuated by its famous trigger, its face that leaves the workings visible without revealing them completely, and a thick, natural canvas strap that perfectly matches the spirit of the age. A trio of colours are on offer in this special collection of Chronofighter Denim chronographs with matching strap

materials: dark grey, military khaki and jean blue, a little like in a jeans shop. Originally, denim was an ecru-coloured and sturdy cotton material with closely woven fibre, which was dyed indigo blue. After being worn by miners, workers and farmers, mainly in the 19 th century, it is now mainly used to make jeans. This cross-generation garment, a symbol of rebellious youth in the 1950s, and of the Hippie movement in the 1970s, jeans are, above all, a watchword for comfort and freedom, particularly for the young, when they have yet to succumb to the traditional and dull suit / shirt / tie. Whether stone washed or double-dyed, slim or bootcut, this is a vital item of clothing in any wardrobe. And there is just one step from the closet to clothing for the wrist, a step that Graham has taken with this series of three models. The steel case measures 47mm in diameter and is waterproof down to 100m. It is topped with a black ceramic bezel and,

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most notably of all, features a structure called a carbon trigger at 9 o'clock on the case and a pusher covered in grip rubber pattern at 10 o'clock. The trigger is used to set, stop and reset the Chronofighter Denim chronograph function. With the time and date functions, the watch is powered by the manual wind G1747 calibre, with a power reserve of 48 hours. The dial features a sapphire-coloured, slightly opaque glass on the watch face. The hour rim is made up of large, white luminous Arabic figures encircled by a telemeter scale. Hours and minutes are shown by two wide hands of the â&#x20AC;&#x153; pilot â&#x20AC;? type, while the seconds are set apart in a counter at 3 o'clock. The date is discrete, appearing in a recessed window at 8.30. As for the chronograph function, the seconds run at the centre and the minutes run in a counter at 6 o'clock. All the indicators are white, except in the grey version of the Chronofighter Denim, where electric yellow is added.

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Spring 2017

C art ie r

Cartier capitalizes on its incredible savoir-faire By Fabrice Eschmann

ince 2007, Cartier has accustomed us to virtuosity beyond compare : to date, it is the only fine watchmaking company ever to have developed the capacity to achieve such farreaching ambitions! In just ten years, this La Chaux-de-Fondsbased watchmaker has imagined, created and manufactured an amazing 45 different calibres. A remarkable demonstration of prowess, designed to secure indisputable legitimacy in the timepiece market, in record time. And, although Louis-François Cartier’s sons were the masterminds behind a few iconic pieces, such as the Santos in 1904 and the Tank in 1919, the brand has never hushed the fact that, for years, it has been calling on third parties to provide it with movements. Regardless of how striking this advancement was, it now seems to have come to an end. In any case, this is what we could be led to believe when we discover the new pieces for 2017: apart from the jewellery models (Cartier’s initial activity) and the

Métier d'Art timepiece, the complication watches embrace later developments. Such is the case for this Minute Repeater Mysterious Double Tourbillon: and although this is the first time that Cartier has married these two elements together, the first was already presented back in 2012 and the second in 2013. Let’s start with the minute repeater : to ensure sound quality is optimal, the titanium case of this Cartier Rotonde model has been hollowed out so that the watch head weighs less than 50 grams. What’s more, sound vibration transmission is maximized through four attachment points between the movement and the case, and two extra attachment points at gong level. And, last but not least, the square gong section promises consistent sound. This complication, the culmination of five years’ development, was unveiled for the first time in 2012 in the Cartier Rotonde Minute Repeater Flying Tourbillon.

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Spring 2017

And, it goes without saying, the mysterious movements are definitely a part of Cartier’s DNA. The first pendulum to embrace this highly-particular architecture, where the mechanism appears to have vanished, was the 1912 work of the watchmaker Maurice Coüet, Cartier’s exclusive partner. The double tourbillon in this piece appears to hover at the heart of an aperture set at 10 o’clock. The carriage rotates around itself in 1 minute, whilst the sapphire disc that embeds it has a 5-minute rotation period. This high-powered development features in the Rotonde Mysterious Double Tourbillon presented in 2013. After a crazy period of creativity, it seems that Cartier has now reached the ‘ age of reason ’.

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Spring 2017

MB &F

An aquatic-mechanical pod 74 By Sharmila Bertin

“

Without imagination, there could be no creation ”* and sometimes all you need is a simple anecdote to unleash your ingenuity and have it guide you in the creation of a genuine work of art. A chance encounter – good or bad – a trivial incident, and voila ! The object is born (after a few months, or years even, of development). In the case of Maximilian Büsser, founder of MB&F, it was a jellyfish that was his source of inspiration for the latest creation in the Horological Machine collection. This marine animal, whose translucent, gelatinous body and stinging touch can make for a misfortunate meeting on the beach, captured Maximilian Büsser’s imagination. From there he was assisted by his team and his famous Friends to design the new HM7 Aquapod model. Its name comes from the combination of the Latin word aqua, meaning “ water ”, and the Greek-rooted word “ pod ”. And the HM7 Aquapod is exactly that : an aquatic pod. While it is a timepiece designed for use in the water, it’s not a true diving watch with the rigorous standards that come with that title. However, it does have a graduated rotating bezel and is waterproof up to a depth of 150 metres. Like the marine predator, shaped like a translucent umbrella – a kind of rounded, contracting bell shape – with long arms used to capture its prey, MB&F’s jellyfish-design watch is made up of two sapphire crystal domes that form a flat-base glass bubble that stands out even more when the HM7 Aquapod is viewed in profile. This capsule sits in a rose-gold or titanium

frame with articulating lugs and rubber wristbands to better hug the wrist. Here, there are no poisonous stings, just pure comfort. On a tubular ring, which is set around this glass bubble like a buoy floating in the water and inspired by the fluttering petals on the sides of jellyfish’s umbrella, sits a diving scale. This black or blue ceramic rotating bezel contains the indicator markings used for safe diving. The numbers and index are laser etched into the ceramic ring to form cavities that are then filled with titanium and polished. Organically speaking, the jellyfish is a perfectly symmetrical animal that has a cerebral composition that consists completely of nerve cells. Its highly-developed senses let it move in the ocean and find its prey. The engineers, designers and watchmakers who designed the HM7 Aquapod were inspired by the nervous system of the jellyfish and used this inspiration to design the watch’s motor. This motor has vertical movement architecture with a rotor at the base and a 60-second flying tourbillon on top. With its transparent construction and three luminescent panels, it can be admired both day and night. The watch’s energy, provided by a threedimensional titanium rotor—also phosphorescent—cut with sharp notches that evoke the open mouth of a sea urchin, builds up via the cogs from the base to the top where it is regulated by the tourbillon. In addition to a 72-hour power reserve, the mechanism controls the rotation of the two titanium and black aluminium rings, which show hours and

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minutes and are supported by ceramic ball bearings. The indicator markings, painted by hand in Super-LumiNovaÂŽ, can be read on the sky blue vertical marker on the sapphire crystal. With yet another meticulous detail to add to the perfect symmetry of the HM7 Aquapod, two crowns are located at 3 and 9 oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;clock, between the glass bubble and the rotating bezel. The left-side crown winds the timepiece while the right-side crown sets the time. * Albert Jacquard (1925-2013)

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B au me & me r c ie r

Clifton, a gentleman time-traveller By Sharmila Bertin

he Geneva-based, soft-priced, luxury brand is absolutely clear about its intentions for 2017: to spark our desire for travel.

Boasting the design codes of a 1950-crafted timepiece that is currently kept in the Baume & Mercier Museum, Clifton is a collection of classical-styled watches which, over the years, have integrated an increasing number of “ useful ” complications. A myriad of features have been added to the rather “ simple ”, historic 2013 Clifton, including a chronograph, GMT, day / date, moon phase and power reserve indicator, among others. For 2017, Baume & Mercier present us with a timepiece that incorporates two of the aforementioned complications : Clifton GMT Power Reserve. This latest-released Clifton GMT Power Reserve sports a royal blue dial with a sun-brushed finish enhanced with beams radiating out from the centre of the disc to the rim which embraces a fine white minute tracker. The hour chapter is adorned with rhodium-plated graphical teardrop indexes and

exquisitely-rounded Arabic numerals. Two tapered silvered hands and a silvered direct-drive, poised at the heat of the blue dial, indicate the hours, minutes and seconds. The blackfigured, white-backdrop date is displayed in a silver-whiteframed aperture at 3 o’clock. An arc-shaped counter at 12 o’clock, completed by a tiny double-edged, two-tone hand, features the second time zone. The 0 to 40-graduated power reserve indicator is set in the lower half of the dial at 6 o’clock (although the timepiece actually has 42 hours autonomy). The Clifton GMT Power Reserve nestling in a 43 mmdiameter steel case is water-resistant to 50 metres. The fourpoint screwed caseback with sapphire porthole unveils a self-winding Soprod 9035 calibre that drives the functions and complications featured in this newly-released Baume & Mercier timepiece.

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Spring 2017

E milE C hou r iEt

A geneva heart By Sharmila Bertin

he brand established at Meyrin, in the Canton of Geneva, presents its first calibre produced in-house in a little 100%-feminine steel case

After three years of research and development, Jean Depéry, founder of Emile Chouriet watches, has at last accomplished one of his most precious dreams : to design and produce his own movement in-house. So, in 2016, the first motor from the Meyrin factory was born. This self-winding movement, named EC5318, drives the display of the time and the date, while providing a power reserve of 45 hours. To showcase this great technical advance for Emile Chouriet, the firm chose to honour women by placing this new heart in a new watch, the Héritier Lady model, the whole thing costing less than 1,000 Swiss francs. Héritier Lady is a classic little watch of perfect proportions for those who like the hour to be discreet and unfussy. The steel case is 28mm in diameter, water-resistant up to 30m depth and is attached to the wrist with a natural-coloured leather strap or a bracelet of steel links. The lugs fixed to the body of

the case share the splayed, fluted silhouette found in most of the watch collections of Emile Chouriet. As classic simplicity dictates, the dial of the Héritier Lady is coated in immaculate snow-white lacquer. This disc with its porcelain pallor holds an hour rim made up of Roman numerals and long markers as well as a fine minute track, all traced in black. In the centre, two spear-shaped steel hands, completed by a baton-shape seconds hand, count down the hours, the minutes and the seconds. As for the date, it is shown in black on a white background in a display in the 3 o’clock position. The Héritier Lady model is also available in a two-tone version with a bezel, crown and golden central links.

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Spring 2017

Van C le e f & ar pe ls

When nature awakens By Sharmila Bertin

t each edition of the Salon International de Haute Horlogerie (International Fine Watchmaking Exhibition), the Parisian house Van Cleef & Arpels is perceived rather like a soothing cocoon, a poetic bubble that whisks us off to a fairy-tale world. Lost inside an Enchanted NatureTM where precious flowers blossom and butterflies flutter their colourful wings, we learn to swim with the tide. Time is but parenthetical here, incidental, fading into the scenery, letting creative lyricism take centrestage. Among the heavenly pieces that Van Cleef & Arpels presented this year, a butterfly nestling in the heart of a luxuriant natural setting attracted our attention by flickering its wings. This was the Lady ArpelsTM Papillon Automate, a timepiece that not only tells the time but also invites us to gather it. Or,

should I say, welcome it like back when we were kids and we would cup our hands together to shield a ladybird, a butterfly, a few rose petals before letting them get blown away with the wind. If truth be told, Lady ArpelsTM Papillon Automate can’t be compared with a watch: it is a world suffused with incomparable lyricism, a door that opens unto enchanted fantasy. The white gold butterfly, poised delicately on a large white sculpted mother-of-pearl flower, stretches its mauve and blue plique-à-jour enamelled wings, which conjure up miniature, curved stained-glass windows. A few flutters now and again, quite randomly, every two to four minutes, invite us to escape our everyday world and head back to Van Cleef & Arpels’ reverie. Our butterfly is at home in its sparkling botanical

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Spring 2017

world. Enamelled peacock green, jade and turquoise leaves shoot up from the base of the dial, embracing long, cambered relief blades of grass, covered with enamel, made using a new artisanal technique created in the Parisian brand’s Swiss workshops. This method, known as curved plique-àjour, allows craftspeople to enamel without a metallic base between two suspended rods with a convex profile. The effect is quite literally magical as the two blades appear to rise up from the blue, mauve and violet sapphire-strewn dial, as if their colourful, translucent bodies were reaching for the sky. Blossoming flowers line the flange : turquoise arums enclosing pear-cut diamond spathes and rounded-diamond corollas whose plump-shaped petals recall the shape of Kanzashi and cherry blossoms. A paillonné-enamelled silvered moon,

edged with a myriad of mauve sapphires, set slightly offcentred towards 3 o’clock, holds a pair of baton-shaped hands in its heart, which are also silvered, that discreetly display the time. This Lady Arpels’ TM 40 mm-diameter white gold case is paved with diamonds on its bezel, lugs and crown. A streamlined push-piece running along the caseband between 7 and 8 o’clock allows the wearer to activate the butterfly’s wings at wish. This precious case integrates a self-winding mechanical movement that drives the hours and minutes, coupled with an automaton module that beats randomly or on demand.

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Spring 2017

Du b ai Wat c h We e k

The “ crème de la crème ” of the watchmaking world descends on Dubai

By Tiffany Cartier-Millon

fter being held so successfully for the first time in 2015, Dubai Watch Week (DWW) continued its rise in the Autumn of 2016 and is now classed among the unmissable watchmaking events. It is organised by Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons – the largest retail jeweller in the area – and the event has seen a good number of firms and personalities from the industry come and cheer up their month of November in a warm atmosphere under the Dubai sun – literally!

landscape. Besides the vast programme at the DIFC, the extension of the event was situated in the Dubai Mall, with exhibitions such as “ The Mastery of Time “ and “ 24 Hours in the Life of a Swiss Cuckoo Clock ”, with cuckoo clocks revisited as objects of modern design. Around twenty names exhibited there, such as De Grisogono, Chopard, RJ-Romain Jerome, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Hublot, TAG Heuer, Richard Mille and Lange & Söhne.

Since last year, the DWW has doubled its scope very significantly, as shown by the fact that the list of companies participating has lengthened considerably. It includes independents such as Bovet, F.P. Journe, HYT, Moritz Grossmann, MB&F, MCT, etc, joined by companies such as Baume & Mercier, Audemars Piguet, Bvlgari, Corum, IWC, Panerai and Vacheron Constantin, and so on. In fact the first time it was held may have concentrated on independent names, but the products exhibited this year in two galleries in the heart of the DIFC (Dubai International Financial Center) represented more of the variety of the watchmaking industrial

Another important success of Dubai Watch Week was to bring together an incredible list of insiders. This year, more than forty people from the international watchmaking industry responded to the call, including Philippe Dufour (master watchmaker), Stephen Forsey (Greubel Forsey), JeanMarc Wiederrecht (Agenhor), Stephen McDonnell (master wtachmaker), Aurel Bacs (Phillips, Bacs & Russo), FrançoisPaul Journe (F.P. Journe), Karl-Friedrich Scheufele (Chopard), Maximilian Büsser (MB&F), and also François-Henri Bennahmias (CEO Audemars Piguet), Alain Zimmerman (CEO Baume & Mercier), Christian Selmoni (Artistic Director

THE WATCHES MAGAZINE

Spring 2017

Vacheron Constantin), Edouard Meylan (H. Moser & Cie) and Michael Tay (The Hour Glass). As far as the luminaries from the industry in the Middle East are concerned, you could have bumped into members of the Seddiqi family, as well as other notables from the region like Claude Sfeir and Abbas Behbehani. For four days, as well as experiencing watchmaking directly through Master Classes given by Jaeger-LeCoultre or Vacheron Constantin, you could discover or re-discover the prize-winning watches from the 2016 Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève (Geneva Watchmaking Grand Prix). You could get dizzy with new pieces, some presented exclusively for the show, and with discussion panels, some of which were very lively. You could take part in debates on creativity and design, the construction or evolution of a brand, the challenges facing retailers, digital matters, interesting complications, the power of influence, and much more. There was something special in the air: the setting was a village on a very human scale – you ate together, bumped into each other between two interviews, etc. And so when those invited onto the panels got together for a more “ official ” dialogue, they kept their natural approach, tongues were loosened and they said thing out loud that

perhaps many were thinking privately. Aurel Bacs, putting the watchmaking crisis in context, said : “ After the excesses of gatherings where you are too well fed and watered, you need a detox ”. The CEO of Moritz Grossmann considered the new distribution channels an enormous opportunity, talking about changing industries such as fashions, travel and cars. And when journalist Suzanne Wong defended an independent watchmaker attacked by the profession and the media, she triggered an honest mea culpa among the panel. Claimed as a non-commercial event, DWW’s aim is to : “ educate and promote Dubai as a watchmaking platform among experts and those fascinated by watchmaking; a noble, constructive initiative ”. So, without even getting a (shortterm) return on investment, the smaller brands make the effort to spend time there and send staff, and to finance their stand and their stay there. This is no doubt because there are other things to gain : a vibrant, relevant meeting-place where companies, collectors, the media and master watchmakers can interact and exchange their skills. Energy circulates, making good waves that move ideas around and allow creativity to flourish.

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Spring 2017

OpiniOn

These constraints that boost watchmaking By Olivier Müller

Jean-Claude Biver

ot enough budget, staff or time ? Cumbersome heritage ? Certain limitations can actually enhance creativity when integrated well. The experts explain... “ When people talked to me about cost price, well as a designer, it felt like they wanted to hold me back. Then, I decided to look at things from another angle : I was going to have to be more inventive and craftier to get what I wanted without going over my budget. From that moment on, this constraint became a creative catal yst ”. Alexandre Peraldi, Baume & Mercier Design Director is spot on. It is never fun to work under any form of constraint but, if we take a closer look, creators have to deal with their own particular constraints : related to production leadtime, shareholders, resources and even history. Some brands’ heritage means that, even though their scope of creativity does not hem them in, it does however standardize them. Breguet ? Its heritage is above all an identity, a style code. It in no way runs counter to imagination or creativity. A heritage is an open book and it is up to the brand to write new chapters that are in line with the previous ones. Barring this, wishing to free oneself from something perceived as a “ constraint ”, in particular one’s past, can be occasionally risky however. “ You have to respect the history that you come from if you wish to initiate a new one. Brand territory, is a nation with borders, you have to maintain stability, consistency “, emphasizes Jean-Claude Biver, Head of LVMH’s Watchmaking Division. Basically : if we go too far ... we get lost. And, we lose the customer too.

Kickstarter, half full The watchmaking crisis has limited brands more than ever before, but it has also boosted others to redouble their creativity to make the scene. A model ? Kickstarter : four years ago, the company was flirting with less twenty watchmaking projects. Today; there are 389. There are more projects than ever before, yet the coffers have never been this empty before! The watchmaking ecosystem vitality follows the same trend. Some suppliers have experienced a decline in orders and have found themselves facing serious financial constraints. Others have move on into other businesses, like the medical sector. HYT and it R&D twin, Preciflex, are pioneers in these business shifts. In other words, some see the watchmaking microcosm as gripped by a myriad of constraints. Others, as an invitation to surpass themselves. Like an afterthought, where the glass is half-empty ... or half-full.

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Spring 2017

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