The 2014 version of the Grande Seconde SW by Jaquet Droz is a good example of how this watch brand has used one of its historic motifs, bringing it into our design-oriented present. The sporty Grande Seconde SW had alreay been introduced in 2008, and this year, three new versions have been launched, in which…
The “Équation” in the watch’s name is the Equation of time, a relatively rare complication but one that is close to the heart of mechanical watchmaking. The great 19th-century watchmakers were often struck by the analogies between the instruments that they made and the sun, moon and planets, whose movements are like a gigantic mechanism…
Hamilton is a very happy brand. Like many other watch manufacturers, they have the pleasant problem of not being able to make enough of their watches. They are very comfortable as part of Swatch Group, which has the resources and the movements they need for their products. They have a long heritage that provides a…
Grieb & Benzinger, a German company located in Schloss Dätzingen, Grafenau, near Stuttgart, specialize in superbly-finished bespoke watches, often with decoration commissioned specifically by the client. An example of a recent commission is the Pharos Al Arab Imperial, made for a collector in the United Arab Emirates. The client probably specified the Arabian Sea and…
The Blancpain Carrousel Phases du Lune (Ref. 6622L-3631-55B), a watch in the Villeret collection, features what has become a Blancpain speciality, the Carrousel, or karussel. This complication, like the tourbillon, was designed to constantly vary the position of the escapement so that the variations in frequency caused by gravity would be evened out over time.…
El Primero is a name that Zenith gave to its automatic chronograph presented in 1969, and it has become one of the watch-making legends. The name, which means “the first” in Spanish, was chosen to stake the Zenith claim for the first automatic chronograph; at that time, several brands were working on the concept, and…
Panerai was founded in Florence in 1860, and became a supplier of timepieces to the Royal Italian Navy, watches that had certain characteristics resulting from practical necessities. For example, large size, made more comfortable by a rounded cushion-shaped case; good water resistance; straps long and tough enough to enable them to be worn over a…
Luxury group Kering have announced that they have acquired Ulysse Nardin. The watch brand will join Girard-Perregaux and Jeanrichard (Sowind), Boucheron and Pomellato, along with luxury brands Gucci, Bottega Veneta, Saint Laurent, Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, Stella McCartney, Sergio Rossi and others. Founded in 1846, Ulysse Nardin was proud of its independence and its status as…