WatchWorld

0024

high-end brands, models, technology and design

PATEK
PHILIPPE
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Soaring through the Breitling manufacture Live from Japan: Casio G-Shocks shocking ambitions Important new models from:
BP Tudor, Montblanc, Panerai, Frdrique Constant, Oris, Zenith, MeisterSinger, MB&F and many more Tempting ladies watches
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 0024
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The L.U.C Collection
Each part is a masterpiece
The L.U.C Quattro is equipped with four
independent barrels stacked in pairs and
totalling a full 1.8 metres of spring. This patented
mechanism ensures an exceptional nine-day
power reserve and above all, amazing precision.
Like every component in the L.U.C Calibre
98.01-L, each barrel is hand-decorated and
finished by the artisans at Chopard Manufacture.
The L.U.C Quattro houses a movement that
is chronometer-certified by the Swiss Official
Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC) and bears
the prestigious Poinon de Genve quality
hallmark.
S
FOREWORD By Lex Stolk International Editor-in-Chief

Shared joy and concerns

Stphane Belmont, Alon Ben Joseph, Davide Cerrato, Christophe Chevallier, Roel van den Haak,

Tony de Haas, Gijs van Hoorn, Hampus Wickerflt, Matthijs Wolzak. A list of names in alphabetical

order. Names of men who work for Jaeger-LeCoultre, Ace Jewelers, Montblanc, Tudor, Amsterdam

Watch Company, A. Lange & Shne, Oris, Krons in Stockholm and the Tourbillon Boutique

in the P.C. Hooftstraat in Amsterdam respectively. What all these men have in common is an

unconditional love for horology, an insatiable thirst for watch knowledge and the ability to pass

on their passion for watches to others. Talking to any one of these gentlemen is a breath of fresh

air every time. Their unbridled enthusiasm is energising. But an interview with these men keeps

you on your toes, as well. Platitudes or unsubstantiated opinions are not tolerated. These men are

specialists; walking encyclopaedias.

It's these men who ensure that watch houses can come up with new models that immediately

appeal to the imagination, that the story of the manufacture is passed on, infectiously, to watch

journalists, correct in every detail and with a sense of historical nuance and context, and that

a customer can find out everything and more about his new purchase, enabling him to make a

carefully considered choice.

Why am I writing this? Two reasons. I have recently had the opportunity to talk to a number of

these men in different situations and every time I noticed that I came away from the meeting full

of love for watches. That joyful feeling is something I want to share. Happiness is only real when

shared, is a quote from the film Into the Wild that is particularly appropriate here. So far for

the first reason.

The second reason is just as realistic, but based on concern. The progressive professionalisation

of the watch sector is good for business, but not always good for the emotional aspect. As a result

of the explosively expanding watch market and the conglomerates that draw in ever more brands,

the groups and watch houses are now increasingly engaging professionals who previously worked

in completely different sectors. Excellent people, without a doubt experts in their field. Bean

counters and managers who have earned their stripes in the confectionery industry, a private bank

or the pharmaceutical industry. However, the one aspect these industries are missing compared to

an haute horlogerie maison is the value represented by emotion. In the watch industry there is a

direct link between emotion and value. That link is invisible, vulnerable and dynamic and must be

treated with the utmost care. If that emotion, the story of the maison, is no longer enthusiastically

being told by enough passionate people the history that has been passed on for centuries without

Oris brand manager Gijs van Hoorn is a ever becoming boring will start to fade away. Without a story there are no watches. Without watch
passionate collector and the driving force
behind the Oris Divers Sixty-Five lovers it becomes silent in the parallel universe of the mechanical watch. Keep those fires burning!

12 0024 WATCHWORLD
 CONTENT

MOMENT IN TIME
16 The latest Tudor Pelagos LHD is a lefty that prefers to be worn on the
right wrist

ARTISTS IMPRESSION
18 For the ultimate Pokmon aficionado Romain Jerome has issued a
limited model with the image of Pikachu

FIRSTLY
20 Bovet helps Haiti, Ateliers de Monaco acquires a prestigious Geneva

20 22
hallmark, Hublot has built a new Ferrari, MeisterSinger loves green

AUCTIONS
24 It appears the haute horlogerie efforts of Cartier are not going
unnoticed. A complicated Pasha Golf scored well during an
Antiquorum auction in New York

RETROSPECTIVE
26 In the thirteenth and last edition of Retrospective we take you to the
late 1970s, when Rado had a scratch-resistant watch in its collection
with the DiaStar, which also perfectly reflected the spirit of that era

72
with its shape.

REPORT
28 A tour of the Breitling manufacture in La Chaux-de-Fonds with CEO
Jean-Paul Giradin at the controls
36 In 1985 IWCs Da Vinci was the first chronograph with a perpetual
calendar programmed for the next 500 years. Thirty-one years later
IWC presents a completely new Da Vinci collection in Firenze, home of
the inventor and artist the watch is named after
72 Casio aims for the top with the G-Shock. A report in Japan reveals the
shocking ambitions of the watch giant

BACKGROUND
40 Jaeger-LeCoultre has been making the Memovox alarm watch
since 1950. The latest variant of this watch is a steel version with a
historically-inspired dial. Unfortunately its limited and exclusive to
the JLC boutiques

NEW MODELS
44 Interesting new watches from: Patek Philippe, Christiaan van der
Klaauw, MB&F, Armin Strom, Chopard, Vacheron Constantin, Staudt,
Grnefeld, Frdrique Constant, Carl F. Bucherer, A. Lange & Shne,
Parmigiani Fleurier, Urwerk, and Montblanc

58
PHOTOSHOOT
Big on detail, small in size. Small watches are a big on detail, as a page
36
full of the intense photography of Jakob Dahlstrm reveals

WOMEN'S MODELS
70 Elegance that renders us speechless, from Chanel, Gucci, Herms,
Glashtte Original, Ebel, DeWitt, Harry Winston, Roger Dubuis and Piaget

LAST-MINUTE
78 Danish Linde Werdelin collaborated with British engraver Johnny
King Nerd Dowell. He engraved watch cases with images of tentacles,
coral and air bubbles, and that took him more than 100 hours per case

COLUMN

22
80 Britta Rossander
82 Kristian Haagen detests hope

28 16 18
14 0024 WATCHWORLD
 MOMENT IN TIME By Lex Stolk

16 0024 WATCHWORLD
WEEKEND WATCH
The new Tudor Pelagos is called LHD, which
stands for Left Hand Drive. In other words,
a lefty that can be worn on the right wrist.
Or on the left wrist, for those who don't
appreciate a crown imprint in their left hand.
The Pelagos is the titanium divers watch
with a water resistance of 500m that is the
modern counterpart to the retro Black Bay.
However, this new Pelagos does have decided
retro touches. For example, the bezel and dial
now have beige, luminescent elements and
the name at 6 o'clock, written in red, is also
a reference to vintage divers from the Tudor
stable. Inside the titanium case everything is
modern. A very robust chronometer MT5612
calibre with silicone balance spring, built in
the company's own factory, guarantees a
70-hour power reserve. The user can take off
the watch on Friday and forget all about it
until Monday morning. Although, taking off
the Pelagos LHD just before a weekend full
of action would seem to be a strange thing
to do in the case of this robust instrument;
after all, isnt it the perfect weekend watch?

0024 WATCHWORLD 17
 ARTIST IMPRESSION

This watch carries on where the

Pokmon Go game leaves off.
Those who have completed the
entire game should really get
this RJ-Romain Jerome as a prize,
but thats not going to happen.
To honour the 20th birthday of
Pokmon a special variant has
been created of the 46mm titanium
Moon Invader with the world s
most famous pocket monster
of them all, Pikachu, on the dial.
The character and the lightning
flash are hand-painted in yellow
enamel and on the black DLC basic
platine the lightning flash can
be sandblasted or satin-finished
depending on preference. The
automatic movement underneath
the Pikachu character is the RJ001-A
calibre, an automatic movement
with a 42-hour power reserve.
So after the watches
featuring Pac-Man,
Donkey Kong and Super
Mario Bros. there is now a model
with a Japanese anim character
that made its debut in 1996. This
exuberant watch is really the same
as a Tudor Black Bay. Both watches
take the wearer back to a time when
everything was better. In the case of
the Black Bay, back to the daring
adventures of real, rugged men and
in the case of the RJ-X Pokmon,
back to carefree hours in front of
the television. Incidentally, that
enchantment will cost 20,000 euro
and will only be available to twenty
Pokmon fans.

18 0024 WATCHWORLD
Move more. Sleep better. Improve.
Horological Smartwatch COMPANION APP AVAIL ABLE ON

frederiqueconstant.com/smartwatch
 SMALL SECONDS

ATELIERS DE MONACO
obtains Geneva Seal
As the crow flies Geneva and Monaco are only 292 kilometres
apart, and yet they are two totally different worlds. Geneva is
where the money is held and Monaco is where it is spent. In
Geneva the watches are made and in Monaco they are worn.
Although the latter isn t quite correct anymore. These days the
small and young Ateliers de Monaco, which is slowly being
brought to maturity under the wings of Frdrique Constant
and is consequently now also in the hands of the Japanese
Citizen, makes watches that can proudly and very surprisingly
wear the Poinon de Genve. This Seal, coveted by many watch
houses, is a guarantee of aesthetic and technical excellence.
But how is a Monaco watch house able to meet the Geneva
criteria? Monaco isn t located in the district of Geneva, to
mention just one thing. This is the answer: the watches in the
18-piece limited edition Poinon de Genve collection are made
in the Geneva manufacture, including the calibre dMc-708
with 38-hour power reserve that is produced and decorated
under the company s own management. Not only is the
movement of the very highest quality, it also has a patented
Freebeat regulating system on board, which allows for simple
adjustments to the length of the balance spring, greatly
benefiting the accuracy of the movement. The price of this
limited edition Seal of Geneva recipient is on application.
www.ateliers-demonaco.com

MEISTERSINGER NO 02 Rensing green

The new green H. Moser & Cie. is featured a
few pages back in this magazine and you may
have noticed the green Oris in the foreword,
and now youre looking at the MeisterSinger No
02 Rensing green. All that green can t possibly
be a coincidence. There arent that many green
watches. Rolex has a bit of a patent on green, but
other maisons tend to shy away from the colour
that reminds some people of a walk in the forest
and others of a classic Jaguar in British racing
green, but which also has associations with
jealousy; some people can be green with that
emotion. Like Oris and Moser, MeisterSinger took
the small gamble of including this more unusual
colour in its collection. There are different
green variants in the collection and here we are
showing you the hand-wound No 02 with its
no-nonsense, functional look. The No 02, which
retails at just under 2,000 euro.
www.meistersinger.com

20 0024 WATCHWORLD
 Charitable BOVET

Tornado Matthew caused terrible damage

and destruction on the Caribbean island of
Haiti just before the opening ceremony of
the Bovet 1822 Artists for Peace and Justice
(APJ) Brilliant is Beautiful Fundraiser
Gala event. Fortunately the gala went
on to raise 850,000 pounds sterling. The
money was collected in conjunction with
supermodel/musician/activist Karen
Elson and it will go towards the education
of women in the destroyed and poverty-
stricken island. During the event at the
majestic Claridges hotel in London, to
which Bovet gave its name and also acted
as the strategic partner of AJP, celebrities
like soul singer and Grammy Award
winner Maxwell and actress Kelly Brook
made an appearance.
www.bovet.com and www.apjnow.org

EBERHARD & CO.

Scafograf 300 lands
a big prize
The Scafograf by Eberhard & Co. dates back to the 1950s. The latest
version of this classic model is called Scafograf 300 and was able
to reel in the prize for best sports watch at the 2016 Grand Prix
dHorlogerie de Genve. The steel 42.5mm watch is equipped with
all the basic facilities like a strong sapphire crystal, a unidirectional
bezel, a helium valve, the black galb dial with luminescent, applied
markers on which the model name can be added if required, the
central seconds hand and the dots in white, pale blue or yellow. Since
its conception some 60 years ago the Scafograf has had variants that
were water resistant to depths of as much as 1,000m. However, 300m
was deep enough for the latest variant to get an important diploma.
www.eberhard-co-watches.ch

0024 WATCHWORLD 21
 SMALL SECONDS

HUBLOT BIG
BANG FERRARI:
new silhouettes

These past five years Hublot has been the watch partner of the car brand that possibly
speaks more to the imagination than any other car in the world: Ferrari. No watch has
ever been such a perfect match for the grunting V8s and howling V12s of the scuderia
from Maranello as the exuberant Big Bang. In the same way that Ferrari never rests
on its laurels when it comes to continuously updating the collection, Hublot also has a
reputation to maintain when it comes to constantly updating collections and models.
The new Big Bang Ferrari is not a facelift of the existing models, but a completely new
watch. Aesthetically speaking Hublot has tried to meld together the design facets of
the sports car with the prancing horse and those of the angular watch as much as pos-
sible. However, the stylised collection also has functional characteristics that are very
much in evidence. The date and minute displays at 3 o clock, for example, have been
given shape very functionally as well as attractively: car and watch lines become one.
The watch has a strong three-dimensional construction which allows the mechanism
to star on the inside and also shows strong similarities with the way in which the V8
turbo engine of the Ferrari 488 is the starring centre point of the sports car. The new
45mm Big Bang Ferrari will be available in titanium (1,000 copies), King Gold (500
copies), carbon (500 copies) and a number of unlimited versions that combine tita-
nium, King Gold and carbon in different ways. Inside these watches ticks an automatic
chronograph manufacture movement with column wheel, a sapphire disc with date
display and a power reserve of 72 hours. www.hublot.com

BUBEN &
ZORWEG:
tailor-made motion
In real terms the watch winders and safes made by Buben & Zorweg are just as
unique as the objects they house. The most perfect leathers and the rarest timbers
that are used by the makers of multifunctional luxury safes, watch winders and
clocks for the world s most passionate collectors always make for spectacular
creations. And still Buben & Zorweg found a way to go a step further. The Bespoke
Line is both a collection and an innovative service that reduces the waiting time for
tailor-made safes. The new, customised collection offers a comprehensive choice
of different designs, materials and colours so collectors cannot only show their
personality in their watches, but also in the cabinet in which they are kept. Each
bespoke masterpiece can be customised with 10 different shades of fine Italian
nappa leather and the same number of lacquers. Colours range from Arctic White,
via Diabolo Red and Havana Brown, to Emerald Green. It takes 12 weeks from the
time you order to the time you can house and wind your watches in customised
splendour. The price of all this bespoke work is obviously on application.
www.buben-zorweg.com

22 0024 WATCHWORLD
AIKON COLLECTION
#BEYOURAIKON

www.optura.no
 AUCTIONS By Lex Stolk

FORE!
Cartier Pasha Golf and Santos Dumont

When a golf ball is at risk of

hitting a person the player is
supposed to shout fore! as a
warning. Fore stands for
Flying Object Reaching Earth
and that also seems applicable
to the Cartier Pasha Golf that
was auctioned off at the New
York branch of Antiquorum
last week. This yellow gold
38mm Cartier was made in the
1990s and is a rare piece of
equipment, as the movement
is of the automatic winding
type and not a quartz version,
which was much more common
in those days. The yellow gold
golf watch has five pushers and

four digital registers for adding
up the golf strokes, which can
be seen underneath four small,
convex lenses. The pusher at 9
o'clock returns the counted
strokes to zero.
C
artier has been working hard
for many years to position itself
as a serious watch house. By
serious we mean a fully-fledged
producer of haute horlogerie with the
prestige to match. The complicated creations
that have been leaving the manufacture
in La Chaux-de-Fonds in recent years were
original, very complicated and had a typical
Cartier signature. Prestige and reputation
translate into high amounts at auction. This
rare Pasha Golf in pristine condition was
estimated to fetch 20,000 to 30,000 dollars
but reached 36,000 dollars, to which the
auction fees of course still had to be added.
A serious amount that may be an indication
of the excellent job Cartier has been doing
for years now on the complication front.

24 0024 WATCHWORLD
Daredevil pilot and dandy
Not complicated at all, but definitely very rare
and of great historic significance. In 1904 Louis
Cartier built a wristwatch for his Brazilian friend,
aviation pioneer and society figure Alberto
Santos Dumont. It was one of the very first
wristwatches for men and was the result of the
daredevil pilots desire to be able to see the time
when flying without having to take his hands off
the controls to dig around in his vest pocket for
his watch. The original wrist creation was a uni-
que piece, but because the style of dandy Santos
Dumont was much copied in elite Parisian circles,
a number of wealthy gentlemen were soon
knocking at the door of Louis Cartier, requesting
one of these new-fangled wristwatches for them-
selves. Cartier subsequently produced a series of
the same watches in platinum that were given
the name Santos Dumont; a name that is still a
fixture in the collection of today s Cartier.
The platinum Santos Dumont watch shown
here was made in the 1930s. The case is plati-
num and the screws in the characteristic case
are yellow gold. The folding clasp is also made
of platinum and yellow gold. The Pasha Golf
sold at the Antiquorum auction in New York
last October, but the hammer didn t fall on this
historic watch, which was estimated to sell
between 20,000 and 30,000 dollars. Not compli-
cated enough, maybe?
0024 WATCHWORLD 25
 RETROSPECTIVE By Lex Stolk
RADO DIASTAR
0024 WatchWorld looks back to the past, when innovative
watches were being launched that proved to have great influence
on the development of the watch industry. We follow the trail of
these milestones by reminiscing with the use of old advertising
campaigns. In this thirteenth and last episode we would like to
take you back to the early years of the quartz watch - the Swiss
battery-powered quartz watch, mind you - when Rado was
presenting the luxury variants of the DiaStar pictured here.
Scratch-resistant already, but not yet ceramic.
DIASTAR = D-STAR
Over the years the name DiaStar changed into the
apparently more modern sounding and looking
D-Star. The D-Star family consists of more than
twenty very different references, each and every
one of them referring to the DiaStar which, in its
many manifestations, played an important role in
the development of Rado as a watch house with
a scratch proof reputation. The black D-Star
shown here is (obviously) made of black high-tech
ceramic and houses an automatic ETA movement
that can supply a 38-hour power reserve.
26 0024 WATCHWORLD
N
othing feels quite as Seventies
as an old advertisement for
luxury products in a German
magazine. The feel of a Krimi, a
TV crime show, set in the wealthier areas of
a city like Munich. The young wife of an art
dealer is found dead behind the wheel of her
Maserati Merak, a gold Rado DiaStar on her
lifeless wrist. Not a watch given to her by her
husband, but by the tennis coach who also
wears a gold DiaStar
So, the DiaStar. In 1962 Rado presented a
watch with that name for the first time. Or
rather a collection with that name, because
those searching for the Rado DiaStar will find
a vibrant collection of watches in all shapes
and colours. The original DiaStar is a robustly
rounded watch with an almost shield-like
appearance - one look at the black D-Star,
a direct descendant of the DiaStar, else-
where on the page clarifies the cumbersome
description.
Tungsten and carbon fibre
The predominant characteristic of the DiaStar
is its very high scratch resistance. In fact, it s
the first scratch-resistant watch in the world.
Before the DiaStar was presented, gold and
steel watches were being produced. However,
Rado wanted to create a sports watch that
would actually be able to stand up to abuse
during sports. Normal steel didn t make the
cut and so the Swiss started experimenting.
The ultimate choice was tungsten carbide, an
alloy of tungsten and carbon fibre. The 1962
DiaStar was the very first watch made of that
rock-hard alloy and was advertised as being
the worlds first scratchproof watch.
Over the years a range of very differing
DiaStar models came out: with a gold colour,
with extremely three-dimensional dials and
exotic case shapes that were a perfect fit for
the fashion of the 1960s and 70s. The material
used was revolutionary and the designs were
anything but conservative, although they
were definitely sumptuous. The gold-coloured
watches in the advertisement cost 2,180 and
2,740 German Marks respectively; a serious
amount of money in those days. The quartz
watches are praised for their durability. The
hard metal used ensures that this jewellery
will never lose it golden shine.
1970-1980

Hot and heavy tte--tte

near and in a Maserati Merak

0024 WATCHWORLD 27
 REPORT By Lex Stolk

28 0024 WATCHWORLD
 Visiting with Breitling

100%
Chronomtrie

PRECISION
John Travolta is not the only
Breitling pilot - CEO Jean-Paul
Girardin also feels very much at
home in a cockpit, and
preferably the cockpit of his
own helicopter, which he uses
to commute to work. During
an exclusive behind-the-scenes
visit to Breitling Chronomtrie
in La Chaux-de-Fonds we
found out that Girardin is also
an excellent tour guide.

0024 WATCHWORLD 29
 REPORT

30 0024 WATCHWORLD
N
ot all chronometers are
Breitlings, but all Breitlings are
chronometers. That is quite a
feat. Every new Breitling that
leaves the manufacture is a chronometer.
Breitling is one of the very few watch
brands that submits all its movements (both
mechanical and quartz) to the rigorous testing
of the Swiss Official Chronometer Testing
Institute (C.O.S.C.). The result is a collection
that consists exclusively of chronometers. This
striving for precision is a deeply-anchored
principle of Breitling that has everything to
do with the original philosophy behind the
watch house. In 1884 Swiss technician Lon
Breitling starts a factory that specialises in
producing chronometers and stopwatches.
Lon isn t interested in making pocket
watches for the average man in the street, he
goes straight for the scientists; he wants to
build instruments for professionals.
Navigation and NASA
The professional angle remains an essential
part of Breitling. In the 1930s Breitling
produces on-board chronographs that are
fitted in aircraft cockpits. The watch house
supplies its products to Boeing, Douglas and
Lockheed, but also to the British Royal Air
Force, with which the company signs an
agreement in 1936. It is in this period that
Breitling becomes the watch house for pilots
watches. At the start of the 20th century
Breitling presents a wrist stopwatch - the
perfect instrument for navigating pilots
- and in 1956 the company debuts its now
famous Navitimer. The name Navitimer is
a combination of navigation and timing of men who like to consider themselves
and the watch has remained in production
uninterruptedly for more than sixty years.
In 1962 the watch travelled into space in
the Aurora 7 capsule on the wrist of NASA
astronaut Scott Carpenter, which made the
Navitimer the first chronograph in space.
Back here on earth the Breitling Chronomtrie
manufacture is located on the outskirts of
watch capital La Chaux-de-Fonds, which has
been put on the UNESCO world Heritage list
because of that prominent industry. The town
in the Swiss Jura region is the original location
where Louis Breitling started the business,
while the head office of the winged watch
house is found in Grenchen. Breitling has
managed to remain independent even today;
so no group involvement, no need to consider
other brands within the conglomerate and
no anonymous shareholders who think
about their wallet rather than about watches.
Undoubtedly that s exactly how founder Lon
Breitling would have liked it. After his death
in 1914 the founder was succeeded by his
son Gaston. As befits a good family business,
Gaston handed over the reins to his son Willy
in 1932. Willy Breitling passed away in 1979,
at the height of the quartz crisis and just
after the family business was forced to close
its doors because of the onslaught of cheap
Asian battery-powered watches. Despite the
crisis, fellow Swiss Ernest Schneider saw the
potential in Breitling. Its unique history and
ground-breaking products made him decide
to buy the brand rights shortly after the death
of Willy Breitling. Thanks to Schneider the
crippled Breitling was able to once again
spread its wings and continue to build its
tradition of pilots chronographs.
Super-masculine instruments
Schneiders interest in Breitling is partially
based on a common aeronautical connection,
as Schneider is not only an entrepreneur and
electrical engineer, he is also a passionate
pilot. That background ensures that the
already strong bond between Breitling and
aviation/space travel only becomes stronger.
The new owner is also able to see the
commercial value in these intertwined worlds
and introduces the connection to the world.
The slogan Instruments for Professionals
is introduced as the brand s motto. Smart,
because it s the brand s philosophy in a
nutshell and also appeals to a large group
super-masculine professionals. The alluring,
psychological qualities of the slogan lie in the
fact that the watches are promoted as purely
functional instruments and that by the grace
of Breitling the man in the street is allowed,
as a rare exception, to purchase such a top
product as well.
Ernest Schneider, who died in 2015, passed on
the baton to his son Theodore in the 1990s.
But because Theodore, or Teddy as he is
better known, doesn t enjoy the spotlight and
prefers to operate behind the scenes, he is not
the current CEO. That is Jean-Paul Girardin,
who has worked for the watch house since
1992. Incidentally, Teddys son and one of his
nephews also work at Breitling, so there is a
third generation of Schneiders who will very
0024 WATCHWORLD 31
 REPORT

The Exospace B55 Connected hard at work in the cockpit

likely step into the foreground sooner or later.
Apart from being the CEO, Jean-Paul Girardin
is also our executive tour guide through the
manufacture.

Functional helicopter watch

CEO and helicopter pilot Jean-Paul Girardin
The manufacture has a highly stylised
interior that prominently features the world
of aviation. At Breitling everything breathes
aircraft, but the watches definitely remain
the priority at Breitling Chronomtrie. The
reception area is surrounded by a wall in
which historical pieces vie for the visitors
attention, from an early chronograph to the
latest models. Talking about new models:
it isn t a classic Navitimer or sizeable
Chronomat that graces the wrist of Girardin,
but an Exospace B55 Connected. The CEO
unapologetically opts for quartz instead of
mechanical, and is proud to do so: I wear
a purely Swiss watch. The SuperQuartz
developed by our company is highly accurate
and because of the functionality of this watch
I have an instrument at my disposal that I use
when I fly my helicopter. It s obvious: quartz
is not a dirty word at Breitling, even though
the Japanese quartz came frighteningly close
to destroying the entire traditional watch
industry, Breitling included. With the exclusive
thermo-compensated SuperQuartz, developed
in-house, Breitling has a very special (read:
Swiss) and highly accurate movement
in its portfolio that is unbeatable from a
professional and functional point of view and
is also completely in line with Lon Breitlings
philosophy when he founded the company.
With the quartz watch on his wrist Girardin
guides us through the different stages that
are part of the making of a manufacture
movement. Chronograph calibre Caliber 01

32 0024 WATCHWORLD
is Breitlings first proprietary movement
and was presented back in 2009. With the
introduction of this automatic movement
Breitling reached even more expressly
for the stars. No longer having to depend
on suppliers and therefore no longer
vulnerable, but operating strongly and
independently and building a movement
that exactly meets the company s high
demands and expectations. Caliber 01 was
followed by variations like Caliber 04 with
two time zones and Caliber 05 with a world
times complication. The watch house has
developed an entirely new and revolutionary
industrial process for the production of its
own movements. Girardin shows us how
things are done in a room that more closely
resembles a laboratory than a watch factory.
Each separate movement is tracked by a
hyper-modern computer programme that
automatically sends the movement to the
right workstation. The system was originally
intended for the pharmaceutical industry,
but with a few adaptations here and there
it proved to be very well suited to the world
of haute horlogerie as well. The computer
chooses between workstations where a fully
automated activity can take place and a
location where manual work is inevitable.
Girardin explains that this process results in Caliber B01 is Breitling's first
a very flexible production process that also manufacture movement
guarantees the highest level of precision.
Intuitive instruments
Overall, Breitlings are sizeable watches.
Models measuring 46 and 48mm are the
rule rather than the exception, resulting in a
robust image. However, that robustness does
not get in the way of sophisticated production
processes and ditto movements. Even if the
end result is simplicity, its often preceded by
a complicated process. In the case of Breitling

MECHANICAL CHRONOMETER:
CHRONOMAT 44 BLACKSTEEL SPECIAL EDITION
The Chronomat is Breitlings contemporary chronograph classic. The Na-
vitimer is the traditionalist, the Chronomat is the modernist, spectacularly
highlighted in the 1980s by the Italian Frecce Tricolore stunt flying team.
The robust image and ditto construction are very evident in the latest ver-
sion, called the Chronomat 44 Blacksteel Special Edition. The name reveals
the diameter of the steel case and the intensely black DLC finish. The black
counters and red dials are a reference to instrument panels. The case, which
is water resistant to 200m, houses the chronometer manufacture Caliber 01
movement with a 70-hour power reserve and a special black rotor that can
be admired through the sapphire case back.

0024 WATCHWORLD 33
 REPORT

that mostly relates to the user-friendliness

of the watches. A world timer chronograph is
based on a highly complicated movement, but
its operation is simple and intuitive. And as far
as the big cases are concerned, those are mostly
big because robustness is a core value. Even in
a watch world where marketing determines
the image of a brand to a large extent, Breitling
first and foremost produces wrist instruments
that must function perfectly in all conditions.
The wearer must be able to rely on his time
instrument at all times, whether high in the
air or deep underwater. The construction of the
watch is based completely on indestructibility,
perfect readability and user convenience, and
nothing more.
Of course theyre no strangers to marketing
at Breitling. The historical connection with all
things aeronautical is purely functional, but
the company also makes generous use of the
emotional aspects of aviation to tell the story
of the watch house. And so the company has
its own Breitling Jet Team that is known for
its incredible formation flying and aerobatics,
and the watch house works together with the
biggest air shows in the world, like the famous
Reno Air Races in Nevada and the spectacular
Red Bull Air Race competition. After all, action,
adventure and adrenaline are highly infectious.
And whereas the aforementioned events
mostly appeal to lovers of the Chronomat, the
Emergency, the B55 and other models from
the collection, the historic Breitling Super
Constellation - one of only two remaining and
actively flying Super Connies - is a better fit
for the iconic Navitimer collection. With the
restoration of the old airliner, financed by
Breitling, the watch house proves that it is well
aware of his own history and is able to use it in
an infectiously nostalgic way.
Jean-Paul Girardin finishes the tour of the
manufacture with a soft landing in the
reception area. The tour has given us a
good understanding of the dynamics of the
house and its obsession with efficiency and
precision. What is equally clear: as long as
man continues to take to the skies there will
be a Breitling to suit.

SUPERQUARTZ CHRONOMETER:
EMERGENCY NIGHT MISSION
The introduction of three black variants means the only truly
lifesaving watch with built-in dual-frequency personal locator
beacon is not just functional, but trend-sensitive as well.
That applies the most to the variant with a mother-of-pearl
dial. Yes, you read that right: in addition to a SuperQuartz
Caliber 76 that displays the various functions analogously
and digitally and a dual-frequency emergency beacon that
transmits on 121.5 MHz and 406 MHz, the 51mm case of
DLC black titanium also features a blue mother-of-pearl dial.
For those who prefer more functional colours there is also a
choice of two models with orange or yellow details.

34 0024 WATCHWORLD
 1 8
MADE OF LUCERNE

8 8

M A N E R O F LY B AC K

A U T O M AT I C M O V E M E N T
18 K R O S E G O L D C A S E

F LY B A C K
 REPORT By Kristian Haagen

IWC Da Vinci
The
8 PREGNANCY -YEAR

Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar

Chronograph

36 0024 WATCHWORLD
 Things started to get complicated for IWC in 1985. It also
helped the Schaffhausen brand through the aftermath of the
Quartz Crisis. Were talking about the Da Vinci; the first
chronograph to feature a perpetual calendar programmed for
the next 500 years. 31 years later IWC presents an all new Da
Vinci collection in the home town of the man behind the name
and eight years after the last incarnation.
I
" feel relieved. No doubt about that,
IWCs Design Director Christian Knoop
told a selected group of journalists,
when the Schaffhausen based maison
presented the all new Da Vinci models in
scenic Firenze. It was the most discussed
collection in my eight years with the brand,
Knoop smiles, obviously very happy with the
result of what potentially could have been a
weak launch. Not only because it is a tough
job to reinvent a collection. Also because the
market today is very different from the mar-
ket eight years ago.
Knoop does not look like a guy who was eight
years in labour. Instead he looks like a guy
who is happy to show off his offspring. An
offspring however that came 12 months later
than expected. When I heard about the Swiss
franc uncapping from the euro, I told my staff
to start working on the Pilots watches as the
big 2016 launch instead of presenting the
new Da Vinci, IWC CEO Georges Kern told me,
when I asked about the postponed launch. I
knew the Pilots watches would be a big hit
and I could not afford to launch something as
new-to-the-market as the new Da Vinci col-
lection, Kern admits.
Both gentlemen however have nothing to
fear. Yours truly was quite taken with the new
Da Vinci. Not only because it has the round
lines of the very first model from 1985. But
also because the new Da Vinci line offers one
especially good-looking Perpetual Calendar
Chronograph model. A complication made by
the master watchmaker Kurt Klaus in midst of
severe horological crisis. Rumour has it, that
Klaus developed the perpetual calendar chro-
nograph on his day off, as the tough times
back in the 1980s forced the staff to only work
four days a week.
Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar
Chronograph
The all new Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar
Chronograph however offers the latest manu-
factured perpetual calendar chronograph
movement, calibre 89630. Even though the
case shape is a tribute to the 1985 Da Vinci, the
dial layout is quite different as the Da Vinci
Perpetual Calendar Chronograph is the first
model in IWCs history to combine a chrono-
graph with the perpetual calendars moon
phase display in a subdial at 12 o clock.
To achieve this, both the moon and the
shadow of the earth are depicted on a single
disc and rotate beneath an aperture in the
lower part of the subdial. Together with the
other three displays, this new function creates
a harmonious unit on the dial of the 43mm
watch.
0024 WATCHWORLD 37
 REPORT

New features of the 2017 Da Vinci are the

moving horns of the case. A great design that
ensures a very good fit, no matter the size
of the wrist. The all new Da Vinci Perpetual
Calendar Chronograph is offered not only
in red gold but also in stainless steel and
fitted with a luxurious strap by the Italian
leather maker Santoni. The new Da Vinci line
however is not all about big complications for
the gentleman (there is also a very handsome
chronograph version with blue dial and an
incredibly handsome Tourbillion Retrograde
Date). Instead the collection offers quite a
selection of feminine models for the slender
wrist.

Da Vinci Automatic 36
The feminine side of the 2017 Da Vinci col-
lection has something for all the ladies and
offers no less than four versions of the Da
Vinci Automatic 36, a diamond-set model in
18-carat red gold and three in stainless steel
one of which also has a diamond-set bezel.
There is even a beautiful new model offering
a moon phase at 12 o clock.
In other words, IWC has come a long way since
its provocative Der Uhr adverts that promo-
ted that the brand was Engineered for men.
For years a woman could wear only a mans

A historic collection of Da Vinci's with the iconic

1985 perpetual Calendar taking central stage

38 0024 WATCHWORLD
 Da Vinci Automatic 36 Moon Phase Da Vinci Automatic 36

watch if she had the hots for the Schaffhausen
watch brand. But that was then and this is
now (which incidentally also explained why
there were two female journalists per one
male specimen invited to the presentation in
Firenze).
The Da Vinci Automatic 36 line is not a small
ladys watch though. Clearly the diameter of
36 millimetres proves that women of today are
into bigger watches compared to the tiny wat-
ches their grandmothers wore in their youth.
I dont think that a modern woman wants to
wear a girlie watch, Kern says. This is also
why our boutique designs attract women. They
do not enter a female themed boutique. And
our womens line also reflects that.
David Seyffer, a historian who also is the cura-
tor of the IWC museum, goes a little deeper
and has a rather valid explanation to why IWC
is moving away from the Men Only image.
The IWC brand became synonymous with
masculine timepieces and, in the perception
of watch aficionados, an official supplier to
men. But in the brands long history, IWC pro-
duced not only watches that were Engineered
for men but also womens watches with the
same claims to sophisticated technology and
quality as the mens wristwatch collection.
Indeed, it was women during the 1920s who
transformed the wristwatch into the must-
have fashion accessory after the First World
War, when men were still more interested in
the functions provided by the first wristwat-
ches. In the 1970s, women purchased a third of
the watches manufactured by IWC.
A fierce competitor
The whole 2017 Da Vinci collection is very
attractive. But is it a little too attractive? The
challenge of this great new Da Vinci line
could turn out to be a fierce competitor to
the very successful Portugieser collection,
especially when looking at the gentlemens
novelties. That said it is only fair that the
offspring turned out so great as Knoop and
his design team spent no less than eight years
perfecting it.

Christian Knoop, IWC's Design Director in Florence

0024 WATCHWORLD 39
 BACKGROUND By Lex Stolk

Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Memovox Boutique Edition

Time to wake up!

40 0024 WATCHWORLD
What do you prefer: waking up to the pre-programmed tones of your
smartphone or to the buzzing sound of your own watch? Jaeger-
LeCoultre has made it possible since 1950, with the Memovox. The
latest variant of this alarm watch is a steel version with a historically
inspired dial. Unfortunately it's limited and exclusive to the JLC
boutiques. We have no trouble overlooking the fact that the watch
doesn't have a snooze function.

W
hat are the practical of course there s the Memovox and after that
functions of a modern it literally and figuratively goes silent. If
wristwatch? Tourbillons are nothing else, this goes to show that the shift
precise, but any chronometer from practical to emotional value when it
worth its salt keeps the time just as accurately comes to the mechanical watch can be called
at a fraction of the price. The chronograph is complete.
the most popular complication among men, Saying Jaeger-LeCoultre equals saying
but many chronos are only occasionally used as Reverso, but the dyed-in-the-wool watch
a practical instrument, to time the cooking of lover also says Memovox. The alarm watch
pasta or an egg - incidentally, it s not unusual has been a part of the permanent collection
for us to see chronograph wearers who have the since 1950, first as a hand winder and since
chronograph part of their watch going around 1965 also with an automatic movement
without noticing. Astronomical complications featuring a vibrating alarm. The company
mainly have an aesthetic value and make a celebrates the 60th anniversary of the
fascinating topic of conversation when it comes automatic Memovox with a steel version
to something like a moon phase that only with a blue dial. Two crowns, a revolving
deviates one day every 11,000 years. More often
than not, world time watches are so complicated
and busy that it s impossible to intuitively read
and/or operate them without a manual. In
contrast, GMT watches are convenient travel
companions that display two time zones at a
glance, and the same applies to watches with an
alarm function that produce a warning sound
upon request to remind you that your parking
time is up, it s time to conclude the meeting or
you need to get up to start your day.

Dying breed
Theres an abundance of GMT watches, but
alarm watches are much rarer in today s
watch landscape; call them a dying breed.
Oris, Glycine, Girard-Perregaux and IWC,
for example, used to have an alarm watch
in their collection, Zenith has the Pilot
Doublematic, Glasshtte Original makes the
Senator Diary, Vulcain the inventors of the
alarm watch in 1947 make the Cricket, then

0024 WATCHWORLD 41
 BACKGROUND

Serving as a source of inspiration: Memovox Snowdrop from the 70's

disk in the middle of the dial containing
a triangle showing the time the alarm
will go off; the exterior of the Memovox is
unmistakable. Over the years there have
been different striking variants on the
buzzing theme, like the Memovox Parking
from 2012, the Memovox Deep Sea the
very first divers watch with alarm function
from 1959 and the Memovox Snowdrop
from the 1970s. The latter model served as
inspiration for the design and the colour
of the blue dial. The case of the Snowdrop
is convex and very Seventies - almost a
caricature - but the deep blue colour still
looks as fresh as it did 40 years ago.
Mechanical ring
In the 40mm steel case of the blue Boutique
edition ticks Calibre 965 and this automatic
movement is a direct descendant of Calibre 815
that was first used in 1956. The movement has
a frequency of 28,800 vph, has a power reserve
of 48 hours and consists of 268 components.
The two crowns operate the hours, minutes
and date and the alarm function respectively.
What s remarkable about this new watch com-
pared to an older model is that the newcomer
almost sounds like a minute repeater. The
buzzing sound has made way for a mechanical
ring; wonderful to wake up to, we imagine.
The Master Memovox Boutique Edition wears
the 1000 Hours Control symbol, showing that
the watch has undergone a full 1,000 hours of
testing. For the price of this limited edition of
500 Memovox watches we suggest that you
visit the nearest JLC boutique.

THREE DUOMTRES FOR THE BOUTIQUES

These three variants

in the fascinating
Duomtre collection
are familiar and yet
new. The complica-
tions based on the
Dual Wing movement
were in the catalogue
already but the colour
scheme is new and
can only be seen in
Jaeger-LeCoultres
own boutiques.

Duomtre Chronographe Duomtre Quantime Lunaire Duomtre Sphrotourbillon

42 0024 WATCHWORLD
 PR EC I SI O N , A HE A D O F T IM E S INCE CE NT UR IE S .

Through all times Japanese craftmen have never been satisfied with less than perfection. So the first victory gained with
a samurai sword is above mediocrity. It matches outstanding precision with elaborate craftmanship. Honoring this tradi-
tion, the MT-G collection is inspired by the work of Japans most famous blacksmiths and combines traditional craftman-
ship with high-tech. So an MT-G shows perfection in every second.
MTG-G1000D

GPS HYBRID WAVE CEPTOR G-SHOCK.EU

Premium CASIO G-SHOCK MT-G Dealer:

Sweden: KLOCKMASTER GLOBEN - Stockholm, STJRNURMAKARNA MAGNUSSONS UR - Gteborg,
STEP IN WATCH CENTER- Stockholm, KLOCKMASTER VSTERS - Vsters,
TIME SHOP - Stockholm, KLOCKMASTER NACKA - Nacka, STJRNURMAKARNA HOURS - Malm
Norway: URMAKERMESTER GRTTELAND - Sandnes, F.LOHNE VESTKANTEN - Bergen
 NEW MODELS

Ref. 5976/1G

Ref. 5711/1P

44 0024 WATCHWORLD
Patek Philippe Nautilus ref. 5976/1G and ref. 5711/1P
Unassailable PHENOMENA
W
hat do you think of the two
new Nautilus models? We
expect you have an opinion
about these two anniversary
models of the renowned sports watch - eve-
ryone does! Whether that opinion is positive
or negative makes no difference because some
things in this world are simply a given, imper-
vious to opinions. The Nautilus is the Nautilus.
It doesn t matter what version; a Nautilus is an
unassailable phenomenon. The same applies
to watches likely the Rolex Datejust or APs
Royal Oak; people s opinions simply don t affect
these established values in the haute horlogerie
universe.
Ref. 5976/1G
To celebrate the 40th birthday of the Gerald
Genta classic Patek Philippe presents two
striking new variants of the Nautilus. The
first one is the ref. 5976/1G, a white gold
chronograph. At first glance it appears to be
a special version of the ref. 5980, but with
a dial that prominently highlights the 40th
anniversary and adds lustre to that fact
with ten baguette-cut diamonds and three
princess-cut diamonds. However, there is
more to it than that. Although the case hou-
ses the calibre CH 28-520 C - an automatic
chronograph movement with flyback functi-
on, column wheel and vertical linkage - the
case is significantly bigger than the 40.5mm
case of the ref. 5980. At its widest point
the anniversary model measures a sizeable
49.25mm (the case diameter is 44mm) and
REFERENCE POINTS
Ref. 5726/1A Ref. 5711/J
that makes this Nautilus the biggest one to order. These were very small quantities but
in the 40-year history of the watch. Just still, the new platinum variant didn t entirely
like the much smaller ref. 5980 the height come out of thin air. What is completely new
is 12.16mm, which means the chronograph are the 12 baguette-cut diamonds on the dial
doesn t feel too fat on the wrist. That is that once again announce the anniversary in
good news because, as the case and bracelet grandiose fashion. Beneath the dial the watch
are chiselled out of white gold, we re dealing is powered by the familiar calibre 324 S C.
with a very weighty anniversary watch of So - what you think? We suggest you don t
which 1,300 copies will be built. They will be worry your head about this question: no
sold in a box made of cork, just like the origi- matter what the answer, nothing will change
nal from 1976. At approximately 90,000 euro the indisputable fact that these two Nautilus
the price is not the 1976 version but totally anniversary models have already taken their
todays value. place in watch history. What we can do is invite
you to pick your favourite Nautilus from the
Ref. 5711/1P selection shown on these pages.
The ref. 5711/1P looks simpler than its chrono-
graph cousin and in fact it is, even if the mate-
rial used for the case and bracelet is platinum.
Only 700 copies will be made of the 40mm ref.
5711/1P (44.05mm across the full width of the
case) and they will be sold for approximately
110,000 euro including the historically correct
cork box. It will be interesting to see what these
two references will do in terms of price when
the first samples are sold by private owners.
The fact that the price will be higher than the
official price is a given, but it will be interesting
to see by how much. This price barometer gives
a good picture of the constancy of the collec-
tors love for the modern Patek Philippe.
Back to the platinum ref. 5711/1P. Of course in
essence the Nautilus is a steel sports watch and
that also applies to the ref. 5711. It s interesting
to know that between 2011 and 2015 the Geneva
watch house would make a platinum ref. 5711
Ref. 3700/1A Ref. 3710/1A Ref. 3712/1A Ref. 5980/1A Ref. 5980/1AR
0024 WATCHWORLD 45
 NEW MODELS

CHRISTIAAN VAN DER KLAAUW

Supernova
I
n Nijehaske they have stargazers at work: watchmakers
who keep an eye on the huge firmament above them as
well as the minuscule components on their workbenches.
The Friesian watch house with its roots in Leiden - where
the founder of the watch house of the same name, Christiaan Van
der Klaauw, comes from - has a reputation to maintain when it
comes to presenting celestial bodies in wristwatches. With the
Supernova the maison proves that an astronomical complication
doesn t always have to result in astronomical prices. The 44m
Supernova is being built in the high-tech movement atelier just
outside Heerenveen for a price of around 7,000 euro. A very stri-
king detail of this watch is the luminescent moon phase indicator
at 6 o clock. When the moon image is left of centre the moon is in
the first quarter. When the image is in the middle it s a full moon,
and when it is right of centre, the moon is in the last quarter. If
the moon image is invisible it s a new moon. More terrestrial is
the presence of a date indicator and of course the regular time
display. Together with the CVDK Hypernova, the Supernova
completes the nova family.

MB&F
Legacy Machine
Perpetual

P
urple! At the next SIHH we should try to find out, over
drinks, whether this perpetual calendar by Max & friends is
a tribute to the artist Prince, who conquered the world with
his emotional song Purple Rain and who passed away last
year. Either way, this Legacy Machine Perpetual with its 581 compo-
nents and purple dial is a fantastic composition. The movement is a
fully integrated mini-machine that can take a few knocks; some per-
petual calendars are rather sensitive and fragile when things are being
adjusted right when the system is changing the date, for example. This
movement, which was built entirely in the companys own atelier, eli-
minates the possibility of the mechanism seizing, among other reasons
because the movement automatically deactivates the pushers used
to set the calendar when the movement is making calendar changes.
The movement looks like a mechanical masterpiece and the same
applies to the floating subdials, which look just as complicated. At 12
o clock the hours and minutes can be read between the curves of the
balance; the weekday indicator is found at 3 o clock; the power reserve
indicator is positioned at 4 o clock; the moon phase indicator can be
seen at 6 o clock; the retrograde leap year indicator is found at 7 o clock
and, finally, the date display can be seen at 9 o clock. And so we ve been
around the clock. Limited to 25 pieces; price on application.

46 0024 WATCHWORLD
ARMIN STROM
Mirrored Force Resonance
T
hose who served in the military probably remember that battalions were strictly
prohibited from marching in step across a bridge. Presumably Armin Strom watch-
maker Claude Greisler completed the strict Swiss conscription, because the Mirrored
Force Resonance is a watch that works in the same way as a battalion that marches
across
a cross a bridge. The destructive phenomenon that causes bridges to collapse is called resonance
and is a phenomenon in physics that occurs when there is vibration. A vibrating object (a group
of marching soldiers) can cause another object (a bridge) to start vibrating because the vibrati
vibrati-
ons are passed on through a secondary medium. When the second object starts vibrating in the
rhythm of the original vibrations the resulting phenomenon is called resonance.
The phenomenon of synchronised motion in movements has fascinated watchmakers since
the days of Christiaan Huygens (1629-1695). Huygens, the inventor of the pendulum movement,
was the first to discover the resonance of two individual pendulum clocks of which he logically
suspected that they were showing the time differently. However, when the pendulums were
attached to the same beam the motion of the pendulums became synchronised. Research sub sub-
sequently confirmed that the common wooden beam linked the vibrations together, creating
resonance. The two individual pendulums functioned in synchronicity because of the beam. In
the 18th century Abraham-Louis Breguet (1747-1823) demonstrated his mastery of the phenome
phenome-
non by building a double pendulum resonance clock.
Resonance is a technique that is extremely difficult to master and is therefore seldom seen in
modern watchmaking. With the Force Resonance Armin Strom takes up the challenge to create
a highly accurate movement. If the principle of resonance is applied properly it creates a very
stable motion, which results in high precision, energy savings, a large power reserve and the
exclusion of negative effects on the time measuring. Shocks do affect the two balances used, but
because of the resonance they quickly recover their rhytm.
The resonating Caliber ARF15 designed by Greisler is a classically constructed, hand-wound
movement that ticks at 3.5 Hertz (25,200 vph). However, because of the symmetrical design and
finish, the calibre, which is built in-house, looks very modern and the absence of two balance
wheels is definitely not traditional either. A symmetrical seconds display can be seen on the
front. This is possible because Greisler and his team created a resonance clutch spring that
ensures the seconds are synchronised. It may sound simple, but it took over two years to get the
vibrating entity to work properly. Potential buyers who wind the movement for the first time
will have a 48-hour power reserve at their disposal, and will see that it takes 10 minutes for
the balance wheels to start oscillating in the same rhythm. The price of this most complicated
Armin Strom watch in the short history of the house is on application.

0024 WATCHWORLD 47
 NEW MODELS
L.U.C Time Traveler One in steel Chopard L.U.C GMT One and L.U.C Time Traveler One
WORLDLY dilemma
T
hose with a penchant for the fi-
ner things in life know about the
L.U.C collection by Chopard. The
manufacture in the Swiss town
of Fleurier builds unique movements that
have no trouble at all competing with the
established names in haute horlogerie, and
has been doing so for 20 years. And yet,
appreciation for the manufacture creations
is still not quite at the level it should be.
Of course Chopard also creates jewellery
and the Mille Miglia models are known
quantities when it comes to motor racing
watches - in fact they are the patriarchs of
the direct (marketing) link between cars
and watches - but in the highest echelons
of watchmaking more intangible elements
play an important role. Reputation, history
and confidence, for example, as can be seen
in the auction results; the only measurable
gauge when it comes to consumer valua-
tion of watch houses. Whats certain is that
establishing a solid reputation in haute
horlogerie mostly takes a lot of time and
patience. Certainly the L.U.C timepieces
48 0024 WATCHWORLD
L.U.C GMT One
that pay tribute to founder Louis-Ulysse Cho-
pard arent to blame, because they are original
just look at the Quattro movement with four
spring barrels and have an exceptionally
beautiful finish.
L.U.C GMT One
The same applies to the new L.U.C GMT One.
The watch is powered by the L.U.C 01.10-L calibre
with integrated GMT function and that is a first
for a Chopard. The steel 42mm watch (a rose
gold variant will eventually also be produced)
has a GMT hand that indicates a second time
zone in 24-hour mode; white hour numerals
show the time during the day and orange
numerals represent the evening hours. The
crown at 2 o clock sets the local time and the
date, and the crown at 4 o clock operates the big
GMT hand. The L.U.C movement has a 60-hour
power reserve and the particularly sophisticated
finish of the mechanism is visible through the
sapphire case back. The Ctes de Genve motif
captures the eye of the viewer. The price of the
L.U.C GMT One is approximately 9,000 euro and
that includes the COSC chronometer certificate.
 The platinum version of the L.U.C Time Traveler One
L.U.C Time Traveler One
Those who have an extra 3,000 euro to spend
can also opt for the L.U.C Time Traveler One.
This watch shows the time in 24 time zones at
a glance. The local time is set with the crown
at 2 o clock and the city ring is activated when
the crown at 4 o clock, decorated with a globe,
is operated. Of course calibre 01.05-L is an
automatic chronometer movement that has
a 60-hour power reserve to boot. The steel
entry-level model costs around 12,000 euro
and there is also a rose gold version of around
23,000 euro and a platinum version that will
cost approximately 35,000 euro. Comparable
watches include Jaeger-LeCoultres Geophysic
Universal Time (14,600 in steel and 24,900
in rose gold) and the IWC Portugieser Yacht
Club Worldtimer (the steel version stays just
under 10 grand and in rose gold this model
costs 24,900). It doesn t make choosing any
easier ...
0024 WATCHWORLD 49
 NEW MODELS

VACHERON CONSTANTIN
Harmony Full Calendar

E
arlier this year Vacheron Constantin celebrated the 260th anniversary
of the maison with the introduction of the completely new Harmony
collection. As if that weren t festive enough, the Geneva manufacture
is now introducing at least ten new references in this cushion-shaped
collection, of which we introduce one to you here. Can t help ourselves but intro-
duce to you, really, because the Harmony Full Calendar approaches perfection. Of
course perfection is nonsensical and highly subjective to boot, but many a watch
heart will beat faster upon seeing this watch - for both aesthetic and technical
reasons.
The classic and elegant design of the cushion-shaped rose gold case is perfectly
balanced with the optimum readability of the markers on the dial. Around the
edge the date is displayed by a central hand with a burgundy-coloured half-moon
at its end. Markers for the day and month are shown in the same colour on the
outside of the dial and apertures in the top half of the dial. The moon phases and
age of the moon can be seen on the bottom half of the dial. The astronomical dis-
play only needs to be adjusted once every 122 years, instead of every three years
like a conventional moon phase. The automatic calibre 2460 QC, consisting of 308
components, is a completely new calendar movement that was developed and
produced by Vacheron Constantin. The frequency of 28,800 vph is commonplace,
the finish of the movement is anything but. Price on application.

50 0024 WATCHWORLD
GRNEFELD
1941 Remontoire
I
n 2014 Tim and Bart Grnefeld acquired their first Grand Prix
dHorlogerie de Genve award with the Parallax Tourbil-
lon. This year the Dutch duo from Oldenzaal managed to
do it again with the 1941 Remontoire. The brothers won the
Mens watches category and in view of the fierce competition
that is an impressive feat.
Although Tim and Bart are based in Twente, the Netherlands - as
is Staudt, incidentally - they gained the necessary haute horlogerie
experience in Switzerland. Working behind the scenes at leading
haute horlogerie maisons the brothers became specialists in tour-
billons and minute repeaters. Surprisingly enough, neither of these
two complications is found in the award-winning 1941 Remontoire.
What the watch does have is fortunately just as complicated: a
so-called constant force mechanism that ensures the power of
the main spring is released to the escapement very evenly. In the
movement the power of the winding spring gets weaker the further
it unwinds. The regulating remontoir mechanism in this Grnefeld
ensures that the power remains even from beginning to end, which
means the watch runs very accurately and for 35 hours. The hand-
decorating of each individual component is so time-consuming that
the watch is limited to an edition of 188 pieces. The inspiration for
this watch which will make technology fetishists and purists, in
particular, salivate was a 1913 church clock built by Koninklijke
Eijsbouts, which can be seen in Asten. The name 1941 refers to the
birth year of father Sjef Grnefeld. The case (available in various
shades of gold) measures 39.5mm, has a height of 10.5mm and sur-
rounds a delicately detailed dial. Distinctive haute horlogerie from
Twente; price on application.

STAUDT
Praeludium Guilloche
C
lassically trained accordion player Yvo Staudt has previously been
featured in 0024 WatchWorld with his first series of watch creati-
ons. The watch lover from Twente, the Netherlands, realised that
blood is thicker than water and started his own (small) watch house.
The
T he Praeludium came, saw and conquered, because it sold out in no time at all.
After the hand winder and the automatic there is now the highpoint in the
Praeludium collection so far. This watch will also put an end to references to the
accordion once and for all, because the fully hand-made Praeludium Guilloche,
which has an equally fully hand-made guilloche dial, is an expression of pure
watch passion; the only sound heard in this watch is the ticking of the escape
escape-
ment and not the Concerto No.1 in Bb Major for Accordion and Orchestra by
Nikolai Chaikin. The traditional pattern on the dial was carved out line by line
from solid silver, with the utmost care. The watch case is made of rose gold and
also finished by hand. In this classic, gleaming case ticks a beautifully decorated
hand-wound movement that is made under the company s own management
and stands out for the circular Ctes de Genve on the 3/4 bridge, chatons de
rubis, the traditional swan neck fine adjustment and the rose gold gilding. The
Praeludium Guilloche is made in the Staudt atelier in Enschede and is limited to
25 copies. The price is 14,000 euro.

0024 WATCHWORLD 51
 NEW MODELS

New collection of smartwatches

from Frdrique Constant
SMART in motion

52 0024 WATCHWORLD
T
he Frdrique Constant Horological
Smartwatch made its debut in
2015 after a development period
of three years, making it the first
Swiss smart watch. Since then Japanese watch
giant Citizen has taken over the watch house
that was established and made into a success
by Peter and Aletta Stas and some things have
changed; on the inside mostly, not so much the
outside appearances. Frdrique Constant still
looks and feels the same and that also applies
to sister brand Alpina. However, on the inside
of the latest series of smartwatches there have
definitely been some changes. Those who think
the latest generation of smart models now has
Japanese technology will be disappointed. The
collection was partly realised in conjunction
with Manufacture Modules Technologies
(MMT), a Swiss company that was established
in 2015 and is a stones throw away from
the FC manufacture in Plan-les-Ouates.
The company develops and commercialises
modules for smartwatches, firmware and
apps; innovative technology made to fit in the
traditional haute horlogerie universe. One of
the founders of MMT is Peter Stas. MMT was
not taken over by Citizen and will therefore
continue to operate independently and sell the
products it develops to other brands in addition
to FC and Alpina.
Ten new models
The five new smart women s models and the
five fully revised men s watches have been
fitted with an MMT module. The recognisable
subdial of the first Horological Smartwatch
is absent in the new models. The attention
now focuses on the markers at 2, 4, 8 and 10
oclock. New functionalities like incoming
phone calls, sleep monitoring, a step counter
and text notifications are shown on the
outside of the dial.
The new women s model is a melting pot
of traditional watch values and modern
technology. Guilloche dials, mother-of-pearl
accents, embossed Roman numerals, white
diamonds and a sleep cycle alarm go hand-in-
hand. The 34mm case has been fitted with the
MMT-281 quartz module, which guarantees
more than two years of battery life.
Smartwatch 2.0
The 2.0 variant for men differs with Arabic
numerals that replace the Roman markers,
different dials in the colours blue, silver and
black and four different types of leather
straps. Even more so than its predecessor,
the emphasis of this watch is on sportiness.
The MMT-282 quartz module has been fitted
in a steel, 42mm case and is equipped with a
battery that lasts more than four years - this
module is significantly bigger than the version
used in the women s model, so the battery is
also bigger and more powerful.
The ten new watches work with the new MMT-
365 app that connects watch and telephone
via Bluetooth and is available for both Android
and Apple. Simplicity and ease of use are the
priority; of course sleepless nights worrying
about incomprehensible operating structures
are not the intention when you re talking
about a smartwatch that monitors sleeping
patterns. Prices start around 600 euro.
0024 WATCHWORLD 53
 NEW MODELS

URWERK
Raging Gold
UR-105
U
rwerk is nouvelle horlogerie at its best
and the Raging Gold UR-105 emphasises
that fact. Urwerks co-founder and
designer Martin Frei is a self-proclaimed
gold addict and with his latest creation he puts that
fact out there for anyone to see: I always have that
small inner voice that reminds me how much I love
gold as a material for watches. It doesn t matter
how many new materials are discovered or what
the trends are, gold will always be gold, forever. It is
gold that ignites a fire in me. No ambiguity there.
However, the latest UR-105 is not made entirely out
of gold. The basis is titanium and the prominent
bezel is made of rose gold. Because of the pattern,
which is derived from the traditional Clou de Paris
motif, a very striking, almost organic creation has
been realised. We have seen the wandering hours on
revolving satellites in earlier Urwerk creations, but the
system has been improved and is now even smoother.
Limited to 22 pieces, price on application.

CARL F. BUCHERER Manero Flyback

T
his Manero Flyback is a highly
classical chronograph. The 43mm
rose gold creation wont turn the
watch world on its head, but that
doesn t mean we should overlook this noble
chrono. Instead of looking at the overwhelming
picture in harsh black carbon fibre with
overwhelming dimensions, lets focus on the
details. The skeletonised sword-shaped hands in
rose gold, for example, that look strong and yet
sophisticated. Or the embossed indicators in the
same warm material. The dial, with just two sub
dials, and the typography are other traditional
characteristics that will simply never go out of
style provided they are well proportioned. And
Carl F. Bucherer got the proportions just right.
The case houses an automatic chronograph
calibre called CFB 1970, which produces 42
hours of power reserve. The flyback function
enables a series of time recordings without the
intervention of the stop button. Perhaps not
quite so functionally relevant in this day and
age, but still a fine, traditional characteristic.
Price on application.

54 0024 HORLOGES
A. LANGE & SHNE
Saxonia Thin
T
his page is reserved for classic
watch compositions. The charm of
the traditional wristwatch never
gets old. Subtle, plain watches
that exude endless class and allure in spite of
their restraint, are not the exclusive preserve
of the Breguets, Pateks and Vacherons of this
world; in the German town of Glashtte they
also have a fine sense of understatement and
proportion. Of course the German watchmakers
of A. Lange & Shne are mostly known for
their complicated creations. And this Saxonia,
which looks uncomplicated at first glance, is
not exactly a simple watch either. Although
it only displays the hours and minutes, the
entity as a whole is a complex collection of
elements. Whereas a complicated watch quickly
convinces us by presenting a dizzying array
of functions, a classic watch needs to rely on
perfect proportions. The Saxonia Thin is the
least complicated creation of the German watch
house, but we can t possibly call this watch
simple. The Saxonia Thin, which is available
in both a 40mm and a 37mm case in rose and
white gold, looks like an established entity in
the traditional watch landscape, and that alone
is something very special. The Saxonia Thin
has just the right amount of detail, an unfussy
solid silver dial, and a case which, at a height
of 5.9mm, is neither too thick nor too thin. The
hand-wound L093.1 movement with its 72-hour
power reserve also excels with its simplicity.
Price on application.

PARMIGIANI Mtrographe
T
he Tonda is the basis and the new
Mtrographe adds a dynamic
design to that original shape. The
redesigned dial looks completely
different from traditional chronographs,
but it isn t alienating or has a contrived
modernistic effect. What is very evident is the
fact that Michel Parmigiani and his team are
professionals who are continuously looking
for the true meaning of haute horlogerie. The
back dial is combined with rose gold details to
take advantage of the warm reflection of the
light, and the white dial has been given blued
hands. The number 8 is very prominent in both
dial designs. The steel case with its restrained
40mm size houses an automatic chronograph
calibre from the company s own manufacture.
Calibre PF315 ticks at 28,800 vibrations per hour,
has a power reserve of 42 hours and consists of
351 components. The price of this beautifully
balanced chronograph has not yet been released.

0024 HORLOGES 55
 NEW MODELS

MONTBLANC 1858 Chronograph

Tachymeter Limited Edition

56 0024 WATCHWORLD
T
his year Montblanc won the award
for the best chronograph at the
prestigious Grand Prix d Horlogerie
de Genve with its 1858 Chrono-
graph Tachymeter Limited Edition 100. The
highly classic mono-pusher chronograph in its
steel 44mm case with blue dial was inspired by
models from the 1930s, and that is easy to see
in the layout of the dial and the rounded bezel.
The steel model won gold, and now a bronze
variant has been added to the collection.
The latest 1858 Chronograph Tachymeter
Limited Edition has more retro elements than
the blue award winner, but that was only
possible thanks to modern materials. The
case is made of bronze and the case back of
bronze-coloured titanium. The bronze the case
is made of is not the patina-style bronze that
we know from Oris, Panerai and Anonimo,
but a colour-fast bronze like the type used by
Tudor. In other words, the case is made of an
aluminium/bronze alloy. Davide Cerrato, the
new Watch Director at Montblanc, previously
worked for Tudor and was responsible for the
Black Bay collection. He refuses to answer the
question whether this Montblanc is made of
the same material as the Black Bay Bronze,
albeit with a smile. Sometimes that kind of
answer is as clear as an outright yes.
The combination of the softly glowing
bronze with the champagne-coloured dial is
something that Cerrato is very proud of: It
wasn t easy to decide on the perfect balance
of colours. They are very soft, subtle colour
combinations that have to be exactly right
otherwise it all starts to look far too contrived.
I think the watch looks honest and genuine;

After gold comes bronze

vintage modern. I m not exactly sure what
strap we will be using. Alligator is an option
its luxurious and of course this is a true
luxury watch, but a more rugged leather
with a more worn look also fits the sporty
character and the functional history of this
watch very well.
That functional history is very evident when
we take a closer look at the movement used
for the watch. Calibre MB M16.29 is a hand-
wound movement that was inspired by the
classic Minerva calibre 17.29 from 1929. Like
the classic chronograph, the new calibre is
equipped with a column-wheel construction
that is activated by a single pushbutton
incorporated in the winding crown. The
typical V of the chronograph bridge has
been a Minerva characteristic since 1912 and
the same applies to the arrow at the end of
the lever for the horizontal coupling. The
frequency of 18,000 vph is once again very
classic, but functional as well: this frequency
allows for the measurement of lapsed time to
exactly 1/5th of a second. The decoration of the
movement, which consists of 252 components,
is of the very highest level. The price of this
model, limited to 100 pieces, is on application.

0024 WATCHWORLD 57
 PHOTOSHOOT By Mia Litstrm and Britta Rossander - Photography: Jakob Dahlstrm - Assistent: Antin Wang

BIG THINGS SMALL

SMALL THINGS BIG

58 0024 WATCHWORLD
Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean 600M Co-Axial Master Chronometer Chronograph, 71,200 SEK
PHOTOSHOOT

I have no problem with anyone being

precise about small things

STEVE ZAILLIAN
American director/editor/producer who won an Academy Award, a Golden Globe
Award and a BAFTA Award for his screenplay Schindler's List (1993)
IWC Pilots Watch Miramar Top Gun, 160,000 SEK, from Nymans Ur in Stockholm
PHOTOSHOOT

Breitling Emergency II, 159,000 SEK, from Krons in Stockholm

Hublot Spirit of Big Bang King Gold Ceramic, 395,900 SEK, from Bo Berggren in Stockholm
PHOTOSHOOT

Bell & Ross Golden Heritage BR03, 32,900 SEK, from Fredmans Ur in Stockholm
Great things are done by a series of
small things brought together

VINCENT VAN GOGH

Dutch post-impressionist painter 1853 - 1890
PHOTOSHOOT

Franck Muller Vanguard, 79,900 SEK, from Fredmans Ur in Stockholm

Chopard 1000 Mille Miglia Limited Edition (987/1000), 96,000 SEK from Nymans Ur in Stockholm
PHOTOSHOOT

Anonimo Militare Alpini Chrono Limited Edition Bronze, Price on request

I don't take on big things. What I do,
pretty much, is make the big things
small and the small things big

LARRY DAVID
American actor/writer/producer/director and together with Jerry Seinfeld
creator of the television series Seinfeld'
Speechless
WOMEN'S MODELS

Not words but watches. When it's purely about beauty, when complications are
conspicuous by their absence, that's when we look at colours, materials and shapes.
And that's when its advisable and wise to keep silent. Watch and enjoy, is the motto.

70 0024 HORLOGES
 Chanel
The J12 XS is available in white and black, with and
without diamonds and with different types of straps.
Gucci
The new Le March Des Merveilles series is a fashionable
addition to the existing watch collection with three striking
dial colours: turquoise blue, malachite green and coral red,
surrounded by a 38mm PVD gold case.

Piaget
In the film Jackie actress
Natalie Portman plays the
wife of President John F.
Kennedy. In her day this
iconic woman wore an oval
Piaget and therefore so does
Portman in her title role.
Piaget revived the yellow
gold watch with green jade,
diamonds and emeralds for
the film and it is now part
of the current collection.

Maurice Lacroix
Aikon may well be a whole new collection,
the inspiration comes from the most
successful model series which Maurice
Lacroix has ever made: Calypso from 1990.
Herms Several design features of the success story
can be found in the new Aikon models. The
The famous Cape Cod is 25 years old and that is a good reason for a case and bracelet show soft en rounded
host of new versions in a range of colours. Here are three variants. shapes - the combination of steel and gold
with diamond is pure feminine elegance.

0024 WATCHWORLD 71
 REPORT By Lex Stolk

72 0024 WATCHWORLD
S H O C K I N G LY
UNBREAKABLE C ASIO G-SHOCK

AMBITIOUS
A Casio G-Shock that will fetch 10 grand? It's
only a few years away. A mechanical movement
in a Casio? Who knows. A visit to Casio is a
shocking experience in more ways than one. The
Japanese watch giant doesn't exactly hide its
pride, dynamic and ambition under a bushel. A
report from Japan.

0024 WATCHWORLD 73
 REPORT
W
e re taking you back
to the early 1980s. The
Japanese quartz watch has
conquered the world and
at Casio theyre looking for a way to improve
the battery-powered watch with digital
display - the technology is a progression from
the calculators with LCD screens - and keep
it in the public eye. Kikuo Ibe is charged with
the task of making the fragile quartz watch
more robust. He works inexhaustibly and
uses unorthodox methods to successfully
complete his assignment. People who
worked at the Casio offices in Hamura - just
outside the metropolis of Tokyo - in those
days had to dodge falling watches, as Ibe
and his team would frequently drop various
test watches from the top floor to see if
they would survive the fall. Many, many
tests failed, but eventually Ibe and his team
managed to produce a digital quartz watch
that had no problem coping with falling off
a tall building; the secret lies in the use of a
floating movement. It s 1983 and the G-Shock
is born.
74 0024 WATCHWORLD
Initially the watch was regarded as a
purely functional instrument and so the
virtually indestructible G-Shock was worn
by construction workers, firefighters, police
officers and the like. Thirty-three years later
the G-Shock remains a functional instrument
that, apart from being a leader when were
talking about technological developments
and functionalities, is also a watch that
appeals to trendsetters because of its
untamed, incomparable look.
Sold out
The first G-Shock was small and made of
plastic. Essentially this basic model has never
disappeared from the collection. Apart from
the fact that the plastic models have become
increasingly bigger and more complicated,
there is now also a series of metal variations.
Thirteen years after the debut of the original,
Casio presented the MR-G in a steel case and
with a steel bracelet - Kikuo Ibe was behind
this construction as well: a highly robust case
and yet not too heavy, based on the starting
point of the original unbreakable philosophy
- intended to appeal to a bigger target group.
A plastic model represented sports and
leisure time, but a steel G-Shock you could
take to work as well. The watch was released
in Japan and sold out completely on the first
day. 1997 was a record year for sales, thanks
to the MR-G but also because the American
youth simply couldn t get enough of the
plastic G-Shocks. The G-Shock became a
fashion item. Fashion turned the G-Shock into
an overnight success, but because fashion is
fickle sales eventually declined. Casio s trick
to make the G-Shock more timeless was a
traditional one: they included hands to create
a more familiar picture. This worked and
today Casio is looking at an ever-climbing
sales graph with the G-Shock. The hype of
the Nineties is over and has been replaced
by steady growth, and it s that stable growth
that inspires confidence. So much so that
in addition to the basic G-Shock of around
100 euro the catalogue now also features a
G-Shock of more than 6,000 euro. After the
conception, the evolution to metal and the
introduction of analogue models, the move
into the luxury segment is the fourth life
phase of the G-Shock. And that life phase is
the reason we are visiting Japan.

Meisters in the manufacture

We are in Yamagata. In this city, an hour s
flight away from the capital where the
head office is located, we are visiting the
manufacture and the Premium Production
Line in particular. This is where the high-end
G-Shock models are assembled, under strictly
controlled conditions and by the very best
employees in the manufacture. Only when
an employee has achieved a certain level -
the company uses various level of the title

G-SHOCK MASTER OF
G GULFMASTER GWN-Q1000:
LIFEJACKET+
The new Master of G Gulfmaster GWN-
Q1000 ( 799.-) is a G-Shock with remar-
kably Dutch overtones. Of course the watch
was conceived and built entirely in Japan,
but to showcase the functionality of the
watch Casio has entered into a partnership
with the KNRM. Worldwide the watch is
being recommended as the ideal partner in
the harshest conditions at sea. During their
rescue operations at sea the crews of the
KNRM (the Royal Dutch Lifeboat Institution
that was established in 1823) wear the latest
generation Gulfmaster equipped with Quad
sensor technology. The four sensors on board
the watch are used for, among other things,
the compass and the barometer shown on the
display. A tide indicator is also a useful aid for
the rescuers. When the high tide is entered
for a selected location the watch can show
the tide phases for any date in the location in
question. All aboard!

0024 WATCHWORLD 75
 REPORT

Meister, because from a Japanese perspective

this German word symbolises the ultimate
in quality - can he work on the Premium
Production Line. Casio employs 11,000 people
in Japan; only 650 of them work in Yamagata
and only 16 out of these 650 make the
premium G-Shock models in Yamagata, in an
area that is reminiscent of a pharmaceutical
laboratory or a place where secret weapons
are assembled; either way, very high-tech.
Dressed like astronauts the Meisters work
on the automated production line in the
completely dust-free space. Not a spring
barrel or balance wheel in sight; instead,
ultra-modern quartz movements that run
on solar power, derive their precision from
radio waves and GPS signals and can measure
air pressure or have a compass function.
Incidentally, Casio isn t the only Japanese
watch producer that makes connected
watches. Citizen and Seiko also use the radio
signals of the two atomic clocks in Japan
and, more recently, the GPS satellites that
orbit the earth, because Japanese consumers
prefer those types of watches. In a country
where train delays are expressed in seconds Traditionally built G-Shock
rather than minutes the prominent space of However, a G-Shock that is creeping towards
accuracy in Japanese society is evident. the Rolex price level is a different story
The striving for accuracy and the use of high altogether. In those rarefied spheres radio
quality standards are closely linked. The waves and altimeters are no longer enough
latest high-end G-Shocks in their metal cases to curry favour. And at Casio they understand
are assembled in Japan. The complex case that. Which is why at present - and even
designs, the beautifully finished surfaces, more so in the future, we are told at the head
the sapphire crystal used in the watches and office - the company is focusing attention
the rich detailing show that it is extremely on its production method in advertising
important to Casio to secure a permanent campaigns and press releases. Not just the
position with the metal G-shocks like the high-tech side, but also the artisanal aspects.
MT-G and the MR-G in a price segment where For example, the most expensive G-Shock
Swiss producers of mechanical watches also in history was painstakingly hammered by
reside. A stranger in a conservative world but a craftsman until it had countless minute
one that is not only tolerated by many lovers dents; a technique historically used to make
of mechanical watches, but even cherished Samurai armour. In the future the company
and collected. The G-Shock is so different will be presenting more models that have
from its mechanical counterpart that the two a proud connection to traditional Japanese
complement each other perfectly. culture. Made in Japan has to evoke the same

76 0024 WATCHWORLD
sense of prestige and quality as Swiss Made
does today. That is not such a far-fetched idea,
because Japanese electronics and equipment
are regarded around the world as efficient,
high quality, reliable and user-friendly
top products. And car brands Lexus and
Infinity have managed to carve out a place
in the luxury car segment through sheer
perseverance and by producing high-quality
products. Thats what Casio wants to achieve
as well.

Ten grand
Prices of future G-Shock top models will reach
around 10,000 euro. Casio says it has every
confidence that the market will understand
these prices. These will be watches produced
in small editions. Last year 8 million watches
with the name G-Shock were produced. That
kind of mass production seems incompatible
with limited editions when it comes to how
a product is perceived. And yet, at Casio they
are convinced that these top watches will
be such a mix of the best Japan has to offer
from a traditional and innovative perspective
that they will appeal to the consumer. By
combining special traditional decorations
with progressive movement technology
the brand expects to be able to offer unique
watches. That s a highly ambitious objective,
but the company has carefully thought
about the way to achieve it. Also from
the marketing side of things, because the
underground culture with its extreme sports
that has always been so important to G-Shock
will be exchanged for a more mainstream
playing field. G-Shocks must be worn by
world-famous sports figures. G-Shock must
be in evidence at major sporting events. Of
course there are the 2020 Olympic Games in
Tokyo
MRG-G1000HT

0024 WATCHWORLD 77
 LAST MINUTE

L
inde Werdelin isn t averse to exuberant creations. With the 44
x 46mm Oktopus Reef, a variant of the Oktopus Double Date
Rose Gold, the Danish watch house abandons all restraint.
The engravings are by British engraver Johnny King Nerd
Dowell. He fully hand-engraved the watch cases with images of tentacles,
coral and air bubbles and that took him hundreds of hours per case.
Linde Werdelin He refuses to say exactly how many watches he did engrave, although
he comments: I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed engraving the
Oktopus Reef: Oktopus Reef. I had a lot more freedom compared to other projects I have
worked on. It was really

PATIENT
satisfactory to convert
the drawings into actual
engravings. I wanted to
create movement in the

CREATURE
engraving, with swirling
tentacles and the suckers
on the bottom. Engraving
takes a lot of time.
Especially the engraving
itself, and blackening the engravings under a microscope or magnifying
glass, takes a huge amount of time and requires a lot of patience. That is
evident in the price, which is around 25,000 euro.

78 0024 WATCHWORLD
 BASELWORLD.COM

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MARCH 23 30, 2017

T
COLUMN By Britta Rossander

High-class watches
meet high-goal polo
The watch industry's major players in the luxury sector often choose to collaborate with car

marques, but equestrian polo tournaments also rate highly as collaboration partners. No-

one could overlook Jaeger-LeCoultre's connection to the sport, or be unaware that Piaget is

also a key player. Many will know that Ralph Lauren watches go hand in hand with the tough

equestrian sport and since 1985, Cartier has also supported snow polo. In the exclusive and

famous ski resort of St. Moritz in Switzerland, every year since then a winter polo tournament

has been held on Lake St. Moritz. Playing and watching the matches on snow has become

a respected tradition, and for over 30 years the game has been played there at the end of

January. The top players come from countries such as Italy, Ireland, the USA and Malaysia.

Equestrian polo is an exclusive sport, at the same time as being a very tough game which calls

for skilful riders and horses. They must be agile and have great stamina, as they are almost

constantly in rapid motion. The first Cartier Polo World Cup on snow and ice was not an easy

match to arrange. Reto Gaudenzi, a polo player with great passion for his sport, received an

enquiry from Hans Peter Danuser, director of the St. Moritz tourist office, asking whether an

equestrian polo match could be held on snow? Reto campaigned hard for two years to put a

competition together as well as finding investors and sponsors.

Since Cartier had joined in from the outset, the great dream should have been realised without

a hitch. But the night before D-Day, it snowed heavily in St. Moritz. The sheer quantity of

snow demanded huge snow-clearing machines, but they were too heavy for the ice. Polo

players are, however, known for their tenacity. They rang around friends and got them to turn

up with their private snow blowers. After six hours' hard work on the snow, they managed to

create an approved field so that the pioneering snow polo game could be held.

The competition is incredibly popular and attracts around 12,000 people on the spectator

side. The concept of snow polo has now spread, and similar competitions are held in countries

such as Italy, Austria, Argentina, Poland, Slovakia, Russia, Spain, the Czech Republic, Canada

and now also China. Now we hope that the sport will become more popular in Scandinavia

because it should be successful in our beautiful winter wonderland. Perhaps that's something

for re to think about

80 0024 WATCHWORLD
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R
COLUMN By Kristian Haagen

Hope
Recently I did an interview with one of the top dogs of one of the top groups that own

a lot of watch brands. The man with the answers (I was the guy with the questions) is

known for his sharp answers, but also known to be somewhat difficult to interview.

However, on this particular day, he was mild-tempered and I even detected a smile and

what sounded like a giggle.

When asked if the watch world is in a crisis, the top dog answered that he did not see

the current low sales as a crisis. Instead he saw it as the new normal. That the market

could even expect further reductions in sales the months to come. And then he said

these wise words:

Too many watch brands are hoping the good

times will return. But hope is a very poor strategy.

Indeed, hope is a poor strategy. But so is greed. And many watch brands have been ex-

tremely greedy the last ten years or even longer. Price increases every year and this with

only few radical new products to remotely justify the raised prices.

Greed is one of the Seven Sins and sinners should expect punishment. However not all

brands are sinners and not all brands are suffering. The brands that kept their price in-

creases moderate and kept the quality high are not hit as hard compared to the brands

that doubled their prices over the last decade without much new to offer.

My somewhat poetic take on the current sales is that The Emperors New Clothes from

ten years ago, is taken over by that classic-cut outfit that will withstand any kind oc-

casion and challenging weather for a lifetime. An approach met with open arms by the

consumer. And rightfully so. Because, you know, quality matters. And quality is a great

strategy. Now. Then. Always.

82 0024 WATCHWORLD
R
 MANUFACTURE CALIBRE ARM16 16 EDGE DOUBLE BARREL

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For more information please contact Eurogold, +31 (0)578 615 333, eurogold@wxs.nl
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