WATCHES Magazine

ENGLISH EDITION

INTERNATIONAL SWISS-MADE MAGAZINE

#042 AUTUMN 2015

AkriviA Alpina Blancpain Boucheron Breguet Bvlgari Certina Chanel Chopard Christophe Claret DeWitt H. Moser & Cie Hamilton Hermès Hublot Jaeger-LeCoultre Jaquet Droz Junghans Klokers Louis Vuitton Manufacture Royale

MB&F Omega Oris Patek Philippe Perrelet Pierre DeRoche Richard Mille Rolex Romain Jerome TAG Heuer Tiffany & Co. Tissot Union Glashütte Urwerk Vacheron Constantin Voutilainen Vulcain Zenith

BREGUET A legendary retrospective

GUEST Alexandra Kazan INTERVIEW Maximilian Büsser - Fiona Krüger 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

MISSION PARTNER OF

©Photograph: Aaron Wong

Pristine Seas Expeditions

RAISE AWARENESS, TRANSMIT OUR PASSION, HELP PROTECT THE OCEAN www.blancpain-ocean-commitment.com

Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe

BLANCPAIN BOUTIQUES ABU DHABI · BEIJING · CANNES · DUBAI · GENEVA · HONG KONG · LAS VEGAS · LONDON · MACAU MADRID · MANAMA · MOSCOW · MUNICH · NEW YORK · PARIS · SEOUL · SHANGHAI · SINGAPORE · TAIPEI · TOKYO · ZURICH www.blancpain.com

- The City, London Piaget Altiplano 900P The world’s thinnest Manufacture mechanical watch: 3.65 mm, a total fusion between Manufacture-made case and movement.

Piaget, the Master of ultra-thin.

piaget.com

COVER WATCH  Sharmila Bertin

BREGUET N°2784

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ne of Abraham-Louis Breguet’s illustrious clients was Austrian archduchess Marie Louise (17911847), Napoleon I’s second wife and Empress of France from 1810 to 1814. On September 27th 1813, just before the famous Battle of Leipzig which was to be the Emperor’s greatest defeat, Marie Louise bought a single-hand watch made by the ingenious watchmaker.

The pocket watch with a 33mm yellow gold guilloché case is on display at the Fine Arts

THE WATCHES MAGAZINE - AUTUMN 2015

Museums of San Francisco until January 2016. The watch houses a period movement requiring a key to wind its barrel with a pierced arbor. Its hand engraved silver-tone dial showcases hours and minutes off-centre at 6 o’ clock. Time is tracked by Breguet’s two signature slim off-centre openwork "pomme" hands which are still popular today. The moon phase lies at 12 o’ clock whilst the advance/ retard slide stands at 2.

T H E U R - 1 0 5 TA HOUR SATELLITE INDICATION WITH AUTOMATIC WINDING REGUL ATED BY TURBINES

UR-105 TA W W W.U R W E R K .CO M

LIVE YOUR

PASSION

Vintage Rally tribute to Healey and classic car rallies worldwide. the roar of a finely-tuned engine. automatic Chronograph, instantly readable in ergonomic case.

More information on + 41 (0)26 460 72 50 - info@macher-sa.ch www.frederique-constant.com

EDITORIAL IT’S TIME

© Mickael Gautier

FOR LOVE

Sharmila Bertin Editor-in-Chief

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could have given this editorial the title "Yippee, my first editorial!" or some other selfish silliness to share my happiness. But that’s not my thing. I don’t do journalist diva. I could have written (2500 characters, spaces included) about being a woman, how rare it is to find a female editor-inchief and rarer still in watch magazines blah, blah, blah. I know I could have, but I haven’t.

I’m just happy to be here, with you and for you, I’m happy to be in the driving seat to lead this fabulous magazine to new horizons. Actually, I don’t really mean "new", I just want to keep what we’ve got and bring other features in.

Let’s freshen up the pages with a more open-minded and curious outlook. Let’s get more opinions from different writers and personalities. Let’s add a dash of charm, a hint of irreverence and a sprinkle of trendsetting to the original recipe. Let’s invite stars from the silver screen or literary world to give us their take on time. Let’s transport readers – whether they be connoisseurs or novices – deep into watchmaking professions, from design work and technical development to the artistic and artisan world; let’s introduce them to the men and women behind this magical industry.

This all boils down to real trust that’s been built over the last few years - thanks to my editor! – and is a major challenge that I’m passionate about: sharing this burning, mad love for watches with you and other journalists who’ve joined The Watches Magazine adventure, choosing topical and sometimes unusual

subjects, unveiling new figures and handling the hidden face of production (layout, translation, printing) that you can guess at but can’t see. I love the intellectual alchemy which writers conjure up, the bonds formed with watch brands that support us, the magazine’s visual identity, its international coverage, letters from readers and compliments from colleagues. I love my job and I hope that comes through in this issue’s pages.

THE WATCHES MAGAZINE - AUTUMN 2015

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

"TIME DOES WHAT IT WANTS!"

Alexandra Kazan Presenter & actress

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he time we take, The time we waste, The time we tell, The time that passes…

At one time in my life I was a weather girl. I tried to make forecasting good or bad weather lightweight and fun. That was...a long time ago! Another lifetime...

Time punctuates our lives, tirelessly, quietly...tick tock, tick tock...It runs away and slips through our fingers. We want to hold onto it, trap it, manage it and make it go at our own pace, how we want.

But time couldn’t care less! It does what it wants! It’s one of few things we have no control over. And that’s how it should be.

It gives us its full potential and reminds us...not to waste our...time!

It is precious, limited...

Fast, life, grab it, live it, every minute, every little second, don’t miss out...don’t miss a thing!

Whether you decide to take it easy or live life in the fast lane, time, like a metronome, keeps our vain gestures in check.

Because in the end, we could well say what we want, make a move or negotiate! A pact! What do I know? Our time will be over...

As a child, time seemed to go slowly...It was a pain having to wait for so long, to finally live!

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I look back on those times fondly.

There were no electronics, we kept ourselves occupied however we could…we got bored…It’s funny isn’t it?

Nowadays it feels like time is flying by...dizzyingly fast!

Like hanging off the wing of a plane flying through the sky...

Faaast!!!!

You want to put all your weight onto the big hand on the dial, the one that pushes the seconds forwards or the other way round, to slow it down...

Watches, I don’t wear them...

Old grandfather clocks, the ones that boom tick tock in the house, the ones that chime, ring and clang: “listen, it’s half past!”

“Ah, it’s time!”

I like the ones that swing as though they’re dancing.

I even have some that don’t work anymore, hunted down for their beauty. Yes I know, it’s not very feng shui...

But time goes by, it’s nice outside...and I’m late!!! Quick, I’m off… Go on, have a good time!

More information + 41 (0)26 460 84 40 info@gouten-distribution.ch

INSIDE THEWATCHESMAGAZINE

#042

024 Breguet

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009 Editorial 010 Guest Alexandra Kazan 018 We love for him 020 We love for her 022 The Eye of Jewelry 024 Breguet Cover Story 034 MB&F Interview Maximilian B端sser

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038 Fiona Kr端ger Timepieces Interview Fiona Kr端ger 041 Ted Scapa 042 Patek Philippe 044 Blancpain 046 Richard Mille 048 Urwerk 050 Chopard

054 056 058 060 064 066 068 070

Chanel H. Moser & Cie AkriviA Only Watch TAG Heuer Marketing Watch out #1 Christophe Claret/Alpina

* LA PERFORMANCE MÉCANIQUE POUSSÉE À L’EXTRÊME © Didier Gourdon

CALIBRE RM 60-01 REGATE

BOUTIQUE RICHARD MILLE GRAND HOTEL KEMPINSKI GENEVE EMBASSY Lucerne

KIRCHHOFER HAUTE HORLOGERIE Interlaken

www.richardmille.com

MONTRES PRESTIGE S.A. Genève

INSIDE THEWATCHESMAGAZINE

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071 072 073 074 075

Pierre DeRoche/Hermès Certina/Union Glashütte Oris/Vulcain Louis Vuitton/Tiffany&Co. Jaeger-LeCoultre/Klokers

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076 Vacheron Constantin/ Boucheron 077 Voutilainen/Bvlgari 078 Rolex/DeWitt 079 Hamilton/Omega

080 RJ-Romain Jerome/Tissot 081 TAG Heuer/Junghans 082 Jaquet Droz/ Manufacture Royale

ENGLISH EDITION

IMPRESSUM Welcome to the world of watches

www.watches-news.com

INTERNATIONAL SWISS-MADE MAGAZINE

#041 SUMMER 2015

Alpina Blancpain Breguet Certina Chopard Christophe Claret Corum Emile Chouriet Eterna Fabergé Frédérique Constant Glashütte Original Harry Winston Hermès Hysek Jaeger-LeCoultre Jaquet Droz JeanRichard Laurent Ferrier Manufacture Royale MB&F MCT Montblanc Omega Oris Panerai Patek Philippe Perrelet Piaget Raymond Weil Rolex Speake-Marin Swiza Tissot Tudor Urwerk Vulcain Zenith

montblanc

INTERVIEW

Laurent Dordet Marc A. Hayek Alexander Schmiedt

German soul, Swiss precision

suisse: 10 francs FRANCE MéTRO: 7 EuROs - BEL/LuX/POLAND: 8 EuROs - uK: £8 - A/D/GR//PORT.CONT: 8,40 EuROs - CAN: 11,95 $CAN - usA: 14,99 $us

Rédaction/Edition ACE Publishing SA Direction/Management Alain Carrier acarrier@ace-publishing.com Rédactrice en chef/Editor-in-Chief Sharmila Bertin sbertin@ace-publishing.com Designer graphique/Graphic designer Christelle Lillo clillo@ace-publishing.com Contributeurs/Contributors Tiffany Cartier-Millon - Fabrice Eschmann Jorge S. B. Guerreiro - Eléonor Picciotto Publicité/Advertising ACE Publishing SA Alain Carrier acarrier@ace-publishing.com Yannick Ortolan yortolan@ace-publishing.com T +41 22 752 60 12 Traduction/Translation Atenao www.atenao.com Impression/Printing SRO-Kundig SA CH-1290 Versoix/Genève Distribution Marchés principaux/Major markets Suisse, France, Allemagne, Royaume-Uni, États-Unis Autres pays/Other countries Abu Dhabi, Andorre, Australie, Autriche, Belgique, Brésil, Canada, Dubaï, Grèce, Hong Kong, Koweït, Maroc, Pologne, Portugal, Russie, Singapour, Taïwan, Thaïlande, Turquie, Ukraine

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Kiosques/Kiosks Suisse: Naville SA & Valora AG - France: MLP - Export: Export Press Abonnement/Subscription Dynapress Marketing SA Avenue Vibert 38 - CH-1227 Carouge/Genève T +41 22 308 08 08 - abonnements@dynapresse.ch Édité 4 fois par an/Published 4 times a year Mars-March/Juin-June/Septembre-September/Décembre-December En 4 langues/In 4 languages Français-French/Anglais-English/Allemand-German Chinois simplifié-Chinese ISSN: Français1661-3244/Anglais1661-3570/Allemand1661-3554 ACE Publishing SA Principal actionnaire/Major shareholder Alain Carrier Route de Thonon 152A CH-1222 Vésenaz/Genève T +41 22 752 60 12 - F +41 22 752 60 14 N° TVA CHE-112.276.791 TVA - REF 618 137 La reproduction des articles parus dans THE WATCHES MAGAZINE est interdite sous toutes ses formes, sauf autorisation écrite de l’éditeur.

Any form of reproduction of articles published in THE WATCHES MAGAZINE is prohibited without the prior written consent of the publisher.

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THE WATCHES MAGAZINE - AUTUMN 2015

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TWM-THE WATCHES MAGAZINE® Registered by ACE Publishing SA

Darwel

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

carole and Pierre Dubois. a love story that gives a unique beat to their lives and their watch creations.

Pictured here, two his and hers world-exclusive royal retro models with their six dancing retrograde seconds hands.

PiErrE DErOchE - LE rEvErs 1 - 1345 LE LiEu - switzErLanD - t. +41 21 841 11 69 - www.PiErrEDErOchE.cOm

WE LOVE FOR HIM  Sharmila Bertin

ZENITH

PILOT TYPE 20 SQUELETTE

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his timekeeping masterpiece is as beautiful as it is light, it’s packed with mechanical, creative and artisan talents and is an ode to the past, namely the first foray into aeronautics so-dear to Zenith.

This limited edition piece (5 available) is brought to life by the manual wind 5011K calibre which has been painstakingly openworked with a fretsaw and both sides can be admired through the two sapphire covers which hold it in place.

This pocket watch movement powers the

THE WATCHES MAGAZINE - AUTUMN 2015

central hours and minutes with two openwork hands in blue-tone gold, small seconds at 9 o’ clock and 48-hour power reserve indicator at 3 o’ clock. The case is a true sapphire setting with fabulous measurements (60mm diameter) topped by a hand-engraved blue-enamelled gold bezel and fitted with a large ratcheted crown, a signature feature on pilot watches.

The lugs linking the case to the strap have also been sculpted.

WE LOVE FOR HER  Sharmila Bertin

BLANCPAIN WOMEN

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eauty by day, creature by night: woman never stops dazzling. No matter the time, she owns it. Time ticks by on the opalescent mother-of-pearl dial divided into three parts with four levels to create depth. A fan-shape counter at 6 o’ clock unveils the retrograde seconds which slip back to zero after reaching 60 seconds. A large gold openwork leaf-shape hand tracks the minutes.

The star of this watch spectacle appears at the top of the dial: a day/night indicator which

THE WATCHES MAGAZINE - AUTUMN 2015

triggers a retrograde hour and whose disc rotates twice for around four minutes per day.

The mother-of-pearl sky tinged with different shades of blue glitters with diamond stars and a yellow sapphire sun set against white motherof-pearl clouds and rays of yellow mother-ofpearl light all bevelled in gold and silver.

THE EYE OF JEWELRY

Bvlgari

Chopard

WHEN HAUTE COUTURE MEETS FINE WATCHES

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n the heat of early July, Paris unveiled the haute couture catwalk shows and new collections of fine jewellery. Among the parade of often unique jewellery glittering with incredible gems, luxury watches kept a low profile with their small quartz movement and array of tiny jewels. The surge of images with the hashtag #coutureweek or #parishautecouture found room for bejeweled watches away from designer dresses but with the potential to match them.

THE WATCHES MAGAZINE - AUTUMN 2015

A dolce vita of calm and colour Bvlgari has launched Giardini Italiani, a cuff that tells the time inspired by Italian gardens.

Its usually strict symmetrical design is now wrapped in curves and its fully hinged bracelet glitters with 354 diamonds close to eight carats. 190 snow-set diamonds cover the dial and 98 pieces of hand-cut motherof-pearl lie around sapphires and rubellites carved into a cabochon or takhti – stone cut inspired by the roofs of Indian houses. Each piece seems independent so you can imagine the painstaking chiselling and openwork on the rose gold on the other side of the piece.

This cuff perfectly pairs white mother-of-pearl, pink rubellites, blue sapphires and yellow gold.

The eco-trendy in jewellery Chopard is setting off on a new adventure to explore eco-friendly luxury putting the "ethics" into "aesthetics". The Green Carpet collection is "Fairmined" certified, a standard which promotes economic development, environment and social conditions related to gold extracted from South American mining communities.

9 carats of marquise-cut diamonds certified by the RJC (Responsible Jewellery Council) hug the curves of the white gold dial paved in diamonds. A nod to the Palme d’Or which Chopard has been the official supplier to for 60 years. The most subtle detail is the satin strap whose diamond buckle beautifully brings to mind the famous palm.

© Eléonor Picciotto

 Eléonor Picciotto

Boucheron

A slice of Unesco heritage on the skin Boucheron and India have long had a wonderful relationship. It is no surprise that the brand’s latest collection is called Bleu de Jodhpur and designed in part under the auspices of the Maharaja of the Sun City, Gaj Singh II. He is behind the use of new materials such as Makrana marble which was also used to build the Taj Mahal. 105 unique pieces glow in blue and white and bring together sand, marble and gemstones. The Indian Palace range captures the splendour and majesty of the palaces and includes a wristwatch inspired by a peacock feather. Its rounded triangular dial is dotted with snow-set diamonds and crowned by baguette-cut diamonds surrounding a rainbow of round diamonds and paved on a fan of white marble.

A flower that’s so Gabrielle, so Chanel We know Miss Chanel’s personality well enough that you can’t imagine her covered in glittering jewellery exuding a certain power. Teeming with symbols like so often in her collections, Les Talismans de Chanel are designed to give empower and protect the wearer so they can lead from the front. The white gold Particulière watch is paved in brilliant-cut diamonds.

The only watch in the latest collection blows you away it seems so mysterious. The gemsetting makes you think that the diamonds are different sizes as the optical effect draws the eye to the centre of the piece. The round links covered in diamonds intertwine and wrap the wrist with the delicacy of a simple bracelet.

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Chanel

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BREGUET COVER STORY  Sharmila Bertin

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ABRAHAM-LOUIS BREGUET,

AN EXCEPTIONAL MAN

W

ith "Breguet: Art and Innovation in Watchmaking", the biggest retrospective ever devoted to the work of a watchmaker in the US at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, AbrahamLouis Breguet now epitomises contemporary watchmaking and his journey reflects its incredible heritage.

His work brought about major technical progress and, although it dates back to the 18th and 19 th centuries, his work still inspires countless watchmakers almost 200 years after his death. Some even describe him as a "founding father", role model and visionary.

But who was the real Breguet? We’re all talking about it but what really is his legacy?

Abraham-Louis Breguet was born in 1747 in Neuchâtel, a town in Western Switzerland on a large lake next to the Jura. As a child, he showed no particular interest in watchmaking until he was introduced to it by his mother’s second husband, a watchmaker by trade. At

THE WATCHES MAGAZINE - AUTUMN 2015

the age of 15 he began his apprenticeship in Val-de-Travers in the canton of Neuchâtel before continuing his training in Versailles in France. After studying under Ferdinand Berthoud (1727-1807), a specialist in marine watches and watchmaker to the King from 1773, and Jean-Antoine Lépine (1720-1814), also watchmaker to the King and the inventor of the calibre named after him, Breguet opened his own workshop at the age of 28.

The Breguet brand was born in 1775 at 39, Quai de l'Horloge in île de la Cité in Paris’ first arrondissement.

With hindsight, our modern outlook sees the work of Abraham-Louis Breguet as a list of feats. The genius master watchmaker never stopped innovating in terms of both mechanics and aesthetics but time cannot tell of the hard work and sacrifices that went into these discoveries or of the passion that fuelled him.

The first major feat came in 1780 when he perfected so-called "perpetual" watches.

These mechanical pieces wind themselves without any direct human intervention (winding key). Instead, the wearer indirectly winds the watch. The timepieces are fitted with an oscillating weight "à secousses" – a sort of half-disc that’s stopped and returned to the original position with a spring – which is naturally powered by the wearer’s movement.

With each “secousse” (shake or jerk), the spring winds the cylinder/s to feed energy back into the watch. This first feat marked the beginning of both Breguet’s career and fame.

He made a name for himself in the court of Louis XVI (1754-1793) and Marie-Antoinette (1755-1793), one of his most passionate admirers, and in Europe thanks to the loyalty of French statesman Talleyrand (1754-1838) who helped promote his business.

In 1783, three years after the first perpetual watch, Abraham-Louis Breguet invented the gong-spring, a system designed for repeating watches to enable them to "chime" on a strip

025

>>>

THE WATCHES MAGAZINE - AUTUMN 2015

BREGUET COVER STORY  Sharmila Bertin

of spring and not via the traditional gong, a sort of bell hit by a hammer. This rectilinear strip, usually in steel, wraps around the movement to make space in the heart of the case to produce a slimmer watch and more understated harmonious sound.

During the same period, Breguet unveiled watches with hand-guilloché dials in gold and silver in 1786. This painstaking artistic work adds height to the watch dial to give it character and a signature. Different types of guilloché engraving on a dial help demarcate the different types of display e.g. separate the moon phase from the hour rim. Another

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signature feature is the hands. They were redesigned in 1783 to the design criteria of the watchmaker who created them. The "pomme" at the top of the gold or steel hand is off-centre, nearer the tip and openworked.

To this very day, guilloché dials and so-called "Breguet" hands feature on the brand’s contemporary watches.

These mechanical and aesthetic feats were followed by new inventions such as the famous "pare-chute" in 1790, an anti-shock system to protect the balance wheel’s pivots from blows. Breguet gave these pivots a cone shape; they are held in place and protected by

a small dish on top of a spring strip. The new system was first applied to perpetual watches around 1792 before bring rolled out to the rest of the collection.

However, the French Revolution, which began in May 1789 following the Estates-General meeting, turned the country upside down.

The Storming of the Bastille on July 14th sparked a series of revolts and riots followed by a period of often violent political transition which lasted until November 1799 when Napoleon Bonaparte staged his coup d'état.

After becoming a master watchmaker in 1784, Breguet was forced to leave chaotic France and move to Switzerland in the early 1790s.

He took refuge there for two years, first in Geneva followed by Neuchâtel then Le Locle before returning to Paris in 1795.

Shortly after returning to France, AbrahamLouis Breguet designed a small concentric elastic spring with a unique curve which makes the watch more accurate whilst preventing wear and tear to the axis on the balance wheel it is fitted to. The spring was named the "spiral Breguet" and the invention was and is copied by top watch brands.

Another milestone discovery was the tourbillon.

In 1801, the master watchmaker patented a new type of regulator to defy gravity which affects the movement’s regularity and function. Being complex to make, the tourbillon wasn’t available on the market until four years later. Countless fans of Breguet through the ages believe this poetic and mechanical genius invention to be the best of his creations.

Nine years after presenting this new regulator to the French Home Office, Breguet continued to make watchmaking history. On the request of one of his top clients, Caroline Murat (17821839), Queen of Naples and sister of Napoleon I, he designed the first repeater wristwatch with complications, an oval case and a wristlet of hair and fine gold thread. The watch was delivered to its owner in 1812 and although it disappeared from the archives in 1855, the spirit of the piece lives on in its many subtle interpretations in the current Breguet collections.

Two years after delivering this exceptional piece, Abraham-Louis Breguet became a member of the ultra-exclusive Bureau des Longitudes,

Watercolour painting of the patent for the Tourbillon regulator dated 1801

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succeeding watchmaker Louis Berthoud (17541813). The academy was founded in 1795 to improve nautical navigation, timekeeping and other astronomical issues. Breguet was decorated three times between 1815 and 1819.

He became watchmaker to the Royal Navy, joined the French Academy of Sciences and became a knight in the Legion of Honour.

Three years before his death, the master watchmaker made a chronometer with double observation seconds, the forerunner (dare we say!) of the split second chronograph to measure intervals or the duration between two events at the same time.

Abraham-Louis Breguet died on September

17th 1823 and is buried at the Père Lachaise cemetery in the 20th arrondissement. His son Antoine-Louis took over his father’s company.

More recently, the Swatch Group bought the brand in 1999 and moved the headquarters to L'Abbaye in the Vallée de Joux.

>>>

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BREGUET COVER STORY  Sharmila Bertin

A LEGENDARY RETROSPECTIVE

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alifornia’s world renowned Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco or FAMSF is one of the largest art institutes in America. The FAMSF is made up of two museums: the De Young Museum opened in 1895 at Golden Gate Park, and the Legion of Honor, opened in 1924 in Lincoln Park. The latter is hosting the "Breguet: Art and Innovation in Watchmaking" retrospective from September 19th 2015 to January 10th 2016.

Over 120,000 artworks are exhibited at the Legion of Honor, a replica of the French pavilion at the international exhibition held in San Francisco in 1915 and formerly called the California Palace of the Legion of Honor.

Sculptures, objects and paintings mainly from Europe, some of which are 4000 years old (Ancient Greece and Roman Empire), occupy this vast space. Countless masters stand side by side in the museum’s large galleries such as Claude Monet, Auguste Renoir, Edgar Degas, Paul Gauguin and Pablo Picasso to name but a few; The Thinker, the bronze masterpiece by French sculptor Auguste Rodin, takes pride of place in the Court of Honor (a large courtyard surrounded by all the galleries).

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It is in this very spot that the FAMSF and Montres Breguet SA decided to join forces to host the largest exhibition of antique watches and clocks ever to appear in the US. In tribute to the innovative spirit of Abraham-Louis Breguet, his pioneering legacy and the work of his descendents and successors, 70 pocket watches, carriage clocks and timekeeping devices are unveiled to the general public. Most of these pieces have been loaned by Montres Breguet SA. Others are from Swiss, French and North American museums and institutions.

Visitors have fifteen stops on their journey through the master watchmaker’s work with each theme in a different gallery. This trip back in time is designed simply so the general public, children, adults, connoisseurs and novices really get the most out of it.

The technical leg of the journey begins with simple watches before leading into more complicated timepieces whilst the design part of the journey moves from classic watches to carriage clocks adorned with elegant decorations. The exhibition also sets the scene historically to better involve visitors and highlight certain figures from the past who

were passionate supporters and loyal clients to Abraham-Louis Breguet.

A trip that’s timeless yet deeply rooted in time awaits the public, a sweet discovery of the secrets behind each piece on display.

First stop: subscription watches The subscription watch is a large piece with an understated design, affordable price and whose dial (usually white enamel) only has one hand. It is powered by a simple movement fitted with a large central barrel. The term "subscription" comes from a payment method which was popular in the 19th century in the clothing and interior design trades as well as the watch sector. The client had to make a down payment of a quarter of the price when the order was placed then pay the balance upon delivery.

The Breguet N°2008, sold to Prince Grassalkowics on November 12th 1806, is a small medallion-type piece belonging to the subscription watches; the 38mm gold case has a sunbeam guilloché back whilst the gold dial features the same style of engine-turned design showcasing the Roman hour numerals, grained minute track and single hand.

Breguet N°2008

Second stop: tact watches This type of watch enables wearers to tell the time by touch alone and was made in the late 1790s.

At the time, etiquette stopped you from looking at your watch in society. A pointer on the outside of the case mirrors the position of the hour hand, just like the small Breguet N°611 medallion watch sold on February 18th 1800 to Mrs. Bonaparte (Joséphine de Beauharnais, Napoleon’s first wife).

The watch has a 39mm case in guilloché blue enamelled gold surrounded by a ring of round diamonds, the largest at 12, 3, 6 and 9 o’ clock to act as time markers. A diamond arrow tracks the hour on the enamel surface so the owner can “tell the time” without looking at the watch.

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Breguet N°611

Third stop: simple watches The so-called "simple" watch category covers any watch without a striking mechanism, even those with complications. The N°2784 model on the front cover of this issue is the perfect example. This small simple watch in guilloché gold has a silver dial teeming with features and was bought by Napoleon’s second wife, Empress Marie-Louise (1791-1847) on September 27" 1813. Different engine-turned patterns beautifully mark the boundary between each sub-dial. The Roman hour numerals and grained minute track lie off-centre at the bottom of the dial whilst the moon phase takes pride of

place at 12 o’ clock. The fast/slow regulator stands between 1 and 2 o’ clock.

Breguet N°2784 >>>

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BREGUET COVER STORY  Sharmila Bertin

Fourth stop: repeating watches

Breguet N°3066

These rare and prestigious watches mark the passage of time and fractions of hours with on-demand chimes. To activate the striking mechanism, press the retractable pusher which acts like a sliding piston.

Most repeating watches made by Abraham-Louis Breguet – among his favourite complications – repeat the quarters and sometimes even the halfquarters such as the Breguet N°3066. Sold to the Duke of Frías, Bernardino Fernández de Velasco y Benavides (1783-1851) on June 18th 1818, the 48mm guilloché gold watch features a large moon

phase in the heart of the silver dial. Two blue openwork "pomme" hands glide over the Roman hour numerals on a wide silver ring.

Fifth step: perpetual watches

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Breguet N°5

There’s a sense of eternity in perpetual watches, the "ancestors" of self-winding timepieces, as well as synergy between man and object. No key or manual intervention is required to wind it and it is brought to life by the wearer’s movement. Its calibre is fitted with an oscillating weight which reacts to the slightest movement to record and store the energy transmitted.

The Breguet N°5 perpetual quarter-repeating watch became the property of Count François Jourgniac Saint-Méard (1745-1827) on March 14th 1794. The silver guilloché dial features a

cone-shape power reserve indicator at 10.30 which overlaps the hour rim. Energy stored by the movement lasts up to 60 hours as shown by the 0-60 scale. The small seconds counter lies at 6 and the moon phase is placed, unusually, between 1 and 3 o’ clock.

Sixth stop: travel clocks

Breguet N°178

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Abraham-Louis Breguet built his first quarter repeating travel clock fitted with a balance spring in 1796: Breguet N°178. The small (11cm high, 7.8cm wide and 5.8cm deep) bronze case features Doric columns and acanthus leaves inspired by Ancient Greece or the Roman Empire; the current day, date and month appear at the bottom of the case beneath the silver dial. The dial has a large moon phase, twelve Roman hour numerals and "Breguet" hour and minute hands.

On April 24" 1798, General Bonaparte (1769-

1821) bought this travel clock and took it with him on a military expedition to Egypt.

Seventh stop: marine chronometers Vital to the navy and tradesmen alike at the time, the marine chronometer is a precision tool to help determine longitudes at sea.

The French Naval Ministry bought the Breguet N°5107 chronometer on January 9th 1841.

The hinges, handles and case are in brass and protected from shocks and damp by the mahogany case. The case is fitted on a rotating base (Cardan suspension) and houses a large movement with twin barrels. The silver dial itself is divided into several sections: hours and minutes in the top counter and small seconds in the bottom

counter. A large hand at 1.30 indicates the power reserve.

Breguet N°5107

Eighth stop: timekeepers The master watchmaker used this term to describe his high precision watches and the poetic name still exists today. These pieces are fitted with a detent escapement just like the Breguet N°1328, a concept watch owned

by Antoine-Louis Breguet (1776-1858), Abraham-Louis Breguet’s son. Made between 1804 and 1817, its large case (64mm diameter) is made of silver. The immaculate white enamel dial is punctuated by Arabic numerals with slim and elegant calligraphy and an understated minute track. Time passes beneath two blue hour and minute hands in the

centre and the seconds tick by in a counter off-centre at 12 o’ clock.

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Breguet N°1328

Ninth stop: chronographs The chronograph is a precision watch which measures elapsed time. Breguet designed a chronometer with double observation seconds in 1820 (the modern equivalent of the split-second chronograph) whereby intermediate periods or the duration of two simultaneous events can be calculated. This double measurement tracked by two different coloured central seconds hands is showcased on the silver guilloché dial of the gold Breguet N°4009 chronograph bought on January 6th 1825 by Mr. Whaley.

In 1822, with the help of his watchmaker student Frédéric-Louis Fatton, AbrahamLouis Breguet designed the first inking Fatton chronographs whose seconds hands are linked to a small ink tank which drops a tiny ink dot on the dial.

Breguet N°4009 >>>

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BREGUET COVER STORY  Sharmila Bertin

Tenth stop: keyless wind watches

Breguet N°180

These are models fitted with a small protruding knob, a sort of little notched wheel, which we now call a "winding crown". It fulfils two roles: reset the hands and wind the movement. This innovative system is the work of Antoine-Louis Breguet who produced the first keyless wind watches a few years before his father died.

One of these pieces, sold on October 18th 1836 to Prince Alexander Demidov, is a small gold ring watch with an integrated alarm. It has two crowns on the case: one at 3 to wind and reset it and one at 9 to set the alarm. The dial is engraved with a

laurel wreath as blue-tone hour, minute and alarm hands glide over twelve Roman numerals whilst the seconds counter is embedded at 12.

Eleventh stop: watches with grandes complications

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Breguet N°2667

This category covers watches and travel clocks which, aside from the time functions they all share (hours, minutes and seconds), have more impressive and "detailed" features such as the moon phase, simple or perpetual calendar, equation of time or chronograph to name but a few.

First sold in August 1814 then April 1856 to Prince Emmanuel of Carignan (1816-1888), the Breguet N°2667 is the essence of watches with grandes complications. The so-called "resonance"watch has two movements each

with their own barrel inside the slim 64mm gold guilloché case. They bring to life a central seconds hand and two hour rims on the dial.

The one on the left has Arabic numerals, gold Breguet hands and a small seconds counter.

The one on the right has Roman numerals and blue hands.

Twelfth stop: Turkish watches

Breguet N°2090

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Designed especially for the Turkish market in the early 19th century, these pieces are richly decorated and more luxuriant than their European counterparts. The cases are sculpted, enamelled and adorned with floral and plant designs. The enamelled dials are softly stylised with Turkish numerals.

The Breguet N°2090, bought on September 16th 1808 by the Paris-based Turkish ambassador Esseid Ali Effendi, is a fantastic example of this artistic category. This quarterrepeating watch has a grand and small strike

in a 64mm case and double case completely engraved with patterns and enamelled in blue and red.

Thirteenth stop: exceptional clocks Abraham-Louis Breguet didn’t confine himself to watches alone; he also made carriage clocks as we saw at the sixth stop with Napoleon Bonaparte’s travel clock. What makes them exceptional is the great technical expertise and exceptional decorative work such as the Breguet N°449, begun in 1805 and sold on March 10th 1827 to Mr. Follope.

The pyramid-shape clock blends Breguet’s watchmaking with the artistic expertise of two famous bronze sculptors at the time, PierrePhilippe Thomire (1751-1843) and Nicolas Delafontaine. The brown-black patina bronze case

on a marble base features gilt bronze sculptures. An enamelled white dial glows from the heart of the dazzling design. The white disc highlights the understated Roman hour numerals and blue-tone hands. A twin barrel movement brings to life the time functions and 8-day power reserve with a constant-force escapement. Paired with a pendulum, the clock chimes the hours and quarters.

Breguet N°449

Fourteenth stop: tourbillons To neutralise the negative effects of gravity on the accuracy of a watch movement, AbrahamLouis Breguet decided to place the entire escapement in a rotating cage in 1801. The cage usually completes a full rotation in one minute. Breguet’s invention was marketed in 1805 and unveiled in Paris in 1806 at the French Industry Exhibition.

Sold on February 12th 1809 to Count Stanislas Potocki (1782-1831), the Breguet N°1176 is a tourbillon watch fitted with a movement whose escapement is placed in a two-armed cage performing one rotation every four minutes.

The 64mm engraved gold case features a gold dial with a large central hour rim, a running seconds counter (at 10), seconds-on-demand counter (at 2) and power reserve indicator (at 6).

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Breguet N°1176

Fifteenth stop: Art Deco pieces The category includes pieces created in the 20th century and therefore post-AbrahamLouis Breguet. They epitomise a continuation of the master watchmaker’s creative spirit over the decades. With their unexpected shape (square or barrel-shape case), display (rotating dial, jumping hours) or beauty (gemstones, geometric enamels), they add a dash of modern style to the brand’s otherwise traditional legacy.

The Breguet N°4418 minute-repeating carriage clock, made in 1921 and bought on October 23rd 1942 by Mr. Jahard, perfectly exemplifies the Art Deco period which flourished in the 1910s.

The 8.3cm high rectangular bronze case is striped with wide black and white enamelled strips and bevelled gold. Its guilloché dial stands out from those produced by Abraham-Louis Breguet: the slim Roman and Arabic numerals have been replaced by chunky "cubist" figures and the elegant openwork "pomme" hands by typical Art Deco painted hands.

Breguet N°4418

The "Breguet: Art and Innovation in Watchmaking" retrospective enables visitors to soak up the history of the 18th-20th century, experience the work of the genius that is Abraham-Louis Breguet and see its inner and outer beauty during a 15-stop journey in the magical venue that is the Legion of Honor, before, spellbound, they step back into the 21st century.

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INTERVIEW  Fabrice Eschmann

MAXIMILIAN BÜSSER: "IT’S TIME TO THANK OUR FRIENDS!"

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I have two talents! One: I’ve always been solitary and anti-social; Two: I’ve managed to surround myself with people.” Maximilian Büsser has a way with words. Born in Italy to an Indian mother and Swiss father, the founder of MB&F (Max Büsser & Friends) fell into watchmaking by chance. At the age of 24, the microtechnology engineer was destined for a multinational food brand when he was bewitched by the charming Henry-John Belmont, then director of Jaeger-LeCoultre. He spent seven years there before being made head of Harry Winston Timepieces. He is the brains behind the incredible Opus collection in which each piece is made by a different watch designer.

But he couldn’t shake the ambition to make his own watches. He made the move in 2005.

How did this adventure begin?

In the early Noughties, I realised although I’d spent my career designing, it was in the

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marketing sector. But what I like more than anything is designing things! It wasn’t the right place for me. I had to leave if I wanted to be proud of myself. I had to set up my own business!

Do you remember the start?

I didn’t have any shareholders because my plan was implausible, economically speaking!

I only had half of the money I needed to start my business. That’s when I got an idea: get funding from my retailers!

Meaning?

I started by visiting all my suppliers to explain the concept of MB&F. Nobody asked me for payment in advance. It’s an incredible team! I produced a model of my first piece, the HM1, which I took to show to retailers. I explained that it was a mechanical sculpture, a creative rebellion; that it didn’t have a brand identity because it wouldn’t be a brand; that if they

wanted one, they’d have to pay up front.

So what happened?

By the end of 2005, I had 25 presales and 1.4 million Swiss Francs to launch. I’d managed it! The following year at Baselworld I had a working gold prototype. It was great!

A dream start?

Not really. In May 2006, the company which made my calibre was taken over by an investor who had no intention of carrying on making movements for third parties. On top of that there were treasury problems. But I absolutely had to delivery my first two pieces in June the following year. Otherwise, I was dead in the water…

How did you do it?

Peter Speake-Marin (editor’s note: founder of Speake-Marin) and Laurent Besse (editor’s note: now Movement R&D Director at Festina

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036 Group Switzerland) zealously worked with me for four months at watchmaking fever pitch.

I owe them everything! And I delivered my watches in June 2007!

Since then you haven’t stopped expanding with a turnover of 14.6 million Francs in 2014 for 279 pieces sold…

I’m not alone. In 2008 I joined forces with Serge Kriknoff, former director of G&F Châtelain. He owns 20% of MB&F and is an amazing Technical Director!

What is your favourite memory of the last decade?

There have been highs and lows. The launch of the HM4 Thunderbolt in 2010 was certainly a milestone. I was terrified that nobody would want to buy it. It cost 158,000 Francs and didn’t look anything like a watch! Personally, I love it, it’s the most iconic. So the Basel fair came in 2010 and I only got 20 orders. But then a miracle happened in summer: clients went mad for it and retailers were calling me in a panic to order emergency deliveries.

In design terms, it proves that I was right to unleash my imagination! I could take it further…

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How did you take it further?

I did it with the Legacy Machine 1 in 2011, the first classic watch with Kari Voutilainen and Jean-François Mojon; then the M.A.D. Gallery in Geneva the same year, a kinetic art gallery which has since opened in Taiwan and soon in Dubai; then our collaborations with Reuge (editor’s note: music box maker) and L’Epée (editor’s note: table clock maker); last but not least, the HM6 in 2014 whose shape is based on biodesign, a trend that I’ve always wanted to explore.

Will you expand in the next decade?

No. We’ve reached our maximum size. In 2014 we made the same turnover as in 2013 but it almost fell. We lost all sense of reality: with four calibres in production, around 400,000 components were being made in early 2014. Financially, it was unsustainable…it was too much.

How is 2015 going?

Usually for an anniversary you’re tempted to design the most complex and most expensive watch. We’ve decided to do the opposite: the HMX is the cheapest piece the brand makes. We thought it was time to thank our clients. We’ve sold 80 in just five days. We’re also planning something big for early November. But that’s a surprise...

MB&F  Fabrice Eschmann

X YEARS OF

HOROLOGICAL MACHINE

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Creative Adult is a Child who Survived: is engraved on the gold rotor in the HMX, the MB&F anniversary piece celebrating its decade in existence in 2015.

It’s more than a slogan; it encapsulates Maximilian Büsser’s success stories. “Children are hyper-creative because they’re not afraid to make mistakes,” he says. “Throughout their education, they’re told ‘don’t do this, don’t do that’. We strive to kill this gift because we don’t want them to make mistakes!”

Maximilian Büsser is still a child. His passion for car design from the age of 4 has never left him. Although his fate lay in watchmaking, he’s always managed to find a way to bring in the sector which gave him a taste for extraordinary shapes. The HM4 Thunderbolt (whose dials look like speed dials) and the HMX are two prime examples. The latter in particular is packed with references to racing cars.

The apparently simple Horological Machine X has surprises galore and lots of unique features. Let’s start with the case: made of

HMX steel and grade 5 titanium, its curves are inspired by the designs of the famous Italian Carrozzeria Touring car manufacturer which, between 1926 and 1966, produced the first ever supercars such as the Alfa Romeo Disco Volante. The sapphire crystal on top of the watch is reminiscent of the car bonnet which you gaze through to see two valve covers each with a working chrome-plated oil filler cap to lubricate the discs above the movement.

The discs (jumping and two-way for the hours, trailing for the minutes) feature mirror image numerals. You don’t read the time horizontally

on the bonnet; you read it vertically on the side where a second sapphire crystal has been placed. For this piece, the MB&F designers created two triangular prisms in sapphire glass.

The images of the numerals are reflected and deflected like a periscope. Last but not least, a convex lens at the front enlarges it enough for the wearer to read it.

20 of this limited edition HMX are available in each of the four colours: Lotus black, British racing green, Bugatti blue and Ferrari red.

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INTERVIEW  Tiffany Cartier-Millon

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FIONA KRÜGER: GOLDILOCKS IN THE LAND OF WATCHMAKING

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nce upon a time, Scottish Goldilocks Fiona Krüger pushed open the ECAL door to the watchmaking bears’ house. Her sculptural timepieces inspired

by Mary Queen of Scots’ legendary watch and Mexico’s Day of the Dead showcase the concept of Memento-Mori. It has become her signature.

In the land of the bears, Fiona Krüger’s modesty and femininity are as spellbinding as her skull watches. She is now continuing to delve deeper into multidimensional watches where art meets engineering.

How did a Scottish designer fall into the watchmaking cauldron?

When I arrived in Switzerland in 2010 for a year-long Masters in design (Luxury & Craftsmanship), if you’d told me I’d end up starting my own watch brand I’d have thought you’d had one too many.

Part of the grade of our end-of-year exam was

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for a project for a sponsor. One of them was Audemars Piguet and the brand wanted us to design a watch. When I visited the factory, I fell in love and this watch became my end-ofcourse project then my career...

How did your end-of-course project become a brand? How have you been received by the industry?

When I designed my Memento-Mori piece, everyone I saw to have it made tried to get me to change the design. The skull should be in a round case! Fortunately I heard about Peter Speake-Marin and met him in Basel in 2011. Despite being unsure of my design (he only confessed to that after), he opened up my field of possibilities. He advised me, sent me to his top contacts and even handled the final assembly. The piece came to be because of him. During the exam, Max Büsser (MB&F) was on the panel. He supported me then and still is.

2 years ago when production began, Laurent Picciotto (Chronopassion) placed the first order. Naturally, if the cool kid of watch retailers is betting on an independent brand, the others sit up and take notice. He always gives constructive criticism. My last helping hand was a tweet from a journalist in Basel (editor’s note: Miguel Seabra). Although I do almost everything myself, support from professionals is priceless.

You started out with no safety net, no investors and no network? Are you a loner?

Indeed. At the start I carried on my design work. I attended the Milan Furniture Fair with my accessories and homewares in 2013…I also design my marketing materials as I don’t have the resources to outsource the work. I spent a week locked away at home learning code to design my website. I don’t have the choice.

I’ve devoted myself entirely to watches since

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Celebration Skull >>>

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040 the start of 2015. It demands time and energy. I’ve built a network by being my own ambassador: I go and meet retailers, I see how they work, I meet their staff. I do the same with journalists. Communication is key.

Do women and watches go hand in hand?

The irony of being a woman in this sector is that you stand out from the crowd! I don’t really think about femininity when it comes to my pieces. I make them just as I’d make a work of art. I find out who likes them once they’re finished. However, I think that how brands see ladies’ watches means they’re missing out on a real opportunity.

Recently a major brand (famous for making engineering the core of its expertise and legacy) justified using quartz movements in its ladies’ watches because women don’t care about engineering. I’ll be polite: this simply isn’t true. There’s some confusion as these brands are designing pieces for girls. Not for women.

A successful woman with money to spend isn’t necessarily going to wear a pink diamante t-shirt so why would she wear a pink watch with diamonds? I think there’s a lack of understanding.

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What does the future hold?

I’m now broadening my range. For now the central theme is the instantly recognisable case. Next I’m going to work on new collections and other aspects of mechanical watches. The ambition isn’t for complications alone but rather a blend of art and engineering. I want to explore this often hidden movement and showcase it artistically. I’ve also started to design for more established brands. I’m keeping schtum but the first concept should be out next year and other projects are in the pipeline.

TED SCAPA

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PATEK PHILIPPE  Fabrice Eschmann

SHORT TERM, PRESENT TERM AND LONG TERM

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arely six months after unveiling a collection celebrating its 175th anniversary, Patek Philippe came out all guns blazing at Baselworld 2015.

The Geneva-based brand presented another half a dozen new products including the Chronographe à Quantième Annuel ref. 5905P. This piece brings together two of the fans’ favourite complications.

The annual calendar is a wonder of the third millennium and has conquered the watch world at lightning speed. Halfway between a simple calendar and perpetual calendar, it’s handier than the former and simpler and cheaper than the latter.

On the one hand, the simple calendar systematically displays 31 days a month and doesn’t take leap years into consideration. This type of calendar requires five manual alterations per year: end of February, end of April, end of June, end of September and end of November.

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On the other hand, the perpetual calendar not only automatically takes 30 and 31-day months into consideration but it also handles tricky February. In theory, it is programmed for eternity even though, in practice, a manual alteration is required in 2100 which is an exception to the leap year rule.

The annual calendar provides an interim solution: it is mechanically programmed for one year and recognises 30 and 31-day months but not February. It only needs to be altered once a year at the end of February. In 1996, Patek Philippe was one of the first brands to design this sort of complication. To simplify the display system, the watchmakers replaced the highly complex swing system with easier-to-handle cogs and gears. This annual calendar displays the day, date and month and powers a day/ night indicator.

This piece features another function: the chronograph. The brand has been an expert

in this complication since 1923 when Patek Philippe launched its first chronograph wristwatch and has fitted the 5905P model with a specific clutch lever. Instead of being horizontal with cogwheels, the designers went for vertical with discs. This solution eliminates the risk of the hand jumping backwards or forwards when it is started or stopped. The hard-wearing feature also enables wearers to use the second hand as a central seconds.

This calibre is made entirely in-house in a 42mm platinum case whose "Top Wesselton Pur" diamond at 6 o’ clock makes it instantly recognisable.

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BLANCPAIN  Fabrice Eschmann

IT TAKES TWO FOR A NEW MOVEMENT

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lancpain is firing on all fronts in 2015: first, the oceans with which the brand has had a bond since 1953 when it designed the famous Fifty Fathoms diving watch. This year the Swatch Group brand is once again supporting the World Ocean Summit hosted by The Economist on the theme of "Blue economy, blue growth". Next, it’s taking on fine arts with shakudo, a Japanese alloy mainly composed of copper and gold whose patina gleams brown, blue and black. This craft rarely appears in watchmaking and has been brought back into fashion by Blancpain with a series of four unique pieces (Ganesh, Bonsai, Griffon and Coelacanthe) blending shakudo, engraving and damascening. Last but not least, it’s tackling luxury watchmaking with a new model in the L-evolution collection bringing together a flying tourbillon and flying carrousel.

The tourbillon was invented by AbrahamLouis Breguet in 1801 and is a mechanical

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system enclosing the entire escapement and regulator in a mobile cage. Not only does the cage rotate on itself in one minute, inside it also has the escapement wheel, escapement, balance wheel and spring spinning around the seconds wheel. The carrousel was designed

by Danish watchmaker Bahne Bonniksen in 1892 and is a similar system but this time has two wheel trains, one to pivot the cage and the other to supply energy to the balance wheel and escapement. These two watchmaking masterpieces counter the effect of gravity on the watch’s function.

A construction of this sort demands a differential to determine the average rate of the two complications. The tourbillon and carrousel never actually spin at the same speed but there is only one minute wheel in a calibre to power the hands. To remedy the differences in the two organs’ rotation, they had to design a bevel gear system capable of sending excess energy from the fastest to the slowest.

Blancpain fitted two differentials in the new 2322V2 calibre in the L-evolution Tourbillon Carrousel: the second is between the two cylinders supplying energy to each complication and displays the average power reserve on the back of the watch.

There are 50 of this limited edition 47.4mm platinum watch available.

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L-evolution Tourbillon Carrousel

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RICHARD MILLE  Fabrice Eschmann

"69 EROTIC YEAR"*

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rotic watches have an exciting history.

The Age of the Enlightenment and Reason reigned over the second half of 18th century Europe. It was all about daring and misdemeanour. The straight jacket enforced by a Church deemed obscurantist and suffocating regimes drove many intellectuals away. The Jura and banks of Lake Geneva became a hotspot for philosophers, writers, traders, dogmatists…and libertines. Fuelled by the works of Donatien Alphonse François de Sade (better known as the Marquis de Sade) and Pierre Ambroise François Choderlos de Laclos (author of "Dangerous Liaisons"), increasing numbers of sophisticated free thinkers broke the last taboos of sexuality. And lo, erotic watches were born to the world of timepieces.

Naughty or bold scenes played out in double cases, under covers or simply on the back of the watches depicting couples frolicking about.

Characters appeared in miniature enamel or, the height of imprudence, are brought to life like bell-strikers except it’s not just the arm that moves.

These pieces were of course condemned by current ethics and banned by the clergy (Catholic, Protestant and Anglican alike) but were used as ice breakers in aristocratic

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circles, hence the term “conversation pieces”.

In the intimacy of a bedroom or in the shade of a forest, technical or philosophical discussions about these timepieces tended to arouse the senses.

Surprisingly, erotic watches haven’t completely disappeared. The latest brand to try them is Richard Mille. They’re very understated. Instead of raised dresses and lowered trousers we have words. Very suggestive words. The new erotic Tourbillon RM 69 features a complication called Oracle. When you press the pusher at 10 o’ clock, the mechanism sets three titanium rollers in motion inspired by Tibetan bowls. At random, an incredibly explicit sentence appears to put the wearer’s desire into words.

This piece, whose ultra compact movement is designed by Audemars Piguet Renaud & Papi, also enables you to get a better view of the rollers: press the pusher at 8 o’ clock and the hands vanish to showcase the display at 12.

The hands reappear when you let go of the pusher. The 50x42.70x16.15mm case is made of grade 5 titanium. The limited edition piece (30 available) is only available in Richard Mille stores worldwide.

* Title of a song written and composed in 1968 by Serge Gainsbourg (1928-1991) and performed as a duet with Jane Birkin

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URWERK  Fabrice Eschmann

THE WATCH THAT STANDS THE TEST OF TIME

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rwerk is the union between two complementary personalities, two additional visions: Felix Baumgartner and Martin Frei. The former comes from a family of watchmakers, joined Solothurn Watchmaking School at the age of 16 and graduated in 1995. The latter is more of a dreamer as an artistic designer whose engineer father introduced him to astronomy at an early age.

What is the pair’s favourite subject? Defining and quantifying time through the ages. Whilst discussing the topic, the friends began designing prototypes with strong lines and unusual displays in 1995. At a time when luxury watchmaking was restored to its former glory without questioning itself too much, both young trailblazers set themselves the task of proving that a watch can be innovative and avant-garde.

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But it was a tough start. The first piece the pair unveiled at Baselworld in 1997 was a commercial failure. Inspired by 1960s sci-fi, the UR-101 already had a satellite system but looked far too much like classic models. It wasn’t until 2003 and the UR-103 that the brand really took off. Satellites, pivoting cubes, rotating cylinders and retractable hands have now become the two designers’ signature features.

The UR-105 TA (for "Turbine Automatic") is the new generation of the UR-103: it’s got the same flying saucer system and semicircular minute scale. Materials and colours are, however, very much current. An intricately engraved cover in PEEK (Polyetheretherketone) slips over the non-timekeeping satellites. The carrousel hidden beneath the satellites is in ARCAP treated in ruthenium, micro bead blasted then satin finished.

In terms of mechanism, the movement has

been entirely redesigned: "Our design and result come to life at the fingertips when time is set on the UR-105 TA," explains Felix Baumgartner. "There’s no friction, no bumps, just the ballet of satellites. Our work hides behind the smooth flow of its gears." On the back, the UR-105 TA borrows the UR-202’s famous Automatic Turbines, a winding system with an adjustable barrel using a lever.

But what really sets this summer piece apart is the colour on the strap, chapter ring and satellites: zesty orange for Black Orange and acid yellow for Black Lemon. Collectors will be given an injection of youth.

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UR-105 TA

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CHOPARD  Sharmila Bertin

IN THE DRIVING SEAT AT THE MILLE MIGLIA

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hen it’s said with a magical sing-song Italian accent, the name Mille Miglia brings to mind almost 90 years of racing from the Lombardy city of Brescia. The first racing cars to hit the road in March 1927 opened the doors to a spectacular race which has now become a legendary tradition.

77 Italian racers battled it out in the first Mille Miglia whilst 436 entrants from 40 different countries took to the tarmac in the 33 rd race held from May 14th to 17th 2015. As official partner and timekeeper since 1988, Chopard quite literally got behind the wheel this year. Co-president Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, alongside his wife Christine, drove a 1956 vintage Porsche 550A Spyder RS loaned by the Porsche Museum.

The night before the race began, Chopard invited over a hundred guests to a welcome dinner at Palazzo della Loggia, a beautiful Renaissance palace built between 1492 and

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052 1574 in Brescia. Countless celebrities were in attendance including Albert Carreras, son of Catalan tenor José Carreras, and British models David Gandy and Jodie Kidd, before hitting the road the next day.

The Mille Miglia totals approximately 1,600km.

It runs through several Italian cities: Verona, Rimini, San Marino, Rome, Sienna, Pisa and Parma before returning to Brescia. This year’s winners were two Argentinean drivers, Juan Tonconogy and Guillermo Berisso, in the vintage Bugatti T40.

Chopard has been intrinsically bound to the race since 1988. The bond is so strong that the Meyrin-based brand launched a collection of exciting, elegant and sporty watches named after the race this year. Each watch exudes the spirit of the Mille Miglia, punctuated by features reminiscent of speed and motor racing. The 2015 version is no different with its high impact design. The dial is alive with scarlet surrounded by a black and painstakingly graduated bezel. Time is displayed as applied luminescent indices and two large Arabic numerals beneath spear-shape hour and minute hands. A large white-tipped central seconds hand tracks the seconds. Stretching from 8 to 10 o’ clock,

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the power reserve indicator is inspired by a car’s oil gauge. The original Mille Miglia logo is partially openworked to showcase the white date display at 3 o’ clock.

The 43mm steel or rose gold case has a bezel rimmed by a graduated black ring. It houses the COSC-certified self-winding Chopard 01.08C calibre which provides a 60-hour power reserve and brings to life the time and date functions.

There are 1000 of the steel version and 100 of the rose gold version of the limited edition Mille Miglia 2015 Race Edition available.

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CHANEL  Sharmila Bertin

"UNE FILLE AU MASCULIN"*

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ncorporate - or "mix and match" as my colleagues in the fashion press say menswear in womenswear is the norm nowadays.

However, it certainly wasn’t the case in the early 20 th century when Gabrielle Chanel, who was already Coco but not yet Mademoiselle, revolutionised ladies fashion. She began making her own tomboy/schoolgirl style clothing in 1909 and created a simple, new, slightly androgynous silhouette. Whilst her contemporaries appeared in society bundled up in bulky dresses adorned with feathers and other eye-catching accessories, Gabrielle Chanel stood out from the crowd with her boyish haircut and classic clothing. She made dresses from men’s underclothes in jersey, a fine knit in wool or cotton which no woman ever wore at the time. Over time, Gabrielle Chanel made certain pieces from the male wardrobe, such as the beret and tweed jacket, her own.

44 years have now passed since Coco’s death and yet her signature Chanel style endures with its powerful blend of masculine and feminine features. Her approach has moved

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from her clothing kingdom to hug the wrist in a loving gold embrace. Its name needs no explanation: Boy Friend.

Its large rectangular case with smooth corners and a notched bezel is 37mm long and 28.6mm wide; it is reminiscent of the shape of Place Vendôme from above which inspired the iconic N°5 bottle and the edgy curves of the classic Première watch. The case is available in plain beige gold (an alloy designed

by Chanel with a softer colour than red gold), paved in 66 diamonds or in diamond-set white gold. The mechanical manual wind movement provides a 42-hour power reserve and brings to life the hours, minutes and seconds. The softly ivory dial has a guilloché centre and its lack of markers elevates its pure white hue.

Two gold or silver baton-shape hands perform a dance around the hours and minutes whilst the seconds lie in a sub-dial at 6 o’ clock.

Is there anything sexier than a gentleman’s watch on a lady’s wrist? In a word, no.

*Translation: "a woman in a man’s world", lyrics from "3ème sexe" (1985) by French rock band Indochine

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BOY FRIEND

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H. MOSER & CIE  Sharmila Bertin

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"SIMPLICITY IS THE VESTMENT OF PERFECTION"*

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tome say that the planet has literally become a huge advertising banner and they’re not wrong. Look around you: man has become sandwich board, a walking advert. All the brands that he’s decked in, from the branded shower gel to the tailor-made socks, are signs of social status and advertising boards. Logos which were once relegated to inside labels and hidden are now mostly enlarged and take centre stage. Sometimes you almost want to say that all they need is neon lighting. How about product quality? It is cut back at the cost of quantity. Basically, modern man is a consumer who over-consumes and takes pride in his consumerism.

However, the excessive need for recognition through brands and unrelenting marketing assault overwhelms us and distances us from what is important: life. Life and its human values, life and the time we have to live it. All you have to do to free yourself of this suffocating materialism is to say "stop!", look at yourself and what matters, take your time to appreciate the beauty of the world.

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Love a watch for what it is and not what it makes you: that’s the message which the conceptual Endeavour wants to send. Born of a wholesome project by an equally wholesome mind, that of CEO of H. Moser & Cie Edouard Meylan, this concept watch is based on a simple principle that many watchmakers have forgotten: to display the time. At its most basic, time ticks by in hours, minutes and seconds.

Here, the surface of the dial hasn’t been taken over by a large logo; there’s no brand name engraved on the sapphire crystal. And yet the understated watch is instantly recognisable even from a distance. With just one glance, you can immediately tell that it’s a H. Moser & Cie. The shape of the case, the “smoky” dial and leaf-shape hands betray its identity and show how little brand logos count.

The watch was initially going to be a unique piece but it was so successful at Baselworld that H. Moser & Cie decided to make it into a collection. Four models (ten of each) make up the new collection by the brand based in Neuhausen am Rheinfall, in the canton of Schaffhausen. The tripartite cases are almost

41mm in diameter, come in white or rose gold and house the manual wind mechanical HMC343 calibre. As mentioned before, the functions provided by the movement are basic: hours, minutes and seconds. The sunburst dial has no hour markers and comes in two finishes: smoky rhodium-plating or smoky midnight blue. The graduated smoky effect is H. Moser & Cie’s signature. Luxury isn’t a logo; it’s a balanced collection of details, perfect finishes and…freedom!

* Wladimir Wolf-Gozin, French writer and artist born in Russia in 1901.

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Endeavour Centre Seconds Concept Collection

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AKRIVIA  Sharmila Bertin

Rexhep Rexhepi

PROFILE OF A YOUNG VIRTUOSO

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exhep Rexhepi, with his watch brand AkriviA, is the one to watch in the timekeeping sector. The handsome 28 year old Kosovan came to Geneva almost 15 years ago and has showcased his talent since childhood. Rexhep Rexhepi’s interest in watch mechanics began at the age of 7 when he would open his father’s Swiss watches. At 14, the prodigal child did a work placement at the Patek Philippe factory and fine-tuned his skills at François-Paul Journe’s workshops later on.

Fuelled by his watchmaking experience and passion, Rexhep Rexhepi decided to launch his own business in 2012. He founded AkriviA ( ακρίβεια), meaning “precision”, “accuracy” and “punctuality” in Greek.

I first met Rexhep Rexhepi in June 2013. AkvriA had just launched and its founder already had a clear idea of what sort of products he wanted to make and the road he wanted his brand to go down. I quietly followed him from the infancy of his company, sneakily looking at each photo and wristshot posted on his Instagram account. Two years later and he’s still as

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passionate as ever but he speaks with clarity and wisdom. Unlike some watchmakers who spend their lives glued to their workbench with their head deep in their work, Rexhep Rexhepi is available to other figures in the industry, conscious of the realities of the market and new products. He knows what he wants: he doesn’t intend to turn AkriviA into a cash machine or frantically exploit/market his ideas and timepieces by producing astronomical amounts and calling upon an army of retailers. There’s no panic or hasty decisions; just a desire for longevity. Despite his youth, Rexhep Rexhepi is an understated, calm and prudent man. He prefers to captain his ship at his own pace, set achievable goals and create timepieces true to his values. First and foremost, he strives to showcase and pass on traditional watchmaking expertise, create his own modern take on classic timekeeping heirlooms and focus on quality and workmanship. His goal is to make 25 pieces a year – all 100% Geneva made – and only work with a maximum of 5 retailers worldwide.

Four collections have seen the light of day

since the foundation of AkriviA: Tourbillon Chronographe Monopoussoir, Tourbillon Heure Minute, Tourbillon Chiming Hour and Tourbillon Régulateur. The latter has been shortlisted in the tourbillon category for the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) to be held on October 29 th. Fantastic public recognition from the sector for such a young brand! A fifth collection is now in the pipeline but we’ll have to wait until the end of the year or start of next year to see it. Bring on 2016!

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Tourbillon Heure Minute

Tourbillon Chronographe Monopoussoir

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ONLY WATCH  Sharmila Bertin

Breguet

"THE GREATEST GIFT TO THE FUTURE IS GIVING IT ALL TODAY"*

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ounded by Luc Pettavino (president of the AMM, Monaco Association against Muscular Dystrophy) and supported by the Monaco Yacht Show, Only Watch has been unveiling a unique watch collection every two years since 2005 which is sold to support the fight against Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). This form of muscular dystrophy causes muscle degeneration and affects 1 in 3,500 male births. Currently, almost 250,000 children and teenagers all over the world have the disease.

Over the last decade, Only Watch has raised approximately 15 million Euros to fund research.

For the first time in its young life, the 6th charity event will be held in Geneva on November 7th on the banks of Lake Geneva and under the expert hammer of Aurel Bacs from the Phillips auction house in association with Bacs & Russo.

Over forty watch brands and watchmakers are providing one of their pieces to be part of the special journey.

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Each timepiece is unique and designed especially for Only Watch, be it a wristwatch (in the majority) or pocket watch (such as In the Pocket by Hermès), a clock like the one by Thomas Mercer or the famous Melchior robot

by MB&F. The entire, slightly irregular, collection is on a quick world tour from September 23rd ending in Geneva on November 5th before the auction. The exhibition tour starts in Monaco then moves to Hong Kong, Beijing, New York and London. It stops in each place for three days. * Albert Camus (1913-1960), French writer

Hermès

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TAG HEUER  Sharmila Bertin

TWO JOURNEYS, ONE ROAD

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n one month, on October 16" to be precise, a hundred vintage cars will hit Mexico’s roads from the city of Tuxtla Gutiérrez (in the south east state of Chiapas) to Durango (in central Mexico). The 28th Carrera Panamericana (meaning "PanAmerican race") takes place over eight days with several stages (Oaxaca, México, Toluca, Morelia, Guanajato, Zacatecas) and covers approximately 3,500km all timed by TAG Heuer. Almost a dozen drivers and co-drivers of all ages and nationalities, half of whom are Mexican, have to drive for 10-12 hours every day in sometimes dangerous conditions.

The legendary race that is the Pan-Am began in 1950 under the guidance of the Mexican president. The first race to be held in the American continent attracted flocks of drivers from all over the world and overtook European events such as the Mille Miglia or 24 Hours of Le Mans. Notoriously dangerous due to almost non-existent safety standards, risky weather conditions (altitude, climate changes) and tarnished by serious and sometimes fatal accidents, the race was shut down in 1955.

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The last race was held in 1954 and won by Scuderia Ferrari. For 33 years, the Carrera Panamericana was but a magical sporting memory…until 1988 when Eduardo León, the future chairman of the race, decided to resurrect the famous competition by adapting it to modern safety regulations and turning it into a vintage rally. All the cars entered into the race were built between 1940 and 1972.

Another legend was born in 1964 and is intrinsically linked to the Carrera Panamericana. It pays tribute to the race and bears its name. This mechanical chronograph was an instant hit and designed in 1963 by Jack Heuer, a motor racing enthusiast. Its uncluttered dial, easy-to-read counters and sturdy case soon made it an icon among watches.

It seems only natural to bring two strong and legendary personalities together: one from the

car world and the other from the watch world.

The 28 th Mexican rally from October 16th to 22 nd will be officially timed and sponsored by the La Chaux-de-Fonds brand which has unveiled a brand new electronic Pocket Pro-R HL400-R chronograph designed for the race organisers alongside a Carrera Panamericana watch. The latter has the collection’s signature features with a 43mm steel case, tachymeter scale on the black bezel and three sub-dials.

The quartz movement drives two luminescent hour and minute hands in the heart of the black dial which glide above the hour indices and slim minute track. The chronograph counters (3 and 9 o’ clock) have been rimmed in metal just like the small seconds at 6 o’ clock while the date appears in a subtle whiteon-black display at 4.30. This special edition features an engraving of the race’s emblem on the caseback: the silhouette of a leather

helmet just like those used at the very start of the Carrera Panamericana.

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MARKETING  Sharmila Bertin

"A SUCCESSFUL POS DISPLAY IS LIKE GOOD MAKE-UP"

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h, the POS, an acronym that defines an art form in itself! To quote the famous book Mercatique et action commerciale by economists Ugo Brassart and Jean-Marie Panazol, POS display or advertising brings together "all the tools used by manufacturers or retailers to promote brands (or, more fundamentally, products) in store". When you put it like that, the POS display seems like a fairly unromantic marketing tool. However, it is a fantastic means for creative expression and a vital sales booster. The aim is to promote the product to the consumer – known as push marketing in specialist jargon – and attract them to it by presenting a product or even familiar corporate world inspired by the brand’s ad campaigns for example. Bespoke design sets the stage to elevate the product to another level. "A successful POS display is like good make-up: you don’t notice it but it showcases

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the woman, her personality, her features," says Alain Borle, CEO of Pac Team Group.

"Its role is to draw attention to the product, highlight its identity and power of seduction by bringing dreams and desire to mind", he adds.

Who better than the president of a Vaud-based company that’s specialised in POS displays for sixty years to describe the power of this marketing tool?

Atelier Borle was founded in 1949 in Montsur-Lausanne, a town in the Canton of Vaud.

Its main business area was decoration for the watchmaking industry. The company gradually expanded to become Pac Team SA in 1975. It broadened its expertise and range of services. Nowadays, it handles everything from POS advertising, packaging and sales and display areas (shop-in-shop and corners).

Watchmakers are still Pac Team’s main clients but, again, the company has expanded to cover sectors such as jewellery, eyewear and

spirits so they still operate in the luxury sector in three continents (Europe, Asia and America).

The advantage of having several affiliates, one in Milan, two in Hong Kong and Shenzhen and another in the US, is the amount of time they save. Once the prototype has been finalised, the fixtures (display stands, cases etc.) are made locally in line with strict quality and design standards to reduce costs, transport time and risk of breakage.

Behind the scenes yet very much at the forefront in shop displays and specialist fairs such as Baselworld, Pac Team Group applies this policy for discretion to the POS displays it designs. Essentially, "if the POS display is too powerful, it takes away from the product and that’s not its role," says Alain Borle. This is what happens in certain sectors such as fashion and particularly sportswear or new brands which focus more on the wow effect in their shop windows and displays (or their sales

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staff!) than their products. What about online sales? Outside its world, far from physical contact between hand and item, the latter loses its appeal. The environment created by POS displays is therefore essential to the sales and longevity of a product. Of any product.

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WATCH OUT #1  Jorge S. B. Guerreiro

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ll that makes watches does not (necessarily) tell the time. From TAG Heuer smartphones and Milus cufflinks to Omega fragrances, watch brands have always tried to turn a profit using their quality and prestigious image to expand their range beyond watches. After all, Tissot survived the watch crisis by making pacemakers… If you think about it, it’s no less unconventional than when jewellers, tailors and even trunk makers brazenly eye up the margins they can make selling beautiful Swiss made watches.

So here’s Watch Out; watch this space for the first watchmaking article devoted to nontimekeeping products.

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GIFT SET HUBLOT BIG BANG UNICO ITALIA INDEPENDENT Jean-Claude Biver and Lapo Elkann, Gianni Agnelli’s grandson, go together like a horse and carriage. They get on so well that Hublot keeps on collaborating with the Agnelli empire: after Ferrari and Juventus, here comes Italia Independent, a brand making luxury products with no logo. The collaboration has brought to life the Hublot Big Band Unico Italia Independent gift set including a watch and sunglasses in texalium, a unique material designed by Hublot blending aluminium and carbon. The duo is available in either grey or blue, the aluminium is coloured before being fused with the carbon.

Limited edition gift set (500 available): 24,900 CHF. NB. The sunglasses alone are worth over 2,000 CHF...

PEN ROMAIN JEROME MOON On July 20th 1969, after 2 hours and 31 minutes in eternity, Buzz Aldrin got back on board the lunar module. Once in the confined cockpit of the legendary LEM, he broke the push button to fire up the engines. In the end, he managed to activate the system using the tip of a pen so he and Neil Armstrong could return to Earth. Take this great story and the fact that the brand already has the Moon-DNA watch and all Romain Jerome had to do was start making this pen with 48 hand-set rivets.

It looks like an intergalactic space invader on its winged docking station. The cockpit houses real certified moon dust.

Limited edition (888 available): 1,750 CHF.

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OMEGA AQUA SAILING BRACELET The Swatch Group’s star brand also sells a range of jewellery and accessories whose design and inspiration comes from Omega watch collections. The Aqua collection is meant to be reminiscent of the heyday of the brand’s maritime origins. Keep the “summer feeling” alive for longer with the Sailing bracelet. Yellow and brown join the 13 existing colour options.

Available in rubber or leather and different sizes: 300 CHF.

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WATCH NEWS  Sharmila Bertin

CHRISTOPHE CLARET

ALPINA

MARGUERITE

SEASTRONG DIVER 300M CHRONOGRAPH BIG DATE

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ollowing the enormous success of the poetic Margot timepiece in 2014, Christophe Claret is continuing to use the language of flowers to court romantic women. Once again, the daisy ("marguerite" in French) is the star and unfurls its white lacquer petals on the opalescent dial. A red butterfly (or blue depending on the model) tracks the hours from one of the petals whilst the minutes tick by as a delicate butterfly on the stem flutters past. The stem runs into the daisy’s pistil capped by a ruby (or blue sapphire) in the centre. The Marguerite’s dial bears the hour indices (3, 6 and 9) and presents a declaration of love on demand: "Il m'aime passionnément" (he loves me passionately). All you have to do is press the pusher at 2 o’ clock on the caseband. The 42.5mm rose or white gold case peppered with a hundred diamonds on the bezel and lugs.

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he Seastrong 10 diver watch launched in 1969 with a selfwinding calibre, two crowns, a rotating bezel and water resistance to 200m. 46 years have passed and the 2015 model now has a quartz movement and has increased its water-resistance to depths of 300m. Its 44mm cushion-shape steel case is topped by an aluminium rotating bezel in coal grey, bright orange, burgundy red and navy blue. The minute scale engraved on the ring, triangular marker and hour indices on the matt black dial are all luminescent. The wide spearshape hour and minute hands also glow in the dark. The small seconds hand (at 6 o’ clock), counterweight on the chronograph seconds hand (in the centre) and rim of the minute hand are varnished in scarlet (models with a grey or blue bezel), burgundy or orange. A double date display lies at 6 o’ clock.

WATCH NEWS  Sharmila Bertin

PIERRE DEROCHE

HERMÈS

TNT ROYAL RETRO 43 BONNIE & CLYDE

ARCEAU AUTOMATIQUE

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laying on the contrasts between black and white, the TNT Royal Rétro model sees double with two complementary dials like the yin and yang of watches. The openwork dial features a retrograde seconds rim divided into six sections of ten seconds each. Red-tipped blue hands glide over black or white bridges engraved with a scale and black or white figures whilst the blue hour and minute hands burst from the centre. An understated date display lies at 6 o’ clock. The 43mm case housing a self-winding calibre specially designed by Dubois Dépraz has a titanium and black PVD container and steel lugs, crown and crown guard.

It’s topped by a bezel in ITR²® - an ultra-light rust-resistant and easy-tomanufacture composite material – charged with white ceramic particles for the Bonnie model or carbon for the Clyde.

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esigned in 1978 by the talented artist Henri d'Origny who spent over 50 years as an illustrator at Hermès, the Arceau is a classic in the Parisian brand’s watch collections. "Arceau" means "arch" in French and the curvy model certainly lives up to its name. Its asymmetric lugs are inspired by the shape of a stirrup as the equestrian world has been intrinsic to Hermès since 1837. The self-winding calibre inside the new Arceau’s 40mm steel case is named after the milestone year. It brings to life the time and date functions along with a 50-hour power reserve. The centre of the silver dial features chevrons and two rhodium-plated leafshape hands tracking the hours and minutes; they glide over the hour rim with Arabic applied numerals which lean forwards like a jockey riding his steed against the wind.

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WATCH NEWS  Sharmila Bertin

CERTINA

UNION GLASHÜTTE

DS ACTION

CHRONOGRAPHE BELISAR

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re you going on holiday to the other side of the world to chill out on the beaches, explore new horizons or try your hand at water sports? Don’t know which watch to pack? To put the "fun"into "functional" and pair strength with precision, the Certina brand has designed a reliable timepiece in the form of the DS Action chronograph.

Its 43mm steel case with a screwdown caseback and crowns is water resistant to depths of 300m; it houses a Precidrive quartz movement designed in collaboration with ETA to bring to life the time, date and chronograph functions. The black dial features round and triangular indices, two luminescent skeleton hour and minute hands and a seconds counter at 6 o’ clock. The white date display also appears at 6 o’ clock whilst the minute and 1/10th second chronograph counters stand at 9 and 3. Now you’re ready for action!

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he German company was founded in 1893 in Glashütte and is undoubtedly the most understated brand in the Swatch Group which bought it in 2000. That said, its philosophy hasn’t changed over time: making quality, affordable, mechanically accurate and beautifully designed watches. This self-winding Belisar chronograph epitomises the brand’s philosophy. Its 44mm steel case houses the UNG27.01 movement which provides a 60-power reserve and brings to life the time, date and chronograph functions. The ivory dial features nickelplated indices and Arabic numerals surrounded by a minute track and red tachymeter scale. Two metallic baton-shape hands track the hours and minutes whilst the seconds appear in a counter at 9 o’ clock. The minute and hour counters lie at 3 and 6 o’ clock respectively and the date is displayed at 6.

WATCH NEWS  Sharmila Bertin

ORIS

VULCAIN

BIG CROWN PROPILOT

NAUTICAL SEVENTIES VULCAIN TROPHY

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he supply of movements is vital to large volume brands so, in 2014, Oris decided to design, develop and manufacture their own manual wind 110 calibre. Fuelled by their success, the watchmaker released the in-house 111 calibre in 2015 to fit one of its Big Crown ProPilot models. The movement provides an impressive 10-day power reserve and powers the time and date functions from inside the 44mm steel case featuring a screwdown crown. The steel grey sunburst dial bears two hour and minute hands in the centre and oversize Arab hour numerals all coated in Super-LumiNova®. The blue patterned small seconds counter lies next to the date display which is positioned at 9 o’ clock instead of the regular 3 or 6 o’ clock. A large power reserve indicator inspired by a fuel gauge stands at 3 o’ clock.

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his limited edition (35 available) is inspired by a 70s model designed

by Vulcain, the watch brand behind the famous mechanical timepiece with an alarm function. Designed in collaboration with Hannes Keller, the Cricket Nautical features dive tables on the dial and was worn by the Swiss diver himself when he reached a record 222m depth in Lake Maggiore in 1961. This time the steel case has a full, almost oval shape and measures 42mm in diameter. It houses a manual wind calibre providing a 42-hour power reserve. Beneath the slightly raised hesalite crystal, the dial features the famous dive tables with green and blacktinged graduations and a rotating bezel. Four hands burst from the centre: baton-shape hour and minutes with a luminescent coating, the central seconds hand and white-tipped orange alarm hand controlled using the pusher at 2 o’ clock.

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WATCH NEWS  Sharmila Bertin

LOUIS VUITTON

TIFFANY & CO.

TAMBOUR GRAPHITE CHRONOGRAPHE GMT

CT60® AUTOMATIQUE

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ince trunk maker Louis Vuitton first started in the 1830s, travel has always been integral to the brand. Journeys were long, packing was labour intensive and trunks were well-filled in the 19 th century. The Parisian brand’s signature trunks still exist today alongside suitcases and large travel bags such as the Keepall. Travel light and travel smart, just like the Tambour which puts a second time zone and chronograph on a single dial. A self-winding LV158 calibre nestles inside the 44mm steel case. The dial gleams with different shades of grey divided into concentric circles. From the chapter ring to the centre there’s a minute track, a 24-hour graduated ring beneath a red-tipped hand (GMT) then an hour rim overlapped by the small seconds counter (at 3) and the chronograph minute counter (at 9).

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his modern collection includes five 3-hand watches and pays a triple tribute to the past. Its name comes from the initials of the brand’s founder, Charles L. Tiffany. The number 60 is taken from the famous concept of the New York Minute which describes all the possibilities that can happen in 60 seconds. Last but not least, the model is inspired by the watch owned by US President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The CT60® has a 40mm case available in steel or rose gold. The sunburst dial comes in 4 colours (white, blue or taupe grey on the steel model, white or chocolate on the rose gold model) and is adorned by gold poudré numerals.

Two baton-shape hands track the hours and minutes whilst a gold redtipped central seconds hand glides over the gold-rimmed seconds scale on the chapter ring. The date appears in a display at 6 o’ clock.

WATCH NEWS  Sharmila Bertin

JAEGER-LECOULTRE

KLOKERS

MASTER ULTRA THIN SQUELETTE

KLOK-01

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he Vallée de Joux watch brand shows how multi-talented it is – a.k.a. Métiers Rares® – on the dial and heart of its iconic Master Ultra Thin. Four different types of handmade skill adorn four timepieces each limited to 100 pieces: skeletonised manual wind 849ASQ calibre, engraved mother-of-pearl or enamelling on the hour rim, gem-set bezel surrounding the 38mm white or rose gold. The movement bringing the leaf-shape hour and minute hands has been delicately openworked and sculpted to create a real mechanical spectacle that you can see both front and back; it also provides a 33-hour power reserve.

Depending on the model, the hour rim features a mother-of-pearl strip carved out with a wavy pattern or a layer of enamel under the indices: intense, almost Klein, blue paired with white gold or red-tinged brown cradled by warm rose gold.

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he creative world of watchmaking is full of surprises. Everyone has their own take on watches but there are few who have a different vision of time and how to tell it. Inspired by a circular ruler, the Klok-01 dial features three concentric white discs which each display the time. The first ring displays the hours (in black), the second shows the minutes (in red) and the third presents the seconds (in grey).

It has no hands: you tell the time with the red vertical marker which runs from the chapter ring to the yellow heart of the dial topped by an oblong magnifying glass which is part of the crystal. The 44mm case is made out of a metal and polymer composite and can be clipped on and off. You just need to press the pusher at 8 o’ clock to remove the case then you can clip it onto another strap (leather or alcantara available in a range of colours) or use it as a pocket watch.

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WATCH NEWS  Sharmila Bertin

VACHERON CONSTANTIN

BOUCHERON

OVERSEAS DUAL TIME

EPURE

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acheron Constantin’s smart and exciting (dare we say rebellious?) timepiece will soon have been around for 20 years. In the midst of the Genevan watchmaker’s mainly classic collections, the Overseas model stands out from the crowd. The 2015 version is a sight for travellers’ sore eyes: its lacquered blue dial glistens like the sea in the sunshine with all the information that those who regularly cross the time zones could wish for. The 42mm steel case houses the self-winding 1222 SC calibre which brings to life the baton-shape hour, minute and central seconds hands whilst the second time zone and day/night indicator lie at 6 and 7.30 respectively. The date display with hand appears in a blue chamfered dial at 2 o’ clock whilst a power reserve indicator runs from 8 to 11 o’ clock (up to 40 hour power reserve).

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n a world that loves useless embellishments and accessories, Parisian brand Boucheron has turned its back on current trends and gone back to basics. Balanced, timeless, elegant...The Epure collection is a pure and simple work of beauty! The watch collection has expanded in 2015 to include six new self-winding pieces: two diameters (38 or 42mm), two models (three hands or chronograph) and two dial colours (silver or black).

The new products all showcase the signature features (blue cabochons at 12 o’ clock and on the crown, double gadroons on the case side, large 9 and 3). A notched ring on the "basic" version lies in the centre of the dial which bursts with the baton-shape hour and minute hands and blue central seconds hand. It is surrounded by an engraved Clous de Paris disc edged with silver hours and indices. The metal circle closes around the date display at 6 o’ clock.

WATCH NEWS  Sharmila Bertin

VOUTILAINEN

BVLGARI

GMT-6

ROMA FINISSIMO 40TH

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he district of Val-de-Travers lies between the lake and the Jura Mountains in the Swiss canton of Neuchâtel. It is home to the peaceful little village of Môtiers and its 1000 residents including Kari Voutilainen who has been living and working independently here since 2002. The Finnish watchmaker trained in his homeland and Switzerland and produces painstakingly detailed watches imbued with power and beauty. A fine example of his work is the blue-tone piece which has been modestly named GMT-6. The well-balanced white gold case (39mm in diameter) houses a manual wind mechanical movement made entirely in Kari Voutilainen’s workshops. Aside from the 64-hour power reserve, this calibre brings to life the hours and minutes (in the centre), a second time zone with hand and a day/night indicator. The latter two functions lie at 6 o’ clock on the guilloché engraved dial and are displayed by a rotating disc with 24-hour graduation.

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ome say that a woman is in her prime at 40. She is, so they say, in full bloom and at peace as time hasn’t yet had its way with her but the way she sees the world radiates wisdom. I don’t know if it’s true but I like to believe it as I’m 40, just like the iconic Roma de Bvlgari which launched in 1975. The timepiece has gone Finissimo for 2015 and its hourglass figure is in perfect proportion: 5.15mm thick, 41mm in diameter all carved out of steel and topped by a large flat bezel engraved with the names of the brand and model. This curvaceous setting houses the ultrathin BVL128 calibre whose power reserve lasts up to 65 hours; the manual wind movement brings to life the time functions which appear on the black lacquer dial as two silver baton-shape hour and minute hands and a small seconds counter off-centre at 7.30.

THE WATCHES MAGAZINE - AUTUMN 2015

WATCH NEWS  Sharmila Bertin

ROLEX

DEWITT

OYSTER PERPETUAL YACHT-MASTER 40

ACADEMIA CHRONOSTREAM II

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f we’d ranked the top 5 most beautiful pieces at this year’s Baselworld, the Oyster Perpetual Yacht-Master would certainly come top. Let’s be objective: this sporty and exciting model by the regal brand is the perfect balance of substance and style. In terms of movement, it is fitted with Rolex’s own self-winding 3135 calibre which is COSC-certified and brings to life the 48-hour power reserve, time and date functions. In terms of design, its 40mm Everose gold case has a ribbed back and screwdown crown; it is topped by a rotating bezel with a matt black ceramic chapter ring (Cerachrom) bearing a 3D 60-minute scale. As for the dial, the matt black disc features three hour, minute and seconds hands in rose gold and Chromalight which glide above the applied indices.

THE WATCHES MAGAZINE - AUTUMN 2015

ounded in 2003 and based in Geneva, DeWitt is a brand that draws on the noble origins of its founder Jérôme de Witt, a direct descendant of Napoleon I, to produce its products’ creative design e.g. the so-called imperial columns on the case sides. However, DeWitt watches are not just about replicating antique pieces; they have a strong, modern, almost sporty look as epitomised by the Academia Chronostream II. Its 42.5mm case blends rose gold and black rubber to house the self-winding DW6005 calibre. The silver-tone dial is rimmed by a blue tachymeter scale. The centre features a black disc adorned with the Clou de Paris pattern from which two spear-shape skeletonised hands burst to track the hours and minutes alongside a blue central seconds hand for the chronograph seconds. The small seconds counter lies at 9 o’ clock whilst the chronograph minute counter is at 3 o’ clock.

WATCH NEWS  Sharmila Bertin

HAMILTON

OMEGA

KHAKI FIELD

SEAMASTER DIVER 300M ETNZ

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he bond between the brand founded in 1892 and the American armed forces, which it officially supplied in the 1920s, is so strong that the watches coming out of the Bienne workshops are still imbued with the same military soul. Khaki is a brown/green colour and the name of a strong fabric; Field is where soldiers set forth. The combination of these two words has produced a sturdy timepiece. The 40mm steel case houses a self-winding H-10 calibre which brings all the functions to life and provides an 80-hour power reserve. The hours appear as white Arabic numerals on the khaki dial featuring a central 24-hour scale surrounded by a detailed minute track split into 5-minute sections. Two diamond-shape luminescent hands display the time whilst the seconds are tracked by a white-tipped hand.

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Inspired by the many competitors at the helm of their yachts, Omega is also preparing for the next America’s Cup to be held in June 2017 in Bermuda. The Bienne brand has supported the Emirates Team New Zealand (ETNZ) since 1995 and has set its devotion to the race in stone with a Seamaster chronograph. Its 44mm titanium case is topped by a rotating bezel with a black ceramic ring. It houses the self-winding COSCcertified Co-Axial 3330 calibre which provides a 52-hour power reserve.

The sandblasted titanium dial features the chronograph markers in red to make it easier to see the information (central seconds, hour counter hands at 6 o’ clock, regatta function minutes at 3 o’ clock, minute track on the chapter ring) whilst the hour, minute and small seconds hands are painted white. The date display lies at 6 o’ clock.

THE WATCHES MAGAZINE - AUTUMN 2015

WATCH NEWS  Sharmila Bertin

RJ-ROMAIN JEROME

TISSOT

TETRIS-DNA

VINTAGE AUTOMATIC POWERMATIC 80 GENT

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f you were born in the 60s or 70s and are now in your 40s or 50s, this is a game, or rather an obsession, which you’ll remember fondly: Tetris®, the world famous puzzle video game designed in 1984, involved moving 7 types of blocks, or Tetriminos, and stacking them to form rows. The cult game has now been immortalised on a dial adorned with grey bricks; the black brushed gaming "screen" featuring stationary Tetriminos is made of tinted aluminium and engraved with "Clou de Paris". The two large openwork luminescent hour and minute hands in the heart of the dial are brought to life by the self-winding RJ001-A calibre which provides a 42-hour power reserve. The movement is nestled in the 46mm black PVD-coated titanium case with integrated lugs. There are 84 of the limited edition Tetris-DNA available.

THE WATCHES MAGAZINE - AUTUMN 2015

o-called classic watches have a card up their sleeve: they transcend time so they’re never out of fashion. They match anything and everything and are loyal lifelong friends. A case in point is the Vintage model from Le Locle-based brand Tissot. Its subtle retro chic style glows from the 40mm rose gold case housing a self-Powermatic 80 mechanical movement. As the name suggests, this powerful calibre brings to life an 80-hour power reserve and the time and date functions on the pure white dial (or midnight black depending on model). Dauphineshape hour and minute hands and central seconds burst from the dial’s extensive guillochage engraving to track the gold hour indices and Roman numerals. A slim black (or white) minute track rims the chapter ring whilst the white date display lies at 3 o’ clock.

WATCH NEWS  Sharmila Bertin

TAG HEUER

JUNGHANS

CARRERA CARA DELEVINGNE SPECIAL EDITION

MAX BILL CHRONOSCOPE

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n July 1st 2015, Cecil the majestic lion and symbol of Zimbabwe was savagely assassinated by an American hunter. His murder moved and shocked countless people including British model and actress Cara Delevingne who auctioned her own watch to raise funds for WildCRU (Wildlife Conservation Research Unit). Retailing at 28,500 CHF and supported by TAG Heuer which has appointed Cara Delevingne as brand ambassador, this Carrera has a black 41mm steel case, bezel paved in 72 diamonds and crown all coated in titanium carbide. The anthracite dial is rimmed by a white graduated chapter ring; two batonshape hour and minute hands coated in white Super-LumiNova burst from the centre alongside a central seconds hand all plated in rose gold. The hands glide above the applied gold indices whilst the black date display lies discreetly at 3 o’ clock.

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he German watchmaker and Swiss artist began working together in the early 60s and the collaboration is still alive today despite the passing of Max Bill (1908-1994) over 20 years ago. Trained at the Zürich School of Applied Arts then Bauhaus in Dessau, Max Bill imbued the watches he designed with an understated, functional and timeless style. The silver dial is covered with a domed Plexiglas disc and adorned with an elegant hour rim interspersed between a minute track and curvy Arabic numerals. Two slim luminescent baton-shape hands track the hours and minutes. Both chronograph counters are positioned symmetrically: the minute counter at 12 and the hour counter at 6 with the seconds in the centre. The date display appears at 3. The time, date and chronograph functions are powered by the self-winding J880.2 calibre inside the 40mm steel case.

THE WATCHES MAGAZINE - AUTUMN 2015

WATCH NEWS  Sharmila Bertin

 Fabrice Eschmann

JAQUET DROZ

MANUFACTURE ROYALE

GRANDE HEURE MINUTE QUANTIÈME

ANDROGYNE ORIGINE – ÉDITION LIMITÉE 245ÈME ANNIVERSAIRE

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est known for its fabulous ivory Grand Feu enamel dials and figure 8 shape, the La Chaux-de-Fonds watchmaker has surprised its admirers with a modern take on its timepieces. The steel case comes in two sizes (39 and 43mm diameter) and houses the self-winding JD1150P calibre which brings to life the 68-hour power reserve and time and date functions. The dial comes in two colours: silky silver or Côtes de Genève striped blue. The spear-shape hour and minute hands have a metallic coating on the blue model or blue steel on the silver version. The single flash of bright colour comes from the red tip on the central seconds hand. The date display at 6 o’ clock has been uniquely designed to look like two shutters opening. The hour rim dotted with rhodium markers is surrounded by a subtle minute track.

THE WATCHES MAGAZINE - AUTUMN 2015

veryone knows Voltaire the writer and philosopher in the Age of Enlightenment; fewer people know Voltaire the businessman who opened a watch studio in Ferney at the wise old age of 76 in 1770.

It was called the Manufacture Royale de Ferney and employed up to 1200 people. Relaunched in 2010 and taken over by GTN Luxury Holding in 2013, this year Manufacture Royale is celebrating its 245th anniversary. It’s shown its fun side by imagining which watch the inventor of "free thinking" would wear today. The new steampunk style Androgyne Origine doesn’t scrimp on technical or technological features. Its 43mm case has 52 components and a system of adjustable lugs so the watch can fit any wrist. In terms of movement, the manual wind MR06 calibre has a flying tourbillon with a silicon escapement wheel and ceramic rolling bearing.

atelier-zuppinger.ch

Crown Royal headgear or watch winder?

Discover the world of Fine Watchmaking at www.hautehorlogerie.org

Crown | The winding crown is a knurled or fluted button of various shapes, held between the thumb and forefinger and used to wind the watch. Some crowns incorporate a mobile pushbutton for operating a chronograph mechanism or to release the cover of a hunter case.

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Slim d’Hermès watch in rose gold, Manufacture H1950 ultra-thin movement.

SLIM D’HERMÈS, PURITY IN MOTION.

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