Archives A Timely Perspective

Watch Stops: PRE-BaselWorld 2012 – TAG Mikrogirder Concept Watch

The newest chronographs (watches equipped with a mechanism that makes it possible to measure continuous or discontinuous intervals of time) on the market take fraction-of-a-second timing to new heights – especially in the case of the all new concept watch from TAG Heuer – the Mikrogirder.

All new, the Mikrogirder 2000 Concept watch offers split second timing to the most hair-splitting degrees, and, according to TAG Heuer is a true indication of where the brand is headed with its engineering prowess. A breakthrough in high-frequency performance, the Mikrogirder features advanced mechanical engineering that with a beam/girder regulator system (visible on the dial) that beats all of its TAG Heuer predecessors in timing to fractions of a second. This Concept chronograph times to 5/10,000^th (1/200^th) of a second – making it about 250 times faster than an ordinary watch. What’s more, functioning at 1000HZ, it essentially vibrates at 7,200,000 beats per hour.

The Mikrogirder is equipped with a dual frequency system that ensures precision through two independent chains. The high speed is on demand, reducing wear and tear on the watch. Additionally, readability is optimized. The smallest fraction of time is displayed on a central hand that does a complete revolution around the dial 20 times per second. However, three separate scales allow for quick and easy reading of the 5/10,000ths or 1 /2000^th of a second. This concept watch is an incredible experience to conceive of and to see in action. Now – getting one… we have to wait for the concept to be translated to production.

A timely Event- Don’t Miss this incredible Audemars Piguet Exhibition

The year-long celebration of one of the most iconic timepieces in the word of Haute Horlogerie – the Royal Oak – takes place for just four days only in New York City this month. (After which it will tour Milan, Paris, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Dubai). This is a must-see event — with 100 of the most captivating and historic Audemars Piguet watches ever to be seen outside of the brand’s museum in Switzerland. Included in the comprehensive exhibit, which underscores the brand’s mastery and artistry, are rare pieces from the very first Royal Oak (1972) to the newest ones just unveiled in Geneva.

The exhibition is open and free to the public at New York City’s Park Avenue Armory.

Details of the exhibition: ROYAL OAK 40 YEARS: From Avant-Garde to Icon

Dates: Wednesday 21st – Saturday 24th March, 2012

Location: New York City / Park Avenue Armory

Address: Park Avenue at 67th Street

Opening Hours: Wednesday 21st- Friday 23rd: 10am-4pm

Saturday 24th: 10am-10pm

Entry: Open to the public. Free admission

Weekend Sojourn: Spy Tools — 007 Brings the Best Back in Skyfall

In the soon-to-be-released James Bond movie “Skyfall,” the famed Agent 007 brings his true loves to light again. While the women of the movie, we know, will be spectacular, the stars are the spy tools – the Aston Martin DB5 (which novelist Ian Fleming included in Bond books as far back as Goldfinger and Thunderball), and the Omega watch. It simply couldn’t be a James Bond movie without the fast cars weaponized and ready to race to save the day, and the watch to time it perfectly.

In the 2012 Eon Productions release of Skyfall, the 23^rd film in the series, features Daniel Craig as James Bond. To celebrate 50 years of James Bond films, Omega – who has been dressing Bond for years – unveils a pecial version of the Seamaster Diver 300m that has been worn by 007 in every adventure since GoldenEye. The James Bond 007 50^th Anniversary collectors’ piece houses the Omega Caliber 2507 self-winding certified chronometer movement with Co-Axial escapement. Its screw-in case back is stamped with a gun-barrel design. There is a “bullet” decoration fixed on the rotor that can be viewed through a central sapphire crystal. Race, don’t walk, to the nearest store- there are just 3,”007” being made!

Trend Report: DRAGONS – It’s the Year

According to the Chinese zodiac, 2012 is the Year of the Dragon and it begins today. Many luxury watch brands have presented several pieces depicting the great mythical creature over the last few weeks.

WORLDTEMPUS –
Carlos Torres

The first dragon appeared in China some forty-seven centuries ago, during the reign of Huang Ti (also known as Hsuan Huan), the third of five great rulers. As his reign of 111 years ended, a dragon appeared and took him to heaven upon his back. Since then, dragons have been spotted in every dynasty by hundreds of witnesses. The mythical creature was not always easy to describe and some scholars noted it had the head of a camel, the horns of a deer, the ears of a cow, the neck of a snake, the body of a fish, the scales of a carp, the claws of an eagle, the eyes of a devil and the paws of a tiger. To cast one’s eyes upon a dragon in those early years of the Chinese empire was considered auspicious, particularly in terms of affairs of state. This was a period of time in which even history was counted in terms of the appearance of a particular dragon.

Piaget Emperador Dragon and Phoenix collection © Piaget

The legend spread quickly, and by the end of the nineteenth century, 7 out of every 10 Chinese believed that real dragons lived in China. For them, the dragon was not the horrible monster most westerners believed it to be, but a friendly creature highly revered by all the people. He was believed to posses marvelous powers and occasionally permitted himself to be seen by mortal eyes. Nearly every phase of Chinese life bears evidence of the influence of this unique mythical creature, be it art, literature, folklore, zoology, history or religion. There is a remarkable and almost endless variety of designs that can be found throughout the country painted upon silks and porcelain, woven into brocades, cast in bronze, and carved into marble. This is one aspect of Chinese culture that every westerner is well aware of even today.

Parmigiani had a number of dragon-themed timepieces at the SIHH, including this incredible jade sculpture © Worldtempus/Catherine De Vincenti

The imperial dragon
Chinese literature abounds with references to this marvelous creature and so does folklore with countless entertaining stories of its wonderful feats accompanied by the same number of proverbs and sayings. Today, only few know that there are at least eight species of dragons in China, and that the Chih Lung and the Li Lung are the only ones to possess wings. The most common and represented of them all is the Schen Lung, or Spirit Dragon, the Dragon that has held China in its spell since the days of Yao and Shun. Depicted in various lengths and sizes, its color can be white, red, yellow, blue, black or yellow. The latter was the imperial color during the Manchu dynasty and so the golden dragon was designated as the imperial dragon. When the national color of the succeeding Ming dynasty changed to red, the red dragon became the official creature of the empire as officially decreed by the emperor.

Christophe Claret Dragon Watch © Christophe Claret

These imperial dragons could be recognized by a small detail in the number of their claws. There were dragons with three (found mainly in Japanese art) and four “toes,” but only those with five claws were identified as imperial dragons. This is a detail that maybe, just maybe, some watch brands producing commemorative pieces may have overlooked. Or, since China is no longer a country ruled by an emperor, the depictions may have the purpose of being politically correct.

Among the recent watches representing dragons from watchmaking houses only those by Cartier, Piaget, Ulysse Nardin, Jaquet Droz and Arnold & Son opted for a five-claw representation, as did the extraordinary three-dimensional dragon of the Parmigiani Fleurier clock presented at this year’s SIHH. Christophe Claret and Grieb & Benzinger/Benzinger Boutique preferred the image of the dragon with four claws for their own pieces. These choices in no way diminish the fascination of this creature. Contrary to dragons of the west, the Chinese dragon is a beneficent creature and a friend to man. It is so highly revered that one of the most sacred titles bestowed upon the Chinese emperors of the past was “The True Dragon.” The number of pieces presented by several brands is only proof that the mythical creature is alive and well and positive influencing another successful year for watchmaking in China. So, Happy Chinese New Year!

Benzinger Boutique released an entire collection of unique dragon-themed watches this month © Benzinger Boutique

Article Courtesy of our Media Partner: www.worldtempus.com

Time Capsules: Blancpain St.-Valentin Watch 2012

Every year, Blancpain unveils a stunning new St.-Valentin watch designed as a work of art and craftsmanship. The newest creation for 2012 is a stunning St.-Valentine created in a limited edition of 14 pieces (for the date of Valentine’s Day). Each watch features a finely sculpted mother-of-pearl dial with heart motifs, and each is set with 2.95 carats of diamonds.

The 18-karat white gold watch houses the 308-part F185 caliber – chronograph with flyback function, visible through the sapphire caseback. The 36mm watch features a genuine alligator strap and is water resistant to 30 meters.

Past, Present, Future: Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak 40th Anniversary

Past: Forty years ago one luxury watch brand stepped out on limb, so to speak. It was 1972 when Audemars Piguet unveiled its Royal Oak – the first luxury sport watch in the haute horlogerie world — offered in stainless steel. Heretofore a gold and platinum brand—Audemars Piguet recognized a need for a sporty chic luxury watch – and realized it had to be different. Not only did the brand seek the visionary design and watchmaking expertise of Gerald Genta in the creation of this watch, but also it employed the use of steel in the luxury market – a pioneering and daring move for a luxury watch brand at the time. The octagonal watch with its bold appeal was an immediate success and has since become a legendary icon.

Present: Today, the brand celebrates the 40^th anniversary of the Royal Oak- and does so in stunning style, with several amazing new pieces. Among them is the Open worked Extra-Thin Royal Oak Limited Edition 40^th Anniversary watch – crafted in 950 platinum. The alluring bold timepiece offers a full front view of the self-winding AP caliber 5122 skeletonized and meticulously finished. The watch is 39mm in diameter recalling the original 1972 Royal Oak that in its day was oversized and majestic. Just 40 pieces will be made.

Also, in celebration, Audemars Piguet has unveiled an exceptional new ad campaign with the phrase: “To break the rules, you must first master them.” Mastering those rules (and breaking them) is something this inventive, cutting-edge brand is superb at. It broke all the ruse of watchmaking 40 years ago with the ground-breaking design of the Royal Oak. Today, the four characteristics that defined this timepiece are — more than ever distinctive: the octagonal bezel fixed with the hexagonal screws, one of the thinnest self-winding movements, the seamlessly integrated to the case bracelet and the tapisserie pattern on the dial.

Future: To celebrate this monumental anniversary, Audemars Piguet is planning an elaborate world tour of 100 historic watches – the first exhibition of which will be in New York City’s Park Avenue Armory March 21-24—and open to the public free of charge. It is the most comprehensive exhibition of rare Audemars Piguet timepieces ever to be seen outside of the brand’s museum in Le Brassus.

Weekend Sojourn: “Tourbillon” cufflinks, the sophisticated fashion statement

Symbolizing a certain subtle refinement in modern man’s dress codes, cufflinks emerged at the

dawn of the 17th century. They were an indication of social rank and allowed gentlemen of that

era to out-rival one another in their originality. To this day, cufflinks celebrate individuality and personal statement.

TF Est. 1968 is a Swiss brand that dominates in the world of superb cufflinks. These new “Tourbillon” cufflinks offer a witty nod to the world of watchmaking. Encased in a cage of steel, sporting an array

of carbon details, these cufflinks offer a balance wheel mechanism that moves perfectly with every swing of the wrist.

The design of the cufflinks emulates a wristwatch, with sapphire crystal and watch case design. The TF cufflinks are air and watertight and resistant to shocks .Each pair of cufflinks is individually numbered, and comes in a variety of styles, including black PVD, chocolate PVD, steel with carbon, steel with diamonds, rose gold plated or yellow goldplated.

These are really cool cufflinks that offer whimsy and sophistication at the same time thanks to the always moving mechanics. These hot new items are finally available on the retail market (starting at $435.), and in fact, you can see more styles by clicking on their ad on the right.

Under the Hood: Audemars Piguet Offers Superb Craftsmanship

Few people have the privilege of walking the hallowed halls of a fine watchmaking brand. Few get to see the amazing craftsmanship and finishing – the countless hours of minute work and superb innovation – that goes into the making of a top-quality movement. I have been fortunate enough to join many a great brand behind the scenes and witness their work. In reviewing some pictures I’ve taken at workshops, I came across this photo – one of a watchmaker at Audemars Piguet, a privately owned manufacture dedicated to superb craftsmanship and superior innovation, finishing and polishing a rotor for one of its timepieces. I had to bring this photo to you – as evidence that even what you don’t see under the hood of your fine timepiece – is meticulously thought out and finished.

Off the Cuff: Ernest Borel 155th Anniversary Limited Skeleton collection

This is one watch you will want to wear. I had it on my wrist for a month and really had a hard time taking it off to return it. In fact, I wore it during the important Geneva watch fairs in January and had so many comments and compliments on it. Even though the watch is 40.5 mm in size, it doesn’t look it or feel it. It fits amazingly comfortable for a bracelet watch and offers a real air of individuality and savoir faire.

The Ernest Borel 155^th Anniversary Limited Skeleton collection watch is crafted in stainless steel and is the epitome of classic elegance. Founded in Switzerland in 1856, Ernest Borel has always focused on offering romantic moments and constant perfection, and has won honors and awards as far back as 1861 for its timepieces.

This Anniversary Skelton watch, unveiled in 2011, is assembled with a 2892 skeleton automatic movement that is customized and delicately carved and engraved with Louis XIV decorations. Each piece is so beautifully finished that the overall impression is one of much higher value. The quality of the watch is outstanding. The transparent sapphire crystal and caseback enables the wearer (and onlookers) to admire the attention to detail and the beauty of the watch in motion. While those in the know recognize that creating a skeleton watch is enormously demanding technically and involves hundreds of hours of craftsmanship, all others see is the intriguing beauty of the watch.

I elected to wear the stainless steel version, but there is also a pink gold gilt model, available on a strap and retailing for $4,510, if one prefers that to a bracelet. The movement of this watch has 21 jewels, blue screws, and is rhodium plated. It is water resistant to 30 meters — a plus if you need it. The dial is set with 11 diamonds and features luminescent blue steel hands – making it very easy to read. Just 550 pieces of this version are being made –each retailing for approximately $4,120 – an incredible value for this type of watch, and a real steal if you appreciate craftsmanship and precision.