Indholdsfortegnelse for Fall 2023 i REVOLUTION WATCH

In the words of the immortal Bernie Mac, “I ain’t scared of you mother***kers.” And just so there’s no confusion, just so my point is unequivocally made, I’ll say it again, “I ain’t scared of you mother***kers.” If you’re some keyboard warrior, sitting in your torn underwear in your mother’s basement, whacked out of your gourd on the endorphin rush induced by spreading social media hate on a subject matter you’ve made zero critical analysis of, giggling to yourself in self-congratulation about the snide, venomous, asinine comments you’ve made, replete with vomit face and turd emojis representing the full scope of your self-expressive capabilities, while still never having read the article produced by yours truly — a person that, let’s just be frank, has forgotten more about watches than you…

There have been a handful of master watchmakers who have created some kickass cool complications, either based on readily available movements or with in-house base movements. Kurt Klaus used a module on top of the Valjoux 7750 to create the IWC Da Vinci perpetual calendar, with all the adjustments made through the crown. Paul Gerber designed the movement with alarm function for the world’s first automatic Fortis chronograph, and later developed the triple rotor under his own brand. Then there was Ludwig Oechslin’s calendar complication based on the Valjoux 7750 for the MIH watch (named for the Musée International d’Horlogerie that Oechslin was both curator and director of). Also, not to forget, the work of Jean-Marc Wiederrecht who created the lateral, linear, jumping and retrograde hours based on the ETA…

The year 1845 is a date of extreme significance to anyone plying their trade in the German watchmaking industry. After years of petitioning the Saxon government for a generous loan that would enable him to breathe new life into the flagging industry of Glashütte, Ferdinand Adolph Lange’s long-held wish was granted. It was his dream to revitalize a community with the gift of watchmaking. For centuries, Glashütte and the surrounding Erzgebirge (Ore Mountains) had been famed for rich silver deposits, bringing not only great wealth to the area but also a host of associated artisanal abilities. As a renowned center of fine handwork, Lange, who served his apprenticeship in Dresden at the knee of master watchmaker Johann Christian Friedrich Gutkaes, believed the people of Glashütte would be able to pick…

Of all human qualities, the one I admire the most is resilience — that is, the ability to withstand, adapt and grow in the face of adversity or trauma. In the history of the modern world, very few cities are as synonymous with resilience as Berlin, the creative home of German watch brand NOMOS Glashütte. While today we consider Berlin one of the global epicenters for art and culture, with the world’s greatest nightclubs and an innovative epicurean scene embodied by chef Tim Raue’s eponymous two Michelin starred restaurant, it wasn’t so long ago that the capital city of Germany was in the international spotlight for a very different reason: Between 1945 and 1990, Berlin was a hotspot in the superpower rivalry known as the Cold War. Caught in the…

Here are the broad strokes on our latest collaboration with Moritz Grossmann. It’s a 37mm in diameter Benu timepiece, just like our previous watch with the wonderful Glashütte based brand, featuring the ravishing, hand-finished three-fifths-plate caliber 102.1 with hand-engraved escape wheel and balance cocks, and flame-purpled screws. It features a sterling silver guilloché à main Kari Voutilainen dial, made using a vintage engine-turning machine. This is paired with an 18K white gold case and a kudu leather strap in gorgeous anemone. As an extra step, we’ve also matched the watch with one of the most stunning straps I’ve ever set eyes on — a matte Himalayan alligator strap made by the very cool Delugs company here in Singapore. The resulting timepiece that I’ve nicknamed “Silver Bullet” is just epic. Now…

Today all Patek Philippe watches bear the Patek Philippe Seal, a certification and hallmark of quality, craftsmanship and performance which was introduced in 2009 as a way to establish their own comprehensive quality certification that surpasses existing standards set by the Geneva Seal and the COSC. The hallmark of quality not only applies to movements, but also all external components including cases, dials, hands, pushers, spring bars and even diamonds, while also encompassing the aesthetic and functional attributes of the finished watches. Beyond that, the rate accuracy of a watch must meet strict standards both before and after casing the movement. For calibers with diameters of 20mm or larger, the rate accuracy must lie within the range of -3 and +2 seconds a day, while calibers with diameters of less…

I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again — the word “icon” gets thrown around a whole lot these days. It feels like any time a company makes a watch design, whether it’s distinct or not, all they need to do is wait a couple of years before they start calling it an icon. But within the pages of horological history, and perhaps more specifically within the range of the mid 20th century, true icons were created. Their design, influence and, in some cases, namesakes exist to this day, stronger than ever before. Such is the case with the TAG Heuer Carrera, celebrating its 60th anniversary this very year. In reflection and reverence of that tremendous milestone, I had the privilege of speaking with TAG Heuer’s heritage director Nicholas…

There was this funny little meme I came across the other day about the definition of time, where Sir Isaac Newton says that time is absolute, and Albert Einstein says that time is relative, and then Karl Marx ups and goes, time was invented by clock companies to sell more clocks. If you don’t find this funny, then chances are you’re not from the watch industry — or haven’t poured enough money into watches to see the humor. Well, jokes aside, for me as an individual who’s spent 17 years observing and writing about luxury watches and the industry at large, I think time is basically memories, and beautifully-crafted timepieces are the companions with which you make those memories. For this reason alone, the ensuing argument then is that there…

Having introduced the dual-time zone Spirit Zulu Time in a 42mm case last year, we now get its smaller counterpart, the Longines Spirit Zulu Time 39mm. Similar to last year’s release, the Zulu Time 39mm comes in three steel versions with accents available in blue, black, or green. Additionally, a fourth version has been unveiled, featuring an 18k yellow gold bezel accompanied by a ceramic bezel insert in dark brown. For those seeking a sporty and durable GMT watch, the original Spirit Zulu Time 42mm offers excellent value for the price. For the price, it provides a comprehensive package, including a reliable GMT movement with three days of power reserve, a beautifully finished case and dial, and a ceramic bezel insert that enhances its overall look. These specifications are highly…

Inspired by their earliest and arguably most important timepiece, the Radiomir Origine casts a playful eye to the past with subtle yet stylish dégradé dials. Much like the world which surrounded it, the watch industry was a very different place in 1936 when the Panerai Radiomir was first shipped. Though certainly aspirational, being made to a high standard of accuracy and built for an intended purpose previously requested by none other than the Italian Navy, these watches were not the luxury status symbols which they undeniably are today. They were tools. Tools indeed, intended of course for the elite divers known colloquially as frogmen, the commando component of what would come to be known as the Decima Flottiglia Motoscafi Armati Siluranti (MAS). Themselves an organization which, through the terrors and…

When people ask me why it is that Patek Philippe, which already has staggering wait lists for almost all its watches and certainly its much sought-after complication, high-complication, grand-complication and sport models, would spend a staggering sum — easily in the millions — to showcase their history and craft in their Grand Exhibitions, my three-word response is invariably: “Because they can.” Which is not meant to be so much glib as factual. As a wholly family-owned and -run company, Thierry and Philippe Stern can decide how to deploy their capital. For them, the objective has never been to sell more watches, but to tell the world their story with the greatest authenticity. Because when it comes to high watchmaking, the innovation of game-changing complications and the creation of peerless métiers…

When it comes to design, the Italians have it down pat. From fashion to jewelry, to furniture, and especially to automobiles, Italian design dominates in a league of its own. Doesn’t matter what product category you’re looking at, it always feels like there’s something going on akin to the Midas touch where even the simplest materials can look drop-dead gorgeous, and the faintest lines appear as masterful strokes of genius. Indeed, great design is the simplest design, and great designers always know where to draw the line — literally — which brings to mind that famous adage that Italians love to quote “la bellezza è lo splendore del vero,” meaning beauty is the splendor of the truth. And this is an overarching philosophy you will observe in all the best,…

Among the many timepieces created under the gifted eye of Louis Cartier, the Baignoire may be his most underappreciated one yet. Admittedly for the Baignoire, it cannot be easy competing with the likes of heavyweights such as the Santos de Cartier — the maison’s de facto watch icon — and its debonair cousin the Santos Dumont, as well as the inimitable Cartier Tank across its infinite shapes, styles and sizes. Even the Pasha has had its time in the sun in 2020 when the maison revitalized it for the 21st century and made it the watch of such contemporary luminaries as Rami Malek who recently also repped the Tank Française in a Guy Ritchie-directed campaign co-starring legendary French actress Catherine Deneuve. But now it is the Baignoire’s turn to shine…

It gives me great pleasure to announce our collaboration with Massena LAB, a Massena LAB Uni-Racer inspired by a legendary chronograph watch from 1949. It uses the 39mm Uni-Racer platform created by William Massena and features a tribute to a Patek Philippe chronograph with one of the most famous dials ever created — a black lacquer model with a luminous Roman numeral sector ring, and luminous syringe hands in blued steel surrounded by a tachymeter. While the vintage watch is probably a million-dollar unicorn, we wanted to create a contemporary timepiece that channels the emotional expressiveness of this unique design, with all the benefits of an excellent Swiss-made mechanical sports chronograph. The Massena LAB Uni-Racer 1949 will be made in just 120 examples and is priced at USD 3,750, excluding…

You might think the term “gaga” here, which in French is slang for “crazy,” refers to the way colors are scrawled in a wild, seemingly abandoned way on the markers of this platinum case, aventurine dial Ballouard Upside Down watch. But you would be mistaken. “Gaga” in this context is short for Gabriel, Ballouard’s son, who designed the watch you are looking at. The meaning behind this first partnership between the independent watchmaking journeyman and his son goes much deeper than that. Looking at the dial, you might be charmed by the lovely aventurine, and then intrigued by the seemingly primal and vivid application of prime colors on the hour marker disks and the small seconds indicator. You might ask, is this some kind of Cy Twombly, Jean-Michel Basquiat-like artistic…

Apparently the people who follow me on Instagram @wei_koh_revolution are amused each time I go on a rant. If that’s the case, sit back, strap in and prepare to hopefully be entertained. Let’s get this straight, so we don’t have to waste that most precious of commodities: time. Yours and mine. The date window in Breguet’s new Type XX in both the military and civilian versions not only doesn’t bother me, but I like it. Why? First of all, it is a practical feature on any modern timepieces meant to be worn 24/7 in the real world. When I check into a hotel, or when I am planning my week, I like being able to check the date on my wristwatch. What’s that you say? How dare I? The addition…

François-Henry Bennahmias has, after his decade-long tenure at the helm of Audemars Piguet, assured his place in watchmaking leadership’s Hall of Valhalla. While the fact that he took Audemars Piguet from a 600 million Swiss franc a year business to a 2.01 billion Swiss franc business within a decade is already extraordinary, it is the way that he did it that separates him from the rest of the crowd. Because what Bennahmias has succeeded in doing is to transform the Royal Oak, a timepiece created by AP in 1972 as the world’s very first luxury integrated bracelet, sports chic watch, into an internationally recognized symbol for success. The way he did it had its start before he took the reins of the company based in Le Brassus. It dates back…

Nobody in the 1970s could have predicted that mechanical wristwatches would see such mighty demand in 50 years. While it was the marketing genius of a stellar group of individuals that maintained the commercial viability of the mechanical watch, it was the technical virtuosity of Ulysse Nardin that led a counterrevolution that would change the face of watchmaking forever. When the brand unveiled the Freak in 2001, it fomented a revolution on three fronts — design, mechanical and material — while being steeped in tradition. Its original design came from Carole Forestier-Kasapi, who saw the tourbillon as an entirely new way of displaying time. In fact, her concept of having a revolving movement surrounded by a giant mainspring had earned her the winning prize at the Prix de la Fondation…

I met Said Kenj, one of the founding partners of AIS Collective, at a local RedBar event. He explained to me that he and his partners, Ivan and Anna, had identified a need for a professional cleaning solution for watches. Kenj narrates the story of their start-up, “It all started with the idea of having simple, safe yet effective tools to look after and care for your watches by yourself. We didn’t like the options at hand: using a toothbrush just never felt appropriate, bringing the watch to a jeweler for disassembly and ultrasonic baths seemed like an overkill and expensive. This is how the ChronoPen and the idea of the AIS Collective was born in 2019. We found an almost untapped niche market, quickly felt very much at home…

Troy Barmore Troy Barmore is a watch, luxury and heritage goods specialist and writer based in New York City. Growing up in the mountains of Colorado, Troy has had a passion for subtlety and detail since childhood. Whether it be denim, leather, eyewear or watches, he has made the study of quality goods a lifelong focus. Cheryl Chia Cheryl Chia is a watch writer with a deep interest in independent watchmaking, movement engineering and decoration. Contrary to popular sentiment, she believes that watches can be assessed objectively in terms of complexity, quality and finishing. Felix Scholz Felix Scholz has spent the last decade writing professionally about watches, yet he still struggles with international time zones. He is a firm believer that less is more (except when it is not) in…

In reality, the naming of watches matters very little, but the nomenclature that IWC seems to have backed itself into with the Big Pilot’s Perpetual Calendar line is fast becoming a source of light-hearted amusement. It’s a mouthful but perhaps that’s the goal of a watch that is, in itself, an eyeful. It’s a Mach 10 kind of name that somehow suits this 46.5mm by 15.6mm wrist-mounted iceberg, capable of tracking the time, day, date, month and leap year from now until 2100 without adjustment. A PERPETUAL PRESENCE The famous IWC perpetual calendar movement was developed in the mid-1980s by the equally iconic Kurt Klaus, a popular figure in the industry, frequently spotted at events well into his octogenarian years, with a wry smile of satisfaction on his face, and…

A pioneer in mechanical chronographs and quartz watches, Seiko has recently delved into its extensive chronograph archives, bringing back iconic models like the mechanical Speedtimer chronograph. The Japanese giant has turned to quartz options, adding the Prospex Speedtimer 1/100th Second Solar Chronograph to its lineup. It impresses with an ultra-precise elapsed time recorder, measuring down to 1/100th of a second, and captivates with its quirky quadruple sub-dial design, all while being more budget-friendly compared to its mechanical counterparts. The Prospex Speedtimer stands out with two highlights: its design and functionality. Let’s begin with the design, which immediately catches the eye. This chronograph features a quirky design, characterized by four sub-dials and four crowns, offering a blend of futuristic and nostalgic elements. The unusual layout is a nod to 1999’s Kinetic…

Nestled amidst the serene landscapes of Shiojiri, within Japan’s scenic Shinshu region, lies an enchanting haven for horology enthusiasts seeking the epitome of luxury watchmaking. The Grand Seiko Micro Artist Studio, an eminent atelier, has been captivating discerning individuals with an exclusive collection of Spring Drive timepieces that seamlessly merge avant-garde horological technology with the immaculate craftsmanship of yesteryears. Established in 2000, the studio’s mission remains resolute: to unearth, dissect and master the technologies and skills inherited from its predecessors, who were dedicated to crafting exceptional luxury watches. At the Micro Artist Studio, a collective of master craftsmen and women breathe life into the essence of fine watchmaking. Each artisan within the team possesses unrivaled expertise in their respective domains, be it movement design, assembly or movement finishing. Their synergistic…

Although the Astronomia has helped Jacob & Co. gain recognition in the world of high-end watchmaking, the brand has been far from complacent. In fact, Jacob & Co. has been continuously expanding its line of high complication timepieces, resulting in an impressive range of large, complex watches that are truly one-of-a-kind in the market. From a technical perspective, Jacob & Co. stands out by infusing existing complications with a modern, creative twist, resulting in watches that are immediately recognizable, even to those who are not part of Jacob & Co.’s clientele. Exotic and high-end watchmaking is all about mechanical mastery and originality, and by these standards, the brand delivers with flying colors. One exemplary creation is the Opera Godfather Minute Repeater, distinguished by its combination of a minute repeater, tourbillon…

2023 Louis Erard × Massena LAB, Le Chrono Monopoussoir, Gold 2023 Louis Erard × Massena LAB, Le Chrono Monopoussoir, Rhodium 2023 Mathey-Tissot × Massena LAB Mergulhador 2022 Massena LAB Dato-Racer 2022 Louis Erard × Massena LAB Le Régulateur, Rhodium 2022 Louis Erard × Massena LAB Le Régulateur, Gold 2022 Massena LAB and Raúl Pagès Magraph 2022 Massena LAB Geometer 2021 Habring² × Massena LAB ERWIN LAB03 2021 Massena LAB Archetype 0.0 2021 Massena LAB × Luca Soprana Old School 2020 MB&F × L'Epee × Massena LAB T-Rex Bronze 2020 UNIMATIC × Massena LAB U1-ML6 2023 Angelus × Massena LAB Chronographe Médical 2022 UNIMATIC × Massena LAB U4S-BRZ-ML 2022 UNIMATIC × Massena LAB U4S-BRZ-MLL 2022 Mathey-Tissot × Massena LAB Type XX Flyback 2022 Mathey-Tissot × Massena LAB Type XX Tribute 2022…

Over the last few years, we have witnessed François-Paul Journe achieve the recognition he had long been due, be it in his pursuit of better chronometry, his intellectual yet practical approach to complications, or his artistic interpretations of time. He is justly regarded as the greatest watchmaker known in our time for the astounding variety of his conceptions, his ability to establish and maintain a unique design language across every field of inquiry, as well as his unfaltering mechanical elegance. To comprehend the present-day valuations of Journe’s watches and their uptick in demand in recent years, it is worth revisiting the context of these watches in Journe’s career and their place in horological history. In this three-part series, we take a look at the minutiae and price performance of three…