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march 2003 • number 65 w w w.internationalwristwatch.com Pierre Kunz Cultivates His Own Style uS $7.95 can $10.95 uK q4.50 CONTENTS MARCH 2003 NUMBER 65 COVER STORy Pierre Kunz Cultivates His Own Style FEATURES 28 38 Patek Philippe's Twenty~4 42 TAG Heuer 2000 Aquagraph 46 Sirtoli Shows a Little Skin 50 Corum's Mechanical Marvels 54 Breitling Pays Tribute to Flight 86 New from Cyma 58 Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Alinghi 88 Mido Is All Dial 64 GB Enigma 92 Ventura's Electronic Manufacture 68 New Vintage Breitlings 96 Robert Lighton's Vintage Styles 72 Around the Track with Chase-Durer 102 Waldan's Blue Moons 74 blu-source du temps 107 Maddaloni Celebrates 25 years 80 Michele Watches Takes America by Storm 114 American Watch Schools 132 A Visit to the RGM Facility 142 Minute Repeaters for Beginners 50 152 The Art of Engraving 160 Thomas Prescher's Torkel Tourbillon DEPARTMENTS 10 News 20 Market 124 Buying Time: Alpha Omega Jewelers MARCH 2003INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCH coverSTORY Pierre 28 MARCH 2003INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCH coverSTORY Kunz Cultivates His Own Style The latest watchmaking innovations from this young brand M BY MEGAN LIVOLSI aking a name for oneself in this often impenetrable watchmaking industry is no simple task. Master watchmaker Pierre Kunz has not only succeeded in launching his very own brand of compli- cated timepieces…he has even made it look easy. Born in Berne, Switzerland, in 1959, Pierre Kunz has been involved in the watchmaking industry for more than twenty years. After completing his studies at the celebrated Vallee de Joux watchmaking school, he worked for a number of years in the workshops of Vic- torin Piguet where he constructed a vari- ety of grande complications from start to finish. Though he would later open his own business restoring antique clocks, it was not long before he returned to some of Switzerland's leading brands to make more grande complications—his first love. Kunz was given the opportunity of a lifetime when Franck Muller offered him the chance to create his own models INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCHMARCH 2003 29 coverSTORY Top left: Housed in an 18-karat rose gold case, this retrograde seconds watch is powered by an automatic movement. Bottom left: This retrograde perpetual calendar features day, date, month, moon phase and leap year indicators. Right: Crafted in 18-karat rose gold, this retrograde equation of time watch displays the date and month on two lower subdials. at the famous Watchland Park at conglomerate of haute horlogerie "With all the years I have Genthod, a location perpetually as- brands. spent in watchmaking and the ex- sociated with creativity. Overlooking Kunz accepted the challenge perience I have gained, I gathered the shores of Lake Geneva directly head-on, launching himself on to and put together everything that I opposite Montblanc, Watchland is the market of the great innovations considered to be aesthetically and home to a host of master craftsmen of Haute Horlogerie. His determina- mechanically the best, to which I and talented young artisans dedi- tion and expertise soon enabled him added my own fantasy to create my cated to maintaining Switzerland's to add life to complicated watches by first collection," says Kunz. time-honored watchmaking tradi- adding one or more retrograde func- After its initial launch at Franck tions. Taking a leaf from the big tions and his remarkable achieve- Muller's World Presentation of watchmakers' book, the Watchland ments in this field have helped to Haute Horlogerie 2002 ( wphh ), Group is quickly becoming a mini- distinguish him as a true pioneer. Pierre Kunz's impressive collection 30 MARCH 2003INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCH coverSTORY of timepieces has already gained new approach to reading the hours minutes, retrograde seconds and international recognition for suc- and minutes. moon phase indicator on a matte cessfully blending some of the most The caliber PKA 2001-1521 black dial with silver outer zone. complicated watchmaking mecha- automatic movement is housed in The hour and minute hands are nisms with bold aesthetic appeal. a satinized platinum case that is in chromium-plated stainless steel Over the last year, Kunz has been water-resistant to 30 meters. The while the retrograde seconds hand busy designing and manufacturing matte black dial with blued steel is in blued steel. The satinized his now-famed timepieces while hands and moon phase indicator 18-karat white gold case is water- simultaneously managing his own at 6 o'clock features a raised retro- resistant to 30 meters and is offered brand. grade guilloché minutes sector at 2 on a black crocodile-skin strap. When asked how he balances o'clock. Kunz's functional SDR model being a talented designer with Powered by the caliber PKA is a blend of technical and aesthet- managing his own company, Kunz 2001-2304 automatic movement, ic innovation, displaying a central explains, "You always find a free the 007 SRL from the Retrograde date and a retrograde seconds sector moment to think and create, collection displays the hours and at 6 o'clock. The satinized 18-karat even if you are keeping an eye on the production, following the op- erations or dealing with suppliers. When you have a real passion for something, your mind never turns off. Every experience is enriching. Just meeting and listening to dif- ferent people brings completely wild ideas. There are opportunities for dreaming and creating every- where." With large, easy-to-read dials and multiple retrograde functions inserted into the movement, Pierre Kunz revolutionizes the reading of the time. His watches are modern and classical, complicated yet clear. Ranging from minute repeaters and tourbillons to perpetual calen- dars and equation of time models, Kunz's watches push the limits of watchmaking time and time again. Equipped with high-quality calibers featuring Côtes de Genève decoration on the bridges and sun- burst guilloché rotors, the watches are housed in fluted "Empire" cases that boast polished crowns and sapphire crystals and are fitted with hand-stitched crocodile-skin straps. The masterpiece of the Grande Pierre Kunz's new square-shaped Retrograde line is the 004 hmrl watch features a triple retrograde with retrograde hours and minutes seconds display in addition to and moon phase indicator. With the hours and minutes. this watch, Kunz has developed a 32 MARCH 2003INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCH coverSTORY white gold case is water-resistant to is powered by a mechanical PKA endar. The mechanical PKA 3010- 30 meters and features a satinized 2100-3201 caliber. The 18-karat 7.1 caliber is housed in a satinized bezel with engraved Arabic numer- rose gold case surrounds the matte platinum case that is fitted with a als, two chronograph push buttons black dial which displays a guil- hand-stitched black crocodile-skin and a large, easy-to-grip crown. loché retrograde days sector at 10 strap. The matte, sanded white dial The matte, sanded white dial with o'clock, a guilloché retrograde date reveals blued steel hands, a month blued steel hands and black Roman sector at 2 o'clock and a tourbillon counter with leap years at 12 numerals displays a raised minute on the upper bridge of the cage at o'clock, a guilloché retrograde date counter with guilloché zone at 6. The black appliqué Roman nu- sector at 3 o'clock, a guilloché ret- 12 o'clock, a guilloché retrograde merals on the dial's silvered outer rograde day sector at 9 o'clock and seconds sector at 8 o'clock, a ret- zone are nicely complemented by a moon phase indicator at 6. rograde date indicator at 4 o'clock the hand-stitched black crocodile- The latest introduction from and a moon phase indicator at 6. skin strap. Pierre Kunz is a square-shaped wrist- One of the most difficult com- Kunz has remarkably incorpo- watch that features an innovative plications to construct, the tourbil- rated three grande complications in triple retrograde seconds display. A lon serves to cancel out deviations a single wristwatch with the 1501 segment from 12 to 4 o'clock dis- in timekeeping accuracy caused by RM T QPR. Epitomizing his mas- plays the retrograde seconds from 0 the earth's gravitational pull when tery of watchmaking complications, to 20, at which point the first hand the watch is in a vertical position. it features a minute repeater, tour- springs back to zero and passes the Kunz's model 701 tjdr tourbillon billon and retrograde perpetual cal- responsibility on to the next ret- rograde display. When the second International Wristwatch Gets Up Close and Personal with What do you think about your still a little in the background. And extraordinary rise from master my personality has not changed watchmaker to designer? What nor will it change. has happened to your teammates As for the teammates I started with whom you started out? out with, they are still at their Actually, I can't believe that I have workbenches but I haven't lost changed jobs; it's still the same for touch with them and they give me. I'm not shocked at seeing my me a lot of support, both moral name on a watch or over a shop. and professional. Life goes on completely normally. In the end, it's a logical out- Have you fulfilled all of your ambi- come for me, although I must tions? admit it was a fast opening and My main goal was, and still is, to suddenly I was in a different world. always enjoy working on the in- It's true that people's attitudes ner mechanisms of complicated change, but I find it difficult to ac- watches. I never want to find my cept this reputation as a big de- work monotonous and the com- signer. So, without meaning to, I'm plications make sure of this; they 34 MARCH 2003INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCH coverSTORY are always a problem and I love racking my brain to create a mech- anism that works. Why do you think Franck Muller gave you this opportunity? In order to create Watchland, Franck Muller chose designers who would strengthen his posi- tion and he saw in me a new po- tential designer who could give an additional boost to the group without competing with its own brand names. Furthermore, my creations complement Franck keeping with contemporary fash- Muller's extraordinary collection. ion. What is the price range of your For example, I'm still looking complicated watches? How does Watchland affect your for a new dial design for the ret- The price doesn't matter; people watchmaking ideas and endeav- rogrades. Once I have it, I design won't buy my watches because ors? the mechanism according to the of the price but because they like What makes Watchland a mythical aspect of the watch. Finally, with them and they represent a dream. place is the freedom of expression all these ideas for complications, It's a question of falling in love and creation that the watchmak- I try to arrange the components with them. ers have. Every idea or project is differently while maintaining an studied and the reaction time is image that stands out from the How many components are there immediate, whereas in some oth- other watch names. Although in a typical Pierre Kunz move- er places, projects are left to rot in I don't take particular notice of ment? the drawers. the others' designs, I know that Between 150 and 500 or even where the jumping-hour watches more, depending on the model. What are your targets for the next are concerned, all the displays few years? are similar. The day I create one How long does it take to make a My current target is to satisfy of these models, I have already complicated watch? everyone who has trusted me, found a brand new design to It's difficult to say. Taking every- to honor the many orders I have adapt to the mechanism. thing into account, the actual time received from around the world, is variable. and to innovate, to continue Your watches are a combination of The time involved from the de- breaking new ground. mechanics and aesthetics, moder- sign of the complicated mecha- nity and classicism. How do you nism through the various stages How do you manage to continue explain this paradox? to completion and attaching the finding and designing new me- What is classical never goes out of bracelet, can be anything from a chanical and aesthet-ically pleas- fashion. In painting and furniture, few months to several years. ing timepieces while breaking anything that is classic survives new ground? the years and Pierre Kunz watches Have you applied for any patents? As far as I'm concerned, my mind must survive the test of time. Yes, on several items… never stops designing and coming Be that as it may, the image up with new ideas. Then, these in- must always be progressive and ventions have to be provided with have a dynamic touch. The classi- new mechanisms to obtain an cal side is a safe bet but it shouldn't attractive, complicated watch in lead to complacency. INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCHMARCH 2003 35 watchmakingHERITAGE B Y R O B E R T A N A A S Legends in Time P a t e k P h i l i p p e 's Tw e n t y ~ 4 I t was just about five years ago that Philippe Stern, head of the legendary Patek Philippe firm, decided to make a change: designed its first ladies' timepiece, generally the women's watches had been design extensions of the men's collections. Indeed, since its inception in 1839, Patek Philippe to shift the predominantly male has mainly catered to men with product mix from 70/30 (men's to its rich heritage of complicated women's) to a 60/40 split, by creat- watchmaking. ing a watch specifically for women. Nonetheless, Stern—with a It was a bold decision, an important determination characteristic of the move and, in typical Patek Philippe venerable company—embarked on style, a tremendous success. a campaign to develop, design and While there have been wo- bring to fruition the perfect Patek men's watches in the Patek Philippe Philippe for women. Stern was ada- mix since 1868 when the company mant that the new timepiece not be 38 MARCH 2003INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCH watchmakingHERITAGE an extension of a men's watch—it had to have a character and per- sonality all its own, and it had to be marketed directly to women. The ultimate goal, of course, was to have women appreciate Patek Philippe like men do. Stern not only turned to his team of watchmaking experts, but he also smartly brought in outside talent. In a brilliant move, Stern found a creative Italian designer to develop the styling of the watch. There were very few criteria set— the watch had to be a bracelet watch because it had to be a piece of jewelry, and it had to be available at an accessible price. Indeed, one of the hallmarks of Patek Philippe is its inherent ability to always offer great value for exceptional watches. The new timepiece col- lection would be no exception. As such, it was decided that the first watches to be unveiled would be made in steel rather than in gold, and would naturally be dressed with diamonds. It was in 1999 that the first now-famed Twenty~4 watch was unveiled to the world. With all the elements of success—superb styling, creative marketing con- the advertising for the watch as it she is a hundred different people cept and the fine Patek Philippe did with the design of the watch. in twenty-four hours," says Tania name—the Twenty~4 was des- The company knew it had to speak Edwards, vice president of Patek tined to be a winner. However, to women in a way that would suit Philippe in America. "She has none could know to what extent. their lifestyles. The watch had to to go to work, maybe the gym, be In fact, the world not only accept- take a woman through the twenty- with the kids and maybe even go ed the Twenty~4 but clamored for four hours of her day—fitting into for cocktails. The Twenty~4 fits it. In the first year of its existence, all her different roles. In fact, it is into the flow, and feels comfortable the Twenty~4 amassed incredible from this concept that the watch in all situations." attention, and Patek Philippe was takes its name. From there, the And, judging by the numbers, inundated with orders, resulting in advertising program fell into place. it must be the perfect watch for all a waiting list of 2,000 people in the With an ingenious tag line— twenty-four hours. Just three and a United States alone! "Who will you be in the next 24 half years later, the Twenty~4 has The exceptional design of the hours?"—the ad campaign took achieved staggering success. Per- Twenty~4 was accompanied by an off. Marked by a young, modern, haps no other brand has reached equally alluring marketing pro- sexy appeal, the image campaign such phenomenal numbers in such gram. Indeed, Patek Philippe had embodied emotion. a short time with one watch. Not spent nearly as much time creating "Every woman knows that only did Patek Philippe achieve INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCHMARCH 2003 39 watchmakingHERITAGE its goal of a 60/40 split between provoking "Who will you be in the graphed by world-famous photog- men's and women's watches, but next 24 hours?" tag, the ads will rapher Peter Lindberg. it also brought the brand to new feature a beautiful twentysome- Today, the Twenty~4 col- heights never before imagined. As thing model whose image will not lection consists of a multitude expected, the Twenty~4 attracted be airbrushed at all. While this may of models, each with varying de- established customers (men buying seem insignificant, it is virtually grees of diamonds. The Twenty~4 it for women), but it also attracted unheard of in the world of image ranges in price from $6,800 retail new customers—women ages thirty advertising. Even the most stun- for a steel model with diamonds to and older were buying it for them- ning supermodels are airbrushed in approximately $20,000 for the 18- selves. the final advertising presentation. karat gold versions, and on up to In the first year that the Twen- However, Patek Philippe wants $85,000 for the entirely diamond ty~4 was launched, Patek Philippe's to appeal to real women—women pavéd watch. sales of ladies' watches increased who aren't airbrushed in the end. As of press time, the 2003 in- by more than 130 percent and has The new ads are being photo- troductions were still under wraps. enjoyed phenomenal growth ever since. In fact, the company proudly acknowledges that this was the sin- gle most successful product launch in the brand's illustrious history. This maker of complicated men's watches did it right every step of the way, from the decision to cre- ate a ladies' watch, to the annual new product unveilings. In 2000, Patek Philippe launch- ed the rose gold Twenty~4 and the scintillating Chocolate Dream (the rose gold watch with a rich choco- late dial). The following year, the company unveiled the Twenty~4 in 18-karat white gold and revealed a new petite-size Twenty~4. In 2002, Patek Philippe unleashed exquisite diamond pieces, including a model entirely adorned with 10 carats of flawless diamonds. Four years into its life, the Twenty~4 is receiving its second- generation marketing campaign. Following the lead of the first campaign—depicting a woman in a situation where one is not sure what she is doing or where she is going, donning beautiful shoes at the side of the bed, or simply look- ing over her shoulder in an elegant home setting—the campaign leaves something to the imagination. Still utilizing the thought- 40 MARCH 2003INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCH diversWATCHES Tag Heuer revolutionizes the Diver's Watch THe New 2000 AquAgRApH A BY PA U L LEDKE n expert in luxury sports watches and chronographs sional divers. The watch is powered tion). When moving through the since 1860, TAG Heuer by TAG Heuer's Caliber 60, an au- different decompression levels, the has become internationally rec- tomatic movement that displays the diver can set the chronograph and, ognized for its ability to combine chronograph minute hand in the thanks to the push buttons that are sophisticated design and durable center of the dial and not on a sub- functional to depths of 500 meters, materials with precision and reli- dial, thus enabling instant read-off can view at a glance the number ability. Over the years, the company of the minutes—a key asset to any of minutes elapsed. has drawn inspiration from sports diver's watch. Based on the ETA Another remarkable feature of when designing and manufactur- 2892-A2 caliber with Dubois De- the 2000 Aquagraph is the ultra- ing timepieces that are consistently praz module 2073, specially made secure unidirectional rotating bezel. more functional and efficient, from To ensure maximum security when the first modern Olympic Games diving, TAG Heuer has developed in the 1920s to today's Formula 1 a unique and patented auto-lock World Championships. rotating bezel system which avoids First launched in 1982, the any risk of the diver turning it ac- 2000 Series asserted itself as a cidentally in either direction. Even new reference among luxury sports if his arm hits a rock, the reference watches with its powerful design, points will not be thrown out and unidirectional rotating bezel, the diver can enjoy unrestricted scratch-resistant sapphire crystal, freedom of movement. Water- screw-in crown, water resistance resistant to 500 meters, the watch to 200 meters, luminous hands and also includes a screw-locked crown hour-markers and bracelet with with safety indicator and an auto- double safety clasp. matic helium valve. Today, twenty years after the for TAG Heuer, the 46-jewel Cali- Fitted with a steel bracelet or introduction of the 2000 Series, ber 60 boasts a frequency of 28,800 rubber strap, the 2000 Aquagraph TAG Heuer has unveiled the 2000 bph and a 42-hour power reserve. is available with a full kit of acces- Aquagraph, an innovative and The 2000 Aquagraph is truly sories, including a rubber exten- functional high-tech chronograph exceptional in that it allows the sion for wear over a wet suit, spare designed for professional diving. wearer to utilize the chronograph wristband bars, tools for changing Created to meet the most function under water (most diver's the strap/bracelet and a padi diving extreme underwater demands, the chronographs should not be acti- card. Suggested retail is $2,800. C 2000 Aquagraph was conceived vated under water because of po- and developed by and for profes- tentially harmful water penetra- 42 MARCH 2003INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCH handMADE Sirtoli Shows a Little Skin Quality straps keep your wristwatch in style I ntricately involved in the leather industry since the 1800s, Sirtoli ventured into the business of watch straps just four years ago. Remarkably, this of the three are very small fam- ily-owned and operated shops that have been around since the 1930s. young brand has quickly made a All of the alligator and name for itself in replacement crocodile skins Sirtoli uses are watch straps. carefully hand-selected from "We provide our customers among the best in the world. with a wide variety of straps in After the delicate procedure different styles, colors and sizes, of tanning the skins is complete, concentrating on replacement the actual production can begin. straps for finer timepieces," ex- The first step is agate polishing, plains Sirtoli owner Lou Amag- which lets the scales be polished nostopolous. "For example, our and pressed naturally with only popular Angelo model comes in an agate sphere. (Because of its five different lug widths, from 16 toxicity, varnish cracks the skin mm to 20 mm. There are seven and can ruin the grain of the different combinations of lug/ leather.) buckle width. When that is mul- After the skins are polished, tiplied by five colors that makes they are cut by highly skilled ex- for thirty-five combinations. And perts. When dealing with croco- when shorts and longs are added dile skin, it is very important to in, another twenty combinations choose the position carefully, are available. From there, we can since the pattern of the grain add the fifteen combinations of- needs to be consistent from one fered with curved ends. Finally, side of the strap to the other. later this year we will offer this During the stripping phase, model in a choice of matching or BY GREG KINKEAD the thickness of the skin is re- contrasting stitching making for duced significantly in order to a total of 125 possible combina- create a well-balanced strap. tions available just for the Angelo. according to Amagnostopolous), This is an extremely delicate opera- And if that's not enough, it is also crocodile, ostrich, shark, and it has tion and must be carried out with offered in custom sizes, stitching, just recently added a few calfskin expert skill. lengths and anything else the cus- models. The company currently The edges of the straps are tomer may want!" employs three different manufac- then colored by hand using only Sirtoli offers straps made of turers: one in Italy, another in Ger- nontoxic dyes. This procedure al- alligator (by far the most popular many and a third in Barcelona. Two lows the surfaces and lining to be 46 MARCH 2003INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCH handMADE joined correctly so that the edge of exclusive online retailer, we believe strap model, size and color and let the strap becomes more compact, that customer service must consis- the customer have the final say in thus adding to longevity. tently be above and beyond what the actual strap they are getting. Another painstaking procedure it is in a typical brick and mortar Since we are strictly an Internet involves matching the long and store." provider of straps we cannot let a short ends of the straps. Every skin "I would say half of the emails customer go through our inven- takes color differently, and scale size we receive go something like, 'I tory to pick the exact strap he has and type vary considerably, even have an xyz watch with a stainless in mind, so it's important that we within an inch or two on any given steel case and white dial… what do offer all of these options. Along skin. To deliver a consistent prod- you recommend?' This customer with making recommendations, we uct, every piece that bears the Sirtoli never gets an answer like, 'go with also have an extremely liberal re- name is sorted and matched by hand an Angelo in black.' Instead, we turn policy where any strap can be for scale continuity and color. ask important questions: What returned at any time providing it is The final step in Sirtoli's pro- color are the markers and hands? in unworn condition." duction process is quality control. How will the watch be worn, ca- With prices ranging from Not a single strap is sent to market sually or for dressier occasions? Do $29.95 for the calfskin Carlo strap to before the final quality inspection you prefer a matte, satin or shiny $162.50 for the new Nikos alligator to ensure that every watch strap is finish? What straps have you had skin strap, the Sirtoli collection of- consistent with the original design on the watch in the past and why fers consumers a great value for their using incredibly strict tolerances. did you like or dislike them? On an money. "We offer the best value in "The number one reason Sirtoli alligator strap, do you like the ap- high-end watch straps," says Amag- has been so well received is our pearance of large or small scales? In nostopolous. "Very few straps can be attention to customer service," ex- many cases we scan and send several compared in quality to our upper- plains Amagnostopolous. "As an examples from stock of the same end straps at any price. Our market research has consistently shown that Extra stitching on the ends and keepers make for a more durable strap. when straps of similar quality can be found, they are priced at 40 percent to 60 percent more. Most shops seem to carry black and brown in 18 mm and 20 mm of the really expensive straps. Shorts and longs can be difficult if not impossible to find in local retailers—let alone a 19-mm short with curved ends and white stitching in burgundy!" Interestingly enough, the most viewed section of the company's website is the customer-submitted photos of their watches with Sirtoli straps attached. "We have received countless emails saying that they based their purchase on the photo of a certain watch in the gallery, many explaining that they would have never thought of that combi- nation but fell in love with it when they saw it," says Amagnostopolous. C 48 MARCH 2003INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCH INNOVATION CoRuM's MeCHAniCAl MARvels The innovative brand wows the watchmaking world yet again BY MEGAN LIVOLSI w i t h each new horological c r e - ation, Corum seems to amaze the watchmaking world with its daring and unconventional designs. Consumers and retailers alike have come to expect the unexpected from this young, innovative brand, and its latest creations do not disappoint. Corum's new Hand-Painted Floral Heure sautante (or Jumping Hour) watch is a beautiful piece of art in its own right. inspired by the deco- rative art of the eighteenth century, the colorful flower pattern on the dial is hand- painted lacquer in the same meticulous tech- niques used by accomplished Russian miniature painters. no two dials are exactly alike, ensuring that each wearer owns a truly unique timepiece. INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCHMARCH 2003 51 INNOVATION On the dial of the Floral Heure Sautante, a single hand turns to show the passing minutes while the instantaneous jump hour appears through an aperture at 12 o'clock and a small seconds hand is dis- played at 6 o'clock. Produced in a limited edition of ten white gold and ten yellow gold pieces, the Floral Heure Sautante is a member of Corum's oversized Corum's magnificent Tourbillon Classical line, measuring a bold saphir is equipped with a 42 mm and featuring a curved case- manual-wind movement entirely back and a domed sapphire crystal. crafted in sapphire. The brand's first Inside the watch beats Corum's foray into transparent timekeeping unique "jumping hour" movement, was the la Mystériuse (inset), which was introduced in 1998. a tonneau Jaquet J7370 automatic movement with a 42-hour power reserve that was specially crafted by Corum's expert watchmakers. Fitted with a full-grain croco- dile-skin strap, the Floral Heure Sautante is set with sixty-nine Sapphire bridges and plates, 1000, without the slightest addition diamonds (totaling 2.087 carats) which have been reduced to a mere of other metals. The meticulous ma- and retails for $31,250 in 18-karat 0.3 mm, are mounted on metal pil- chining process called for special bu- yellow gold and for $36,250 in 18- lars. Polished, beveled and circular- rins in micro-crystalline diamonds, karat white gold. grained by hand in the finest Swiss since no metal tool could have stood In 1998, Corum wowed the watchmaking tradition, each com- up to the task. watchmaking world with the in- ponent of the mechanism is open- Featuring a transparent sap- troduction of La Mystériuse (fea- worked and strategically positioned phire dial with blued steel hands, tured in IWW #43). This transpar- to enable light to illuminate the the Tourbillon Saphir boasts an ex- ent tourbillon, featuring plate and moving parts, all of which appear hibition caseback and is fitted with bridges carved in sapphire, was a as if suspended in midair. With an a full-grain crocodile-skin strap world first in the Haute Horlogerie impressive 110-hour power reserve with platinum folding clasp. sector. Driven by creative passion (truly exceptional for such a com- On special request, the Tour- and the perpetual quest for new plex mechanism), the movement billon Saphir may be clad in any challenges, company president boasts a frequency of 21,600 bph number of Haute Joaillerie ver- Severin Wunderman and his expert and features blued steel screws. sions. Watches set with diamonds, watchmakers recently took their The Tourbillon Saphir's 40-mm rubies, sapphires or emeralds can be exploration of transparent time- case is crafted in 1000 platinum, matched with a movement in the keeping to even greater heights marking another impressive accom- same color as the precious stones, with the unveiling of the magnifi- plishment from Corum since only thereby personalizing all facets of cent platinum Tourbillon Saphir. 950 platinum had thus far been used this exceptional watch. This extraordinary technical in order to meet the demands of ma- A true marvel in transparency, and aesthetic accomplishment is chining. Alloyed with other metals, the Tourbillon Saphir is produced equipped with a 20-jewel manual- 950 platinum was easier to "tame", in a limited series of just twenty- wind Caliber 372.1.2 movement but now Corum has succeeded in five pieces each year. Suggested entirely crafted in sapphire. mastering this mineral at 999.99 of retail is $100,000. C 52 MARCH 2003INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCH INSPIRATION Breitling Pays tribute to flight BY JORDAN A. ROTHACKER T he advent of flight has af- fected the lives of everyone in the world in some way. Most people living right now were born and raised with the concept of piloting a heavier-than-air ma- chine across the sky as a given and not just some dream of scientists and artists. It has brought some de- gree of change to the lives of every- one even if they have never flown. The ability to travel great distances swiftly through the air has helped link the world, making our planet a global community in ways that 54 MARCH 2003INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCH INSPIRATION mere sea or land travel never could. With the magnitude that this innovation has brought to the lives of all comes the memory of the two men that embody the spirit of invention that made flight possible, the Wright Brothers. This coming December marks the tieth century with the style of this airplane Flyer I, along with the centennial anniversary of Orville watch. words "100 Years of Aviation" in and Wilbur Wright's triumphant The steel case of the Montbril- French followed by 1903-2003. flight, and it is an opportunity for lant 1903 has a beaded rotating be- While the captivating appear- all to celebrate. zel controlling a circular slide rule ance of the Montbrillant 1903 grabs Taking strides to lead the cel- as used on the first chronographs a the eye, the chronograph movement ebration in its own distinct way half century ago, an essential tool entices the mind. Assembled in the is Breitling, a company that has for pilots until electronics were em- Breitling Chronometrie workshops, made it its mission since the rise ployed. Beneath the cambered sap- the brand-exclusive Caliber 35 of air travel to provide timepieces phire crystal, which is glare-proofed is a self-winding, high-frequency to assist in flight. They have used on both sides, is a two-toned dial (28,800 bph), 38-jewel, chronom- their ultraprecise skill and crafts- that clearly demarcates between the eter-certified movement. The chro- manship and put their appreciation inner timekeeping circle and the nograph mechanism has a flyback of aviation into one magnificent outer logarithmic scales. The Ara- function and subdials for ten-minute timepiece, appropriately named bic indexes are luminescent along totalizing, in the 9 o'clock position, the Montbrillant 1903. At first with the hour, minutes and fly- and quarter-second measurements glance, the Montbrillant 1903 is a back hands. A grooved screw-down in the 3 o'clock position. watch that makes visual reference crown, which keeps the case wa- Available in a limited series to a not-so-distant past where the ter-resistant to 30 meters, bears the of 100 pieces, the watch comes in newly tapped potential of air travel Breitling symbol and is found be- steel, and 18-karat yellow, rose or was exciting and dangerous work. tween the chronograph buttons. On white gold. At press time, the pric- Breitling captures the aesthetic the back of the case can be found a es had not yet been determined for common in the middle of the twen- silhouette of the Wright Brother's this handsome, functional and wor- 56 MARCH 2003INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCH SPONSORSHIP Setting Sail With Setting Sail With Audemars Piguet Audemars Piguet BY MEGAN LIVOLSI The Royal Oak Offshore Alinghi 2003 Commemorative Edition E stablished in 1851, Ameri- ca's Cup is the world's most prestigious sailing event, combining a strong sense of tradi- tion with technological innovation perienced skipper Russell Coutts, Bertarelli has built up a 100-strong team of yachtsmen, constructors and scientists who are among the and expert sportsmanship. finest in their respective fields of Faithful to its passion for sail- expertise. ing, Audemars Piguet has chosen "Audemars Piguet and the once again to associate with Team America's Cup share common val- Alinghi of Switzerland for the sec- ues, especially this expert blend ond year in a row. Under the lead- of tradition and innovation," says ership of young Swiss entrepreneur Audemars Piguet president Georg- Ernesto Bertarelli, Team Alinghi is es-Henri Meylan. currently competing against reign- To commemorate this unique ing defender Team New Zealand sponsorship, Audemars Piguet has in the America's Cup 2003, being introduced the Royal Oak Offshore held in the Hauraki Gulf off the Alinghi, which not only perpetuates coast of New Zealand. Around ex- the values on which the Royal Oak 58 MARCH 2003INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCH SPONSORSHIP has built its success but also gives sistant to 100 meters. The case and it the extreme sports dimension bracelet are crafted in titanium, an characteristic of the Offshore col- extremely durable metal that is lection. both lightweight and corrosion- Designed to stand up to the resistant while the octagonal toughest conditions, the Royal bezel is fashioned in 950 plati- Oak Offshore Alinghi is water-re- num, which is stainless, stable This highly decorated automatic movement powers the new Royal Oak Offshore Alinghi. touch of elegance, the Alinghi logo and the inscription "Alinghi Com- memorative Edition America's Cup 2003" are stamped on the caseback, which is secured with eight screws. Produced in a limited edition of 750 pieces, the watch is equipped with the 37-jewel 2229/2845 auto- matic movement. Composed of no less that 257 parts and measuring 26 mm in diameter and 4.85 mm thick, the movement boasts a frequency of 28,800 bph and a 40-hour power and more resistant than gold. reserve. All parts are decorated by The functions of the Offshore hand, with circular graining on the Alinghi have been designed to en- plate and Côtes de Genève decora- sure optimal readability. The hands tion on the bridges and bars. and hour-markers are luminous and Created in 1875 by Jules-Louis their sizes have been enlarged to Audemars and Edward-Auguste enhance visibility in low-light situ- Piguet in the Swiss village of Le ations. With its extra-large tapestry Brassus, Audemars Piguet is one of pattern, the dial plays on the con- the most prestigious brands in the trasts between black, white and watchmaking industry, currently the flaming-red Alinghi logo on holding a record number of world the calendar subdial. firsts in the field of complex watch In addition to revealing the mechanisms. hours and minutes, the Royal At the time this article went Oak Offshore Alinghi displays a to press, Team Alinghi had won second time-zone on a subdial at the first three races (there are nine 6 o'clock in addition to a date display races altogether) and had a total of at 2 o'clock and a power-reserve 3 points. C indicator at 9 o'clock. For an added 60 MARCH 2003INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCH STYLEandDESIGN GB Enigma BY JACKIE L . DIETZ Gianni Bvlgari 's innovative brand introduces its latest creations H aving grown up in the luxury industry, Gianni Bvlgari knew firsthand what it takes to launch a new watch brand. So in 1986, the former CEO Geneva in accordance with the rig- orous standards of the Swiss watch- making industry, and each piece carries its own production number engraved on the side of the case. Gianni Bvlgari introduced the Enigma brand and chief designer of the world- re- "Our biggest markets are pre- in 1989 with the nowned Bvlgari Corporation re- sently Spain, Italy and the Middle launch of his jump-hour BiTime leased his shareholdings to his two East," says Patrick Sieff, Enigma's watches (above). brothers in order to pursue his own director of marketing. "However, we creative endeavors. In 1989, he are looking seriously toward other founded the Enigma brand in Neu- markets and are making plans to four sizes (27, 33, 38 and 42 mm); châtel, Switzerland, and introduced augment our distribution." all are available with leather, alliga- his mechanical BiTime watches, Enigma's current watch collec- tor, rubber or steel bracelets. which combined innovative design tion comprises three distinct lines: The 27- and 33-mm versions with the jumping-hour feature. C'Pillar, Spyder and Bezel Manual are powered by a Swiss ETA quartz Today, Enigma remains an in- Winder. The core of the Enigma movement with date function. dependent watch and jewelry com- collection is centered around the Crafted in stainless steel or 18-karat pany that has gained international C'Pillar line. Characterized by a gold, they can be set with diamonds acclaim in just fourteen short years. bracelet that inspired its name for an added touch of elegance. All Enigma watches are made in (Caterpillar), C'Pillar is offered in An antireflective sapphire crystal 64 MARCH 2003INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCH STYLEandDESIGN Equipped with a special winding system patented by Enigma, Bezel Manual Winder is one of the few watches in the world that is wound by rotating the bezel. protects the minimalist dial that available, limited to 100 numbered features luminous hands and index- pieces. Featuring a screw-down es, and a date display at 3 o'clock. crown and ensured water resistance Water-resistant to 100 meters, each to 100 meters, the C'Pillar 42 boasts case is individually numbered. a luminous, easy-to-read dial under C'Pillar's 38-mm model is an antireflective sapphire crystal. offered with either a Swiss ETA Spyder II is one of Enigma's quartz or automatic mechanical classic ladies' collections. Today it movement. Available in a number is enhanced by a new dial to com- of different versions, including a plement the steel and diamond- These three C'Pillar models include (from quartz-powered model with date, set case that houses a Swiss ETA top) a GMT automatic, a 42-mm automatic an automatic chronograph, an quartz movement and is fitted with with date display and a functional chrono- automatic with date, and a GMT a matching steel bracelet or a fine graph version. The ladies' Spyder II (below) automatic, the watch is offered in leather strap. is available with or without diamonds and is fitted with a steel bracelet or a colorful stainless steel or 18-karat gold and Bezel Manual Winder is one of leather strap. also has the option of being set the few watches in the world that with diamonds. Water-resistant to is wound by rotating the bezel. In- 100 meters, the C'Pillar 38 features troduced in 1998, this innovative a screw-down crown, antireflective watch is equipped with a special- sapphire crystals front and back ized winding system patented by (for mechanical models) and a lu- Enigma and features a power re- minous, highly legible dial. serve indicator at 3 o'clock and a C'Pillar's imposing 42-mm small seconds hand at 6 o'clock. model is crafted in stainless steel Next up for Enigma is the and is powered by a Swiss ETA au- highly anticipated Gropius watch, tomatic mechanical movement, which will be launched at the Basel visible through the sapphire exhibi- Fair 2003. Look for Enigma's latest tion caseback. A special edition of creation in IWW's Basel Review this watch in blackened steel is also this summer. C 66 MARCH 2003INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCH collectingRARITIES New Vintage BreitliNgs BY GARY GEORGE T he world of watch collect- ing, like many other fields of collecting, has its eye constantly on the future. Wrist- watch collectors are often not even thought of as possessors but as cus- todians of something that is to be held for future generations. A qual- ity wristwatch is easily considered an investment, manufactured with care and precision to stand the test of time. As time passes and watch companies rise and fall and watch lines evolve, the individual watch- es carry on a life of their own and their values develop accordingly. It is up to the collector to have a mind for such possibilities and to feel out the market as to where oth- ers have made such preparations, with present day auctions the final proving ground for value. In a brilliant act of faith for the future of watch collecting, Willy Breitling had saved 3,000 watches from a public auction and had put them away in a time capsule to wait out the quartz revolution. What follows is a watch collector's dream come true. Five years ago (IWW #37) we told the world that Ron Geweni- ger of Old World Jewelers, in Oak A sampling of Geweniger's new vintage Breitlings. Bottom right: These three watches Brook, Illinois, purchased 1,500 (which never made it to market) represent Breitling's experiments with lacquered Breitling watches from the estate finishes and different case treatments. 68 MARCH 2003INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCH collectingRARITIES The Breitling Chronomatic models (above) feature an unusual placement of the chronograph coun- ters. Below are three more pieces from Geweniger's latest acquisition. of Joseph Iten of Zurich. Mr. Iten opportunity like no other. After was the owner of 1,500 of the 3,000 all, how often does a modern col- Breitling watches that had been lector get the chance to own a new, stowed away by Willy Breitling authentic Breitling, with factory before his death in 1996 (and the stickers, produced over thirty years temporary closing of the company ago? And another fine side effect in 1979). An unnamed German of this fortuitous occurrence is that buyer bought the balance of the all of the watches have a great retro watches. 1970's style to them, a look that has Ron Geweniger has recently made a remarkable comeback in purchased the remaining 1,500 Geweniger and Old World Jewelers, recent years. watches from the German buyer, these long-lost Breitling watches are If you want a thirty-year head and he is now the sole owner of the available to interested collectors. start on collecting a big name entire original collection of the Bre- Billed as "New Old Stock," this is mechanical watch, these New Old itling watches that Willy Breitling truly an unprecedented event in Stock Breitlings represent a once in stashed away. In the hands of Mr. the international watch industry, an a lifetime opportunity. C 70 MARCH 2003INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCH sportsWATCHES At Home on the Track and Underwater with Chase-Durer BY JORDAN A. ROTHACKER W hen it comes to in- tense situations and extreme sports, Chase- Durer makes watches for every occasion. Known for extensive pro- duction and design in the highly competitive field of pilot's watches, this young company has also held its own in the creation of wrist- watches for deep-sea diving and high-speed racing. At this year's upcoming Basel Fair, Chase-Durer will be presenting its newest mod- stunning design and extreme func- signed bidirectional rotating bezel els in both of these high-intensity tionality. In a blackened stainless surrounding the bold watch face fields. These watches work well as steel case measuring 44 mm, the displays a tachymetric scale. A sap- professional equipment or as an ac- Trackmaster has a formidable ap- phire crystal reveals a black dial cessory for enthusiasts of any level. pearance. Inside is an ETA 251.262 with large indexes, large hands and For those interested in racing quartz chronograph move-ment to three subdials, the top two bright- comes the F-1 Trackmaster Pro, a power the multiple functions nec- ened by a yellow perimeter like the chronograph wristwatch offering a essary for racing. The specially de- one around the dial. Arabic numer- 72 MARCH 2003INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCH sportsWATCHES als in the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock an engraved rotor representing positions, rectangular hour indexes the Chase-Durer logo. Details on and the hour and minute hands the Abyss 1000 Professional, along are all illuminated by SuperLumi- with a serial number, are engraved nova, which, along with their size, around the back display window. allow them to be more readable Equipped with a Chase-Durer five- for the split-second glances while year limited international warranty, driving. The top two subdials are the Abyss 1000 Professional has a for 12-hour elapsed time readings suggested retail price of $795. C and readings down to one tenth of a second respectively, while the bottom subdial is for running sec- onds. The blackened stainless steel bracelet is fitted with a double security deployment buckle. The Chase-Durer logo is embossed on the caseback along with indication that the watch is water-resistant to a depth of 660 feet. Each numbered piece comes with a Chase-Durer five-year limited international war- ranty. The F-1 Trackmaster Pro can be purchased for the suggested retail price of $750. In the realm of diving watches Chase-Durer is now taking its cus- tomers down deep in style with the Abyss 1000 Professional, the most recent successor to the popu- lar Abyss 1000. The namesake is derived from this timepiece's abil- ity to stay water-resistant down to depths of 1000 feet. This watch is also 44 mm in stainless steel and is fitted with a double security de- ployment buckle, useful for wear over a wet suit. A state-of-the-art bezel, with large embossed and pol- ished Arabic numerals, surrounds a sapphire crystal over the black dial with equally large Arabic numerals in the 12, 6 and 9 o'clock positions. The numerals and indexes on the dial along with the large hands are covered in SuperLuminova for greater deep-sea readability. The back of the case is see-through re- vealing the 25-jewel, Swiss ETA 2428 automatic movement with INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCHMARCH 2003 73 REFLECTIONonTIME Out of the blu BY ELIZABETH DOERR B e R N H A R d L e d e R e R 'S tA k e O N M e C H A N i C A L wAtC H M A k i N g C orcelles is a sleepy little Swiss village nestled in the hills overlooking the very picturesque Lake Neuchâtel. The next village over is Peseux, once Perhaps we can shed some light on these mysterious questions by taking a look at Lederer's history. Born near Stuttgart, Germany, in 1958, Lederer developed an intense the home of the famous manually interest in all things mechanical as wound mechanisms of the same a boy. A pair of pocket watches name now manufactured by move- from his grandfathers and a wall ment giant ETA. clock that he dared to dismantle led The atelier on the upper floor to a certain frustration that egged of a historical building bearing him on to study all of the literature the name Chottière on Corcelles's on watchmaking that was avail- main street overlooks the lake. In able to him. This in turn led to an warm weather the moon reflects apprenticeship at the Museum of upon the smooth mirror of the wa- Bernhard Lederer at work in blu's work- Historical Watches and Clocks in ter's surface with a dazzling clarity. shop located in Corcelles, a suburb of Wuppertal, Germany, where he In the winter this charming body of Neuchâtel, Switzerland. learned to restore and reconstruct water turns secretive, enveloped in historical clocks and watches. a mysterious shroud of fog typical Much of this work involved his of this region. Rather, they represent the culmi- self-taught ability for producing a These environmental opposites nation of a distinct philosophy and missing or irreparable component also describe blu–source du temps's accompanying technology in perfec- for a timepiece as needed by hand. timepieces (and their creator) to a tion. Soon he was using his talent to cre- tee. Sometimes transparent, some- What is time? What does it ate his own interpretations of time. times furtive, always emotional, personally mean to each one of us? Merely reproducing someone else's these timepieces are the product of These are the type of questions blu interpretations, regardless how a lifetime of reflection and intense owner Bernhard Lederer has asked masterful, was no longer satisfying. horological study. Despite their himself all his life. The watches he Upon becoming a master watch- unique design, blu's products are no creates are a graphic representation maker in 1984, Lederer opened a Johnnies-come-lately, and they are of his take on the answer to these small shop near Frankfurt that by no means trendy fashion pieces. questions. specialized in the restoration and 74 MARCH 2003INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCH blu Moonlight, from the Planet col- lection, is exquisitely executed with a graphite-colored mother-of-pearl dial, a diamond-set subdial and a sapphire-set "hand." the time on the watch reads exactly 2 o'clock. REFLECTIONonTIME repair of vintage watches and inarguably contains many of the sion that could not be produced clocks. But he also realized his own industry's most creative minds elsewhere. He brought in parts that constructions during this period. producing some of the world's most he could not make himself, such as All of Lederer's early clocks have amazing timepieces. crystals and straps. The experience one characteristic in common: The But soon destiny stepped in, and frustration borne of working movements are completely visible, causing Lederer to step out for a with the few suppliers needed for protected from intrusions only by while and examine his true com- the Time Dimension would prove a transparent pane. One great ex- mitment to watchmaking and his key in his work with blu almost a ample of this is 1986's Perpetual, ideals. On the way to exhibiting decade later. a table clock with a moon phase with the ahci at the Basel Fair in Hans Donner would also prove display so ingeniously constructed 1993, Lederer was involved in a to be an important connection for that it will only visibly deviate car accident that severely damaged Lederer, complementing him per- from the actual phase of the moon some and completely destroyed fectly with his modern design ca- several centuries from now. Or put others of the precious masterpieces pabilities and excellent contacts another way: The Perpetual is five in the automobile. These master- within his adopted country. Don- times as precise as the world-fa- pieces had taken years and all of ner came to Brazil from his home- mous astronomic clock located in his financial resources to create. land of Austria with a multitude of the Strasbourg cathedral. Inwardly crushed and in financial ideas and talent. Shortly thereafter Propelled by this creative en- disarray, he gave up his workshop, he began designing for the fourth- ergy, Lederer joined the Academie selling all of his machines but one, largest television company in the Horlogere Des Createurs Indepen- and reorienting himself. Some world at the time, Globo TV. dants (ahci) at its founding in 1985. time later, purely by chance, he Globo, Brazil's largest entertain- Called to life by an Italian and was flipping through the German ment corporation, also happened a Danish watchmaker living in watch magazine ArmbandUhren to be the main promoter of the Switzerland, this prestigious group at a friend's house when he hap- South American country's 500th pened upon an article describing anniversary of discovery. One of Austrian/Brazilian designer Hans the company's celebratory projects Donner and his watch, the Time consisted of a set of twenty-seven Dimension. Sensing that the disks clocks that measured over fourteen used to tell the time on the dial yards in height and eight yards in were displaced, and feeling the old width, strategically placed in Bra- flame of horological invention re- zil's state capitals as well as the na- turn, he contacted Hans Donner, tional capital, Brasilia. Hans Don- and a historical cooperation was ner designed these monumental born. Lederer made a prototype for clocks, reaching out to his partner Donner using the one machine he in mechanics Bernhard Lederer to had saved from his shop. take over the direction of this truly That very same year, Lederer gigantic project. The clocks spent opened a new workshop in the three years counting down the time German city of Aschaffenburg. Al- until the celebration on April 22, though he continued to restore and 2000. Lederer spent this time jet- rebuild antique horological treasures ting between Germany and Brazil, there, his main task was producing overseeing the horological projects the Time Dimension, something he he had going in both countries. did by hand. And it was here that As the Brazilian project was the 1986 Perpetual was a table clock with he got a first taste of working with drawing to a close for him in 1998, a moon phase display so ingeniously con- structed by Lederer that it would only vis- suppliers, an undertaking almost as Lederer had also begun to define ibly deviate from the actual phase of the difficult as making watches com- the reflections on time that had moon several centuries from now. pletely by hand. Lederer personally begun for him with the fateful car made the parts for the Time Dimen- accident of 1993. He began to see 76 MARCH 2003INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCH REFLECTIONonTIME that, while his ideals and concepts a company employee, this was the were leading him in the direction compromise he felt he must enter he wanted to be going, the way that into in order to achieve the results his workshop was set up was hinder- he required for the completion of ing his actual creativity. Personally his ideas. producing every piece by hand, Lederer embodies the magical though praiseworthy, was not the rainbow bridge between produc- way to create what he needed. tion and design, two areas of man- As Lederer was beginning to ufacturing that have never gotten realize these thoughts for himself, along well in any watch company. they became concrete for him The art is in the communication, through outside sources. To start and since he is strongly involved the new millennium and his new in both departments, this aspect independence of thought, Leder- runs smoothly—resulting in a har- er became involved in two very mony between design and technol- important projects. One was the ogy that is almost unachievable for founding of the Goldpfeil collec- others, and a face that unmistak- tion, and the other was to become ably represents this company, both blu's galaxy model utilizes a disk sys- the center of his life: The founding tem to rotate the diamond-set "hands." human and mechanical. of blu–source du temps. the unusually attractive dial is made of Lederer's concept of time is dif- The Goldpfeil collection (fea- an equally unusual material: goldstone, a ferent from most people's. Most gra- tured in IWW #54) celebrated the type of aventurine glass. phic representations of time are a creativity of seven ahci members, never-ending straight line. He, on each producing works in their own the other hand, sees time as a never- style, yet united under the roof of one Swiss watch industry for sometime, ending circle. collection. Each of the seven mem- became blu's marketing director. As Lederer rightly points out, bers created an individual watch as The two work exceptionally well watches no longer need to fulfill part of the standing collection and together, complementing each other the original goal of watchmaking: one unique piece to be auctioned with ideas and flowing communica- absolute precision. Today we have off after traveling the world as an tion. Blu has become their passion, this type of precision everywhere exhibition. This collection marked an exceptionally emotional part of we look—on quartz and radio-con- Bernhard Lederer's first wristwatch their lives, and the result of a great trolled watches as well as on our to be produced in series, and also the deal of very hard work. cellphones and computers. "Today first wristwatch produced completely At this time blu–source du mechanical watches are more or according to his own ideas. temps's extraordinary products are less frivolities. Time no longer has But the most radical change in being introduced to twelve differ- anything to do with what watch- Lederer's vocation occurred when ent markets spanning the globe. making contemporarily tries to he established blu–source du temps It goes without saying that the sell us. Time is emotional. Time in Switzerland in the year 2000. quality is exceptional—Bernhard has nothing to do with what is dis- The company's founding was based Lederer would never settle for less. played on a watch." on his ideas and his recognition of But even more extraordinary is For Lederer, time is personal the fact that a one-man show just the philosophy behind these time- and intimate. "Time passes as quick- wasn't the appropriate method for pieces, a philosophy that Lederer ly as the mood I am currently in. him. At this point, Lederer agreed has pondered for most of his adult With my timepieces, I try to restore to become the company's techni- life. "I've been here for about two a piece of this beauty for others." cal director and move to Switzer- and a half years now. I almost feel In the second part of our in- land together with his Polish-born like I was locked in a box before depth story on blu–source du wife, Ewa Pietal Lederer. Ewa, who blu." Even though he has given temps in the May issue of Interna- had already been working in the up his independence in becoming tional Wristwatch, we will discover 78 MARCH 2003INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCH BY ROBERTA NAAS Michele Watches This young, family-run brand is taking America by storm T hree years ago, second- generation watch vet- eran Jack Barouh and his two children brought a new timepiece—and a strong new con- stormed onto the U.S. watch scene with a gusto. Based on the concept that a timepiece is an expression of an indi- cept—to America. Offering bold, vidual's place in life—hobbies, fashion-forward watches bedecked status and dreams—Michele in diamonds reaped its rewards. Watches offered futuristic styling Today, MW by Michele Watches CSX Petite and sophisticated appeal. is one of the top-selling brands of Crafted of steel and intermixed diamond fashion watches sold by with diamonds, the timepieces in leading American luxury retailers. the collection feature interchange- The son of a European watch- able straps, offering versatility and maker, Barouh was raised in the a sense of marked difference. In- diamond and watch industry—and, fused with cutting-edge fashion like most brought up in this arena, appeal and definitive attitude, the he caught the fever. In 1985, he MW by Michele brand brought moved his family to Miami and a new level of worldliness to the established Michele Watches— American market. named for his daughter. He be- The first collection was the CSX gan selling his collection of inno- Diamond collection of sporty round vative timepieces in Latin Ameri- watches crafted in steel with a full ca and later developed a branding diamond bezel. The interchangeable and marketing strategy to bring the straps and the ability of the watch to collection to the U.S. market. go from day to night, from tennis It was in the autumn of 2000 courts to board rooms made it a hit. that Barouh, along with his son, Within the first year of business in Jeremy, and daughter, Michele, the United States, Michele Watches 80 MARCH 2003INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCH These exciting new Coquette Color watches, with an elongated rectangular shape, are set with sapphires and black diamonds for stunning appeal. garnered enormous attention, and brand by selecting it to be in the marketing strategy. Together, this embarked on expanding its sales to 2002 Presenter's Gift Box for the trio has built a highly successful leading retail jewelers. Golden Globe Awards. program. By 2002, the MW by Michele Today, Jack Barouh is president All Michele watches are de- Watches could be found in such of the successful fledgling firm and signed with the strictest atten- prestigious stores as Nordstrom, Michele Barouh acts as the direc- tion to detail of craftsmanship Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdale's, tor of creative development for and quality. Only the finest grade Sak's Fifth Avenue and Barneys. It the brand. In addition to working of surgical steel is used and when was also chocking the display cases with retailers in all of the brand's gold-plating is involved, Michele of numerous leading independent key markets around the world, Mi- Watches uses only 24-karat rose jewelry stores in America, Latin chele has worked tirelessly with or yellow gold. The interchange- America, Europe and the Middle her father and brother to develop able straps are offered in a variety East. The Hollywood Foreign Press an ingenious product line and a of materials, including farmed liz- Association even honored the comprehensive merchandising and ard, Louisiana crocodile, lacquered 82 MARCH 2003INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCH calfskins, ostrich and rubber. Of- ten the soft grain leather straps are is water-resistant to 30 meters. As a matter of fact, MW by Mi- embellished with silk or horsehair Another new watch is the chele is always evolving and, while accents for creative flair. CSX Petite series of sports watches. the company regularly moves for- Color plays a vital role in the Offered in a 26-mm case, this col- ward in design and styling, it none- timepieces, as they are meant to lection evolved from the brand's theless continues in the stylish, evoke a broad array of expressions, very first watch launch. individualistic inspiration venue moods and personalities. Straps are offered in bright tones, pastel hues and basic colors. Dials are of- ten mother-of-pearl in a painter's Michele's Deco Winter Trio pa-lette of colors or are enameled watches are rich with winter warmth, thanks to in a colorful array of etched or em- the natural-colored straps. bossed patterns. Round, square, tonneau, bar- rel, elongated rectangles and other intriguing case shapes grace the line. Indeed, new designs and styles are continuously unveiled to keep Michele Watches a step ahead of the world's changing fashions and to match all occasions. The MW watch series by Michele consists of the Co- quette Collection of elon- gated pillow-shaped watch- es, the bold square Urban line, the barrel- or round- shaped Sport series of alu- minum watches with col- orful rubber straps, and the CSX Collection of round watches, now offered in a Diamond series and a Petite series. There is also a cush- ion-cornered square collec- tion that is aptly named the Deco Collection. Among the newest pieces from Michele Watches is the Coquette Diamond collection, which offers a small seconds sub- dial at 6 o'clock and houses a Swiss movement. Its steel case is adorned with more than 150 diamonds and 84 MARCH 2003INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCH swissMADE Cyma New From BY JORDAN A. ROTHACKER For Gents and Ladies T here's a buzz in the Ameri- can watch market. In re- cent years a new name has arrived on our shores and at this time there are more than 800 jewelry stores approved to carry its products. The name Cyma may be new to the American consumer, but we are the last ones to jump on the bandwagon: Cyma has been sharing its unique timepieces with three continents for more than 140 years and now North America can be added to the list. From its humble beginnings in Le Locle, Switzerland, the heart of the Jura region, Cyma has per- severed over the years to remain a strong brand on the European mar- ket catering to the royal and the rich. It has developed a reputation for precision crafted automatic and Cyma's versatile Navy Star Skindiver for men can look just as good in the boardroom as it quartz wristwatches while remain- does when worn over a wet suit. ing one of the last privately owned watch companies. The brand's claim to fame was its wide selection of el- arrival to the American market, will be revealing exciting new prod- egant 14- and 18-karat gold ladies' Cyma provides an opportunity for ucts for three distinct markets that watches that ranged from the very the consumer to sport a watch that it has come to be associated with. traditional to elegant jewelry pieces not everyone is wearing. Revered for its fun and stylish set with diamonds. With its recent At this year's Basel Fair, Cyma women's timepieces the brand has 86 MARCH 2003INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCH swissMADE now added a new men's watch. The Navy Star Skindiver is a sleek black diver's watch that can easily be worn with evening wear. A unidirection- al rotating click-stop bezel catches the eye around the sapphire crystal covering the black dial. Hour, min- utes and sweep seconds hands are luminescent, as are the hour index- es. Set in a blackened steel case with a blackened steel bracelet the watch is kept water-resistant to 330 feet by a screw-down crown. The strap has a safety clasp and diver's extension for wear over a wet suit. The Navy Star Skindiver sells for a suggested retail price of $795. As shown in the October issue (#60), Cyma has added a new in- terpretation to its ladies' Colored Sapphire Prism line that it will be showing at the Basel Fair. A styl- The newest interpretation of Cyma's popular ish and creative way to look at Prism line features sapphire crystals in pink, blue wristwatch wearing, the Prism line and yellow. consists of innovative, fashion- forward watches that are equipped with quartz movements, are water- resistant to 100 feet and have den deployment clasp. that have numerous combinations stainless steel bracelets with hid- Always conscious of the role of of dial and leather band colors. accessorizing in wristwatch wearing The option of mother-of-pearl di- and purchasing, Cyma has made an als and diamond bezels can raise effort to add as much color to the the price on these tonneau-shaped process as possible. This initiative watches, which begin at $695 and goes hand in hand with its new can reach up to $3,000 retail. C line of Imperium LS quartz watches Right: Cyma has added a wide range of colored bands to its Imperium LS collection. Left: Fitted with an innovative mesh-link bracelet, this elegant 18-karat white gold ladies' model is just one of the stylish timepieces Cyma has come to be known for. INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCHMARCH 2003 87 affordableMECHANICS Mido BY KIM FERRARO F ounded in 1918 by Georg- es Schaeren, the Mido G. Schaeren & Co. AG watch factory in Solothurn has continued to successfully evolve within the Swiss watch industry. Is All Dial In the 1920s, the company's selection of elegant and colorful ladies' watches and sophisticated men's timepieces rapidly estab- lished the Mido brand name. p One of the brand's most impor- 88 MARCH 2003INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCH affordableMECHANICS tant milestones was the launch of readability by incorporating a dial case with sapphire crystal and a the Mido Multifort in 1934. Wa- that takes up as much space as pos- mineral crystal exhibition back. On ter-tight, antimagnetic and shock- sible in the watch. The dial, with the larger models, the movement is resistant, this watch provided the its graduated stages, is intended to equipped with an additional Glu- Mido brand with a totally new im- reflect the shape of the stairways cydur balance spring and is cosc- age and has served as a basis for of the Coliseum and diminish the certified guaranteeing maximum the development of all its watches, case edge. When viewed through accuracy. With its screw-down which have come to embody origi- its antireflective sapphire crystal, crown and caseback, the watch is nal design, extreme resistance and the wearer has the impression that water-resistant to 100 meters. Fea- utmost functionality. this watch consists of only the dial turing a day/date display at 3 o'clock, Mido's slogan, "Reflecting on and hands. the easy-to-read black dial boasts Time" has played a vital role in The All Dial is offered in two luminous hands and markers, which the development of its latest col- standard 38-mm models as well as allow for high legibility even in low lection, the All Dial watch line. three oversized 42-mm versions. light situations. Inspired by the Coliseum in Rome, The 25-jewel ETA 2836-2 automat- Fitted with a stainless steel which was built to ensure that all ic movement with 40-hour power bracelet with folding clasp or rub- spectators had the best possible reserve and a frequency of 28,800 ber strap, the Mido All Dial retails view, the All Dial seeks optimum bph is protected by a stainless steel for between $650 and $795. C 90 MARCH 2003INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCH unconventionalTIMEKEEPING Electronic Manufacture Ventura's revolutionary v-tec alpha BY ELIZABETH DOERR T he year 2003 has already been big for Ventura, ringing in the founding of the company's American subsidiary, Ventura USA, Inc. And this company con- tinues to make waves with the introduction of yet again something new. Digital watches aren't unexplored territory, but digital watches in the luxury segment of the watch industry certainly are, and the brand-spanking-new digital watch that Ventura is now introducing is more than just new—it's novel. Pierre Nobs, founder and CEO of Ventu- ra, has a passion for mechanical watches. He loves the raw emotions that the mechanical renaissance has brought forth. He also adores good design, a fact illustrated by the numerous cooperations he has entered into with some of Europe's leading contemporary designers. He respects and enjoys the fact that good design lifts a product from the ranks of mass wares. But having an extensive background in elec- tronics and electronic watches, he recognizes the unending possibilities this technology of- fers. A good example is Ventura's watch from 1990, a quartz model that entered the market just when digital timepieces were being touted "throw away material." Nobs also has a passion for flow charts and functional relations, which inspired the idea for the Ventura v-tec alpha at the begin- ning of 2002. This was to be a revolutionary Ventura's v-tec alpha has been designed for the utmost in comfort. timepiece in the contemporary Swiss watch The case is made of Durinox, a stainless steel alloy that is premiering in the industry, with a place all its own and with- watch industry for the first time with this timepiece. 92 MARCH 2003INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCH unconventionalTIMEKEEPING out the need for comparison with Nobs has decided to enter new bracelet of the v-tec alpha are other products manufactured today territory with the development of made of Durinox, a hardened and in Switzerland. this timepiece in more than one scratch-resistant stainless steel simi- The freedom created by minus- respect. In addition to the pure de- lar to titanium in color that is being cule electronics also resulted in a sign and functional characteristics introduced to the watch industry liberty from design constraints, and that all of Ventura's watches dis- for the first time by Ventura. Water- Nobs turned to a trusted team to put play, this timepiece's quartz-pow- resistant to 30 meters, Ventura's lat- together Ventura's most technical ered movement represents a first in est creation will be available at your watch to date: In addition to Nobs's Switzerland: The battery-operated local retail shop in early summer software design, Hannes Wettstein mechanism has been entirely de- and will retail for approximately designed the watch's shape, Simon signed and constructed by Ventura. $1,000 on a strap and $1,200 on a Husslein the display and Tsuyoshi "We composed competence from Durinox steel bracelet. Kogoshi the engineering. The v-tec around the world and united it in Pierre Nobs is convinced that alpha's four creators communicated this movement," designer Hannes high-quality digital timepieces constantly with each other across Wettstein explains. While Ventura with interesting functions can be various parts of the globe for close purchases the mechanism's chip in successful in the near future. "Just to a year to complete and perfect Japan, all of the other components as analogue watches can be found their newest creation. are bought or specially made for in price classes from $10 to hun- Though some might find this the company in Switzerland. "We dreds of thousands of dollars, digital timepiece "futuristic '70s" in style, are breaking with convention and watches with relative value will be it displays several decidedly modern contextualizing ideas," he adds. able to find their place in a higher characteristics. Successfully com- The harmonious teamwork price segment. The fascinating bining wearer and user comfort, the has resulted in a product with clear thing about a Ventura digital watch v-tec alpha is outfitted with a scroll ergonomic advantages, a balanced is the freedom of design as a result cylinder, the concept of which is unity of the various levels, and a of missing requirements correlat- similar to a roller found on a good product characteristic of this brand. ing to the movements. We can and computer mouse. While the display's Although the design, the display, should reinvent and reconstruct upper line always shows the current and the electronic aspects of the the movement and functional ergo- time, the scroller can be used to timepiece were not linearly devel- nomics every time." In the future, change the function of the display's oped, but rather individually and Ventura plans to continue present- bottom line, allowing the wearer to simultaneously, this timepiece is ing both mechanical and electronic choose from the date, a second time coherent in its presentation and timepieces to its customers. Nobs's zone, an alarm, a chronograph and a is decidedly user-friendly. "The "electronic manufacture" is located countdown function. product itself knew fairly early in a suburb of Zurich, Switzerland. Pushing on the scroller sets the what it was going to become," C functions and keeping it depressed Wettstein adds. for three seconds allows the settings The intrinsic value of the time- to be adjusted. The patent-pend- piece becomes evident when it is ing EasySkroll system, as Ventura worn: The watch's solid feel has dubbed it, is without a doubt can only come from high- far easier to use when wearing the quality components, watch than a crown or pushers case material and a would be for this number of func- sapphire crystal. tions, adding to its already com- Indeed, the met- fortable ergonomics. Replacing the al itself is also a need for more than one button, the new presenta- main advantage is that the wearer tion in the needs no instruction booklet to be i n d u s t r y. able to use the v-tec alpha. The case a n d 94 MARCH 2003INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCH vintageSTYLE a new york state of mind Vintage watches from British Khaki Furniture creator, Robert Lighton BY MEGAN LIVOLSI The vintage-style Hudson is equipped with a finely decorated automatic movement. 96 MaRCH 2003INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCH vintageSTYLE A fter gaining internation- al acclaim for his sleek and stylish collection of British Khaki Furniture, Robert Lighton recently ventured into the watchmaking world with the intro- duction of the Robert Lighton New York collection in 2002 (featured in IWW #57). In the past year, the Robert Lighton line has quickly developed a reputation in the watch industry for its high quality and vintage de- signs. In fact in the United States, the collection is already available at London Jewelers in Long Is- land, New York, Chicago's Swiss Fine Timing, Manfredi Jewelers in Greenwich, Connecticut, and at select Neiman Marcus and Berg- dorf Goodman stores. The entire Robert Lighton line ranges in price from $1,975 to $20,000 for elegant diamond-set models. "The reaction to the Robert Lighton New York collection over the past year has been very encour- aging," says Lighton. "People who understand quality watchmaking are very enthusiastic about the line. Although we are just starting out, we have enjoyed immediate suc- cess that we can build on for the future." An avid watch collector and longtime resident of New York City, Lighton has used his discern- ing eye and keen sense of style to Housed in a develop an extraordinary collec- hexagonal case, tion of meticulously crafted time- these stylish Wharton models pieces for men and women, all are fitted with of which recall the elegance and colorful shagreen straps sophistication of early twentieth- in blue, century watchmaking and are in- green and pink. spired by New York landmarks. INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCHMaRCH 2003 97 vintageSTYLE Boasting extreme attention to detail, the Robert Lighton New York collection features classic shapes, quality Swiss movements, blued steel hands, sapphire crys- tals and three-part cases with un- adorned backs perfect for mono- gramming. Blending vintage style with bold modernity, all Robert Ligh- ton watches are presented in a handmade mahogany watch box, reminiscent of those from the early 1900s, which is fitted with engraved brass closures and is lined with velvet and satin in the designer's signature purple. "Over the past twenty years, the tradition of the small, independent watch designer has waned," explains Lighton. "I hope my collection will keep this tradition alive while it meets the needs of a growing num- ber of fine watch collectors and con- noisseurs from around the world." Crafted in 18-karat rose gold or sterling silver, the Hudson comes in a rounded square 34-mm case and is also available in a larger 38-mm size, both of which are fitted with an American alligator strap with custom buckle. The white baked- enamel dial boasts blued steel hands and a small seconds dial at 6 o'clock. Manufactured by Soprod exclusively for Robert Lighton New York, the 25-jewel automatic Popular with both men and women, movement is gilded with Côtes de the Algonquin is available with or Genève decoration and features without diamonds. blued screws. Strap options include shagreen and With its silvered and grained American alligator skin. easy-to-read dial, the Wharton exudes pure understated elegance. 98 MaRCH 2003INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCH vintageSTYLE Left: This quartz-powered Gramercy model is housed in an oval case that can be fitted with a diamond-pavéd bezel. Top: Measuring a robust 38 mm, the Empire is powered by an automatic movement and is reminiscent of watch- making styles in the early part of the twentieth century. an American alligator strap with custom buckle. Available with or without dia- monds, the Gramercy is housed in an unusual oval case that lies hori- zontally. Crafted in 18-karat yellow or rose gold or sterling silver the The 18-karat white or yellow gold silvered and grained dial with watch is equipped with a precision hexagonal case is available with a small seconds hand at 6 o'clock is a quartz movement and is fitted with diamond-pavéd bezel, while the 25-jewel automatic movement by an American alligator strap with crown is set with a blue cabochon Soprod that features Côtes de Ge- custom buckle. The silvered and (polished but not faceted) sapphire. nève decoration and blued screws. grained dial features blued steel Powered by a precision quartz The stylish Algonquin model hands and a small seconds dial at movement, the Wharton is offered is the perfect timepiece for today's 6 o'clock. with either a Rousette strap fitted fashion-forward woman and, ac- Offered in 18-karat rose or with custom buckle and cabochon cording to Lighton, has been popu- white gold or stainless steel, the sapphires or a stylish shagreen lar with men as well. The 32-mm Empire measures a bold 38 mm (untanned leather with granular beveled square case is crafted in and features a large easy-to-read surface) strap in blue, green, pink, 18-karat white or rose gold or ster- dial with small seconds hand at brown or gray. ling silver and is available with a 6 o'clock. A 25-jewel automatic Strong and masculine, Robert diamond-pavéd bezel. The silvered movement by Soprod with Côtes Lighton's San Remo watch comes and grained minimalist dial hides de Genève decoration and blued in a round, brushed stainless steel the 25-jewel automatic movement screws powers this handsome 41-mm case which is presented on with Côtes de Genève decoration watch, which is fitted with an an American alligator strap with and blued screws. Bracelet options American alligator strap with cus- custom buckle. Underneath the include a colorful shagreen strap or tom buckle. C 100 MaRCH 2003INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCH daringDIALS Waldan's Blue MOOnsOscar Waldan claims rights to the best blue dials out there BY GARY GEORGE W aldan International's new blue dial line of watches certainly has a strong argument for being the best on the market. Paired with a nicely matched blue crocodile strap, these watches mark a refreshing break from the usual white, black and silver dials typical on the majority of watches of this caliber. Garbed in either platinum or 18-karat white or rose gold, Oscar Waldan's collection of blue dial beauties are available with a choice of Swiss-made engines: take your pick of two different movements offering similar functions in slightly different layouts. One version houses the reliable and robust 25-jewel Valjoux 7751 automatic winding movement. The 7751 is an enhanced version of the popular and fairly bullet-proof 7750 movement with upgrades that in- clude a moon phase and 24-hour in- dicator. Waldan also chose to use the integrated option for the date which Powered by the Zenith el Primero 410 automatic movement, these blue-dial chronographs feature day, date, month and moon phase displays. 102 MARCH 2003INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCH daringDIALS Revealing day and month displays at 12 o'clock, a moon phase indicator at 6 o'clock and a date display around the outer edge of the dial, this blue-dial chronograph is equipped with the Val- joux 7751 automatic movement, which is visible through the exhibition caseback (inset). is indicated at the outer edge of the dial via a center-mounted pointer. Option two in blue houses the high-speed Zenith El Primero 410 automatic movement. This Grey- hound flier ticks away at 36,000 bph, which allows chronograph timing down to 1/10th of a second—that is, of course, only if you can react that quickly. The 410 is popular with collectors for its high frequency, column wheel-controlled chrono- graph, and a better than average 50-hour power reserve. It's also not nearly as ubiquitous as the 7750 and 7751 movements, which adds a certain cachet to the Zenith move- ment—one that should only grow now that Zenith Watches (the brand) are now available in the United States after a long hiatus while Zenith Electronics protected their trademark rights. All of Waldan's complicated mechanical watches feature sap- phire front crystals and either solid gold or see-through crystal backs—whatever your preference may be. These "blue moons" are also available in four case sizes ranging from 36 mm to 40 mm, so you can find the perfect comfort zone. Suggested retail prices range from $4,500 to $9,000. C 104 MARCH 2003INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCH Welcome to the world of Maddaloni Visions Through Time A preview of our 25th anniversary catalogue Watch Brands Audemars Piguet Harry Winston Raymond Weil Bertolucci Hermés TAG Heuer Chopard Hublot Ulysse Nardin Chronoswiss Krieger Versace Concord Maurice Lacroix Corum Montblanc Girard-Perregaux Movado 1 8 7 0 E a s t J E r i c h o t u r n p i k E • h u n t i n g t o n , nY 11743 • 888.999.4038 Maddaloni Celebrating 25 Years Under the current leadership of the founder's son, Ronald Winston, Harry Winston creates elegant timepieces that feature the finest stones and pre- cious metals. Crafted with close attention to detail, each Harry Winston watch comes to life as a uniquely personal work of art with an accent on creativity, innovation and a deep love for the art of watchmaking. 108 MARCH 2003INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCH Maddaloni Celebrating 25Years Introduced at the 1980 Basel Fair, the first Hublot wristwatch caused quite a stir with its solid gold case and black rubber strap featuring a delicate vanilla scent and an innovative double- hinged clasp. Today, nearly twenty-three years later, the Hublot watch is considered a design hallmark in the watchmaking industry combining unparalleled Swiss quality with classic and chic Italian style. INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCHMARCH 2003 109 Maddaloni Celebrating 25 Years Established in Switzerland in 1975, Maurice Lacroix has gained a distinguished reputation through- out the watchmaking world for its ability to blend fine Swiss watch- making tradition with state-of-the-art tech- nology and innovative materials to produce 110 MARCH 2003INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCH Maddaloni Celebrating 25 Years Known for its daring and unconventional designs, Corum has become one of the major internation- ally recognized high-end watch brands in just fifty years. Under the current leadership of president Severin Wunderman, the company combines Swiss watchmaking expertise with innovative styles to create quality timepieces that amaze the watchmaking world time and time again. INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCHMARCH 2003 111 Founded in Miami Beach, Florida, in 1985 by Ira Krieger, the Krieger Watch Company has built an illustrious reputation for creating functional yet stylish timepieces, providing serious sportsmen with invaluable tools for the active life- Maddaloni Celebrating style. Every Krieger wristwatch is entirely Swiss-made and is cosc- certified, thereby guaranteeing 25 Years 112 MARCH 2003INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCH TRAINING So, You Want to Go to BY MIKE THOMPSON C an you turn your interest in time into a full-time job? Maybe, but there are hun- dreds of things you need to know first, so let's start with the first step: Littlefield earned his living as a marketing specialist in Connecti- cut. In the evenings he attended to his growing collection of Early American pocket watches. The the schools. more he learned about their rich More than a few watch en- history and technical prowess, the thusiasts have turned their hobby more interested he became in ho- into a profession. Maybe someone rology. gave you a vintage pocket watch "I began to purchase larger or a mechanical wristwatch as a numbers of watches from estate sales gift and sparked a love affair with and other sources," he explains. At timepieces that moves beyond the the same time, he bought enough collectors' stage. spare parts and tools from similar A watch collector may want sales and dealers so he could keep to work hands-on with the springs, his collection in top shape. Little- gears and dials. But most enthu- field delved into repair and restora- siasts are satisfied to open a few tion manuals where he picked up a casebacks or adjust the going rate. wealth of knowledge for working on To the uninitiated, checking the his collection. He even purchased a accuracy of a watch daily is obses- workbench on which to put his self- sive. However, for many collectors taught skills into action. and enthusiasts, it's enjoyable— In the 1990s, he became a and usually enough to satisfy their mortgage broker and put collecting horological itch. But not everyone on the back burner for a few years. can stop there. "But as one often does in his mid- 30s approaching 40, I asked myself Pockets to Business whether this is what I wanted to Rick Littlefield was one collector Master watchmaker Rick Littlefield at his continue doing each day," he says. who wanted more. In the 1980s workbench. In the late 1990s Littlefield p 114 MARCH 2003INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCH TRAINING looked into watchmaking schools. www.piecesoftime.net). He spent one week at the Ameri- Expanding Beyond Collecting can Watchmakers-Clockmakers Littlefield's experiences were some- Institute (AWI) near Cincinnati what unique five years ago. To- and was hooked. He enrolled in day more "hobbyists" are actively AWI's Academy, a full-time school pursuing their love of watches to (which is now on hiatus) in 1998 generate full- or part-time careers. and was instantly enthralled. While his interest in horology in- "I had terrific instructors, spired him, today students enter top-notch equipment and worked watchmaking schools for myriad at the lathe with a master (then reasons and with diverse goals. instructor Stewart Lesemann). It Schools today report more appli- was wonderful." He graduated a cants than they have in a genera- year later with a Certified Master tion. And with this demand, sala- Watchmaker diploma. ries finally are showing attractive At AWI Littlefield expanded increases. Since the sales boom well beyond pocket watches into for mechanical watches that be- woefully underpaid just as their high-end wristwatches. Today, he gan in the 1990s shows no sign of demand was growing. Many were specializes in repair and restoration abating, demand for highly skilled near retirement in the 1990s. of pre-1980 high-grade watches, watchmakers is strong. As sales Watchmaking schools closed. They notably Rolexes, triple-dates and increased in the 1990s, scant plan- saw little interest from students to- chronographs like the Valjoux 72 ning was given to service needs, ward entering an undervalued, un- and its brethren. More recently, notably repair and maintenance. derpaid profession. he opened a shop, Pieces of Time, Watchmakers too often were taken A 2001 study conducted for in Newington, Connecticut (see for granted and were frequently the American Watchmakers Asso- REC SCHOOLS IN THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA American Watchmakers-Clockmakers Institute Sterling Heights, MI; (586) 825-2800 Harrison, OH (866) 367-2924; www.awi-net.org Programs: Adult education within a high school Programs: Weeklong and 10-week continuing education program. Two-year course: watchmaking and clock repair courses in repair and restoration of watches and clocks. Enrollment: 12 students per class, two classes Frequent on-campus and traveling bench courses and per day home study courses, including clockmaking. Operates the Degree: CPC certificate largest watchmaker's referral directory as well as a lending Cost: $1,300 annually for adults library, parts bulletins and lists, movement location service Contact: Arnold Van Tiem and dozens of regional affiliate chapters Cost: Vary by course; special discount for AWI Gem City College members School of Horology Contact: Jim Lubic, ext. 310 Quincy, IL; (217) 222-0931; www.gemcitycollege.com Programs: Clock repair, engraving, jewelry design and repair, Ecole National d'Horlogerie store management. Five quarters (1,260 hrs) Quebec, Canada; (819) 379-8057 Degree: AA degree in Jewelry Store Management Programs: High school Enrollment: Mondays, 50 maximum Degree: High School Diploma Certificate Cost: $700/month Enrollment: Annually, 46 maximum Contact: Allen Linkey Contact: Michael Plourde, Robert Plourde Continued on page118 Hiram G. Andrews Center Career Preparation Center Horology Department 116 MARCH 2003INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCH TRAINING What is AWI Certification? ciation and AWI reveals that master school types out there," he reports. The AWI Certification process consists of watchmakers are still retiring quick- Juaire is well acquainted with taking and passing a proficiency exami- nation. The examinations, established ly, reducing the supply for watch what's available. In addition to his and conducted by the American Watch- firms, repair houses and retail stores. position at St. Paul College, Juaire makers-Clockmakers Institute, are open The approximately forty graduates is currently the director of the to practicing horologists, graduates of last year from the remaining schools Research and Education Coun- horological schools and laypersons in- could not meet the demands of the cil (REC) for AWI. The Council terested in horology. The tests constitute industry, notes Joe Juaire, instructor comprises watchmaking schools a uniform standard recognized by indus- of watchmaking at St. Paul Col- that offer 1,200 hours or more of try and the public throughout the world. lege in St. Paul, Minnesota. The instruction annually. These, in ad- Though subject to change, AWI currently industry study concluded that about dition to the well-known program offers six examinations leading to: 150 graduates annually are needed at the independent School of Hor- to meet current demand as older ology operated by the National c Certified Clockmaker (CC) c Certified Master Clockmaker (CMC) watchmakers retire. Of these, about Association of Watch and Clock c Certified Electronic Watch fifty should be specifically trained to Collectors (nawcc) in Columbia, Technician (CEWT) repair mechanical timepieces. Pennsylvania, offer a wide range of c Certified Master Electronic educational choices. Watchmaker (CMEW) Educational Options c Certified Watchmaker (CW) c Certified Master Watchmaker (CMW) Juaire says that though only about Degree of Degrees c AWI-certified members have the ten watchmaking schools operate That range includes the three insti- option to be included in its national full-time in the United States these tutions currently accredited by the registry of Certified Professional days, those that have survived the Swiss educational standard-bearer, Horologists. lean decades of quartz-only time- the Watchmakers of Switzerland AWI, 701 Enterprise Drive, Harrison, Ohio pieces are today the cream of the Training and Educational Program 45030; (866) 367-2924. crop. "There is a wide range of ( wostep ), plus several programs REC SCHOOLS IN THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA Johnstown, PA; (815) 255-8200; www.hgac.org Program: Two-year wostep-certified, nonprofit school fund- Program: Four-month vocational ed by Rolex Degree: Certificate Degree: wostep certificate Cost: $4,850/term. State reimbursable Enrollment: Annually in September, 12 maximum Enrollment: Ongoing, 15 per class Cost: Free tuition; room/board, equipment ($3,000 over Contact: Harry Hinzy two-year period) at student's expense Contact: email@example.com Jones County Junior College Horology Department North Seattle Community College Ellisville, MS; (601) 477-4227 www.jcjc.cc.ms.us/depts/horol- Watch Technology Institute ogy/index.html Seattle, WA; (206) 526-0169 www.northseattle.edu/watch Program: Two semester lab-only; jewelry available Programs: Two-year, wostep-certified Degree: Certificate Degree: wostep certificate, optional AA degree Enrollment: Weekly, 20 maximum Enrollment: Annually in September, 12 maximum Cost: $554 per semester/state residents; Cost: $3,000 annually; tools, $2,200 $1,504/out-of-state residents; equipment; $300 Contact: Elaine Rolf Contact: Elbert Lewis Continued on page 120 Oklahoma State University. Watchmaking and Microtechnology Program Lititz Watch Technicum Okmulgee, OK; (918) 293-5180 Lititz, PA; (717) 625-3787; www.lititzwatchtechnicum.org www.osu-okmulgee.edu/watch 118 MARCH 2003INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCH TRAINING students evaluate what they require watchmaking schools in the Unit- run within technical schools, two- from the school and consider care- ed States. Last August, the school year colleges and others run inde- fully their own interests and skills at Oklahoma State University in pendently (see chart). before applying to any school. To Okmulgee announced that the The range is wide enough work in the field, most employers Richemont Group, Breitling and for those interested in a full-time require experience—which comes Audemars Piguet will donate change in occupation or for the after being employed in the field— $500,000 to the school over the next collector who wants only to con- the usual Catch-22! five years. The funds will enable the fidently work on his or her own However, experience is not school to accept more students and mechanical timepieces at home. difficult to generate, especially hire additional staff. The school last These schools offer their own for new graduates of watchmaking year sent its newest instructor, Stan- degrees or certificates, but an schools. Most instructors will today ley McMahan, to obtain advanced additional option remains—appli- tell you demand is high for watch- training in Switzerland. cation to take a test for Certified makers. Schools report that their A year earlier, Rolex built a mul- Master Watchmaker, Certified graduates are typically scooped timillion dollar repair facility, the Master Clockmaker or one of the up by retailers, service centers or Lititz Watch Technicum, in Lititz, other specialty certificates offered watch firms whose demand to this Pennsylvania, which incorporates through AWI (see page 118). The day remains unfilled. a wostep-certified watchmaking AWI certificate has long been rec- school. More than 100 prospective ognized by the industry as a strong Increased Industry Funding students, whose tuition is free upon indication of a particular horolog- Perhaps that's why many high-end acceptance, apply annually for the ical proficiency. watch firms have begun funding coveted twelve positions . Juaire suggests that potential REC SCHOOLS IN THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA Programs: Two-year wostep-certified program with associ- Degree: Diploma, followed by application for AWI certifica- ate degree additional year (if needed) tion Degree: Associate degree with wostep certificate Enrollment: 16 each semester Enrollment: Annually, in January, 12 maximum Cost: Approximately $115 per credit or about $4,381 annu- Cost: $5,544 total two-year program; associate degree ally; tools, $400 additional; equipment, $1,000 Contact: Joe Juaire Contact: Wit Jarochowski or Stan McMahan Winter Park Tech Paris Junior College Winter Park, FL; (407) 622-2900 Texas Institute of Jewelry Technology, Programs: Two-year college, evening classes twice weekly Horology Department. Contact: Kenneth Pell Paris, TX; (903) 782-0445; www.paris.cc.tx.us Programs: 16-month course (1,760 hrs) in all aspects of watchmaking Degree: Horology with associate degree possible Enrollment: Three times annually, 18 students/course Source: American Watch Association Cost: From $438 per four-month period/local www.watchmakereducation.com residents to $978/out-of-region Contact: Frank Poye St. Paul College St. Paul, MN; (651) 846-1600 www.saintpaul.edu/academics/programs/repair/ Programs: 3,000-hour, two-year course, follows wostep guidelines though not certified 120 MARCH 2003INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCH TRAINING tant," adds Juaire who notes that many of his best students had little knowledge of fine watches prior to entering his program. This year's classes include a former tool and die machinist, a computer techni- cian, a former accounting special- ist, a quality-control specialist and several model makers from the jewelry world. At North Seattle, Rolf says this year's classes include a sculptor, a coffee-store manager, a construction worker, a businessman and an accountant. "Persistence is key," she adds. "It's also important that a watch- maker can see how one tiny ad- justment affects the whole move- ment." Challenging Career A steady hand and delicate touch are critical assets for upcoming watch- Jan Muellenbach had just the makers. right amount of persistence and at- tention to detail to become a top student, explains Juaire. At age 51, "Good watchmakers need good Muellenbach was an accounting eye-hand coordination, are persis- specialist who left her position in tent in nature and enjoy solving search of a challenging and reward- problems," explains Elaine Rolf, ing career change. chief instructor at North Seattle "I went to get a clock fixed and Community College's Watch Tech- I happened to ask my clockmaker nology Institute. friend about what I could pursue," Rolf, a former co-manager she recalls. "He said 'Why not fix Rolex also donated $1 million of the repair division for the Ben clocks.' I had never thought about to North Seattle Community Col- Bridge chain of jewelry stores based it before that," she says. "But I've lege in 2000, so it could continue in Seattle, doesn't ask about such always liked jigsaw puzzles and I its wostep-certified school. aptitude directly. Each applicant to have patience from my accounting North Seattle's program is required background." What's Needed to Succeed? to take a preliminary test, as do all Jan graduated in 18 months Enjoyment of collecting doesn't other wostep-accredited schools in from St. Joseph College's two-year necessarily translate into aptitude the United States and worldwide. program and says she "loved ev- for professional watchmaking. The test effectively weeds out those ery minute of it." Now she and a "First, you need to determine that lack the initial skills for the partner are looking into opening a whether you enjoy collecting more highly competitive and demand- trade shop. than repairing," says Wit Jaro- ing program. But, she adds, poten- Juaire recalls that Muellenbach chowski, instructor at OSU. "If you tial students to most schools don't was an excellent student, and her just like something nice and shiny require such a test. At St. Paul Col- desire to learn each day made her but don't have a passion to make lege, and at most other schools, in- a pleasure to teach. Plus, she had things work, watchmaking may not structors interview applicants. patience. "Patience is very impor- retain your interest," he adds. "Attention to detail is impor- tant." he adds. "It's like learning 122 MARCH 2003INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCH Alpha Omega's new flagship store in Harvard Square. BuyingTIME AlphA OmegA THE BEST OF BOSTON In busIness for more This premier new eng- than twenty-five years, Alpha land retailer has a watch ros- Omega has become an icon of ter that reads like a "who's boston shopping since open- who" of swiss Horology. ing its doors in 1976. With more than thirty brands, Today, Alpha Omega Alpha Omega has something has four stores—all presti- for everyone. selected as one giously located in boston of six u.s. jewelers autho- and its surrounding areas, rized to carry the exclusive and all stocked with equally A. Lange & söhne brand, as impressive merchandise. Alpha Omega proudly offers named a "best of boston" limited-edition pieces, one- winner by Boston Magazine of-a-kind pieces and some for seven consecutive years, of the most difficult-to-find Alpha Omega owes its suc- timepieces. Its brand selec- cess to its savvy selection, tion includes such names as the incredible knowledge blancpain, breguet, breitling, and ethics of its owners and Concord, Girard-Perregaux, associates, and its excellent IWC, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Pan- service. erai, Rolex, ulysse nardin p 125 buyingTIME President and owner of Alpha Omega, Raman Handa, travels reg- ularly to Switzerland to learn of the newest timepieces expected to ap- pear on the market, often snapping up the most coveted. The retailer is extremely adept at matching stock to the needs and tastes of his cli- entele, sometimes even buying a particular timepiece with a specific customer in mind. "A. Lange & Söhne has been performing extremely well in all our stores," says Handa. "In fact, four of our customers have recently traded in their Patek Philippe watches for new A. Lange & Söhne pieces." In addition to its top-notch collections, Alpha Omega offers premier watch service and is a one- Top left: Alpha Omega owner Raman Handa (center) pictured with his son, Amit, stop source for any watch repair and daughter, nidhi. needs. Employing a master watch- Top right: Mr. Handa and Walter Lange at Alpha Omega's recent A. Lange & Söhne event. Above: This is just one of the A. Lange & Söhne timepieces Alpha Omega offers. maker, engraver and a host of other "A. Lange & Söhne has been performing extremely well in our stores," says Mr. Handa. artisans, the retailer's watch servic- es run the gamut from such basics as battery replacement and bracelet sizing to water sealing, case, crystal the watch will be shipped to the gemstone jewelry and regularly and bracelet polishing, to complete manufacturer for repair. works with customers to create watch overhauling. A diamond specialist with cer- custom jewelry. The store's profes- If Alpha Omega cannot ser- tified GIA jewelers on staff, Alpha sional team of experts will work vice your watch on the premises, a Omega also offers a wonderful ar- one-on-one with you on the design, free estimate will be provided and ray of gold, platinum, diamond and ensuring that you choose the per- 126 MARCH 2003INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCH buyingTIME INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCHMARCH 2003 127 buyingTIME BRAndS: A. Lange & Söhne Baume & Mercier Bedat & Co. Blancpain Boucheron Breguet Breitling Bvlgari Concord Corum Alpha Omega features a wide array of jewelry and timepieces from the prestigious Bvlgari Ebel brand. girard-Perregaux glashütte Original gucci fect stones and precious metals. and jewelry and features a number Hamilton "Recently, a 20-year-old wo- of custom-made boutiques for Bau- iWC man came into one of our stores me & Mercier, Blancpain, Breguet, after seeing a diamond bracelet in Christian Dior, Ebel, Glashütte Jaeger-LeCoultre our window. She inquired as to the Original, Gucci, Jaeger-LeCoul- Longines cost of the bracelet, and I told her it tre, Longines, Montblanc, Omega, Montblanc was $9,000. Right then she opened Panerai, Rado, TAG Heuer and Movado her bag, took a small dog out, Zenith. Omega placed the bracelet around its neck The new store has several Panerai and said, 'I'll take it.' These are the unique elements, the first of which kinds of things that make our busi- is Alpha Omega Express, an indi- Piaget ness so interesting," says Handa. vidual store that stands adjacent Rado Alpha Omega has locations in to the Harvard Square subway Raymond Weil Harvard Square in Cambridge, the station. This 375-square-foot re- Rolex Burlington Mall, Shops at the Pru- tail space sells only those watches TAg Heuer dential Center in Boston and the priced under $1,000. Alpha Ome- Tissot Natick Mall. ga Express opens into the main Its much-anticipated flagship store, which boasts a 2,600-square- ulysse nardin location at 1380 Massachusetts foot Swiss watch and jewelry space Vacheron Constantin Avenue opened this past Novem- on the first floor. The second floor Zenith ber. Situated in the heart of Har- houses luxury brands, and a 1,000- vard Square, it boasts three levels square-foot service area comprises and 6,100 square feet of watches the lower level. 128 MARCH 2003INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCH buyingTIME "We believe in service and Award-winning Alpha Omega is not only one of new Eng- that's why we have devoted an en- land's premier jewelers but also ranks highly among Amer- tire floor to it," Handa said. Alpha Omega's knowledgeable ica's finest retailers. More than thirty of the world's most staff is trained in expert apprais- prestigious watch brands can be found at any of Alpha als. This complimentary service is included with the purchase of any Omega's four locations in and around the greater Boston area. watch or piece of jewelry. Alpha Omega is also an ex- pert in the trade-in business. Sim- ply bring in your old watches and jewelry for a free on-site appraisal toward the expense of your new purchase. Each year, Alpha Omega hosts of Lange timepieces. Three hun- Festival at the Charles Hotel, the a variety of special events within dred and fifty people attended the Nantucket Wine Festival, the the Boston area. Its recent A. successful event, including a large Concours D'Elegance, the Boston Lange & Söhne event was held at number of avid watch collectors. Ballet, and Community Servings, the Fairmont Copley Plaza hotel Alpha Omega proudly spon- which delivers free, hot meals to in Boston. Walter Lange and A. sors a number of charities and people with AIDS, their depen- Lange & Söhne USA president annual events throughout greater dents and their caregivers through- Marcia Mazzocchi were present Boston, including the Anthony out the Boston area. C along with an extensive collection Spinazzola Foundation Charity, the Boston Wine Festival, the Jazz Alpha Omega Offers Store Hours c one of new England's largest se- Harvard Square Shops at the Prudential lections of fine watches Cambridge, MA Boston, MA c business gifts and incentives Mon – Wed, Fri: 10 am – 6 pm Mon – Sat: 10 am – 8 pm c watch overhauling Th: 10 am – 7 pm Sun: 11 am – 6 pm c polishing (of case, crystal Sat: 10 am – 6 pm and bracelet) Sun: noon- 5 pm natick Mall c strap replacement natick, MA c bracelet sizing Burlington Mall Mon – Sat: 10 am – 10 pm c watch battery replacement Burlington, MA Sun: 11 am – 7 pm c water sealing Mon – Sat.: 10 am – 10 pm c expert watch repair Sun: 11 am – 7 pm Tel. (800) 447-4367 c personalized engraving c complimentary jewelry cleaning www.alphaomegajewelers.com INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCHMARCH 2003 129 BookCellar Please use tear out order Card to order books T h e p e r f e c T A d d i T i o n T o A n y W A T c h c o l l e c T o r ' s l i b r A r y w NeTimepieces: Masterpieces of Chronometry by New David Christianson 100 Years of Vintage Watches: A Collector's Timepieces relates the history of clocks and Identification & Price Guide by Dean Judy looks at the remarkable influence the pursuit of precision timekeeping has had on scien- Whether you are just starting out in search of tific and technological developments. a vintage timepiece or are already a seasoned Timepieces is also a superior collection watch collector, this indispensable guide of photographs and artwork—both histori- features the history of watchmaking and col- cal and contemporary—that have never lecting, offers tips on searching for watches, before been brought together in one presentation. It is a sophis- helps you understand how to ascertain the condition of vintage ticated yet accessible book that will appeal to amateur historians, w NeWristwatches: A Connoisseur's Guide by Frank Rolex: Collecting Wristwatches 2001 by Osvaldo Patrizzi An impressive new edition, updated and Edwards expanded to 512 pages, it is an essential An indispensable reference book for today's book for watch enthusiasts, collectors and collector, Wristwatches is an informative guide professionals alike. A tribute to the great to the world's best wristwatches that tells the history of Rolex wristwatches, this unique fascinating history of watches and also gives volume is the ultimate reference work on the subject. Over 300 hints on starting a collection and practical tips color illustrations and in-depth descriptions provide invaluable on what to look for in a good watch. information on each timepiece. All the finest models of Rolex The Best Of Time—Rolex Wristwatches— watches that have appeared on the auction market are also fully An Unauthorized History. 2nd Edition by illustrated in color. The book is further enhanced by an index of James M. Dowling and Jeffrey P. Hess A lavishly illustrated revised and expanded new Patek Philippe: Collecting volume that celebrates the watches Patek Philippe Watches produced by this great manufac- by Madeleine and Osvaldo Patrizzi turer over the last 90 years, this is the This impressive 350-page volume most thorough and extensive his- includes a brief history of this pres- tory ever written about the company. tigious Geneva watchmaking com- Information for collectors and current pany. Written in both English and market values of the watches make this Italian, this commemorative book a truly useful volume and one that will illustrates a spectacular spectrum of Automatic Wristwatches From Switzerland: Watches that Wind Automatic Wristwatches from Themselves by Heinz Hampel Germany, England, France, Japan, The automatic mechanism was a Russia and the USA by Heinz Hampel major advance in the history of the While often associated with wristwatch. The successful design Switzerland, manufacturers in many became the hallmark of the skilled other nations have produced wonder- Swiss watchmaker as the technology ful automatic wristwatches. Richly developed in the years from 1926 to illustrated with over 400 photos, this 1978. 200 watches are discussed rep- book explores the work of German, resenting all the Swiss manufactures. English, French, Japanese, Russian Each is illustrated with three photos and US watchmakers. A total of 123 to show the dial, and the complete watches are illustrated in three differ- and partly disassembled movement. Information on their mecha- ent views and are described in detail. Swiss Wristwatches: Chronology of Time in Gold: Wristwatches Worldwide Success by Gisbert L. Brunner by Gerald Viola & Gisbert L. Brunner and Christian Pfeiffer-Belli The history of the 18 leading luxury An overview of Swiss wristwatch designs wristwatch companies of Switzerland in the 20th century with nearly 650 richly illustrated with beautiful pho- photographs, this book illustrates the tos. Here are the most important many forms and styles of casings, dials and elegant watches of Audemars and hands along with manufacturer's Piguet, Baume & Mercier, Blancpain, literature, advertising and catalogs. The Breguet, Cartier, Chopard, Corum, firms of Omega, Longines, Cyma, Breitling, Ebel, Gerald Genta, Gerard-Perregaux, Doxa, Universal, Movado and Zenith are IWC, Jaeger-LeCoulrte, Patek Philippe, represented, and a price guide makes it a Piaget, Rolex, Ulysse Nardin and valuable reference for all collectors. Size: Vacheron Constantin, making this an 130 Please use tear out order Card to order books BookCellar T h e p e r f e c T A d d i T i o n T o A n y W A T c h c o l l e c T o r ' s l i b r A r y Breitling timepieces: 1884 to Marine and Pocket Chronometers the present by Benno Richter by Hans von Bertele This book amply illustrates the entire spec- The development of the chronometer trum of Breitling's products with 322 photos was an important step in the develop- from its founding in 1884 to the present. ment of the navigational arts. Nearly Reference numbers document the produc- 350 of these handsome and complicat- tion history and help the collector locate ed timepieces are illustrated here with individual watches chronologically. An up- a special emphasis on their movements. to-date price guide is also included. Size: This book follows the history of the chronometer, with short biographies of the most important manufactur- Omega Designs: Feast for the Eyes ers and an extensive appendix. Size: by Anton Kreuzer An illustrated description of all the watch Wristwatches: History of a Century's movements manufactured by the Omega Development by Helmut Kathlert, Richard Watch Co. since the registration of its Muhe and Gisbert Brunner trademark in 1894, this book features This respected reference for collectors over 400 watches that are shown in 414 of wristwatches includes hundreds of photographs. The company has made watches in nearly 2000 photos, which precision pocket and wristwatches includ- celebrate both the style and mechan- ing the world famous chronometer ics of the designs. Watches from wristwatch Constellation, the diver's around the world, their makers, tech- watch Seamaster, and the chronograph nological changes, construction, and wristwatch Speedmaster professional. automatic features all are discussed. A current price guide by noted author- Vintage Rolex Sports Models: ity Gordon Converse is included. Size: A complete Visual Reference and Unauthorized history Pocket Watches by Reinhard Meis by Martin Skeet and Nick Urul The classic history of the pocket watch, A comprehensive and detailed refer- illustrated with over 900 photos is clear- ence guide to Rolex sports models and ly shown in hundreds of clear photos, an indispensable asset to watch collec- while the text explains the mechanisms tors and dealers, this informative book and manufactures. Included are pocket covers the history of the Submariner, watches of international origins dat- Explorer, GMT-Master, Turn-O-Graph, ing from about 1150 to the present, Milgauss and Cosmograph watches with discussions of watch movements, from 1952 to 1990. The history of more escapements, striking movements, than a hundred and forty vintage models is described in detail, Wristwatch Chronometers: Mech-anical American Wristwatches: Five Decades of Precision Watches and Their Testing by Fritz Style and Design Von Osterhausen by Edward Faber & Stewart Unger, with A richly illustrated, detailed account Ettagale Blauer of wristwatch chronometers and the This informative volume discusses the rigorous testing they must undergo to development of wristwatch styles in become certified, over 400 photos docu- America, from the early years of the ment this crowning achievement of the 20th century to the age of quartz revolu- watch-makers art while information about tion. Richly illustrated with over 700 testing methods, procedures, and guide- American wristwatches period by peri- lines make it clear how great a challenge od, this book brings life to some of the people who influenced its development. The Movado History by Fristz von Osterhausen Chronograph Wristwatches: To Stop Time A lavishly illustrated history of Movado by Gerd-R. Lang & Reinhard Meis from its roots in the Jura Mountains in Hundreds of photographs illustrate 1881 through more than a century of this outstanding look at the history, tradition and technological advance- development and identification of ment. Over the years, Movado has wrist chronographs-mechanical wrist- earned a reputation for pioneering watches that, in addition to their nor- the art of wristwatches, high-precision mal clockwork, have a mechanism that movements and watches with complica- allows them to time short-term events. tions, as well as water-resistant watches, Both the technological and design and their accomplishments are cel- achievements are explored and ebrated here in 250 color photos and informative text. Size: 131 8.5"x11", 250 color photos, 234pp., hard cover, $89.95 + $8 s/h. insideLOOK A Tour of the RGM Facility In Lancaster County, PA BY CURTIS THOMSON I n 1999 I was a watchmaking student at the National As- sociation of Watch and Clock Collectors' School of Horology in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, in the shadow of Lancaster's Ham- ilton Watch Company. As luck, or the lack thereof, would have it, I did not have the with the breadth and appearance of quality in the RGM stable of watches. Upon returning to Lan- caster in 2001, after being away for when I first heard of Roland Murphy chance to meet Roland while I little more than a year, I began the and RGM. I was quite intrigued to attended or taught school in Lan- business of restoring watches and know that an American watchmak- caster. I of course was well aware clocks. To be honest, the thought er had his own brand that had been of what RGM was doing over the of visiting Roland had left my producing nicely executed watches years through ThePuristS.com, mind by then. since 1993 in my own backyard. meeting collectors and the like, As a diversion from work at the And not only that, he was doing so and, I must say, I was impressed bench, I started writing sporadic 132 MARCH 2003INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCH insideLOOK articles for ThePuristS.com. Some- time in late fall '02, I was asked by IWW to visit RGM. It's funny how life's opportunities reveal them- selves: The moment my thoughts drifted from a visit to RGM, the chance arose. On a cold and rainy Novem- ber afternoon, three years after first hearing of Roland Murphy, I find myself driving to his place of business. Mount Joy, Pennsylvania, is an unfamiliar part of Lancaster County, so I drive slowly, peering through the rain looking for what was once the local bank and is now America's foremost luxury watch company. Murphy refinishes a screw to the required RGM standard. After mistakenly guessing sev- eral approaching bank-like build- ings to be RGM, I came upon this 10-mm lathe, a jig borer and a small me from the stairs, I knew it was simple but attractive two-story cor- high speed precision drill—line the him. After a firm handshake and ner building, with RGM stenciled other side of the room. A beautiful warm greeting, we made our way on the door and a monogrammed rose engine sits proudly in the cor- upstairs. Explaining that they had clock above. Parking on the side ner, which, I am later told, will not moved to this location earlier in street, I find that the doors to RGM be used for dials but for doing deco- the year, he spoke of renovations are locked, which immediately im- rative work to casebacks. Cleaning to the building, which is owned by parts two thoughts: 1) Walk-ins are machines, buffers, case refinishing RGM. With obvious pleasure he not welcome, and 2) serious busi- and the like are found in small, en- pointed out various details of the ness goes on behind these doors. closed rooms. building. And who could blame After a moment of waiting the Standing there, taking it all him? It was fantastic! Alive with door is opened by one of the four in, I began to think that RGM was history and romance, it encom- watchmakers employed at RGM. as much a repair center as it is a passes two essential watchmaking After a quick introduction I am watch brand. This was a fair assess- ingredients. asked to wait for someone to lead ment and one that is a reality for The business elements of me upstairs, which gives me the the little fish in the Swiss watch RGM are upstairs. In the shipping/ chance to preview RGM's work- ocean. RGM must be diversified receiving office, Mike keeps an ac- ing area. The ground floor is spa- in its business strategy, which in- curate account of all items coming cious, a large room with high ceil- cludes authorized service accounts in and going out, which, from em- ings, good light and plenty of room for several Swiss brands, as well as pirical evidence, is well organized for expansion. Being an old bank repair work for select jewelry stores and furiously paced. We pass an- there is a secure vault where the and individual clients. "It gives us other room as we make our way watches (new and old) are safely a good anchor of work," Roland into his office. It is a large office stored. Four watchmakers—Marty, would later explain. with a round table for discussion, Ralph, Allen and Russ—are busy While I had never met Roland or entertaining. Roland offers me repairing watches, from chrono- I had seen his picture many times in a seat and then sits behind his L- graphs to quartz time-only pieces, print and on the Internet, so when shaped desk and instinctively grabs on one side of the room, while sev- a burly man wearing a green RGM the computer's mouse and clicks eral watchmaker's lathes—a Levin golf shirt and a smile approached away at what must be hundreds of INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCHMARCH 2003 133 insideLOOK Left: Limited to twenty-five pieces, RGM's 18-karat gold Master Chronograph retails for $26,000. Below: This rose engine is used to produce a vari- ety of circular patterns on cases and dials. In French, the machine is known as a "Tour à Guillocher" and the pieces as guilloché. emails received weekly. RGM has provided its customers laged plates, as are the undersides of Casually he begins, "We don't with some of the best value-for-the- the bridges and cocks. All of RGM's build RGM watches every day, but money watches in the industry. watches receive this added value we may go through spurts where To illustrate this point, we discuss and fineness, performed by Mr. we build RGM watches for several RGM's Master Chronograph. Murphy himself. The bridges are days. We may build twenty to twen- The Master Chronograph (lim- hand-engraved by a master engrav- ty-five pieces [of a certain model] ited to twenty-five pieces) has an er, which adds to the individuality and then may not build that watch 18-karat rose gold case with sap- of the piece as the engraver's hand for several months before we build phire crystal and display back and will never exactly duplicate the pre- it again." is a comfortable 38.5 mm in diam- vious work—a little deeper here, a Building between 275 and 300 eter and 12.6 mm in thickness. The little lighter there, a bit more fanci- watches each year, RGM has de- nicely executed case houses a 17- ful today than that of yesterday. All veloped a portfolio of timepieces in jewel, manual wind, rhodium-plated steel parts are finished as required, eleven years that is quite compre- Valjoux 23 movement. This classic including all screw heads to a flat hensive. From time-only pieces to column-wheel chronograph has per- polish. Excluding the hand-engrav- minute repeaters and tourbillons, ing, the finishing work described 134 MARCH 2003INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCH insideLOOK Point of distinction: One of the unique aspects of RGM is its ability to provide custom- ordered watches to its clients. These watches are a prime example. RGM does not currently offer a one-minute tourbillon with minute repetition, but when one was request- ed, the wish was granted. Above right is a minute repeating perpetual calendar. Right: This unique piece is powered by the 26-jewel Valjoux 7750 automatic movement. The plates and bridges are perlaged, with the exception of the automatic bridge, which is engine-turned. The skeletonized rotor is both engine-turned and hand-engraved. above and the assembling and ad- Being an all-American com- justing of the movement takes the pany certainly separates RGM from better part of a week. The engine- the Swiss-dominated industry, but turned dial, with seconds and 30- something else also separates it from minute registers is gorgeous, as are the crowd. RGM is one of the few the blued steel hands. companies that will undertake cus- Moving to Richard Baugh's tom jobs. Can't find design features office, RGM's graphic designer, you want on the market? Call Ro- website designer for RGM and land and Rich and they will work Equation of Time (Murphy's watch with you to find a solution. Using discussion forum), photographer the computer, they are able to offer and Roland's right-hand man when customers a dizzying array of modi- designing watch cases and dials fications and alternatives for case for RGM, I see the heart of the materials, dials (enamel, engine- company's creative body. Rich is a turned, engraved, color), hands, billon, minute repeater wristwatch talented artist who wears both the movement features, etc. Each step that they have recently delivered advertising and marketing hat for of the way they share their prog- to a customer. This watch has an the company. Any drawings, lo- ress with the customer via accurate engine-turned dial (with both the gos, brochures, etc. are all under computer printouts, so that each customer's initials and the RGM his umbrella. As recently as a year party knows and understands ex- logo) with portions cut away to ago, Roland shouldered the load actly what is being discussed. expose the tourbillon, hour and himself, but he now assists in these As an example, they show me minute hammers and motion work, areas at various levels. a platinum-cased, one-minute tour- all of which enhance the experi- 136 MARCH 2003INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCH insideLOOK ence for this particular purchaser. order; there is something that will stunning minute repeating, perpet- Roland plans to offer a handful of be ready that they can attach their ual calendar and the other a one- these pieces without the initials. name to now and it could be theirs. minute tourbillon. Both watches "There are a couple of different di- Primarily watches like that take a have brilliantly executed engine- als I have had made, and over the long time." Indeed. turned dials. The posters remind next year I will have, maybe, one Leaving Rich's office, Roland me that, while RGM's bestselling piece available that someone could points to his secretary Karen's of- watches are from the affordable buy that would be done. It's not fice. He then points to two RGM Pilot line, this company has some- something that they have to special posters on the walls, one being a thing to offer at all ends of the INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCHMARCH 2003 137 insideLOOK spectrum of the collecting rainbow, shaped movement, which offers some of the special [products] we and at a value and quality that few four versions: three of the four have need come from other companies, comparably priced watches can a power reserve sector with either so we do have concerns about the match. subseconds, moon phase or calendar supply of hairsprings and escape- As we walk past a stack of Fe- at 6 o'clock. The fourth version is a ments and things like that, which dEx boxes on our way downstairs, jumping-hour (aperture at 12) watch come from Nivarox. This concerns Roland explains, "Repairs are by far with eccentric minute chapter ring us because we have some inven- the largest [percentage of the RGM and subseconds at 6 o'clock. All four tory, for instance, on our William business] because we are doing so versions have engine-turned dials. Penn, where we have a lot of cases much work for so many compa- I will refrain from further de- and things, and we need to be able nies. Also it gives us an advantage tails since there is so much more I to get those ebauches. If our sup- to see all sorts of products in the could talk about; however, it was plier has trouble getting what we things that we do: vintage restora- time well spent and allowed us to need, that could be an expensive tions from Patek, minute repeaters speak about The Swatch Group problem. Since we are not yet sure and modern chronographs." He es- and about the direction in which what the final situation is, we are timates that they will have repaired he plans to take his company. still in a wait-and-see mode for the around 1,600 watches for the year As with most in the watch in- moment. 2002. At this point Roland informs dustry, Roland has some concerns "But, we are going to continue me of the plans for the rest of the over the posturing of The Swatch making watches with new move- visit. "I am going to demonstrate for Group. "It affects a few of our sup- ments, using various ETA move- you, while you are here today, the pliers. I am not sure exactly how ments and other movements; we beginning of Master Chrono. I can far it will affect what we are do- are also going to be using some demonstrate the perlage, if you'd ing. We are going to be ordering more vintage movements that we'll like." With much pleasure I agree to some things directly from ETA. be transforming in other models. the plan, but first we enter the safe We are an approved customer of There are a few other projects we and have a look about. ETA, so we don't really have a are working on. We're pretty wide The safe holds the RGM in- problem buying from them. But open with the various calibers and ventory, which includes many cases, movements and all repair work. With great interest I await Below: Preparing to perlage the plate of the Master Chronograph movement. the first of several black velvet Opposite page: A perlaged Master Chrono plate. trays with what would be my first up close and personal examination of RGM watches. The first watch I see is the Master Chronograph and it is truly a gorgeous watch. There is a three-register chronograph in the new style chrono case, an en- graved movement and a dial from the old Gold Chrono watch of years past. This combination gives someone the opportunity to buy a unique piece, without having to have RGM build a custom watch. One of my favorite RGM lines is the William Penn, of which, two of the four styles were present (one with moon phase and one with calendar). The uniquely shaped rectangular case houses a tonneau- 138 MARCH 2003INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCH insideLOOK things that we are willing to try set, so the circular pattern left to use. As long as they meet by the tool will be uniform the certain quality crite- throughout. The drill is ria we can upgrade them operated at a high speed to where they need to as the plate is rotated, be—it really isn't a by hand, on a jig, problem." which allows con- What about an centric circles to be in-house caliber, you made. In other re- may wonder? Well, cesses of the plate, there are drawings it is not possible for such a thing, but to use the jig and without the finan- these areas are cial backing to sup- done free-hand, port the research and with a smaller abra- development, it is not sive bit. an option. Plus, there The work is not are still the concerns sur- complicated, but does rounding hairsprings and require some care if it escapements from Nivarox. is to be done properly. It So, no, a new caliber from the takes a full day to perlage all ground up is not in the pipeline, the necessary surfaces, which but that doesn't rule out modifica- is the first step in the decorative tions or modules for existing cali- process for the bridges and cocks. bers if he is so inclined. think this makes a nice bal- Next, they are sent off to the hand- What Roland does see for the ance." engraver. RGM offers several deco- future is growth in production. He Ending on that note, the rative finishes, but Roland is clear would like the company to build watches are put away and we go to on his favorite. "I personally prefer between 500 and 1,000 watches a his bench, which is on the oppo- hand-engraving on a movement. year within the next several years. site side of the room of the other Most people who purchase watches This is a very attainable goal giv- watchmakers, with the machin- are not watchmakers, but the beau- en the quality of the product and ing equipment. It is here that he ty of a hand-engraved movement— efforts made yearly to offer some- will demonstrate the perlage tech- the way it reflects the light—is ap- thing new to the purchaser. niques he uses on all of the watch- parent to whomever you show it to. Whether it is a completely new es he builds and, in this case, the The combination of hand-engrav- model or a cosmetic variation to Master Chronograph. ing and perlage captures light in an existing model, RGM aims Showing me a vintage Val- such a beautiful manner." to keep its fans interested and joux 23 movement, he proceeds to In addition to demonstrating pleased. Additionally, there is no disassemble it, and all steel parts, his perlage technique Roland also real desire to grow beyond 1,000 including eccentric screws, are re- refinishes a screw head, which is watches a year. "Our goal is to stay moved from the plate and cleaned in especially bad condition, us- small; to create small series of spe- of oil, grease and debris. Moving ing various grades of 3M papers cial pieces that have a lot of hand- the plate to the high-speed drill, starting with a course grain and work and a lot of care to them. he inserts an industry-standard progressively working toward a This makes them more exclusive abrasive bit, which comes in a va- fine grain for the final finish. The because there aren't that many of riety of diameters, for perlage into Levin 10-mm lathe is used with the them. To continue our business the the drilling spindle. It is important screw being held in a microdrilling way it is, with our alliances, with that the end of the bit is flat and attachment on the crossslide and the companies we service, the that, once determined, the down- rotated quickly. The 3M paper is restorations of antique watches—I ward vertical travel of the bit is placed on a flat disc and rotated in INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCHMARCH 2003 139 insideLOOK the opposite direction of the screw. All screws and wheels are inspect- ed for the quality of finish in the vintage movements they use. If any are found substandard, they are refinished in the above manner. During the process of perlag- ing, I ask Roland what he intends to use his jig borer for. (A jig borer, also known as a pointing machine, is a high-precision tool used most often in the production of proto- types and one-off watches. A micro- scope is used to locate the position [x and y coordinates] of the hole. Once the hole is located, the micro- scope is slipped out and replaced with a mill/drilling spindle to accu- Added value: Roland perlages a barrel rately drill a hole or do light mill- cover (above); a nicely perlaged ing operations.) "I am going to be in-house module (right). making a few one-off watches here and there; a few specialty compli- cations that won't be found in our future. He locked the doors and we general catalog." walked to our vehicles together in With that said, he shows me the freezing rain of this cold No- something he has been working on vember night. when time allows. Using a William As I sat in my truck my mind Penn movement as the base, he raced over the events of the day. I has made a module that converts expected to find quality watches its standard time telling into a that proved to be of a superior regulator style. Using the jig borer value for the money—and that is retro car for an American retro to make the module plate, Roland exactly what I found. Roland Mur- watchmaker. RGM may never found the other needed compo- phy is keenly aware of what his escape the shadow of Hamilton nents in his stockpile of parts. Far place is in the market. He quite Watch Co., nor be fully accepted from finished, the module needs to simply provides the best watches by the Swiss industry, but I don't be rhodium-plated, parts need to be he can for his clientele. He was think either thought occupies finished, the base movement needs honest and forward about whom his mind. He is comfortable and to be perlaged, hand-engraved, his suppliers were and what he was confident with RGM. And why rhodium-plated, a special signature doing and what he was not doing. wouldn't he be? It is America's fin- must be added, a William Penn RGM uses proven, reliable move- est watch company. C case needs to be modified for the ments and gives them added value added height and a unique dial will with hand touches, such as hand- be added to continue the fun. This engraving and perlage, with first- Curtis D. Thomson, a regular con- one-off piece will be ready for Basel rate dials and cases, while keeping tributor to IWW, moderates the 2003—fingers crossed. the finished product exceedingly AHCI forum at www.ThePuristS. After another quick tour of affordable. com and is a restorer of antiquarian the facility, it was time to close I watched Roland pull away timepieces. He may be contacted at up. I thanked Roland for his time in his PT Cruiser, which seemed firstname.lastname@example.com. and he quickly offered his services quite fitting to me; an American to me if I needed anything in the 140 MARCH 2003INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCH insideLOOK Minute RepeateRs BY For Beginners THEODORE DIEHL I don't know if the Loch Ness monster was reported to ema- nate any sounds during its vari- ous sightings through the years, but any sounds it might have produced, a factor of five. The resulting figure will not be far from the actual retail price for a current model minute repeater wristwatch in 18-karat yel- understatement, the interior repre- sents the highest achievement that a watchmaker can attain, being nothing less than the watchmaker's could in my view, never compare low gold. For platinum versions a Mount Everest. It is such an impor- with the ethereal and almost mys- factor of six, or for obsolete or spe- tant status symbol that even some tical tang-ting from the tiny gongs cial versions a factor of ten should major brands unable to produce of a repeater wristwatch. Strangely be closer to the mark. such watches in-house will go to enough, the repeater wristwatch The second problem for those extraordinary lengths to have them and the Loch Ness monster share potential purchasers who do have subcontracted out to small artisan some superficial similarities: most this kind of economic possibility specialist workshops, afterward cas- people have only seen these cre- regards questions of taste concern- ing and labeling them with their ations in photographs and only ing the appearance of such watches. own name. (A couple of ébauche a chosen few have been able to For this six-digit figure, don't think firms do supply unfinished repeater glimpse the real thing in the flesh. you'll impress the neighbors with movements to the trade as an al- This only underlines the fact that a diamond-encrusted watch case most standard item. Nonetheless, the repeater wristwatch remains having several subdials and push the number of Great Houses and/ the most elusive, complicated and buttons. The vast majority of wrist- or watchmakers in the world today expensive creation that exists in watch repeaters will possess the who are truly capable of designing the world of pure horology today. pure and simple lines of a perfectly and building a repeater from the There are several reasons for this groomed thoroughbred, telling you ground up can be counted on one rarity status, perhaps the first and only the hour, minute, and in the hand. In fact, you will even have foremost of which being the price rarest of examples, the seconds. I fingers left over.) that one would have to pay in order deliberately used the words "pure These companies can be for- to own one. To get an idea of what horology" because this type of given their pride. Given the factors kind of six-digit figure we are dis- watch represents a virtuoso exercise mentioned above, a watch manu- cussing here, take any catalog from in mechanical wizardry that only facturer—large or small—will not one of the Great Houses, choose a the true connoisseur of fine watch- be able to produce or sell more perpetual calendar watch from the es would be able to appreciate. Al- than five to ten such pieces in a price list, check the price in plati- though the exterior of a repeater year; usually even far less than num, and multiply this amount by wristwatch is a major exhibition of that. These timepieces have many 142 MARCH 2003INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCH insideLOOK more parts than any already com- and economy of each particular deep and one high note for each plex perpetual calendar mecha- historical period. Some of these quarter that has passed) and the nism contains and repeaters re- variants, such as the five-minute minutes (one high note for each quire many hours of additional repeater, the quarter-repeater or minute in addition to the already special finishing and construction. half-quarter repeater, have not chimed quarters) when an elon- There is also much more that can withstood the test of time. The gated, sliding push piece on the go wrong during this entire process. minute repeater, the most compli- side of the case opposite the crown Even the eventual repair and nec- cated form of repeater, later became is pushed. A variant of this minute essary cleaning of a repeater is the the most popular type and is still repeater type, the so called Grand domain of the super specialist, and offered today. This type of repeat- Sonnerie or grand strike, strikes the only the most gifted students with er will tell the wearer the time by hours and quarters automatically top honors from the world's watch- chiming the hours (one deep note (just as many public clocks do) as making schools will have the nec- for each hour) the quarters (one well as the hours, quarters and min- essary ability to take one to hand. This is a world far removed even from the intricacies and difficulties of the tourbillon, or any other com- plicated movement for that matter. (Of course, I must necessarily eat my words if we are talking about a repeater wristwatch with perpetual calendar and chronograph.) Although one would need to read several books in order to un- derstand all the details and com- plexities of such a masterpiece, it is possible to discuss some of the basic concepts, intricacies and principles held within the repeater's move- ment. These concepts can be eas- ily understood and appreciated by any watch lover, if you're willing to take a few minutes. Should you do so, you'll deepen your appreciation of watchmaking a thousand fold. (You might also be able to impress your friends with your knowledge in the watch-lover's chat rooms on the Internet as well.) Let's dive in. What does a particular type of repeater do? Repeaters, starting with the repeat- er pocket watch of course (which itself was inspired by the chiming clocks of church or public tow- ers and house clocks) developed Patek Philippe's minute repeater with per- petual calendar 5074 into several types after its first inception according to the fashion INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCHMARCH 2003 143 insideLOOK utes at request by depressing a sepa- of physics dictate that, just like well as its thickness will have an rate button. (The greatest specialist tubular bells or wind chimes, the effect on the sound and volume for this type of repeater is Philippe deeper pitched gong must be lon- of these small gongs; a thick and Dufour; he produces these master- ger than the higher pitched gong heavy case would easily dampen pieces in his workshop located in and have clear air space in which the available volume and sonor- the Valley de Joux, the very area of to move. Yet this movement must ity. Apart from the complicated Switzerland in which these types of not be so free as to allow it to come movement itself, getting all these repeater movements were produced in contact with any other parts of basic proportions just right is not for hundreds of years. He is one of the movement or case sides. Other- easy, and for the watchmaker ad- those few people in the entire world wise this could result in a distinctly ditional space is always welcome. who makes and designs everything unmusical rattling sound. In ad- Patek Philippe went one step fur- for these watches himself). dition, the material of the case as ther with this space problem of Give me a hammer... Let's start from the outside of the movement and work toward the interior. A repeater wristwatch must have small gongs and hammers in order to produce the required sounds. The gongs themselves are made of special steel alloys chosen to produce a pure and clear sound, and some firms such as Patek Philippe have spent considerable sums in researching the ideal alloy for this purpose. The gongs have a diameter roughly the thickness of a string from a piano. They must fol- low the curvature of the watch case exactly and, in fact, their pitch is partly determined by the case diameter as well. Each pitch used by a particular repeater requires a separate gong and corresponding hammer. In the standard minute re- peater, two hammers, together with a low- and high-pitched gong, are required. In the case of a repeater with a special chiming melody, it could even be four gongs, with a In the above illustration, you can see the two hammers for the low- and high-pitched total of four hammers, as used by gongs, located on the side away from the crown at about 9 o'clock. Both gongs are visible as they leave their fastening point directly in front of the hammers to make their freely Ulysse Nardin in its amazing Geng- vibrating, winding passage around the watch movement. Near the bottom of the picture his Khan (featured in IWW #59). you see the cut-out Calatrava cross, under which is found the governor with its two minus- Here we encounter one of the first cule weights. This governor acts as an 'escapement' for the chiming mechanism through barriers to be overcome. The laws the use of air resistance, thereby insuring the correct speed of chiming. 144 MARCH 2003INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCH insideLOOK sound. In the repeater this return is accomplished through the use of so-called banking springs and screws, which gently see to it that the hammers are swiftly returned to their start position in order to await the following actuation from the movement. The world behind the hammers A description of the interior world in the minute repeater perhaps resembles the world portrayed in Lewis Carroll's Alice In Wonder- land more than anything else. Three snails live in there—not of the gar- den variety—although one actu- ally does look like a snail (the hour snail), one looks like a round stair- case (the quarter snail) and the last much more resembles a starfish (the minute snail). In addition, there's p QS a strange device that appears and disappears from sight at different Illustration 1: moments, which in watchmaker's The quarter rack and jargon is called the surprise piece. quarter snail. (Maybe there are more connec- tions to the Loch Ness Monster than I originally suspected!) At repeaters last year as witnessed by indeed suggestive of cathedral bells the risk of stating the obvious, in a the introduction of their minute chiming in the distance. mechanism like this, all the neces- repeater 5079 and the minute re- The hammers must strike the sary information, as to what to do peater with perpetual calendar gongs in exactly the same fashion at what time, and in which order, is 5074. The current fashion move to as a piano string is struck, that is, in this case simply "hardware." slightly larger watch cases was an the hammers must be controlled by All these snails are attached impetus for them to redesign their some kind of releasing mechanism. directly or indirectly to the basic repeater cases and utilize the ad- In both the piano and the watch, watch movement. Three pivoting ditional space to double over the the hammer must hit the particu- racks, one each for the minute, curvature of the gongs, giving them lar gong or string after receiving an quarter and hour, are in intimate about twice their regular length and impulse, and afterward with light- contact with their particular snail. consequently a much fuller, louder ning speed fall back into a position The snails' turning shapes limit or and deeper sound. Having heard of rest. If it doesn't, the gongs (or allow the racks particular move- them in the flesh, I quite agree that the piano strings) would give noth- ment, therefore making the chimes they are remarkably sonorous and ing more than a deadened plunking ring or stay silent accordingly. All 146 MARCH 2003INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCH insideLOOK these parts have clear shapes and forms, so we can use visual clues to orientate ourselves and build up a mental picture of some of the in- ner secrets of the movement. Take a moment to look at Illustration 1 before reading further. Pretend you're Sherlock Holmes, and first make a guess at what's in front of you. Even if you're not a watchmak- er but enjoy thrillers and detective stories, you might have been able to deduce that this is a drawing of a mechanism that deals with striking the quarter hours. The signs are all MS p there. Our clue is that the quarters are signaled by two chimes. First we can discern an asymmetrical shape called the quarter rack. This rack p is responsible for setting off the hammers of the quarter chime after being released. Directly behind the MF ends of the two hammer trips (the trips set off the hammer's motion and are shown here by two small Illustration 2: Minute rack and minute snail (thick lines) underneath, part of the quarter arrows—the hammers themselves rack can be seen. have been left out for clarity) there are two groups of three teeth each. One group of three teeth will en- gage the lower-pitched gong; the heights, called the quarter snail both groups of three teeth each to other group of three will engage the (here marked QS). The steps of pass the trips and activate the ham- higher-pitched one. (Remember this snail are what limit the total mers three times. After striking the quarter strike is one low and lateral movement of the quarter takes place, the quarter snail turns one high pitch). Your first thought rack, and therefore the number of and the finger of the quarter rack would be that four quarters to the teeth that are allowed to pass over will then be resting on the first step, hour would require four teeth per the hammer trips, thereby making the highest step of the snail. Since gong. But only three teeth per gong the hammers strike the gongs. In the quarter chimes must not chime are necessary, since the hour strike Illustration 1, the quarter rack's fin- at the hour as mentioned above, the is governed by a separate mecha- ger is touching the quarter snail on height of this first step will limit the nism that also communicates with its lowest step, showing the position entire rack's lateral movement (and the low-pitched gong trip. prepatory to striking three-quarters. therefore chiming) until the second At the bottom of Illustration This allows the fullest lateral move- step is reached, which will be the 1, you can see the strangely shaped ment of the rack, therefore allowing first quarter. This step will allow wheel with steps of four different 148 MARCH 2003INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCH Body Soul NIRvANA Well, it had to happen Illustration 3: Geometrical layout of the minute snail. sooner or later. Now you can actually Buy inner peace, and it's a bargain. Why, with all the versatility only one tooth of each set of three must have a minute snail to direct offered by Japy's Modular system to be set and primed for release. (It it (in Illustration 2 marked MS). should be mentioned that when the The minute snail is a work of art of interchangeable components, rack returns to a previous position in in itself; extremely small with four stress will be a thing of the past. order to reset, it passes over the arms, each arm having fourteen It may even pay for itself, with all trips silently since they are only ac- steps or teeth with varying depth, that money you save on therapy. tivated in one direction.) based upon a series of arcs (see Il- lustration 3). The geometrical layout Snails must be smooth operators of the hour snail, the only one re- As noted above, you've seen that ally resembling a snail, can be seen the quarter snail is like a physical in Illustration 4. The hour rack piece of programming. As it turns, is not shown; it resembles a short specific reactions are initiated. To squat foot with twelve toes, one for chime the minutes, the minute rack each hour that must be struck. Illustration 2 shows the quarter Meditate on it at www.japyusa.com or call 949-632-1145 for a catalog. INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCHMARCH 2003 Basel Hall 5.1 Stand A35 insideLOOK rack and minute rack together. They both work from the same pivot, the right moment it slides out, and derside of the minute snail with and in this drawing only a part of its unusual shape insures that the the surprise piece with spring at- the quarter rack and teeth can bee outermost zero step of each arm of tached in its resting, unextended seen. the minute rack is temporarily ex- position. In the opening in the middle of tended and solid, assuring the min- Here you have the basic con- these two racks, we can see part of ute rack's finger engages cleanly in cepts at hand. A complete de- the rack pinion, below which would the zero step of the snail (a kind of scription of everything moving at be attached the hour rack (neither safety workaround born out of the once would be well neigh impos- the hour snail nor hour rack are physical limitations presented by sible within the scope of an article visible here). Topmost in Illustra- friction, metal and limited space). this size; and actually only a three- tion 2, one can see the fourteen In Illustration 5, we see the un- dimensional model would suffice, teeth of the minute rack that only communicate with a single trip of the high-pitched gong. Illustration 4: Geometrical layout of the hour snail. This shape of the minute snail was so complex that for many years it was impossible to cut by machine; they could only fabricate minute snails having ten steps, so this re- quired highly specialized manual work. The minute snail arms only require fourteen steps (which will set off the chimes via the corre- sponding minute rack) because the quarter chimes will of course take care of the fifteenth minute. The minute snail has one particular and unusual bit called the surprise piece (see illustration 5). Since the outermost, or "zero", step of the minute snail is extreme- ly small (because of the highly exacting geometry and the neces- sity of a smooth curving profile), there is always a danger that the minute chime could be released by the finger of the minute rack (Illustration 2 labeled MF), slip- ping or incorrectly engaging the minuscule zero tooth. The surprise piece's shape closely follows the same shape, albeit without all the teeth, as the minute snail itself. At 150 MARCH 2003INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCH for it is too much complex to Antoine Simonin, the publisher of describe. Nonetheless, the next A Guide to Complicated Watches by time you see a watch movement, F. Lecoultre, for allowing us to use you should be able to tell quite some of the illustrations from that easily whether it is some sort of marvelous book for this article. repeater or not, merely by looking It is also with great pleasure at the blank movement. That's that we can announce here the re- already a big step in itself. And printing of this landmark publica- hopefully you'll want to learn tion. Unavailable for many years, it even more! will again be available in English, The author wishes to thank French and German in June of this Illustration 5: underside of minute snail, with surprise piece. It's All In The Wrist From Foosball Championships to that devastating backhand. This anatomic u-Joint is truly an elegant and ingenious design. The perfect place of residence for another architectural wonder. A Japy Modular Timepiece, high performance and about as versatile as opposable thumbs. So if you know a wrist that warrants something special. Please direct it to www.japyusa.com or call 949-632-1145 for a catalog. INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCHMARCH 2003 Basel Hall 5.1 Stand A35 CRAFTSMANSHIP The Art of Some history and a few modern masters BY ELIZABETH DOERR E ngraving may not be one of those professions fun- damental to watchmak- ing, but without it horological mechanics would remain soul- less machines, the metal re- maining as cold and lifeless as the earth it was mined from. As a decorative medium, en- graving is irreplaceable in the history of watchmaking, unmis- takably a science all its own— with its own history, techniques and artists. The beginnings of engraving on metal are documented at around the fifth century bc. This artistic form was often used in conjunction with other crafts, such as chasing and repoussé, methods that uti- lize a metal rod hammered against the metal to make an indentation. 152 MARCH 2003INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCH CRAFTSMANSHIP cial engravers, and as the Industrial Revolution came along, machines began to take on a larger role with- in the art form. Impersonal roll stamping and commercial casting began to overtake hand-engraving, which became largely unavailable except as ornamentation on fire- arms, knives, rare gifts and personal objects owned by the wealthy to lend them greater value, such as on pocket watches. Today most en- graving is done by machine in some form. Hand-engraving is still rare, and those who practice the art are even rarer. Machine finishing (waves, perlage, graining, etc.) is perfectly displayed on this auto- It's no wonder that this craft, matic movement from Audemars Piguet. the beginnings of which originated on the European continent, wan- dered over to watchmaking, an art also rooted in the Old World. The portable nature of both art forms Hand-engraving fundamentally talented of them all being Germa- make them ideal counterparts. A employs a short, very sharp metal ny's Albrecht Dürer, unanimously delicate and exact craft, engraving rod, called a graver, that is pushed called the greatest of all line en- complements the delicate and ex- along the surface by hand, result- gravers, perfectly expressing his ge- acting nature of watches and their ing in a much sharper line. The nius within this medium. Living in movements perfectly. development of alphabets brought Nuremberg from his birth in 1471 The engraved line is a simple, with it the increased use of this art until his death in 1528, he was a universal mode of ornamentation, form. pioneer in both line engraving and and in intaglio engraving it is in- During the fifteenth century etching. In the seventeenth and cised directly onto the surface of the engraving art reached its peak. early eighteenth centuries, the epi- the chosen metal by hand using Not only was it used to decorate center of the engraving art form various instruments, such as the armor and commemorative items moved from the Germanic and Low graver, the burin and the drypoint (heraldry became a critical issue Countries to the west and south, to name just a few. Relief engrav- during this time as a shield was the generally France and Italy, where ing is achieved by making the lines only item to announce alliance portrait engraving began its run. and spaces in negative, leaving the when the entire body was covered Because the engravings were design raised above the surface. in armor), but during the Renais- turned into prints by means of ink By contrast, the etching tech- sance it also became an art form and paper, this art form can be nique is obtained by corroding the unto itself in conjunction with an termed the first successful indus- metal plate with an acid or mor- early incarnation of printing. The trial procedure applied to artistic dant. Substances generally used close of the fifteenth century her- representation. At the end of the for this include nitric acid, sulphur alded the activities of great master eighteenth century, machine rul- and a mixture that includes hydro- engravers, the most famous and ing came into use among commer- chloric acid, which is known as the INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCHMARCH 2003 153 This case back belonging to the Dutch Bath. This technique was Audemars Piguet Royal Oak City introduced as early as the fifteenth of Sails is an excellent example of century, and Dürer was one of its beautiful and detailed modern-day etching. The process, now called forerunners. Today it is a widespread "chemical engraving," differs very technique used on contemporary little from the traditional Dutch wristwatches to obtain very ex- Bath treatment. act renditions and a "grainy" look. Casebacks of luxury wristwatches made of steel, a very hard substance to hand-engrave, often display etchings achieved by the use of in- dustrial acid baths. This technique is termed "chemical engraving." Because in this day and age engraving is generally done by la- sers and CNC machines, there are few true masters of the trade left. According to Adone T. Pozzobon, proprietor of Adone Galleries and the popular website EngravingArts, specializing in firearm and knife engraving, "Present day master en- gravers have transformed the craft into a true, respected art form. Never before in our history have engravers reached such high standards in pro- ducing fine engravings." The modern era's arsenal of tools for the master engraver has hardly changed over the centu- ries. One important innovation is, of course, the microscope, which allows the engraver to continue cutting minute areas of metal un- til he is a ripe old age, by relieving strain on his eyes. It also allows for a more exacting view of the area to be engraved. Jochen Benzinger, one of less than a handful of in- dependent master engravers left in Germany, has always preferred to practice his profession entirely in the traditional manner—by use of only the naked eye when he MARCH 2003INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCH CRAFTSMANSHIP Above left: Jochen Benzinger works on the smallest movement components with a completely unaided eye in the traditional manner. Above right: Another unique movement engraved by Jochen Benzinger, this time automatic. His workshop also hand-skel- etonizes the pieces needed, such as the inside section of the highly decorated rotor. Left: Jochen Benzinger specializes in traditional embellishment of movements, dials and cases. Here is a unique piece he created by individually decorating a hand- wound Unitas 6498 with his push graver. Incredibly, he did this without the help of a microscope. 156 MARCH 2003INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCH CRAFTSMANSHIP works. "We work very tradition- ally in my workshop, utilizing only traditional hand-held tools and practices." In addition to making his own unique pieces, he works with many traditionally minded watchmak- ers, such as Martin Braun, Roland Murphy and Christiaan van der Klaauw, mainly embellishing their movements and making them unique pieces. Benzinger is not a watchmaker himself, although he employs a full-time watchmaker to aid in his work with movements. "You have to have a good watch- maker to help with the individual components. After the movement has been dismantled, it needs to be rebuilt, and that is no problem with a good watchmaker on hand." Benzinger's specialty is ornamental engraving, something he does with visible élan, including flourishing patterns and vine and leaf motifs. He can, however, work accord- ing to the wishes of the client. He first lightly sketches the pattern onto the surface with a pencil, then he adds vine and leaf motifs freehand, with feeling, so that it looks different every time. Addi- tionally, his workshop does skel- etonizing and guilloché by hand. Benzinger taught himself the art of Comedia was engraved in the bas-relief technique, one of Kees Englbarts's specialties, for a guilloché, as courses for this are no watch made by Antoine Preziuso. longer available in metalworking schools, and he owns an impressive collection of historical rose engine and schooled in Holland—one of some of the more modern additions machines that have not been pro- the Low Countries—he formally to the engraver's tool kit, such as a duced in over half a century. studied engraving in Germany as powerful microscope and the Grav- Engraver Kees Englbarts also well. A young, self-styled freelance er Max, a push graver outfitted with comes from the traditional engrav- engraver now living and working a compressor. Although he also en- ing region of central Europe. Born in Geneva, Englbarts has embraced graves movements and practical INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCHMARCH 2003 157 CRAFTSMANSHIP possibly be compared with hand- engraving," Englbarts reports. For an in-depth report on Kees Engl- barts, see International Wristwatch #59, September 2002. This is not to say that only Europe produces good engravers— au contraire. Jaeger-LeCoultre's official U.S. engraver is actually an American-born, self-taught watch- maker-turned-engraver, an interest that began as a hobby. J.C. Randell now owns the title of "professional engraver" (the equivalent of a European master engraver) earned from the Firearms Engravers Guild of America. Apart from the classic monograms and initials he styles, Randell's strong—and from a hor- ological point of view unusual— point definitely lies in the three- dimensional renditions that find their origins in the art of firearm and knife engraving, including fine shading and gradual tone changes, techniques that add to the three- dimensional quality of his work. The fact that Randell is self- taught frees him from traditional ways of thinking and adds an un- usual style to his work, which he Top: The Chateau engraved in the bas-relief technique for this Franck Muller watch was terms "an ongoing process. I only done by Kees Englbarts in 1995. want each of my engravings to be Bottom: On another dial for a Franck Muller specialty, Kees Englbarts commemo- better than the last." He thinks up rates one of watchmaking's favorite subjects: automobiles. This rendition of a Bugatti is techniques to achieve the effect he exceptionally detailed and well proportioned in relief. is shooting for, best expressed in his near photo realistic portraits. One technique he employs in achieving this is bulino engraving, although components, giving them a soul to was the first to engrave a watch dial he personally would never term it go along with their beating hearts, made of the rare metal amalgamate that way. Bulino is actually a com- his specialty lies in the beautiful mokumé gane. "Using modern tech- bination of closely placed lines and rendition of concrete objects in re- niques to work more quickly and dots to achieve various degrees of lief on dials. He loves to try out new more precisely are okay. But once it shading and 3D imagery. His in- techniques and methods, and he is done, machine engraving cannot terest lies not in naming the tech- 158 MARCH 2003INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCH CRAFTSMANSHIP niques, but in asking, Do you like my work? and getting a positive answer. "Engraving is an illusion, and an illusion should come out to meet the eye," he professes. He is best known in watch circles for his work on Jaeger-LeCoultre's classic Reverso model, a watch that pos- sesses a glossy surface that is not entirely easy to engrave; any buff- ing and scratching is immediately visible and unretractable. First, he J.C. Randell's engravings are incredibly realis- tic and three-dimensional thanks to the bulino sketches a basic outline of the cho- type of engraving in which he specializes. A view sen pattern on the surface, after under a microscope would reveal that this Jesus which he uses unusually light lines figure actually displays an iris and a cornea on his to cut the rest of the design utilizing eyes. only his experience to guide him. "Cutting the lines is the actual art," he says. "Even if I were to draw the entire design beforehand, I would want to change it along the way. A cut line is always sharper than a line that has been drawn by pencil." Engravers such as Pozzobon who specialize in firearm and knife embellishment consider the high- definition images of bulino and photo realism the most difficult and prestigious part of an engrav- ing. Kees Englbarts begs to differ. "Engravers who can do this are certainly great artists and crafts- men, but you cannot compare ap- ples with oranges. These engraving techniques are totally different and This stylized initial on the back side of a Jaeger- may be compared with making a LeCoultre Reverso by J.C. Randell is exceptionally drawing on metal on one hand, and three-dimensional and reminiscent of less tradi- tional knife engravings. on the other to doing a sculpture on metal (in bas-relief technique). There are no world championships in engraving. For me, engraving right. The most important thing is Although he is best known for his work with Jaeger-LeCoultre's Reverso, is like painting, making music or the result!" J.C. Randell can engrave on any metal any other creative activity. What To view more works by these surface. This knife shows a photo-re- they have in common is that they engraving artists, visit their web- alistic portrait indubitably American are not hard to do, but hard to do sites: www.kees.ch; www.jochen- in style. INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCHMARCH 2003 159 COMPLICATIONS Thomas Prescher's Magnificent Torkel Tourbillon BY CURTIS THOMSON T he double-axis tourbillon was first patented by the brilliant English watch- maker Anthony G. Randall in 1978 and first produced by another Richard Habring, were in the form of carriage clocks. A vision he's had since his three-year apprenticeship at IWC, by the work of these three master watchmakers, he has realized his dream in brilliant fashion. The Torkel tourbillon (the Englishman, the gifted watchmaker Master Watchmaker Thomas term coined by Reinhard Meis in Richard Good, also in 1978. The Pre-scher has wanted to make a his classic book Das Tourbillon to double-axis tourbillons, made by double-axis tourbillon. More than describe the tumbling action of the Randall Good and much later by ten years later, after being inspired tourbillon, as it rotates through two axes) made by Prescher reduces the size of the tourbillon considerably. So much so, that his version may be fitted into a pocket watch—no small feat of engineering! A tourbillon is designed to average out the vertical errors of poise caused by gravity on the bal- ance and balance spring. This it does quite well, but it does not ad- dress the change of rate between horizontal and vertical positions, which, in large part, is caused by the change of friction on the bal- ance pivots, which adversely affects the timekeeping. The theoretical solution to this is the Torkel tour- billon, which is accomplished by rotating the tourbillon's carriage in two planes, that is, at right angles to each other. Besides the engineering chal- lenges of creating a tourbillon, which rotates through two axes once per minute, it was soon real- ized that a constant force escape- ment would be necessary to obtain a state of poise between the two axes. A constant force escape- ment is a type of remontoire that 160 MARCH 2003INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCH COMPLICATIONS 1 2 3 Above: A close-up of the Torkel tourbillon at various points in its cycle. Opposite page: Presented for the first time in print is the amazing double-axis tourbillon. employs a subsidiary spring on the made by Prescher. chapter rings for hour and min- escape wheel and provides the mo- c All constant force components tive force to the balance. Not only made by Prescher. utes and the other for seconds; was this a solution for equilibrium, c First and second wheels of second but it also addressed isochronal er- axis modified from existing aperture at 12 o'clock to view rors. With the arduous research and stock. double-axis tourbillon. design tasks complete, Prescher be- c Crown wheel made for second Now, with a working example gan the fabrication process in 2002. (it is a marvel to behold), the plans Using a Unitas pocket watch as his axis by Prescher. are two-fold: 1) to design and make working base the following compo- c Case: working example in brass, a twin-barreled movement for his nents were made to bring his dream but final product will be en- Torkel pocket watch, and 2) to re- to life: cased duce the size of the Torkel to that c Carriage was electro-eroded by a in gold, made by Prescher of a wristwatch. This will be a busy c Size: 60 mm in diameter and 20 year indeed! specialist. to 22 mm in height. In future issues, we will be re- c Remaining carriage components c Dial: mother-of-pearl with two visiting the Torkel tourbillon in a INTERNATIONAL WRISTWATCHMARCH 2003 161
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