Hermès has created a unique tourbillon minute repeater pocket watch that combines artistic techniques like engraving and enamelling with complex horological mechanisms.
The unique Arceau Pocket cheval punk reveals a playful alliance of craftsmanship and fine watchmaking. Its open-worked white gold cover, adorned with an engraved equestrian profile painted in miniature enamel, frames a champlevé enamelled dial and a Hermès tourbillon minute repeater movement.
The punk horse motif is drawn from a men’s silk scarf designed by Daiske Nomura in 2021. The Japanese designer illustrator, who loves to divert and stage the company’s emblems, was inspired by a figurine from the Emile Hermès collection: a horse whose thick mane evokes a punk crest.
The artist has mixed in numerous elements from the museum in a whimsical and futuristic interpretation of the Hermès universe.
Fashioned in white gold, the horse with its flamboyant crest, harness and tattoo combines several demanding techniques and gives a glimpse of movement. Hundreds of hours of meticulous work bring the silhouette to life beneath under the burins and chisels of the master engraver, before being painted in miniature enamel.
Its slim cut-out then reveals an equally meticulous creation: a crisscrossed gold dial crafted in champlevé enamel. To achieve this, the artisan applies several layers of coloured glass powders mixed with natural oils to the engraved cavities, which are successively dried and fired in the kiln.
The cheval punk watch comes in an elegant round white gold case measuring 48 mm in diameter. It is equipped with the Hermès H1924 tourbillon minute repeater movement. An abyss blue alligator strap is attached to the rectangular stirrup and highlights the deep nuances of the decoration.
Technical details
Model: Hermès ARCEAU Pocket cheval punk
One-of-a-kind creation
Movement
Manufacture Hermès H1924 movement
Mechanical hand-wound, Swiss made
Diameter: 30 mm (13 ¼ ‘’’)
Thickness: 6.1 mm
Power reserve: 90 hours
Frequency: 21,600 vph (3 Hz)
Functions: minute repeater, hours, minutes
Case
Shape/size: Round, 48 mm diameter
Material: White gold
Glass: Anti-glare sapphire crystal and case-back
Water resistance: q3 bar
Cover
Cover in engraved and miniature-enamel painted white gold
Dial
Dial in champlevé enamelled white gold
Orange transferred saddle-stitched motif
Vacheron Constantin’s Les Cabinotiers department has been renowned for bespoke mechanical timepieces that represent the pinnacle of fine watchmaking and artisanal skills of the Geneva Maison.
Among the recent masterpieces from the Les Cabinotiers department, the the Les Cabinotiers Westminster Sonnerie – Tribute to Johannes Vermeer is a stand-out horological marvel. A project first undertaken in 2013, this bespoke pocket watch was made according to an esteemed client’s wish. This timepiece embodies art and beauty, exceptional mechanics and technical mastery.
This magnificent micromechanical wonder is equipped with a new in-house movement, Calibre 3761 with Grande Sonnerie and tourbillon, specially developed by the team of watchmakers who designed the Reference 57260 watch.
The craftsmanship adorning this timepiece is equally extraordinary. The case is hand-engraved on its bezel, back and sides using various artisanal techniques, as well as topped by a bow adorned with two hand-sculpted lion heads. The officer-type caseback is stunningly enhanced by a miniature enamel reproduction of Vermeer’s famous painting Girl with a Pearl Earring, created by enameller Anita Porchet.
Vacheron Constantin Reference 9910C/000J-B413 Pocket watch, Les Cabinotiers Westminster Sonnerie – Tribute to Johannes Vermeer
Les Cabinotiers is a department in its own right within the Manufacture Vacheron Constantin, dedicated to creating single-piece editions. Following in the footsteps of the Geneva master-watchmakers known as cabinotiers in the Age of Enlightenment, the team took up the challenge of giving substance to the dream of a passionate collector who wanted a pocket watch that was technically and aesthetically exceptional, reflecting the noblest traditions of 18th century Haute Horlogerie. To create this highly complex mechanical pocket watch, it took approximately eight years.
The Les Cabinotiers Westminster Sonnerie – Tribute to Johannes Vermeer pocket watch is powered by a new 806-part manual winding calibre, regulated by a tourbillon and comprising Grande and Petite Sonnerie Westminster chimes, coupled with a minute repeater. Within the range of watchmaking complications, Grande Sonnerie models have always enjoyed a special aura, not only because of the inherent complexity of these mechanisms striking several gongs, but also because of the musical qualities required.
Grande Sonnerie watches have a centuries-old tradition within the Maison. Among the oldest timepieces preserved to date, the first travel clock housing such a complication dates back to 1820. When it comes to pocket watches, the oldest model with Grande and Petite Sonnerie in the Vacheron Constantin private collection is dated 1827.
It was followed by several timepieces equipped with such mechanisms, some of them representing landmark creations endowed with an array of extremely sophisticated complications, such as the “Packard” presented in 1918 or the King Fouad I watch completed in 1929.
More recently, the world’s most complicated pocket watch, Reference 57260, was presented in 2015 on the occasion of the Maison’s 260th anniversary, affirming the expertise of the Maison in the realm of exceptional watchmaking.
The client who commissioned this model wanted a real Westminster chime pocket watch with striking five gongs with five hammers, featuring a Grande and Petite Sonnerie and adorned with miniature enamel. The Calibre 3761 measures 71 mm in diameter and 17 mm thick. It is regulated by a tourbillon majestically enthroned on the lower part of the movement, visible through the caseback and performing one full revolution per minute.
The tourbillon is driven by a 2.5Hz balance (18,000 vibrations per hour). The Westminster chime with which the movement is equipped with one of the most complicated striking mechanism to build, as it requires a sequence of five gongs struck in perfect harmony by their respective hammers controlled by four racks.
In wristwatches, Grande Sonnerie (grand strike) mechanisms are usually operated by a single rack, mainly for reasons of miniaturisation. The four rack and snail solution, with four racks for the hour and quarter chimes and one rack for the minute repeater, enhances the sequencing of the melodies and, as an added subtlety, enables different melodies to be played when passing the quarters.
The term ‘Westminster chime’ refers to the world-famous bells of Big Ben, the British Tower of Parliament in London: a four-bar melody consisting of four notes played at different frequencies. In “Grande Sonnerie” mode, the watch chimes the quarters in passing, with the hour repeated at each quarter, meaning three bars of the Westminster melody followed by five single notes for 5.45 am.
In “Petite Sonnerie” mode, it strikes the quarters at each change of quarter without repeating the hours; and at each change of hour, it strikes the fourth quarter – “the carillon” – as well as the hours. The strikework can be activated at any time by means of the slide on the side of the watch. The watch then functions as a minute repeater that chimes the quarters, minutes and hours in sequence. The selector switch positioned at 9 o’clock thus offers three possible modes.
In “Sonnerie” (strike) mode, the watch is automatically activated each time the quarters change, like a clock. In “Night Silence” mode, a special feature specifically developed and adapted to this 3761 calibre according to the time zone chosen by the customer, the alarm is deactivated between 11 pm and 9 am, thus saving energy as well as ensuring peace and quiet at night. The third and last “Silence” mode completely suspends the striking mechanism.
A second selector, positioned between 10 and 11 o’clock, serves to switch from Grande Sonnerie to Petite Sonnerie as preferred. The two barrels ensure an autonomy of approximately 16 hours for the musical mechanism in “Grande Sonnerie” mode and 80 hours for the time indications, with stable torque guaranteed until the end of the power reserve.
Calibre 3761 is equipped with a centripetal strike governor ensuring perfect regularity of the musical sequences, of which the notes must be both distinctly audible and pleasing to the ear. The system is characterised by a pair of weights whose very special shape has been optimised so as to generate a kind of “engine-braking effect” – by centripetal force – on the regulator’s pivot axis, thereby evening-out the energy released by the barrel.
This unique and original device is also perfectly silent. In another special feature regarding the flow of time, the calibre houses a double-wheel system with clearance adjustment. Given the size of the hands, in order to avoid any potential jerking of the seconds hand positioned at 6 o’clock, such a mechanism ensures its smooth flow thanks to a system based on two coaxial toothed wheels linked by a spring serving to eliminate gear play.
This Les Cabinotiers model demonstrates high standards and attention to detail in terms of movement finishing. All the components are thus hand-finished – from the completely engraved balance bridge to the bridges buffed with diamond paste to achieve a mirror-polished finish, as well as the galvanic treatment of the plates adorned with Côtes de Genève and featuring a soft champagne colour – creating an overall effect evoking the noblest watchmaking traditions.
The work on the ratchet wheel and the two barrel wheels is an excellent example of these meticulous tasks. The wheels first underwent surface treatment in the form of sandblasting and then sunburst finishing, before the teeth were glazed on all five gear portions. This type of finishing consists of chamfering the teeth and giving them a mirror-polished finish on the flat parts, a skill formerly used in watchmaking and that the Maison is committed to preserving. A week of patience and meticulous care was needed to decorate these three components.
The tuning of the gongs also requires a perfectionist’s spirit. First tested before being cased-up, they are shaped in such a way as to obtain the right note for each of them. This inevitably requires touching up with a file to achieve a perfect sound. There can however be surprises once the chiming mechanism is cased up. On this model, two of the five original gongs had to be replaced for the sake of harmony. By modifying the steel alloys, the sound of the two new gongs acquired a more crystal-clear entirely in tune with the other three.
This “tuning” of the Grande Sonnerie thus requires several successive casing-up procedures, since the mechanism has to be removed for any adjustments during the “trial runs” of the mechanism. These are indeed not the only elements of the assembled movement that undergo retouching during these various phases, which is why the latter take place even before the case is decorated. An additional difficulty with this single-piece edition was that it was impossible to case up the entire finished movement and part of the final assembly had to be done directly inside the case.
Given the level of finishing and decoration of each component, including the case, as well as the fact that any handling manipulation could potentially impair the quality, the ten operations involved in fitting the calibre – which had to be removed the same number of times for retouching – followed by the final assembly required an uncommonly deft touch. In the end, a very small team of specialised watchmakers conducted the making of this Calibre 3761, from the development, manufacturing and finishing of the various components to the final assembly and casing-up of the movement.
The client expressed the wish that the cover of the officer-type caseback should feature a miniature enamel painting by enameller Anita Porchet. The work chosen was Girl with a Pearl Earring, painted circa 1665 by Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer.
Above and beyond the challenge of reproducing the work of a great master, the size of the 98 mm-diameter surface implied additional difficulties. This size of watch, corresponding more to that of historical carriage watches than to a pocket model, requires a degree of dexterity all the more accurate in that the slightest irregularity is glaringly obvious.
The result is reminiscent of the grand miniature enamel painting tradition in which Geneva came to specialise. Acknowledged since the late 16th century for its production of high-quality enamels, Geneva in fact lent its name to several terms referring to the quality of the work of its craftsmen. “Geneva enamels”, a term commonly used since that time, refers to painted enamels covered with a flux known as the “Fondant de Genève”.
This technique consists of adding a final transparent and colourless protective coating to the layers of vitrified enamel, thereby giving brilliance and depth to the artist’s work. This invention greatly benefited the timepieces of the period, which were subjected to repeated friction as pocket watches.
Only a few rare master enamellers still master these techniques. One need only think of the fact that a single layer of enamel on the young girl’s oriental turban requires at least two weeks of work given the size of the model.
The colour palette is similarly complex, notably including a composition of seven shades to obtain black, as well as 20 or so firings in the kiln required to stabilise the colours. In all, seven months of intermittent work were necessary to bring this portrait to life. The research and development work – notably relating to the pigments and enamels to be used – began in 2018 and the final result was completed in 2020.
While the decoration of watches and clocks using the various enamelling techniques strongly contributed to the reputation of the Fabrique de Genève which encompassed all the watchmaking and jewellery trades in the 18th century, the term “Geneva enamels” refers above all to enamel miniature painting.
This process consists of painting colours – based on metallic oxides ground to powder and then mixed with an oil-based binder – onto a layer of white enamel coating a copper or gold leaf base. Much like in gouache or oil painting, the master artisan then applies colours to a canvas, enabling a meticulous depiction – these days under a binocular microscope – of even the smallest details. After each phase, the colours are stabilised by successive firings in the kiln, with no chance of touch ups.
The main watch dial is Grand Feu enamelled in an eggshell colour with blue enamelled Roman numerals.
The style of the engravings adorning the case was carefully studied by Vacheron Constantin’s engraver in order to blend harmoniously with Vermeer’s painting. After several proposals and discussions with the client, she chose a main ornamental theme composed of acanthus leaves running along scrolls and flowers with a pearl heart. This motif echoes the theme of The Girl with the Pearl Earring with its classical and feminine decoration.
The talents of Vacheron Constantin’s master-engraver have created a visually striking result. Her work began by outlining the décor using a scriber. She then proceeded to create a champlevé effect by flat-hollowing around the motifs, creating volume and depth by carving them with a burin.
Observation and analysis of the pattern is essential to understand the volumes before cutting into the metal. To keep the rhythm and flexibility of the acanthus leaves along the accompanying line, the curves must be stretched. The facets and stripes are then cleaned and polished. This work requires time and patience.
Polishing is indeed a delicate operation to find the right balance between the shimmer of the metal and the volumes of the sculpture which lose their dynamic appeal if they are too rounded. In order to accentuate the shadows and to add details to the leaves and flowers, slender hollow lines are made on each of them using the fine line engraving technique involving incising or hollowing out the material.
The last operation, the point-by-point hand-chasing of the background, accentuates the contrast between the matt chased champlevé surface and the polished motifs. This operation improves legibility and highlights the decoration by its shimmering appearance. Chasing creates a decoration or a texture by striking the material, unlike engraving and sculpture which involving removing material.
The adornment of the case middle is further emphasised by a double ‘pearl’ border, a reference to the painting by Johannes Vermeer. The creation of this border begins with an even distribution of engraved squares running around the bezel and caseback. Then the engraver transforms these squares into half-beads using a beading tool with a spherically hollowed tip leaving an imprint serving to form the half-beads of metal.
Handling this instrument requires a steady, rhythmical touch. The small 0.8 mm beads are then polished by hand using a brush coated with diamond paste. The effect must be regular, while maintaining the personal deft touch that gives life to the result thanks to similar yet unique reflections. This beaded or ‘pearl’ decoration that was particularly in vogue in the early 20th century requires peerless mastery and dexterity.
Like an extension of this delicate craftsmanship performed on the case middle, the bow is a work of art in itself with its two roaring lions. At the client’s request, these three-dimensional ronde bosse sculptures are inspired by classical statues. Incredibly realistic, sculpted in a block of gold, they embody a rare degree of mastery.
Before working the material in its raw state, the Vacheron Constantin engraver made several 3D prints to determine the right volumes that would enable her to express her art. To craft the lions’ heads, which are similar yet not identical in terms of their manes, she drew with a tracing point the outlines of the two profiles, from the front and from above. It is above all a question of understanding the volumes of the head in three dimensions, before starting the sculpture, which gradually makes her lose the previously traced reference points.
The head of the animal must be imprinted in her mind as an infallible reference point throughout the process in order to give it life and character. Observation and precision are essential in creating such an animal sculpture whose expression can be totally distorted by an excessively strong touch.
The engraver first used a milling cutter to rough out the material and then several burins for increasingly fine and accurate work. The details of the satin-brushed, matt and polished textures were obtained using specific tools, some created for the occasion. A total of five months of extremely meticulous craftsmanship was required to engrave and sculpt the various elements of the pocket watch.
In the interests of safety, particular attention was paid to the design of the hinged officer-type caseback. An internal mechanism inside the case facilitates access by enabling the user to half-open the caseback by pressing the crown-integrated pusher. A cone-shaped titanium pin serves as the hinge, concealed by gold screws, while a spring using approximately 90° of the case angle slows down the closing of the enamelled and engraved caseback.
The extraordinary length of the hands – the minutes hand is 35 mm long – is also a challenge, particularly when it comes to finishing the polished surfaces and ensuring an even surface. To enhance lightness, they are made of pfinodal, an alloy of copper, nickel and tin, and then gilded.
Technical details
Model: Les Cabinotiers Westminster Sonnerie –Tribute to Johannes Vermeer
Reference 9910C/000J-B413
Movement
Calibre 3761
Developed and crafted by Vacheron Constantin
Mechanical manual winding
71 mm (31 ½’’’) diameter, 17.05 mm thick
Movement power reserve: approximately 80h
Strikework power reserve (Grande Sonnerie mode): approximately 16 hours
2.5 Hz (18,000 vibrations/hour)
806 components
58 jewels
Hallmark of Geneva certified timepiece
Indications
Hours, minutes, small seconds
Tourbillon, minute repeater, Westminster carillon
Case
18K 3N yellow gold, engraved with acanthus leaves on the case sides and with tulips and “pearl” decor on the bezel and the caseback
Bow sculpted with two lion heads
Officer-type cover, Grand Feu miniature enamelling depicting Johannes Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring painting, handmade by Anita Porchet
98 mm diameter, 32.60 mm thick
Dial
Grand Feu eggshell-coloured enamelling
Blue enamelled numerals
Golden pfinodal hands
Presentation Box
Les Cabinotiers model exclusively developed for this timepiece
This unique and exceptional pocket watch made by Le Locle based Manufacture horlogère Jämes C. Pellaton SA seamlessly blends the art of open-working with a complex tourbillon complication.
The watch in 65mm diameter red gold case houses the Calibre JCP 1895 MD manual-winding movement that incorporates a one minute tourbillon at 6’ o clock and a power reserve indicator at 9 o’ clock. This Swiss made pocket skeleton chronometer tourbillon watch has a power reserve of seven days.
This Jämes C. Pellaton pocket watch with open-worked dial has four blued-gold hands, respectively for hour, minute, power reserve and small seconds. It took approximately two years to manufacture this one-of-a-kind mechanical timepiece.
Technical details
Movement
Calibre JCP 1895 MD
Manual winding movement
Diameter: 53 mm
Height: 13, 35 mm
294 parts
29 jewels
Power reserve: 7 days
Double barrel in parallel with coincident gears stopping system
Balance: With variable inertia screw
Escapement: Swiss lever
Frequency: 21,600 Alt/h
Balance spring: Flat double balance spring in opposition
Bottom plates: Wet blasting nickel silver, hand bevelled
Bridges: Extra features drawn nickel silver
Gear train: Dentures NIHS, bevelling above and below
Tourbillon: One rotation per minute displayed at 6
Indications
• Hours and minutes in the center
• Small second at 6
• Power reserve
Case
Red gold
Diameter: 65. 00 mm
Height: 17 mm
Anti reflective sapphire crystal
Transparent background relief engravings, domed sapphire crystal
Water resistance: 5 atm – 50 m
Crown with black enameled JCP logo
Dial
54 mm, sapphire
Hands: In blued gold, hand bevelled
Hermès presents the Arceau Pocket Aaaaaargh!, a high-complication pocket watch created in co-operation with English artist Alice Shirley. It is the third timepiece born from the collaboration between the Swiss luxury watch brand and Alice Shirley. First two creations were the Slim of Hermes Grrrrr! & the Arceau Awooooo.
After the gruff bear of the Slim of Hermes Grrrrr! and the wolf howling in the moonlight of the Arceau Awooooo, the Arceau Pocket Aaaaaargh! Watch highlights a tyrannosaurus aka T-Rex. On this new watch model, the «king of the tyrant lizards» with half-open jaws and an attentive eye comes to life under the expert guidance of Hermès watchmakers, after a month of meticulous work using exclusive techniques developed in its leather workshops.
The design of the tyrannosaurus, which appears to be peeking through a porthole, stands out against the cover and involves a combination of several demanding skills. The head and scales are made in leather mosaic: thousands of finely hand-cut multi-coloured leather fragments are applied one by one to faithfully reproduce the original pattern.
The domed eye of the dinosaur, visible on both sides of the cover, is made of cabochon-cut Grand Feu enamel. Finally, the jaw and tongue are crafted in leather marquetry: fine tesserae are cut from various coloured leathers, previously thinned to just 0.5 mm, before being juxtaposed on the enamel base. Setting the final touch to this miniaturized leather artwork, a matt green alligator leather cord-strap is secured to the rectangular stirrup and accentuates the overall design.
This 48mm white gold pocket watch houses the Hermès H1924 manufacture self-winding movement equipped with minute repeater and flying tourbillion complications. Beats at 3Hz, it has a power reserve of 90 hours.
Case
Shape/size: Round, 48 mm in diameter
Material: White gold case and cover
Watch glass: Anti-glare sapphire crystal and caseback
Caseback engraved with the inscription “Pièce unique”
Water resistance: 3 bar
Dial
White enamel on a white gold base
Cover
“Aaaaargh” marquetry and leather mosaic motif
Grand Feu enamel eye
Leather cord-strap
Medium – green alligator leather
With its new Lépine Hebdomas pocket watch, Swiss watch brand Aerowatch salutes the rich heritage of Swiss watchmaking artistry. It pays tribute to traditions by breathing new life into the illustrious era of the Hebdomas movement.
The Hebdomas caliber was developed and crafted in 1888 by master watchmaker Irénée Aubry from Saignelégier. At that time, the movement was revolutionary because it had a power reserve of 8 days, comparable to that of small pendulum clocks and some other types of timekeeping instruments. The exposure of the balance spring and parts of the escapement through an aperture in the dial was another technical accomplishment.
This invention was lauded with multiple awards, among them medals won at the following competitions: Geneva 1896, Paris 1900, Chicago 1902, Brussels 1910, Bern 1914 and Milan 1916. It is with passion and pride that Aerowatch has now restored the Hebdomas movement while preserving its original looks. In the 1950s, the cases of the prominent Aerowatch Lépine Hebdomas were made of 925 silver. The caseback and the caseband were lavishly guilloched in the Baroque style.
The dial is an eyecatcher. The steady beat of the balance spring and the manually decorated bridge in yellow gold instantly attract attention. Its sunburst finish is vibrantly radiant, endowing the pocket watch with contemporary appeal.
With sublime elegance, the moon-phase disk reveals sparkling stars inside a ring of svelte Roman numerals. The Breguet-style hour and minute hands in blued steel assure superb legibility of the time.
The analog date and day displays feature slender blued steel hands, emphasizing the balanced personality of the pocket watch as an expression of its charismatic lineage. The pocket watch is now available exclusively at official Aerowatch points of sale.
With “Eclat”, deLaCour wanted to revisit the past and offer a reinterpreted version of the classic pocket watch. These 9 timepieces are truly exceptional and unique.
By reconnecting with a long tradition of complicated pocket watches and by contemporarily reinterpreting the codes of these classical timepieces, deLaCour con- firms the Brands status as a high-end watchmaker and designer. deLaCour offers a true masterpiece: the dial and the 53 mm white gold case are fully set with 2287 diamonds.
Nine unique timepieces were designed. Each piece featuring a unique flange set with:
96 baguette-cut diamonds
or 120 yellow baguette-cut sapphires
or 120 baguette-cut rubies
or 120 baguette-cut blue sapphires
or 120 baguette-cut emeralds
A diamond set white gold chain completes each timepiece.
The watch carries a hand winding DC292 caliber, a Tourbillon at 6 o’clock and a 5-day power reserve indicator at 2 o’clock, featuring “lancelot shaped” hands tipped with Superluminova in its dial.The back of the pocket watch is set with diamonds and a sapphire glass allows a view at the DC292 caliber bridges as well as its logo: “deLaCour Genève”.
By achieving these 9 timepieces deLaCour confirms the Brands passion and expertise for watchmaking and high-end jewelry, combining perfect aesthetics and technical performance.
Technical details
ECLAT Pocket Watch
Movement
Calibre: DC 292; Tourbillon at 6’oclock
Winding: Mechanical
Power-reserve: 115 hours
Jewels: 37
Vibrations per hour: 28’800 (4Hz)
Twin barrel
Functions
Hours, minutes; Power reserve
Case
Dimensions: 53 x 12,5 mm
Material: White Gold
Glass: Sapphire
Back: Sapphire
Crown: Ø7 mm
Dial
Full diamond dial (brilliant cut) with baguette cut tension-ring.
Hands: Lancelot shaped with luminescent coating
Chain
White gold with diamonds (brilliant cut)
Buckle: White gold with diamonds (brilliant cut)
Reminiscent of watchmaking origins, the Tissot Lepine pocket watch takes a contemporary approach to revive such traditions. The Lepine combines the best of the past and present.
Traditional style pocket watches are popular with older generations who are looking for an accessory, which is both distinguished and practical. Now, the young and the trendy can get involved thanks to the super stylish Tissot Lepine, which breathes new life into pocket watch design.
Powered with a quartz movement, the Tissot Lepine has been created with the youth of today in mind. The perfect size to slip effortlessly into your jeans pocket, it is compact enough to be worn as a chic accessory. The relatively fine case crafted from aluminium allows Tissot to offer the piece in a plethora of hues. The braided leather chain brings a dynamic finish to the Tissot Lepine watch.
Technical detaills
Quartz movement with end-of-life indicator (EOL)
Aluminium case
Mineral crystal
Water resistance up to a pressure of 3 bar (30m / 100ft)
Gübelin “Turbulences” is a Tourbillon pocket watch conceived and made by the master watchmakers Richard Daners and Marion Müller in 2004 , to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Lucerne-based Jewellery and watch business group Gübelin (1854-2004).
It has a construction that even amongst watchmakers has been deemed impossible: a tourbillon that rotates around three axles in a rectangular position to each other.
The tourbillon, invented by Abraham Louis Breguet in 1795, even today represents one of the greatest challenges any traditional master watchmaker can think of. The watchmaker of Swiss origin, probably the most famous of his kind, had devised the construction in his Paris workshops in order to gain the utmost in precision from his pocket watches.
The constant influence of the earth’s gravity resulted in a lack of precision of the watches that were usually worn in a vertical position in vests and jackets. This default is due to the fact that it is virtually impossible to counterbalance the balance wheel and its hairspring. Breguet’s tourbillon put an end to this problem by guaranteeing that balance wheel, hairspring and escapement fulfil one rotation around their common axis, thereby neutralizing all inherent balance errors.
This rule still applies today, however only if the watch is always worn in a vertical position. Richard Daners and Marion Müller have built a tourbillon that eliminates the so-called gravitational error, no matter in which position the watch is worn. By creating this masterpiece the Gübelin ateliers demonstrated their willingness to venture upon the challenge of the impossible.
The difficulty of developing a tourbillon on three axes only becomes obvious if one realizes how tiny the forces are at the end of the gear train of a mechanical movement. The escape wheel that transmits its impulse to the balance wheel via the pallets has just enough strength to move the tip of an eider down.
The movement of the golden pocket watch is symmetrical in its construction and is driven by two spring barrels under one common bridge. The gears are mostly hidden in order not to draw the attention from the three-dimensional tourbillon. Like a skeletized globe it is suspended freely above an opening in the base plate.
Viewing the dial of the watch the delicate tourbillon can be seen through this circular hole. It is only from the rear that one discerns the whole glory of the mechanism. A large transparent caseback made of mineral glass allows a breathtaking view of the tourbillon’s complexity. The see-through cage is driven via an invisible circular cogwheel sustained by a large precision ball bearing, arranged around the opening in the base plate. The lightweight cage turns around the first axis, perpendicular to the plate once in 135 seconds. It takes it 45 seconds to turn in its second axis.
The escapement finally, situated in the innermost cage, accomplishes one full turn in a minute. Its axis again is always at a right angle to the second axis. Thus the observer sees an ever-changing image in continuous motion. The differences in running time of the three cages have the effect that it takes nine minutes until they all come back to their initial position for just one short moment.
The main cage of the tourbillon is suspended on one side only, which results in a so-called flying tourbillon. Therefore the axis on which it turns is invisible. By this the construction obtains a mysterious weightlessness. While trying to follow the complex movements of the tourbillon the observer will become aware of how his or her eyes try to dive into the gears to comprehend what can be seen. This is no easy task, seeing that we are used to gear trains with parallel axles, but none in which their position continually changes.
To round off the complexity of their masterpiece the two Gübelin watchmakers have equipped their escapement with a device that furnishes it with a constant amount of energy independent from the force stored in the spring barrels.
The contrivance relies on the principle of inertia and is a solution that is equally ingenious as simple, based on a 1943 invention by Henry Jeanneret. It ensures that the escape wheel at the moment of release does not get its force directly from the spring barrels, but indirectly from a spiralled hairspring that acts similarly as a buffer in computer technology.
It is regularly armed via the gear train as soon as the escape wheel is stopped again. If it were not for the hairspring, the escape wheel would rotate freely on its pinion. The pinion bears a small platinum weight whose inertia guarantees that the entire gear train only starts moving with a certain delay after the release of the escape wheel.
At the moment of its release the escape wheel, armed by the spiral spring, immediately hurries off, only being followed by its pinion when it has already stopped again.
IWC Schaffhausen unveiled a pocket watch with jumping numerals at the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) in Geneva as a special highlight of the Jubilee collection, in celebration of the company’s 150th anniversary.
The IWC Tribute to Pallweber Edition “150 Years”, limited to 50 pieces, is the first pocket watch from IWC with a digital hours and minutes display since the production of the historical Pallweber pocket watch was discontinued in 1890, and the first new pocket watch from the Swiss luxury watch manufacturer in the 21st century.
In 1884, IWC manufactured the first so-called Pallweber pocket watches. These innovative timepieces showed the hours and minutes in digital format with large numerals on rotating discs. In its 150th anniversary year, IWC honours this achievement with the IWC Tribute to Pallweber Edition “150 Years” (Ref. IW505101).
This exclusive pocket watch is limited to 50 pieces. It is housed in an 18-carat red gold case, elaborately decorated with guilloché work and worn on an 18-carat red gold chain. The pocket watch features a white dial with a lacquered finish and white display discs. The small seconds hand is blued.
As a reference to the design of the historical Pallweber watches and a tribute to F.A. Jones – the American watchmaker who founded IWC – the windows of the digital display are labelled as “Hours” and “Minutes”. Two windows in the spring cover reveal the hours and minutes, so the time can be read even when it is closed. The case also features a closed dust cover on the backside.
The IWC-manufactured 94200 calibre advances the display discs by using a separate wheel train with a barrel of its own. The fact that the flow of power in the main wheel train operates independently guarantees precision and a 60-hour power reserve.
Functions
Large digital displays for the hours and minutes
Edition
Limited to 50 watches
Movement
IWC-manufactured calibre 94200
Mechanical Hand-wound movement
Frequency: 28 800 A/h / 4 Hz
Jewels: 54
Power reserve: 60 h
Breguet spring
Jubilee medallion in 18-carat gold on back of movement
Case, dial and chain
18-carat red gold case
Diameter: 52 mm
Height: 14.2 mm
Glass: Sapphire, convex, antireflective coating on both sides
Water-resistant: 1 bar
White dial with a lacquered finish, black printed, white display discs, blued seconds hand
18-carat red gold chain
With six new stunning timepieces – Grande Seconde Paillonnée, Petite Heure Minute Paillonnée (3 case sizes – 35, 39 & 43 mm), Grande Seconde Tourbillon Paillonee & Pocket Watch Paillonnee – the craftsmen of the Jaquet Droz Ateliers d’Art revisit the art of paillonné enamelling, a traditional decorative technique passed down by Renaissance goldsmiths.
Applied individually by hand on the Grand Feu enamel of the dial, the fragile gold elements create kaleidoscopic patterns of hypnotic beauty, which are then fixed with a layer of translucent enamel. The result of this controlled mastery of fire, color and creative fragility is set by the extreme temperatures of the kilns: paillonné enameling produces masterpieces in which not even the slightest imperfection can be tolerated.
This year, six iconic models have been decorated using this exceptional technique, bringing together historic paillons and modern creations including the bird, which was so dear to the brand’s founder, Pierre Jaquet-Droz. A model particularly beloved of the artists who worked with Jaquet Droz, the Petite Heure Minute celebrates the richness of blue and red enamel in a broader range of executions measuring 35, 39 and 43 mm.
The Grande Seconde is available in a version with a dial decorated with blue Grand Feu enamel, beautifully set off by the brilliance of the paillons and the 43-mm diameter gold case.
An exceptional tourbillon, an ingenious complication that compensates for the effects of gravity, is housed in the seconds dial of one, while a pocket watch, which affords a precious insight into the standards of elegance in the 19th century, adds to the magic of this collection.
As rare as they are iconic, these new models effortlessly combine the colors that Jaquet Droz has made its own since the Enlightenment: the purest blue ever and deep red of the dial, and the luminous azure of the hands, complemented by the rich lustre of the rolled-edge hand-made alligator straps.
All equipped with a silicon escapement movement (except for the pocket watch), these watches – eight of which have been produced in each version and engraved with an individual number – convey the characteristic Jaquet Droz style: pure refinement to capture the magic of time.
Technical details Collection: Les Ateliers D’art
1. Grande Seconde Paillonnée Numerus Clausus of 8, Reference: J003033424
Movement
Jaquet Droz 2663.P, self-winding mechanical movement, silicon balance spring and pallet horns, double barrel, flat bridges, 18-karat red gold oscillating weight
30 jewels
Power reserve: 68 hours
Frequency: 28,800 v.p.h.
Indications
Off-centered hours and minutes
Large off-centered second
Case
18-karat red gold case
Diameter 43 mm
Height 12.06 mm
Individual limited serial number engraved on the case-back
Water resistance: 3 bar (30 meters)
Dial
Paillonné on blue Grand Feu enamel
18-karat red gold applied ring
Screws in blued steel
Silver opaline hours, minutes and seconds dial
Hands: Blued stainless steel
Strap
Rolled-edge hand-made black alligator strap
Buckle: 18-karat red gold ardillon buckle
2. Petite Heure Minute Paillonnée, 35 mm Numerus Clausus of 8, Reference: J005003243
Movement
Jaquet Droz 2653.P, self-winding mechanical movement, silicon balance spring and pallet horns, double barrel, flat bridges, 18-karat red gold oscillating weight
28 jewels
Power reserve: 68 hours
Frequency: 28,800 v.p.h.
Indications
Off-centered hours and minutes
Case
18-karat red gold case
Diameter 35 mm
Height 10.80 mm
Individual limited serial number engraved on the case-back
Water resistance: 3 bar (30 meters)
Dial
Red Grand Feu paillonné-enameled
18-karat red gold applied ring
White mother-of-pearl hours and minutes dial
Hands: Blued stainless steel
3. Petite Heure Minute Paillonnée, 39 mm Numerus Clausus of 8, Reference: J005013247
Movement
Jaquet Droz 2653.P, self-winding mechanical movement, silicon balance spring and pallet horns, double barrel, flat bridges, 18-karat red gold oscillating weight
28 jewels
Power reserve: 68 hours
Frequency: 28,800 v.p.h.
Indications
Off-centered hours and minutes
Case
18-karat red gold case
Diameter 39 mm
Height 12.23 mm
Individual limited serial number engraved on the case-back
Water resistance: 3 bar (30 meters)
Dial
Paillonné on blue Grand Feu enamel
18-karat red gold applied ring and plate
Screws in blued steel
Silver opaline hours and minutes dial
Hands: Blued stainless steel
Strap
Rolled-edge hand-made black alligator strap
Buckle: 18-karat red gold ardillon buckle
4. Petite Heure Minute Paillonnée, 43 mm Numerus Clausus of 8, Reference: J005033258
Movement
Jaquet Droz 2653.P, self-winding mechanical movement, silicon balance spring and pallet horns, double barrel, flat bridges, 18-karat red gold oscillating weight
28 jewels
Power reserve: 68 hours
Frequency: 28,800 v.p.h.
Indications
Off-centered hours and minutes
Case
18-karat red gold case
Diameter 43 mm
Height 12.06 mm
Individual limited serial number engraved on the case-back
Water resistance: 3 bar (30 meters)
Dial
Paillonné on blue Grand Feu enamel
18-karat red gold applied ring and plate
Screws in blued steel
Silver opaline hours and minutes dial
Hands: Blued stainless steel
Strap
Rolled-edge hand-made black alligator strap
Buckle: 18-karat red gold ardillon buckle
5. Grande Seconde Tourbillon Paillonee Numerus Clausus of 8, Reference: J013033243
Movement
Jaquet Droz 25JD.Si, self-winding tourbillon movement, silicon balance spring and pallet horns, 18-karat red gold oscillating weight with red jasper applique
31 jewels
Power reserve: 7 days
Frequency: 21,600 v.p.h.
Indications
Off-centered hours and minutes
Off-centered tourbillon frame and seconds
Case
18-karat red gold case
Diameter 43 mm
Height 13.1 mm
Individual limited serial number engraved on the case-back
Water resistance: 3 bar (30 meters)
Dial
Paillonné on red Grand Feu enamel
18-karat red gold applied ring
Screws in blued steel
Silver opaline hours, minutes and seconds dial
Hands: Blued stainless steel
Strap
Rolled-edge hand-made black alligator strap
Buckle: 18-karat red gold folding clasp
6. Pocket Watch Paillonnee Numerus Clausus of 8, Reference: J080033047
Movement
Jaquet Droz 2615, hand-winding mechanical movement
20 jewels
Power reserve: 40 hours
Frequency: 21,600 v.p.h.
Indications
Off-centered hours and minutes
Large off-centered second
Case
18-karat red gold case
Diameter 50 mm
Height 12.07 mm
Individual limited serial number engraved on the case-back
Water resistance: 3 bar (30 meters)
Dial
Paillonné on blue Grand Feu enamel
18-karat red gold applied ring
Screws in blued steel
Silver opaline hours, minutes and seconds dial
Hands: Blued stainless steel
Paying tributes to its rich heritage in the manufacturing of railroad watches, Longines presents the RailRoad Pocket Watch, a steel pocket watch inspired by the “railroad” models produced at the time of the railway’s expansion. This timepiece’s simple yet distinctive design, produced in a numbered and limited series of 250 pieces, is designed for those for whom the train is more than just a mode of transportation, in the same way that a watch is more than an instrument to tell time: it is a true adventure consisting of movement, precision and tradition.
With its widely recognized expertise in timekeeping, Longines naturally equipped staff members of some of the world’s largest railroad companies, from Romania to Serbia, Persia, Italy, Chili, Canada, the United States, Turkey, and China.
The Longines RailRoad Pocket Watch draws its inspiration from the essence of pieces produced between the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. It stylishly combines the functional sobriety and technicality specific to the brand. Its bottom-facing glass offers a spectacular view of part of the mechanical system – the balance and the three bridges – that drive this pocket watch. A spectacle enhanced by a finely wrought engraving, similar to those that decorated the RailRoad watches at the time.
Its steel case, measuring 49.5 mm in diameter, holds the manual-winding L513.2 calibre, developed exclusively for Longines. In the functional spirit of railroad requirements, its white lacquered and polished dial is adorned with eleven large Roman numerals of contrasting design, ensuring perfect visibility. More relevant than ever, a railway-style minute track gives time through bluish-steel hands. A second counter at six o’clock completes its time-telling features. A steel chain is finishing this exclusive model.
Technical details
The Longines RailRoad Pocket Watch
Reference number: L7.039.4.21.2
Limited series of 250 numbered pieces
Movement
Manual winding mechanical movement (Exclusive Longines)
Calibre L513.2 (ETA B99.L01)
16 ½ lines, 17 jewels, 21’600 vibrations per hour
53 hour power reserve
Functions
Hours, minutes and small seconds at 6 o’clock
Case
Round, 49.50 mm, stainless steel
Engraved case back with special shaped sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on the underside
Crystal sapphire with anti-reflective coating
Dial
White Lacquered, 11 black roman numerals printed
Hands: Blued steel, hours pear shape, minutes leaf shape and small second baton hand with ball counterweights
HYT presents its first ever pocket watch, the Skull Pocket. With this innovative hydro-mechanical pocket watch the young Swiss watch brand is restating its desire to invent the watches of tomorrow, using the knowledge of the past and the science of today. The fluid technology integrated in HYT’s Skull Pocket sits perfectly with all the lines of the traditional mechanical watch, bringing these into the 21st century.
The Skull Pocket is available in a limited release of 8 pieces. For the first time, the light source module developed for its Metropolis model has been combined with a Skull.
This module has two LEDs positioned underneath the rider at 6 o’clock. The micro-generator which activates them has been integrated into the case. It works by converting mechanical power into electricity. A barrel spring is loaded when the dedicated pushbutton crown at 4:30 is turned. Pressing this push-button crown then releases the spring and turns the micro-generator at very high speeds, creating the electricity needed to activate the two LEDs. This bathes the Skull Pocket in a soft blue light, and gives the green liquid its fluorescent glow.
The light lasts for around five seconds, after which the mechanism needs to be reinitialised. No batteries or electronics are required for this function as the process is completely mechanical. Developing this patented assembly, which comprises no fewer than 82 components, was a particularly painstaking task due to its extreme miniaturisation and its curved shape.
The assembly sits within a 59 mm case which was specially created for the Skull Pocket, made from titanium and black DLC titanium. In place of the lugs, HYT has developed an exclusive cover system to protect the dial. Articulated by a hinge at 12 o’clock, it is triggered by the iconic rider at 6 o’clock, which has become one of the brand’s aesthetic hallmarks. The cover features an engraved pattern with leather inserts, and can be fully customised.
When pressed gently downwards, this rider releases the cover, unveiling the Skull Pocket dial. For the first time, the skull is completely faceted in a contemporary design, subtly reflecting the light in an echo of the Clous de Paris stud finish which surrounds it.
At night, the light emanates instantly, producing a soft blue glow which floods the case and causes the coloured liquid charged with fluorescent dye to react. The time can be read intuitively around the circumference of the skull, via indices with Arabic numerals filled with SuperLuminova. The seconds are displayed in the left eye and the power reserve in the right eye.
The piece is attached to a titanium chain specially designed for the Skull Pocket. Its faceted structure, which alternates polished and satin finishes, was designed to evoke the aesthetic of the skull, in a tangible extension of its spirit.
Case
Titanium and black DLC titanium with a customisable, leather-embossed cover
Diameter: 59 mm
Height: 20.6 mm
Two titanium screw-on crowns sheathed in black rubber at 2:30 and 4:30
Titanium dome with integrated cover release system at 6 o’clock
Side plate (3 o’clock/9 o’clock) with black DLC Clous de Paris decoration
Domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on the dial side
Metallised screw-on sapphire case-back
Water-resistant up to 50 metres
Movement
Mechanical with manual winding, exclusive HYT calibre
28,800 Vph, 4 Hz, 35 jewels
Hand-bevelled bridges adorned with Côtes de Genève
65-hour power reserve. HYT’s exclusive patented micro-fluidic module:
– Two multi-layer metal bellows
– Capillary tube in medical grade glass, with interior nano-coating
– Two immiscible liquids; one transparent and the other coloured with a highly resistant dye
– Thermal compensator with dedicated bellows containing a special liquid
– Ceramic fluid restrictors Light mechanical module:
– System activation and winding function with push-button crown at 4:30
– Micro-generator system triggered by pressing the push-button crown at 4:30.
Dial
Unstructured, with black PVD Clous de Paris stud pattern, grey rhodium-plated indices, hours indicated by a fluid
Faceted skull with PVD treatment
Black hour dial with grey indices
Seconds disc (left eye)
Power reserve indicator (right eye)
Chain
Titanium, with HYT customisation
Swivel clasps: titanium, with HYT customisation
“Wallflower” has always described people who are often overlooked, whether it’s for an invitation to dance or even for a promotion. There are also wallflowers among a manufacturer’s products, but they are not to be confused with slow sellers. Slow sellers often sell slowly for a good reason, but a wallflower is a real discovery.
MeisterSinger features a wallflower with subtle beauty and robust technology in its product line – the pocket watch. It consistently follows the brand’s design maxim and the sense of time for people who don’t divide their day into the smallest units of time and don’t let themselves be hounded by seconds.
For one, company founder Manfred Brassler took inspiration from early pocket watches to include in the design of his own watches. In addition, those who manage their own time don’t need to have a wristwatch constantly in front of their eyes. If the owner of a pocket watch like this wants to know what time it is, they pull it out and enjoy its well-balanced design.
The smooth case, made of stainless steel, frames a large clock face available in either white or ivory. The time, as indicated with a single blue hour hand, can be read effortlessly. The watch is powered by a traditional Swiss pocket watch movement (Unitas 6498-1), which the owner winds by hand using the crown at 12:00 o’clock – right where the stainless steel chain is attached to the watch.
A beautiful ritual, and a watch for those who know not to overlook such quality. The unique watches from MeisterSingerare available from specialized retailers.
The spirit of Jaquet Droz takes on a new incarnation in this line of exceptional timepieces, a celebration of the magnificent decorative art of paillonné enameling. This landmark in artistry and watchmaking brings together the legends of the past with the finest of the present.
At Jaquet Droz, modernity goes hand in hand with tradition. The Age of Enlightenment saw the foundation of the brand known by its twin stars—and marked it with the exquisite decorative spirit of the period. Consequently, Jaquet Droz watches are universally acknowledged as much for their mechanical excellence as for the splendor of their dials—painted, engraved and enameled in the Ateliers d’Art in La Chaux-de-Fonds.
The art of paillonné enameling distinguishes itself among these decorative techniques. This delicate art consists of meticulously positioning tiny paillons of gold, one by one, to create perfectly geometrical patterns on the colored enamel itself, and then setting the design under a coat of translucent enamel fondant. To achieve an enamel finish of flawlessly even grain and color requires consummate mastery of the extremely high firing temperatures. Pierre Jaquet-Droz was a virtuoso of these techniques and thanks to him, among others, the art of paillonné enameling was at its zenith in the 18th century. When Jaquet Droz craftsmen resuscitated this process, they first used original paillons from that period. Now they have the expertise to produce their own paillons, adding a new emotional dimension to timepieces by blending the gestures of bygone days and modern times, then crowning this art with the unique coloring of Grand Feu enamel.
Every year brings its own rare and fresh designs, as the brand continues to celebrate such timeless allure. The new timepieces offered as limited editions in 2016 push the boundaries of creativity and beauty even further. This virtuoso decorative art now adorns the most emblematic of Jaquet Droz’s families of watches, its graphic lines equaled in their purity only by the glints of light reflected off red gold and the shimmer of colored enamel.
The Grande Seconde sports unprecedented shades of violet and anthracite gray, along with a blue of outstanding luminosity. The same three colors unfold across the Petite Heure Minute 39 mm, while the Pocket Watch swathes itself in blue or red in a nod to the noble tradition of the pocket watch. Femininity is heightened in the previously unseen 35 mm version of the Petite Heure Minute with its deep blue dial—sunray-polished, like all the models in this edition. Lastly, the majestic Tourbillon with its seven-day power reserve is now available in a paillonné version for the first time. An object of infinite care, this model abounds in well-considered detail, with minute attention paid to the blue of its hands, the screw heads on its flanges and the lapis lazuli oscillating weight—a harmony evoking Jaquet Droz’s historical expertise in decorative stones and horological complications.
Although the workmanship on these new models abides strictly by the rules laid down during the Renaissance, a spirit of reinvention still whispers through it. This year, the overlayed gold barrettes have been revisited with typical Jaquet Droz finesse—a pinhead of gold, like a tiny bead, is cut and placed by hand at the junction of the two lines, emphasizing the decorative volumes encased in transparent enamel.
Each piece in these limited editions requires extremely painstaking craftsmanship, resulting in a rare contemporary experience where the finest of age-old tradition is united with the best of modernity.
Les Ateliers D’art Collection Grande Seconde Paillonnée, Reference: J003033414 Numerus Clausus of 8
Movement
Jaquet Droz 2663.P, self-winding mechanical movement, silicon balance spring and pallet horns, double barrel, 18-carat red gold oscillating weight
Indications: Off-centered hours and minutes, large seconds subdial
Jewelling: 30 jewels
Power reserve: 68 hours
Frequency: 28,800 v.p.h.
Case
18-carat red gold case, 43 mm diameter
Height 12.06 mm
Individual limited serial number engraved on the case-back
Water resistance: 3 bar (30 meters)
Dial
Paillonné in blue Grand Feu enamel
18-carat red gold ring
Silvery opaline hours, minutes and seconds dial
Hands: Blued stainless steel
Strap
Rolled-edge hand-made dark blue alligator leather
Buckle: 18-carat red gold ardillon buckle
Les Ateliers D’art Collection Grande Seconde Paillonnée, Reference: J003033415 Numerus Clausus of 8
Movement
Jaquet Droz 2663.P, self-winding mechanical movement, silicon balance spring and pallet horns, double barrel, 18-carat red gold oscillating weight
Indications: Off-centered hours and minutes, large seconds subdial
Jeweling: 30 jewels
Power reserve: 68 hours
Frequency: 28,800 v.p.h.
Case
18-carat red gold case, diameter 43 mm
Height 12.06 mm
Individual limited serial number engraved on the case-back
Water resistance: 3 bar (30 meters)
Dial
Paillonné in gray Grand Feu enamel
18-carat red gold ring
Silvery opaline hours, minutes and seconds dial
Hands: Blued stainless steel
Strap
Rolled-edge hand-made dark gray alligator leather
Buckle: 18-carat red gold ardillon buckle
Les Ateliers D’art Collection Grande Seconde Paillonnée, Reference: J003033416 Numerus Clausus of 8
Movement
Jaquet Droz 2663.P, self-winding mechanical movement, silicon balance spring and pallet horns, double barrel, 18-carat red gold oscillating weight
Indications: Off-centered hours and minutes, large seconds subdial
Jeweling: 30 jewels
Power reserve: 68 hours
Frequency: 28,800 v.p.h.
Case
18-carat red gold case, diameter 43 mm
Height 12.06 mm
Individual limited serial number engraved on the case-back
Water resistance: 3 bar (30 meters)
Dial
Paillonné in violet Grand Feu enamel
18-carat red gold ring
Silvery opaline hours, minutes and seconds dial
Hands: Blued stainless steel
Petite Heure Minute Collection Petite Heure Minute Paillonnée, Reference: J005003240 Numerus Clausus of 8
Movement
Jaquet Droz 2653.P, self-winding mechanical movement, silicon balance spring and pallet horns, double barrel, 18-carat red gold oscillating weight
Indications: Off-centered hours and minutes
Jeweling: 28 jewels
Power reserve: 68 hours
Frequency: 28,800 v.p.h.
Case
18-carat red gold case
Diameter 35 mm
Height 10.80 mm
Individual limited serial number engraved on the case-back
Water resistance: 3 bar (30 meters)
Dial
Paillonné in blue Grand Feu enamel. 18-carat red gold ring
Silvery opaline hours and minutes dial
Hands: Blued stainless steel
Strap
Rolled-edge hand-made dark blue alligator leather
Buckle: 18-carat red gold ardillon buckle
Petite Heure Minute Collection Petite Heure Minute Paillonnée, Reference: J005013244 Numerus Clausus of 8
Movement
Jaquet Droz 2653.P, self-winding mechanical movement, silicon balance spring and pallet horns, double barrel, 18-carat red gold oscillating weight
Indications: Off-centered hours and minutes
Jeweling: 28 jewels
Power reserve: 68 hours
Frequency: 28,800 v.p.h.
Case
18-carat red gold case
Diameter 39 mm
Height 12.23 mm
Individual limited serial number engraved on the case-back
Water resistance: 3 bar (30 meters)
Dial
Paillonné in blue Grand Feu enamel. 18-carat red gold ring and plate
Silvery opaline hours and minutes dial
Hands: Blued stainless steel
Strap
Rolled-edge hand-made dark blue alligator leather
Buckle: 18-carat red gold ardillon buckle
Petite Heure Minute Collection Petite Heure Minute Paillonnée, Reference: J005013245 Numerus Clausus of 8
Movement
Jaquet Droz 2653.P, self-winding mechanical movement, silicon balance spring and pallet horns, double barrel, 18-carat red gold oscillating weight
Indications: Off-centered hours and minutes
Jeweling: 28 jewels
Power Reserve: 68 hours
Frequency: 28,800 v.p.h.
Case
18-carat red gold case
Diameter 39 mm
Height 12.23 mm
Individual limited serial number engraved on the case-back
Water resistance: 3 bar (30 meters)
Dial
Paillonné in violet Grand Feu enamel. 18-carat red gold ring and plate
Silvery opaline hours and minutes dial
Hands: Blued stainless steel
Petite Heure Minute Collection Petite Heure Minute Paillonnée, Reference: J005013246 Numerus Clausus of 8
Movement
Jaquet Droz 2653.P, self-winding mechanical movement, silicon balance spring and pallet horns, double barrel, 18-carat red gold oscillating weight
Indications: Off-centered hours and minutes
Jeweling: 28 jewels
Power reserve: 68 hours
Frequency: 28,800 v.p.h.
Case
18-carat red gold case
Diameter 39 mm
Height 12.23 mm
Individual limited serial number engraved on the case-back
Water resistance: 3 bar (30 meters)
Dial
Paillonné in gray Grand Feu enamel. 18-carat red gold ring and plate
Silvery opaline hours and minutes dial
Hands: Blued stainless steel
Strap
Rolled-edge hand-made dark gray alligator leather
Buckle: 18-carat red gold ardillon buckle
Grande Seconde Collection Grande Seconde Tourbillon, Reference: J013033242 Numerus Clausus of 8
Movement
Jaquet Droz 25JD, self-winding tourbillon movement, 18-carat red gold oscillating weight with lapis lazuli applique
Jeweling: 31 jewels
Power reserve: 7 days
Frequency: 21,600 v.p.h.
Indications
Hours and minutes at 6 o’clock
Tourbillon frame and seconds at 12 o’clock
Case
18-carat red gold case
Diameter 43 mm
Height 13.1 mm
Individual limited serial number engraved on the case-back
Water resistance: 3 bar (30 meters)
Dial
Paillonné in blue Grand Feu enamel. 18-carat red gold ring
Silvery opaline hours and minutes dial
Hands: Blued stainless steel
Strap
Rolled-edge hand-made dark blue alligator leather
Buckle: 18-carat red gold folding clasp
Les Ateliers D’art Collection The Pocket Watch Paillonnée, Reference: J080033044 Numerus Clausus of 8
Movement
Jaquet Droz 2615, hand-winding mechanical movement
Indications: Off-centered hours and minutes, large seconds subdial
Jeweling: 20 jewels
Power reserve: 40 hours
Frequency: 21,600 v.p.h.
Case
18-carat red gold case, diameter 50 mm
Height 12.07 mm
Individual limited serial number engraved on the case-back
Water resistance: No
Dial
Paillonné in blue Grand Feu enamel
18-carat red gold ring
Silvery opaline hours, minutes and seconds dial
Hands: Blued stainless steel
Chain
18-carat red gold
Les Ateliers D’art Collection The Pocket Watch Paillonnée, Reference: J080033046 Numerus Clausus of 8
Movement
Jaquet Droz 2615, hand-winding mechanical movement
Indications: Off-centered hours and minutes, large seconds subdial
Jeweling: 20 jewels
Power reserve: 40 hours
Frequency: 21,600 v.p.h.
Case
18-carat red gold case, diameter 50 mm
Height 12.07 mm
Individual limited serial number engraved on the case-back
Water resistance: No
Dial
Paillonné in red Grand Feu enamel
18-carat red gold ring
Silvery opaline hours, minutes and seconds dial
Hands: Blued stainless steel
Hermès unveils a one-of-a-kind creation born from an association between engraving and enamelling. These techniques unite to create an artwork built on a delicate interplay of subtle shades and textures.
Echoing the Hermès annual theme for 2016: “Nature at full gallop”, the great cat featured on the dial of the Slim d’Hermès Pocket Panthère is drawn from an illustration by the artist Robert Dallet, who cooperated with the Maison in the 1980s.
The panther glides its way onto a winter background. Crafted by two masters of engraving and enamel, it stems from a new artistic approach. Building on their respective experience, they combine their skills in an original way.
Before work began, each detail of the motif was studied in order define the passages of the engraver’s graving tool and of the enameller’s brush. Together, these artisans break free of the constraints and limitations imposed by their techniques in order to create a vibrantly beautiful work. Materials, shimmering reflections combine to form a harmoniously balanced whole.
The panther – the only non-engraved element – is miniature enamel painted using the “Grand Feu” enamelling technique. The enamel powder is applied with a brush and alternately mixed with water or oil. To fix the material in place and for each new colour, the piece is fired in the kiln at an extremely high temperature. The micro-fragments melt and are transformed into glass. Patience is of the essence, since the dial of the Slim d’Hermès Pocket Panthère involves up to 25 firing cycles.
The match between engraving and enamelling stands out against a snowy backdrop. The white gold dial is crafted on five different levels, with the deepest being reserved for the panther itself. The engraved motifs are then coated with enamel to a variable extent. In some places, the pure metal gleams just below the surface, either shiny or matt depending on the chosen effects, such as the tufts of grass appearing at 7 o’clock. The engraver both begins the work and sets the final touch, by purifying the oxidised zones using a heat treatment and creating the last subtle surface effects.
The matching gold case of the Slim d’Hermès Pocket, the latest newcomer to the watch collections of the Maison, is crafted in its own workshops. Its design embody purity in motion through timelessly elegant and restrained lines.
The lugs at 12 o’clock featuring an extremely fine design, frame the crown and accentuate the rounded curves of the case by forming a right-angle shape. Their momentum extends to the spring bars, around which the matt havana alligator strap appears to coil, while the transparent caseback reveals the heart of the movement.
Beating inside the Slim d’Hermès Pocket Panthère is the ultra-thin 2.6 mm H1950 calibre delivering a 42-hour power reserve. Automatic winding is ensured by a technically complex micro-rotor. The finishes, including hand-chamfered bridge, reflect profound respect for watchmaking traditions and like all Hermès movements, Calibre H1950 is adorned with a “sprinkling of Hs” motif.
Technical details
Model: Hermès Slim d’Hermès Pocket Panthère
Movement
Mechanical self-winding movement, crafted in Switzerland
Ultra-thin Hermès Manufacture movement H1950
Diameter: 30 mm (13 ¼’’’)
Thickness: 2.6 mm
Power Reserve: 42 hours
Jewelling: 29 jewels
Frequency: 21’600 vibrations per hour / 3 Hz
Decoration: Special Hermès decoration (H symbols)
Distinctive feature: Micro-rotor, hand-chamfered bridges
Functions
Hours, minutes
Case
Shape/size: Round 45 mm diameter
Material: White gold
Glass: Glare-proofed sapphire crystal and caseback
Water resistance: 3 bar
Dial
Engraved and enamelled white gold, a design by Robert Dallet
Leather
Cord strap and pouch in matt havana alligator
Watchmakers at Hermès present three pocket watches decorated according to the techniques of enamel miniature painting, Grand Feu enamelled associated with three-dimensional sculpture and engraving.
Echoing the Hermès theme for 2016 “Nature at full gallop”, the scenes presented on the cover of these three models are drawn from the silk scarf “La promenade de Platon” created by the artist Annie Faivre. This unusual ensemble unites enamel, interwoven microsculpture and engraving in a stroll through the heart of the philosopher’s much-loved gardens of Academus, depicted through three tableaus.
The first portrayal plays on shades of brown. At the centre, a horse paws the ground, surrounded by luxurious foliage. Against this background, the scene crafted using the Grand Feu enamel miniature painting technique appears in light shades. Enamel miniature painting involves composing the motif in successive stages.
The nuances are expressed through subtle differences of shade, touch after touch. Using a tiny brush, the enamel artist applies the coloured enamel diluted in oil or water. Each stage is marked by a firing in the kiln heated to more than 800°C so that the enamel melts and adheres to the white gold base. It takes more than 20 firing operations for the final motif to appear.
The second tableau features a play on volumes and contrasts. The white gold base of the cover is coated with night blue Grand Feu enamel. It provides the backdrop for a decor carved from an extremely thin yellow gold plate. The horseman and his mount form the centre of the scene, surrounded by entwined branches.
Each of them is individually positioned by hand in such a way that the overall result expresses the organic nature of the plant. This work of creating a volume effect calls for extremely precise expertise. It also requires great sensitivity in order to ensure that this new kind of weaving radiates a true sense of visual harmony. Once the arrangement is completed, the artisan accentuates certain details with tiny touches of paint.
The third and last scene stages the art of engraving. It associates the rose gold of the four central horses with the white gold of the background decor. The artist prepares the base by removing metal from the areas where the horses will be placed. The latter are cut out separately and added on to the main plate.
The engraver then transforms these rough surfaces, individually hand-modelling each animal as well as the branches. To make the scene stand out, he hollows the edges by digger deeper ‘pockets’ around them. Fine hammering the inside of these recessed areas gives them a smooth, even appearance and a thin layer of metal is then applied to further enhance the contrasts.
The asymmetrical Arceau case is one of the Hermès watchmaking signatures. Inspired by a stirrup, its upper attachment evokes the shape of a horseshoe. Measuring 48 mm in diameter, it is crafted in white gold by the Hermès workshops along with the alligator cord strap, crafted in accordance with the historical expertise of the Maison. Its transparent case-back reveals the beating heart of the watch.
Each one-of-a-kind Arceau Pocket Promenade de Platon watch is driven by a Hermès H1837 movement crafted in Switzerland. This mechanical self-winding calibre powers the hours and minutes and its mainplate is adorned with snailed circular-graining, while the classic ‘sprinkling of Hs’ motif graces the oscillating weight and the balance bridge.
Technical details
Model: Arceau Pocket La promenade de Platon
Movement
Mechanical self-winding, crafted in Switzerland
Manufacture Hermès H1837 movement
Diameter: 26 mm (11 ½’’’)
Thickness: 3.7 mm
Power reserve: 50 hours
Jewelling: 28 jewels
Frequency: 28,800 vibrations per hour / 4 Hz
Decoration: Circular-grained and snailed baseplate,bridges and oscillating weight satin-brushed and adorned with ‘sprinkling of Hs’
Functions
Hours, minutes
Model 1
Case: Round, 48 mm in diameter, White gold
Cover: In enamel miniature painting
Crystal: Anti-reflective sapphire crystal and case-back
Water resistance: to 3 bar
Dial: Graded shades of brown enamel on white gold base. Champlevé white gold Arabic numerals
Leather: Cord strap and pouch in matt havana alligator
Model 2
Case: Round, 48 mm in diameter, White gold
Cover: Engraved in white gold, engraved white gold applique
Crystal: Anti-reflective sapphire crystal and case-back
Water resistance: to 3 bar
Dial: Graded shades of falcon-toned enamel on a white gold base. Champlevé white gold Arabic numerals
Leather: Cord strap and pouch in smooth elephant grey alligator
Model 3
Case: Round, 48 mm in diameter, White gold
Cover: Night blue enamelled base, cut-out and engraved gold leaves, applied horse in engraved gold and enamel miniature painting
Crystal: Anti-reflective sapphire crystal and case-back
Water resistance: to 3 bar
Dial: Graded shades of night blue enamel on a white gold case. Champlevé white gold Arabic numerals
Leather: Cord strap and pouch in matt indigo blue alligator
The Pocket plein cuir by Hermès honours the leather-making and watchmaking expertise cultivated by the Maison. Finely crafted in the Hermès workshops, this new pocket watch is comfortably nestled inside a colourful alligator jacket.
The Pocket plein cuir watch by Hermès stems from the mystery of leather and watchmaking skills. At once classic and contemporary, it features a surprising fastening system and an equally unusual leather sheath. This horological object harmoniously associates the science of time measurement with the art of travel and leather craftsmanship.
Two saddle-making techniques are combined in this timepiece: through-seam stitching and so- “full-grain leather”. The latter consist of superimposing several layers of leather to create a six- millimetre thickness smoothly encasing the watch.
The watch itself is also created in the Hermès workshops. Its 750 white gold case frames a precious and rare dial crafted using the ancient Grand Feu enamel technique that implies several manual operations. In addition to manufacturing and preparing the metal base, enamelling involves successively firings at around 800°C. These stages serve to melt the glass powder – white for the base and black for the Roman numerals – which then solidifies onto the metal.
The Pocket plein cuir is powered by the Manufacture Hermès H1912 movement crafted in Switzerland. The special ‘sprinkling of Hs’ motif adorning this mechanical self-winding calibre is visible through a transparent sapphire crystal case-back. This generous 54mm-diameter model complemented by a white gold bow is available in three colours: burgundy, elegant grey and sapphire blue.
Technical details
Model: Hermès Pocket plein cuir
Movement
Mechanical self-winding, crafted in Switzerland
Manufacture H1912 movement
Diameter: 23.9 mm (10 ½’’’)
Thickness: 3.7 mm
Power reserve: 50 hours
Number of components: 193
Jewelling: 28 jewels
Frequency: 28,800 vibrations per hour / 4 Hz
Decoration: Circular-grained and snailed baseplate, bridges and oscillating weight satin-brushed and adorned with ‘sprinkling of Hs’
Functions
Hours, minutes
Case
Shape and size: Ronde, 54 mm in diameter
Material: White gold
Crystal: Anti-reflective sapphire crystal and case-back
Water resistance: 3 bar
Dial
White enamel dial
Black enamel transferred Roman numerals
With its long involvement in and passion for equestrian sports, the Swiss watchmaking brand presents The Longines Equestrian Pocket Watch Jockey 1878, an 18 carat rose gold pocket watch that is the replica of a model fitted with the first chronograph created by Longines. Produced in a very limited 20-piece numbered series, each timepiece is adorned on the back with an engraving of a jockey and his mount.
In 1878, thanks to new mechanical processes, the Swiss watchmaking brand Longines developed its first chronograph movement. This timepiece allowed one to measure performances to the second, and through it, Longines held a pre-eminent position on American racetracks as early as the end of the 19th century. Additionally, the purpose of the production of this watch was crystallized, while one of the first series of models displayed a jockey accompanied by his mount.
Longines Pocket Chronograph, circa 1878
This chronograph was the first milestone in a long history that has led the Swiss watchmaking brand to partner with world-renowned institutions, races and jumping competitions around the globe. Today, Longines proudly reissues this exceptional piece.
This 18 carat rose gold pocket watch shows on the back an engraving of a jockey and his mount, symbols of elegance, tradition and performance – the brand’s key values. Its core houses a manual winding movement, fitted with a column-wheel chronograph mechanism, made exclusively for Longines. It can be activated by using a single push button on the winding crown. The blued steel column wheel can be admired by opening the engraved cover. The Lépine metal pocket watch used as an inspiration for this reissue is kept at the Longines museum in Saint-Imier.
Historical witness to the tight bonds that link Longines and equestrian sports, this exceptional model has been produced in a very limited edition, each of which is numbered. With a diameter of 55 mm, it displays hours, minutes and small seconds at 6 o’clock using elegant blued steel hands. It is also capable of keeping the time to the second, thanks to the chronograph’s central hand. Its white dial is decorated with large Roman numerals and a minute track adorned with Arabic numerals. The finely crafted bow is made in the image of the timepiece which inspired it.
Technical details
Model: The Longines Equestrian Pocket Watch Jockey 1878
Reference number: L7.031.8.11.1
Limited series of 20 numbered pieces
Movement
Manual winding mechanical movement with column-wheel chronograph mechanism
Calibre L790.2 (ETA A08.L31)
13¼ lines, 20 jewels, 28,800 vibrations per hour
48 hours of power reserve
Functions
Hours, minutes and small seconds at 6 o’clock
Chronograph: 60-second central hand
Case
Round, Ø 55 mm, 18 carat rose gold
Engraved back
Sapphire crystal with multilayered anti-reflective coating
Dial
Polished white-lacquered, 11 Roman numerals
Hands
Blued steel, “Breguet” type (hours, minutes)
Blued steel, baton hands with ball counterweights (seconds and second counter)
Maîtres du Temps continues its cultural approach to the conception of superlative timepieces with a merging of fine watchmaking and artistic expression. The next stage in the journey of Maîtres du Temps is the creation of a series of pocket watches, each a unique piece representing one of 12 signs of the Chinese zodiac.
Maîtres Du Temps Fine Arts Pocket Watch Pièce Unique: Dog
By manufacturing wristwatches embodying the aspirations and talents of the world’s finest watch makers, Maîtres du Temps demonstrated its commitment to technical excellence.
Maîtres Du Temps Fine Arts Pocket Watch Pièce Unique: Dragon
In the Fine Arts Chapter, the collaboration embraces the aesthetic elements, looking to the Far East and using the Chinese decorative arts to complement a decidedly Swiss entity, realizing the essence of an objet d’art.
Maîtres Du Temps Fine Arts Pocket Watch Pièce Unique: GoatMaîtres Du Temps Fine Arts Pocket Watch Pièce Unique: Horse
Blending the two cultures, the Asian and the European, demanded a second, simultaneous blend, that of Art and Mechanics.
Maîtres Du Temps Fine Arts Pocket Watch Pièce Unique: Monkey
The pocket watches embody the notions of both “Maîtres des Arts” and “Maîtres du Temps,” while also voicing a tenet close to the heart of Maîtres du Temps founder, Mr. Steven Holtzman: “Culture is like a bridge, one that connects the disparate elements of a civilization.”
Maîtres Du Temps Fine Arts Pocket Watch Pièce Unique: Ox
For Mr. Fan Zeng, the artist undertaking this challenge, the occasion to work with Maîtres du Temps calls on his myriad talents as a renowned author, humanitarian, poet, and painter.
12 original paintings have been produced by Mr Fan Zeng to adorn the white onyx dials of watches that complement his technical specifications. It is yet another blend, one of simplicity and complexity.
Maîtres Du Temps Fine Arts Pocket Watch Pièce Unique: PigMaîtres Du Temps Fine Arts Pocket Watch Pièce Unique: Rabbit
The watch devised for this project shows only the hours and the minutes, yet its back reveals a power reserve indicator and a one-minute tourbillon.
Maîtres Du Temps Fine Arts Pocket Watch Pièce Unique: Rat
Each dial highlights both the animal and the personality traits of the zodiac sign it represents.
Mr Fan Zeng also includes human beings in the design, to better convey the spirit of each sign, from the delightful Year of The Pig and Year of the Rabbit, to the majesty of the Year of the Dragon.
Maîtres Du Temps Fine Arts Pocket Watch Pièce Unique: RoosterMaîtres Du Temps Fine Arts Pocket Watch Pièce Unique: SnakeMaîtres Du Temps Fine Arts Pocket Watch Pièce Unique: Tiger
Technical details
Maîtres Du Temps FINE ARTS – POCKET WATCH – Pièce Unique
Pièce unique – each piece representing one of 12 signs of the Chinese Zodiac
Movement
Caliber SHC08Manual winding mechanical movement
Dimensions: 32.8 mm x 6.36 mm
Number of components: 207
Number of jewels: 33
Power reserve: 60 hours
Tourbillon rotation: 60 seconds
Balance frequency: 21,600 vph (3 Hz)
Finishing: Côtes de Genève, perlage, hand beveling, polished screw heads, straight-grained steelwork
Case
18K Red Gold
Number of components: 23
Diameter: 46 mm
Sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating
Display back: sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating
High polish and satin finishes
Dial
Miniature hand painting on white Onyx
Hands: Central hour and minutes hands
Power reserve indicator on the back side
One-minute tourbillion on the back side
The Tissot Bridgeport collection is comprised of beautiful pieces that emphasise the importance of heritage to Tissot.
Inspired by the Tissot Bridgeport Mechanical Skeleton, the Tissot Bridgeport Lepine Mechanical pocket watch stays faithful to the family aesthetic, with the same flutes around the case, that are also reflected around the dial and the second counter. Its identity is wholly its own though – as this piece is a Lepine, it has an open face and a closed case, which give it a uniquely elegant feel, worthy of a true gentlemen’s watch.
The deep blue steel hands on the Tissot Bridgeport Lepine Mechanical single it out as a very special piece indeed. Often used in luxury watchmaking, this particular vivid hue can only be achieved after an intricate process where the steel is heated in order to strengthen it, and in the process turns a beautiful blue.
Other luxury touches, including the alluring crown, inspired by luxury cosmetics perfume bottles, make this traditional piece an extra-special choice for a unique individual.
Powered by a hand-wound mechanical caliber, the Tissot Bridgeport Lepine Mechanical pocket watch features a stainless steel case with 45mm diameter. It is also available rose gold or grey PVD coating.
Technical details
Swiss Made
Hand-wound mechanical movement
316L stainless steel case with rose gold or grey PVD coating
This is the first time Montblanc has created a pocket watch, and what better occasion than the Maison’s 110th anniversary to introduce such a new timekeeper into the 4810 Transatlantic Collection.
The Montblanc 4810 Orbis Terrarum Pocket Watch Transatlantic Limited Edition not only harks back to the beginning of the 20th century when pocket watches were the timekeepers of choice, but also features the highly appreciated world timer function—the perfect complication for transatlantic travellers.
Setting the timepiece is simplicity itself. The wearer starts by setting the home time zone by pressing the pusher between 5 and 6 o’clock until the home city (or the nearest city indicating the wearer’s own time zone) is positioned in front of the arrow at 6 o’clock.
The hours and minutes are then set via the crown at 12 o’clock, paying attention to turn the hands until the central map features the correct day/night indication. Once complete, the 24 time zones can be easily read at a glance thanks to a large open dial. Travelling is equally simple, as the wearer only has to press on the pusher between 5 and 6 o’clock until the new local time is featured in front of the red arrow at six o’clock.
The day/night indicator and the hour hand also advance with each push, requiring no further setting as the home time doesn’t change, keeping track of the time simplicity itself.
Powered by the Calibre MB 29.20, the world timer complication has been developed and assembled entirely in-house by the Maison’s watchmakers.
The dial is highly legible thanks to the 53 mm “Lépine” style steel case and a pure design, which leaves plenty of room for the 24 city names. The multilayer dial is crafted out of layers of sapphire crystal showing the continents as viewed from the North Pole. Around the map are the names of the 24 cities representing the different time zones, while under the map a disk indicates the passage of day and night, as well as the 24 time zones.
This disk rotates with the movement mechanism, causing the continents to change colour as the day evolves into night. The size of the disk depicting the globe and the names of the cities is much larger in this 4810 Orbis Terrarum Pocket Watch than it would be in a wristwatch, making it more challenging to turn.
The Calibre MB 29.20, however, was more than strong enough to support the extra size and weight, enabling Montblanc to present this new larger dial aesthetic.
The pocket watch is completed with the addition of a refined steel chain that has been crafted like a ship’s rope, recalling the transatlantic theme and the Maison’s passion for aesthetic perfection and technical performance, just like the luxury cruise liners of the last century that conveyed the innovative spirit of the age.
Technical details
Model: Montblanc 4810 Orbis Terrarum Pocket Watch Transatlantic Limited Edition, Ident. 114928
Movement
Calibre MB 29.20
Mechanical movement with automatic winding mechanism
Number of rubies 26
Power reserve Approx. 42 hours
Balance Flat hoop
Frequency 28,800 A/h (4 Hz)
Hairspring Flat
Displays
Hours and minutes from the center
Worldtime indication with 24 hour time zones and integrated day & night display
Habillage
Case
Stainless steel case in “lépine” style
Crystal: Scratch-resistant, domed sapphire and antireflective crystal
Back: Stainless steel with special engraving
Dimensions: Diameter = 53 mm; height = 16.80 mm
Water-tightness: 5 bar
Crown: Stainless steel with inlaid Montblanc emblem
Chain: Silver
Dial
Sapphire crystal dial showing the Northern Hemisphere and 24 cities of the 24 hour time zones, 24 hour-disc with day and night display that turns under the sapphire crystal dial, red gold-plated skeletonized dauphine hands
Swiss Watch Manufacturer Frederique Constant pays a tribute to the historical and traditional Lépine watch with the launch in 2015 of a Manufacture Pocket Watch.
These timepieces with their appealing soberness have been for many years the masterpieces of precision and sophistication of Swiss watchmakers. Characterised by a winding-stem at 12 o’clock, the pocket watch is a rare example of the best in mechanical horology, combining craftsmanship with the most advanced of contemporary watchmaking technologies.
The Frederique Constant Pocket watch is powered by the new in-house FC-700 calibre, a high-performance movement, completely developed and manufactured in the Frederique Constant Ateliers at Plan-les-Ouates. This calibre is added to the 18 in-house movements already available.
Hand-wound with a power reserve of 42-hours and 18 jewels, the sapphire case back of the pocket watch, enables the finesse and sophistication of the details of the movement to be observed, such as the perlage.
The movement is housed either in a stainless steel or rose gold plated watch case of 45mm, which was designed and constructed to fit comfortably in the palm of a hand. The dial of the watch is in the classic Frederique Style with hand-applied roman numerals and black index marks. The highly detailed, eye-catching silver dial of the pocket watch is finished with distinguished guilloche patterns.
Like every pocket watch, it has an officer-style-dust-cover case back that is hinged from the inside. The pocket watch is delivered in a very elegant custom made wooden gift box.
Reference: FC-700MC6PW6
Case
Polished stainless steel 3-parts case, diameter of 45mm
Convex sapphire crystal
Hinged case back
Water-resistant to 3 ATM
Movement
FC-700-PW Manufacture caliber, Mechanical hand-winding movement
Perlage & Circular Côtes de Genève decoration on the movement
18 jewels, 42 hours power reserve
Dial
Silvered dial, guilloché decoration, with printed roman numerals
Hand polished black oxid hands
Bracelet
Stainless steel chain
Functions
Hours, minutes, seconds
Reference: FC-700MC6PW4
Case
Polished stainless steel rose gold plated 3-parts case
Diameter of 45mm
Convex sapphire crystal
Hinged case back
Water-resistant to 3 ATM
Movement
FC-700-PW Manufacture caliber, Mechanical hand-winding movement
Perlage & Circular Côtes de Genève decoration on the movement
18 jewels, 42 hours power reserve
Dial
Silvered dial, guilloché decoration, with printed roman numerals
Hand polished black oxid hands
Prestigious Swiss watch manufacture Vacheron Constantin presents horological masterpiece Atelier Cabinotiers reference 57260, the most complicated watch ever made. It took eight years by a team of three highly talented master watch makers from the manufacture to conceive this horological marvel.
The reference 57260 that boasts two dials and features 57 complications, several of which are entirely new and unique. In the reference number 57260, first two digits indicate the number of complications incorporated in this watch and last three digits reminds us the 260th anniversary of Vacheron Constantin (1755 -2015).
The reference 57260 incorporates significant number of ingenious and important new mechanisms that have never been seen before in horology. Made of solid gold (18 carat white gold), polished with glazed bezels on each side, the elegant and well proportioned case has a three position winding crown with corresponding indication window on the case band to show the position of the crown during winding or setting.
A coaxial button in the crown controls the start/stop and return to zero functions of the double retrograde chronograph and the push button in the case band at 11’o clock activates and restarts the rattrapante chronograph function. You can also notice a totally un -obstructive and new design of the concealed flush fit alarm winding crown located in the case band at the 4’o clock position.
Both dials are made of soiled silver, while the rotating discs for the displays are made of aluminium which is light weight. The meantime dial is of regulator style, displaying the hours, minutes, and seconds on separate chapter rings. The first displays some world premier horological functions developed by the Vacheron Constantin watchmakers and seen for the first time ever in this watch.
Vacheron Constantin Reference 57260 – First Dial
The Hebraic perpetual calendar
Of the utmost technical and mathematical complexity, the Hebraic perpetual calendar truly is considered to be one of the greatest contributions to traditional watchmaking of recent times.
Due to the long term changing cycles of the Hebraic calendar and its difference to the Gregorian calendar, the making of a complete functioning mechanical Hebraic perpetual calendar in a watch has been impossible until now. Highly complicated mathematical calculations combining both the lunar months and solar year were transcribed into not only an operational mechanism but a display that is elegant, logical and easy to read.
The Hebraic perpetual calendar works on the principle of the 19 year Metonic cycle because 19 years it is almost exactly a multiple of the solar year and lunar month over that period. On this watch the Metonic cycle is displayed as a sector a 3’o clock concentric with the chronograph hour register.
The sacred date of Yom Kippur indicated in the Gregorian calendar each year, is represented by the corresponding retrograde hand at 6’o clock, which returns to its starting point every 19 years, at which time the sector is replaced for another for each of the 19 year cycles.
To keep the 12 month lunar year in pace with the solar year, a 13th leap month called an intercalary month has to be added seven times during the 19 year cycle. Ingeniously the watch not only allows for this addition but also show the user whether the current year is a 12 or 13-month year via an indicator hand and 12/13 display situated concentric with the chronograph minute register and counter hand in the 9’o clock position.
In the Hebrew calendar, there are fixed lunar months of 29 or 30 days alternately. Those of Cheshvan and Kislev can have 29 or 30 days, depending on the year, here, the self correcting date hand is concentric to the Yom Kippur sector and constant seconds. On either side of the date, two windows indicate the number of days and months in Hebrew.
The secular Hebrew calendar, which is displayed in a four digit window below the Yom Kippur sector, is calculated from the supposed date to the creation of the world in 3760 BC. To calculate the present year in the Hebrew calendar 2015 is added to 3760 giving the year 5775. The Jewish New Year begins again in September 2015 with therefore the Hebrew year 5776. Tishrei is the first month of the Hebrew calendar.
Within the centre of the hour chapter ring are four representations of the moon phases and also a hand indicating the age of the moon within its 29. 5305882 day cycle. The Vacheron Constantin moon phase system requires correction only once every 1027 years.
Double Retrograde Rattrapante Chronograph
Featuring a totally innovative design and construction, the Vacheron Constantin retrograde rattrapante chronograph is completely new to the world of watch making. This is the first watch ever to be made with a rattrapante chronograph with double retrograde function.
This ingenious chronograph is read by the user exactly in the manner of a classic split seconds chronograph; uniquely however, whilst both hands still work in unison and from the same axis, unlike all other split seconds chronographs, the two hands never actually meet but operate on two separate scales on opposing sides of the dial. In this respect, the new chronograph can perhaps be the best described as a detached split seconds chronograph.
To create this function, a new chronograph mechanism has been invented and made entirely in house at Vacheron Constantin especially for this timepiece.
Further, it has been necessary to specially design and make the two long and very fine chronograph hands so that chronograph has perfect stability and extreme accuracy during operation. There are two register dials for the chronograph counting each elapsed minute up to 60 minutes and each elapsed hour up to 12 hours so that events up to 12 hours in duration can be accurately recorded.
Vacheron Constantin Calibre 3750 – First Dial Side
The Westminster Chiming, Alarm and Night Silence Feature
Sectors can be seen on the dial to either side of the hour chapter ring, just above the chronograph registers. These sectors with their corresponding hands are indicators for the selection of the mode of chiming, mode of alarm striking and the alarm power reserve indicator.
This watch offers 3 possible striking modes:
Striking: The watch chimes automatically at each passing quarter hour, in the same way as a clock. With five hammers striking five finely tuned steel gongs, the chiming sequence is that of Big Ben, the clock of the Palace of Westminster in London.
Night silence: Chiming automatically disables from 22h to 8h
Silence: Chiming switched off when it is not desired.
There are two additional options to choose from; Grand sonnerie(striking the hours and the quarters at ever passing quarter) and alternatively petite sonnerie(striking the full hours at the hour but only a quarter strike without hours on the quarters). To repeat the chiming at any time, the slide on the band of the case can be activated whenever it is desired by the user.
Night time silence : A unique and very user friendly new feature has been developed especially for the chiming system of this watch, that of the automatically activated Night Time Silence Mode. A special mechanism has been developed by Vacheron Constantin enables the watch for not chiming between the hours 22h-08h in order not to disturb its owner. This system is unique in being the first to be automatically activated without the need to manually set the chime or silence option.
Alarm: In addition to the chiming mechanism, this model houses an integrally connected alarm system with separate power reserve indication. This mechanism allows a choice between either a traditional alarm on an additional differently tuned single gong with single hammer or Westminster Carillion full chiming alarm in either Grande or Petite Sonnerie mode. The alarm is set via the winding crown which moves an additional alarm hand co-axial with the hour and moon’s age hand. The flush fit winding button is situated in the band of the case.
Vacheron Constantin Reference 57260 – Second Dial
As well as the astronomical indications, several unique and major systems developed especially for this watch are presented here including a 12 hour second time zone governed by a digital world time display, a double perpetual calendar and a remarkable fully visible armillary sphere tourbillon.
The blue star chart in the upper half of the dial represents the night sky and the star constellations visible from user’s home city, with the months appearing around the edge. Concentric around the outer border is the scale for the retrograde date of the perpetual calendar, the hand flying back to its start point at the end of each month. Subsidiary dials for the days of the week and the months flank the star dial and the aperture above the month dial shows the number of the year between 1 and 4 in the leap year cycle.
Around the edge of the dial are three astronomic scales which are read using the central gold hand identified by its sun counterpoise. The outermost scale for the year divided into zodiac sign periods additionally indicates the dates of Vernal and Autumnal Equinoxes and the summer and winter solstices. The interrelated four seasons are displayed on a further inner concentric ring.
The sector above the tourbillon aperture indicates equation of time showing the discrepancy between true solar time and standard meantime which fluctuates during the year but can be ahead by as much as 16 minutes (around November 3rd) and behind by 14 minutes (around February 12th). Solar and meantime are equal on just for occasions each year. Flanking the tourbillon aperture are two dual sectors for the time of sunrise and day length and time of sunset and night length in the user’s home city. These indications are calculated from the hours of light and darkness and not strictly set times.
Another world premier feature is the 12 hour second time zone dial with separates day and night indicator window located in the 10th clock position; the second time zone is used in conjunction with the digitally displayed world time function which gives a choice of 24 cities and countries and their respective time deviations from Greenwich Meantime.
This thoroughly new and discreet 12 hour system of world time mechanism and display is the first new system to be developed since Louis Cottier’s well known world time system with 24 hour indication invented about 1935 and is therefore of major significance.
The Dual Function Perpetual Calendar
The perpetual calendar systems invented and built by the watch makers of Vacheron Constantin are amongst the greatest achievements made during the construction of this watch. They represent Vacheron Constantin’s supreme mastery of both highly complex mathematical calculations and the ability of their watch making team to translate the calculations into mechanisms functioning in complete harmony in relation to the myriad other functions.
Including the Hebraic perpetual calendar seen on the other dial, this watch has the ability to provide three entirely different perpetual calendar readings. The fundamental new departure is that two possible options are available for the reading of the Gregorian perpetual calendar displayed on this dial: either the traditional Gregorian calendar or the business calendar system known as ISO 8601, a numerical system which utilises 52 weeks and 7 days.
The Gregorian perpetual calendar which automatically corrects itself for the appropriate number of days in the month and the leap years can be read on the dial using the retrograde date, the days of the week and months dials, with the leap year window displaying a number between 1 and 4 located to the right side of the retrograde date sector.
The ISO 8601 business calendar is a specific system founded by the International Organisation for Standardization and used mainly in international financial sector.
The purpose of this standard is to provide an unambiguous method of representing dates and times, so as to avoid misinterpretation of numeric representations of dates and times, particularly when data are transferred between countries with different conventions for writing numeric dates and times. When times are also required under the ISO system, they are given using the 24 hour system and with time zone information where necessary. Both these functions are also present on this dial.
When the ISO 8601 mode is employed, the number of the week within the year and the number of the day within the week takes precedence over the traditional calendar month and traditional date, the number of the week is read from the dial concentric to the month indication and the number of the day within the week is indicated by a number between 1 (for Monday) and 7 (for Sunday) in a window directly above the week dial.
The ISO system has a full cycle of 400 years and employs a seven day cycle with weeks starting on a Monday. However, an ISO year can have either 52 or in some cases 53 full weeks when New Year’s Day falls on a Thursday (Wednesday or Thursday in leap years): this occurs every 5 or 6 years. In the ISO system, week 1 is the one which contains the first Thursday of the year and always contains the January 4th.
The last week of the year in the ISO calendar is the one that contains the last Thursday and always includes December 28th. This system requires the user to adopt a different way of interpretation, for example: if the calendar is displaying Thursday, September 17th, the ISO calendar will read as day 4 in the day aperture and W 38 on the week dial.
Another option in the mechanism of this ingenious system is that it can be switched from ISO mode to traditional calendar year model. A calendar year is the period beginning January 1 and ending on December 31. Its programming mode will therefore also on 1 January of the year put the number of days of the week in synchronization with the first day of the calendar year. If the annual calendar displays the first day of the year on Thursday, January 1, the calendar will display w1 on the week dial and 1 in the day window.
The Armillary Sphere Tourbillon
The mesmerising armillary tourbillon cage containing the watch’s escapement is visible through the aperture beneath the sky chart. This supremely elegant mechanism displays a three dimensional constantly rotating sphere moving with the utmost delicacy simultaneously in three directions. Appropriately, the watch maker has also chosen to use a spherical balance spring which not only adds to the elegance of the mechanism, its special properties contribute to the accuracy of the watch.
This tourbillon was named armillary because visually it is reminiscent of the circles and rings of the scientific instrument known as the armillary sphere. It was placed in the second dial side complementing the astronomical functions to suggest the apparent movement of the stars, the sun and the ecliptic around the earth.
The frame of the cage itself, made of ultra light aluminium and carrying the escapement and balance, is ingeniously constructed to incorporate the Vacheron Constant company symbol of Maltese Cross, once every 15 seconds during the tourbillon’s rotation, the Maltese Cross becomes fully visible to the viewer.
Vacheron Constantin Calibre 3750 – Second Dial Side
The armillary sphere tourbillon is a feat of high precision watch making. Made of the lightest of material, its purpose is to minimize the effects of gravity on the balance wheel, hair spring and pallet fork of the escapement.
The tourbillon is essentially a revolving platform and cage upon which the whole escapement is mounted that makes one full rotation in one minute. In this tourbillon, the escapement is rotated in three planes at once. the escapement has two further exceptional features: a spherical balance spring and diamond anchor plates.
Technical details
Model: Vacheron Constantin Reference 57260
Reference: 57260/000G -B046
Hallmark of Geneva Certified timepiece
Movement
Calibre 3750
Developed and manufactured by Vacheron Constantin
Mechanical manual winding
72 mm (31”1/2) diameter, 36 mm thick
Approximately 60 hours of power reserve
Frequency: 2.5 Hz(18,000 vph)
More than 2800 components
242 jewels
With the In The Pocket watch, Hermès is reviving a fundamental piece that was to forge its watchmaking destiny already spanning more than a century of history. It all began in 1912, when Jacqueline Hermès, still a child at the time, received a gift from her father in the shape of an ingenious “porte-oignon” or pocket-watch holder designed to be secured to the wrist.
It had been designed so that the keen young horsewoman could ride without having to attach her watch to her clothing or slip it into her pocket. Testifying to the original Hermès expertise in the field of saddle- and harness-making, this leather strap was designed like those worn by stable lads, surrounding the pocket watch and adopting its shape so as to provide ideal protection.
Reinvented in 2012 under the name “In The Pocket”, this iconic model now returns in a rose gold composition clad in a sophisticated alligator exterior. A pocket-watch that may be transformed at will into a wristwatch, it embodies both the historical leather hand craftsmanship of Hermès and its watchmaking development to the point of becoming a full-fledged Manufacture now in the hands of the seventh generation of the founding family.
Issued in a 178-piece limited edition, the In The Pocket watch is distinguished by its extreme sobriety. The 40 mm diameter of the delicately rounded rose gold case increases to 49 mm when worn on the wrist.
Its finely grained silvered dial avoids any superfluous ornamentation so as to provide the clearest, most self-evident expression of time. The baton-type hands sweep over pared-down numerals, while the small seconds ticks round at 3 o’clock, all driven by the Manufacture Hermès H1837 movement with a 50-hour power reserve.
Crafted in keeping with the finest horological traditions, this refined self-winding mechanism features a circular grained and snailed mainplate, while its oscillating weight is adorned with the brand’s signature “sprinkling of Hs” motif.
The incredibly complex strap of the “In The Pocket” model calls for lengthy and patient workmanship. Composed of two longer and shorter sections, the plain strap end and the buckle strap end (sanglon and boucleteau in French), it is hand crafted in the leather-making workshops of La Montre Hermès in Switzerland. These two parts are composed of three layers of leather: alligator; an inner cow grain leather reinforcement ensuring impeccable sturdiness; and a Zermatt calfskin lining.
First comes the cutting process, including layer cutting; the hides are soaked and then pressed into a mould. They dry for 10 days before being cut with a pointed tool, layercut, sanded down and glued. Each of the parts is then partially sewn; the buckle strap end is perforated to free up the spaces that will reveal the dial and through which the plain strap end and the crown will pass.
The work continues on the table, with the buckle end and the plain strap end being fitted together, marked with a compass, indented and sewn using the saddle stitching technique. Then comes the finishing, including hammering the stitching, marking a furrow, dyeing and polishing with beeswax.
With infinite patience, one operation after another, the artisans at La Montre Hermès thus lovingly create In The Pocket, a tribute to the watchmaking roots of the Maison.
Technical details
Model: Hermès ‘In The Pocket’ watch Rose Gold Limited Edition
Movement
Mechanical self-winding, made in Switzerland
Manufacture Hermès H1837 movement
Diameter: 26 mm (11 ½’’’)
Thickness: 3.7 mm
Power reserve: 50 hours
Frequency: 28,800 vibrations per hour / 4 Hz
Jewelling: 28 jewels
Decoration: Mainplate with circular-grained and snailed finish, satin-brushed bridges and oscillating weight with “sprinkling of Hs” motif, Hermès Paris engraving
Functions
Hours, minutes, small seconds at 3 o’clock
Case
Shape/dimensions: Round, 40mm diameter
Material: 750 5N rose gold (approx. 52.8 g)
Glass: Antiglare sapphire crystal and case back
Water resistance: 3 bar
Dial
Silvered dial with anthracite transfer
Strap
750 rose gold (approx. 3 g) snap link
Matt havana alligator strap and cord-strap
Buckle : 750 rose gold (approx. 5.2 g) 17 mm pin buckle
Certain designs encapsulate the entire graphic culture of a House and the So H motif, created in 1971 for a Hermès tie, is definitely one of these. It now appears for the first time on the cover of a pocket watch: Slim d’Hermès Pocket So H.
This exceptional model is issued in six-piece limited series for each of the four creations, respectively featuring a hawk’s eye dial with pink gold case; an ox-eye dial with gem-set rose gold case; an onyx dial with white gold case; and an aventurine dial with gem-set white gold case.
Giving life to this skilfully orchestrated interlacing pattern of “Hs” is a task that demands a particular blend of infinite patience and technical mastery. The finishing of the cover alone takes around 45 hours. The artisan begins with a previously open-worked gold plate.
A small graver is used to eliminate any rough patches on the surface of the cover and render it completely smooth, while devoting particular care to the interwoven “Hs”.
Then comes the polishing. In a subtle rhythmic dance performed with pegs made from various types of wood ranging from the hardest to the softest, the artisan applies different pastes that will gradually rub down the gold and reveal its full brilliance.
The light, airy composition of the So H cover protects a hard stone dial of which tantalizing glimpses appear through its openings. Whether adorned with white diamonds or in a simply polished version, it distils a time that is infinitely Hermès, beating to the steady pace of the ultra-thin Manufacture Hermès H1950 calibre.
Technical details
Model: Slim d’Hermès Pocket So H
Movement
Mechanical self-winding, crafted in Switzerland
Ultra-thin Hermès Manufacture movement H1950
Diameter: 30 mm (13 ¼)
Thickness: 2.6 mm
Power reserve: 42 hours
Jewelling: 29 jewels
Frequency: 21,600 vibrations per hour / 3 Hz
Decoration: Special Hermès decoration (H symbols)
Distinctive features: Micro-rotor, hand-chamfered bridges
Functions
Hours, minutes
Case
Round, 45 mm diameter
Material: 750 white gold (83.65 g)/750 rose gold (79.44g)
Cover: Open-worked with “So H” motif, with or without setting of 594 diamonds (1.2 cts)
Diamond quality: Top Wesselton VVS “rare white” to “rare white +”
Glass: Antiglare sapphire crystal and case back
Water resistance: To 3 bar
Dials
Gem-set version white gold: Aventurine dial
Non-set version white gold: Onyx dial
Gem-set version rose gold: Dial in “bull’s eye” stone
Non-set version rose gold: Dial in “hawk’s eye” stone
Straps
Gem-set version white gold: Matt indigo blue alligator cord-strap and pouch
Non-set version white gold: Smooth black alligator cord-strap and pouch
Gem-set version rose gold: Smooth bordeaux cord-strap and pouch
Non-set version rose gold: Matt graphite cord-strap and pouch
Longines presents Equestrian Pocket Watch Horses Trio 1911, a pocket watch in 18-carat rose gold, as a tribute to equestrian sports. Produced in a very limited series of numbered pieces, its back is decorated with an engraving of a trio of horses. The metal Lépine pocket watch that was the inspiration for this new edition is kept at the Longines Saint-Imier museum.
Longines Lépine pocket watch, circa 1911
Longines’ passion for equestrian sports dates back to more than a century. In 1878, the Swiss watch brand produced a chronograph engraved with a jockey and his mount. The Longines Equestrian Pocket Watch Horses Trio 1911 was inspired by a metal pocket watch kept in the Longines museum and produced in 1911. A year later, the brand partnered a show jumping competition for the first time, the beginning of a long history that led Longines to join forces with renowned racing and show jumping competitions.
This 18-carat rose gold pocket watch has a cleverly crafted background depicting a trio of horses. The heads of these three proud animals stand out against a background of delicately worked foliage. The plant motifs are repeated in the middle of the piece. This unusual model is produced in a very limited edition. Each copy is numbered.
With a diameter of 48.20 mm, this model features the L878.4 calibre with manual winding. This movement is developed exclusively for Longines. Its white dial is decorated with large black painted Arabic numerals and a minute circle. It displays the hours and minutes with elegant “Breguet”-type blued steel hands and there is a small seconds at 6 o’clock. The sides and the bow on this watch are finely crafted in imitation of the original model.
Technical details
The Longines Equestrian Pocket Watch Horses Trio 1911
Reference number: L7. 035.8.13.1
Limited series of 20 numbered pieces
Movement
Manually wound mechanical movement
Calibre L878.4 (Longines 37.9 ABC)
16 ¾ lines, 17 jewels, 18,000 vibrations/hour
Power reserve: 40 hours
Functions
Hours, minutes, small seconds at 6 o’clock
Case
Round, Ø 48.20 mm, 18 carat rose gold
Stamped case back
Sapphire crystal with several layers of anti-reflective treatment
Dial
Polished white lacquer, 12 painted black Arabic numerals
Hands: “Breguet”-type blued steel
The House of Harry Winston unveils a high jewellery pocket watch inspired by the powder compact. The Jeweler’s Secret by Harry Winston, a dazzling and intimate creation that allows a woman to hold the time in the palm of her hand.
The jewelry watch was a secret that revealed itself only to those who delicately opened a finely gem set or enamelled case. These richly ornate, historical timepieces are still deeply desired despite the introduction of new sumptuous adornments. Following these precious watches, Harry Winston reveals an artistic creation with an enchanting union of pearls, diamonds and pink sapphires and introduces a new gesture: opening a timepiece in order to read the hour or to check one’s appearance, using the built-in mirror. In designing this quintessentially feminine watch, Harry Winston drew inspiration from the powder compact, which has given rise to countless masterpieces by different artists.
Harry Winston relied on the full force of its creativity and expertise in creating this High Jewelry timepiece. The curved lid of this exceptional jewel is entirely adorned with textured mother-of-pearl. Blushing pink sapphires and diamonds were expertly set using a unique technique – closed and grain setting – by the master artisan. The infinitely pink tones together with the shimmering pearls, infuses the case with additional charm.
The interior of this mysterious timepiece reveals an amazing diamond motif that features four pear-cut and four marquise-cut diamonds set using several different techniques. The splendor of this motif is reflected in the delicately incorporated mirror, creating a dazzling effect on the textured mother-of-pearl dial. The motif is floral and reminiscent of the House’s iconic Cluster Collection, presenting yet another exclusive Harry Winston secret. The feminine precision of this timepiece extends to the case back, engraved with the same motif that surrounds the dial.
Harry Winston’s superlative quality is expressed in these luxuriously breathtaking details. Adorned with 752 diamonds, 48 pink sapphire cabochons and five rosy-pink pearls, this pocket timepiece is a true object of desire, offering a wealth of sensory pleasures.
Technical details
Model: The Jeweler’s Secret by Harry Winston
Movement
Caliber HW1051 Quartz
Functions
Hours, minutes
Case
18K white gold, polished
Width: 62.55 mm
Thickness: 17.30 mm (measured at the pearl in the center)
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 3 bars
Case covers Gemsetting
Spherical white textured mother-of-pearl
Manual opening released by a pushbutton
424 brilliant-cut diamonds (approx. 7.8 carats)
48 rosy pink sapphire cabochons (approx. 3.31 carats)
4 rosy pink Akoya pearls, 3.60 mm in diameter
1 rosy pink Akoya pearl, 4.30 mm in diameter
With this new skeleton pocket watch model, Swiss watch brand Tissot enhances its Bridgeport Collection, which proudly displays the brand’s heritage.
Traditional, yet with innovative features, the Tissot Bridgeport Mechanical Skeleton is a special timepiece that will please the watch enthusiasts but will also be the most fashionable accessory with its vintage style and great looks.
Indeed, this pocket watch is Tissot’s first savonette to bear a stunning skeleton movement at its core. It shows the inner beauty and the works that allows it to stand the test of time.
Technical details
Swiss Made
Hand-wound mechanical movement
316L stainless steel case with rose gold PVD coating option and see-through caseback
Scratch-resistant sapphire crystal
Water resistance up to a pressure of 3 bar (30 m / 100 ft)
Prestigious Swiss watch manufactory Vacheron Constantin has recently unveiled a unique Atelier Cabinotiers set composed of five masterpieces of watchmaking, Tourbillon pocket watches, in the spirit of the Observatory pieces made in the early 20th century.
This one and only set was purchased by a fine collector, who bought the privilege of owning the accumulated know-how in the Observatory field. An extraordinary and completely unique set of five watches, each watch being singularly unique, each watch made with an individual very special high-precision movement of the highest technical significance, together demonstrating the breathtaking technical accomplishment of Vacheron Constantin.
Created in 2006, Vacheron Constantin’s Atelier Cabinotiers revives the very unique spirit of 18th century. At that time, prestigious clients came to order directly from the cabinotiers, the watchmakers and craftsmen who forged the city’s reputation. Atelier Cabinotiers offers a wide range of service going from a unique dial to a complete creation of a timepiece that implies the development of the caliber to the design of the case.
Vacheron Constantin Coffret Observatoire Tourbillon
When a watch is being used by the wearer, it is, quite naturally, moved in many different positions during the course of that period – such as upside down, upright, flat and sideways. Even today, one of the greatest challenges for a watchmaker is to regulate a watch for consistent accuracy no matter what position it is in.
The mechanism known as a “tourbillon” provides an extremely effective solution to this obstacle. In a standard watch movement with a fixed escapement but without tourbillon, the timekeeping ability of the watch can be affected by changes in the position of the watch because the effect of gravity “pulls” down on the oscillating balance wheel and hairspring creating very small distortions which therefore affect accuracy of timekeeping, this effect is known by watchmakers as “positional error”.
The tourbillon is essentially a revolving platform and “cage” upon which the whole escapement is mounted that makes one full rotation in one minute. It was invented specifically to improve the timekeeping of pocket watches that were usually kept upright (vertically) in the wearer’s pocket and therefore were most subject to the effects of gravity.
The tourbillon very successfully equalizes these gravitational errors by turning the balance on its own axis in all possible vertical positions during the course of each 60-second rotation. In other words, because the balance wheel and escapement are kept constantly rotating and not fixed in any one position the effect of the gravitational pull is regularized and equal and the watch can therefore be regulated to keep time unaffected by any random change in position during use.
The tourbillon has always been one of the most challenging watch mechanisms to make, requiring the most skillful craftsmanship in its manufacture to create not only a mechanism with an important technical purpose but also an object of visual intrigue and beauty. The movement of the present watch is an historic vintage tourbillon by Vacheron Constantin which has been made and improved upon to exceptional modern standards to form part of this unique and extraordinary set of watches.
Vacheron Constantin Coffret Observatoire Tourbillon with detent Chronometer escapement
This exceptional watch by Vacheron Constantin can, along with the other four watches in this unique set, be considered a masterpiece of watchmaking and one of very few watches known with both tourbillon and detent chronometer escapement.
The escapement of a watch is the part that “ticks”, it is a mechanism which allows the power from the mainspring via the wheel train to be released and therefore the hands to advance in the correct small increments to indicate the passage of time. The escapement incorporates the oscillating balance wheel with hairspring that can be seen turning backwards and forwards in the movement of any mechanical watch.
As with most watchmaking innovations over the centuries, the development of the watch escapement was mainly concerned with achieving accurate precision timekeeping. For the majority of watches the most widely used and consistently reliable escapement is the “anchor” or “lever” which has been predominant since the middle of the 19th century.
However, where extreme accuracy is required, for instance in watches used for navigation or observatory calculations, a more sophisticated and intricate escapement called a “detent chronometer” is used and in the present watch it is combined with a tourbillon – an extremely rare and unusual combination requiring immense skill to construct and resulting in a watch that could be used for the most exacting of timing purposes.
The difference between the detent chronometer and the standard anchor escapement is that the chronometer escapement, being unidirectional, has no recoil during its action whereas for each motion of the standard anchor escapement there is a very slight backward motion or recoil because the two pallets of the anchor are alternately engaged on both the forward and backward swing of the balance. The elimination of the recoil in the detent chronometer provided by its unidirectional action and almost detached balance makes it much more precise and capable of extreme accuracy.
A watch with detent chronometer escapement can be visually recognized by looking at the action of the small seconds hand which moves in a noticeably precise way in half-second “jumps” as opposed to the typical “sweeping” action of a watch with anchor escapement.
The detent chronometer escapement works by the controlled locking and unlocking of the ruby pallets that provide the impulse to the escape wheel, a long thin straight spring or “detent” momentarily locking the escape wheel by its teeth until it is released again on each forward swing of the balance, the ruby pallet mounted on its staff unlocking the escape wheel as it passes and allowing it to advance by one tooth at a time.
The balance wheel of the detent chronometer swings almost free and undisturbed by the escapement resulting in very little friction between the components, again contributing to the overall accuracy of the watch.
Vacheron Constantin Coffret Observatoire Tourbillon Constant Force Escapement
The constant force escapement has a very sophisticated additional mechanism attached to the escape wheel of the watch’s movement which as the name implies, supplies a constant, equal and unchanging power charge to the lever escapement throughout the entire running period of the watch.
Whilst the escapement itself is driven and powered by the mainspring via the tourbillon in the usual manner, the integral constant force mechanism discharges the power at precise intervals so that the timekeeping of the watch is unaffected by the changes in the force of the mainspring as it runs down. This means that this ingenious mechanism allows the watch to run at a constant unfluctuating rate regardless of whether the watch is fully wound or running down.
The constant force mechanism of this uniquely constructed Vacheron Constantin watch comprises a spiral spring mounted directly above the escape wheel on its arbor which is wound and released at very short intervals by two further toothed wheels mounted below with which a jeweled lever locks and releases the spring above.
Therefore each time the spiral spring is wound and released a small “charge” of power acts upon the escape wheel so that it is always powered at exactly the same moment and with an unchanging amount of energy at all times and as such can never be affected by any fluctuation during the mainspring’s running cycle.
The constant force escapement is extremely rare in any watch and this exceptional watch has been made to a unique design by master watchmakers. Not only does it contain a unique constant force escapement but this is coupled with the tourbillon mechanism, altogether a great achievement of haute horology.
Vacheron Constantin Coffret Observatoire Tourbillon «Remontoir d’Egalité»
For a watch to run accurately it could be said to have two separate but integral “halves”; one half to provide the power to run the watch (the mainspring and wheels) and the other the escapement which releases that power at exact and precisely calculated intervals.
The mechanism known as “remontoir d’égalité” can be thought of as a bridge between these two halves because it regularizes the supply of power and at the same time directly controls the running of the escapement.
The “remontoir d’égalité” is essentially a very high-precision power transmission control mechanism to combat even the most minor negative effects on accuracy caused when the mainspring is winding down so that the accuracy of the watch is maintained and unaffected by the fluctuations in power during the entire period of running.
The “remontoir d’égalité” also corrects any possible variation in accuracy that could be caused by the mechanical action of the wheels themselves in the train between the mainspring and tourbillon. In short, the “remontoir d’égalité” compensates for any small potential error caused simply by the normal running and unwinding of a mechanical watch in the parts of the watch up to, but not including, the escapement which has its own compensatory devices.
The “remontoir” achieves this by loading and releasing stored power from an extra spring on the tourbillion that is released in exactly controlled amounts, in this watch, at 10 second intervals, therefore equalizing exactly and constantly the power from the mainspring to the tourbillion.
In this exceptional and unique Vacheron Constantin watch, the “remontoir d’égalité” is used in combination with the tourbillion – to combat errors due to the change in the watch’s position and a balance wheel and spring that have been made to correct fluctuations in temperature.
As such, this watch has compensation devices to combat errors in power transmission, position and temperature so as a result is capable of extreme accuracy. The “remontoir d’égalité” is almost never seen in a portable watch because of the high level of skill required to make it.
Only the very best watchmakers are capable of constructing a watch with this complication because if a watch has a “remontoir d’égalité” it means that the entire watch has been specially designed and made specifically to allow for its inclusion meaning that the entire layout of the wheels of this watch is different to that of other tourbillion watches and can therefore only ever be hand-made as an individual piece.
Vacheron Constantin Coffret Observatoire Tourbillon Marine Chronometer balance
Change in temperature has one of the greatest negative effects on the accuracy of a watch by causing the metal to expand or contract. When the hairspring and balance expand and contract it naturally causes slight changes in the diameter and elasticity of the components and this in turn makes the watch go faster or slower.
Technically speaking, it is in fact the balance spring or hairspring which is affected and during extreme changes in temperature this can cause a watch to lose or gain as much as four seconds per day. To counteract this problem, the balance wheel of the watch is specially made to compensate for these expansions and contractions.
The unique balance wheel of this watch is made to allow fine adjustment to compensate for the errors in timekeeping that can be caused by fluctuations in temperature. The design is taken from the principle of the marine chronometer balance, the marine chronometer being an instrument of high-precision for navigational purposes.
The visibly distinctive and very special feature of this balance is the four large gold weights mounted on the rim of the balance in addition to twelve screws for extra-fine adjustment.
The balance wheel itself is bimetallic, made of two strips of metal with different rates of expansion and open free ends to allow movement during temperature fluctuation, the four large gold weights are then placed on the rim of the balance during adjustment and testing of the watch by the watchmaker until they are situated in the optimum position to counteract the contractions and expansions of the balance rim.
Put simply, the bimetallic balance and special compensation weights mean that the oscillation of the balance remains the same in any normal range of temperatures and therefore the accuracy of the watch is almost unaffected.
In this unique watch by Vacheron Constantin, the special balance for temperature compensation is combined with the tourbillon mechanism for the correction of positional errors.
The marine chronometer-type balance is very rarely found in a watch due to the skill required to both construct it and regulate it for use and almost never used in combination with the tourbillon. This watch is further testament to the excellence of workmanship of Vacheron Constantin.
Backes & Strauss pays tribute to dandy Beau Brummell by unveiling s special edition pocket watch.- the Regent Beau Brummell Tourbillon pocket watch – in white gold case set with two rows of Baguette diamonds, with further rows of Baguette diamonds being set concentrically on the dial. The hand wound tourbillon movement features hours and minutes, as well as a date display and moon phase indication. A mere five examples will be made, each with a bespoke chain set with Ideal Cut diamonds.
Technical details
Size: 50 x 58 mm
Case: White gold case set with 108 Baguette Cut diamonds – 11.70 carats, and 228 Ideal Cut diamonds –4.64 carats
Case Back: Open back set with 328 Ideal Cut diamonds – 5.97 carats
Case Back Bridge: Set with 150 Ideal Cut diamonds –0.74 carats
Bow: set with 18 Baguette Cut diamonds – 0.46 carats and 43 Ideal Cut diamonds – 0.69 carats
Dial: Dial set with 197 Baguette Cut diamonds – 9.67 carats
Crown: One Ideal Cut diamond “The Jewel in the Crown” – 0.12 carats
Hands: Sword-shaped hands with superwhite luminova
Movement: Flying Tourbillon FM 2001-2Hand Winding Mechanism
Display: Hours, Minutes, Date, Tourbillon & Moonphase, Day & Night
Chain: Bespoke chain set with 596 Ideal Cut diamonds – 3.92 carats
Total Carats: 1669 diamonds – 37.91 carats
About George Bryan Brummell
George Bryan Brummell aka ‘Beau Brummell’ was born in 1778 in London, the son of the future Lord North, the High Sherriff of Berkshire.It was at Eton that Brummell began to display a penchant for dandy dressing, where his daring decision to perk-up the regulation college cravat with the addition of a gleaming gold buckle won him the instant respect of his peers, whose admiration turned to adoration in the face of his quick wit and repartee. His reputation grew during a brief spell as an undergraduate at Oriel college, Oxford, to the point that he was presented to the Prince Regent who was so enchanted that he gave the 16-year-old Brummell a regimental commission in his regiment, the 10th Royal Hussars – which, with its array of elaborate uniforms designed for different occasions and famously indulgent mess behaviour, could almost have been formed with him in mind.
By the age of 24, Brummell – with considerable influence from the Prince – had reached the rank of Captain, but resigned his commission on hearing that he was to be posted to Manchester, a city he considered lacking in culture and sophistication. Soon afterwards, however, he inherited a useful fortune of around £30,000 which enabled him to live stylishly in a Mayfair apartment where he claimed to spend five hours a day simply getting dressed in his understated, yet exquisitely fitted, uniform of dark coat, full length trousers and elaborate cravat – a look which is said to have been the precursor to the modern suit and tie. The Prince became fixated by Brummell’s attitude to dress, his meticulous attention to bathing and shaving and his resulting immaculate appearance. And, when he began to imitate it, the ‘Brummell style’ was quickly picked-up by other members of high society.
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The movement of the golden pocket watch is symmetrical in its construction and is driven by two spring barrels under one common bridge. The gears are mostly hidden in order not to draw the attention from the three-dimensional tourbillon. Like a skeletized globe it is suspended freely above an opening in the base plate.
The see-through cage is driven via an invisible circular cogwheel sustained by a large precision ball bearing, arranged around the opening in the base plate. The lightweight cage turns around the first axis, perpendicular to the plate once in 135 seconds. It takes it 45 seconds to turn in its second axis.
