The Watches Magazine - 2017 Winter Issue

Swiss International Magazine Winter 2017 #051 Interviews Jean-Claude Biver - Marc A. Hayek - Geoffroy Lefebvre - Portrait Richard Mille - Guest Denis Hayoun

English Edition

Patek Philippe Universal Time, a human complication

A. Lange & söhne - Alpina - Antoine Preziuso - Audemars Piguet - Bell & Ross - Blancpain - Breguet Breitling - Chanel - Chopard - Corum - Ferdinand Berthoud - Grand seiko - David Morris - Dior - Fabergé - Jaquet Droz Longines - Louis Vuitton - Montblanc - Omega - Rebellion - Richard Mille - Rolex - TAG Heuer - Tissot - Zenith suisse: 10 francs FRANCE MéTRO: 7 EuROs - BEL/LuX/POLAND: 8 EuROs - uK: £8 - A/D/GR//PORT.CONT: 8,40 EuROs - CAN: 11,95 $CAN - usA: 14,99 $us

T Y P E X X I 38 17

HISTORY IS STILL BEING WRITTEN ...

L O U I S B R E G U E T ( 18 8 0 -19 5 5 ) AV I AT I O N P I O N E E R A N D FA M O U S A E R O N A U T I C M A N U FA C T U R E R – W W W. B R E G U E T.C O M

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PATEK PHILIPPE Universal Time ref. 5230

By Sharmila Bertin

S

ince the amazing development of commercial aviation in the early 20th century, the world has become less vast, more accessible. Today, we are far more nomadic than our parents or grandparents, and boarding a plane to fly off to a faraway destination, going from one time zone to another, seems almost banal. And time is a factor that is fully mastered by Patek Philippe, in particular through the World Time reference 5230, a timepiece cut out for travel.

This new work by the Geneva watchmakers follows changes in time zones, as represented by major cities, as well as time differences, with Dubai replacing Riyadh and Moscow moved from UTC+4 to UTC+3. Although equipped with a complex mechanism, the time zone settings on the World Time reference 5230 are easy to modify. You just need to press the monopusher at 10 o’clock to travel from one city to another, via one hour degrees.

The dial is divided into three levels, and features a white disc with the names of 24 cities written in black, a dual-colour 24-hour disc with a day/night indication with a gilded sun and moon painted on it, and a guilloched centre with a

wickerwork pattern, like a flower displaying its petals. In the centre, the silhouette of the hands – small and open-worked for the hour hand, and with a diamond-shaped cut-out for the minutes – recalls two kites sailing across the sky of time. The name of the city chosen to show the local time is displayed at 12 o’clock, and highlighted by a small red triangle.

The hour functions, together with the time-zone mechanism, are driven by the extra-flat 240 HU automatic calibre, which provides 48 hours of power reserve, and is housed in a white or rose gold case with a diameter of 38.5mm.

THE WATCHES MAGAZINE

WINTER 2017

Master Chronograph Automatic Calibre Jaeger-LeCoultre 751G 235 components, 28.800 vibrations per hour

E DIT OR IAL

My fifth season

Y

© Mickael Gautier

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ou’re actually looking at the last issue of the year, the one which says goodbye to 2017 and hello to 2018, the one which signals the end of autumn and the beginning of winter.

This issue corresponds to what I affectionately and informally call “the fifth season”. Perhaps at this very moment in time you’re asking yourselves if I can actually count because, as everybody knows, there are only four seasons to a year. And, each is linked to key climate changes which punctuate the year, nature, our lives. In most countries, annual seasons include spring when trees come alive with green once again, summer with the sun’s warm touch, autumn with its golden-orangey glows and winter with its thick cold blanket of snow.

Our lifecycle itself is also marked by four high points: childhood and its sweet, carefree years starting at birth, adolescence which symbolizes transition and coming of age in a more or less chaotic way, adulthood and the personal enrichment which goes hand-in-hand with it, and old-age which inevitably leads to death. These life seasons are ever-so precious because unlike the spring-summer-autumn-winter quartet, we only get the chance to live them once.

In the world of watchmaking, there’s also a fifth season, in my opinion. It slips discreetly in between autumn and winter and, yet again in my opinion, epitomizes the creative wealth of brands. It’s actually only around mid-September that a certain number of watchmakers present their new pieces and, as such, rouse the specialized press from its summertime slumber. Over the weeks that follow, the pace picks up for us journalists as well as for timepiece aficionados and customers who see the first watches, which will create the trend for the upcoming season, showcased in the press and on social media. As soon as these new pieces have been centre-staged by the media, major events such as trade shows, exhibitions and auctions take place non-stop from November onwards. I’m thinking in particular about Only Watch – a wonderful human adventure held every

other year and for which the majority of watch brands create a single piece –, about the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG), which some people rather pedantically nickname the “Watchmaking Oscars” and, last but not least, the must-not-miss Salon International de Haute Horlogerie (SIHH, International Fine Watchmaking Exhibition). The grand finale of this famous fifth season is Baselworld, the springtime exhibition where the whole watchmaking world gets together.

And, even though it comes around again every year, the fifth season is never the same. Living it, being part of it, is always a great pleasure, a discovery full of surprises, a moment that is ever-so unique!

Sharmila Bertin Editor-in-Chief

THE WATCHES MAGAZINE

WINTER 2017

ZENITH, THE FUTURE OF SWISS WATCHMAKING DEFY I El Primero 21 1/100th of a second chronograph

www.zenith-watches.com

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

The elasticity of time

By Denis Hayoun Photographer and founder of the Diode Studio

12

© Marion Duruz

F

or as long as I can remember, I’ve always felt that time was a rare and precious commodity.

As a child, an hour’s delay felt like divine punishment that lasted forever.

My relationship with time changed when I began to understand the concept of death. A door opened and the night became my own personal space. I realised then about the elasticity of time.

It is inescapably cadenced by day but as night falls I can feel it softening and opening me up to a multitude of possibilities.

My music studies taught me that the precision of a score doesn’t stop you slowing down or speeding up phrases depending on the context but that, in the end, these arrangements cancel each other out when the last note ends.

I stay true to the elasticity of time by not wearing a watch which stops me facing my duties every time I move my wrist.

It can play tricks on me of course.

It’s the best compromise I’ve found for spending long spells in deep thought or productivity, shutting myself off from the next deadline to get the most out of the present time.

Over the years I’ve eased off on my demands and expectations and now see hold-ups as gifts.

In my professional world, external pressure has become so heavy that we rarely take the time to appreciate what we’ve done or compare our initial objectives with what we’ve achieved.

Images flit by non-stop on Instagram and you judge a photo on its ability to provoke an instant reaction in the user rather than the message it conveys as a link in a chain.

Whilst this instant consumption of fleeting images has taken hold of the scene, I force myself to take a step back to harmonise

image productions whose life times vary depending on their destinations and formats.

Experience has taught me the importance of saving moments for recollection to keep my relationships with others and in my professional life fresh.

THE WATCHES MAGAZINE

WINTER 2017

TI M E , A HE RMÈS OB JECT.

Slim d’Hermès, L’heure impatiente For the moments to come.

INSIDE

30 Cover Story Patek Philippe

14

10 12 20 22 24 28

Editorial Guest Denis Hayoun We Love Birthdays We Love Fashion Trends The Eye of Jewelry

30 38 40 43 44 46

Cover Story Patek Philippe Interview Marc A. Hayek Breguet Blancpain Montblanc Interview Jean-Claude Biver

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49 50 51 59 60

Jaquet Droz Omega Frojo Marseille Rebellion Portrait Richard Mille

INSIDE

80 Richard Mille

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63 66 68 71 72

Breitling Chopard Interview Geoffroy Lefebvre Longines Technique

74 76 78 80 82

Tissot Zenith Rolex Richard Mille Ferdinand Berthoud

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WINTER 2017

84 86 87 88 90

Antoine Preziuso Alpina Scapa Grand Seiko Baselworld 2018

* LA PERFORMANCE MÉCANIQUE POUSSÉE À L’EXTRÊME

CALIBRE RM 07-01

BOUTIQUES RICHARD MILLE

© Didier Gourdon

SUISSE Rue du Rhône 78 1204 Genève - Tél. : +41 22 810 85 73 • Quai du Mont Blanc 19 1201 Genève - Tél. : +41 22 732 20 22

www.richardmille.com

IMPR E SSU M

Swiss International Magazine Hiver 2017 #051 Interviews Jean-Claude Biver - Marc A. Hayek - Geoffroy Lefebvre - Portrait Richard Mille - Guest Denis Hayoun

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

Patek Philippe

Les Heures Universelles, complication humaine A. Lange & söhne - Alpina - Antoine Preziuso - Audemars Piguet - Bell & Ross - Blancpain - Breguet Breitling - Chanel - Chopard - Corum - Ferdinand Berthoud - Grand seiko - David Morris - Dior - Fabergé - Jaquet Droz Longines - Louis Vuitton - Montblanc - Omega - Rebellion - Richard Mille - Rolex - TAG Heuer - Tissot - Zenith suisse: 10 francs FRANCE MéTRO: 7 EuROs - BEL/LuX/POLAND: 8 EuROs - uK: £8 - A/D/GR//PORT.CONT: 8,40 EuROs - CAN: 11,95 $CAN - usA: 14,99 $us

Rédaction/Edition ACE Publishing SA Direction/Management Alain Carrier acarrier@ace-publishing.com Rédactrice en chef/Editor-in-Chief Sharmila Bertin sbertin@ace-publishing.com Designer graphique/Graphic designer Célia Sozet Contributeurs/Contributors Tiffany Cartier-Millon - Vincent Daveau Dan Diaconu - Fabrice Eschmann - Isabelle Guignet - Denis Hayoun Olivier Müller - Eléonor Picciotto Publicité/Advertising ACE Publishing SA Alain Carrier acarrier@ace-publishing.com Yannick Ortolan yortolan@ace-publishing.com T +41 22 752 60 12

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Kiosques/Kiosks Suisse: Naville SA & Valora AG - France: MLP - Export: Export Press Abonnement/Subscription Dynapress Marketing SA Avenue Vibert 38 - CH-1227 Carouge/Genève T +41 22 308 08 08 - abonnements@dynapresse.ch Édité 4 fois par an/Published 4 times a year Mars-March/Juin-June/Septembre-September/Décembre-December En 4 langues/In 4 languages Français-French/Anglais-English/Allemand-German/Chinois simplifié-Chinese ISSN: Français1664-8048/Anglais1664-820X/Allemand1664-8056 ACE Publishing SA Principal actionnaire/Major shareholder Alain Carrier Route de Thonon 152A - CH-1222 Vésenaz/Genève T +41 22 752 60 12 - F +41 22 752 60 14 N° TVA CHE-112.276.791 TVA - REF 618 137 La reproduction des articles parus dans THE WATCHES MAGAZINE est interdite sous toutes ses formes, sauf autorisation écrite de l’éditeur.

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WINTER 2017

PRECISION AND EFFICIENCY

by the motorist of time

10

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SECONDS/YEAR CALIBRE 11½´´´ - ETA E64.111 Ø 25.60 mm - H 1.95 mm TEMPERATURE REGULATION

THE NEW PRECISION STANDARDS FOR SWISS QUARTZ MOVEMENTS

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EXCLUSIVE TECHNOLOGY

We Love b irt hdays

20

TAG HEUER Autavia Jack Heuer

By Sharmila Bertin

J

ust as legendary as his creations, Jack Heuer will be celebrating his 85th birthday on 19 November 2017.

Born in 1932, fourth generation to hold the reins of TAG Heuer and currently the brand’s Honorary President, Jack jumped on this special opportunity to design a limitededition timepiece: the Autavia Jack Heuer. This piece, which only 1,932 happy few will be able to get their hands on, pays tribute to the first Autavia which Jack Heuer created back in 1962.

Although remaining true to its sportive roots – Autavia is a contraction of “Automobile” and “Aviation” – the Autavia Jack Heuer chronograph is somewhat removed from its older sibling. The steel case diameter has jumped from 39 to 42 mm, much more in line with modern-day design codes. This metallic marvel, water-resistant to 100 metres, is crowned with a notched, bidirectional bezel which hosts a black aluminium band engraved with a 12-hour scale. Its solid caseback features the blazon, Jack Heuer’s flowing signature and the mention “Jack Heuer 85th birthday edition” in English.

The chronograph is driven by a well tried and tested motor, the self-winding mechanical Heuer-02 calibre. An impressively efficient calibre, it offers an 80-hour power reserve and activates the time, date and chronograph functions. These are displayed on the sunrayed-finished silvered dial in three black snailed counters. The hours and minutes are set in the centre, indicated by a pair of luminescent, rhodium-plated baton-shaped hands. The seconds are set at 6 o’clock, grouped together in a counter which discreetly reveals the date. A central silvered direct drive ticks away the chronograph seconds whilst totalizers, at 3 and 9 o’clock count the minutes and hours respectively.

Happy Birthday Mr Heuer!

THE WATCHES MAGAZINE

WINTER 2017

Darwel

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

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

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

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

We Love Fashion

22

CHANEL Code Coco

By Sharmila Bertin

A

Chanel timepiece is always more than “just” a watch, it is an elegant work of art, well-conceived, highlycomfortable; a jewel that espouses the world of haute couture and the world of fine watchmaking; a delicate harmony of design and time.

Whenever we mention Chanel, we think, of course, of Gabrielle Chanel, of her incredible talent as an avant-garde creator, of her words which were ever-too modern for her time and of her extraordinary freedom of being and of thought.

Whenever we think of Chanel, this empire which excels in fashion, leather goods, beauty, watchmaking and jewellery, two iconic forms spring to mind: the rectangular profile of the N°5 bottle and the soft, voluptuous quilting of its famous 2.55 handbag. These two silhouettes have now been merged into one in the form of the Code Coco timepiece.

This newly-released Chanel piece, discreetly-named Code Coco as it exudes the Parisian house’s signature style, is proposed as a whole collection. Starting off with an unpretentious polished steel piece and climaxing with a jewelled paroxysm, a pure explosion of diamonds. Its quilted

bracelet embraces the wrist with the gracefulness of silvered steel, finishing its journey by gently touching the dial. The ever-so intense black lacquered dial’s centre is crowned with a small bar inspired by the clasp of the famous 2.55 handbag.

With a flick of the finger, the bracelet becomes a watch and unveils two silvered baton-shaped hands, set in the lower half of the dial, ticking away the hours and the minutes. The upper half is enhanced with a princess-cut diamond, like a star dazzling bright in the sky. These marvels are eclipsed by the clasp once the watch is removed from the wrist.

The rectangular case, proposed in steel or in diamondcrowned white gold, highlighted by a polished or diamond-set bezel, measures 38.1 x 21.5 mm. It hosts a quartz movement which breathes life into the time functions.

© CHANEL

THE WATCHES MAGAZINE

WINTER 2017

T R E NDS

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Back to black

By Eléonor Picciotto

T

he little black dress still has some tricks up its sleeve whether we’re talking a window display, catwalk show, Guerlain or Chanel. Fashionistas always go back to their LBD that’s customised from one year to the next with zebra stripes, bits of plastic or vintage sequins. What if, just for once, the ultimate basic that you can always count on was a watch?

From the strap to the dial and not forgetting the case, a black watch is the definition of a stylish and subtle piece as it’s often stripped of any fuss or frills. Black is timeless and never a faddy trend. It has the ability to not be a colour if you stick to its literal definition yet be loved by the masses despite it being, paradoxically, not overly feminine.

Everyone knows everything there is to know about the Royal Oak by Audemars Piguet. Its octagonal shape is a household

name. However, this year the black ceramic model with the signature grande tapisserie dial in black and perpetual calendar made people green with envy. A special boutique edition won over men and women alike with its unisex 41mm case. Elsewhere, the iconic Bell & Ross square case is no exception. The black ceramic piece dazzles with a few diamonds on the ultra-feminine BRS model, is true to its masculine values with a 39mm case and plays on the ambivalence we love.

The Lady Compliquée Noire by Fabergé has a black lacquer dial whose intensity contrasts with the silver hand-engraved peacock acting as the retrograde minutes beneath a sapphire crystal dome. At the other end of the spectrum, the TZP-N black ceramic barrel case on the Richard Mille RM037 proves once again that a simple rose gold trim to softly frame

THE WATCHES MAGAZINE

WINTER 2017

>

WATCH THE NEW

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T R E NDS

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the watch is more than enough. And although the Zenith Chronomaster El Primero Tourbillon was GQ’s favourite, we women love it too!

Matt is very much on trend in watches. Eighties gloss does make some people gasp. Essentially, the use of ceramic with a matt finish that keeps the dark tone has both a stylish and a useful side as it avoids scratches and finger marks.

Calendar, date, tourbillon, retrograde minutes…the greatest grandes complications appear in the heart of black watches.

There are no rules when it comes to the shape of the case and that’s what sets these pieces apart. Each of these five statement models is so different that you can’t compare them. Women like to have options; now they’ve got them.

THE WATCHES MAGAZINE

WINTER 2017

The e ye of Je we lry

28 DIOR Cocotte

Openwork, diamanté or both?

By Eléonor Picciotto

W

ith Christmas on its way, you just need to know how to drop subtle hints and decide which piece will showcase your outfit for the big event: from a dazzling watch to a skeletonised mechanical gem. Which will you choose?

19 carats or nothing Victoire de Castellane’s creative genius knows no bounds as she proves year on year. The rather classic D de Dior collection has a round flat case and two hands and this year it’s gone glam with over 13 carats of gemstones. On top of the snow-set diamond dial, the domed sapphire crystal is facetted to create volume and depth. Cocotte’s highlight (yes, that’s its nickname) is the bezel dripping in different shaped diamonds: oval,

round, triangle and square jewels collide without touching in a magical off-the-wall ballet. Like David Morris, it’s the diamond bezel that makes it what it is! 22 rose-cut diamonds surround a mother-of-pearl dial that is hand-engraved with a floral design. The flower appears at every level from the case to the diamonds and dial background. You’ll notice that the sapphire crystal pierced in the middle has a diamond flower featuring a brilliant-cut diamond surrounded by white gold petals to hold the hands. No need for a watch complication… just find an outfit to match.

Sheer delight If you’re after a skeletonised cuff then look no further than Louis Vuitton and Corum. To celebrate the brand’s signature

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LOuIS vuIttOn tambour Moon tourbillon

Tambour’s 15th anniversary, Louis Vuitton pays tribute to the range by slightly curving its round shape. The latest skeletonised diamond Tambour Moon tourbillon has the Geneva Seal (its first) and its platinum case glitters with 296 diamonds. The 7.6 carats showcasing this exceptional piece prove the technical and aesthetic prowess of openworking the components. From the skeleton movement to the finely chiselled tourbillon cage and manual-wind LV97 calibre with an 80-hour power reserve, sheer is everywhere with round and baguette-cut diamonds that enhance the platinum case. The less complex Corum Golden Bridge inspired by the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco launched in 1980.

The horizontally-suspended mechanical baguette movement is a first. Its 39mm round and modernised version is still as

openwork as before but this year it’s colourful. The ribbing around the calibre is none other than baguettes of Bakelite, a coloured and laser-cut resin that gives a glimpse of the markers at 6 and Roman numerals at 12. The bezel, lugs and far ends of the movement glitter with almost 2 carats of diamonds and rainbow sapphires. Dear Sir, which of these pieces do you think will have the biggest impact?

THE WATCHES MAGAZINE

WINTER 2017

Co ver st ory Pat e k PhiliPPe

Universal Time, a human complication

By Fabrice Eschmann

P

30

atek Philippe has always had a special relationship with America. It’s not just the brand’s biggest and oldest market but it’s also where you’ll find the highest number of its watches in circulation. That’s no surprise as it takes the utmost care of its American clients. The latest episode in the love story that’s lasted almost 165 years is the fourth temporary exhibition coming to New York: The Art of Watches Grand Exhibition. The event is one of a kind in terms of its scope and the type of pieces on show. It also saw a world first: the launch of the reference 5531 wristwatch combining universal time and a minute repeater. The limited edition (10 available) is especially for the US and brings together seven American megacities on the time zones from Hawaii to New York. What a tribute from the complication that’s been one of the Genevan brand’s signatures since the 1930s and the invention of the universal time system by the watchmaker Louis Cottier.

The first American trip In 1854, just three years after joining forces with Jean-Adrien Philippe, Antoine Norbert de Patek began a tour lasting several months in a land that wasn’t yet the United States of America.

His journey has been described in several carefully preserved travel journals and although it had its disappointments (the American Civil War wasn’t far away), by the end he was convinced of the region’s enormous business potential. He was right: in 1882, trade with America was so impressive that an annual business trip to the country became the norm.

The Stern family didn’t just keep the heritage alive; they took it further. The family has owned Patek Philippe since 1932 and soon sent young Henri to New York in his twenties. The current president’s grandfather was tasked with reviving a market that had been shattered by the Wall Street Crash. He was only meant to be there a few months but he stayed for 20 years. He started out in a small office at the newly opened Rockefeller Center on Fifth Avenue but by 1946 he had opened the Henri Stern Watch Agency, now the brand’s biggest branch, where all the presidents earned their stripes. The 3400m2 agency employs 64 people including 24 watchmakers working for the biggest after-sales service outside Switzerland.

450 pieces together in New York Patek Philippe hosted The Art of Watches Grand Exhibition here in New York near Fifth Avenue in the heart of Manhattan.

The exhibition ran from July 13th to 23rd and is the fourth temporary event of its kind following in the footsteps of Dubai in 2012, Munich in 2013 and London in 2014. It was a vibrant and free event for collectors, enthusiasts and novices alike. The

exhibition covered 1200m2 and two floors with no fewer than 450 pieces from the Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva, the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum of Boston as well as private collections. Exhibits included historical pieces, several grandes complications such as the prototype for the 89 Calibre (the first time it’s been exhibited outside the museum) and the entire current Patek Philippe collection which has only been available to view at the Genevan store until now.

Never before has a Patek Philippe temporary exhibition showcased so many exceptional timepieces. The US Historic Room proved very popular as an open book on the past giving visitors the chance to delve into both the history of Patek Philippe in America and the United States itself. Aside from six watches belonging to banking magnate Henry Graves Jr and industrialist James Ward Packard (legend has it that they fought over Patek Philippe’s most complicated watch in the 1920s), visitors could see the quartz desk clock presented to John F. Kennedy in Berlin in 1963 when he famously said “Ich bin ein Berliner”. It displays the time in Washington, Berlin and Moscow. Another discovery: a pocket minute repeater with a split-seconds chronograph from 1890 that belonged to the king of liquor Jasper Newton Daniel and bore the inscription “Jack Daniel” for the product that made his fortune.

A world first The event also set the scene for the launch of nine commemorative wristwatches especially for the American market. The most impressive is the reference 5531 which brings together an hour gong with world time in a world first.

An ingenious patented mechanical innovation adapts the minute repeater to local time. Whilst other similar models just display home time, the Patek Philippe ref. 5531 pairs the chime to the time zone in which the owner actually is.

So as not to spoil things, the central dials on the two limited editions (5 available) depict a view of Manhattan in cloisonné enamel: one during the day and one at night.

To prove its love for this now legendary function, Patek Philippe has treated two other commemorative pieces to universal time: the men’s model reference 5230 New York Special Edition 2017 and the women’s reference 7130 New York Special Edition 2017. The former first launched in 2016 replacing all the brand’s previous versions that had been overtaken by changes in international time zone standards.

Some landmark cities were replaced by others (Dubai instead of Riyadh, Brisbane instead of Nouméa) whilst Moscow swapped its local time from UTC+4 to UTC+3.

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Réf. 5531 >

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Co ver st ory Pat e k PhiliPPe

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The inventor of universal time Nothing is left to chance when it comes to such a feat in the universal time sector. This functional and prestigious complication is much-appreciated in the States. It brings to mind long-haul journeys, great explorers and American history. Before the globe was split into 24 time zones at the Washington International Conference in 1884 (when Greenwich Mean Time, GMT, was made reference 0), there were over 70 local times in North America. The boom of the transcontinental railway during the time of the American Frontier massively contributed to dropping the temporal anarchy.

The first watches with two or multiple time zones date back to the 17th century but they were fitted with two or more movements that were more or less coordinated to display local time on different dials. It wasn’t until the 1930s and the invention of the universal time system by the Genevan watchmaker Louis Cottier that you could see all the world’s time zones at the same time. The system was first used in a Patek Philippe in 1937. The reference 515 is famous for being the brand’s first Universal Time piece. The rectangular rose gold timepiece has a fixed city disc bearing 28 locations. It is set to Greenwich Mean Time and designed for New York clients (another link with the US!).

But Patek Philippe didn’t wait long to update the system with the help of the inventor. In 1938, the reference 542 introduced a rotating bezel bearing the names of the cities and a mobile disc with the day/night indicator; in 1953, a second crown on the reference 2523 enabled wearers to set a new rotating city disc; in 1958, Patek Philippe filed a patent for a mechanism capable of controlling the hour hand without affecting the minute hand; then the two crowns controlling the hour hand and city and 24-hour discs were replaced by pushers; last but not least, in 1999 a single pusher at 10 handled all three functions on the reference 5110: at every push the hour hand goes forward one hour whilst the city and 24-hour discs go back a notch. During handling, the universal time mechanism is disconnected from the main movement so the operation doesn’t affect the minutes or the balance wheel.

on the same date everywhere, if at all. You’d think these timebased convolutions may hamper the complication’s popularity but that isn’t so. On the contrary, it’s one of few watch constructions that takes human and cultural features into consideration along with how they change with time. That’s what makes them unique and utterly appealing.

Utterly appealing This model epitomises the revival of universal time at Patek Philippe after several decades of absence. The mechanism is currently the most fine-tuned and comfortable around so the Genevan brand is striving to pair the complication with other useful functions e.g. 2016’s unveiling of the reference 5930, the only Patek Philippe watch to pair a chronograph with universal time (excluding the unique reference 1415-1 that was made to order in 1940). The reference 5531 launched in New York this summer and is true to the same spirit of surprising connoisseurs.

The Universal Time (Heures Universelles) may be a travel watch but it can’t escape the complex reality of geopolitics.

Aside from the time zone standards that change on a regular basis, some countries have decided not to base local time on their meridian but instead push it back by half or quarter of an hour e.g. India (UTC+5.30) and Nepal (UTC+5.45). Let’s not forget the introduction of summer time which doesn’t occur

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Réf. 542

Réf. 515

Réf. 7130 New York Special Edition 2017

Réf. 2523

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Réf. 5531 >

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Thierry Stern: “The exhibition will have a real impact on the American market”

By Fabrice Eschmann

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hierry Stern, president of Patek Philippe, was in New York for the The Art of Watches Exhibition from July 13th to 23rd.

The Art of Watches Grand Exhibition New York 2017 is the fourth international event of its kind. Is it more a marketing operation or a cultural event to you?

A bit of both but that’s not what matters: our aim is to host a quality exhibition that inspires emotion. On the one hand it may spark something in young people looking for a vocation and on the other hand it builds a strong bond with our clients who feel like part of the family.

What does it involve?

I’m very much part of the exhibitions. I spend my time shaking hands and taking selfies with enthusiasts and collectors. You have to be realistic: buying a Patek Philippe is an investment.

This kind of event is very reassuring for our clients.

Especially since the US is your biggest market with 100 retail outlets and accounting for 15% of your total turnover.

How’s it faring?

It’s not the best time, nor is it the worst. But Patek Philippe is at the top of the watch brand pyramid. Our production is modest at 58,000 pieces. Demand is far greater and the exhibition will have a real impact on the market: we held the last event in England and its impact on sales lasted two years.

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15% of sales, isn’t that a little too much for a single market?

The US is a long-standing market so it’s mature. The clients there know their watches. So it’s not a risk. It would be dangerous to bet everything on China.

We know each other very well, some of them are longterm partners. We trust and respect one another which is something you don’t always find in relationships with big groups.

Has there been a drop in the US? A few percent but nothing dramatic. The market is fairly stable. We could do better but that would be to the detriment of other markets and I don’t want that. Releasing pieces to put them elsewhere is disrespectful. You have to know how to manage demand.

How’s 2018 looking?

We’ll never make a million pieces! The new centre we’re building in Plan-les-Ouates will be mainly for after-sales and will enable us to centralise our case and strap production.

It will also cover training and what’s unique is that we also have to train staff in repairing vintage watches.

Did you have to buy back stock last year?

No, I already struggle to deliver! That’s the difference between Patek Philippe and other brands: I don’t make more than I need. In 2016 we reduced production by 1000 units for the whole world. But we shouldn’t have: the demand was there. The problem is that everyone wants a Nautilus!

The New York after-sales service is the biggest one outside Switzerland. You also train young Americans there after taking a course at the Patek Philippe Institut…

It’s our future! The US has a huge breeding ground for young people. Every session we receive 400-500 applications and we pick the best six. There’s some real talent among the candidates!

Do you adapt your production to suit American tastes?

No there’s no specific production. Our watches are as soughtafter in the US as they are in Asia and Europe. At most we make small limited series like for The Art of Watches Grand Exhibition. But not anymore.

Where do you have the most success?

Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York. But you can’t underestimate the small towns: some retailers only sell 40 or 50 pieces a year but they do it on a regular basis and to local clients. That’s very important.

Do you have a special relationship with them?

The US isn’t just our biggest market; it’s the oldest too.

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Mark A. Hayek: “Women know what they want”

By Tiffany Cartier-Millon

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reguet women’s watches enjoy a great reputation among female watchmaking aficionados, and account for half of the company’s revenues. Mark A. Hayek, President of Breguet, explains why.

What are the major markets for Breguet women’s watches?

Breguet women’s watches enjoy success all over the world. The Reine de Naples collection, which we launched in 2002 and is exclusively reserved for women, with its own movements and complications, has now joined the ranks of the watchmaking icons.

In Europe, Switzerland, Spain and the UK are very good markets, while in Asia, women’s watches have a warm welcome in particular in South Korea, Hong Kong and Singapore.

How important are women’s watches for the company’s revenues?

The revenues from women’s watches account for some 45% of our sales. It should be noted that women’s watches have gained ground in the market, which is an excellent thing. I have high hopes that in a few years, we will reach “male-female parity”.

Breguet as a gift. And then there are women who are more interested in the watch’s appearance, who choose Breguet because of the hand-made finishes or the guilloched dials, while some prefer the jewelled models.

Breguet also attracts women for the culture and history embodied by the brand. Caroline Murat, Queen of Naples, and her sister-in-law, Josephine Bonaparte, were two important customers for Breguet. Before them, Marie-Antoinette also had a great deal of admiration for Breguet.

What is the creative approach for a complication to be included in a women’s watch?

For the Reine de Naples collection, a fundamental element to be taken into account was the unusual shape of the watch case, which is oval. This has an influence on the choice of complications, especially from the aesthetic point of view. The aim is to find a perfect balance, by combining the shape with delicate complications, such as the “sweeping” second hand, or poetic complications, like the moon phase indication.

What is the profile of a typical female Breguet customer (for example, is the watch a present or does she collect them? Is she a collector or a fan of beautiful objects in general?)?

There isn’t really a typical profile. Given the technical level of these pieces and our exceptional history, Breguet does indeed enjoy an excellent reputation among female watchmaking fans.

Women know what they want and buy their own watches today.

But it may happen that male collectors, who are interested in what their wives are wearing on their wrists, give them a

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Breguet, women, complications

By Tiffany Cartier-Millon

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t’s funny to read on Abraham-Louis Breguet’s French Wikipedia page that in his youth “he didn’t initially seem to have any particular gifts.” In modern day terms, wouldn’t he be an anti-hero? Apart from the fact that he turned out to be a genius!

Not just because he so perfectly mastered the art that he reinvented in every area, not just because he set a benchmark in terms of scientific instruments and because his flawless reputation preceded him but because he was the first to understand what any man should: women love complications.

Ladies, you can forget about pretending to be sanctimonious saints radiating simplicity: just admit that a design that challenges you to tame it, a cog that’s a mystery to unravel, the poetry of the unique and puzzling precision is spellbinding.

Full stop.

Was it the magic of Paris, the city of romance, where the Neuchâtel-born businessman studied and settled that enabled him to win women over with his charms? The fact is that after making a name for himself by inventing the so-called “perpetual” watch (which just means it’s self-winding) for the Duke of Orléans in 1780, he caught the attention of the trendsetter and Queen of France, Marie-Antoinette. In 1782 he designed his first piece for her (the perpetual repeater and calendar watch n°2 10/82) and more followed…The Queen continued to order them and things got complicated! The brief: no limits in terms of price, deadline and definitely not in terms of complications. The piece had to include every possible complication and perfection available at the time.

The Bonaparte dynasty took over, starting with the emperor himself then his wife, Empress Joséphine who became a loyal

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client. She passed on her love for Breguet timepieces to her daughter.

No need for Hollywood stars, Breguet had its pick of icons.

Marie-Antoinette, the Marchessa of Condorcet, Empress Joséphine and the Queen of Naples Caroline Murat are just some of the ambassadors whose hearts he won. And with good reason as Breguet bent over backwards! He designed the first wristwatch for her majesty the Queen of Naples in 1810.

The accolade has long been attributed to Patek Philippe with an order dated 1868 by the Hungarian Countess Kocewicz, but the actual first ever wristwatch appears in Breguet’s order books 60 years earlier!

It is now a signature collection and still the cornerstone for Breguet’s ladies watches. It has been revisited countless times, most recently at 2017’s Baselworld with the Reine de Naples 8918. The Tahitian mother-of-pearl dial is alive with bright and bubbly figures, hand-engraved guillochage, gem-setting and a sapphire back housing a self-winding mechanical movement (591C calibre).

Breguet has always given women talent in the art of watchmaking and jewellery which both share precision and workmanship as core values. Snow or baguette-setting, goldsmithery: delicacy and attention to detail are the illumination of the watch calibre, complexity in the movement.

Speaking of which, the movement sometimes lies in a cosy nook deep in the piece such as the Secret de la Reine or Crazy Flower, a feat of fine jewellery. The brand also knows how to make diamonds truly dazzle as you can see in the diamondstudded Day/Night Reine de Naples.

There’s something else that Breguet has got right about women: they want exclusivity. The instantly recognisable Reine de Naples collection doesn’t just stand out for its unique case shape but also because each grande complication is especially for the ladies. There’s no question of shrinking the timepieces or using a quartz movement but gemstones and precious materials usually go into enhancing the poetry.

Does the Breguet “woman” exist in itself?

What an honour it is to be treated to the Sonnerie au Passage,

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a grande complication that marks every hour with two strikes repeated three times! The dove-shaped self-winding mechanical movement is designed especially for women to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the first wristwatch and blends the complexity of the gong with the beauty of an entirely hand-engraved and decorated calibre. A diamond showcases the gong trigger in a display at 12 on the motherof-pearl dial. Displays on the dial at 11 and 1 give a glimpse of the gong’s hammers. When you know how to talk to women… you do it day and night! The “Day/Night” Reine de Naples model depicts the poetic ballet of the sun and moon with a patented movement and a unique display with two dials. One has a classic hour and minute display whilst the other unveils the complication bringing to life a lapis-lazuli sky and sun on the balance wheel. It faces the moon and does a “ring” around a full day by gliding under the steel bridge supporting the mechanism.

With skill and grace, mischief and innovation, Breguet has won over women by giving them the greatest mark of respect: taking them seriously. Do they speak the same language? After all, isn’t unveiling complexity a talent that both watchmakers and women share?

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B LANC PAIN

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High-level acrobatics

By Isabelle Guignet

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hen the flying tourbillon and flying carrousel meet, watchmaking turns into an art. Blancpain revisits an intricate combination.

Tourbillon and carrousel. Two complications that are as beautiful to look at as they are complicated to produce.

Blancpain set itself the challenge a few years back of combining two regulators that are now combinations of legend. The Le Brassus Tourbillon Carrousel associates the two mechanisms, whose aim is to reduce the effects of gravity on the workings of the movement.

At 12 o'clock, the tourbillon nestling in its cage is linked to the barrel through a unique gear train. So, if the mechanical link stops working, the tourbillon will also come to a halt.

The carrousel, at 6 o'clock, is linked to the barrel by two gear trains, one providing the energy needed to drive the escape

wheel, and the other controlling the cage's rotating speed.

The two cages are independent of each other, but connected by a differential gear train that transmits the average rate from both regulators to the time display. A mechanism resulting in very precise timekeeping.

These two mechanisms can be seen through a sapphire crystal case back, which also reveals the power reserve indicator. The 44.60 mm red-gold case feels light and pleasant on the wrist, particularly thanks to its slim 11.94 mm width.

The dial, meanwhile, features an hour rim made of Grand Feu enamel with gold Roman numerals. An external winding crown can be used to wind the two barrels at the same time while guaranteeing equal winding, again with the aim of providing the watch with maximum precision.

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Mont b lanc

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When matter exalts the past

By Dan Diaconu

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Isn’t memory but a trip through time?” questioned the French writer and traveller Jacques Lacarrière (19252005). Montblanc’s master watchmakers couldn’t agree more! Since the Minerva manufacture joined the “snow peak” brand’s fold in 2006, these watchmakers have had an incredibly rich heritage in their hands. The December 2016-unveiled 1858 Chronograph Tachymeter Limited Edition is the perfect example of an ever-so befitting use of this transmitted savoir-faire. Its design and intricately-decorated calibre draw their inspiration from a 1930s wristwatch.

Building on the resounding success of this sublime limited edition, Montblanc has gone on to propose a new 100-piece series. Although the spirit still prevails, a few stylistic details have been revisited to endow it with an even more powerful identity. A bit of a tall order?

At first glance, this new version of the timepiece gives us an impression of déjà vu. The 44 mm-diameter case is identical to the previous model. Fashioned in a special bronze alloy, its owners can rest assured they have a one-of-a-kind object in their hands. The material will begin to burnish and, over time, will give way to a highly-singular tint. The timepiece also boasts the original 1930s Montblanc logo, the railwaystyle tachymetric scale located close to the flange and two large “cathedral”-shaped hands. Yet, instead of hovering over a champagne-coloured dial, they indicate large luminescent Arabic numerals set on a salmon-pink-hued disc. Its sunrayed finish and now blued, optimally-readable seconds and chronograph hands enhance the chronograph’s vintage look. This retro style is emphasized even more so through the elegant, cognac-shaded alligator strap, hand-

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made by Montblanc Pelletteria craftsmen in Florence.

Totally remarkable on the outside, the 1858 Chronograph Tachymeter is just as much so on the inside. Just turn the watch case over to discover the amazing architecture of its movement through the sapphire-crystal caseback. This vision resonates like a hymn to the art of watchmaking!

The MB M16.29 calibre, a hand-wound mono-pusher chronograph movement incorporating horizontal coupling, stands out with its large screw-fixed balance wheel beating at a frequency of 18,000 vibrations per hour. This calibre houses features akin to those of “large pocket watches”. As such, it draws on the 17.29 calibre which equipped reference pieces during the period between the two World Wars.

Straight lines don’t belong here... All the sublimely-finished

curvilinear components fit together to orchestrate a majestic mechanical ballet.

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Jean-Claude Biver, an adventurous soul

By Dan Diaconu

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AG Heuer watches are no longer exclusively bound to the world of motor racing. Jean-Claude Biver, the brand’s CEO, explains its evolution.

brand concept but rather follow our clients and join them in any of their worlds.

Why is TAG Heuer using ambassadors and partnerships?

Every single person needs a mentor or an example to follow (mum, dad, a teacher, boss, athlete, actor, artist, religion, God etc.) You realise how important it is for us all to have these influential people. It’s human nature to have a mentor, to follow an example and be influenced. That’s a fact so it’s also a fact that ambassadors can help pass values from a brand to its clients.

The David Guetta limited edition is a Formula 1 Calibre 7. The name brings to mind its affiliation with the motor race more than the dance world. Shouldn’t there be new collections in keeping with the worlds targeted by partnerships?

The function and fate of Formula 1 is no longer just about the competition. It epitomises an energy and sense of avant-garde that could suit other worlds than just Formula 1. Maybe it could have a name change one day. But we’re not at that stage yet!

Motor racing runs in TAG Heuer’s blood. With partnerships in popular sports such as football and cycling, is the brand distancing itself from its original world?

The worlds of our clients and especially millennials are far more diverse than in Jack Heuer’s day. We’re not trying to follow a

What are the essential qualities to be a TAG Heuer ambassador in 2017?

The decisive criteria when choosing an ambassador are their power of influence, renown, suitability for the brand’s clients, consistency with the brand’s image, drive to make commitments

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48 for the brand, personal relationship with the brand, the standard and compatibility of other brands which they are ambassadors for, the price requested, contract duration and, last but not least, the relationship with the brand’s contacts.

What does the partnership with David Guetta involve?

David Guetta is a link to the future and young generations. He perfectly encapsulates the #DontCrackUnderPressure mentality and enables us to connect our brand with youngsters today simply because they speak the same language.

What’s the next step?

The next step is to find up-and-coming musicians and David Guetta will be of invaluable assistance and a good advisor.

Watches were designed for professionals (doctors, aviators etc.) in the 20th century. Would TAG Heuer be tempted to launch a watch for DJs that meets their time management needs during performances?

Smartwatches will certainly provide a more cutting-edge and focused approach based on profession (a little like in the past with the mechanical watch) than the watches of old. That’s actually one of the most interesting features of smartwatches.

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JA QU E T DR OZ

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The secret of the pyramids

By Dan Diaconu

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limited edition of a Jaquet Droz icon proves that classic watch finishes can elevate contemporary design.

The Grande Seconde is a signature collection for Jaquet Droz and stands out for the 8-shaped dial with time displays. Many believe the layout epitomises slick watchmaking and style. To showcase this iconic layout, the brand has unveiled two new black ceramic models, one with a power reserve indicator and one without. What do they have in common? They both have the stunning “Clous de Paris” finish that takes the design to another level. To create this diamond-shaped guillochage pattern that appeared in the 16th century, the watchmaker hollows out and interweaves a row of lines to form small pyramids. To keep the same visual throughout the watch, the Grande Seconde Ceramic “Clous de Paris” fabric strap’s texture is similar to the finish on the dial. The light on this graphic monochrome piece bounces off the red gold hour and minute hands and the slim seconds hand with a counterweight.

The model with a power reserve indicator at 9 houses the selfwinding Jaquet Droz 4063D movement. The other timepiece is fuelled by the 2663A-S calibre. You can see their heavy metal black PVD-coated rotors through the sapphire back.

Both have a 68-hour power reserve.

The 44mm ceramic case on both Grande Seconde Ceramic “Clous de Paris” watches are engraved with their own numbers on the back. There are just 28 of both available.

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OME GA

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A collector’s trio

By Dan Diaconu

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o celebrate the 60 th anniversary of three great classics

by Omega, the brand has launched limited editions that are just as attractive as the originals.

What do the Seamaster 300, the Railmaster and the Speedmaster have in common? All three were released by Omega in the same year, 1957. The first stood out because of its remarkable level of water-tightness, for the time: down to 300 metres. The second had a reinforced resistance to magnetic fields. As for the third, its precision, watertightness and solidity managed to win over NASA, who sent it to the moon! To celebrate their 60th birthdays, the manufacture is re-releasing the watches in a limited series of 3,557 copies. All three combine a polished and satin steel case with a black dial and indices in vintage style, coated with Super-Luminova. They all have steel straps, but also two spare straps, one made of leather, the other a NATO strap, and the presentation case includes a tool you can use to change them.

The 39mm case of the Seamaster 300 comes with a black aluminium bezel, and features the original “Naiad” logo on the crown. The case back, meanwhile, has a seahorse that is strictly identical with the one on the 1957 model.

The 38mm case of the Railmaster contains a calibre Master Chronometer 8806 that can resist strong magnetic fields of 15,000 gauss. The Speedmaster has a diameter of 38.5mm.

The tachymeter scale, located on the bezel and not on the dial, was a first in 1957, and can be found in the same place on the current model.

And if you can’t make up your mind, Omega has brought the three timepieces together in a luxury gift set made of oak and limited to 557 pieces. An elegant leather pouch protects the spare straps.

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th e wat che s magaz ine #051 FROJO - maRse iL Le

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Zenith Chronomaster El Primero Skeleton

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Breguet Tradition 7057

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Hermès Slim d'Hermès

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Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch

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Blancpain Bathyscaphe Fifty Fathoms

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Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin Perpetual

Big thanks to Edouard Frojo Frojo 17 Rue Grignan - 13006 Marseille Facebook : FROJO Horloger Instagram : @frojo1854 www.frojo.com

Photographer : Celine Chea Facebook : Celine Chea Photographe Instagram : @celinechea www.celinechea.com

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Model : Thomas Vilaceca Facebook : Thomas Vilaceca officiel Instagram : @thomas_vilaceca Thomas is dressed by 400m2 21 Rue Grignan - 13006 Marseille Instagram : @400m2

The Watches Magazine Facebook : The Watches Magazine Instagram : @watches_news www.watches-news.com

R E B E LLION

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So you don’t miss a second

By Dan Diaconu

A

break from the norm? Rebellion’s unusual dial and use of a regulator movement should be what we need.

The time when regulator clocks were used as a reference because they were highly accurate feels like ancient history.

They stood out because their main hands weren’t coaxial.

The regulator isn’t extinct. Quite the opposite! It’s highly sought after among connoisseurs because it means a classic top quality watch. Rebellion have given it a sporty twist and brought us a deconstructed dial on the Predator 2.0 Regulator Power Reserve. Every last detail brings to mind a modern racing car’s dashboard. An oversized and colourful seconds hand lies in the centre two small counters on either side track the hours and minutes respectively. A fuel gauge-style indicator at 6 monitors how much of the self-winding movement’s 46-hour power reserve is left. The SuperLuminova coating means you can see the 3D dial at night.

A chunky 48mm titanium case houses the calibre and the sapphire back gives you a view of the staggering rotor whose symmetrical design is inspired by a wheel rim. Like every Rebellion watch, the complex case of 63 titanium pieces has a lateral plaque at 9 that can be customised.

The Predator 2.0 Regulator Power Reserve comes with a vulcanised rubber strap. The patented clasp means it can be adjusted to the millimetre and has a quadruple deployment system so it can be worn comfortably under clothing.

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Port r ait

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Richard Mille: always where you least expect him

By Fabrice Eschmann

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aving recently won the Gaïa Award for “Entrepreneurship”, the watchmaker/troublemaker has launched the new RM 70-01 Tourbillon Alain Prost devoted to cycling. Let’s take the opportunity to look back over an extraordinary journey and vision of watchmaking.

What’s behind almost 17 years of success? Richard Mille loves to go where you least expect him. On September 21st, he headed to La Chaux-de-Fonds in the Swiss Jura to collect the Gaïa Award. The Nobel Prize of watchmaking is awarded by the International Watch Museum and the “Entrepreneurship” category encapsulates the Southern Frenchman’s personality and everything – so far – that he does. The Watches Magazine met up with him in the South of France a few weeks later. Alongside Alain Prost, the French F1 icon, he was at the Castellat track to unveil the new RM

70-01 Tourbillon Alain Prost devoted to…cycling. “Alain has become a cycling Stakhavonite,” joked Richard Mille. “It made sense for us to do something together in this sector.”

The art of the extreme He’s joking now but he wasn’t always: “I’m a bit like the Mexican Institutional Revolutionary Party.” Institutional because he’s renowned, admired, even envied, in the world of watchmaking; revolutionary because he never does anything like anyone else. His first model had barely launched in 2001 when he received hundreds of purchase agreements despite only making it in dribs and drabs. He restored the barrel shape to its former glory and made it more modern than ever. But his concept goes far deeper: he was the first to design a carbon fibre movement plate; the first to make tourbillons supporting 800G accelerations; the first to make titanium cases; to replace some bridges

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61 with Phynox tubes or go without plates. His inspiration: the aeronautics and automobile industry. “If I’d launched the brand in another era, some traditionalists would have burnt me at the stake right away!”

Born in Draguignan in the Var in 1951, watchmaking wasn’t in Richard Mille’s stars. What sealed his fate was his arrival in Besançon, the home of French watches. After completing his baccalaureate, he studied marketing before being hired as head of operations at Finhor in 1974. When Matra took over the group, he was made head of all the watch brands.

He joined the Mauboussin luxury group in Paris in 1994 where he was made president of the watch department, MD of jewellery and CEO of the family holding. But soon boredom crept in and a thirst for design took hold. “When you deal with figures, you get frustrated that you can’t be creative.” So after a short time acting as a consultant, he made the big leap in 1999.

industry speechless. “R&D is a huge part of the design and there’s 30 or 40% waste in production,” he says. “But I don’t care how much it costs! The business model was doomed to fail. It made the sector laugh out loud. But when you think about it, it is actually very much suited to extreme luxury.”

It’s his completely different way of seeing watchmaking that earned him the Gaïa Prize. Founded in 1993 by the International Watch Museum in La Chaux-de-Fonds, it recognises figures who help the sector as a whole gain respect in terms of historical research, artisan design and the industry’s growth. Richard Mille’s personality also comes into play: to avoid sub-contracting, in 2001 he founded the Horométrie company in the Swiss Jura with his friend and owner of Montres Valgine, Dominique Guenat. 12 years later the two partners opened Proart, an ultra-modern 3,000m2 building making the brand’s extremely sophisticated cases and some components such as plates and bridges.

A new business model But he didn’t just throw himself in. His vision was clear: he saw fine watches at the time as 19 th century pieces made using 21st century techniques. He compares them to being “a bit like replicas.” He saw things in a totally different way: his dream watches should be packed with innovations and have an avant-garde build. After that, all his new products and all his launches went down in history: whether it be new materials, never-before-seen performance or brand new concepts, Richard Mille’s designs left the Swiss watch

Touching recognition “The award was a wonderful surprise,” says Richard Mille. “I’ve certainly got back in line since I started out and my watches get far more respect. Even though I don’t tend to chase accolades, it’s very touching as it’s not at all commercial; it comes from a museum!”

Richard Mille now makes around 4000 watches a year and the brand has made its mark on the watch scene. As a member of the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie since 2007 and exhibitor at the prestigious Salon International de la

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Port r ait

62 Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) in Geneva since 2010, the brand has capitalised on managing its growth and renown. To adapt its designs to the reality in the field, it uses the image of the biggest current athletes with one condition: they wear their watch whilst competing. Tennis star Rafael Nadal, driver Felipe Massa and now the “cyclist” Alain Prost (see page 80) are all with Richard Mille. “We are the youngest big brand on the market,” he says. “But we are by far the brand with the most experience in terms of technical reliability because we talk to our ambassadors about how to improve things. We learn something new every day!”

legacy is secure: “Four out of my seven children already work with me: an intern, two in design and my eldest daughter in accounts. It’s a real family business!”

Open to quartz The 66 year old “president of the Mexican Institutional Revolutionary Party” is a fulfilled businessman. A few years ago he had the luxury of refusing a stupendous takeover bid.

“I reviewed the figures but at the end of the day, I didn’t want to let my friends down,” he enigmatically says. So the designer carried on what he does best: amazing the watchmaking world.

The next surprise may be something big: up to now his pieces have always been mechanical but they may take a step towards quartz. That’s what he implied at Castellet: “I never shut the door on an idea. But there would be three conditions if I were to use electronics in one of my pieces: the complication couldn’t be designed mechanically; if it stops working then the rest must carry on working; a 30 year guarantee on after-sales.”

In the meantime, the crisis hasn’t affected the Richard Mille group. His ultra-limited series are highly sought-after and the

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B R E IT LING

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A GT on your wrist

By Dan Diaconu

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he new limited edition watch from the Breitling for Bentley collection is an invitation on a journey in time combining luxury, peace and delight.

To celebrate the release of the new Bentley Continental GT, a car standing out because of the passenger compartment decorated with noble and precious materials and a very powerful engine, the most British of Swiss watch brands has produced a limited series of 500 pieces, the Bentley GT Dark Sapphire Edition. Like the luxurious GT coupé, the watch made by Breitling combines performance and prestige. The impressive 48mm case is made of Breitlight®. This ultralight, ultra-sturdy, high-tech material is not only scratchresistant and rust-resistant, but also provides excellent thermal stability and anti-magnetic qualities. The black, lightly marbled colour has a blued sheen recalling the colour of the Bentley “Dark Sapphire” bodywork.

Like all the timepieces made by the firm based in La Chauxde-Fonds, the Bentley GT Dark Sapphire Edition is driven by

a movement with official COSC chronometer certification. In the present case, this is an automatic calibre, the B06, giving the watch a power reserve of over 70 hours. It also stands out through its “30-second chronograph” system. In concrete terms, the central second hand turns around the dial in half a minute. This technical feature guarantees a precise reading on short time periods down to 1/8th of a second.

On the dial, a diamond pattern recalls details from the inside of the Bentley Continental GT. The same pattern adorns the comfortable rubber strap, specially created for this limited edition.

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WINTER 2017

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC FRIDAY 19 JANUARY Registration at sihh.org

28th SALON I N T E R N AT I O N A L DE LA HAUTE HORLOGERIE GENEVA, FROM 15 TO 19 JANUARY 2018 A. LANGE & SÖHNE | AUDEMARS PIGUET | BAUME & MERCIER | CARTIER GIRARD-PERREGAUX | GREUBEL FORSEY | HERMÈS | IWC | JAEGER-LECOULTRE MONTBLANC | PANERAI | PARMIGIANI FLEURIER | PIAGET | RICHARD MILLE ROGER DUBUIS | ULYSSE NARDIN | VACHERON CONSTANTIN | VAN CLEEF & ARPELS CARRÉ DES HORLOGERS ARMIN STROM | CHRISTOPHE CLARET | DEWITT FERDINAND BERTHOUD | F.P. JOURNE | GRÖNEFELD | H. MOSER & CIE HAUTLENCE | HYT | KARI VOUTILAINEN | LAURENT FERRIER | MB&F | RESSENCE ROMAIN GAUTHIER | RJ-ROMAIN JEROME | SPEAKE-MARIN | URWERK

C hopar d

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The secrets and symbols of an Officer’s heart!

By Isabelle Guignet

C

hopard’s L.U.C XPS 1860 Officer pays tribute to not one but two milestones in its history: the art of honeycomb guillochage and case back covers that disappeared with the dawn of wristwatches.

Heads or tails, it’s always a winner! The front of the L.U.C XPS 1860 Officer is a work of art with a hand-engraved honeycomb dial that’s as sophisticated as it is stylish. Flip it over and the watch is a feast for the eyes with a so-called “officer” case back cover that’s also sculpted and gives a glimpse of the super-slim L.U.C. movement inside.

If there’s a watch that’s true to Chopard’s watchmaking legacy, it’s the L.U.C XPS 1860 Officer as it delves into the Genevan brand’s history: the 40mm case’s dial bears an engraved honeycomb pattern that brings beehives to mind in

a nod to Chopard’s first watch that was made and launched in 1996. The cavities are hollowed out by hand with the utmost care to achieve a stunningly sophisticated finish. The guillochage inside the cover denotes the foundation of LouisUlysse Chopard’s workshop whose watches were all, without exception, engraved with a beehive. The piece catches the light and your eye as it oozes subtlety and sophistication.

The hinged “officer” case back covers are another reminder of Chopard’s heritage. They were often used on pocket watches to protect the glass making them a playground for artisans to express their talent with unique and bespoke engravings.

When wristwatches arrived on the market, “officer” covers died out but the L.U.C XPS 1860 Officer’s back is just the start of a beautiful adventure. A pusher on the crown opens it 90° to unveil the super-slim self-winding L.U.C 96.01-L movement

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that beats at 28,800 vph and provides a 65-hour power reserve.

The limited edition L.U.C XPS 1860 Officer (100 available) has hour, minute, small seconds and date functions and is made to Chopard’s beloved standards: not only is it COSC-certified but it also bears the Geneva Seal which recognises both design and technical talent and is approved by an independent body under legislation from the Canton of Geneva. The watch comes in 18 carat white or rose gold with a hand-sewn matt black alligator strap and brown alligator lining.

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Geoffroy Lefebvre: a new guard for Jaeger-LeCoultre with passion and pragmatism

By Tiffany Cartier-Millon

A

fter quite a commotion at the top of Richemont in spring, Geoffroy Lefebvre joined the new guard of group directors. He left his career as head of industrial operations at Vacheron Constantin to become Deputy CEO of Jaeger-LeCoultre. He’s a pragmatic and rational man who has worked in the field but also admires the passion and history of the brand. He is respectful yet determined and has done what anyone would do when they step into a “mansion”: open the windows to let in the fresh air, light and creativity.

What are the big projects at the moment at JLC? To start with we need to streamline our ranges. An abundance of new names and designs isn’t always productive. We want to make the brand even clearer so clients can see themselves in it straight away.

Another equally important project is distribution. We’re

working to make it even better quality. 900 retail outlets including 88 Jaeger-LeCoultre shops demand constant attention. In August we took over exclusive distribution rights in Dubai and we’re going to take over the direct management of the store in the Dubai Mall which is becoming one of the biggest in our portfolio.

We work closely with our national partners to support visual merchandising or decide the assortment as well as adapt the production plan rationally to avoid too much stock.

Another more personal aim is to meet everyone who works for Jaeger-LeCoultre before the end of the tax year. Given that we have 21 affiliates, I travel a lot!

What aspects can surprise a newcomer? Positive and negative?

I must admit I’ve been fuelled by the passion here. Even

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someone doing a repetitive task is trying to perfect their every move. They call it the “fire in your belly”. It’s all because these are the brand’s age-old premises based in the Vallée de Joux for 184 years. The company played an integral role in making components, especially in the 19th century when it supplied all the major brands (C.A LeCoultre was a pioneer in bringing the trades together). It is now one of the region’s biggest employers. That leads me to another surprise which was resistance to change. But I can empathise with that as these are passionate people and traditional trades. With that in mind, it’s not easy to get into a new way of doing things!

Last but not least, the sense of innovation here is incredible and sometimes hard to process! I saw it in action when the Hybris Mechanica was being designed. Whether it’s the technical team or the watchmakers behind the grandes complications, their contributions to concepts and mechanical designs are priceless.

are still exclusive. We’re the only completely integrated “manufacture”: The Hybris mechanica Dual-Wing calibre 382 (Duomètre à Sphérotourbillon) requires no less than 3331 operations by the brand. It epitomises our expertise and the “integration” that makes us stand out from the rest. In terms of our turnover at Richemont, we’re still at the top for specific watch brands with IWC.

The brand has seen changes in values in 20 years (before the austerity of a factory that couldn’t be more Swiss then Aston Martin, the Venice Film Festival, Clive Owen etc.). What do you think of this evolution?

I think it’s good. You have to go with the flow. We uphold tradition but we have to continue creating desirable pieces and promoting them using current methods. This isn’t about fashion or bling. The pieces are made entirely by us and are classic yet true to the brand’s style. This duality runs in our veins: Jaeger-LeCoultre is the association of the three LeCoultre sons in charge of technological innovation and mechanical excellence, and Edmond Jaeger who focused on design and style.

All our collaborations are true to our legacy. The brand is far from compromising itself with the oldest film festival in Europe: the Venice Film Festival! We use collaborations and events to showcase our expertise so long as it’s in the best possible taste. For example, this year’s Venice Film Festival gave us the chance to launch three limited editions of our Rendez-Vous watch showcasing the brand’s rare artisan trades.

How will your experience (including 7 years at McKinsey) help you in your mission?

McKinsey is a fantastic company that taught me to be structured and how to present my thoughts. Most importantly, it’s where I met my first mentor; a man who thinks like an entrepreneur with true intellectual honesty and someone who I still see. He guided my first steps and gave me a lot of precision. There’s no direct correlation between that experience and watchmaking but I’ve been fascinated by watches since I was a child. There was no better reason to leave McKinsey than to work for Richemont! Richard Lepeu (former CEO of the Richemont Group) also taught me a great deal. Unlike the more analytical McKinsey, he is an intuitive person, a deal maker. He taught me to make decisions. Last but not least I should mention Charlie Torres (former CEO of Vacheron Constantin). Every day in contact with the product, he was the embodiment of Vacheron Constantin. I was impressed by his incredible flair and kindness. These men inspired me and made me what I am today.

Why were you hired? What’s your mission?

Like any CEO, my mission is to expand a company, its clientele and its business. You need to think long-term and not make any compromises whilst considering what sets us apart.

As it happens, Richemont recognises Jaeger-LeCoultre’s signature “manufacture” aspect so they needed someone who knows and understands this feature. My knowledge of it is undoubtedly why I was hired. You have to have it in your blood to steer a ship like this.

Where’s the brand going? What’s the next step?

We’re working on a new product range – explosive and very Jaeger-LeCoultre – inspired by one of the brand’s beloved pieces. This new take should be a great complement to the range. It will also be an opportunity to update our communication platform. Creating desirability not by telling stories but just our story which is truly thrilling with contemporary methods (digital, short films etc.). Our involvement in the cinema world is still as important with the San Sebastian, Shanghai and Venice Film Festivals. Glamour and craftsmanship, teamwork, this world echoes ours. I can promise you that the new marketing and design directors aren’t lacking in ideas! See you at the SIHH! How do you see Jaeger-LeCoultre compared to the other brands in the group?

We’re lucky to be a balanced brand in terms of our male and female clients. We’re covering a wide area even if the prices

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LONGINE S

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Perfect visibility

By Dan Diaconu

L

ongines has long-standing links with aviation. The new Avigation BigEye chronograph continues its tradition of pilots’ watches.

Longines regularly delves into its past to re-release historic models from the 20th century, adapting them to modern tastes. The most recent, the Avigation BigEye, has joined the Heritage collection, with a design inspired by a 1930s chronograph. This timepiece respects the stylistic elements featuring in pilots watches of yesteryear, but in a smaller size, adapted to all wrists. The watch case is no more than 41mm wide. A very positive point! To provide maximum readability, the watchmakers from Saint-Imier have played on the contrasts with perfect mastery. On a semi-glossy black dial, impressive Arabic numerals coated with SuperLuminova are accompanied by equally luminous watch hands. This display makes the hours and minutes very easy to read, whatever the amount of light available. The chronograph totalisers, and particularly the over-sized 30 minute counter at 3 o’clock

and the small second hand at 9 o’clock, are just as clear and simple to read.

Impressive mushroom-shaped push buttons are used to trigger the calibre L688 chronograph. Once fully wound, the automatic movement provides 54 hours of power reserve.

To reinforce the aesthetic appeal of the Avigation BigEye, Longines had the very good idea of combining it with a brown leather strap with a pin buckle. The retro quality of the watch is also highlighted by the convex sapphire crystal.

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Split-seconds chronograph: zoom on a rather useful complication

By Vincent Daveau

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lthough the history of the workings of the chronograph has been well documented, it is quite the contrary for that of its natural complication, known as splitseconds. Well, here’s the opportunity to put things to right as we focus on two of this year’s emblematic pieces.

In the profession, word has it that the split-seconds was invented by the watchmaker Joseph Thaddeus Winnerl (17991886). It is worth remembering, however, that the splitseconds, as we know it today, was created around the 1880s, i.e. during the great economic boom period for Western industry and a dozen years before Pierre de Coubertin would lay the foundations of the modern-day Olympic Games.

The split-seconds complication, difficult to configure and thus rare on the scene, is centre-staged this year in two emblematic pieces proposed by world-class firms: firstly, Breitling’s Navitimer Rattrapante chronograph available

with a steel case or a red gold case, the latter is a 250-piece limited edition and, secondly, A. Lange & Söhne’s white gold hand-wound mechanical chronograph, the Rattrapante Perpetual Calendar Handwerkskunstne. Although these two instruments basically offer similar types of displays, the assemblies used to achieve this differ greatly.

Two staffs for a same time display The approach which the German manufacture A. Lange & Söhne chose is definitely the most classical, even canonical.

For its calibre L101.1 hand-wound mechanical movement, it adopts the solution developed in 1880 which uses an extremely fine clamp driven by a column-wheel to stop the fly-wheel. The fly-wheel is linked to a very long pivot which hosts the split-second direct-drive on its tip. This incredibly fine staff goes through a hollow staff coupled with a wheel which is engaged with the calibre’s main gear train once

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Daring to revisit a great classic The second solution is the one Breitling has chosen for its COSC-chronometer-certified, automatic calibre, presented as B03. This highly-innovational approach led to a double patent application. Before plunging deep into the movement’s workings and understanding why it is ever-so particular, we should highlight that it is not the topmost hand which features the split-seconds as found in traditional assemblies, but the hand set under the large red direct drive. To ensure this complication, considered as highly-delicate to make, was endowed with optimal performances, the engineers developed a novel mechanism dedicated to highquality serial manufacturing with the minimum amount of components requiring adjustment. To reduce friction which could compromise the instrument’s chronometric quality,

the engineers redesigned the component which triggers the split-seconds lever and replaced the traditional pin with a deep-drawn part which is more precise and more reliable.

This insulating system ensures that the use of intermediary and secondary time displays does not impact the precision of the timing system and of the time display. The second groundbreaker is the simplification, and thereby, the improvement of the split-seconds stop mechanism which consists of a finely-toothed wheel, stopped by a calibrated clamp. The engineers drew their inspiration from the bicycle brake principle and created a wheel enveloped with an o-ring (toric joint) which compresses the clamp. Although more reliable over the short-term, this mechanism requires servicing as the synthetic material joint needs to be replaced at regular intervals, just like those which ensure cases remain impermeable.

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T ISSOT

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Innovation and simplicity

By Tiffany Cartier-Millon

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he Everytime collection was unveiled in 2016 as Tissot’s entry-level range. Its easy-to-read dial and classic frill-free case ranked it as a cool contemporary watch. You could even call it a unisex piece as its 40mm case isn’t too small nor too big and can be worn by both men and women.

The Tissot Everytime returned in the first half of 2017 at Baselworld to show its sweet little face and its new self-winding movement. The slim 40mm case is back and now has an ETA Swissmatic calibre taken from the revolutionary Sistem51 by Swatch but this time incorporated into steel watches. The selfwinding movement is as “to the point” as its case: three hands for the hours, minutes and seconds and a date display. The model also has a power reserve lasting up to three days and is water-resistant up to 3 bars (depths of 30m).

By pairing the Swissmatic movement with this timepiece’s contemporary soul, the Swiss brand has brought us a selfwinding watch with impressive performance and a fair price.

For example, the model with the sapphire case back and solid stainless steel strap maxes out at 450 CHF. The automatisation of the manufacturing process has made the low price possible.

François Thiébaud, the head of the brand and president of the Board of Swiss Exhibitors at Baselworld, discussed the decision to innovate with low prices and keeping things simple because of the exchange rates and security risks that have harmed the industry. So a brand like Tissot has to adapt to new consumer methods and reinvent their distribution whilst considering the new context brought about by the internet and department stores.

There’s an online vision with this collection designed to appeal to the masses, especially young people. The Tissot

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Everytime Swissmatic also comes with a range of straps so you can tailor it to suit you: vintage in steel, leather or faux crocodile or trendy NATO. The case comes in PVD-coated rose gold too.

Aside from tradition and extreme complications, the Everytime Swissmatic epitomises Switzerland: on trend, simple and efficient.

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Z e nit h

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Defy Lab: the mechanical revolution is underway!

By Isabelle Guignet

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enith has marked a new milestone in the history of watchmaking; in mid-September the brand brought the world its new revolutionary oscillator that questions the balance-spring principle defined by the scientist Christian Huygens in 1675.

With a record 2333 chronometry awards under its belt, the unrivalled champion of high frequency chronographs including the legendary El Primero movement has unveiled a new oscillator that can truly be described as “revolutionary.”

The product launch in mid-September saw Jean-Claude Biver, President of the LVMH Group Watch Department, joined by Julien Tornare, CEO of Zenith, Ricardo Guadalupe, CEO of Hublot and Guy Semon, the scientific genius, CEO of the R&D Institute for the LVMH Group Watch Department. The new

oscillator was designed by Zenith alone despite the work being a collaboration between Zenith, TAG Heuer and Hublot. Why? “Because Zenith is the king of chronometry!” exclaimed the CEO ad interim.

Zenith has moved into the realm of ultra-high precision with its new watch, the Defy Lab, that’s made serious progress in terms of build and performance. The model goes beyond the standard precision that we’re used to with Zenith chronographs; the Defy Lab beats at a remarkable 15Hz, that’s 108,000 vibrations per hour (10 times more accurate), with an amplitude of +/- 6 degrees and a power reserve that lasts almost 60 hours. The watch has been triple certified: the chronometer has the viper head approval from the Besançon Observatory, the ISO-3159 standard guarantees a deviation of up to 0.3 seconds per day per degree Celsius and the ISO-764

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standard covers magnetism and ensures resistance of 88,000 amps per metre.

The new monolithic oscillator is made of 0.5mm thick monocrystalline silicon and is the Defy Lab’s sole regulating organ. Zenith is rather proud of questioning the principle of a spring paired with a balance wheel that the Dutch astronomer and physician Christian Huygens presented in 1675 and that has been used in almost all mechanical watches up to now.

The Defy Lab’s 44mm case is made of an innovative material called Aeronith, an aluminium alloy whose featherweight properties are quite spectacular. Last but not least, the watch’s mechanism no longer needs oiling and is completely unaffected by magnetic fields or changes in temperature.

The two sister companies in the LVMH group can use the new oscillator in their next watch designs. Actually, any watch

brand interested in the new oscillator can as “other brands aren’t our enemies. If they need it, they can have it. We have nothing to hide and we have lots to share,” said Jean-Claude Biver.

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R ole x

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Let’s revisit the Sea-Dweller, let’s celebrate its 50th anniversary

By Isabelle Guignet

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eneva’s very own Rolex has decided to make the iconic Sea-Dweller even bigger with a 43mm case to celebrate its 50th anniversary. You won’t miss it in the deep-sea depths now!

1967 saw a brand new watch launch that would become an icon of the deep seas so dear to the world-renowned watch brand Rolex. The Rolex Oyster had already made waves in 1926 and earned people’s trust for its sturdy build in deep turbulent water. So how couldn’t you appreciate all the features of the Oyster Sea-Dweller, a worthy heir to the Rolex Oyster, when it appeared on the market 40-odd years later?

Half a century later, in 2017, Rolex has launched a new generation of its legendary professional diver Oyster Perpetual Sea-Dweller model. It soon earned respect as the watch conquered the deep. The new timepiece is water-resistant to depths of 220m and entirely devoted to deep-sea divers and ocean lovers. It features all the vital inventions that have made it famous: the helium valve

patented by Rolex itself in 1967. The system acts like a safety valve to control the pressure built inside the case during decompression stages in hyperbaric chambers without affecting the watch’s water resistance.

The new model has been treated to a larger 43mm steel case and a new calibre 3235, entirely designed and made by Rolex. The self-winding mechanical movement has fourteen patents that prove how well it works: power reserve, shock and magnetic field resistance and reliability to name but a few. The self-winding module is based on the Perpetual rotor, a mechanism invented by Rolex in 1931, whose crescent-shaped rotor spins both ways around an axis in keeping with the wrist’s movement.

Like a fish in water, Rolex’s Oyster Perpetual Sea-Dweller is right at home in deep water. The ceramic bezel bears the scale which has a layer of platinum deposited using PVD (physical vapour deposition). The hands and large markers also have a luminescent coating that glows bright blue in the dark after a long dive-time. This is the first time that the watch has had a Cyclops lens at 3 to better see the date.

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Naturally, the model features the name Sea-Dweller in red in tribute to the original model launched in 1967.

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R ic haRd Mille

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From F1 to cycling

By Fabrice Eschmann

“

Alain is a cycling virtuoso! He’s already covered 8000km this year and it looks like he’s going to be the cycling world champion again!” Sitting in the plush lounge at the Castellet track in the South of France, Richard Mille, Alain Prost and Mark Cavendish are a riot and buzzing off the brand new RM 70-01 Tourbillon Alain Prost launch. The audience of international journalists were expecting a piece devoted to Formula 1; but it’s for cyclists. The ultra-ergonomic watch is designed to be worn on the right-hand wrist (you change gears with your left) and comes with a manual kilometre counter so you can clock up training times.

“We already have a lot of watches for motor sports,” says Richard Mille. “After talking to Alain, we realised there was

no reason not to do something for cycling together.” The latest creation reveals a little-known part of Alain Prost’s life. After retiring early from the racetrack in 1993, he took part in the first amateur Tour de France, fell in love with the competition and cycled 10,000-12,000km a year as part of his training.

British racing cyclist Mark Cavendish was also involved in designing the RM 70-01 which has a sophisticated mechanism to count distances covered annually. A pusher at 2 enables you to select one of five rollers in a titanium display at 12. You then have to activate the control at 10 to see the figures spin by.

The counter can also act as a reminder because it can display the dates and times. There’s a neutral position (N) on this one to avoid any involuntary handling.

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The manual-wind tourbillon movement has a 70-hour power reserve at 5 and features grade 5 titanium on the plate and bridges. The alloy’s extreme strength means the calibre can efficiently resist the shakiest routes. The TPT carbon case has never before been seen in the Richard Mille collection. The asymmetric and curved design has been sculpted so as not to disturb wearers whilst holding onto the handles.

The limited edition (30 available) costs a little over 850,000 euros but that also gets you a bespoke road bike from a prestigious Italian company with Richard Mille branding.

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The essence of watchmaking art unveiled

By Isabelle Guignet

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hronométrie Ferdinand Berthoud has unveiled a new timepiece with platinum as the star of the show. The design and technology in the third version of the Chronomètre Ferdinand Berthoud FB 1.3 are a feast for the senses.

Chronométrie Ferdinand Berthoud chose the plush “connoisseur salon” at Les Ambassadeurs in Geneva to unveil its new timepiece, the third version to date of the Chronomètre Ferdinand Berthoud FB 1.3. Joachim Ziegler, CEO of Les Ambassadeurs, welcomed the watch brand’s president KarlFriedrich Scheufele with open arms and told us that he would have liked to keep the watch for himself and left us journalists alone without the piece that everyone had come to see.

“It’s a watch for today but it’s nothing like anything else on the market,” the head of the brand told us. The timepiece follows

in the footsteps of two watches that have set benchmarks.

The last predecessor, the Chronomètre Ferdinand Berthoud FB 1.2, won the Aiguille d’Or prize at the GPHG 2017 so you can expect something special from the new Chronomètre Ferdinand Berthoud FB 1.3. And you won’t be disappointed.

The latest model is the most exclusive to date as there are only 50 of them, is made of platinum and features ceramic in the crown medallions and on the lugs. The 44mm case is made up of a platinum cylinder that houses the self-winding mechanical movement; the FB-T.FC calibre built on fifteen bridges and three half-bridges in nickel silver. In a lovely nod to the world of sailing, the timepiece has four portholes on the sides of the case so you can admire the 1200 components and watch the fusée-chain in action with its spiral groove which the chain (linked to the barrel) furls and unfurls around. The idea behind

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the process is to adjust the motive force transmitted to the gearwheel.

Karl-Friedrich Scheufele’s philosophy is to make pieces that the genius of the Enlightenment Ferdinand Berthoud himself would have made. “If the watchmaker had made a wristwatch, what would he have done? We wanted to use Ferdinand Berthoud’s ideas in a modern way with contemporary items that are inspired by his marine models without feeling retro!” As for innovation, the new Chronomètre Ferdinand Berthoud FB 1.3 required four patents to be filed for the suspended tourbillon, power reserve (up to 53 hours), barrel and fusée. You can see the tourbillon through a display on the satin-finished nickel silver dial revealing the tourbillon cage wheel and the seconds wheel anchored by the central seconds hand. It’s rare for a tourbillon to have a central seconds hand in watchmaking!

As a niche brand that focuses on making less than 200 pieces a year, the Chronométrie Ferdinand Berthoud can be summed up in three words according to Karl-Friedrich Scheufele: “precision, involvement and invention.” That’s what the ingenious 18th century watchmaker always strove for and achieved.

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Ant oine Pr e z iu so

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Patents, Antoine Preziuso’s precious treasures

By Fabrice Eschmann

A

ntoine Preziuso has worked with his son Florian for ten years. Together they recently designed the Tourbillon of Tourbillons and two of its three patents have already been marketed.

What more could Antoine Preziuso want? The watchmaker’s son who sees the industrialisation of luxury as an aberration, rejects silicon and laser sintering, dreamt that the love he has for everything about fine watchmaking would have a legacy.

He didn’t say it like that of course. But the way he and his son Florian finish each other’s sentences shows how simple and sincere their relationship is. At the 2015 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG), the two men went on stage together to collect their Innovation Award and Public Award for their amazing Tourbillon of Tourbillons design.

The two watchmakers presented the AF1 model, for Antoine Florian 1, back in 2007. The first joint design led to more such as the latest major invention by the Antoine Preziuso brand: the Tourbillon of Tourbillons. Ten years of research and development went into the piece that one man began and the other finished. The complexity of the concept resulted in no fewer than three international patents: the first for combining three tourbillons on a rotating plate; the second for the triple differential gear; the third to protect the system’s geometry that enables the three to resonate with each other by naturally adopting the same frequency. “We’re the only brand to file a patent that involves physical resonance,” smiles Florian Preziuso.

Wasn’t this sort of design too ambitious for a small independent?

Antoine Preziuso doesn’t think so: “This piece isn’t just a

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showcase for our expertise. It’s the result of research and study. We didn’t make it to sell it; we made it for the patents.”

This may come as a surprise until the watchmaker explains that one patent has already been sold and a second is up for licensing. “The triple differential can easily adapt to other sectors such as helicopter blades, boat propellers and train cogs,” says the master whilst remaining vague. Are patents a new business model? “Lots of watchmakers no longer live off just selling watches,” says Florian Preziuso, as vaguely as his father.

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ALPINA

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A chronograph that’s on top

By Dan Diaconu

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lpina is an expert in designing timepieces with a chronograph. The model in the Alpiner collection is a case in point.

Having a chronograph complication in a movement tends to overload time displays on the dial so brands play with case sizes to free up the features and improve readability.

Alpina has pulled off quite a feat as the Alpiner Automatic Chronograph’s case is just 41.5mm and all the functions are perfectly readable! To achieve the result, the brand has stripped the dial back to basics. The complication counters appear on the vertical axis. The minute counter stands at 12 and the hour counter at 6 includes the date. A low-key small seconds at 9 completes the ensemble. This clean and classic layout is rimmed by a telemeter scale and luminescent markers.

The grey dial lies beneath the chronograph’s large central seconds hand bearing Alpina’s signature red triangle.

Two classic piston-shape pushers measure short time. The

complication is built into the self-winding AL-750 calibre which gives the watch a 46-hour power reserve.

Flip over the Alpiner Automatic Chronograph and you’ll see three peaks engraved on the back – the Jungfrau, Mönch and Eiger – that have been Alpina’s symbol since 1883. Its stylish black or brown leather strap with white stitching makes it hard not to be tempted by its timeless elegance!

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Gr and Se iko

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The great offensive

By Olivier Muller

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rand Seiko intends to spread its wings much wider afield than its Japanese home market. The manufacture is rolling out its offer, its stores and its resources. The Rising Sun will soon be shining brightly on the peaks of Switzerland.

A one-hundred year-old, 100% manufacture-made familyrun company. It produces only a small selection of timepieces, assembled by master watchmakers, working in a manufacture, nestling in the valley of an unspoilt mountain range. Each piece is hand-finished and -assembled. The company strives for chronometric and aesthetic perfection when making each piece, two priorities for which it has invested significantly over the last few decades.

An idyllic portrayal of a Swiss manufacture? So near and yet so far... but yes, it is that of Grand Seiko. A host of readers, conditioned by a sort of Manichaeism skilfully-staged for over forty years by Swiss watchmaking marketing, will stop right here and now: but, yes, the craftsmanship is Swiss Made, no

hope, no alternative beyond the Alps!

Caricatural? Obviously: discerning collectors are now highlyaware of Grand Seiko’s charms. It is the Japanese group’s premium brand. Less than a year ago, its parent company granted it marketing autonomy. Basically: the collection’s dials are no longer engraved with “Seiko” but exclusively “Grand Seiko”, as if it were an (almost) independent brand.

Ambition and means From a European standpoint, the decision makes a lot of sense.

Seiko is equated with willingly low-cost mass production. On the other hand, Grand Seiko has an incomparable aura, a higher pricing position, exclusive movements and, of course, cutting-edge technical features. Separating the two entities was self-evident yet, in Japan, it didn’t go without saying as the balance of power is reversed on the island. There, Seiko is a religion, a source of national pride. Grand Seiko, its gallant ersatz.

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As such, Shinji Hattori, the CEO, had to make a choice: Grand Seiko will now trace its own path. The home market will have to get used to the idea even though, according to our estimations, it still absorbs 70% of global sales, for a Grand Seiko total swaying between 25,000 and 30,000 pieces a year, not far off the Breguet or Vacheron Constantin mark. So, should these brands feel threatened? Not directly no, but, as always, there’s the issue of market share, even modest, which will vanish. Incidentally, today Grand Seiko makes no secret of its ambitions: “to become a global luxury watchmaking brand by 2020”, stated Shinji Hattori in October. The man has the means to fulfil his ambitions, with revenue exceeding 10 billion dollars for some 90,000 employees.

(9F) and a hybrid calibre (9R Spring Drive). The offer remains minimal for the moment: all the cases are round and almost exclusively in steel. Nonetheless, this great Japanese learns fast, very fast. What’s more, it has hit the scene at the right moment, a moment where the market is tired of mediocre quality that’s been oversold and, consequently, overpaid for.

Let it be known: the 100% high-precision manufacture is also rooted in the mountains... Japanese ones. It’s a take-itor-leave-it change but one which, whatever the outcome, will impose itself.

Close monitoring and rapid progress The Big Three (Swatch Group, Richemont, LVMH) as well as Rolex are keeping a (ever-so) watchful eye on this powerful market drive. Seiko is opening an increasing number of stores.

London was inaugurated last summer, opposite Harrods.

Hamburg followed shortly after. France already counts four stores, as well as a myriad of retailers, and another is on the starting blocks (Aix-en-Provence). Switzerland is surely part of the roadmap too. Within the next few months, the first Grand Seiko stores will also see the light of day. This will be a world first and probably the beginning of a long-term Japanese conquest.

Its three arms: a mechanical calibre (9S), a quartz calibre

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