THE WATCHES MAGAZINE 062 - AUTUMN 2020

Swiss International Magazine Autumn 2020 #062 Guest Paul Miquel - Spotlight Bvlgari

English Edition L 11801 - 62 - F: 7,00 € - RD

Breguet

Tourbillons and marvels Audemars Piguet - Bvlgari - Chanel - Chopard - Ferdinand Berthoud - H. Moser & Cie Jaeger-LeCoultre - Longines - March LA.B - MB&F - Omega - Rebellion - Richard Mille - Riskers Rolex - Tissot - ulysse Nardin - urwerk - Vacheron Constantin - Van Cleef & Arpels - ZRC 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

C ove r wat Ch

Breguet

06

Classique Double tourbillon 5345 Quai de l'Horloge

By Sharmila Bertin

T

his watchmaking masterpiece which illustrates our autumn issue cover is so much more than just an instrument designed for telling the time, it’s a bona fide invitation that whisks us off through Breguet’s history, from the 1775 creation of the Neuchâtel great master’s workshop to the latest innovations developed by the brand established in the Joux Valley.

Back then, an address: 39 quai de l'Horloge, on Île de la Cité, at the very heart of Paris, where the building which erstwhile hosted Abraham-Louis Breguet’s (1747-1823) work which led to so much progress in the industry still stands proud today. And today, a 46 mm-diameter mechanical platinum treasure: the Classique Double Tourbillon 5345 Quai de l'Horloge, epitomizing almost two and a half centuries of savoirfaire.

Under the impressively-domed sapphire glass box, a magical delicately-crafted, metallic-lacework world twists and twirls, a movement performs a swirling twelve-hour ballet, driven by two one-minute tourbillons linked by a central differential. Each of these is animated by its own barrel, topped by a calligraphically-decorated B, and once fully wound, the hand-wound 588N calibre delivers a power reserve of 50 hours. Two blued-steel Breguet hollow moon-tip hands reign supreme in the centre of this architecture: one, set on the tourbillon clip, indicates the hours by hovering over blue-lacquered Roman numerals which appear to float around the flange, whilst the other displays the minutes.

© Breguet

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06

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.

Grande Seconde Quantième Grand Feu Enamel

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autumn 2020

E DIT OR IAL

Let’s stand together 08

T

he curtain will soon be falling on a difficult, complicated year; a strange year, for many reasons, for everyone. Individuals, families, small and large businesses alike: the viral shockwave affected the whole planet, and caused terrible tragedy for some.

The ordeal which the covid-19 health crisis induced – covid 19, we’re supposed to write it in capitals but I’ve no desire whatsoever to give it any mark of respect it doesn’t deserve... – was hard to handle and, unfortunately, isn’t over yet. In spite of lockdown (semi or strict), in spite of preventive measures, in spite of a panoply of precautions to contain virus circulation, figures are on the rise again. Mr infectious agent wanders around merrily across continents and countries, without ever thinking twice about the terror it unleashes, the death it provokes, the sick who will bear its scars for life, which it leaves in its wake, the businesses obliged to shut up shop and employees left unemployed. Nothing affects it, nothing wipes it out. A vaccine, maybe? But when? And, if ever a vaccine existed, would it be as ineffective as the one supposed to protect against the flu? I don’t want to sound pessimist, believe me, but I think that we have no choice but to cope with this virus for some time to come.

As the year dawned, in February-March, when the situation began to get out of hand and ended with a rush (stampede would be more appropriate) to supermarkets, holiday homes, piled with pasta and toilet rolls, locked down, we were already talking about doing everything to prevent a second surge. I had naively hoped that, during these months of imposed cocooning, an industry like watchmaking, which wasn’t exactly in great health before covid-19, would show a bit more solidarity, that the big troupers would protect the little ones, that the

strong would look after the weak, that everyone would rally together, from suppliers, retailers to specialized press, just like we all did with our loved ones, our neighbours, the businesses we appreciate. A health crisis like the one we’ve been going through for over eight months now should be seized as an opportunity, a chance to stand together, to reach out to others, and in no way to impose illusionary supremacy by walking all over one’s rivals, even paralysed ones, in no way to organize events which exclude others or cold-shoulder sector players. Helping is not a weakness, it’s a strength.

Wearing a mask, even if it’s unpleasant and ugly, is a way of protecting others. Giving a boost, offering a shoulder to lean on, providing heartening support, is the very notion of our humanity. Let’s show more solidarity, let’s be more altruistic, and let’s grow together.

Sharmila Bertin Editor-in-Chief

© Mickael Gautier

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CALIBER RM 33-02

RICHARD MILLE BOUTIQUE SWITZERLAND Rue du Rhône 78 1204 Geneva - Tel. +41 22 810 85 73

THE WATCHES MAGAZINE www.richardmille.com autumn 2020

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

Modern-day liturgy of photo-finishes 10

By Paul Miquel Editor in Chief of L’Équipe Sport&Style magazine and watchmaking columnist

A

s a sports reporter for many years, I had the opportunity to travel the world to cover dozens of sporting events. From the FIFA World Cup and the rugby one too, the summer and winter Olympic Games, the World and European Championships in the fields of athletics, rowing, fencing, figure skating, alpine skiing and basketball, to Formula 1 Grands Prix, golf and tennis tournaments, I always wrote in a state of immediacy about the women and the men who, in one way or another, fought against time.

Whilst they strived to glean a few hundredths of a second on the slopes or on the tracks, I – just like them – had my eyes peeled on the giant event clock.

I had a soft spot for athletics, the king of all sports, the most universal, the easiest, the purest too when it comes to actually doing it and when it’s faced with the stopwatch. A race doesn’t just set athletes against each other, it also – and, above all, – places them in a temporal narration which cannot escape the calculation of time. It actually rather exalts it, sanctifies it, crystallizes it forever in the great book of sport. More often than not, champions would tell me that they preferred to break a record rather than win an event.

And, this is really significant: beating the god Chronos is indeed something religious. Stadiums were my cathedrals. I would go there with the respect one has for the divine. Writing an article real-time, settled down in front of the press-box desk, actually calls for one to be quite aloof, highly-pragmatic, to time elapsing. Scribbling a whole page for a daily in just a few minutes then sending it pronto to the editorial team whilst respecting wrap-up deadlines (“The rollers can’t wait, my dear!”) is often pretty much like high-performance sport. Words need to run over the lines, information has its own tempo, merciless.

I adored these races-against-the-clock just as people love running marathons, which is actually my case. Perhaps then, it’s for all these reasons that I vow an extremely-personal passion to the ethereal aestheticism of photo-finishes, these authentic “works of art” which allow us to see what is invisible to the naked eye: the spatial illustration of the hundredth, or even the thousandth, of a second which, more often than not, marks the difference between a victory and a defeat; in other words, the chronometric divide between Heaven and Hell. Amen.

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Unique red ceramic case. In-house manual-winding power reserve movement with 7 series-coupled barrels and a 14-day power reserve. Limited to 100 pieces.

INSIDE

24 Cover Story Breguet

12

06 08 10 18

Cover Watch Breguet Editorial Guest Paul Miquel We Love Heroes

20 22 24 32

We Love Shapes The Eye of Jewelry Cover Story Breguet Rolex

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34 36 40 44

Omega Richard Mille Vacheron Constantin Tissot

10.10am on a NYC rooftop.

N 40° 45’ 31’’ W 73° 58’ 43’’.

Starting at USD 44’000.

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INSIDE

70 Spotlight

14

46 48 52 56

Jaeger-LeCoultre Rebellion Ulysse Nardin Chopard

58 60 62 64

ZRC Audemars Piguet MB&F Ferdinand Berthoud

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66 Longines 70 Spotlight 74 Mood

TIM E , A HE RMÈS OB JECT.

Arceau, L’heure de la lune Time flies to the moon.

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IMPR E SSU M

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 Sharmila Bertin Mathilde Binetruy - Dan Diaconu - Mickael Gautier - Paul Miquel Olivier Müller - Eléonor Picciotto - Ted Scapa - Benjamin Teisseire Publicité/Advertising ACE Publishing SA Alain Carrier acarrier@ace-publishing.com Yannick Ortolan yortolan@ace-publishing.com T +41 22 752 60 12

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Traduction/Translation Atenao Impression/Printing Chirat 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 Kiosques/Kiosks Suisse: 7Days Media Services GmbH - 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.

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T I M E TO R E AC H YO U R S TA R

Z E N I T H - W AT C H E S . C O M

DEFY MIDNIGHT T H E F U T U R E O F S W I S S WATC H M A K I N G S I N C E 18 6 5

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We Love He r oe s

RiskeRs

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Prolog 1

By Sharmila Bertin

N

o-holds-barred love at first sight for this watch boasting autumnal colours created by Riskers, young, rising star on the watchmaking scene whose philosophy focuses on the untold heroism of ordinary citizens, anonymous people who, sometimes risking their lives, have accomplished altruistic acts.

Each reference imagined by Riskers is related to the bravery of a risk-taker and supports a cause, Albert Roche, the courageous Alpine Hunter from the First World War, and the Bleuet de France association which helps former and current-day soldiers and their families for the Prolog 1 watch.

This timepiece, inspired by pocket watches from the beginning of the 20th century from which it borrows the soft pebble shape for its polished-steel case, boasts a generous 43 mm diameter. A large satin-brushed metallic ribbon runs along the flanks then wraps itself around the crown, fashions a bow then outlines the silhouette of the lugs which clasp the chocolate calfskin strap.

The smooth bezel, curvaceous like an apple, embraces the delicately-domed glass which covers the Prolog 1’s taupe-coloured face. In the centre, a fine circle stretches out its arms like a sun with its rays to create ten-minute sectors and to enclose beige-tinged Arabic numerals apart from the oversized 12. The hours and minutes are indicated by blued openworked hands whilst the seconds tick by caressed by a direct-drive with hollowed counterpoise. A discreet bubble at 3 o’clock features the date on a white backdrop. These displays are driven by an automatic STP (Swiss Technology Production) movement which delivers a power reserve of 44 hours.

© Riskers

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autumn 2020

SKELETONIZED

Technicality, lightness, and purity of design: the RE-VOLT refuses to compromise. A perfect incarnation of the very essence and philosophy of REBELLION. The RE-VOLT knows how to stand out from the crowd thanks to its “in-house” swiss-made movement, muscular silhouette, high-tech nature, and exceptional performance with its 48-hour power reserve. Every detail expresses and embodies a passion for motorsport.

W W W. R E B E L L I O N - T I M E P I E C E S . C O M @ R E BTHE E LWATCHES L I O N TMAGAZINE IMEPIECES

autumn 2020

We Love SHAPeS

H. Moser & Cie

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streamliner Centre seconds

By Sharmila Bertin

T

he intriguing Streamliner Centre Seconds made its mark from the word ‘go’ as one of the most notable (and noticed) of 2020. The second model of this new H. Moser & Cie-signed collection takes its name from the famous aerodynamicsilhouetted locomotives of high-speed trains typical back in the 1930s and 50s whilst its look conjures up the Seventies with delicacy. This retro touch is moreover boosted even more so through the intense sunburst smoked green hue of its dial which the brand calls Matrix Green.

The cushion-shaped 40 mm-diameter steel case is adorned with recessed flanks which have been polished and satin-brushed to better catch the light.

It hosts the HMC 200 calibre, an automatic movement which indicates essential time data – hours, minutes and seconds –, beats at a gentle frequency of 21,600 vibrations an hour and delivers a power reserve of three days. The dance of its solid gold engraved oscillating

weight can be admired through the transparent caseback.

Under the slightly-domed sapphire crystal, a couple of baton-style hands, whose overly-long tips feature Globolight XP© inserts, a ceramic-based material which incorporates Super-LumiNova®, and a fine direct-drive hover over the Streamliner’s face. Its green disc is fringed by applique indexes and a white minute tracker.

The final detail which makes this watch so desirable is its ever-so sleek articulated-link bracelet which merges harmoniously with the lug-free case and ensures perfect streamlined comfort on the wrist.

© H. Moser & Cie

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autumn 2020

GF3000 titanium 5 mm padded sapphire glass.

Pressure resistance: 3000 m. (301 bars).

Tested depth: 5000 m. (501 bars).

Swiss made.

z rc 1904.c h •

z rc 1904

THE WATCHES BIJOUTERIE JUNOD : Place St-françois, Lausanne 1003 - Suisse - Tél. +41(0)21 312 83 66 MAGAZINE • O.ZBINDEN : Rue du Mont-Blanc 17, Genève 1201 - Suisse - Tél. +41(0)22 732 55 05 UHRSACHEN AG : Kramgasseautumn 19, Bern 3011 - Suisse - Tél. +41(0)31 318 01 18 2020

The e ye of Je we lry

2020’s must-of-musts

22

By Eléonor Picciotto

T

his end-of-year, which is just as strange as the twelve months we’ve just lived through, is a time to take stock and to highlight three pieces and a bit of important information which marked 2020.

Chanel J12 X-Ray The one we’d love to keep forever. 2020 marked the first appearance of the J12 – which would become one of the greatest business successes in watchmaking.

After its black then white ceramic dress ... it’s time for the X-Ray to take a bow: freed from colours, this time round transparent reigns. A case designed in sapphire crystal sculpted directly in the solid material… but there’s more. The entire bracelet, or more precisely the links, is carved out of the same material and this ethereal creation totals some 5.46 carats of baguettecut diamonds on the bezel and twelve additional gems, which appear to float, act as indexes. A technical feat, a world first and a series limited to 12 pieces.

Van Cleef & Arpels – Lady Arpels Ballerine Musicale Diamant The one we just simply admire. This hand-wound

mechanical timepiece, belonging to the firm’s poetic complications family and nominated in the GPHG 2020 Ladies’ Complication category, features a retrograde hour display as well as an automaton. Its dial is inspired by the three-part ballet Jewels choreographed by George Balanchine in 1967 in New York. Lady Arpels Ballerine Musicale Diamant comprises a delicate chiming function and a music box gifted with crystalclear sound.

March LA.B Lady Mansart The one we can purchase without asking anyone anything. It’s ever-so cool, ultra-light and you can choose your strap amongst a host of options: distressed leather, suede, grained calfskin... The lady Mansart owes its name to Jules Hardouin-Mansart, the Sun King’s architect who gave the legendary Place Vendôme its octagonal shape. This highly-classical yet inherently up-to-the-minute watch powered by a Miyota calibre is proposed with a blue, emerald, mother-of-pearl or white dial and is complemented by two interchangeable straps. This piece with its 26 mm-diameter silvered or golden-hued steel case is available from 745 euros.

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autumn 2020

Origyn: The authentication system which is about to revolutionize watchmaking This idea developed by Vincent Perriard, a prominent figure in the industry, focuses on biometrics, a digital authentication technology, which enables new watch

are then sent to the data system which certifies the authenticity of your object’s “identity”, a bit like if you wanted to shazam your watch. In the case of resale, the watch owner will have a key with an exclusive code which only they can transmit. Origyn, a Swiss non-profit foundation currently in test phase with a watchmaking industry major, could turn out to be heaven-sent for brands, like GIA certification for diamonds. Stay tuned... more to come in the next episode!

owners to authenticate their serial numbers, their models. Forget chips, forget nano-particles, nothing intrusive has been added to timepieces, the solution’s in a camera click. Every manufacture-issued reference is photographed to a millionth by an app from the brand to enter into the actual material where each sequence is unique. Images shot with your smartphone camera

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Tourbillons and marvels

By Sharmila Bertin

T

echncial purists consider it as a regulator – its initial role – whilst poets of everythingengineering envision it as a delicatelymysterious complication. Irrespective of the category one wishes to classify it in: the tourbillon is first and foremost an enchanting spectacle, a delicious feast-forthe-eyes and the marvellous embodiment of virtuallyancestral savoir-faire. And, whenever this tourbillon is twinned, beauty is literally turned into magic.

The origins of a learned mind The word tourbillon is closely connected to AbrahamLouis Breguet’s history (1747-1823), to his work which enabled watchmaking to make extraordinary progress both technically- and stylistically-speaking, and illustrates the great master’s learned mind. Whilst his contemporaries settled for being good watchmakers and making fine watches, the Neuchâtel native stood

out quickly with his rare intelligence, as a mechanicengineer and magician, erudite visionary, attracting prestigious customers.

After a short watchmaking apprenticeship in 1762 during which he was quickly noticed thanks to his natural talent, the young Breguet – who was but fifteen years old – moved to Versailles to pursue his training. In France, he mixed with great watchmakers such as his fellow-countryman, the Horloger Mécanicien du Roi et de la Marine (Clockmaker-Engineer by appointment to the King and the Navy) Ferdinand Berthoud (1727-1807) and the Gex native and Clockmaker by appointment to the King Jean-Antoine Lépine (17201814). Abraham-Louis Breguet, gifted with natural predispositions, a determined worker and inquisitive about everything, finetuned his burgeoning art over a dozen or so years before opening his own workshop in 1775 at 39 quai de l’Horloge, on Île de la Cité, an

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enclave enclosed by two arms of the Seine, located at the very heart of the City of Light.

It was within these four walls, overlooking the peaceful waters of the river, close to Pont-Neuf and Notre-Dame Cathedral that ideas sprung to mind, ideas which would breathe life into Abraham-Louis Breguet’s fabulous inventions, such as the watch known as “perpétuelle” “which would wind itself” thanks to an oscillating weight which danced with the body’s movements and recharged two barrels in 1780, the pare-chute, aka anti-shock device, which protected the pivots of the balance-wheel in 1790, the eponymous balance-spring indispensable for timepiece precision in 1795 and the first-ever wristwatch in 1810, a unique piece imagined for Caroline Bonaparte, married name Murat (17821839), Queen of Naples, younger sister of Napoleon I (1769-1821) and, above all, a very good customer of the watchmaker who became a master in 1784.

Sun, driven by their tourbillon”, i.e. the rotation of a planetary system around a single axis, which, when applied to watchmaking, would give the position for the entire escapement – the elements most sensitive to weightlessness such as the hairspring balance, the pallets and the wheel – set on a mobile part, a cage which made a full rotation on itself for a given duration.

The aim of this regulator was to counter the harmful effects of the Earth’s gravity which affected the precision of pocket watches, kept in a vertical position in the fob pocket, the waistcoat worn by men in the

Taming gravity On 26 June 1801, Abraham-Louis Breguet was issued with an ownership title valid for ten years with the exclusive right to work on and industrialize one of his works created during the same year and baptised “tourbillon”, or more precisely “tourbillon regulator” as mentioned in the correspondence addressed to the French Minister of the Interior, Jean-Antoine Chaptal (1756-1832), which supported his application to file a patent. The name chosen had nothing whatsoever in common with a particular meteorological phenomenon, however impressive it may be, but had everything to do with the Cartesian approach, a theoretical current which the watchmaker adhered to; the watchmaker was also a former student of Abbot Joseph-François Marie (1738-1801), a passionate mathematician who had also passed on his love for physics, astronomy and mechanics to Abraham-Louis Breguet. This novel watchmaking invention, a far cry from climatic tumults, took its name from a quote by René Descartes (1596-1650) written in his Principles of Philosophy (1644) “The planets revolve around the

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19th century, and as such prevent variations in rate.

Moreover, it also provided optimal lubrication, as the balance pivot contact point changed constantly.

Breguet, assisted by his son Antoine-Louis (17761858) whom he had initiated at a very early age in the art of watchmaking, developed two prototypes then began to commercialize his watches equipped with a tourbillon regulator in 1805. The invention – a “watch compensating for any irregularities which could be found in the balance-wheel or the balance-spring” – was presented to the public the following year during the French National Exhibition of Industrial Products.

From 1805 until the death of the master, who passed away in 1823, the workshop at 39 quai de l’Horloge produced and sold 35 pieces. Even though the invention attracted attention, especially since it had passed into the public in 1811 and had been integrated in the apprenticeship programmes in watchmaking schools, it was barely exploited as it was complex to make, not very popular and costly.

Tourbillon renaissance With the arrival of wristwatches in the 1950s, followed by the boom in quartz which eclipsed the beauty of watchmaking engineering and put a whole industry at risk, the tourbillon was totally forgotten. If truth be told, the move from pocket to wrist made this extraordinary regulator outdated as timepieces were no longer kept in vertical positions deep-down inside fob pockets but

moved in time to arm movements and hand gestures.

And, what’s more, a few years later, quartz would open the doors to cost reduction and mass production and lead to pricetags which defied any competition.

Yet, this invention developed by a 19th-century visionary, father of modern watchmaking, was rehabilitated by a 20th-century visionary, the saviour of contemporary watchmaking. Nicolas G. Hayek (19282010), as such, decided to revive the tourbillon and intended not only to restore its legitimacy but also to pursue its technical development. At the exact same moment in time, other watchmaking firms chose to take a gamble on Abraham-Louis Breguet’s creation but they were not endowed with the historic heritage or the savoir-faire of the eponymous firm now established in the Joux Valley.

The tourbillon which was previously invisible because hidden in the case was henceforth centre staged dialside and aroused admiration with its rhythmical ballet which seemed to beat like a heart. In 1988, it became the undisputed star of Breguet collections by appearing on the face of the Classique watch, a masterpiece of Breguet codes which reiterated the stylistic language initiated by the ingenious watchmaker almost two and a half centuries ago. In 2001, to celebrate the bicentenary of the patent the founder had been granted, the N°1801 was imagined, a limited enamel edition adorned with either rose or white gold, issued in 28 pieces each. Five > years later, Nicolas G. Hayek provided the impetus for

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the creation of the Classique Double Tourbillon 5347, a fabulous piece which is still available today in the brand’s catalogue and proposed in four variations.

A duo of dancers Between 1775 and 2020, or more precisely between 1801 and 2020, over two centuries have flown past, 219 years exactly, and the world which Abraham-Louis Breguet lived in no longer exists. Innovations in a myriad of fields like maritime and land transport, with railways and automobiles, in air transport too, have led to major breakthroughs which have shaken up lifestyles and mentalities. Needs and desires, personalities... everything is profoundly different. Yet... What if, with a wave of a magic wand, with a trip in a time machine, the virtuoso of watchmaking engineering was propelled into our modern-day world? What sort of ideas would he come up with to create a watch that was both technically and visually exquisite? No-one can know yet it’s highly likely he would have adored the new Classique Double Tourbillon 5345 Quai de

l'Horloge and would have recognized his own legacy in this exceptional piece.

As regards elegance, it’s virtually impossible to do better than this Breguet-signed opus which exemplifies the firm’s impressive savoir-faire on the inside and outside, on the face and on the back. The art of watchmaking takes on its full meaning in this piece. The tourbillon, previously hidden in the case, has become a feast-forthe-eyes to admire on the dial, and whenever the latter is entirely skeletonized to centre stage Abraham-Louis Breguet’s invention, time and poetry become but one.

This absolutely-transparent model unveils a pair of tourbillons on its complex, openworked face which power the hand-engraved guilloché baseplate ensemble via a central differential, i.e. the entire movement performs a full rotation on itself in twelve hours thanks to this double regulator. Two suns swirling in a metallic sky. Each of these one-minute-paced heavenly bodies is independent and boasts its own barrel topped by a large calligraphically-decorated B which it animates with the energy mean determined by the differential.

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A blued-steel hollow moon-tip Breguet hand, attached to the tourbillon clip, indicates the hours, whilst the minute hand is traditionally set in the centre. The hour chapter Roman numerals were engraved inside a sapphire-crystal ring to enhance the ethereal aspect of the watch even more, an aspect set off by the height of the glass box which invites to contemplate the tourbillon ballet as well as the hand-wound 588N calibre’s threedimensional architecture. A calibre which hosts 738 components and beats at a gentle frequency of 2.5 Hz. It delivers a power reserve of some 50 hours.

The magical show continues on the back of the watch which, when turned over, dazzles with meticulouslycarved engraving whose intricate details impress. This masterpiece, as delightful as a child’s beloved doll’s

house, illustrates the facade of the building located at 39 quai de l’Horloge – thus the name of the timepiece – as it would have appeared in Abraham-Louis Breguet’s time and which housed his workshop from 1775 and exists to this day. The golden gear-trains perceivable behind the windows give the impression that lights are lit inside the building, that life is being lived behind this metal sculpture.

The 46 mm-diameter case, crafted in platinum, features the famous fluting of Breguet watches around its flanks.

This timepiece, whose production is limited given its great complexity, is wrapped round the wrist with a rubber strap whose surface is covered with a fine layer of natural slate, like Parisian roofs, silent witnesses to the origins of a learned mind.

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© Breguet

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R OLE X

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Oyster Perpetual or indispensable timelessness

By Dan Diaconu

I

t can never be stressed enough: only time can create an icon. Time, and only time, can make an object, a garment, a melody, the symbol of a generation, a trend which stretches like elastic and becomes a sort of norm, a benchmark, a desire which we’ll never tire of.

The classic draws its strength from time just like the icon confirms its supremacy with it. Their charm never wanes over the years. On the contrary, it intensifies. Rolex’s Oyster Perpetual is on a par with this philosophy of beauty which doesn’t bear the brunt of age, of time, but remains forever the same yet evolves. What a strange explanation you may think... And yet!

The Oyster Perpetual was born out of Hans Wilsdorf’s (1881-1960) visionary idea in 1931. This native from Bavaria, who became fascinated by watchmaking somewhat by chance in 1900, was persuaded that the wristwatch, an unusual object at the time and a somewhat fanciful gem reserved for the ladies, harboured unexpected potential. He decided to gamble on it, flying

in the face of fashion which preferred the pocket watch and focusing on three areas which, subsequently, would become Rolex’s fundamentals: chronometric precision, case waterproofness and automatic movement.

Eleven years after setting up in Geneva, the brand led by Hans Wilsdorf unveiled its first waterproof wristwatch named Oyster as its case was as hermetic as the shell of the marine mollusc and tried and tested by the swimmer Mercedes Gleitze (1900-1981) when she swam the English Channel in 1927. Four years later, after having created this initial piece which wowed the world, the Oyster Perpetual was revealed, a timepiece driven by a self-winding mechanical heart. The slightest movement of the wrist would make its rotor, known as bi-directional Perpetual, dance, as it was attached to an axis, just like the tutu of a ballerina warming up on the barre.

“Faites surtout du beau travail”. (Above all, do a great job), Hans Wilsdorf’s words resound throughout the

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giant glass structure which rises to the sky in Geneva’s Acacias district and houses Rolex’s savoir-faire. To the extent that they are written in golden lettering on one of the building’s inside walls. This sentence sums up the efforts which Rolex has made as regards technical innovation and stylistic research since it was created, the legacy passed on by the founder-precursor is epitomized in these five simple words in French which the brand’s employees honour every day. Over time, new watches have been imagined and have enhanced the collections.

Forever boasting incredible accuracy, forever embracing this touch which sets the brand apart from other industry players.

© Rolex

With its elegant pureness, the Oyster Perpetual embodies this simple quotation and integrates the trio of principles prescribed by Hans Wilsdorf over a century ago, the values of the crown-logoed brand. It’s precise, for sure, as it’s Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified, a process redefined in 2015 which bears witness to the workmanship of the watch determined by a series of fourteen tests. It’s waterproof, for sure, with its sturdy case crafted in Oystersteel, a resistant 904L alloy which Rolex adopted in 1985 and which was renamed in 2018; a case boasting a screwed caseback and crown, which handles depths down to 100 metres. It’s also automatic as it’s driven by the manufacture 3230 calibre, a selfwinding mechanical movement beating at a standard frequency of 4 Hz and delivering a power reserve of 70 hours once fully wound.

This time round, 2020, 41 mm reigns supreme and replaces the 39 mm diameter which also disappears from the Rolex catalogue. Two dial colours flaunting sunraybrushed finishes inaugurate these new dimensions: a subtle silvery-champagne highlighted with yellow gold indexes and hands and an intense, pitch black brightened by silvery-gold hour markers. Essential time data – hours, minutes and seconds – are displayed in the centre, coated with Chromalight, a blue-glowing white luminescent material developed by the Geneva-based watchmaking firm in 2008 and whose phosphorescence lifespan is longer than that of the material generally used for most watches of other brands. Why blue, you may ask? Because it’s the hue which stands out best in the dark, whether the darkness in question comes from the night or the depths of the ocean.

The 36 mm-diameter Oyster Perpetual version, equipped with the same 3230 calibre, protected by the same metallic alloy and completed by the same three-link bracelet, adorns its dial with shades, some of which are unprecedented, which energize the wrist: sweet pink, turquoise blue, summertime sunny yellow, orangeyred and forest green. This rainbow of vibrant colours, encircled by a silvery-gold hour chapter, was obtained, for each reference, using six layers of lacquer, a layer of varnish and meticulous polishing. These dials are protected by a sapphire crystal surrounded by a slightlycurvaceous bezel. A twist that’s as soft and sweet as a cloud and which infuses this classical collection with a new lease of life.

Almost a century on from when it was first conceived, this watchmaking icon reinvents itself with a new diameter.

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A material trio

By Sharmila Bertin

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lthough the word “bi-metallic” which implies the use of two metals or alloys on a single object has yet to gain popularity in the watchmaking world – we often talk about bicoloured, aka two-tone, watches by focusing in particular on the shades of the materials rather than on their description or their composition –, Omega’s new Seamaster prompts us to invent a new word especially for it, a one-ofa-kind neologism along the lines of “tri-metallic” or something similar.

Basically, the latest creation to integrate the Bienne brand’s dive watch collection espouses three materials on its case as well as on its bracelet: SednaTM gold, introduced in 2013 on the threehanded Constellation limited to 1,952 pieces (ref: 123.53.38.21.02.001) equipped with the Omega 9301 calibre, grade 2 titanium, a metal which already exists in Seamaster (300, Diver 300M, PloProf, Planet Ocean

and Aqua Terra) and Speedmaster (Moonwatch, '57, Spacemaster Z-33, Skywalker X-33) families, and tantalum, which Omega used for the first time in 1993.

Besides the exquisiteness of their robes with their shimmering, luminous hues, each of these metals boasts different qualities. It’s no coincidence if Omega chose them and even less-so if it decided to unite them together in a single timepiece. As regards colour harmony, the rendering is far removed from the glitzy-look we may imagine, as we’re used to noticing on so-called two-tone watches, but rather soft and “coherent”, yet totally out-of-the-ordinary: the rusty kiss of SednaTM gold, – an alloy which the Bienne firm developed accompanied by the Swatch Group almost ten years ago, comprising a high percentage of gold (around 75), copper and palladium which diffuses a much more intense, sustainable glow

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© Omega

than traditional red gold – and, with its warm glints, mitigates titanium’s grey coldness and tantalum’s blue chill. In terms of the latter two transition metals’ advantages, titanium, which an increasing number of watchmaking brands call on, is acclaimed for its lightness, sturdiness and corrosion-resistance – a rather appreciable point for a dive watch like the Seamaster Diver 300M cut out for the depths of the ocean – whilst tantalum is heavier, harder yet ductile and enduring in particular when it comes to acids.

Thanks to the latter’s biocompatibility, it is used for making surgical instruments and medical prostheses as well as in electronics, chemical, aerospace and aeronautics industries where it is frequently included as an additive in superalloys.

The latest-to-date, as such, in the Seamaster family proposes a 44 mm-diameter case which handles immersions to depths of 300 metres and blends together these three materials. The impressive mid case, set off with bevelled lugs, is fashioned in grade 2 titanium. It sits under a twelve-sided support ring, a typical Diver 300M signature, designed in titanium and topped with a SednaTM gold bezel. This revolving, unidirectional device features a laser-sculpted reliefstyle diving scale on its grainy surface. This goldenhued metal also adorns the screwed crown used for winding and resetting time, the chronograph pushers which work marvellously underwater and the helium escape valve set at 10 o’clock. The white laseretched seahorse, Seamaster’s icon since 1958, i.e. a year after the collection was created, decorates the watch’s transparent caseback. This metal trio pursues its highly-unique, yet highly-successful, fusion even more! – on the titanium bracelet whose central links flaunt tantalum chamfered with SednaTM gold.

At the heart of this robust case nestles the Omega 9900 Master Chronometer, a self-winding mechanical movement which has been dual-certified, firstly by the COSC (Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute) and secondly by the METAS (Swiss Federal Institute of Metrology), after enduring eight tests focusing on resistance to magnetic fields up to 15,000 gauss, chronometric precision, waterproofness and power reserve. The latter is pretty extensive thanks to the double barrel as it delivers some 60 hours.

The various displays driven by this motor underscore the blue ceramic dial decorated with a laser-engraved wave pattern and stand out brilliantly from this marine backdrop with their adornments and golden chamfering. Two white Super-LumiNova®-coated openworked sword-shaped hands indicate the running minutes and hours as they hover over applique indexes whilst the seconds tick by in a snailed counter at 9 o’clock. As for the chronograph function, the seconds skimming past in the centre via the lollipoptype direct-drive with luminescent dot-shaped tip fuel the 3-o’clock-featured totalizer grouping the hours and minutes. To ensure optimal readability, the numerals fringing the two counters and the date one (at 6 o’clock), all set on a satin-brushed surface, are inscribed in white. Ditto for the minute tracker which runs round the flange.

And, because this special Seamaster Diver 300M edition embodies the incredible encounter of three materials, the case in which it is hosted is just as incredible as it draws its inspiration from a diving chamber. The porthole which invites to admire the watch reproduces the bezel shape, with its facetted ring topped by another ring. A little something “extra” which will definitely thrill aficionados and collectors alike!

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R ic haRd Mille

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Forever following winds of change

By Dan Diaconu

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ichard Mille, forever in tune with the times, proposes a watch which will definitely embrace ladies and gents’ wrists in elegant style. As for the engineering within, the RM 7201 Lifestyle In-house Chronograph also opens up a new chapter in the brand’s passionate history.

Explanations.

Become the metronome of time. The challenge comes to life through each of the creations regularly unveiled

by Richard Mille. With the RM 72-01 Lifestyle In-House

Chronograph, the brand changes tempo and invites us to discover its first-ever in-house chronograph calibre. “We started off with an in-house calibre. From it, we developed a flyback chronograph mechanism entirely” states Salvador Arbona, Technical Director for Movements. It took thirty months to finalize the CRMC1, a precisely-engineered device equipped with a flyback function. This self-winding movement was totally imagined, fashioned and assembled in the brand’s workshops in Les Breuleux, at the very heart of Franches-Montagnes, in the Swiss Jura.

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Just like all the brand’s creations, life is infused into innovation through “the use of materials that are best tailored to each need and, at the same time, proposing novel techniques and functions”. In this case, in the shape of a patented dual clutch with oscillating pinions. Less cumbersome than a classical vertical clutch, this ingenious system invites to disunite the minutes and hours from the seconds for measuring time up to one day. And, despite its 425 components, the CRMC1 stands at just 6.05 mm high. Every option taken into account for its assembly was done so to limit weight and to optimize energy. The chronograph triggering has little or no influence on the 50-hour power reserve obtained thanks to the 950 platinum rotor crafted in a single block of material. The two pushers still require the same pressure to enable the start, stop, reset and flyback functions. This pressure was carefully determined to ensure triggering would be precise yet gentle. A six-column wheel optimizes action simultaneity and function locking.

Dial-side, this reference synthesizes twenty years dedicated to micrometric creation. In the notsurprisingly openworked, relief architecture, two

counters, 24 hours and 60 minutes, total short and long time recorded, up to one day. Colour codes make their reading in the dedicated totalizers easier… orange for the minutes, green for the hours. And, the centrally-set direct-drive hovers over the seconds.

On this stylized décor, in addition to the blue small seconds, the numerals 3, 8 and 11 draw the gaze, poised between the counters. A date, set in a vertical aperture at 7 o’clock, completes the ensemble.

A function selector, genome of the brand’s engineering DNA since 2011, helps make using this timepiece ever-so easy. As such, once the crown – crafted in 5N red gold and black TZP ceramic – has been pulled, the indicator hand can display winding (W), date setting (D) or time reset (H).

The RM 72-01 Lifestyle In-House Chronograph, available in four case (38.40 x 47.34 x 11.68 mm) versions, 5N red gold, titanium and white or black ceramic, epitomizes Richard Mille’s new universal face for the next few years to come.

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© Richard Mille

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Vac he r on c onstant in

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Blue emotion

By Mathilde Binetruy

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f the two Overseas editions – Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin and Automatic – express so much desirability, it’s because their intense-blue dial blended with a rose gold case and high-tech calibre inspires watchmaking guided by elegance and functionality.

Often, a watch pleases without us being able to capture this attraction in words. It stands out in a store display case, on a page in a magazine, and it’s just totally obvious. One of the highpoints when discovering the two references of the Overseas collection – Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin and Automatic – is summed up by a colour: blue. Their dial explores the nuances of the chromatic range, midnight, sapphire, electric, ultramarine... The inner journey now begins. Warm, intense, deep, veering to violet, the shade plays on its owner’s memories: here summertime sky stretching languorously, there an ocean shaken up by waves, in the distance, a deep mountain lake. It’s insidious but colour tickles the memory. The

case, on the other hand, is a trigger for emotions. Rose gold, what a great idea! This noble, precious material explores new stylistic horizons and places the passage of time in a classy, elegant interlude. Without a doubt it’s one of autumn’s most exquisite combinations with this azure satin-brushed sunburst finish in the centre embraced by a precious, delicate case.

When nirvana encounters the ultra-thin and comfort rhymes with automatic Make no mistake about it however, even though the style overflows with delicacy, the character is proud and strong. The Overseas Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin hosts a high-breed self-winding movement, the ultrathin 1120 QP/1 manufacture calibre boasting a perpetual calendar and moon-phase display. The function required miniaturization feats to address calendar irregularities and ensure it would remain free from adjusting until 2100: as such, some 276 components nestle inside a thickness of barely 4.05 mm. The mechanism, which

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beats at a frequency of 19,800 vibrations an hour and delivers a power reserve of around 40 hours, displays the hours, minutes, perpetual calendar - with weekday, date, month and leap year in a 48-month counter - and moon phases. And, what’s wonderful is that all these functions are perfectly readable on the dial. It was imagined to host all the data and ensure everything was perfectly clear-cut.

The indexes, hands and moon discs are crafted in 5N 18K rose gold, the counters are characterized by their snailed decoration whilst the gold-encircled minute tracker takes on a velvety finish. The piece is free from ostentation, free from stylistic overkill. To infuse this masterpiece with understated refinement, the piece is fashioned in an integrally-gold version. In short, the dazzle of gold extends from the case to the bracelet where the shape of the links are inspired by the Maltese Cross via delicate termination points which contrast with the vertical brushed finished of the 41.5 mm-diameter case.

Following in the footsteps of this high technical added value model, the sportiest of the brand’s collections proposes a precious, elegant automatic three-hands version. Its masterstroke? A classy, versatile piece presented with three interchangeable straps: rose gold, blue alligator and blue rubber. Depending on the occasions at hand, its owner can easily swap the leather one for a sportier version or choose a glamorous material for the evening. To meet the pace of an intrepid lifestyle, the piece proposes an automatic movement, the 5100 manufacture calibre equipped with a comfortable power reserve of 50 hours. This precise, reliable calibre unveils its refined adornments through the sapphirecrystal caseback where a 22K gold windrose-decorated oscillating weight twirls. The journey, once again, forever. Thus, this focus on escape.

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© Vacheron Constantin

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T ISSOT

Freedom to choose

By Sharmila Bertin

O 44

ver the last ten years, the image of watchmaking has greatly changed, evolved. It was often considered as a highly-male world, too technical for the ladies, a world charged with testosterone, a sort of “boys club” full of massive watches for hairy wrists...

Well, that’s far from the truth! Apart from a few brands which absolutely insist on genderizing their products and on creating a universe exclusively reserved for guys, the here-and-now trend is on democratizing timepieces for everyone, women and men alike, something which Tissot understood a very long time ago.

Contrary to “mental maps” and clichés which are somewhat misogynist, women are interested in mechanics, inner workings, and do indeed wish to wear technically perfect, reliable, sturdy and precise instruments. Whenever they invest in a piece, they wish to know exactly what they’re putting on their wrist.

On the other hand, a pretty rare fact which should be mentioned, they have an advantage over men: freedom to choose.

A woman can, if she so wishes, opt for a large-sized sporty model, a dive watch for example, or, on the contrary, prefer to go with the jewellery aspect, the stylistic side of a more refined, slimmer reference. But, what matters above all, is the heart-stopper, the crush, the emotion sparked by a product, by its sentimental value, the attachment one feels for the object which embraces our skin. Yet, freedom to choose doesn’t stop at just the type of watch but is pursued through the diversity and wealth of the offer, another of Tissot’s strong points.

For the brand from Le Locle, proposing a wide array of dial colours, materials, straps and bracelets, is literally a pledge. Everyone must be able to find their heart’s desire amongst the references presented in the watchmaker’s catalogue. Everyone must be able to let their tastes take control and express themselves.

And, everyone must be able to choose the watch they wish and need. Classical or sporty, large or small, chronograph or three hands, sunray-brushed blue or set with mother-of-pearl: a host of possibilities awaits.

Tissot knows no hindrances, no limits.

Freedom to choose also covers the cost of a watch which can occasionally mean a financial sacrifice for some or several months and even years of saving, and the brand is well-renowned for its clear-sighted price positioning vis-à-vis the craftsmanship of its products.

Mechanical timepieces equipped with time-proven movements rarely exceed the 2,000 Swiss franc mark, in other words a really good investment for a piece which will be kept most certainly for life and which will be passed on perhaps to children.

The T-My Lady collection exemplifies this freedom to choose, for those who wish to wear a classical watch, an object which will journey through decades without ever becoming outdated. It comes in five dial colours: shimmering blue, dazzling silvered, ecru opaline, sunburst anthracite and blued mother-ofpearl, illuminated by golden facetted applique indexes, occasionally interspersed with diamonds. The hours, minutes and seconds are indicated in the centre by a pair of dauphine-shaped hands and a fine direct-drive, all in rose gold. These features, driven by the automatic Powermatic 48 calibre which delivers a power reserve of two days once fully wound, are completed by a date set at 3 o’clock. The watch’s 29 mm-diameter steel case topped with a rose gold bezel, elegantly strewn with 60 diamonds for the silvered-dial version, wraps round the wrist with a metallic link bracelet or a beige, taupe or brown calfskin strap, attached by a folding clasp.

Tissot, forever true to its ever-so sweet price, proposes its T-My Lady between 1,235 and 1,995 Swiss francs.

And, for the ladies who prefer larger diameters, they may go for the Gentleman model. Freedom to choose exists... grasp it right here, right now!

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Jae ge r - Le C ou Lt r e

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The voice of the ocean

By Sharmila Bertin

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uddenly Benedict Cumberbatch’s silkily-smooth, soothing voice can be heard: “We have our own internal rhythms, we have many different clocks, we have our own inner pulses”. In this short film entitled In A Breath, produced by Jaeger-LeCoultre, the British actor and friend of the brand evokes a delicious parallel between breathing and time. The landscapes of the tiny New-Zealand island of Rakino, north-east of Auckland, are a pure delight and add to the serenity diffused by Benedict Cumberbatch’s words. The actor, dressed in a neoprene wetsuit and surrounded by Hauraki Gulf’s exquisite purple waters, wears a new dive watch on his wrist: the Polaris Mariner, the watchmaker’s latest opus. Actually, we’re talking about a double opus here as the Fine Watchmaker unveiled two timepieces simultaneously from this collection, a Mariner Date and a Mariner Memovox, ISO 6425 standard certified.

This duo showcases rather similar design as the cases are fashioned in steel, measure 42 mm in diameter –

the Memovox one is slightly (and logically) thicker, 15.63 mm versus 13.92 mm for the Mariner Date, boast a transparent caseback and can cope with immersions to depths of 300 metres. Dial stylistics are also alike on these two models: a blue dial divided into three concentric sectors featuring different finishes, sunray in the centre, grainy for the middle one and satinbrushed for the outer one; conical indexes and Arabic numerals coated with blue-emitting white SuperLumiNova®; rhodium-plated, openworked baton-style hands for the hours and minutes, accompanied by a direct-drive displaying a phosphorescent rectangle and tipped with an orange brushstroke; a black date on a white backdrop set in an aperture at 3 o’clock; digits making up the diving scale engraved in white on the rotating inner bezel and complemented by the indispensable orange-edged triangular marker, a colour reiterated to highlight the 0 to 15 minute graduations.

The differences between the two references, probably invisible to the uninitiated eye, are however there.

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© Jaeger-LeCoultre

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The Mariner Memovox, like its elder sibling designed back in the 50s, is equipped with an acoustic reminder, a mechanical alarm which emits a delicate “ding-ding” reminiscent of school bells and which can be used to inform the wearer of end of dive time, appointment start time, the dawning of a new day. Three crowns reign on the case’s right flank: the first, set at 2 o’clock, is in charge of positioning the triangular marker at the centre of the dial on the time chosen for sounding out the famous chime, the second at 3 o’clock is used to trigger the rotating bezel whilst the third sets the time and date. The Mariner Date only flaunts two. In terms of motorization, the two Polaris are driven by different movements as they don’t embrace the same functions.

The automatic 956 calibre, developed in 2008 and totally reworked since, powers the Memovox and offers it a power reserve of 45 hours. And the 899 calibre, which is also automatic, animates the Mariner Date and delivers 70 hours of autonomy once fully wound.

“When you slow yourself down, you gain more time, you accomplish more, you can go further, you can go deeper. But in that moment, time stretches and it feels like an eternity” Benedict Cumberbatch’s voice, his face emerging from the water to fill his lungs with air, kissed by the sun which graces the clouds with its orangey hue, rises to the surface, regains its gentle rhythm to pronounce these words, words which should also be written down in eternity.

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R e b e llion

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En route for seascapes

By Dan Diaconu

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aximum readability in all conditions, reliability and robustness, the Predator Apnea is a breath of fresh air in the world of diving watches. Once again, Rebellion has imagined a one-of-a-kind creation boasting powerful design and formidable performance.

powerful stylistic personality and reliably-robust engineering. The brand, forever at the cutting-edge of innovation, ramps up its catalogue with a genuine instrument dedicated to underwater exploration, the Predator Apnea, which has everything it takes to ensure dives are performed in optimal conditions.

Rebellion has mastered all the rules to better move beyond them. The Swiss brand’s first-ever dive watch is totally in line with all the other timepieces in its collections: free of compromise! Its new opus combines

Luminescence ranks high on the state-of-the-art watchmaker’s savoir-faire list. Rebellion, on a neverending quest for breakthrough technologies, adorns the face of its Predator Apnea with three-dimensional

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elements which emit intense light in the dark, produced using machines which are the only one-of-their-kind in the world. The inclusion of these features in this instance results in spectacular three-dimensional scenography. In short, on the Predator Apnea’s brand new honeycomb dial, phosphorescent material reigns supreme delivering optimal readability under any conditions of light. Whilst elsewhere, it’s all a question of paint, here the XXL numerals, the inserts in the indexes and the date aperture are molded to form blocks of blue Super-Luminova®. The use of SLN Blocks technology developed by Billight, located close to Geneva, delivers incredible intense-blue-glow luminescence in the dark.

As is the case with any watch which wishes to be perfectly-at-ease in aquatic environments, the presence of a large black bezel moreover secures dives with its ever-so clear scale. It’s but child’s play to manoeuvre and offers the choice to calculate elapsed dive time or time remaining. And, with a little ingenuity, travellers can even use it to read a second time zone. As it’s

unidirectional, it prevents incidents and risks of error which could reduce caps initially set in terms of air supply and decompression time.

The Predator Apnea hosts a sturdy yet light grade 5 titanium case coated with black DLC and measures 48 mm in diameter. Waterproof to depths of 100 metres, it optimally protects the Swiss Made calibre set at a frequency of 28,000 vibrations an hour. This selfwinding mechanical movement delivers at least 48 hours of power reserve to the time data as well as to the date displayed in an aperture at 3 o’clock.

This Rebellion dive watch is complemented by a comfortable rubber strap. The existence of a folding clasp with patented buckle ensures secure wear anywhere, anytime, from trips downtown to discovering the deep blue, worn over a thick neoprene wetsuit.

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U lysse Nar diN

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Contemporary fine watchmaking

By Benjamin Teisseire

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ith the launch of its new Blast collection, Ulysse Nardin pursues its policy of standing out by taking fine watchmaking to the realms of modernity. Novel case, novel movement, novel design: Blast has a host of trumps in hand to charm savvy collectors.

Geometrical architecture A rectangle inside a circle, all crossed by a large twotone double X. The scene’s set as soon as we cast our eyes over this new Ulysse Nardin creation. It’s not at

all a traditional tourbillon we’re about to discover. The finely-skeletonized dial reveals the harmony of its lines which the central X emphasizes even more. The flying tourbillon at 6 o’clock, attached by a single bridge, responds to the novel platinum micro-rotor on the barrel axis perfectly visible at 12 o’clock. This vertical axis adds an extra touch to the powerful character of this timepiece. It creates a highly-enjoyable twofold animation on the dial.

The novel four-part titanium case - bezel, top, central case and caseback - enhances the watch with graphical

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54 complexity through its multiple facets, angles and alternating brushed and polished finishes. Blast excels in uniting traditional watchmaking savoir-faire - skeletonizing and finishes - with this ultra up-to-theminute architecture. A union which is increasingly popular with young totally-unabashed generations of collectors.

State-of-the-art technology From the dawning of the 2000s, Ulysse Nardin was recognized as the silicon technology trailblazer. Today, the manufacture is a master in the art. An art which it illustrates by using it on its escapement wheel, hairspring and the pallets of its novel UN172 movement. This technology delivers undeniable benefits when it comes to friction, lubrication and magnetic-field resistance.

Benefits which have enabled it to obtain the Ulysse Nardin certification, even more stringent than that of the COSC, ultimate proof of chronometric precision.

The movement, derived from the UN171 manufacture one, is now automatic and delivers a very comfortable 72-hour power reserve. The flying tourbillon oscillates gently at 2.5 Hz and invites its happy owner to admire a breathtaking view.

Character and comfort The Blast case is proposed in four versions: Blue matching the titanium of the case, with a blue PVD-treated

titanium bezel, Black which boasts black DLC treatment, White which epitomizes white ceramic and Rose Gold, fashioned in this noble material as its name indicates.

Each variation flaunts a host of subtle details which an indepth look reveals little by little, such as the red edging on the inside of the bezel which echoes the similar-hued galvanic coating of the Black Blast X. Discreet yet highlypresent little touches, subtle yet eye-catching, which boost the character of this new collection even more.

With its 45 mm diameter, Blast is definitely impressive.

Yet, the lightness of the material and the short, sharp horns offer surprising wearing comfort, even on slim wrists. The Le Locle-based brand wished to highlight this notion of wearer-friendliness even more by introducing a self-deploying buckle which snaps opens via a novel patented system combining three blades which work in sync. Simple and efficient, just like fine watchmaking according to Ulysse Nardin.

For several years now, the firm has made the choice to really stand out, a choice clearly illustrated through its collections which make its watches instantly identifiable.

Blast - a supercharged, graphical flying tourbillon - is a perfect example of this and shows that modernday watchmaking can be active and sporty and that tourbillons aren’t simply pieces to keep hidden away in a box.

Shout out to all new aficionados of exquisite engineering.

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When the Alpine Eagle scales up

By Benjamin Teisseire

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of customers”. All that was needed was a larger-sized more demonstrative model to meet the requests of a host of collectors. As such, the Alpine Eagle XL Chrono was born.

Since the Alpine Eagle collection was unveiled it has been a great success confirms Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, Co-President of Chopard: “The highly-specialized Japanese market welcomed it with open arms, as did the European market. We’ve also attracted a younger range

Strong-willed and sporty-chic elegance We discover the sculptural case of the Alpine Eagle collection scaled up to a 44 mm-diameter and 13.5 mm thick size. The watch now has undeniably much more temperament. With its flyback function, it epitomizes the modern-day chronograph and isochronous precision.

he sporty-chic Alpine Eagle collection, launched in 2019, espouses the codes of one of the Chopard manufacture’s emblematic pieces from 1980: the St Moritz. The family is now enhanced with an XL Chronograph blending strength and elegance.

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The tachymetric scale which adorns the dial flange adds a touch of perfection to the timepiece’s sporty personality. Yet, it has not strayed at all from its elegant nature. The hour sub-dial at 9 o’clock and that of the minutes at 3 along with the small seconds at 6 feature a very fine circular guilloché design offering great visibility and different graduations for each. We can also admire this harmony between elegance and power in the chronograph pushers, perfectly integrated into the caseband, which require only a firm, precise one-shot tap to trigger the chronograph function.

© Chopard

Manufacture movement and organic dials The Alpine Eagle XL Chrono is driven by the 03.05C movement, created for the L.U.C. collection in 2006

by Fleurier Ébauches, a subsidiary of Chopard’s watchmaking division. Vertical clutch, column wheel, split-second function, COSC certification, 60-hour power reserve: this new automatic chronograph is endowed with a host of assets which will definitely charm collectors. Its dial colour variations, a choice of Aletsch blue, a shade taken from the great glacier bearing the same name, or black referred to as absolute, boast a virtually-organic texture which also helps differentiate between them and heighten their appeal.

Streamlined, integrated bracelet From initial stamping to final manual assembly, satinbrushing the front and back sides of the links, polishing the central studs, the edges and the bevelled angles, the extreme care given to the creation is evident

everywhere. The bracelet radiates pure sleekness which is substantiated by wearing comfort. The alternating satin-brushed and mirror-polished finishes of the bracelet bevels and caseband flanks emphasize even more the delicacy of the craftsmanship undertaken through their non-stop play with light. Some 15 manual tasks were required to obtain this excellent-workmanship result which blends ever-so rare elegance and striking soundness.

Ethical approach Chopard has been spearheading an ethical approach as regards its production for many years now. It has now perpetuated this tradition by creating exclusive steel made with 70% recycled steel. The Lucent Steel A223 used for the case of this Alpine Eagle XL Chrono is purer than conventional steel thanks to double smelting. It is also 50% harder and, as such, much more scratch resistant. Moreover, it reflects light better which gifts it with a highly one-of-a-kind presence which is clearly perceptible when worn. The two-tone version combines ethical rose gold and Lucent Steel on an absolute black dial, a wonderfully-original combination with a vintage touch.

Last but not least and, lest we forget, the Alpine Eagle collection actively supports the new Eagle Wings Foundation, co-founded by Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, which is committed to protecting the Alps and to raising public awareness of the impacts of climate change. The Geneva-based brand knows how to combine watchmaking beauty and environmental responsibility incredibly well.

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ZRC

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A tribute to honour

By Sharmila Bertin

Z

RC’s Grands Fonds 300, imagined for accompanying seafaring troops back in the 1960s, rolls out a new version, embracing the key distinctive features of the United States Army’s military gear on its face, saluting the bravery of women and men who did not hesitate to give their lives in the name of freedom.

The watch, remaining true to its origins as a tool designed for equipping divers, and officially adopted by the French National Navy in 1964 to accompany its troops to the very heart of the ocean, on underwater missions, sometimes at the risk of their own lives, takes on a military face this year. And, more specifically, a face which illustrates the United States Army. Yet, of course, the piece retains its technical qualities which make it an incredibly high-performer, such as its waterproofness tested to a depth of 300 metres.

This decision to imagine a Militaria edition of the Grands Fonds 300 is rooted in ZRC’s very personal tradition because, just like most of the Geneva-based brand’s innovations and creations, it happened by pure chance.

In short, the firm has almost always been pushed to excel, to go beyond its limits, through series of coincidences, chance encounters, conversations with friends.

Destiny led ZRC management to answer a bid for tender, following an informal discussion with the French National Navy’s watchmaker, and from 1958 to develop the future Grands Fonds. It also spurred Georges Brunet, current CEO and the founder’s great-grandson, to produce a reedition of the famous watch for ZRC’s 111th anniversary, thanks to advice from a publicist friend, and to develop the ECSTM (acronym for Easy Clean System), this wellknown patented process which rinses the bezel and removes any salt deposit within, after having watched a film about the adventures of a German submarine...

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© ZRC

Life’s twists and turns pursued their work and placed the American off-roader utility vehicle on Georges Brunet’s path, a vehicle which symbolizes the Allies’ victory over the Nazis during the Second World War. “I was with a friend, who’s a former legionnaire, who collects military vehicles and who has a Willys Jeep which was present during the 1944 landing” explains the Head of ZRC. After having taken photos of this historic four-wheel monument and talking with another friend who runs a Militaria club, an association which groups collectors of military items together, Georges Brunet had a brainwave.

To design the military-inspired dial, ZRC’s team sought out the exact same Pantone shade used by the US Army to adorn its gear, gear which was worn by soldiers, featured on transport and defence equipment used on land, on sea and in the sky. As such, the new Grands Fonds 300’s face centre stages a slightly-grainy, matt khaki green colour, adorned by an hour chapter comprising Arabic indexes and numerals painted in white using specific calligraphy known as Stencil USA font, traditionally created using stencilled design to decorate military gear so it would be visible by reconnaissance aircraft of the times. These are hovered over by a pair of magnum-style hands indicating the hours and minutes and by a “lollipop” direct-drive – characteristic visual elements of the Grands Fonds

collection –, and all three are highlighted by white Super-LumiNova®. “This watch’s dial is literally the reinterpretation of the Willys Jeep bonnet”, states Georges Brunet. Actually, all that’s missing is the famous five-pointed star embraced by a circle!

Under the bonnet – to be exact! –, which is embodied by the 40.5 mm-diameter steel case, perfectly identifiable with its typical silhouette tipped by a screwed crown at 6 o’clock, where the self-winding ETA2428-2 calibre reigns, a time-proven motor which beats at a standard frequency of 4 Hz (28,800 vibrations an hour) and delivers a power reserve of some 38 hours.

As comfort is a be-all and end-all of ZRC’s watches, as is efficiency and simplicity, the elasticated rubber strap whose colour matches that of the dial has been extremely well thought out. Designed in EPDM (a blend of Ethylene Propylene Diene and Monomer), it’s flexible, soft-to-the-touch and anti-static. Its curvature gifts it with heightened bend-point resistance, its spaced-out links allow wrist skin to breathe and its conception means it’s versatile as it can be set off with an ardillon buckle or a folding clasp.

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A u de mAr s Pigu e t

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The chiming label

By Mathilde Binetruy

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here’ll always be a handful of nostalgic people out there who yearn for glory-days-of-yore where life was governed by nature, where the advent of technology hadn’t taken a hold on daily lives.

It was a time where, in the middle of the night, once the candle had been blown out, if you wished to know what time it was, you’d rely on your minute repeater watch. Back then, Audemars Piguet was the expert in chiming watches and had developed grande sonnerie, petite sonnerie and minute repeater mechanisms.

Now, the brand delights us with five new Grande Sonnerie Carillon Supersonnerie watches and isn’t about to lose its standing: that of a firm which continues to train a few highly-specialized watchmakers to assemble and adjust a piece which is considered as one of the most sophisticated complications ever in the history of watchmaking. “It took us four years to combine this

traditional mechanism with our technology which was adapted to ensure the chiming function worked (three gongs)”, states Lucas Raggi, Director of Development.

The five newcomers boast the noblest features in this respect: an acoustic performance, fruit of eight years of research hand-in-hand with EPFL (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne), a novel handwound movement comprising some 489 components – the 2956 calibre –, and a case which unveils the piece in an incredibly-unique way: the 41 mmdiameter, 18-carat silver-toned gold case of the Code 11:59. Its creation called for immense talent focusing on patience and excellence, or, in other words, how to successfully and harmoniously combine curved architecture (offering optimal ergonomics) with an octagonal caseband, an ultra-slim round bezel as well as arched lugs.

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© Audemars Piguet

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Yet the magic doesn’t end here. Check out the dial!

Each piece centre stages bespoke work of art created

by Anita Porchet in her studio. Amongst other exquisite delicacies, the renowned enameller imagined a trilogy of dials decorated with antique gold paillons (specks of gold leaf) dating back to over a century, as such embracing historic savoir-faire and up-to-the-minute design. The collection is complemented by two pieces whose Grand Feu enamel dials can be customized

by Anita Porchet to suit customers’ desires. “What really fascinates me in this work is to have 360° possibilities”, explains the artist. “My partnership with Audemars Piguet offered me great freedom to explore

and reinterpret the ancestral paillonné technique in a modern way, and, as such, gifted me with another perception”.

As dusk sets in, after having admired Anita Porchet’s work, it’s time to prick up your ears. “The new Grande Sonnerie Carillon Supersonnerie strikes the hours and quarters automatically, with crystal-clear sound, ringing out far and wide with pure musicality”, emphasizes Michael Friedman Head of Complications at Audemars Piguet. Much better than having to look at dreadful red digits staring forever at you whilst you sleep, don’t you think?

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MB &F

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Imaginary worlds embracing time

By Dan Diaconu

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ollowing on from a host of collaborations with watchmakers, MB&F gives Eddy Jaquet, a traditional craftsman, free rein. The resulting eight-piece series invites us on a journey into the marvellous world of exploration.

Voyages extraordinaires (1866), imagined by Jules Verne (1828-1905), and epitomizing everything that makes up a spirit of adventure, forever inspire creatives. And, what links all the works of the visionary French genius together: a sense of wonder. This feeling’s also sparked as soon as we discover the remarkable work of Eddy Jaquet. This master engraver, whose dexterity is wellknown to watchmakers, has worked with MB&F until now crafting and immortalizing names on movements.

“We’ve been working with Eddy for years now but asking him to etch names on movements is like playing Für Elise on a Stradivarius – you can’t imagine a more

modest interpretation of just an incredible gift” states Maximilian Büsser, the brand’s founder. Offering him collaboration on a par with his talent was, of course, a logical step to take. The stylistics of the Legacy Machine Split Escapement with its large suspended balancewheel suit this project perfectly. Its dial boasts the ideal surface for him to express his dreamlike art.

Yet, a few changes were called for to meet the craftsman’s prerequisites. Basically, the rose gold case has grown by 0.5 mm and now features a 44.5 mm diameter. MB&F also accepted “to specially openwork the date and power reserve sub-dials to centre stage the engraved art even more so, and to modify the crystal and the bezel to move it down to the decorated baseplate and, as such, let the light bathe totally over the engraved décor”, specifies Eddy Jaquet. Eight one-of-a-kind timepieces were created drawing inspiration from Five Weeks in a

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© MB&F

Balloon (1863), Journey to the Centre of the Earth (1864), From the Earth to the Moon (1865), The Adventures of Captain Hatteras (1866), Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (1869-1870), Around the World in 80 Days (1872), Michael Strogoff (1876) and Robur the Conqueror (1886). This choice was no coincidence.

“These fictional works are connected to childhood and adolescence as is the inspiration for all MB&F creations” emphasizes the engraver. As he was given free rein to undertake the project, he took charge of the idea and overall conception, the research, the composition and, of course, the actual creation.

The completed result is akin to the gildings which adorn the covers of novels published in the 19thcentury: extremely-delicate craftsmanship! To ensure each illustration was optimally highlighted, a jeweller’s electroplating pen was used to apply a dark rhodium

alloy and to adjust the shading of every single detail to be totally in sync with scene requirements. Thus, “the smoke coming out of the fire on the Michel Strogoff dial is slightly toned down whilst the subterranean sea represented on the dial of Journey to the Centre of the Earth has been nuanced”. Each piece took over 300 hours of work to finalize.

And, last but not least, none of the illustrations comes from an existing work of art. Eddy Jaquet imagined them himself after having read the novels and viewed the films and other creations related to Jules Verne’s work.

Each engraving is, as such, a work of art conjuring up scenes and highlights from the tales, synthesized by the author’s imagination. Extraordinaires you may say.

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La Ch ro nomé t r ie Fe r dinand B e rt hou d

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Act II

By Olivier Müller

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our years of development for a “complicated” watch is not that unusual. Except in the case of a brand which is only five years old! Following on from its FB1 unveiled in 2015, La Chronométrie Ferdinand Berthoud now centre stages its FB2, created in the utmost secrecy since 2016.

A single watchword: precision. The issue of the FB2 pays tribute to the 250th anniversary of the year (1770) when Ferdinand Berthoud was appointed Horloger Mécanicien du Roi et de la Marine (Watchmaker-Engineer by appointment to the King and the Navy). The watchmaker had devoted his life to marine clocks whose precision would condition the course of the first expeditions to the New World. Today, the other side of the globe has been conquered but much remains to be done in terms of watchmaking precision. The FB2 makes its contribution.

On the movement-side, La Chronométrie Ferdinand Berthoud rolls out its fusée and chain system once again.

This regulates the energy delivered by the barrel: too much when the watch is totally wound, too little when it reaches the end of its power reserve. The fusée and chain scales this energy to ensure it is delivered in a constant manner to the escapement.

The escapement is the second level of the kinematic chain.

Its precision is vital: it splits up the energy transmitted by the barrel into a set frequency – here some 18,000 vibrations an hour. It was at this stage that the brand imagined an everso unusually complex process: the remontoir d’égalité.

Ferdinand Berthoud himself had dreamt of this device but had never finalized it. It is like a primary escapement, placed upstream to the main escapement. It takes on the role of a small energy reserve. It stores the energy temporarily and only releases it to the main escapement when a specific amount has been accumulated. As such, the latter is forever supplied by the same “quantity of energy” and can therefore regulate time with enhanced precision – like the propeller of a wind turbine which would turn constantly at

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© La Chronométrie Ferdinand Berthoud

the same speed thanks to the force of a wind which would never vary.

The manufacture decided to release this quantity at a set frequency: every second. And, this is why the FB2 displays a “dead-beat second”, this delicate complication which enables the second hand to beat like one on a quartz watch (one beat per second). Pure pleasure for aesthetes, elegant subtlety which will appeal to amateur collectors... which will gain the favour of the most enlightened who will appreciate the scale of the achievement concealed within.

On the dial-side, the FB2 inaugurates the manufacture’s first-ever rounded shape (44 mm in diameter). The dial boasts Arabic minute and second numerals, Roman ones for the hours, the hands of the FB1, as well as a lateral

sapphire-crystal porthole to admire the fusée and chain mechanism. The Grand Feu-enamelled dial comprises two parts: the one in the centre is flat, the other around the edges is domed – a real challenge as, when enamel cools down after firing, it has a natural tendency to flatten out. Ensuring perfectly curved, circular enamelling is, therefore, an amazing feat.

As for the caseback, the fusée and chain and the barrel reigning over the remontoir d’égalité unfurl their workings on a hand-crafted grained-finished baseplate. The triptych is magical, outstanding, mesmerizing. And as always with La Chronométrie Ferdinand Berthoud, the FB2 is totally assembled and finished by hand and is COSC-certified. Two limited editions of just ten pieces, for advised collectors at a price of 216,000 Swiss francs.

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Longine s

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"Happy hour"

By Sharmila Bertin

N

creativity was gradually reborn, optimism superseded the obscurity of six years of conflict. This deliverance opened new doors, new avenues to explore in a myriad of fields including that of watchmaking.

Humankind has this incredible ability to be resilient when faced with adversity, to overcome the darkest days of History, to rebuild whatever’s been destroyed and to imagine a new tomorrow. From darkness, even the most complete, comes light, and although the Second World War was a terrible period and one which we all have a duty to remember, Humankind has always managed to get back up on its feet, lick its wounds, though not really heal them, and take on the future. In the aftermath of 1945, once Europe was freed from the Nazi yoke, life slowly but surely reclaimed its rights,

Despite the war and the slowdown in business which it brought about, Longines, founded in 1832 in SaintImier, continued to create watches, in particular its COSD model acclaimed for its sturdiness and intended for soldiers of the British Air Forces, especially those of the Special Air Service (better known as SAS).

In the 1940s, the watchmaking firm pursued its development by imagining measuring instruments cut out for accompanying adventurers of the skies and for discovering places which were previously unknown. Its imagination knew no limits, nor did its desire to innovate technically, as illustrated through

o need to impose a dress code or request formal cocktail wear: the black and white face of the new Tuxedo duo from Longines’ Heritage Classic collection and inspired by historic pieces is perfectly adequate for adorning the wrist elegantly.

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1945

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its archives. And, it’s mainly through this rich heritage that the winged-hourglass brand occasionally draws its inspiration, rummages through its drawers to retrieve long-forgotten timepieces, re-issues watches which have left their mark on time, like a duo of models exemplifying post-Second World War spirit of renaissance.

Longines’ Heritage Classic collection brings together these famous re-issues and is, without a doubt, one of the most exquisite in this “neo-vintage” segment. The faces of these pieces, which embody a sort of tribute to the past, perpetuate their historic authenticity yet their heart embraces technical state-of-the-artness.

This line of products has recently been enhanced with

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© Longines

a pair of watches baptised Tuxedo, a name borrowed from the male wardrobe. Tuxedo, the English word for the garments worn during society events where formal dress is a must, comprises a totally black, and in rare cases white, jacket with satin facing on the lapels with matching trousers whose lateral outseams feature a satin silk stripe and a bow tie. A quick glance at the black-encircled silvered-opaline dial of these two timepieces is enough to understand the link with the dress code.

This watchmaking duo comprises a two-hand and smallseconds model and a chronograph, both equipped with self-winding movements, the L893 calibre which delivers a power reserve of 64 hours for the first and the L895 calibre which offers 54 for the second. They nestle in steel cases which respectively measure 38.5 and 40 mm in diameter. The two-handed version

boasts a large black ring on which vanilla-colouredpainted indexes are displayed, a shade reiterated by the Super-LumiNova® which highlights the silvered baton-style hour and minute hands whilst the snailed counter marking the small seconds is fringed with black Arabic numerals. For the chronograph, a blue tachymetric scale adorns a large beige band which runs around the flange. In the centre, two rhodium-plated leaf-style hands hover over the hours and minutes, the running seconds tick by in a sub-dial at 3 o’clock and short-cycle time is measured via a large blue-hued direct-drive and the minute totalizer at 9 o’clock. To absolutely set off the classical style of this wear-onthe-wrist tuxedo, Longines proposes a semi-matt black leather strap. Elegance is definitely an attitude.

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Spot light

70

Worshipping grey

By Sharmila Bertin & Mickael Gautier

F

irst confession: I love grey. Or should I say, I absolutely worship grey. It’s a passion that some would even qualify as an obsession. The love affair between this colour and me has been going on for quite some time now, I reckon I’ve been a number one fan for at least about a quarter of a century now. My wardrobe’s an altar devoted to grey, in all its different tones; grey lays down its law over the rest of the chromatic spectrum which you normally find in a closet. Large drawers host my t-shirts, long shelves boast my trainers, part of my hanging area is a cluster of dresses and here, there and everywhere, piles of jeans are stacked. And, it’s all grey. Oh, I’ve also got an impressive collection of grey cashmere jumpers… pretty much along the lines of the “little black dress”, which for the not-so-well-informed or not-so-expert eye all look the same but, for maniacs like me, all have their own identity.

Unlike what we may be led to believe, grey is actually a luminous colour, vibrant and bubbling over with

nuances. Grey’s definitely a lot less commonplace, less boring, less austere than black which moreover makes your features harsher, and it brightens up the complexion and goes perfectly well with any colour, from old traditionals to up-to-the-minute funky ones.

This adoration also basically explains why I therefore only wear metals referred to as white (even though they’re grey, light grey, ok, but grey nonetheless...) on my wrist, my fingers and around my neck like steel, titanium, silver, platinum and white gold. I adore their discreetness and elegance, and my eyes systematically catch hold of “grey” watches in retail displays as well as on people’s wrists.

Second confession: when I discovered the Octo Finissimo, my first reflex was just to let out an “Oh”.

In actual fact, me, the well-known chatterbox, I didn’t know how to react. Did I like it? Didn’t I like it? Nothing. Just “Oh”. I was puzzled, astonished, unsure. Then I sort of stood back to observe it better,

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liked its colour a lot, its matt finish, the elusive spirit conjured up by its tone-on-tone elephant grey, but found its shape rather too angular for me, me who’s totally round in body, round in mind and in character.

Apparently, it’s the curse of icons, a sort of sacred ritual, a must-go-through before glory. I see it as a tunnel where obscurity reigns, a tunnel which is so narrow you have to crouch down, move forward slowly on all fours towards the light (yes, I know, I’ve got vivid imagination). Anyway, in a nutshell, that’s

a way of saying that the greatest watches, the ones we call icons, the ones which don’t bear the brunt of time, the ones which everyone snaps up like hotcakes, were cold-shouldered when launched, went through the distress of rejection before reaching the top of the podium. And, where this Bvlgari’s concerned, well, some actually spotted its superstar potential straight away. But I didn’t. I needed more time, time to master it, and time for it to master me. I found it exquisite on > other people’s wrists but...

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© Mickael Gautier

73 It was (yet again) one of my girlfriends who changed the game – what on Earth would I do without them! – by wrapping a titanium Octo Finissimo Chronograph GMT around my wrist. And, in a flash, all its qualities caught my eye. I was bowled over by the fineness of this world record-breaker, by its lightness. We had to remove a lot of links (8 to be precise) so that it would embrace my skin perfectly. Consider me silly if you wish, but I felt so privileged to have this beauty with me, I wore it for weeks on end with incredible pleasure. And then, a few months later, my wrist once again had the opportunity to boast an Octo Finissimo, titanium again but, this time round, a two-handed one (which I prefer). And suddenly, a massive crush... I can confirm that, in spite of its youth, it is indeed an icon, one of the very few contemporary watches which can take on such a title.

And, not because I love it but because of (or thanks to) the success it has achieved. And, let me say, without being in any way vulgar, let me say openly and honestly and with a great deal of affection: the Octo Finissimo is a “man magnet”. It sparks interest, arouses curiosity, collects a host of glances, it’s im-press-ive! In my fifteen years of watchmaking, I’ve never experienced something like this with a watch. Never. Wherever I go with it on my wrist, people ask me questions, ask me to take it off so they can admire it close up and wait for my permission to try it on. What’s more, people aren’t used to seeing a woman wearing it. It charms my male

friends who discover it “for real”, counterparts who dream of owning it, designers from other brands. When I notice the eyes of the person I’m talking to swerve towards my arm, I take it off and hold it out saying “yes, you can” because I can just feel this admiration in their eyes which I myself have felt in the presence of the Chronograph GMT. During the Geneva Watch Days back in August, after having spent the day speeding from one appointment to another, I had a lunch break (pure luxury!) on the banks of the Rhône, kissed by the sun. To content my stomach, I fetched a sandwich from a supermarket deli section. Ever-so ordinary, yes I know. But, what was less ordinary was to hear, as I was picking up my panini, the waiter asking me shyly “It’s a Bvlgari? The recordbreaking one?”. As I stood there pretty and pleasantly surprised, he asked me questions about the Octo Finissimo and told me how magnificent he thought it was. I smiled. The power of an icon, summed up right there, right then. In this sort of ordinary moment, in this ordinary place, with a person who was not part of the ‘inner circle’. I wasn’t surrounded by colleagues, or visiting a manufacture or at a watchmaking gala with watch enthusiasts: I was just in a downtown supermarket. Accompanied by a superstar.

Third confession: I’m never ever going to give it back!

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MOOD

The bond between tradition and emotion

By Sharmila Bertin

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t’s a bit tricky to write an opinion piece, aka a witty piece, when you’re often moody and when you spend your life in an industry that’s a bit touchy (come on, we’ve got to say it like it is!), but as it’s going to be published at the end of the magazine, I fancy taking a shot anyway. Especially as, right now, as I’m writing these lines, when 90% of normal everyday folk are tucked up in bed and have been fast asleep for ages, well me, I’m about to let my hair down! Seriously though, and to make sure I don’t make the anxiety-provoking atmosphere we’ve been going through for 8 months now any heavier (or worse still), I’m not going to pack this column full of laughs or even grumpiness for that matter but rather roll out a sort of “I like/don’t like” of watchmaking news. Oh, not as a list though, otherwise it wouldn’t be fun.

I must admit that the cancellation of Time to Move, then of the SIHH (oops sorry, Watches & Wonders), followed

by Baselworld’s disappearing act flabbergasted me to the point that I didn’t know whether to rejoice as it meant I could stay with my kids for a week and I didn’t have to sleep in a cheesy hotel room that could fit into my pocket, or, on the contrary, have a panic attack. Basically, I did both, it was easier. When the organization of Geneva Watch Days was announced, I said to myself “that’s too early” and I was right. In the end, the event was postponed and even though I grumbled because of the dates (end August, I’m in the middle of wrapping up our autumn issue… just like a lot of my confreres), I actually thought it was pretty great. Honestly though, the weather was glorious, and scuttling around from one appointment to another, from one hotel to another (because presentations took place in

suites) wearing sandals and a summer dress, embraced by wonderful sunshine = pure bliss. Quite the contrary from annual large-scale shows which are held at the start of the year, when you have to brave sub-zero temperatures, generally during school holidays (for pity’s sake... check your calendars before setting the dates). Then, heading home in the evening, being with my kids, sleeping in my bed = pure bliss too.

What’s more, I got to see some really stunning pieces, I felt them, touched them, tried them, took pics of them, complimented their progenitors... all the things you can’t ever do via zoom conferences which I loathe (remember, watchmaking is emotion and my computer screen doesn’t send out any kind of feelings whatsoever). Anyway, apart from a few wrong notes which weren’t serious at all, I vote for a 2021 edition of Geneva Watch Days. But with more brands showcased, with iced Coke Zero as a must, and without a press conference because, now that we’ve gone through lockdown, we’re more into intimate ways of doing things, one-to-ones, exclusivities, rather than big American-style shows where we’re just average guys and girls stuffed full of images and marketing.

On top of that, watchmaking’s been enjoying life once again since the end of summer, though sometimes a bit too much if you ask me. Travelling for your job once in a while is cool. But, when you’ve got to do it three times a week, well, it’s not that cool at all. But sure, we’re not going to complain about this big bounce-back which I find pretty positive anyway, and, to top it all off, discovering new watches, seeing old acquaintances, well, it feels so good. There you go! That didn’t hurt a bit, now did it?

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TI S S OT WATC H E S .CO M TISSOT, INNOVATORS BY TRADITION