Oracle Time - Issue 97 - Art & Design

WATCHES | ST YLE | CULTUR E

THE LIFESTYLE GUIDE FOR WATCH LOVERS

ISSUE .97

Form and function with

HUBLOT X SAMUEL ROSS The Design Issue WATCHMAKERS, CAR DESIGNERS & ARCHITECTS

ISSUE 97

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ORACLE TIME #97

WELCOME Editor’s letter

COVER CREDITS Photography: Tom Pettit Watch: Hublot Big Bang Tourbillon Samuel Ross

There’s nothing in this world more subjective than the almighty question of what constitutes good design. Honestly, it’s a broad enough subject that we’re not about to attempt a definitive answer in these pages, no matter how packed with goodness they are. We are however going to showcase some seriously great watches.

Of course, behind every great watch is a great watch designer. For Christopher Ward, the British brand who have been on a tear this year in the glorious fall-out from the Bel Canto, that designer is William Brackfield. Despite being one of the younger figures in the watch world (not hard, if you want to check out Nico Leonard’s column on that particular subject on page 168), Will’s prolific, with an incredible range of projects under his belt. Check out what he has to say on the process of designing a watch on page 45.

It’s a process that Hublot know intimately of course, but one that their latest collaborative ambassador, Samuel Ross is a master of, across many, many disciplines. In fact, the British polymath’s latest watch is our cover star this issue and it makes an impact – like a meteor made of hexagonal metalwork. Find out more about Ross’s work, along with Hublot’s wider love of collaboration, on page 36.

Will and Samuel aren’t alone however – far from it. There are some absolute maestros working well behind the scenes and across brands that you just might not know about. Fortunately, Thor Svaboe knows all about them, and on page 52 he waxes lyrical about who he considers the five most important watch designers working today. You’ll be surprised at just how many watches you know and love that they have created.

Watchmaking isn’t the only field with its fair share of legendary designers. The automotive world has more than a few, from legends like Pininfarina, Zagato and Bertone. As Mark Smyth explores however, few are as broadly beautiful as the work by Giorgetto Giugiaro. Prepare for some serious automotive envy on page 107.

Scaling up from watches to cars to architecture, we take a look at how sustainable design has informed some of the most impressive building projects across the world in 2023. From college campuses to suburban homes, architectural studios have been coming up with solutions to the environmental impact of their projects in ever more inventive ways. Find out how on page 116.

Back to the macro, our shoot this issue is all about architecture – on a much, much smaller scale. We take an up-close look at some of the coolest skeleton pieces of the year on page 87, from accessible cool to haute horology prestige. See if you can figure out the watch without heading to the specs page.

Design aside for a minute – if such a thing is ever truly possible – and as I’m sure you’ve noted by now, the cold is creeping into the weather and the nights are drawing in. That means it’s knitwear season and, to ensure you get the right knit for you, Charlie Thomas gives us a brief guide to the season’s must-have winter warmers on page 75.

This also means, unfortunately, that Christmas is on the horizon. Well, to keep your wishlist inspired, we’ve put together a Christmas gift guide for the watch lover in your life. Or you know, yourself. Probably yourself. There’s some seriously cool stuff for every budget, page 99. Or, if you’re looking to dress up your favourite watch for the season, we also have a much more comprehensive selection of straps to suit all styles, ranging from sporty, practical numbers to exotic leathers to impeccably made bracelets – all of that and more on page 65.

So, while I desperately try to hunt down a few presents for people that aren’t as obsessed by balance wheels as I am (what do normal people even want?), stay safe, stay sane and enjoy this issue.

Sam Kessler, Editor

KEEP IN TOUCH: @oracle_time | @oracle_time | facebook.com/oracleoftime | oracleoftime.com

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ORACLE TIME #97

CONTRIBUTORS

WATCHES | STYLE | CULTURE EDITOR

Sam Kessler sam.kessler@opulentmedia.co.uk ART DIRECTOR

Hicham Kasbi design@opulentmedia.co.uk SUB EDITOR

Dan Mobbs danmobbs@hotmail.com DIGITAL EDITOR

Michael Sonsino michael.sonsino@opulentmedia.co.uk DIGITAL CONTENT MANAGER

Thor Svaboe

As the sole Norwegian who doesn’t like snow or climbing mountains, Thor has honed his florid writing skills at Time + Tide, and is now an editor at Fratello Watches. This Viking would fearlessly go into battle under the banner of independent watchmaking, and his endgame watch would be the unique Greubel Forsey Hand Made 1.

Michael Pepper

Charlie Thomas

michael@opulentmedia.co.uk JUNIOR DIGITAL CONTENT MANAGER

Charlie Thomas is a UK-based writer and photographer. An eternal pessimist, he has an equal love of both fine food and KFC. His work has appeared in The Independent, The Times, NME, the London Evening Standard, Tatler and Esquire.

Kelly Coombes kelly.coombes@opulentmedia.co.uk JUNIOR CONTENT CREATOR

Phillip Hammond Phillip.hammond@opulentmedia.co.uk JUNIOR SOCIAL MEDIA EXECUTIVE

Teddy Clark teddy.clark@opulentmedia.co.uk PUBLISHER / CO-FOUNDER

Mark Edwards mark@opulentmedia.co.uk MANAGING EDITOR / CO-FOUNDER

Tom Pettit tom@opulentmedia.co.uk ADVERTISING SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER

Michael Sonsino

A relative newcomer to luxury watches, Michael is OT’s Junior Content Producer.

He’s still trying to tell his balance spring from his tourbillon and as such is a fan of timepieces with a simple design, and who can blame him?

But if his obsession with miniatures is anything to go by, he has an impressive eye.

Oliver Morgan oliver.morgan@opulentmedia.co.uk 020 8571 4615 SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER

Phil Peachey

Mark Smyth

A passion for cars eventually guided Mark into a career as a motoring writer. His main loves are car design and the industry, but he also finds time to write about his other passion, yachting and the occasional bit of horology too. Mark has contributed to Autocar, Octane, The Telegraph and Car Design News.

Nico Leonard

Not only is Nico the founder of successful independent watch retailer Pride and Pinion, but his, let’s say strong opinions on the watch world have made him the most influential horological figure online

phil.peachey@opulentmedia.co.uk 020 3985 1414 ACCOUNT MANAGER

Freddie Bridge freddie.bridge@opulentmedia.co.uk 0208 057 1140 ACCOUNT MANAGER

Dan Perry daniel.perry@opulentmedia.co.uk 020 3985 1414 OT MAGAZINE is published monthly

by Opulent Media 020 8571 4615

Printed by Stephens & George Ltd using vegetable-based inks onto materials which have been sourced from well-managed sustainable sources

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ORACLE TIME #97

CONTENTS

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OT M AG A ZINE / ISSUE 97

36 — MANY HANDS MAKE LIGHT WORK

Hublot’s latest collab with British creative Samuel Ross produces a truly modern take on the tourbillon

19 — AFICIONADO

Discover all the latest on our radar and what should be in your basket this month

24 — NEWS

What’s happening in the world of fine watchmaking and the luxury industry at large

33 — INTRODUCING Your guide to all the latest and greatest watch releases from around the world

Paired with the integrated rubber strap and visible screws, the new Big Bang is the horological equivalent of Gerald Genta penning a sci-fi opera Many Hands Make Light Work - p36

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ORACLE TIME #97

CONTENTS

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65 — STRAPS BUYING GUIDE

Take a shortcut to transforming your horological style

75 — AN ULTIMATE GUIDE TO KNITWEAR It’s the unsung hero of your modern winter wardrobe

87 — ARCHITECTURE IN HOROLOGY

Our shoot looks at the coolest skeleton pieces of the year

107 — GIFT GUIDE FOR WATCH LOVERS

Let’s not pretend, this is a guide on what to get yourself this festive season 107

107 — THE WORKS OF GIORGETTO GIUGIARO Meet the man responsible for designing most things automotive in the eighties

116 — SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE

How sustainable design has informed some of the most impressive buildings this year

128 — WATCH REVIEWS 140

We get hands-on with watches from Alpina, Raymond Weil, and Stella

87

“It’s about bringing in ideas and details from wherever you can find inspiration, and seeing how they sit” The Interview - p45

45 — THE INTERVIEW Christopher Ward designer William Brackfield on the challenges of watch design

52 — THE LESSERKNOWN DESIGNERS

A little unheralded, but majorly respected designers 45

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140 — UNSUNG VINTAGE HERO

The not-so-hidden world of custom-built Seikos is your cool new horological hobby

159 — MICROBRAND CORNER

All the latest and greatest from the world of small-scale independent watchmakers

168 — PRIDE AND OPINION WITH NICO LEONARD

The YouTube star takes aim at the aging figures at the top of watchmaking

aficionado The Coolest Things in the Design World Right Now

IN FLITE Industrial designer Marc Newson has his fingers in more pies than a mathematical baker, and his blend of functionality and design always finds a solid home in more technical pieces. He’s also, incidentally, an avid surfer – meaning his new collaboration with electric hydrofoil specialists Flite is a match made in collaborative heaven. Billed as the world’s lightest board of its kind, the carbon-fibre monobloc eFoil weighs less than 20 kilos, with a full-surface grip and titanium accents. Newson’s also updated the Flite Controller into a cool, funky object all its own. And remember, if you see someone cruising around on one of these striking black and orange speedsters, it could be Newson himself.

Find out more at eu.fliteboard.com

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aficionado

COUNTER-CULTURE CANVAS The Tate institution has more than its fair share of groundbreaking artwork across its four museums, but other than a commemorative poster or a Van Gogh pencil case, there aren’t many ways of taking that artwork home with you. Well, now you can go one step further and add a splash of Tate’s collection to your wardrobe with the latest from counterculture footwear icon Dr. Martens. The capsule collection of two pairs of boots and a bag uses pieces from British surrealist artist Ithell Colquhoun – specifically Volcanic Flare and Example of Decalcomania Technique. The result is even more of a statement than your old, battered Dr. Martens. Time for an artistic update?

Both pairs of 1460 TATE boots are priced at £189. The leather backpack is priced at £179. Find out more at drmartens.com

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aficionado

BELONGING BENTAYGA British artist Stephen Wiltshire has drawn his unique style of architectural cityscape across many a canvas in his career. Now, however, his canvas of choice is on four wheels – specifically the wheels of the Bentley Bentayga, the Crewe-based marque’s luxury SUV. In the new Belonging Bentayga, Wiltshire has hand-painted landmarks from across the world, creating an international cityscape taking in New York, London, Tokyo, Hong Kong, and more.

The hand-painted take on the Alpine green car is downright magnificent; an eye-catching showpiece and testament to just what Bentley’s team can do with a strong vision behind them.

Find out more at bentleymotors.com

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aficionado

KALEIDOSCOPIC WATCHMAKING The Tambour has recently undergone a renaissance as Louis Vuitton revamp the drumlike luxury watch, and they’ve nailed the sleeker, more pared-back look. This new limitededition version of the Tambour Moon Flying Tourbillon, however, is neither of those things.

Usually, a flying tourbillon would be the focal point of a watch, but here it plays second fiddle to the painting-inspired Cloisonne enamel dial that gives the watch its kaleidoscope moniker. The colourful, hypnotic combination of blue and purple is precise metiers d’art at its finest, backed by the serious watchmaking chops of the LV 81 tourbillon calibre.

There’s a lot going on, but sometimes more is more.

Find out more at uk.louisvuitton.com

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aficionado

TAILOR MADE Ozwald Boateng isn’t like other Savile Row tailors. Forget tweed and Prince of Wales checks, he’s all about colour and bright ones at that – yellows, purples, greens. And now the non-conformist tailor is leveraging his eye for hue in his debut furniture collaboration with Poltrona Frau in their Culture and Craft collection. It’s a brighter take on the brand’s signature pieces inspired by Boateng’s Ghanaian heritage, so if you’re looking for your new-season statement piece, this might well be it. And if you fall in love with it, you can always opt for a matching bespoke suit.

Find out more at poltronafrau.com

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EDITED BY SAM KESSLER

THE LATEST FROM THE WORLD OF WATCHES AND LUXURY LIFESTYLE

NEWS

VACHERON CONSTANTIN ENTER PARTNERSHIP WITH THE MET Continuing their series of collaborations with significant art museums around the world, Vacheron Constantin have announced a new partnership with

The Met (Metropolitan Museum of Art) in New York.

Together they seek to encourage artistic vision in new generations through shared mentorship programmes. It wouldn’t be a surprise if down the line we see a few Metiers d’Art watches featuring the iconic works housed at The Met, similar to the Louvre collaborations last year, so watch this space.

Learn more at vacheronconstantin.com

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world news

CHASING MICRONS WITH HORAGE Horage are launching a new film called Chasing Microns.

The 25-minute documentary details the past and present of one of the youngest and most exciting Swiss independent watch brands, delving into the challenges and trials faced by the brand.

The film will premiere on 10 November in select theatres.

Attendance is free and you can learn more by visiting the Horage website and signing up to their mailing list for information on screenings.

Learn more at horage.com

MARLON BRANDO’S APOCALYPSE NOW ROLEX HEADS TO AUCTION Marlon Brando’s portrayal of Kurtz in Francis Ford Coppola’s Vietnam War masterpiece, Apocalypse Now, is as captivating as he is insane. At the same time, it proved to be a major moment for watches in cinema because the Rolex GMT-Master Ref. 1675 he wore has become legendary, and now it’s up for auction. The watch in question is unlike any other GMT-Master in the world for a number of reasons. First and foremost, Marlon Brando hand-engraved his name into the caseback, proving beyond all doubt the watch’s providence.

Est. CHF 1,000,000 to 2,000,000 (approx. £920,000 to £1,800,000), learn more at christies.com

Marlon Brando hand-engraved his name into the caseback, proving beyond all doubt the watch’s providence 25

world news

DUBAI WATCH WEEK Dubai Watch Week is set to return from 16th to 20th November, with over 50 iconic watch brands and auction houses set to descend on Dubai for new releases, talks, exhibitions, and more. The event has grown rapidly over the past eight years and is now one of the most exciting watch shows to close out the year. It also highlights the importance of the Middle Eastern market to the watch industry at large, which has become one of the vital global areas, alongside Europe and Asia.

Discover the event at dubaiwatchweek.com

NEW UK GIRARD-PERREGAUX BOUTIQUE OPENS

higher degrees. The new boutique, which is being opened in collaboration with Bucherer, is located in Covent Garden, providing an excellent central London shopping location. The boutique has been designed with a light atmosphere and minimalist aesthetic that allows the detail of the watches to shine.

Book a visit at girard-perregaux.com

Girard-Perregaux are opening their first monobrand boutique in the UK. There has been a large influx of monobrand boutiques in recent months, as brands seek to tailor their customer’s buying experience to even

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world news

JACOB & CO. BILLIONAIRE CARD Jacob & Co. have teamed up with Insignia and Billionaire to create the new Billionaire Card, a Visa credit card exclusively for UHNWIs. Only 150 clients are able to access the cards to ensure their exclusivity and prestige remain intact. Holding one gains access to incredible opportunities like priority access to concerts, sports events, and more. The physical card was designed by Jacob & Co. and includes gold-plating, an openwork sunray patterns and a constellation of diamonds.

Learn more at jacobandco.com

LEONARDO DICAPRIO INVESTS IN ID GENÈVE Hollywood heartthrob and environmental advocate Leonardo DiCaprio has taken a step into the luxury watch world by becoming an investor in Swiss brand ID Genève. The news comes following ID Genève’s latest investment round that saw them raise over CHF 2 million (approx. £1,850,000). With these funds, the brand aims to continue pushing the boundaries of style and sustainability with watches like the Circular S, which DiCaprio has been seen wearing, and is made from 100% recycled steel smelted in a solar furnace.

Find out more at idwatch.ch

Officiant fugia core plia volor aut quis se quae vel et invelibus mos destiunt, que cum fugiate venietur abor 27

luxe investment

LUXE WATCH INVESTMENT INSIGHTS Later on in this issue, as you’ll see, we have a shoot detailing the… well, details of some truly spectacular, architectural, skeletonised watches. It’s a cool, niche sub-genre in watchmaking, one that takes a superlative level of craft and skill to achieve. But with skeleton watches being such a specific breed, how well do they actually do on the open market? Spoiler: surprisingly well.

And to keep things current, we’ll be looking at their performance over the past three months.

GIRARD-PERREGAUX LAUREATO SKELETON

While they don’t often dominate the pre-owned market, Girard-Perregaux’s integrated bracelet sports watch in its many flavours of Genta adjacency, is by far their most popular piece. Apparently, that carries over to the skeleton version, which is on the up.

AUDEMARS PIGUET ROYAL OAK DOUBLE BALANCE WHEEL OPENWORKED

Less of a good story for one of Audemars Piguet’s most refined versions of the legendary Royal Oak. There’s no denying it’s a striking piece, but apparently the haute horology look (and likely the price tag) just don’t gel with collectors in the same way as the Jumbo.

Starting Price: £25,307

Current Price: £26,049

Starting Price: £112,241

Current Price: £109,879

Percentage Change: +2.93%

Actual Change: £742

Percentage Change: -2.1%

Actual Change: -£2,362

HUBLOT CLASSIC AEROFUSION MOONPHASE

CARTIER SANTOS DE CARTIER SKELETON

RICHARD MILLE RM 030

The more pared-back version of our cover star (which really isn’t hard), this moon phase equipped piece of industrial metal has seen off a month-long dip to even out and end up ahead of where it started, with what seems like more of an increase to come.

A near 10% increase is nothing to be sneezed at; in fact, that makes it one of the best performing watches of the moment, which is incredible for Cartier. It’s not hard to see why though as this skeletonised interpretation of the Santos is a stunner.

You can’t talk about skeletons without bringing up Richard Mille, so it’s good to see that they’re on form. The percentage increase might not seem like a huge amount, but given the price of these bad boys, that’s a whole other watch you could buy.

Starting Price: £9,726

Current Price: £9,970

Starting Price: £19,859

Current Price: £21,656

Starting Price: £156,304

Current Price: £161,675

Percentage Change: +2.51%

Actual Change: £244

Percentage Change: +9.05%

Actual Change: £1,797

Percentage Change: 3.44%

Actual Change: £5,371

Data taken from WatchAnalytics’ WASKELETON20 Index, watchanalytics.io

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time out

OR ACLE

TIM E :O U T

@wtwreviews You know it’s autumn when you see conkers aplenty and the snowy cover of Oracle Time. And this isn’t UK-based watch photographer wtwreviews’s (AKA Nigel Oxley) first pairing of seasonal staples with the Tudor Black Bay GMT, just our favourite. We’re not biased, we just have exceptional taste.

It’s a fitting watch too, as it has a special place in Nigel’s own collection. It was spotting a Rolex GMT on a guy’s wrist that sent him down the unending rabbit hole of watches, and given it’s the modern equivalent, the Tudor’s a thematic perfect fit. It also looks killer no matter what you

do with it, conkers included – though a little bit of skill behind the camera obviously helps. You’d never know Nigel’s only been doing this for a year…

Want to showcase your own eye for a perfectly composed watch shot? Well, get your hands on this issue, get snapping and don’t forget to use #oracletimeout for your chance to nab a page to yourself next month.

For now though, Oracle Time, Out.

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THERE ARE MANY WAYS to get your Oracle Time fix. Our favourite is of course within these lovely glossy pages to which you can subscribe via our website. An annual subscription containing 10 issues of the magazine is only £89.50, more value than a serious microbrand watch.

Alternatively, you can come and say hello on one of our many digital channels. Instagram is the perfect place to share your wristshots and thoughts with us – remember to use #OTWristshot. Or you can watch our latest video content on YouTube, listening to the dulcet tones of our editor via our website using the QR code in the top right.

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OUR

INSTAGRAM

introducing

NEWS

THE DETAIL:

•

41mm stainless steel case with 100m water resistance • Seiko Calibre NH35 automatic movement with 41-hour power reserve • £995, williamwoodwatches.com

INTRO DUCING WILLIAM WOOD Fire Extinguisher

Not one but two watches from the fire-obsessed (that’s firefighting, not arson) William Wood, the Fire Extinguisher is comprised of the two halves of its name: an incredibly layered fiery dial and a wall of foamy extinguisher froth. Both offer highlights on the collection’s diving bezel in the same colour as the main dial and both are on upcycled fire hose straps, while on the back you’ll find the safety sign for each – fire hazard and fire extinguisher. For a brand that’s always relatively on-the-nose with their core theme, this pair is even more so – and they’re some of the most fun watches the British brand has ever built because of it.

ARCANAUT

D’Arc Matter Colours

Given its incredible depth of darkness, you’d be forgiven for assuming that Arcanaut’s latest slice of the ultra-cool used the same Musou black as Boldr’s stealthiest Venture. But no, instead what you’re looking at is a composite of Scandinavian slate created by the infamous ‘godfather of lume’ Black Badger, one of Arcanaut’s founders.

Bordered by bright lume in a quartet of bright colours, it’s a fantastic looking sports watch that’s hard not to fall in love with at a glance. We certainly have.

THE DETAIL:

40.52mm stainless steel case with 100m water resistance • Soprod A10 calibre automatic movement with 42-hour power reserve • £1,586, arcanaut.watch

•

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introducing

YEMA

Yachtingraf Tourbillon Mareograf 75th Anniversary Limited Edition

If the name of Yema’s latest sounds like a mouthful that’s because the watch itself is a serious course of Michelin-starred French horology. The pairing of a tideograph – an indicator that lets you know the level of the tide – and a tourbillon designed by French watchmaker Olivier Mory, makes for the kind of nautical watch you don’t want to get wet (despite a practical 100m water resistance).

Surrounded by the kind of elegant diving look you’d expect from the likes of Blancpain, Yema have absolutely knocked this one out the water – and onto the deck of a well-appointed yacht.

THE DETAIL:

42.5mm bronze or stainless steel case with 100m water resistance • Yema calibre CMM.30 automatic movement with 105-hour power reserve • €9,990 (approx. £8,660), limited to 75 pieces per colourway, yema.com

•

IWC

Big Pilots’ Watch 43 Markus Bühler

Back in the early 2000s, then up-and-coming watchmaker Markus Bühler built an odd little IWC Big Pilot with a turbine small seconds.

When it went from concept to production, eight were made and eight were sold, a quirky little number for the archives. Except that now it’s back and better than ever, with a newly designed turbine tourbillon, an aesthetically faithful re-tread of a curiosity in IWC’s history. It’s cool in and of itself of course, but the fact that IWC are paying homage to such a niche launch from a niche time in watchmaking is even cooler.

THE DETAIL:

43mm stainless steel case with 100m water resistance • IWC calibre 82905 automatic movement with 80-hour power reserve • CHF 125,000 (appox. £113,000), limited to 51 pieces, iwc.com •

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introducing

BALTIC

Hermétique Tourer

Finally, a proper new Baltic collection – and as you’d expect, it’s a cool, vintage take on a classic horological archetype. In this instance, that means a utilitarian field watch with vintage sizing (the case measures a svelte 37mm across) and a quartet of retro colours. It looks and feels a little less glamorous than the latest generation of Bicompax and HMS models, but given it’s meant to be a practical timepiece, that’s for the best. What it does have is more than worth the superaccessible price tag, especially on a lovely bracelet to boot.

THE DETAIL: •

STUDIO UNDERD0G 02 Series Field

It’s finally here! After trying on the prototype of this well over a year ago now, I can finally talk about Studio Underd0g’s sophomore effort.

Basically a field watch through the looking glass, the svelte 37mm case is utilitarian in construction. The dial however is not. Made of a lower, colourfully lumed dial and a top sapphire crystal dial mounted with the numerals, it’s an incredibly fun look. You can see the shadows of the numerals on the dial below, which means you get significantly different angles in different lights. But best of all, when the lights go down completely, they seem to float on an eerie green sea of lume. It’s honestly hard not to love, and with four variations hitting at once – including the highlight yellow-to-pink gradient – there’s more choice than ever. And likely, a lot more to come.

THE DETAIL:

37mm stainless steel case with 100m water resistance • Sellita SW210-1 calibre manual-wind movement with 42-hour power reserve • £800, underd0g.com •

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37mm stainless steel case with 150m water resistance • Miyota Calibre 9039 automatic movement with 42-hour power reserve • From €550 (approx. £476), baltic-watches.com

hublot samuel ross

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hublot samuel ross

WORDS: SAM KESSLER

MANY HANDS MAKE LIGHT WORK

HUBLOT’S LATEST COLLABORATIVE WATCH EMBRACES THE AESTHETIC IMPACT OF BRITISH CREATIVE SAMUEL ROSS FOR A TRULY MODERN TAKE ON THE TOURBILLON

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hublot samuel ross

In case the multi-coloured wave of boutique limited editions, artist-designed dials and avant-garde partnerships hasn’t washed over you, the watch world is getting increasingly collaborative. It’s rare these days that brands don’t get into bed with some big (or more often, small) name in fashion or art to channel some new blood into their watch design department, to leverage new ways of looking at watches in order to create something shiny and new. Maybe, just maybe, the result will even be kinda cool.

And yet compared to Hublot, the industry at large is way behind the curve. Looping in Seconde Seconde to add a slightly problematic second hand? Funky colours levelled by a cool, Spanish artist? Sure, they’re interesting twists on already established watches, but for Hublot that just won’t do. Instead, their

It not only offered something quirky to Hublot collectors, but also introduced the brand to the art crowd more effectively than any marketing campaign could. And it hasn’t stopped there

collaborations are true partnerships, watches designed from the ground-up with some of the biggest names in art, design and even tattooing.

It’s a relationship that started all the way back in 2017, and while not the first artist collaboration in the watch world, it’s been one of the most significant. The story goes that after spotting Richard Orlinski’s sculptures on a ski trip to Courchevel, Hublot CEO Ricardo Guadalupe was taken enough with the distinctive, faceted style that he reached out to the artist. The result was the Classic Fusion Aerofusion Chronograph Orlinski, titanium, skeletonised and limited to 200 pieces. It was an immediate hit.

Since then, the pair have created 10 or so editions of the Hublot Orlinski watch in various colours but all with that same, faceted look that’s made the artist’s work so instantly recognisable. It not only offered something quirky to Hublot collectors, but also introduced the brand to the art crowd more effectively than any marketing campaign could. And it hasn’t stopped there.

Over the years, Hublot have welcomed a host of different artists and designers to their creative pantheon. Graphic artist and activist Shepard Fairey (the man behind Obama’s famous Hope portrait), flower-loving rock star artist Takashi Murakami and tattooist to the stars Sang Bleu have all lent their specific aesthetic quirks to Hublot. The resultant limited editions have been among the most eyecatching – and in-demand – pieces that the watchmaker’s ever produced.

Apparently though, their already talent-flooded roster just hasn’t been enough for Hublot, as in 2020 they added one more creative string to their bow: that of British designer, artist and overall multipotentialite, Samuel Ross.

The designer behind ceramic-firing hot streetwearinspired label A Cold Wall*, Ross’s body of work is an ever-expanding portfolio of clothes, bikes, sculptures, drawings, you name it. Seriously, he’s even been very literally tapped by well-heeled bathroom stalwart Kohler for a faucet. An actual, honest-to-god, bright orange faucet. As Ross puts it, “fundamentally, my output boils down to both of these acts: the act of expressing the human experience, through paint, through sculpture; the act of developing solutions, through functional design objects.” A watch then is very much within Ross’s sprawling wheelhouse and, after winning Hublot’s design prize in 2019, the designer got his chance.

What started with the Hublot Orlinski (the Classic Fusion Chronograph Orlinski Titanium 41mm shown, left) has led to a host of famous collaborations that have included Shepard Fairey and Takashi Murakami, but it’s the collaboration with Samuel Ross (right) that has added another layer of flair to their roster after the British designer won Hublot’s design prize back in 2019

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hublot samuel ross

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hublot samuel ross

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hublot samuel ross

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hublot samuel ross

“ It wasn’t just a statement piece; it was a statement of intent, an insight into Ross’s unique approach to designing a watch ”

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hublot samuel ross

The initial result of the partnership was last year’s Big Bang Tourbillon Samuel Ross, and it was… striking.

At a glance, it’s very much what you’d expect from Ross, a combination of industrial design, urban style and colour. Defined by a hexagonal titanium mesh across case, strap and dial, combined with bright orange highlights, a colour that Ross has a particular affinity for. It’s like no other watch on the market. It’s also a bit of a beast, at 44mm across. When a tourbillon is the least eye-catching part of a watch, statement piece barely comes into it.

It wasn’t just a statement piece; it was a statement of intent, an insight into Ross’s unique approach to designing a watch. He wasn’t concerned with the status quo, but building something – in collaboration with Hublot’s in-house watchmakers – that nobody else could. Which brings us, finally, to the new edition of the Big Bang Tourbillon Samuel Ross.

Conceptually, the new watch is very similar to the previous version. It has the same hexagonal, honeycomb mesh ventilating its case across the lugs (the liminal space not required to protect the movement) and the dial (which is protected by its sapphire crystal), for that lightweight, aerospace, industrial futurism that Ross loves.

That feel is amped up by replacing the orange elements with micro-blasted, polished titanium which, while less arresting than the original, give the watch a cooler, monochromatic design. The tourbillon cage too has been decoloured, though it’s still a tourbillon and therefore still imposing. Paired with the integrated rubber strap and visible screws, the new Big Bang is the horological equivalent of Gerald Genta penning a sci-fi opera.

Not that it’s all monochrome of course. The integrated rubber strap – again with that series of honeycomb perforations – comes in white, black and vivid lime green. The raw titanium of the metalwork means that it works on any of the three but, let’s be honest, if you’re wearing this edition you like the impact and that likely means you want it on the green.

The aesthetics are backed by one of Hublot’s more technical movements that’s worth talking about for more than the signature tourbillon complication. The HUB6035 calibre is an in-house number – an actual manufacture movement – made up from 282 components. Beating at 3Hz and with a 72-hour power reserve, it’s as solid as a modern tourbillon should be, and with all those components on full view, it

Building on the success of the previous model, the new Big Bang Tourbillon Samuel Ross (left) keeps the honeycomb mesh ventilating its case across the lugs, but this time the orange elements have been replaced with micro-blasted, polished titanium, while the tourbillon cage has also been decoloured to provide a cooler monochromatic design

Paired with the integrated rubber strap and visible screws, the new Big Bang is the horological equivalent of Gerald Genta penning a sci-fi opera 43

hammers home the intensely mechanical nature of the Big Bang Tourbillon.

Unlike the original, the new edition of the Big Bang Tourbillon Samuel Ross doesn’t break new ground. It does however refine the concept, like the second draft of a sketch. It makes more sense both visually and on the wrist, (where its 44mm case is as dramatic as previously yet wearably lightweight), and offers more options in the three straps, but is cut from the same cloth, the same blueprint.

So, can we expect more of the same in the future?

Probably. If we look to the Orlinski and Sang Bleu editions Hublot have produced, once they have that first watch they tend to riff pretty close to the original.

Different colours and materials sure, but otherwise just offering variations on the theme. It’s almost a given that, if this particular version isn’t for you, expect a Big Bang Tourbillon in a different colour in the relatively near future.

Given that they’re all very strict limited editions – this latest, for example, is limited to just 50 pieces – that’s not such a bad thing. But for someone as intensely creative, as intensely a polymath as Ross, it would be a bit disappointing if Hublot didn’t go off the now-beaten path for the Big Bang Tourbillon Samuel Ross. Although that lime green across the case would definitely make a visual splash.

At the very least, the Big Bang Tourbillon Samuel Ross illustrates how to do a proper collaborative watch.

It’s not just a recoloured Hublot, it’s a proper watch partnership. It’s not going to be to everyone’s taste – it could be argued that no Hublot is – but that’s not the point. It’s a design statement, an experiment, a drawing board for Ross to test what he can do within the boundaries of horology. And despite everything he’s done with the Big Bang Tourbillon, there’s still plenty of boundary to be pushed.

The Interview:

WILLIAM BRACKFIELD CHRISTOPHER WARD DESIGNER WILLIAM BRACKFIELD ON THE CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES OF WATCH DESIGN

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the interview

Christopher Ward may be a big player in British watches – one of the foundational names of the modern state of play alongside Bremont – but compared to the Swiss brands they’re an upstart. That however hasn’t stopped them becoming one of the most prolific, and in many cases, inspired, watch brands around.

So, rather than talking to some celebrity about their latest ambassadorial deal, we at Oracle Time decided to lean on this issue’s Art & Design theme and talk to Will Brackfield, the man behind a lot of Christopher Ward watches. And I mean a lot – which isn’t bad, given he always assumed watch design wasn’t an option.

“I grew up with interested in watches like the Dirty Dozen,” explains Will, “but despite studying product design at uni, I never really thought watches were something I could get to do. Even five or so years ago, the number of British brands was a lot smaller. My first job was designing plane interiors!

Then I moved onto fire suppression systems – now I’ve been here since 2019. It’s been a journey.”

I’m not about to count up the number of watches Christopher Ward have released in that time, especially because it ranges from dial swaps to the kind of intense watches that only they would attempt. You know, anything with ‘Glow’ in the name. In fact, a quick glance makes it very clear that all of Will’s projects are the same.

“Every project starts differently,” he explains. “Usually, we go through our collection each year and try to identify where we have a hole, where we’re not currently offering something that we should. The Sealander’s a great example of that. We’d never really done a three-handed sports watch, it had always been something more vintage or diving, so that was a glaring hole.

“At the other end of the spectrum, the Bel Canto was completely different. Jorg senior, CEO of Christopher Ward in Biel, came over with a little prototype module and saying, ‘could we do something with this?’ That particular module was actually for Meistersinger, for their Bel Hora. We’d developed the chiming mechanism for them but when

we saw the actual sample, we thought it was ridiculous that they were planning on covering it up. So much more could be made of it! That’s where the Bel Canto started, thinking we could do the same and make the whole thing prettier.

That was until it evolved… and pretty much everything we were planning changed along the way.”

It’s not just the range of projects of course, but the sheer number too. The volume could be seen as daunting by some with Christopher Ward consistently having to maintain a level of creativity, and find new and exciting sources of inspiration. Will, however, has a cheat sheet.

“Over the years I’ve collected a whole image bank of loads of stuff I’ve come across. Just pictures of things, screenshots… usually it’s cars, architecture, cityscapes from sci-fi films. I have old pocket watches with interesting hands and fonts, and when we’re doing a project from scratch I’ll look through it all and see if anything fits.

“For the Bel Canto, we wanted to do something architectural, so I was looking back through my folder of bridges – suspension bridges, not watch bridges – and see what fits. You can see that in the final watch, where the bridges arch upwards, it looks

“We go through our collection each year and try to identify where we have a hole, where we’re not offering something that we should. The Sealander’s a great example of that”

The weight of expectation to consistently produce designs for Christopher Ward could be overbearing, but not for Will Brackfield, whose influences are as wide as his imagination and take in cars, architecture, and even cityscapes from sci-fi films

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the interview

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the interview

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the interview

fantastic. It’s all about bringing in ideas and details from wherever you can find inspiration, and seeing how they sit.”

There are limits to what you can do though. If I was talking to a brand like MB&F, they’d probably argue that fact, but not everyone can shove a DJ panda into a haute horology unique piece. For Christopher Ward, commerciality’s actually a big factor.

“I do think watch designers can be a bit blinkered, which I try to avoid,” Will says of his design method. “But it’s hard sometimes, as there is a tried-and-true way of doing things in watches, doing what you know works. We did that with the Sealander. We were working in a very small box of what we could do. It was a volume, mass-market watch and we didn’t want to alienate anyone, so you need to stay more on the beaten path. The Bel Canto was a risk from the start, so adding some extra twists on top of that isn’t really an issue.”

Even at the more accessible end of the scale however, there’s still room for experimentation. Perhaps not as much room, but according to Will, you always have to be taking things to the

sometimes illogical extreme to find that happy medium between personality and practicality.

“For every project I’ll come up with six different directions, ranging from the simple, straight-forward approach, right up to the silly. The C60 Concept is a great example. The design language for that had originally come out of a lumed C60, one that we thought was just too far. But, if we included a skeletonised movement, that might just work. And it did. So even if you know 90% of it will be thrown away, it’s still worth doing, even if you just bring

“It’s all about bringing in ideas and details from wherever you can find inspiration, and seeing how they sit”

some of those elements into more down-to-Earth designs.”

So, what’s harder, watches where you get more room for expression, or those that have to sit very nearly in their own box? You’d assume the ones without as much guidance, which are perhaps a bit more open to interpretation. Well, apparently not.

“Honestly, the simpler watches are the harder ones, especially as they tend to be the more accessible. A lot of the design comes down to keeping things accessible. Again, the Sealander being our everyman, entry-level watch, needed to balance quality and price on a knife-edge. We didn’t want to do a flat, sand-blasted dial and make it cheap, so it was all about finding ways to produce components and interesting details without the cost. Big, flatter polished facets, brushing.

“Because of that, a lot of it came down to proportions. We ended up doing a lot of case samples to get that right. The dial opening was too big or the bezel was too small, sometimes it

Watch design can be a fine balance between commercial appeal and innovation, but Will’s approach to this equilibrium is far from reserved as he is a firm believer in taking things to the illogical extreme to find that happy medium between personality and practicality

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the interview

looks right on a screen but once on the wrist it just didn’t work. Proportions are one of those things that when it’s right, you just know. It makes for a lot of trial and error. Informed trial and error, obviously.”

It’s all well and good saying trial-anderror, but when that has a knock-on effect on production, surely it’s a big deal. The question therefore is, how often does that happen?

“As we 3D print cases, it’s very rare that our samples need much work when they come in. Dials and hands though we need to change 25 to 30% of the time. We’re working on a project now actually – one that hasn’t quite come out yet – which is a very simple watch. The hands we chose looked absolutely fine on screen, but in person they ruined the watch. They took over completely. It defeated the whole point of the watch so we needed to rethink it – and this was late in the day, too. Thankfully we’ve brought it back in line to where it should be.”

On the other hand, are there projects that just don’t work out? Even if you

Nothing changes unless risks are taken and that’s the same for Brackfield, as informed trial and error forms part of his production process, which can at times reveal as many challenges as it can bring about exciting innovations

“We’re working on a project now – one that hasn’t quite come out yet – which is a very simple watch. The hands we chose looked absolutely fine on screen, but in person they ruined the watch” 50

start with a good, solid idea, one based on a watch you’ve done before, not everything can work out as planned.

Sometimes a good idea doesn’t mean a good idea, right?

“Oh yes! There was one in particular that internally we called the Power Glow. It was going to be the Moonglow but applied to an SH21. It was going to be a dressier watch, but with a load of lume, different bridges on the dial side with sapphire, rings and things. It just never quite worked. It just never seemed to click across the six or seven months I was working on it. At one point I just needed to say, ‘well, we tried.’ It’s not a watch I’m even considering revisiting now.”

Which is probably for the best. Given the international success of the Bel Canto, upcoming projects at that end of the scale and an ever-expanding slate of more down-to-Earth pieces, Will’s busy enough to not be needing to perfect the futile. And you can be sure that, whenever you read this, you’ll soon be seeing more of his handiwork – potentially with our name involved.

Stay tuned.

lesser-known designers

WORDS: THOR SVABOE

MEET THE LESSER-KNOWN DESIGNERS OF DESIRED WRISTWEAR FOR DECADES, DESIGNERS OF CARS, BUILDINGS, AND CLOTHING HAVE BEEN CELEBRATED AROUND THE WORLD - BUT IT’S NOW TIME FOR UNHEARALDED WATCH DESIGNERS TO TAKE THEIR DESERVED MOMENT IN THE SPOTLIGHT

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We’re all familiar with famous architects, directors, and fashion designers like Tom Ford creating hot fits. And while we know that the best vintage Ferraris were designed by Pininfarina, what about the watches we love? Except for the late Mr. Genta, you might not know their names, as for many years the watch industry kept its cards pretty close to its chest. When producing the perfect watch, good design goes far beyond Instagram’s obsession with Octagons and porthole inspiration. Many of the greats are still working today, including big hitters like Bulgari’s Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani. But this is about the names that don’t get dropped, a who’s who of the those designers whose influence too often goes under the horological radar.

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lesser-known designers

Jorg Hysek

German-born Jorg’s heyday was at a time when industrial designers were part of the company wallpaper, rather than portrayed in the sales literature. Hysek had a finger (or should that be a pencil?) in every horological pie, including work for Cartier, Seiko, Rolex, and many more. But his oeuvre was always the 222. Some of us remember the days before the bracelet-grail hype when you could find one for five grand. Today a battered 34mm automatic is £25K, partly thanks to Vacheron’s shrewd 2022 re-issue. Jorg Hysek is still working today, though focusing increasingly on art for delightful art’s sake, visible at hysek.art.

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lesser-known designers

Many a timepiece has languished in the shadow of Genta grails, like the Nautilus. But today the hotly contested arena of integrated bracelets includes a recently revived Jorg Hysek creation. As the precursor to the Vacheron Constantin Overseas, many still believe the 222 to be the work of Genta.

With its sleek case, scalloped bezel, and rhomboid bracelet links it’s back in the spotlight, and we’re still hoping for a steel version. To be honest, we were surprised at the studied restraint of Vacheron not releasing a re-issue of its lesser-known sports grail. The market for integrated-bracelets is scorching hot, and we do find it a near-perfect design. The re-issue last year in 18K full gold was a power move by what is the oldest watch manufacturer still operating under its own name.

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lesser-known designers

Richard Habring

Richard Habring is the quietly spoken movement mastermind you will not recognise unless you’re a collector with a penchant for IWCs. This is where Habring created the world’s first affordable split-second chronograph 31 years ago. He did it through a stroke of genius re-working the everyman-calibre Valjoux 7750. The chronograph is still one of the most complex complications bar a QP or Sonnerie, and the fascination remains.

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lesser-known designers

IWC valued Habring’s calibre enough to make the Portuguese, Pilot Doppelchronograph, and the now neo-vintage Da Vinci last throughout their range. Habring’s movement was also the base of the Il Destriero Scafusia, one of the most complicated series-produced watches. IWC’s patent ran out about a decade ago, so today you can get a bespoke version of Richard’s famed calibre built and signed-off by the man himself. Together with his wife Maria Kristina, Richard started their eponymous brand Habring2 (see?) in 2004.

Their small Austrian atelier offers off-the-shelf and completely bespoke wristwear, with a deep emphasis on in-house production. One of their latest offerings is the sweet-sized Doppel 38, their first 38.5mm-sized watch with the iconic movement, their version being the Calibre A11R_H1.

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IWC’s patent ran out about a decade ago, so today you can get a bespoke version of Richard’s famed calibre built and signed-off by the man himself 57

lesser-known designers

Hajime Asaoka

Art Deco is a rarer theme than you’d think, despite Cartier’s massive resurgence with their Tank. Hajime Asaoka however has taken the elegant style from the early part of last century and made it his own, blending it with a semi-industrial monochrome vibe and obsessive detail. This year the secret is out, with a 2013 Tsunami going for over six times its reserve at a Phillips auction. It is all the more impressive when we know Asaoka to be a self-taught watch designer, starting in 1992 as a designer with a focus on furniture and electronic appliances.

Hajime Asaoka taught himself watchmaking through George Daniel’s book Watchmaking, and between 2005 and ‘07 he designed his second watch, which had a Tourbillon. After producing three prototypes, his first sale was as recent as 2011, with the Tourbillon 1.

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With his accessible brand Kurono Tokyo, Hajime Asaoka has made his signature design cues affordable, with hand-crafted small-cased wristwear. New owners are welcomed as members of a small, exclusive club, but we’re not talking VIP lounge vibes. Imagine the warm atmosphere of a traditional Machiya townhouse with tatami mats and a 150-year-old Bonsai tree outside and you’ll get it.

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lesser-known designers

Emmanuel Gueit

We all know Gerald Genta designed the Nautilus and the Royal Oak, right, so where does Emmanuel Gueit fit into this octagonal puzzle? Love it or hate it, but there’s no denying the big waves caused by the Royal Oak Offshore. The responsibility was remarkably given to 22-year-old Gueit to create the 42mm bold version of the Royal Oak conceived as a 20th Anniversary edition.

It became an outsized celebration of the magic octagonal-bezel grail and revamped Audemar Piguet’s image. Big, brawny luxury brands and latter-day hits like the Big Bang might never have seen the light of day if not for Gueit sending the Royal Oak for a stay at his virtual boot camp.

Today we can recognise the importance of the RO’s big brother opening a new door to the luxury sports casual-crowd sporting £4K Dior Air Jordans.

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lesser-known designers

But while skeptical at first, devoted traditionalist fans of the slimmer Royal Oak took to the Offshore, as its sporty alibi enabled a brand loyalty many brands would pay good money for. Gueit is one of many designers from the quiet days of the nineties and noughties, before the massive resurgence of Genta. With a huge portfolio to his name that includes Piaget, Harry Winston, Hermès, and Zenith, it reads like the who’s who of horology. But Emmanuel isn’t all about the big money flex. In fact, he designed the very antithesis of the brawny Offshore, the quietly spoken revamped Rolex Cellini back in 2014.

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lesser-known designers

At Baselworld 10 years ago, one designer stood out in the crowd.

Eric Giroud’s designs were in eight different brand booths with 10 designs. And we don’t even know if that was his peak. Eric is an award-winning designer known for such avant-garde goodness as the sleek hypercar-inspired MB&F HM8 Mark 2. With his signature bold-framed specs, he has had a hand in numerous designs over the years, including many MB&Fs. He’s also been associated with Max Büsser’s mad (M.A.D actually) lab of horology since its inception and the 2006 HM1.

Eric Giroud

Known as the secret weapon of many Swiss watch brands, Eric has penned designs that cover all tiers, while usually wearing a fave seventies Carrera ref.1158CHN. As we have seen before, some of the best designs in the watch world come from non-product designers, as is the case with Giroud who opened his architecture practice in 1989, only later being drawn into the world of graphic design and watches. You’ll find his creative output in watches from Tissot to Vacheron Constantin, with big-budget indies including Badollet, MCT and Harry Winston showing off his vast spectre of style. Eric Giroud also won the coveted Red Dot award in 2013 with the mad Swarovski Crystallium.

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straps guide

WORDS: SAM KESSLER

BUYING GUIDE

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We’re all only as good as the company we keep and the same extends to watches. You could have one of the coolest, low-key avant-garde pieces of wrist candy of the year, but if it’s on a boring strap – or worse yet, one that just doesn’t suit it – then you’re in a spot of trouble.

But never fear! Swapping a strap is one of the easiest shortcuts to transforming your horological style. All you need is a strap changing tool (and sometimes not even that), a touch of dexterity (and sometimes not even that) and a cool strap to change into (definitely that). And with so many third party options available, from sporty rubber pieces to high-end metal bracelets, there’s always something to not only set it apart from the other Speedmasters, Submariners, Nautili et al you’ll come across, but to make it your own. I mean, it’s definitely cheaper than a full custom watch.

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straps guide

CLASSICAL STRAPS Straps can be fun – and not in a kinky way. I mean, that too, but when it comes to watches, expressing yourself needs to be tempered with whether it actually matches your watch. Cerulean rubber is cool, but less suited to a Patek Philippe Calatrava than you might want to admit. There’s still plenty of room for personalisation, but paired with the kind of restrained quality that whispers rather than shouts, the kind of addition that’ll get nods of approval from fellow collectors. They’re also some of the most versatile straps out there.

No matter the material – be that leather or vegan – there are some seriously sumptuous options to suit any watch. Here are some of the best.

← DELUGS

↑ WATCH OBSESSION

RIOS1931 Waging Organic Watch Strap

Atelier Collection

Delugs’ range of chunky, sporty, often field-watch appropriate straps is already impressive. The Atelier collection however kicks things up a notch, taking that same style and blending it with a level of refinement that lends itself to dressier pieces perfectly. The two-tone twist adds a bit more personality compared to your standard leather strap and the colours – particularly the beautiful woodland green – show that colour and sophistication can go hand-in-hand-on-wrist. Finished with sleek, slim stitching, painted edges and a gorgeous grain, there’s a lot to love in Delugs’ Atelier Collection.

From £79.50, delugs.com

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Despite what you might think, making sure a strap – or any piece of leather for that matter – is organic is easier said than done.

It involves certifying every step of the process, from the grass the animals eat to the stitching. As Watch Obsession’s gorgeous Waging strap shows though, it’s worth the effort. Not only is the dark mocha colour that perfect halfway house between black and brown, it makes for a strap that’s soft and sumptuous right out of the box. There’s no need to ‘break it in’ and deal with a stiff strap for a few weeks. Instead, you can pop it on your favourite, low-key watch and if it has a sepia-toned dial, all the better. £31.50, watchobsession.co.uk

straps guide

→ THE STRAP TAILOR

↓ JEAN ROUSSEAU

Classic Rubber Watch Strap

Ostrich Shin Strap

This strap is not what you think it is. Yes, at a glance it looks like one of Jean Rousseau’s typically sleek, Parisian-flavoured classical leather straps – but there’s that one word in its name: rubber.

That’s right, this sexy little cognac number doesn’t just suit your favourite dress watch, but it’s 100% non-leather, making it not only vegan, but hard-wearing and comfortable, even if you get a little hot under the collar. The camel colour’s a solid match with anything with a bit of gold on it (or in the case of the Oris we shot it with, bronze) with a sumptuous look that belies its slight contrast-stitched style. It’s a glorious paradox of a strap that’s worth the investment.

British strap atelier The Strap Tailor has been killing it with that homegrown quality recently, and while their offering is diverse, there’s one stand-out for multiple reasons: their Ostrich. From the unique grain to the range of eye-catching colours, it’s the kind of semi-exotic statement piece that you want as a counterpoint to your more restrained timepieces. This dark and electric blue number with its cream contrast stitching is one we’re particularly obsessed with.

Imagine it on something gold with darkly blued steel hands and you can start to understand why.

Sure, it’s less than hardwearing, but that hand-crafted nature is all part of its charm. And it has a lot of that.

£190, jean-rousseau.com

£143, thestraptailor.com

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It’s the kind of semi-exotic statement piece that you want as a counterpoint to your more restrained timepieces

← JACK MASON

Perforated Leather Strap

Your 1960s motor’s all fixed up and the open road beckons. All you need now is a watch to suit the drive – and honestly, any era-appropriate steel piece will look the part with a classic motoring-inspired perforated leather strap. Case in point, this handsome number from watchmaker Jack Mason, who while better known for their watches, have a surprisingly superb selection of interchangeable (quick release spring bar) straps.

Here, the small perforations make the tan leather breathable for long days at the wheel, particularly when paired with the soft alcantara backing. Sure, it’s a strap that edges towards sporty, but the tan colouring with light brown stitching makes this a retro classic of a strap if ever there was one. £67, jackmasonbrand.uk

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straps guide

SPORTS STRAPS Whether it’s a rugged field watch designed to be used and abused or a diver in need or something waterproof to match its depth rating, sports straps come in a wide variety of materials and colours.

More so in fact than more classical fare as you don’t particularly need to worry about how it looks at a formal dinner. If you’re wearing a MoonSwatch to one of those, you can either pull off anything, or don’t care.

So, whether you’re in the market for a piece of militarystyle canvas or chunky rubber, look no further than these five brands.

↑ HAVESTON

Horology AAF Earth-613 Strap

← WRIST BUDDYS

Rubber Strap for Tissot PRX

Finding any alternative for an integrated bracelet is next-toimpossible. It generally needs something made completely for that watch, even when it’s a horological property as hot as the Tissot PRX. Which is where Wrist Buddys come in. They blew up after creating straps specifically for the MoonSwatch and they’ve continued their streak with their bright, fun selection of PRX straps. This orange number is a particular highlight in more ways than one, made from chunky FKM rubber complete with a quick-change spring bar. If you’re one of the many, many collectors that became enamoured with the 40mm PRX, this one’s for you. £59, wristbuddys.com

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Billed as ‘vintage military industrial design’, you’d be forgiven for assuming that Haveston Horology rebuilt antique guns rather than watch straps. Don’t worry though, you wouldn’t be entirely wrong as the handsome AAF Earth-613 strap could be easily mistaken for RAF surplus. A mix between army and airforce, the tapered, woven nylon is rendered much more wearable with a soft underliner.

On the flipside, the olive drab colouring (where it takes its name from) is most definitely a military hue, particularly when paired with the aviation-centric rivets and chunky roller buckle. Even if you can’t decide whether to pop on your IWC or your Hamilton, at least you can decide on this strap for either. $30.45 (approx. £25), haveston.com

straps guide

→ ZULU ALPHA OTAN Watch Strap

Plenty of manufacturers make NATO or ZULU-style military straps, but if you want a team that really knows what they’re doing, you’ll want to go for guys that know precisely what the military demands. Alongside their civilian offerings, Zulu Alpha make things for the MoD, and as military men themselves, they understand what’s needed to keep a watch on your wrist. Hence their signature OTAN strap which is, as they put it, ‘made famous by an ex-member of the Royal Navy.

Now made by an ex-member of the Royal Navy.’ If that weren’t enough, its nostalgialaced military style and superlative construction should be. It’s the special forces of Zulu straps. £125, zulualphastraps.com

← HORUS STRAPS

Oyster Perpetual-Matched Straps

If you’re trying to colour match your dial, even a millimetre difference on the Pantone colour chart makes for an eyesore of a combination, which becomes an issue given how fantastic the Rolex Oyster Perpetual looks with a bit more colour. That’s why Horus have perfectly colourmatched the entire OP collection with their rubber straps. Seafoam blue, sunshine yellow, and red all come in durable rubber and with a lifetime warranty. That’s not bad for something that might just become your daily wearer. £105, horusstraps.com

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Horus have perfectly colour-matched the entire OP collection with their rubber straps 70

straps guide

→ ARTEM

Hydroflex Hybrid FKM Strap

Any watch with nautical aspirations suits a bit of sailcloth – the pairing makes sense even on paper – which just so happens to be what Artem specialise in. The Australian brand’s sailcloth straps are the best on the market, hands down. The Hydroflex however is a little bit different.

While the top part uses the embossed textile that Artem is known for, particularly in this sleek, tool watch-ready grey, the under part is actually FKM rubber. This means that, while it has that ultra-cool nautical aesthetic, the Hydroflex is much more comfortable on the wrist, particularly if it does so happen to get wet. If that’s the case, let’s hope you’ve put this bad boy on a diving watch. £183, artemstraps.com

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The Australian brand’s sailcloth straps are the best on the market, hands down BRACELETS It’s not just straps that you can change on your watch, and while bracelets can be a little fiddlier to put on, the range available is still phenomenal. Often brands offer… let’s say less inspired metal options.

Not so third-party makers, who tend to have a penchant for cool, retro slants and vintage inspirations – something a marked design step up from your painfully dull three-link number. Milanese mesh, two-tone cool, gloriously over-engineered industrial chic, whatever kind of multi-linked stretch of machined metal you’re after, you can find it here.

← GECKOTA

Diver’s Vintage Rivet Berwick Bracelet

Trust the accessories experts at Watch Gecko to offer some seriously cool metal alternatives.

This particular number draws inspiration from the two-tone Rolex Explorer for a solid, bi-colour number ripped straight out the 1960s and ‘70s. A perfect match for something like the Oris Divers 65 with its retro shape and bronze touches, the Berwick has the industrial rivets that are both shorthand for solidity and the design ethos of many a vintage diver. It’s also more versatile than you’d expect thanks to six micro adjustments on the clasp. Sure, it’ll suit only a small sub-set of watches, but by god it’ll suit them perfectly. £98, watchgecko.com

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straps guide

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It’s meant for Georg Jensen’s own Koppel watch, but honestly, the bracelet’s better by itself

↑ GEORG JENSEN

→ FORSTNER

KOPPEL Bracelet

9-Row Beads of Rice Bracelet

Everyone needs a good mesh bracelet. If you don’t think you do I’m sorry to tell you that you’re objectively wrong. The downside is that cheap mesh bracelets can easily fall apart, so it’s worth investing in – and at this price, Georg Jensen’s is definitely an investment. Fortunately, for that price you’re getting plenty of Scandinavian chic; it’s minimal and sleek but with plenty of functionality. It’s meant for Georg Jensen’s own Koppel watch, but honestly, the bracelet’s better by itself, particularly when paired with a monochromatic diver. It’s also a tight enough mesh that you lessen the chance of getting your arm hair caught in it – a serious benefit with this type of strap.

Finding a genuine, vintage Gay Freres bracelet can often cost more than the watch you’d like to put it on – at least without a hefty repair bill to restore it. Instead consider this perfect, nine-link Beads of Rice number courtesy of heritage New Jersey maker Forstner. Finished with alternately brushed and polished links and a superb clasp, it’s one of the most stunning interpretations of that very particular vintage style we’ve ever come across. And as it’s made with modern construction methods (it’s a lot more solid than it looks), it’ll stand the test of time as well. It’s also – and this is something that extends to all beads of rice bracelets – one of the most comfortable stretches of metal you’ll ever wear.

£230, georgjensen.com

$132 (approx. £110), forstnerbands.com

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knitwear

AN ULTIMATE GUIDE TO

KNITWEAR THE UNSUNG HERO OF THE MODERN WARDROBE, KNITWEAR IS THE COSY BEATING HEART OF AN UNDER-APPRECIATED CATEGORY THAT SPANS CARDIGANS THROUGH TO HUMBLE CREW NECKS, WHICH OFFER AS MUCH FUNCTION AS THEY DO STYLE

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———» Well-chosen knitwear can be everything to all men as the weather starts to turn. It’s both warm and insulating while also forming the focal point of a look, but where should you start?

First, begin with the fabric. “The quality of yarn is so important, both for how it will feel when wearing it but also for a garment’s longevity”, says knitwear designer, Emily Grieves. Then, decide on the garment’s weight, which both dictates how warm it’ll be and how you can style it.

Lighter weight designs work great as layering options, while chunkier knits can replace jackets as legitimate pieces of outerwear. But don’t just take our word on the style potential of knitwear. Some of history’s best-dressed men have relied on the knit during the colder months of the year. French actor Alain Delon preferred his with an open weave and a collar; John F Kennedy wore classic crew necks on his yacht and Steve McQueen had a wide range from cable knits to shawl collar cardigans. Which is the one for you? You’re in the right place.

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CARDIGAN Like all great items of clothing, the cardigan has links to the military. It was said to be based on the knitted waistcoats worn by British officers of the Crimean War, and named after major general James Brudenell, 7th Earl of Cardigan who fought in it. Despite these heroic associations, the cardigan has long been fighting its staid, overly preppy reputation. But this is the case no more, as many of the world’s coolest menswear brands have turned to the button-through design for their winter collections.

Part of the cardigan’s appeal is its versatility. It’s an item that can easily be dressed up, thanks to its more jacketlike design. Go for a chunky shawl collar cardigan and wear it with tailored trousers or chinos, a crisp Oxford shirt and suede desert boots. Or opt for a thinner merino or lambswool piece though and layer it over denim jeans, T-shirts and canvas trainers.

O U R P IC K S ↑ SON OF A TAILOR CARDIGAN / ZERO WASTE, £179 3D knitted as a single piece, this beautifully textured sweater balances an elegant silhouette with the cosy feel of much heavier knitwear. ← PEREGRINE WAFFLE SHAWL CARDIGAN, £140 A heavyweight, chunky classic, this waffle-knit cardigan is the perfect layering piece, complete with a statement shawl collar and slouchy comfort.

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CABLE KNIT The cable knit, or Aran as it’s sometimes known, is defined by its textural weave, which is visible throughout the garment.

A typically chunky piece, it originated around the turn of the 20th century, when it was designed for fishermen working around the Irish islands of Aran.

Traditional cable knits are fairly timeintensive to produce, while the knitted patterns can vary hugely, from simple ribbed lines through to more elaborate zig-zag styles.

Look out for those with a fairly simple weave, made from a soft lambswool or cashmere blend. A more casual knit than most, cable knits are a natural pairing with denim jeans, commando sole leather boots and beanies.

O U R P IC K S ↑ PATAGONIA RECYCLED WOOL-BLEND CABLE KNIT SWEATER, £180 Made from wool and nylon – both recycled for a refreshingly low carbon footprint – this cable knit crew-neck is the perfect comfy camping companion. → NOAH CABLE KNIT SWEATER, £220 Slightly svelter than other cable knits, this holly green piece from New York-based label Noah is the perfect fashioned fit for winter.

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CREW NECK If you just want a simple knit with little embellishment or notable detailing, the crew neck is for you. This is knitwear at its most minimal. Crew necks come with a round neckline, knitted cuffs and hem, and a fine texture, making them both comfortable and incredibly easy to wear.

As they are such a simple design, you could look to the fabric to make a point of difference. Solid colour designs are commonplace, whether in classic navy, grey or black, but a number of brands also craft them out of more interesting fabrics, with flecks of colour and more open weaves giving plenty of texture.

You don’t have to think about how to wear the crew neck. It’s the kind of piece you could just throw on over anything, from casual trousers and jeans through to smarter pleated pairs or even suit trousers.

O U R P IC K S ↑ ASKET MERINO SWEATER, £85 Balancing quality with affordability, Asket’s take on the wardrobe staple – here in a rich burgundy – is immensely breathable in extra-fine Merino wool. ← NEW & LINGWOOD NAVY DONEGAL FLECK CREW NECK JUMPER, £225 Luxury British style is New & Lingwood’s raison d’etre and that extends to knitwear as much as their signature dressing gowns. Case in point, this soft mustard crew neck.

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FISHERMAN KNIT Although similar to the cable knit in that it was initially designed to keep seamen warm while at sea, the fisherman knit is different in a few ways. The most notable is the weave. It comes with a more minimal rib stitch, which is woven vertically down the garment. This makes it a chunky knit, like the cable, but with a cleaner, more understated look. It also typically comes with raglan shoulders and a slim hem opening, so it can be worn rolled. If you’re looking for a fisherman knit, find one made from oiled wool, which hasn’t been dyed so the yarn still has its natural lanolin oils.

For something more contemporary though, look out for merino wool or even cashmere, which are both softer against the skin.

O U R P IC K S ↑ FINISTERRE MORA KNIT JUMPER, £115 The Mora is Finisterre’s best-seller for a reason. The rib-stich uses almost double the yarn of a normal jumper, making it perfect for cold nights on or off the water. → LUCA FALONI CHUNKY KNIT CASHMERE CREW NECK, £390 A more streamlined take on the classic vertical fisherman’s weave, the lava red makes this a perfect autumnal transition piece, perhaps under some Italian tailoring.

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O U R P IC K S

ROLL NECK

NUDE JEANS AUGUST ROLLNECK, £185 A chunky, slouchy roll neck in an autumnal brown shade, this 100% organic wool offering is pure coldweather comfort.

SHACKLETON HERO SWEATER, £255 Inspired by the very sweaters worn by Sir Ernest Shackleton, this basket weave roll neck is expedition ready in Super Geelong lambswool.

MALLOCH’S KELLY LONG SLEEVE SPORTS JUMPER, £255 A fantastic smart casual staple that can be dressed up or down, this classic sports collar jumper is Scottish-made and warm enough for the Highlands.

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KNITTED POLO The knitted polo has a certain relaxed elegance that’s missing in most other garments. It’s perhaps because of its collared front that mimics button up shirts. Or it might be in its closeness to the polo shirt, a style with plenty of sporting heritage. Either way, the knitted polo is an effortless, laid-back piece that’s also incredibly easy to dress up. It usually comes with a fairly slim fit, as well as a knitted collar and a two or three button closure.

You’ll find them in either lightweight merino wool, or slightly heavier lambswool or cashmere blends. Whatever you go for, if you want a smart casual, versatile piece of knitwear, this is the one for you.

For ultimate warmth, look no further than the roll neck. This is a classic piece of knitwear design that’s been worn by everyone from James Dean to David Beckham. It comes with excess fabric at the neck, which is designed to be rolled over to protect the wearer’s neck from the cold.

This is a design that can be smart or casual, depending on the fabric and the fit. Go for something slim and made from a lightweight yarn like merino wool and you’ve got a sharp piece of knitwear that’s ideal for wearing with tailored trousers or even suits in the winter. Look for heavier designs made from chunky lambswool and you’ll find a robust, warm and comfortable piece of knitwear for the coldest months of the year.

O U R P IC K S ← KNICKERBOCKER MERINO NEEDLE POLO, £273 A warmer take on the polo with its striped ribbed knit, and ribbed cuff and hem, it still has all the sporty good looks of a classic polo.

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The Islay’s built to survive the harsh, dramatic landscape and look good doing so

>—> There’s a chill in the air, the nights are getting longer and any hopes for a last-minute heatwave are long gone. Autumn is here.

On the plus side however, it means switching to your cooler season wardrobe – overcoats, knitwear and of course, boots.

Boots aren’t just a solid look; they’re a necessity in the rain and snow (or more likely slush) that denotes a British winter. It’s that blend of looks and

Edited by SAM KESSLER

THE PERFECT WINTER BOOT Named after the Scottish island in the Inner Hebrides, the Islay from Crockett & Jones are made for whatever the weather can throw at them

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practicality that means they’re a wardrobe staple well worth investing in – and the Islay from Crockett & Jones are a solid investment.

A riff on the Derby, the most popular style of boot around, these classic country stompers are designed for – and named after – the Scottish landscape, in particular the windswept island of warming, peated whiskies.

With its waxed, rough-out suede, a heavy duty VIBRAM cleated rubber sole and solid storm welts, the Islay’s built to survive the harsh, dramatic landscape and look good doing so.

The rough-out suede will wear over time, and you might well be into the whole beaten-up, hardused county look. But if you want them a touch more suited to urban life, then the occasional application of dubbin will help keep them in order.

Which you’ll probably want to do anyway, because these aren’t fast fashion boots. Treat them well and there’s a lifetime of wear in the Islay. Which given their price tag, is definitely a good thing.

The Islay Boot in Dark Brown RoughOut Suede, £530, crockettandjones.com

STYLE — shoot

Photography by TOM PETTIT

ARCHITECTURE IN HOROLOGY

Watchmakers tend to love talking about the architecture of their watches, whether it’s some unique structure dial-side or the openness of a manual-wind movement on the reverse. Nothing however offers extreme architecture like skeletonisation.

By removing any excess material, you’re left with the bare essentials, revealing the components underneath. Without waxing too lyrical, it’s pretty damn cool.

So, for this Art & Design issue we thought we’d take an extremely up-close and personal look at some of the coolest skeleton watches around, from the surprisingly accessible to the decidedly not. Enjoy.

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Ulysse Nardin Blast Tourbillon 45mm titanium case with 50m water resistance UN-172 calibre automatic movement with 72-hour power reserve £64,410, ulysse-nardin.com

Gerald Charles Maestro 8.0 Squelette 39 x 41mm rose gold case with 100m water resistance GCA 5482 calibre automatic movement with 50-hour power reserve £66,800, geraldcharles.com

Breguet Classique Tourbillon Extra-Plat Squelette 41mm rose gold case with 30m water resistance 581SQ calibre automatic movement with 80-hour power reserve £216,600, breguet.com

Rado Diastar Original Skeleton 38mm Ceramos and stainless steel case with 100m water resistance R808 calibre automatic movement with 80-hour power reserve £1,900, rado.com

Girard-Perregaux Laureato Skeleton Ceramic 42mm ceramic case with 100m water resistance GP01800-0006 calibre automatic movement with 54hour power reserve £42,400, girard-perregaux.com

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Roger Dubuis Excalibur Monobalancier 42mm EON Gold Case with 100m water resistance RD720SQ calibre automatic movement with 72-hour power reserve £68,500, rogerdubuis.com

Cartier Santos de Cartier Skeleton 39.8mm stainless steel case with 100m water resistance 9611 MC calibre automatic movement with 70-hour power reserve £30,200, cartier.com

gift guide

GIFT GUIDE WORDS: SAM KESSLER

FOR WATC H LOV E R S CHRISTMAS IS A HALLOWED TIME TO SPEND YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY ON WHAT YOU TRULY LOVE – WATCHES

«————————» We all know a watch nut. Most of us are watch nuts. But when it comes to gifts, we can be a tough nut to crack. Not only are watches very personal and particular, but they can be bloody expensive – the kind of mortgage-baiting expense that we just don’t want to inflict on our friends and family. Don’t get me wrong, if I received a Patek Philippe for Christmas I wouldn’t complain (or a Christopher Ward for that matter), but for those of us more obsessed with poring over our watch collection than spending time with the family this festive season, there are other options.

From horological accessories to deep dives into historical watchmaking, there’s a lot out there to make the truly dedicated collector tick – even if the box under the tree doesn’t.

Here then is our guide to the best gifts for any watch lover this Christmas.

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INKDIAL If you caught our last design issue you’d have noticed some phenomenal sketches of some iconic elements of iconic watches. Well, they were hand-drawn by Ben Li, better known as Inkdial. The prolific artist is a go-to for all things horological, creating incredibly detailed sketches of everything from Omega to Patek to A. Lange & Sohne.

What we have here is an awesome set of three different pieces all themed around the Speedy Silver Snoopy which makes for a fun, eye-catching triptych.

As the artist himself puts it: “The Omega Speedmaster Silver Snoopy trio features Snoopy and Woodstock daydreaming on top of the dog house in the first piece and gradually achieving their dream of reaching the stars in the final piece. This illustration trio set 'on and off' has taken me a total of three years to complete and I am 'over the moon' to finally showcase them together.” £200, inkdial.co.uk

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The prolific artist is a go-to for all things horological, creating detailed sketches of everything from Omega to Patek to A. Lange & Sohne

HANDS OF TIME BY REBECCA STRUTHERS

There are a handful of books that every collector should have in their library, but none have had a more recent impact than Hands of Time by watchmaker Rebecca Struthers. One half of the husband-and-wife duo behind the Struthers label, Rebecca’s literary labour of love is a tour de force discussing the history of timekeeping, our relationship with time and how watches and clocks have shaped our world.

Don’t worry though, it’s not some dense, impenetrable tome. At a spritely 288 pages, it’s paced to move and yet still manages time to offer up some quirky stories, and things that even we here at Oracle Time didn’t know. In the words of inimitable British legend Stephen Fry, ‘An exquisite book, beautifully put together… What a very wonderful book.’

£22, waterstones.com

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BERD VAY’E HOROSPHERE Ever wondered where all the leftover parts from old movements go? Well, here’s your answer. Berd Vay’e’s aweinspiring sculptures are like nothing else out there, spheres, cubes and veritable walls of glass suspending hundreds of vintage watch parts in an explosion of horological art. They’re absolutely mesmerising and a phenomenal showcase of the delicacy of fine watches.

Of the collection though, the Horosphere is a stand-out.

Available in a number of sizes from desk ornament to interior design statement, the 360-degree view of the parts is like nothing else out there, a crystal ball of glorious watch geekiness. What’s not to love?

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They’re absolutely mesmerising and a phenomenal showcase of the delicacy of fine watches

From $3,900, berdvaye.com

WOLF THE ROCKET Keeping your watch wound – particularly if it’s a complication like a calendar – can be a massive pain, particularly if you just want to slap it on your wrist and be able to tell the time. A winder not only solves that little issue, but can help keep your watch healthy by not letting it stagnate. Think of it in the same vein as a classic car that needs to be driven to stay, well, driveable.

The Rocket is Wolf’s signature winding system distilled into a handy travel size – the world’s smallest travel winder, in fact. It’s an easy addition to your suitcase wherever you’re heading and, even if you don’t have itchy feet, makes for a nice, svelte winder to keep on your bedside table at home.

The fact that it’s a cool, sleek piece of watch tech is the icing on the cake. £599, wolf1834.com

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WATCH SUPPLY WATCHMAKING EXPERIENCE

LORENZI MILANO WATCH REPAIR KIT

If you want to stop watching from the sidelines and get hands-on with a movement or two yourself, you should probably get a bit of guidance while you do it. Nobody wants a permanently halfassembled movement on their hands. Watch Supply’s masterclass scratches that watchmaking itch nicely, offering two different courses (one for standard watches, another for GMTs) that both allow you to build a custom watch from the company’s extensive range of built-it-yourself kits.

It’s not as intensive as a true watchmaking masterclass of course, but if you want to dip your toe into the murky waters of horology, then this is a fantastic start. And getting your own watch out of it – a watch that you’ve built yourself – makes for a great reminder of a great day.

Just make sure you book in plenty of time as dates sell out fast.

Should you decide that yes, you can service your own watch without destroying it, the next step is to get yourself a tool kit. There are plenty out there, with increasingly intense sets of tools, electronic gizmos, and professional standard sensors, but all you really need is this streamlined set, containing a magnifying lens, watch knife, tweezers, screwdrivers and a brush.

This also happens to be one of the bestlooking sets out there. No DIY-style hard case, just a sleek box of soft Nappa leather and plenty of Italian flair. It’s both stylish and practical, something that’s harder to achieve than repairing a tourbillon. €665 (approx. £575), lorenzi-milano.com

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No DIY-style hard case, just a sleek box of soft Nappa leather and plenty of Italian flair

From £329, watch-supply.co.uk

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L’EPEE 1839 TIME FAST II CHROME

Plenty of ink has been spilled diving into the parallels between cars and watches – perhaps too much, given that the relationship can be very succinctly summed up in this single, singular table clock. A celebration of the iconic racing lines of the 1960s – back when gentleman racers were still de rigueur – the aluminium H-chassis is built around an intricate clockwork mechanism, where the steering wheel sets the time, the gear stick sets the winding mode (wound using the rear wheels), and the driver’s helmet is set on top of the escapement. It’s inspired.

Not only does it look cool, it’s a serious piece of mechanical engineering, with a full eight-day power reserve, meaning you only need to remember to wind it once a week.

Though honestly, you’ll want to play with it a bit too often, so a reminder won’t be needed.

CHF 43,500 (approx. £39,300), lepee1839.ch

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The gear stick sets the winding mode and the driver’s helmet is set on top of the escapement

ORACLE TIME ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION Well, we had to slot this one in, didn’t we? If you want to keep up with all the latest goings on in the watch industry, paired with deep dives into meaty horological subjects, then look no further than these very pages.

We are the UK’s authoritative publication on all things watches, offering 10 issues per year, each with a different theme. Expert writers, beautiful photography, we have the lot.

Now, as you’re reading this, you probably already have a subscription. That’s great and we thank you for your support. But why not spread the love and make sure that your watchloving friends are as wellinformed as yourself? After all, it can only help them appreciate your watches all the more. £89.50, oracleoftime.com/ magazine

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Expert writers, beautiful photography, we have the lot

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giorgetto giugiaro

Words: Mark Smyth

THE WORKS OF

GIORGETTO GIUGIARO

THE AUTOMOTIVE DESIGNS OF GIORGETTO GIUGIARO ARE FAMOUS AROUND THE WORLD BUT HIS WORK HAS TOUCHED MANY OTHER AREAS OF OUR LIVES TOO, INCLUDING WATCHES 107

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In the world of car design, one name really stands above most others; Giorgetto Giugiaro. Born in Italy in 1938, he is so revered that he was made Car Designer of the Century in 1999. Even that sells the great man short because as well as designing some beautiful and famous cars, he is a multi-talented designer and he has put his hand to everything from pasta to superyachts, and even a promenade in Portugal.

Some of his most famous designs include the Seiko Speedmaster of the 1980s, including the novel Speedmaster LCD Driving watch with its tilted face so it reads straight when you’re driving.

Giugiaro penned cameras for Nikon, a telephone in the 1990s, and while he doesn’t shout about it much, he designed firearms for Beretta. His transportation designs aren’t all cars either, with his name on motorbikes from Ducati, MV Agusta, and Ducati, tractors for Deutz Fahr, a truck for Scania, a bus for Iveco and as well as a few yachts, he also designed a highspeed train. One of his most unusual works though has to be the Great Organ in Lausanne cathedral in Switzerland, which took ten years to build.

It is car design that Giugiaro is most famous for though and the list of models he has created is a star-studded trip through the decades. There aren’t many automakers he hasn’t worked with over the years, although not all his designs actually made it into production, Giugiaro is responsible for lots of concept cars, including the Lamborghini Marco Polo of 1982, the Maserati Boomerang of 1972, the Porsche Tapiro of 1970 and a few concepts for Bugatti. He created the Volkswagen W12 coupe that has been used in many a driving simulation game and he even penned concept designs for a new Ford Mustang, twice.

However it is the cars that appeared in showrooms around the world that really made his name and remain some of his favourites. The one he says he’s most proud of is the original Fiat Panda, but then there is the first generation of the Audi 80, a car which would evolve into the Audi A4 we have today. Probably one of his most famous designs happened not long after he formed his new Italdesign company in 1968. That

design was the first Volkswagen Golf, a car that has not only continued through multiple generations, but the original design was still being made well into this century in South Africa.

The Golf wasn’t the only VW to feature as an outlet for his creativity, as Giugiaro also created the Passat and Scirocco.

The Hyundai Pony and Sonata are both his designs, as too are the Seat Ibiza and Leon. He created the Saab 9000 and for Renault he designed the 19 and 21 in the 1980s. He has only designed one Subaru, although the SVX of 1991 is certainly not one we would call mainstream.

Not surprisingly, Giugiaro produced a vast number of designs for Fiat and its subsidiaries in Italy. In addition to the Panda, these included the Uno and Punto as well as the beautiful Dino coupé. His signature is on the famous Lancia Delta that was such an icon of the Group B era of world rallying and he did more designs for Alfa Romeo than any other brand, including the 2000 Sprint

of the late 1950s, the Alfetta GT and more recently the superbly designed 159.

He is best known though for designing great sports and GT cars, not least of all the star of Back to the Future, the DeLorean DMC-12. There have been plenty of Italian exotics too, including the De Tomato Mangusta and Maserati models such as the Ghibli, Bora and Merak and the 2002 Coupé. If you are real car connoisseur then you’ll be aware of the British-built Gordon Keeble, also a Giugiaro design. It wasn’t the only British model either as the Lotus Esprit was another of his masterpieces.

The Esprit is one of many of his sports cars that have adorned posters over the years, some of which were way ahead of their time and still hold a very special place in automotive history. The most obvious is probably the BMW M1 of 1977, a car that was totally unlike anything anyone expected to come from the German automaker at that time. Even today it looks every bit the

He is best known though for designing great sports and GT cars, not least of all the star of Back to the Future, the DeLorean DMC-12

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If it was created in the 1980s then Giorgetto Giugiaro was likely involved, as he designed the first Volkswagen Golf (left) as well as the understated Maserati Boomerang (above), and he even turned his hand to watch design with the Seiko Giugiaro (far left), which eagle eyed cinephiles will recognise as the watch worn by Sigourney Weaver’s Lieutenant Ripley in the 1986 film, Aliens

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“ The Esprit is one of many of his sports cars that have adorned posters over the years, some of which were way ahead of their time and still hold a very special place in automotive history ” 110

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The Maserati Bora (pictured) is among a host of creations that Giugiaro designed for the Italian sports car giant, alongside the Ghibli, Merak, and the 2002 Coupé.

Produced in 1971, the Bora marks a period of his straight-lined designs that helped to define car design throughout the decade, and which he would later employ in his designs for the BMW M1 and Lotus Esprit S1

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Clockwise from top; Giugiaro’s outrageous portfolio of designs includes the BMW M1, Alfa Romeo Alfasud, DeLorean DMC12, Lotus Esprit S1, and the Fiat Panda

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“ It’s easy to look at many of his designs through a soft focus, as though the cars he has created are works of art ”

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Few have the breadth to their portfolio that Giugiaro has and going through the list of major models makes you question your life achievements supercar, although it’s no match for the modern variety in power, luxury or ease of driving.

Many car designers dabble in other things, whether it’s corporate branding, lifestyle accessories or even furniture.

Few have the breadth to their portfolio that Giugiaro has and going through the list of major models he has penned almost makes you question your life achievements, or perhaps that’s just me.

It’s easy to look at many of his designs through a soft focus, as though the cars he has created are works of art. To many of us they are, but Giugiaro has always prioritised their functional side: “it is first and foremost functionality, without a doubt, that validates a project,” he once said. “Everything, unless strictly a work of art, has a functional value.”

There is no reason why the two can’t be combined and that has always been one of Giugiaro’s skills, to make

something practical but stylish. Some would say that is the role of a car designer, but the outcome is not always as successful. In fact many of Giugiaro’s creations have been so successful that they continue to influence designers and designs today. His original Hyundai Pony was the basis of the brand’s stunning N Vision 74 concept and Hyundai’s existing design team are happy to say that he inspired some of their production designs like the Ioniq 5 electric vehicle.

Every designer loves to see their products stand the test of time, but it’s one thing to see a car you designed decades ago still on the road, and quite another to know that it still influences the latest designs today. Giorgetto Giugiaro is now in his 80s, but far from being the car designer of the last century, he is very much the car designer of the current one too.

RNG CLASSICS >—>

If all this talk of beautiful cars has got you in gear to add a new motor to your garage, you’ll soon be realising just how much a true classic will set you back. That is, of course, unless you rent one, courtesy of RNG Classics. The British company’s range of four-wheeled icons ranges from the Jaguar E-Type and Aston Martin DB9 to off-kilter picks like the Triumph Spitfire and Morris Minor 1000. It means that you can have one of the most enviable – and eclectic – collections of cars around, without ever needing to find space for them all.

Find out more at rngclassics.com

Such is Giugiaro’s vision that his design for the original Hyundai Pony has formed the basis of the brand’s stunning new N Vision 74 concept

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OF 2023

ARCHITECTURE, AS WITH DESIGN, IS A DELICATE BALANCE BETWEEN FORM AND FUNCTION, A TIGHTROPE BETWEEN HOW SOMETHING LOOKS – AND THEREFORE HOW MUCH WE ENJOY LOOKING AT IT – AND ITS ACTUAL FUNCTION. IN THE CURRENT CHANGING CLIMATE HOWEVER, ARCHITECTS HAVE ONE EXTRA ELEMENT TO BALANCE: SUSTAINABILITY

THE BEST

Words:

Sam Kessler

SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE

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>————> While the days of huge concrete towers are still not quite gone, pioneering architects the world over are working on ever more ambitious solutions to the carbon footprint of construction. Some opt for sustainable materials, others for projects that will eventually be selfsustaining. Nearly all balance the human aspect with nature, and underpinning it all is a sense that architects should work with our environment, not in spite of it.

This year in particular has seen a vast number of beautiful, sustainable projects, from sleek, heat-beating homes and restored Brutalist landmarks to vertical office farms and remote escapism. What we have here is only a fraction of the good work architects – and designers in general – are doing to support the environment and lower our carbon footprint. But it’s a stunning fraction to look at.

sustainable architecture

URBAN FARMING OFFICE

by VTN Architects, Vietnam

Vietnamese architects Vo Trong Nghia decided to start making their change at home. While there have been plenty of green-walled projects around the world, their own head office takes things one step further, offering space not just for carbon-trapping, clean airproviding plants, but also for farmable fruits and vegetables.

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The outer wall is comprised of hundreds of differently sized planters that can be swapped around and flexibly arranged as new crops get added or harvested, a beautifully versatile solution to seasonal growth. If the produce wasn’t enough, they also filter sunlight to create a shady microclimate inside the office itself.

There is, of course, also a roof garden for a bit more of a traditional biophilic space.

Find out more at vtnarchitects.net

sustainable architecture

COOL HOUSE

by Samira Rathod Design, India

The weather in Bharuch, western India can be hot – incredibly hot.

This house, designed by Samira Rathod Design Atelier, was conceived to counteract that. It’s not just a case of keeping the sun off, though it’s shaded open spaces definitely do that, while also channelling air into the house.

That’s done via both outdoor courtyards – built within the walls for privacy – funnelling air into a central corridor and through inward-looking windows, keeping both the light and heat out and channelling cool air in. It’s basically AC created not through big, loud machinery, but by inspired architecture. The fact that it also makes for one of the most distinctive residential homes we’ve ever seen is a bonus.

Find out more at srda.co

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sustainable architecture

HOTEL TERRESTRE

by Taller de Arquitectura X, Mexico

Built using a blend of concrete and locally-made mud bricks, this incredible hotel in the Mexican city of Puerto Escondido isn’t just a monumentally eye-catching series of luxury villas; it’s also entirely solar powered. And that’s all that’s powering it; after doing in-depth studies to see how many panels were needed, Taller de Arquitectura X created a completely off-grid

hotel like nowhere else in the world. The hotel itself is sculptural in construction, finished with local woods for a minimal impact on the area’s ecology. But of course, it’s billed as a luxury destination, so it’s good to know that each of the rooms has its own pool, garden and views of both the ocean, as well as the Sierra de Oaxaca mountains, meaning you get some of the area’s best views from the comfort of your own space.

Find out more at terrestrehotel.com

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Taller de Arquitectura X created a completely off-grid hotel like nowhere else in the world

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sustainable architecture

ATRI

by Naturvillan AB, Sweden

A breathtaking glass triangle set in the equally stunning Swedish woodlands around Brålanda, Atri is designed to blend into its surroundings as much as a multi-story home can. The design is essentially a wooden house at the centre, containing everything from bedrooms to a library, surrounded by a vast

greenhouse, like your own botanical garden.

This means that during the winter, the trapped sunlight keeps the entire structure warm and during the summer you can open the sliding greenhouse doors to be at one with nature. The sun’s not just your central heating, but thanks to walls of solar panels, your energy source, too. This is sustainable living at its best – and most remote.

Find out more at naturvillan.com

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sustainable architecture

BOSTON UNIVERSITY CENTRE FOR COMPUTING & DATA SCIENCE

by KPMB Architects

While science and computing don’t often go hand-in-hand with sustainability, Boston University wanted to change that and enlisted Canadian architects KPBM to help them do so.

The result is a massive, towering ‘vertical campus’ that’s redefined the Boston skyline. A four-floor podium with a tower and eight-floor atrium, it’s like a child’s block tower made of

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cantilevers, terraces and academic disciplines.

It also uses a combination of geothermal pumps, solar panels and a wind farm (in South Dakota) to ensure that the building is as environmentally friendly as possible, edging the university ever closer to their goal of being carbon neutral by 2040.

Find out more at kpmb.com

sustainable architecture

FOREST BATH

by GAAGA, Netherlands

Despite what the name says, this housing block in beautiful Eindhoven in the Netherlands isn’t a public bath. Instead, it’s inspired by the Japanese concept of shinrinyoku, or forest bathing, which is all about submersing yourself in nature. In practice that means using tree trunks as colonnades across the façade of the Forest Bath, helping it

become a part of its surrounding forest. The greenery doesn’t stop there either, as a green-filled passage through the heart of the building offers an indoor garden.

The main sustainability hook comes in that the entire structure is built using upcycled, recyclable or demountable (reusable) materials, right down to the structural concrete. At the end of its life, Forest Bath will be able to leave the area as pristine as when it arrived.

Find out more at gaaga.nl

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The entire structure is built using upcycled, recyclable or demountable (reusable) materials, right down to the structural concrete

sustainable architecture

RWANDA INSTITUTE FOR CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE

by MASS Design Group, Rwanda

With a name like this, it’s no surprise that this low-key yet stunning development in Rwanda is sustainable.

And indeed any development dedicated to helping teach and promote conservation is a net benefit, but the way MASS Design Group have gone about it is

inspired. Part of the landscape itself, the various buildings – including the signature infinity building – make up the first climate-positive campus of its kind.

The developers worked with local historians, biologists and academics of all relevant fields to help ensure the project was, from its earliest concepts, the sort of project other environmentally friendly designs should aspire to. What better place for the conservation students of the future to learn?

Find out more at massdesigngroup.org

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The various buildings – including the signature infinity building – make up the first climate-positive campus of its kind 123

sustainable architecture

PARK HILL REDEVELOPMENT

by Mikhail Riches

Sustainability’s not always about building thoughtfully, but making best use of what resources you have available. Until recently, Sheffield’s listed Brutalist landmark Park Hill was one big, boxy, untapped resource. This is the second phase of the project and while the previous stage – by architects Hawkings/Brown and Studio Egret West – was brighter, the second stage offers a lighter touch to keep more of that Brutalist character.

The biggest challenge, alongside maintaining that character, was to do so while improving energy performance. They did so by introducing coloured, insulated panels in blues, greens and purples to not only improve heat loss, but give each flat a sense of identity.

To put the improvements in context (more than a quick look would do), Park Hill is now 87% more energy efficient, and as a result more liveable for its hundreds of residents.

Find out more at mikhailriches.com

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Park Hill is now 87% more energy efficient, and as a result more liveable for its hundreds of residents 124

sustainable architecture

SARA KULTURHUS CENTRE

by White Arkitekter, Sweden

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Across its lifetime the Sara Kulturhus Centre will actually be carbon negative

Despite having used it for centuries, if not millennia, architects are returning to the concept of fully timber buildings en masse. This mass-timber building by White Arkitekter isn’t just the cultural centrepiece of the city of Skellefteå, housing a theatre, museum, gallery, and more, but it’s the world’s second tallest mass-timber building.

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Fronted by glass on all sides, it offers views across the Arctic Circle-adjacent city, but it has a less obvious secret. The timber used sequesters (stores) carbon dioxide, meaning that across its lifetime the Sara Kulturhus Centre will actually be carbon negative. Given the amount of wood actually involved, that’s a lot of carbon captured.

Find out more at whitearkitekter.com

sustainable architecture

HERMES LEATHER WORKSHOP

by Lina Ghotmeh, France

Luxury powerhouse Hermes love two things above all else: leather and horses. So when the French brand decided they needed a shiny new workshop for the former, architect Lina Ghotmeh took inspiration from the latter. That has taken the form of a wood-framed series of arches designed to emulate the jump of a galloping horse, drawing a healthy amount of inspiration from both stables and Hermes’ signature silk scarves.

As well as using locally-sourced bricks across the board, the building is heated using geothermal energy from a series of probes set 150m underground, with solar panels aplenty providing electricity. Given the hand-made nature of what Hermes produce, that all seems only fitting.

Find out more at linaghotmeh.com

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The building is heated using geothermal energy from a series of probes set 150m underground 126

hands-on reviews

THE SPECS • 41mm stainless steel case with 200m water resistance • AL-650 Calibre automatic movement with 38-hour power reserve • £2,195, limited to 888 pieces, alpinawatches.com

ALPINA ALPINER EXTREME REGULAR So distinctive they nearly named it twice, the Alpina Alpiner wears its 1970s influenced Genta-style on its cushion case

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hands-on reviews

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alpina apliner

The Alpiner Extreme Regulator is a quirky watch. Part 1970s flavoured sports piece, part historical timekeeper, the first aspect is pretty obvious at a glance, but the second might not be. So first, it’s worth talking about what a regulator actually is, given it’s not something that crops up too often. The most famous recent one was probably the colourful Louis Erard x Alain Silberstein version, and it’s not exactly a crowded field.

Regulators come from watchmaking – not in the sense that they were built by watchmakers, but in that they helped watchmakers work. Historically, larger workshops would have had big, central clocks that watchmakers would regulate the watches they were working on against. They were the reference that helped a watchmaker know that their work was solid. To make these clocks easy to read at a glance, they split out the hours, minutes and seconds onto separate scales – normally a central minute hand, with seconds and hours on their own subdials.

The system has since died a death as there are much more accurate ways of regulating watches than timing it against a clock. When you can use specialised machines to test the exact rare of the balance spring, manual regulation is a relic of the past. But the style, if not the practical need for it, persists a little – hence the modern regulator wristwatch.

That all said, the Alpiner Extreme Regulator is anything but old fashioned, no matter how anachronistic its roots might be. As per usual, minutes are located centrally. But hours are on a subdial at ten o’clock and seconds are at six o’clock. Most watchmakers would put hours at 12 o’clock to keep things nicely balanced, but not Alpina. Instead, we have an off-kilter, asymmetrical layout, complete with differently sized subdials. It’s enough to make anyone’s OCD flare up hard.

Those subdials interrupt a cool, textured dial based on Alpina’s mountain logo – which itself can be seen at three o’clock, which is again an odd placement. The tessellating triangles make for a look somewhere between guilloche and architecture and it suits the wider watch perfectly. I kind of love it.

As for the aforementioned wider watch, it definitely falls into the integrated bracelet sports watch category. Hell, it reads like a greatest hits of Genta-style 1970s design and even without looking at the watch you can guess a few key elements. The multi-level construction offers a round bezel – complete with visible screws, of course – a cushion case and wide, Nautilus-like shoulders, all with a flat-linked, industrially styled steel bracelet. The fact that they’ve avoided slotting in an octagon somewhere shows some restraint, but the influences aren’t exactly understated.

Not that it doesn’t all work though. At 41mm across, it’s actually relatively diminutive in the field compared to anything with a name more than three letters long – and where the PRX offers streamlined simplicity, the Alpiner Extreme Regulator goes for a more-is-more approach. I mean, it does have Extreme in the name; it shouldn’t be a surprise.

That shape’s been enhanced by the requisite mix of polished and brushed surfaces to really emphasise the different levels and edges. It’s a lot, but it’s also all good.

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The movement inside all of that metal is the AL-650, a riff on a workhorse Sellita calibre. That means a bit of a lacklustre 38-hour power reserve and is honestly one of the few places in this watch that seems a bit cheap. These days, that’s just not up to snuff, even if it does make for a reliable, easily serviced movement. Still, at least it’s finished relatively (if accessibly) well, visible through the caseback with a big, bold Alpina rotor.

Now, 41mm might seem svelte for a big sporty watch, but it doesn’t feel it on the wrist. Its depth and various levels make it feel chunky. Not unwearably so – in fact, there’s something satisfying about it – but enough that you won’t be confusing it for a dress watch any time soon. The bracelet helps a lot with the feel, as well machined as an integrated number needs to be and then some. I didn’t get a chance to try it on the rubber strap but I can’t imagine it works nearly as well.

The Alpiner Extreme Regulator’s an odd duck. On the one hand, it’s pure zeitgeisty goodness, an ode to 1970s sports luxe with a level of glorious overdesign that suggests too much coffee. Or Adderall. But the actual layout, the regulator, with its anachronistically split indicators is something that nobody asked for or even thought about – which is honestly, why I like it.

I’ve always liked regulators, whether that’s the aforementioned Louis Erard, Garrick’s British version, the occasional vintage piece, or this. They’re odd to read at first, but are something you get used to pretty quickly. The rest of the Alpiner Extreme Regulator I can appreciate, even if it’s not something I’d buy myself, but the contrast is incredibly appealing. If they threw in a better movement, I’d be tempted. £2,195, limited to 888 pieces, alpinawatches.com

hands-on reviews

THE SPECS • 40mm stainless steel case with 100m water resistance • RW1212 calibre automatic movement with 38-hour power reserve • £2,295, raymond-weil.com

RAYMOND WEIL FREELANCER 2790 Raymond Weil modernise the cushion case with the Freelancer 2790

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hands-on reviews

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raymond weil freelancer

Cushion cases have a rich history, dating all the way back to the 1920s and earlier. But therein lies the problem: history. The gently curved case shape has something innately old fashioned about it, the kind of old-world vibe that has served brands like Fears so well; rooted in heritage – all but defined by it. Which makes it a little odd that Raymond Weil have insisted on attempting to modernise it in the Freelancer 2790.

From the get-go, the Freelancer 2790 is an incredibly handsome watch. The 40mm case is pebble-smooth and, while cushion cases tend to feel a little larger on the wrist than their circular equivalents, it’s still an easy size to get away with. It’s a little more square than some cushion cases out there, but otherwise fits the template. The only change is the crown, which is a bit larger and more modern than you’d usually find on this type of watch. At the very least, it’s not fluted, thank god.

The dial too is relatively modern, in a reserved kind of way. Constructed of concentric circles for a lovely, layered look in this version in Blue Steel (no Zoolander jokes, please).

The inner dial is textured, and a lighter colour, while the outermost segment is darker and more stripped-back. It’s a solid level of detail and makes a great visual counterpoint to the squared case.

The main point of interest however is the open balance wheel. Skeletonised might be a bit more to the point, as it goes all the way through the watch so that you can see a bit of your wrist on the other side. I wear watches to hide my wrists, but I have to admit the extra dynamic movement the visible balance brings to the watch is immediately appealing.

Held in place by a relatively big, screwed-in bridge, it’s a design statement if ever there was one.

I’m undecided, however, whether I’d prefer it with a solid dial across the board. I’m always the first to want to cover up a date window and without that open balance, I think the Freelancer 2790 would fall more into retro territory, which I love, especially with the cool oblong indexes. But it would lose something of its personality overall, so this is likely to be one of the few times that I’d stick with the aperture as is.

One of the big issues I’m having with the Freelancer 2790, however, is its movement. The RW4200 has a 38-hour power reserve, which puts it on par with the outdated Sellita numbers I’ve criticised in the past. It’s purportedly in-house and is one of those times where I’d prefer something thirdparty if it meant better specs. It’s nicely, if relatively basically, finished, but not enough to warrant something with less than two days of power. At least it’s accessible – which we’ll get onto later.

Movement aside though, there’s a lot to love about the new cushion-cased Freelancer. The elegant shape is gorgeous, not to mention tactile. The dial is sleek and suits the ‘squared circle’ look perfectly, and that open balance wheel amps up the innate mechanical nature of a decent watch. It’s cool.

The big question then is this: did Raymond Weil succeed in modernising the cushion case? Honestly, I don’t think so.

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The dial is sleek and suits the ‘squared circle’ look perfectly, and that open balance wheel amps up the innate mechanical nature of a decent watch. It’s cool

Sure, there are some welcome twists of contemporary flair here, especially that open balance, but it still doesn’t quite get over the hurdle that so many watchmakers have embraced, that of cushion cases being classical to a fault.

That’s not to say the new Freelancer isn’t a good looking watch. It is, if you’re into something bordering Art Deco with a bit more going on. It’s well made, feels good on the wrist, is eye-catching in all the right ways, all the good things you want from a design-led watch. I just don’t think it’s cool in the contemporary way that Raymond Weil were going for. It’s just cool.

Raymond Weil being known for accessibility, that’s always a big point to consider, more so for them than many other watchmakers. I’m pleased to say then that the Freelancer 2790 matches up nicely. Sure, the movement’s a bit lacklustre, but the build quality and design across the rest of the watch more than makes up for it, enough that the £2,295 price tag is incredibly competitive. That’s on this impeccable bracelet too; on a strap it’s £100 less. Though that £100 is well worth spending. To be honest, so is the full amount. £2,295, raymond-weil.com

hands-on reviews

THE SPECS • 41.5mm stainless steel case with 100m water resistance • Sellita SW330 automatic movement with 42-hour power reserve • $1,285, stellawatchcompany.com

STELLA ELLIS GMT A handsome, accessible GMT defined by one of the most gloriously eyecatching dials this side of Grand Seiko

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hands-on reviews

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stella ellis

I came across the Ellis a while ago now when I was looking into linen dials. For those of you that haven’t delved too much into this particularly funky subset of vintage watches (predominantly Rolex), it just means a textured dial that sort of looks like textile linen. It’s awesome, rare and something that modern watchmakers don’t really use. Other, that is, than New York-based watch brand Stella.

Stella cut their teeth with the Felix, a 40mm casual dress watch that was defined by its linen dial. It’s cool, versatile and a solid all-round piece. But rather than run on repeat, for their new collection Stella used that same dial-stamping method to create a much different texture. And as soon as I saw it, I wanted to get hands-on with the Ellis to see whether that texture is as gorgeous in the metal as I hoped it would be. Long story short, it is.

The Stella is a GMT, designed for travel, but the dial is more similar to space travel. The series of interlocking waves give off the effect of free-framing lightspeed in Star Wars, just as the stars begin to blur. It’s a fun twist for a piece inextricably linked to where you are on terra firma to have a spacey dial like this, plus it’s a nice play on the brand name, but more importantly the dial itself is gorgeous. It’s not subtle in any way, but has as much intricate detail as you’d expect from any Grand Seiko, and the icy blue – arguably the zeitgeistiest colour in watches in a post Tiffany world – is eye-catching in all the right ways.

Quite rightly, Stella have made that dial the focal point but, to me, perhaps overemphasised it a bit. The central GMT 24-hour indicator is clean and easy to read as it sits on a plain silver disc, but I found my eyes slipping over the applied numerals and indexes, which could be a bit bigger.

I get not wanting to hide the signature finish, but readability should be all-important. The GMT hand too is really small and has me wondering if the whole thing would work better with a peripheral GMT ring and larger numerals.

That said, the concentric rings of texture and numbers definitely make the Ellis unique. For something with a more classical, field-watch style case, both the dial and that oddly faceted crown set it apart from the crowd in the best possible way. If you were after something a bit more subtle, there is a black alternative to the blue, still with the same texture and with a black GMT ring instead of silver. I find the overall look a lot cleaner and more readable thanks to the higher contrast and red GMT hand… but that blue is too lovely to think about anything else.

The caseback is pretty cool too. As I mentioned, Stella are based in New York and the name ‘Ellis’ comes from Ellis Island, the home of the Statue of Liberty. So, you have a superb image of Lady Liberty herself on the reverse, along with the near-mythical phrase written on her base: “give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.”

On the wrist, the 41.5mm case feels good. It’s solid, and that 0.5mm downsize from the more standard 42mm makes a surprising difference. The lugs aren’t too long either so it wears as you’d expect from its specs. That said, I never forgot I was wearing it; I kept getting flashes of pale blue out of

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For something with a more classical, fieldwatch style case, both the dial and that oddly faceted crown set it apart from the crowd in the best possible way the corner of my eye every few minutes. Which I’m completely ok with.

Inside is the Sellita SW-330, a step above the usual SW200 that’s become a relatively uninspired microbrand staple over the years. The upgraded calibre has the benchmark 42-hour power reserve we’ve come to expect while keeping the standard Sellita staples: reliability, accuracy and accessibility.

Speaking of accessibility, the Stella Ellis GMT will set you back $1,285, around-about £1,000. Even with a plain dial, it would be priced to move – even by its spec sheet, the Ellis is a lot of watch. But with this dial, it’s a wonder that I’ve not seen any in the wild yet. Though I am still holding out hope we see a linen dial version at some point. Sure, it might not fit the theme quite as well, but I’ll take that compromise. $1,285, stellawatchcompany.com

CULTURE — unsung vintage

UNSUNG VINTAGE HERO:

WHAT IS SEIKO MODDING? A deep dive into the not-so-hidden world of custom-built Seiko watches and why it’s the coolest horological hobby you’ve (probably) never tried

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CULTURE — unsung vintage

When Swatch finally launched their muchtouted Moonswatch follow-up in the form of their Blancpain Fifty Fathoms riff (to a relatively damp fanfare), something about it was nagging me in the back of my mind, something oddly familiar. So, I went rummaging around in my worryingly extensive box of old watches and dug up something that I now barely take off: the Fifty-Five Fathoms.

Don’t worry, I wasn’t stashing a genuine Blancpain in a random box.

The Fifty-Five Fathoms is a Seiko that has been gussied up to look like the prestige diver. And it looks the part – at least from the front. The bezel, indexes, handset, they’re all bang-on for the source material. Sure, it’s a lot chunkier from the side and the exhibition caseback very definitely shows an NH35, but at a casual glance it’s easy to mistake for the watch it’s paying homage to.

It’s fun, it’s cool and if it’s something you might want for yourself, you don’t even need to buy one. A quick search will highlight plenty of guides for how to build your own using a standard Seiko watch as a base. There are suggestions for the bezels, hands, dials, even the sapphire crystal you might want to use, a full step-by-step guide on turning an uber-accessible sports watch into a legendary diver.

The Fifty-Five Fathoms is just scratching the surface though. It doesn’t take much digging to discover a vast sub-culture of watch collectors and tinkerers who love nothing more than building their own watches from the ground-up, using Seikos as a base.

And while modding can indeed mean simply swapping a bezel or changing the handset on your watch, in this instance I’m using it to mean more in-depth, custom stuff. Think less changing the rims on your car, more building it from the ground-up using stock parts.

The question then is: why? It’s a broad question for sure, but one that I’ll start by answering a narrower one: why Seiko? Well, when you’re setting out on a custom project, you want three things: reliability, accessibility and compatibility. Seiko movements have all those things.

WHY SEIKO? Seikos are basically the Mazda MX5 of the watch world. All you need to do is look at the vast and growing number of microbrands leveraging Seiko movements to get the hook. The starting point is that they’re among the most affordable movements in the industry, meaning that even relatively uninvested hobbyists can get their hands on a few without mortgaging the house. To put that in numbers, you can get a movement from AliExpress for under £30. You can get a case for around the same amount, hands for much less and end up spending less than £100 on the finished product.

At the same time, they have specs at least up there with the Swiss calibres

(and better than some), offering superb reliability and serviceability. Seiko movements are ubiquitous; they’re everywhere and every watch repair shop can service one with a blindfold on.

Then there’s compatibility. The idea behind building a custom watch is to do just that – build exactly what you want. You don’t want to have to compromise on your vision (be that a cool homage or otherwise) simply because you can’t find the parts you need. Fortunately, Seiko is a prolific manufacturer, both in numbers and different designs, meaning that there are endless components available, all of which can be easily switched in and out of whatever base template you’re using.

Let’s take the Seiko Nautilus as an example. An homage to Patek Philippe’s Genta-designed sports luxe

For those with champagne taste on a beer budget, this field watch from namokimods.com (above) is a Seiko that has been dressed to look its best, which is possible thanks to the reliability, accessibility and compatibility of the manufacturer’s easily modified movements

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e

>———>

m cone m

CULTURE — unsung vintage

icon, it’s not the first thing you think of in the same breath as Seiko. And yet, with the right recipe (which you can see in our handy box-out; feel free to cut out and pop on the fridge), you can get a worryingly close approximation. All it takes is a bit of research, a set of basic tools and trawling a few Seiko parts stockists.

Nothing here is hard to get hold of, as there’s nothing rare or exotic – just basic, off-the-shelf parts that come together to create the Seiko Nautilus.

And if you’re looking for somewhere to grab those specific parts – and don’t trust AliExpress (which is fair), try seikomods.com, or for something a little weirder, try namokimods.com.

RECIPE FOR THE SEIKO NAUTILUS • Flat Sapphire (comes with a free case) • NH35 hands • NH36 or NH35 Movement (depending on your dial) • Nautilus Compatible Bracelet • Nautilus Conversion Case • SKX007 Chapter Ring • Seiko Dial • SKX007 Crown • SKX007 Caseback

All it takes is a bit of research, a set of basic tools and trawling a few Seiko parts stockists. Nothing here is hard to get hold of, as there’s nothing rare or exotic – just basic, off-the-shelf parts that come together to create the Seiko Nautilus 142

WHY MODDING? Now, I’m going to be up-front here. I’m not well-versed in the world of Seiko modding – or modding in general. I can service a basic movement (given a bit of fiddling getting the balance back in) but that’s about it, so building a watch with my own hands has never really occurred to me before now. But after asking the modding community at large – seriously, the r/SeikoMods subreddit is by far the friendliest watch-centric group of enthusiasts I’ve ever come across – there are three main reasons for diving headlong into modding.

The first is the desire for something completely their own. Custom watches

CULTURE — unsung vintage

of the rarefied, grail-level Artisans de Geneve ilk are painfully expensive, unattainable for most collectors. Seiko modding is therefore a way to create your perfect watch without the need to spend big money and wait months for a workshop to send you a sketch. If you can picture what you want, the likelihood is that you can source the parts to make it happen – and build something above and beyond what you can get off the shelf.

As Redditor SlickPope put it: “I like that I get to be as picky as I want down to the smallest little detail. And there’s something to be said for wearing something that you made yourself.

Gives me a sense of pride wearing it, which I can’t say about the watches I’ve bought off the shelf.”

The second is a love of the mechanical side of things. More than one responder to my outreach said that they wanted to be able to service a watch and needed something simple and accessible to practice on. Once the bug had fully bitten, they got completely sucked into the entire underworld of getting hands-on with their watches in a way that only modding can achieve. These are the kinds of guys that, if we were to take that aforementioned Mazda MX5 as a metaphor, spend their weekends head under the bonnet, tuning and tinkering with the car.

It’s a love that most of us can agree with. The chances are that if you have an appreciation for watches beyond their market value, you’re enamoured by the mechanics. This is just the next stage of that same appreciation. As Redditor carpenj explained: “for me, the interest in an automatic watch is the mechanics. I’ve been having a blast taking movements apart, putting them back together, modding the movements themselves to some degree, tuning the accuracy on a timegrapher.”

The final reason for Seiko modding, and in many ways the one that underpins it all is also the most practical: price. As I mentioned in the previous section, Seiko parts are incredibly accessible, and lowering the bar that much means that modders can

build a watch – or at least a style of watch – they want, without having to fork over Bond Street hoards of cash.

It’s not just a Fifty Fathoms or a Nautilus; you can approximate pretty much any pricey timepiece at a fraction of the price.

All three reasons are tributaries running into the river of Seiko modding, one that once you get swept up in, is hard to get out of. Sure, you probably won’t get something COSC certified, but you will, with some effort, be able to get the watch you want, built by you, at a fraction of the price you’d pay at retail. Redditor Gratuitous_ Pineapple summed it all up nicely.

“A couple of years ago I went to visit some ADs for ‘proper’ Swiss brands with the intention of buying myself a nice watch. I started to wonder what I

was doing there, got curious about making myself a watch instead, and stumbled on Seiko modding.

“From there I realised I could do something actually unique if I make my own dials for these, so started doing that. I have no creative background so it’s been an interesting learning experience, I enjoy it as a fun creative outlet, and I’ve built myself several (ok, probably more than ‘several’...) unique watches while still only spending a small part of what I’d originally considered splurging on a massproduced piece of Swiss (or possibly Japanese) jewellery. The timekeeping is definitely less accurate than a certified chronometer, but if that mattered to me then I’d wear one of my Casios, rather than an antiquated assembly of springs and gears.”

What started for some as an accessible way to learn how to service their watch has developed into a love affair for others, who have become devoted to sourcing parts as a creative outlet to produce a bespoke and entirely individual piece

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CULTURE — unsung vintage

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CULTURE — unsung vintage

It’s not someone buying a fake Rolex for street cred; it’s a horological aficionado showing their own appreciation for an iconic design

WHY IS IT NOT A FAKE?

Armed with a bezel, case, dial, hands, and a keen imagination, a creative watch aficionado can produce an homage to their favourite high-end timepiece, as shown left and over page

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I figured I’d address one slight issue that some people have when coming to Seiko modding. Surely, if you’re building a Seiko to look like something else, it’s a fake? Now, that would be the case if these were genuinely being passed off as their inspirations, but that’s rarely the case. An ‘homage’ is not a copy, otherwise half the Swiss watch brands in existence would have lawsuits on their hands.

Because you’re generally using Seiko parts – and Seiko don’t have a habit of putting other brands on their dials – you’re trying to get the closest approximation to a more famous watch that you can, but never stepping over the line into full-blown infringement.

Take my faux-Blancpain as a prime example. It’s not a Fifty-Fathoms; it’s a Fifty-Five Fathoms, a tongue-in-cheek nod to the grand dame of diving. It’s the kind of touch you can see across the community and across a lot of the pieces you can buy for yourself. It’s not someone buying a cheap fake Rolex for street cred; it’s a horological aficionado showing their own appreciation for an iconic design. It’s not a rip of the original song; it’s a cover.

CULTURE — unsung vintage

WHAT’S AVAILABLE? Now, while the results of Seiko modding are incredibly cool – that’s a fact, I’ll brook no argument on the subject – the downside for some of us is, well, having to do it ourselves.

Yes, for certain people the hands-on nature of modding is the entire reason the hobby exists, but if you don’t have the time or inclination, but still want some ultra-cool alternative to a Royal Oak, you’re in luck - here are some of the best readymodded Seiko’s around.

SEIKO SPEEDMASTER

BY WRIST MODDING Customiser, Wrist Modding have more than a few cool homage pieces in their line-up – including the requisite Nautilus – but for my money the coolest is this, a fun, racing riff on the legendary Omega Speedmaster. Leaning into retro aesthetics with that chequerboard chapter ring and combination of black, white and orange, it’s a lot more fun than most of the watches coming out of Biel these days. Even the tachymeter, with its flash of orange is supremely cool! $248.33, wristmodding.com

ROYAL SEIKOAK The name says it all, really. Seikoak offers a solid number of incredibly well-done Royal Oak homages. Other than that signature octagonal bezel with its visible screws, they have a fantastic selection of Tapisserie dials and, perhaps most impressively, that superlative, industrially machined bracelet.

It has all the swagger of an original Jumbo (perhaps too much swagger if you opt for a Tiffany-adjacent dial), with a just over £500 price tag. There’s a lot to love there.

Leaning into retro aesthetics, it’s a lot more fun than most of the watches coming out of Biel these days

£501, seikoak.com

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CULTURE — unsung vintage

SEIKO KERMIT 5KX

BY CS WATCHES A blend between the already superb Seiko Prospex and one of the most sought-after Submariner variations, CS Watches’ Kermit 5KX is a cut above your usual modded watch, complete with a laser-etched, ceramic bezel and a more-thansolid build quality. Even if you’re not looking for a Rolex stand-in, this is a great watch on its own merits – even if it has a slightly lower, 100m water resistance. £560, cswatches.com

SEIKO BALLON BLEU

BY CASIOAK PROJECT

ARTISTIC SUNSET

BY MISTER KHRONAN

Having made their name customising a different watch – Casio’s cult Royal Oak riff – Paris-based modder Casioak Project took on a watch that you likely can’t get standard Seiko parts for: the Cartier Ballon Bleu. The small, curvaceous watch is a fun, faithful interpretation of Cartier’s signature round timepiece, right down to that crown guard. All it’s missing is the brand’s sapphire cabochon – but that might be a bit too close to the nerve.

Instead of opting for a fun homage to a famous watch, Mister Kronan has instead landed on an artistic bent for this custom Seiko. The case has all the original watch’s dark, diving characteristics but the textured blue dial with bird footprints (or dinosaur if you’re a bit more fanciful) makes for an eye-catching, and instantly appealing piece of wrist candy. On an orange strap, it’s attention-grabbing in all the right ways.

€550, casioak-project.com

€570, misterkhronan.com

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EDITED BY SAM KESSLER

IN FOCUS AN OBSESSIVE RE-INTERPRETATION OF A BALANCE SPRING, THE CREEPING INFLUENCE OF ENTOMOLOGY IN HOROLOGY, AND HARNESSING THE POWER OF LIGHT IN A MOVEMENT

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Handmade in the truest sense, the balance spring in the Ferdinand Berthoud Chronomètre FB 3SPC has taken some serious development from the Fleurier-based team to adapt a large, oversized balance from a pocket watch and fit it to a modern wristwatch

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IN FOCUS — ferdinand berthoud

FERDINAND BERTHOUD

spend two years hand-bending tiny, tiny pieces of metal in just such a way that an 18th century novelty actually works in a wristwatch. That’s a level of needless dedication that gets a certain breed of collector a little too excited.

It goes above and beyond other recent examples of cylindrical balance springs; H. Moser & Cie’s Pioneer Cylindrical Tourbillon isn’t chronometer certified and, as the name suggests, opts for a tourbillon to keep its performance in line with the brand. By being able to strip away the cage, Ferdinand Berthoud offer not just chronometer performance, but a better view at the downright hypnotic, oddly-beating heart of the watch.

Even if the technicalities of a balance spring don’t awe you however, the rest of the watch matches it nicely. The handmaking in the Chronomètre FB 3SPC is obsessive, with 100 hours of finishing on the movement alone and a look derived from historical marine chronometers, and even the handset is staggeringly lovely. At a glance, it’s a world apart from most modern watches.

The Chronomètre FB 3SPC is a superb feat of watchmaking, a gloriously unnecessary amount of effort funnelled into making a historical balance spring work to modern standards. In an era where only a handful of watchmakers can even build a standard hairspring in house, it’s amazing just how much one component – no matter how vital – says about a brand like Ferdinand Berthoud. Namely, that there just aren’t many of them.

Why Ferdinand Berthoud’s cylindrical hairspring matters

Balance springs are a tricky thing. The beating heart of a watch, they’re one of the most important and yet delicate parts of any movement. Measuring about 0.02mm thick, the thin strand of steel or silicon (or in some rare cases, gold or glass) is designed to oscillate back and forth, working with the escapement as a whole to turn raw, spring-wound energy into some demarcation of time.

No matter the material, tolerances are incredibly small and the job of creating them is one of the most extreme tests of patience and sanity in watchmaking. So much so in fact, that very, very few brands actually make their own, even at the highest end. It’s just not worth the hassle.

That’s in large part why most advancements in the field tend to do more with frequency than anything else. The more often the spring oscillates – the higher the hertz – the more accurate the timekeeping. In theory, anyway. Changing the fundamental shape is incredibly rare – and yet that’s what’s behind the Ferdinand Berthoud Chronomètre FB 3SPC. A bit of background in case you’ve not come across the brand. Ferdinand Berthoud is named after an 18th century watchmaker, but was revived by Chopard back in 2015, just in time to capitalise on the meteoric rise of independent watchmakers like F.P. Journe and Philippe Dufour. Indeed, as a brand they rub shoulders with that kind of rarefied company thanks to their emphasis on true (read entirely) handmade watches. That includes, of course, the balance spring.

That in-house expertise led to Ferdinand Berthoud attempting the impossible and completely changing the balance spring. Well, that’s not entirely true; it’s not even new in a modern watch, with another recent version coming from Moser & Cie. Indeed, the concept of a cylindrical balance spring dates all the way back to a pocket watch by Louis Berthoud, the son of Ferdinand, in the 1700s. That said, you can’t just pick up a large, oversized balance from a pocket watch and slap it on your wrist. It took the Fleurier-based team some serious development.

Because it was built for a vertical position in a pocket watch, being horizontal causes some accuracy issues for a cylindrical balance spring. It’s something that can be solved by using a tourbillon, one of the few times that little doohickie is genuinely useful. But as you can see, there’s no tourbillon here. That would have been far too simple. Instead, Ferdinand Berthoud hand-bent the spring top and bottom in just the right way so that, sans tourbillon, the Chronomètre FB 3SPC meets COSC standards.

To just be a touch more emphatic, Ferdinand Berthoud’s in-house hairspring development team

Find out more at ferdinandberthoud.ch/en

Ferdinand Berthoud hand-bent the spring top and bottom in just the right way so that the Chronomètre FB 3SPC meets COSC standards 151

IN FOCUS — kieser design

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IN FOCUS — kieser design

KIESER DESIGNS

Kieser Design add the patterns of nature to horology The world of horology is a diverse and rich one, full of intriguing concepts to explore. It is after all a world where a brand dedicated to deep water diving can sit shoulder to shoulder with a brand dedicated to supercars. As a designer, finding a design language that inspires you is important because it can help to make your watches recognisable to collectors and also lead to some of the most interesting watches on the market. For German independent watchmaker Matthias Kieser and his brand Kieser Design, the inspiration for designing their inaugural watch, the tragwerk.T, was easy to find in the patterns of nature.

“I think nature is a beautiful source of inspiration,” Matthias said. “Nature is a genius. It provides smart, holistic solutions for complex engineering challenges. And the astonishing thing is: it does so in the most aesthetic way possible! When you let your eyes wander in nature, you never get bored. There are always new little details you can discover!”

Specifically, Matthias turned to an oftenoverlooked part of the animal planet, entomology – insects. When it came to creating the 42mm diameter case, Matthias referenced dragonflies, “the internal organs of the insect are optimally protected by the exoskeleton. Despite being very sturdy, the exoskeleton forms this filigree and light body of the dragonfly.”

“This concept of a robust yet lightweight construction was transferred to the tragwerk.T. It provides maximum protection for the inner case and the movement without straining the wearer with additional weight on the wrist. The watch only weighs 47 grams without the strap.”

A key aspect in realising this exoskeleton style case is the use of titanium. The robust, lightweight, hypoallergenic material makes it perfect for the intricate, skeletal shapes that Matthias machines and hand finishes for every single watch. Plus, it gives the case a dark anthracite colour that pairs well with the customisable dial.

And that dial is something special. Matthias said, “I was fascinated by how beautifully the light is reflected in the faceted eye of the dragonfly. You never get bored when looking at it. That’s why I milled over 250 honeycombs into the dial to achieve a similar effect. Each hexagon is individually milled into the titanium blanks. I use very sharp tools to achieve maximum reflection and make the dial as vibrant and shiny as the compound eyes of the dragonfly.”

Additionally, thanks to the anodising process, it’s

“I was fascinated by how beautifully the light is reflected in the faceted eye of the dragonfly. You never get bored when looking at it”

Taking its design cues from nature and specifically the exoskeleton of insects, Matthias Kieser has used titanium in the tragwerk.T due to its robust, lightweight, and hypoallergenic qualities that make it ideally suited to the creation of skeletal shapes

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available in purple, green, blue, and orange.

Theoretically, the full rainbow spectrum is possible.

For a more subtle look, it can also be left in titanium anthracite or have a black dlc-coating.

Ultimately, the tragwerk.T is an exercise in bionics, on which Matthias says “I first learned about the principle of bionics in my university lectures. It essentially means applying functional principles found in nature to technical problems. I love bionic concepts that push technical boundaries and that are aesthetically pleasing at the same time. The dragonfly is definitely just the beginning. I will certainly keep on making watches that are inspired by nature.”

As for the future, “Kieser Design already has a very high degree of vertical integration. We manufacture most of the parts for our watches in-house.

Nonetheless, I want to dig deeper in the future.

There are so many ideas for movement modifications and unorthodox time displays already in my head, I just need the time to make them become a reality.

One new watch model is already in the final testing phase. But at the moment, we’re very busy fulfilling our customer’s orders for their customised tragwerk.T.” If you want to order one yourself, prices are upon request and depending individual customisation.

They’re by no means an insubstantial investment but you know that you’ll be getting the individual and full attention of Matthias. And considering the time he dedicates to things so subtle as the membrane of a dragonfly’s wing, you know your watch is in safe hands.

Find out more at en.kieserdesign.de

Encapsulating everything that Citizen stands for, the EcoDrive is pure innovation and thanks to its light-powered movement you can be assured that it will never stop giving you the most accurate time

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IN FOCUS — citizen

CITIZEN’S TECHNOLOGICAL APPROACH TO TIMEKEEPING

Powered by light, regulated by radiation, there are few watchmakers more in-tune with chronometric technology than Citizen It’s impossible to talk about accessible Japanese watchmaking without mentioning Citizen. The ever-accessible watchmaker have been one of the biggest players in the industry for over a century, and while they play in a very different ballpark to the finest Swiss artisans, they’ve had arguably more of an impact on timekeeping as a whole.

That’s because Citizen’s focus isn’t how finelytuned a balance wheel can be or how exquisitely guilloched a dial is. In line with the greatest Japanese tech firms, their entire raison d’etre is innovation. Indeed, the history of Citizen is a history of horological innovation, from initial forays into quartz to the use of titanium in watchmaking.

However, if there’s one thing that Citizen as a brand is inextricably linked with, something that over the past few decades has come to define then, it’s the Eco-Drive movement.

The concept behind the Eco-Drive movement is simple, even if its mechanics are not. It’s a movement powered by light. That doesn’t just mean the sun, but even dim light, meaning that if you can read it, it’s charging. That’s achieved with some seriously small solar cells that are placed either underneath a translucent dial or around the edge of the face, depending on the model. This energy is then used to run the watch, with excess being stored on a lithium-ion battery.

While the sustainability flavour of the Eco-Drive name fits in nicely with the current ecological climate (change), it actually dates back to when murmurs of oil issues were still new – specifically, the early 70s. This is when quartz watches were still shiny and new, before the nascent technology took down half the Swiss watch industry. The initial idea was to eliminate batteries, but maintain electrical accuracy with the feel of a mechanical watch. After a 1974 concept, the Crystron Solar Cell, the world’s first light-powered analogue watch was released.

It was an instant success for Citizen. Other brands were already touting the benefits of quartz over mechanical – accuracy, reliability, ease of

It’s one of the single most important elements that the Japanese watchmaker has ever built and one of the cornerstones of their very particular take on watchmaking 155

servicing, the list goes on – but the idea of getting all that without ever needing to change the battery was easy to cling onto. The fact that the watches were sleek in the necessarily modern, semi-futuristic way, was all the better.

Like with all technology, the Eco-Drive only got better with time and by 1995 it could manage six months running time on a full charge. This is, mind you, the running time in complete darkness without any light sources so much as peeking through to the solar cells, a level of energy management that Citizen has maintained in the modern collection. Like I said, it’s one of the single most important elements that the Japanese watchmaker has ever built and one of the cornerstones of their very particular take on watchmaking. But, it has to be said, it’s not their only one. While the Eco-Drive emphasises autonomy above everything else, atomic movements are all about accuracy.

An atomic clock is, as the name hints at, a timekeeper that uses atomic frequencies to tell the time. The more times a balance spring oscillates an hour, the more accurate the watch; an atomic clock takes that concept and instead replaces it with the frequency of microwave electromagnetic radiation. Needless to say, there aren’t many atomic clocks in the world, generally in national metrology labs, and definitely not enough to try putting one in a watch.

Instead, Citizen’s atomic movements use these clocks as reference points, using radio signals to constantly sync to their one second per 100,000 years accuracy.

Put this together with the Eco-Drive and you have a watch that will never stop giving you the most accurate time – provided you don’t bury it in a lead coffin for six months. Throw in a moon phase and you have the new Tsuki-yomi A-T. I won’t harp on that this is the first light-powered, atomic timekeeping moon phase movement; it’s one of those niche ‘firsts’ that doesn’t really mean anything.

But the watch is a fantastic encapsulation of everything Citizen stands for. It has atomically-synced timekeeping, kept powered by light, encased in Super Titanium (another bit of proprietary Citizen know-how) and is dedicated to an ancient Japanese god of the moon. If you were to try and define the brand, just show someone this. It’s also worth noting that, as the moon phase is updated via multi-band radio transmitters, it never needs setting – and will even switch when you cross from one hemisphere to the other.

Pieces like the recent, incredibly successful Tsuyosa are a big part of the conversation when it comes to Citizen, cool, accessible watches. Half the guys in the Oracle Time office have one colour or another. But for me, what defines the brand is their unique approach to timekeeping itself and their novel technologies that drive it – technologies like Eco-Drive.

Find out more at citizenwatch.co.uk

microbrand corner

COR NER MICROBRAND

The latest and greatest from the creative world of independent microbrands EDITED BY: SAM KESSLER

Batavi Atelier

THE SPECS: • 39mm stainless steel case with 100m water resistance • Miyota calibre 9039 automatic movement with 44-hour power reserve • Early Bird Price €459 (approx. £400), Standard Price €578 (approx. £500), batavi-watches.com

Like a guilloche take on anOrdain’s Model 1, the Batavi Atelier is a blend of field watch utilitarianism with a precious dial. Rather than enamel though, the Dutch brand have opted for something closer to guilloche – specifically, an eye-catching, mandala-esque fish scale pattern. Paired with bold Arabic numerals to keep things readable, it has all the practicality of something more militaristic (complete with 100m water resistance for braving the everyday elements) but with a ton of extra style, particularly with the colour options of sleek grey, aquamarine, and purple. Sure, they could have opted for more standard shades, but where’s the fun in that? And equipped with a Miyota movement and fittingly accessible price tag, the Batavi Atelier is a lot of fun. Available on either bracelet or strap, this is one of the few times we genuinely wouldn’t know which to plump for. batavi-watches.com

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microbrand corner

Maison Boanton Ellipse

You hear ‘vintage inspired’ and ‘Ellipse’ and you could be forgiven for assuming we were referring to Patek Philippe’s quirky dress watch. Instead, Maison Boanton have taken inspiration from an even earlier piece – and a landmark in horological history – the 1921 Rolex Oyster, the first waterproof watch. That’s most prominently seen in the striking fluted bezel and matching crown, and while the Rolex had an odd octagonal case, the cushion number here is pure 1920s watch design at its best. The Roman numerals and inner minute track hammer home the Art Deco, roaring 20s feel. Alongside its classically rooted good looks, the Maison Boanton Ellipse also has some solid watchmaking chops with the La Joux Perret G100 automatic movement inside – not the only time you’ll be hearing about that movement in this section. maisonboanton.com

THE SPECS:

• 40mm stainless steel case with 50m water resistance • La Joux Perret G100 automatic movement with 68-hour power reserve • €1,926 (approx. £1,665) + VAT, limited to 500 pieces, maisonboanton.com

Elka X Series

First off, it’s worth noting that Elka’s new collection isn’t actually pronounced ‘Ex’ but is instead ‘Khi’, the Greek way of saying it. With that in mind it’s perhaps not too much of a surprise to see a pair of handsome Khaki (see what they did there?) dials based on the same, beautifully streamlined base as Elka’s previous D Series.

Slimmer and dressier than most field watches, the X nonetheless has that distinctive militaristic flare, with a pair of dials in proper khaki brown or a seriously cool fume version with black at the outer edge and orange numerals. They’re not quite built as ruggedly as your classic A-11 derivative, but paired with railway minute tracks (and a killer movement inside) makes for field style watches eminently suited to slimmer wrists.

THE SPECS:

• 40.8mm stainless steel case with 30m water resistance • La Joux Perret G100 automatic movement with 68-hour power reserve • From CHF 1,569 (Approx. £1,400), elkawatch.ch

elkawatch.ch

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microbrand corner

Apiar Invenire

THE SPECS:

• 39mm titanium case with 100m water resistance • La Joux Perret G100 calibre autmatic movement with 68-hour power reserve • From £2160, price based on configuration, apiar.co.uk

The production of Apiar’s Invenire sounds more like sci-fi than watchmaking. The cases are made by lasering fine titanium powder in layers 0.06mm thick, building up in their thousands until you have the chunky, 39mm case. It’s extreme 3D printing, the sort generally only used in aerospace. Paired with algorithmic skeletonisation and a level of customisation few brands can achieve, Apiar are genuinely cuttingedge in the watch space. Backed by a La Joux Perret G100 movement (yes, that’s three now), that tech-forward production is backed by serious watchmaking chops. And best of all, if you’re into British horology at any rate, everything but the crystal, the hands and the movement (which is still regulated here) is made in the UK. It’s an exciting time for homegrown watch brands. apiar.co.uk

BŌKEN Nomad

Titanium divers are in vogue right now – which is always a good thing given the natural lightweight benefits of the metal – and newly launched BŌKEN are looking to capitalise on that with the sturdy, colourful Nomad series. Available with orange, yellow, blue, and white dials with black bezels (the white dial is also available with a matching white bezel for a cleaner look), all Nomad models are protected by a curvaceous tonneau case. Inside is a microbrand standard, the Sellita SW200, with a reliable, but these days, baseline 38-hour power reserve. It’s an accessible calibre but one that’s easy to repair – in keeping with the Nomad’s fun, tool watch vibe.

There are some serious Doxa vibes going on here, which is never a bad thing, especially when you see the price: you can pre-order the BŌKEN Nomad now for £995. That’s £400 off the eventual retail price of £1,395, which even then isn’t too shabby. boken.co.uk

THE SPECS:

• 42mm titanium case with 300m water resistance • Sellita SW200 automatic movement with 38-hour power reserve • £995 pre-order (£1,395 RRP), boken.co.uk

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watches

O r a c le

RECOMMENDS WHAT’S ON OUR SHOPPING LIST AND WHY

DRACO – STELLAR 3-HAND The Draco Stellar 3-Hand is a lovely 36mm dress watch with a salmon dial, Breguet numerals and sleek steel case. The time-only display makes it incredibly elegant with the leaf shaped hands sweeping around the peripheral minute track and grained hour scale. The case itself is also refined and elegant with polished finishing, a smooth, sloping bezel, a relatively slim crown and lugs that curve naturally towards the leather strap.

It’s powered by an automatic movement. £310, visit draco-london.com to find out more about the kickstarter

BATAVI – ATELIER

VIA MON – CORONAGRAPH VM22 COMET The story behind Via Mon is a classic one in the watch industry, a trio of partners who have come together to breathe life into the watch they envisioned wearing themselves. Thus was the Coronagraph VM22 created, a 38.4mm chronograph with a wide, rectangular design and a modern dial inspired by space. The grained texture of the dial designed to look like the surface of an asteroid, hence the collections names of Comet, Gravel and Void for the silver, grey and black variants. $399.63, available from viamonwatches.com

Sports watches and guilloche style dials might seem like unlikely bedfellows yet the Batavi Atelier proves that they work together surprisingly well. The 39mm stainless steel case has a field watch aesthetic that provides a contrast to the patterning of the vibrant fish scale dial. There are multiple colourways available including dark black/purple, blue and a grey/beige tone. Powering the piece is the Miyota calibre 9039 with 44-hour power reserve which combined with the case and dial means that this is a lot of watch for the money. €479 (early bird price), €578 (standard price), available from batavi-watches.com

Riley Watch Co. – Howard Hughes Chronograph HH01 The Howard Hughes Chronograph HH01 is inspired by an iconic plane in the history of aviation, the Hughes H-1 Racer, which broke the world speed record in 1935. The watch commemorates this historic occasion with its retro style bi-compax chronograph display and curved square case – a shape commonly referred to as squircle. There are several variations available including this sage green and white variant which is very elegant and calming to look at. It’s powered by the Seiko VK64 Meca-Quartz movement. £149, available from rileywatchco.com

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BWG BAVARIAN WATCH - ISARIA BWG Bavarian Watch are a German watch brand that designs robust watches inspired by the stylish landscapes and culture of Bavaria. BWG watches fit perfectly into today’s everyday life from meetings to sports, something which is particularly true of the ISARIA. The BWG ISARIA is a watch waterproof to 200m with a rotating bezel and Super Luminova on the hands and dial, equipped with a Swiss L24 Manufacture automatic movement. ISARIA is available in slate black, Isar green and sky blue.

First 50 customers before December €555, standard price €1,555, available from bavarian-watch.com

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seasonal gifts 

REVIVAL AUDIO – ATALANTE 5 Revival Audio are a fairly new high end audio brand that hit the market in 2021, but don’t let that fool you, their founders have decades of experience at top audio brands. One of their core loudspeakers is the Atalante 5, a three-way loudspeaker with sophisticated high frequencies, sweet mid-tones and impressive bass. All housed in a lovely Franco-Japanese fusion cabinet with walnut veneer – following the belief that sound is an art and therefore should look artistic too. £4,490, available at eliteaudiouk.com

MODALO – CLASICO PREMIUM FOR 5 WATCHES

NOBLE AUDIO — FOKUS PRESTIGE Noble Audio have taken their beloved bespoke Prestige line of In Ear Monitors to Bluetooth. The FoKus Prestige is a premium Bluetooth earphone meant for enjoying your music at the highest quality on the go. It features a tripledriver configuration, which helps to reproduce music as it was intended to be heard.

The 8.2mm dynamic driver delivers powerful bass while the two Balanced Armature drivers produce beautiful mids, and clean highs. $599, available from nobleaudio.com

Watch winders are the ultimate form of wristwatch storage, keeping your watches safe, topped up on power reserve and doubling as fantastic display cases. The Clasico Premium from Modalo is available in eight beautiful finishes including authentic New Zealand wood, malachite and piano lacquer. This is the 5 watch edition although it’s also available in sizes for 3, 4 and 6. It’s the ultimate seasonal gift for the watch collector in your life, helping them to cherish and care for their collection. $1,339, available from modalo.com

SIRPLUS – Blue Check Harris Tweed Wool Raglan Coat New in for the winter season, this blue check Harris Tweed overcoat from SIRPLUS is made from 100% pure wool, with a 100% cotton lining.

SIRPLUS are a UK brand dedicated to creating sustainable fashion with an emphasis on using surplus or waste material. A stylish overcoat is an absolute must-have in any man’s wardrobe and should be a mainstay year after year. It features a relaxed, oversized fit while ensuring that the silhouette is still refined enough to be loved by all. £795, available from sirplus.co.uk

S&R Jewellers S&R Jewellers will help you purchase luxury gifts for much less this Christmas through their ever-evolving collection of pre-owned watches and jewellery, saving as much as 50% off the original selling price. All items are fully authenticated and restored to near new condition. Many items are even sold complete with their original packaging.

With brands such as Rolex, Piaget and Cartier, as well as jewellery favourites Tiffany, Cartier and Bulgari, you can be sure of finding something special for that special person in your life!

Tiffany Platinum Diamond Set Open Circle Pendant on chain (£3,200) and matching hoop earrings (£8,750), discover the latest stock at sandrjewellers.com

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seasonal gifts 

House of Hazelwood – The Huntsman Blend House of Hazelwood is a relatively young name in the whisky industry with good reason, until 2022 it was an extensive private collection owned by the Gordon family. Now they are releasing small batches of their favourite blends to the public for the first time. The Huntsman Blend is a 50-year-old blended Scotch whisky produced in partnership with Savile Row tailors, Huntsman. To coincide with the whisky, they’ve designed a House of Hazelwood tweed, which is available to buy in the form of a beautifully tailored jacket.

Limited to 75 bottles at £5,900 and gift pack containing hipflask, engraved wooden box and two samples, available from houseofhazelwood.com

Qobuz

MONTEGRAPPA – AUTOMOBILI LAMBORGHINI 60° Montegrappa have come together with Lamborghini to create a pen that is a true representation of the Italian super car manufacturer’s 60th anniversary. The bold, angular form riffs on the iconic designs of the Countach, Diablo, Murciélago, Aventador and 2023’s Revuelto. The barrel and safety-locked threadless cap created for Automobili Lamborghini 60° are precisely engineered and assembled, with numerically-milled, aerospace aluminium and forged carbon-fibre fairings fused together in a futuristic hexagonal profile.

This is high performance manufacturing quite literally at your fingertips.

Prices from €5,000 in rollerball and fountain pen editions, available at montegrappa.com

Qobuz are a music steaming platform available on desktop and mobile dedicated to curating a complete audio experience for audiophiles. As such, in addition to producing their own musiccentred magazine, they utilise the highest quality audio files possible for the more than 100 million songs they have available, so that you can listen to them the way the artists and recording engineers intended. Plus, with their download purchases system, you can own still own your music collection and tailor it to your preferences.

From £10.83/month, available at qobuz.com

HOCKERTY – CUSTOM COAT Hockerty bring your personal style to the fore with their new line of custom coats. The new collection allows you to choose from a wide variety of bespoke designs and materials to craft the perfect piece of outerwear for you.

Cashmere, premium Italian wool and alpaca in blue, grey, black or signature patterns make for a versatile base from which to start making design choices such as lapel style, length, fit, pockets and more. It’s a very granular system that puts you in control.

Perfect as a gift for friends and family or even yourself this winter season.

Approx. £199 to £640 depending on customisations, available from hockerty.uk

CROCKETT & JONES – ISLAY The Islay are Crockett & Jones’s full brogue Derby boots in rough-out suede. They have a robust, worn aesthetic that make them look like the go anywhere, do anything kind of footwear, which they are with storm-welts for waterproof connections between the uppers and thick rubber soles. The Islay even has Hollywood screen credits in 2012’s Skyfall where they were seen tackling the Scottish Highlands. £530, available from crockettandjones.com

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watch accessories

JEAN ROUSSEAU – GREEN NUBUCK ALLIGATOR Nubuck is a type of leather finish most commonly seen on bovine leathers that uses buffing to create a velvet like texture. However, Jean Rousseau have developed their own original way to produce a similar velvet texture on alligator leather, creating the Nubuck Alligator strap. Visually it’s stunning as it carries a richness of colour and texture, particularly as the finish is so rare on exotics. Alligator is often reserved for refined occasions like soirées, but the Nubuck finish also helps the strap to be water-repellent, meaning it’s more adventurous than may first appear. £445, available at jean-rousseau.com

CHROME CALIBRE – RETRO BOT WATCH WINDER On a functional level watch winders are a great way to make sure your automatic collection is always ready to wear at a moment’s notice. But just as equally, watch winders can make for the ideal display cases, as shown by the Chrome Calibre Retro Bot, which is shaped like a tin robot from the mid-1900s. The technology inside is provided by SwissKubik with Bluetooth connectivity that allows the rotation to be customised based on number of rotations per day and direction. €2,500 (approx. £2,150) available from chromecalibre.com

HAVESTON – M 1937 WATCH STOWAGE POUCH Haveston bring a vintage military aesthetic to all their watch straps and accessories and the M 1937 Watch Stowage Pouch is the perfect example of that. Based on the appearance of World War II US Military ammunition pouches, it’s a convenient and safe way to transport your wristwatches.

Each pouch is hand-made from canvas with a stud fastening system and the Haveston triangle H logo on the flap, which is reminiscent of a military warning symbol. $34.95, available from haveston.com

Aubliq – Watch Stand Aubliq are all about keeping your watches safe in an understated, classy way with minimalist design and quality materials. The wide base, thin arm and holding pad put all of the emphasis on the watch it’s holding, allowing the timepiece to shine the way it’s supposed to. Plus, they’re of such reliable quality that even Grand Seiko have collaborated with them in the past, showing their high quality and craftsmanship. $118, available from aubliq.com

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Forstner Bands – Bullet Bracelet While Forstner are perhaps best known for the Komfit bracelet, that’s not the only celebrated strap they’ve created in their extensive history.

The Bullet Bracelet is a popular heritage bracelet from the 1960s and now it’s back. It’s a five-link bracelet with a unique composition of rounded and angled links with flat ends that gives it a notable quality of depth and brilliance. It was originally designed for the Bulova Accutron Astronaut, but now it’s available for most watches – there’s even a fitted end link version for the lugs of the Speedmaster or Black Bay. $155, available from forstnerbands.com

nico leonard column

>———> I was stopped in my tracks looking through Instagram the other day. I scrolled by something that really pissed me off: a post from Only Watch.

For those that aren’t familiar, Only Watch is a charity auction selling one-off piece uniques, made by the biggest watchmakers in the game. A brilliant concept. But look closer and you’ll find the diversity among these major watch brands is beyond lacking. Look at the average of each member. They’re 50 plus. My question is if we’re trying to promote a watch industry that’s inclusive and attracting the wrists of younger audiences, then how the fuck can we do that when those at the top have absolutely no idea how to talk to young and diverse consumers?

The fact that we’re even having this conversation frankly blows my mind. It’s 2023. Why are we challenged with the task of lowering the age of those leading the industry, so that younger people can be heard and be seen?

If you take the GPHG jury this year for example, you can see change truly happening, with a jury that showcases a lower age range and more diversity for women. It’s a clear step forward, but it needs to go beyond just the jury and its invitees, which is what Only Watch lacks. When it comes to leadership of these organisations, it’s the same names every year leading a stagnant show.

How so? Look at this structure among watch brands. LVMH are the ones doing it right. You’ve got Bernard Arnault’s kids as the frontrunners, which you see with the success of TAG Heuer and Frédéric taking the helm, while Jean steers the watch division at Louis Vuitton. In a matter of months, Jean cut down the number of models to focus on proper watchmaking.

And nobody saw the Akrivia x LV collab coming. That shit is awesome and it got people talking…even Gen Z. Yes, you can argue it’s nepotism, but that’s in every industry, and it’s not going away. Here, two young leaders are actually using their privilege to do something that matters – giving watches more value. Would TAG have had such a successful year without him? Smashing the Carrera’s 60th anniversary celebrations and getting Ryan Gosling in as its face? Absolutely not.

They’re doing an unbelievable job

IT’S ABOUT TIME THE AGING FIGURES AT THE TOP OF WATCHMAKING ARE TOPPLED TO GUARANTEE ITS FUTURE

because they’ve shifted the focus to young people. From the right collaborations, to a young design team, you can see the work in year’s projects.

That’s not to say we should put an age cap on the industry. It’s not about a cap, but the gap between brand and consumer. We need a middle ground, which is why it works for someone like Jean-Claude Biver who tapped out as one of the few senior people that had been in the game for so long and hated the direction it was going in. He came back with his son, to launch a watch brand for the future…they knew what could work for this audience. And don’t get me wrong, I think the price points are fucking mental, but the design tests out something new for the next generation of watch enthusiasts.

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Ultimately, we’re in an industry that will be rotten from the top down, unless we start acknowledging the credibility of young people in the market. Why does everything stay the same? I think it’s because for some of these guys at the top, it’s just a job. You see watch CEOs move around like it’s silly season in Formula 1. If they get offered more cash to go somewhere else, they take it. Tell me, where’s the passion for the brand?

Think of it like MMA. It’s completely different when you fight for something when you have nothing in your bank account, as opposed to when you’ve got it all. The urgency isn’t there. Look at Conor McGregor. I knew him before he was famous and I still know him now.

He got everything he ever wanted in a year, because he was so outrageous. But put him in a fight now and he’ll lose, because the fire isn’t there. He got it all too quickly, so there’s no desire to innovate and do better.

A true example of leadership not lost is Ulysse Nardin. They’re who we should all be looking at right now. It’s a young team and they’re so passionate. I went out to see the brand in China and I felt really old. I’m only 36! I’ve never experienced that before and it gave a real energy to the whole brand experience. The best thing they ever did was go independent. Out on their own terms. Ludwig Oechslin put Ulysse Nardin on the map for the Freak, so why are we still going on about the legacy of Gerald Genta? Ludwig is alive. Let’s pick his brains while we actually can. Yes he’s in his 60s, but you’ll find that he’s one of the few 60-year-olds in the industry not in that photo. And that means something. He’s one of the few ‘old guard’ that understands the need to go beyond convention and save this industry by looking to the future. And not just say it for the sake of marketing.

Actually fucking doing it.

We’re in an industry about time. So why aren’t we taking the time to realise that we’re at the pinnacle of human invention?

And yet we’re not even beginning to utilise these opportunities that a watch can have in the future if we’re being led by figures from the past. We need to regenerate, so we can actually fucking innovate.