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Interview with Joël Dicker - Watch chat with the Geneva-based novelist
Joel Dicker. Harry Quebert. Baltimore. These are all names that ring a bell among fans of literature and many others too. The 30 year-old writer from Geneva is now the ambassador of the DS car brand that partnered GMT magazine for its 15th birthday party held at HEAD Geneve. Joel Dicker is adding another string to his bow by serving as director and starring in the DS web series leading up to an exclusive novel.
Although he's not a watch connoisseur as such, Joel Dicker is certainly not unappreciative of the classic, complex or innovative timepieces produced by the watch industry. The young author already translated into more than 30 languages shared a few thoughts on the topic with Worldtempus.
Which was your first watch?
I was given my first watch at the age of four: it was a Flik Flak with a blue strap! I later had a classic Swatch steel watch, but I don't remember the exact model....
Which model would you like to wear now?
The one I have at the moment suits me just fine: an Omega Speedmaster Dark Side of the Moon. I like its sporty and classic nature: black, discreet and yet original.
And what kind of watch would you like to give your sweetheart?
Not a watch from a specific brand. On the contrary, if I could, I'd create a watch from scratch for my girl!
What does time represent for you?
Money! Just kidding. Time… embodies the ambiguous relationship between past time and the time we have left to carry out our plans and to live. So time is ambiguity.
What does Swiss watchmaking mean to you?
Pride in having a national product that is universally appreciated abroad! It's a benchmark, a guarantee of quality and of excellent workmanship. That has an impact both on the image of watchmaking in general and on Switzerland itself.
When you are touring abroad, do people talk to you about Swiss watchmaking?
Not about Swiss watchmaking in particular, but about all the things that symbolise Switzerland, including watches. The latter are of course a reference in terms of Swiss excellence in this domain. Afterwards, people also talk to me about banks and chocolate of course.
What kind of books do you enjoy reading?
I read all manner of things, although I wouldn't personally be capable of writing any and every kind of literary genre.
How about a thriller?
No! Murder, blood and torture are definitely not my scene. I'm a romantic…
The notion of time is bly present in your books. Can you tell me a bit more?
Yes indeed, all my books have a bly embedded concept of time. There are constant flashbacks to the life of the main protagonist, a lot of waiting, a sense of protracted duration. There is always a tie with past, present and future time, so it definitely underpins various situations.
What was your latest literary crush?
A bookseller recently recommended a book written by a pair of little-known authors and the title was also unfamiliar. I loved its unexpected side. It was a very different genre from anything I'd previously read. by John Robert and Evan Wright is all about the New York mafia, murder, cocaine… I highly recommend it!
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Newsletter - Happy holidays, see you next year!
Last week, Omega announced that it is developing a new standard, in conjunction with the Swiss Federal Institute for Metrology (METAS). Any watch with a precision between 0 and +5 seconds per day that can resist magnetic fields of "at least 15,000 gauss" will qualify for this Swiss norm, with which Omega ostensibly aims to raise awareness of the potential impact on our watches of the magnetic fields that surround us nowadays.
Also last week, the Qualite Fleurier foundation celebrated the 10th anniversary of its certification with the announcement that it is making the unique equipment used for its tests available to the entire Swiss watchmaking industry. The certification already uses the same strict precision tolerances as the new METAS standard, but with one very important difference: it is the only certification where the finished watch is subjected to a genuine simulation of real-world wrist action over 24 hours on the formidable Fleuritest machine. Read our full report this week on WorldTempus.
In this last full week of shopping before Christmas, we conclude our gift guide with a review of some affordable complicated watches, a selection of watch-related books and the new ultimate gift for the watch fan. Over the holiday season we will also be publishing loads of great content, with a mini-series of "What's next?" articles inspired by the theme of this year's Forum de la Haute Horlogerie, the first in a series of articles on the different movement decorations used in watchmaking, features from the latest issue of GMT Lady and a selection of the forthcoming SIHH launches.
Our offices will be closed over the festive period, so the next WorldTempus newsletter will be sent out on 12 January. In the meantime, the entire team at WorldTempus wishes you happy holidays and all the very best for the New Year. See you soon!
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Moonwatch Only - The ultimate Omega Speedmaster guide
Although their names may not be familiar as writers of horological reference works, Gregoire Rossier and Anthony Marquie have invested several years in the production of this consummate guide to one of the few genuine watch icons.
The Omega Speedmaster needs little introduction, having secured its very own page in the history books when it was selected by NASA for use in its manned spaceflight programme. But the Moonwatch is only part of the varied history of the Speedmaster model, which traces its lineage back over 50 years, to the first model in 1957.
catalogues over 125 models, covering all Speedmaster production since 1957, including limited and special editions, as well as projects and prototypes. It also analyses and codifies over 250 different components, from calibres to cases, bezels to bracelets, crown to crystal… and even the presentation boxes, using an original nomenclature developed by the authors. It is illustrated with over 1000 images, some of which have never before been published.
Moonwatch Only. The Ultimate Omega Speedmaster Guide, by Gregoire Rossier and Anthony Marquie, is available in English, French and Italian, priced CHF 290 or €250 from Watchprint, the watch and jewellery bookstore.
Order a copy
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Omega - Speedmaster Chronograph keeps time
A Timely Perspective - 5 November 2012
The Omega Speedmaster chronograph was created in 1957 and has always been regarded as a high-precision sturdy, reliable watch. In 1969, it made history as the first watch to be worn on the moon. This week, it was the watch I relied on during hurricane Sandy, the subsequent power outage for six days and the clean-up after the fact.
This Speedmaster Automatic Chronometer is a superb watch. Housing the self-winding Omega 3304 caliber, the watch is a chronograph and officially certified COSC chronometer. I love the feel of the automatic movement and its self-winding capabilities - you know you have mechanics on the wrist with this watch. For me, even though time wasn't essential during the blackout, I needed to know the time and date and with this watch I was certain it wouldn't die as a quartz watch might if its battery ran out during the long days and dark nights.
Additionally, during the aftermath and the cleanup outside, I knew it was rugged enough to go the distance hauling logs, brush and debris off the pool and out of the yard. While I didn't use the tachymeter bezel, I did, in fact, use the chronograph to track how long it took to get just the one big tree off the pool: 6 hours, 22 minutes and 10 seconds. After that, I stopped timing the take down of the other fallen seven trees. It was tiring work but the watch kept up! I love this timepiece. Retail is about $4,900 - and at that it is a steal.
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Omega - A New Watch for James Bond
In SKYFALL, to be released in autumn of 2012, James Bond will take to the screen for the 23rd time with Daniel Craig again assuming the role of the world's favourite secret agent. And once again, 007 will wear an OMEGA Seamaster.
To celebrate its seventh performance in a supporting role in a Bond film, OMEGA is launching the Seamaster Planet Ocean 600M"SKYFALL" Limited Edition watch.
Like every Planet Ocean, the new watch is ready for underwater adventure. Equipped with a unidirectional rotating diving bezel and a helium escape valve, the watch is water resistant 60 bar / 600 metres / 2000 feet. The watch has a 42 mm brushed and polished stainless steel case and a matching patented screw-and-pin bracelet whose divers' clasp is engraved with "007". The rotating diving bezel is distinguished by its matt black ceramic ring with a chromium nitride diving scale.
The applied indexes on the matt structured black dial are coated with white Super-LumiNova emitting a blue light as are the polished, facetted rhodium-plated hands. The exception is the minute hand which emits a green light, as does the dot on the diving bezel. This feature makes it easy for divers to keep track of their time at a glance. At the 7 o'clock position is a 007 logo and at 3 o'clock, there is a date window.
The Seamaster Planet Ocean 600M SKYFALL Limited Edition is powered by OMEGA's exclusive new Co-Axial calibre 8507. SKYFALL 007 is on its rotor in black-varnished engraving. The movement is visible through sapphire crystal in the brushed screw-in caseback.
Along with OMEGA's industry-changing Co-Axial technology, the watch is equipped with an "Si14" silicon balance spring. The combination is so stable and reliable that the Planet Ocean comes with a full four-year warranty.
The Seamaster Planet Ocean 600M SKYFALL wristwatch is being produced in an edition limited to 5,007 pieces and is delivered in a special presentation box.
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Antiquorum - Elvis Presley's Omega Watch in auction
The Omega Black Dial Constellation Calendar watch was gifted to Elvis' longtime friend and confidante Charlie Hodge, a musician who played with Presley and who was honored at the 2007 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Hodge recalls, "… several times I told Elvis how beautiful his watch was... and he took it off his wrist and gave it to me."
The self-winding, center-seconds, water-resistant, stainless steel and pink gold-capped chronometer wristwatch with black dial was produced circa 1960. The winner of this watch, expected to sell for $10,000 - $20,000, will receive a letter of attestation signed by Hodge.
Few watches owned by Elvis remain from this era and considering his professional relationship with Hamilton watches and sizable collection of Hamilton and Rolex watches, this Omega is truly unique.
"This is an important piece of history sure to appeal to Elvis fans, collectors of music memorabilia and watch aficionados," says Evan Zimmermann, President and CEO of Antiquorum.
The Omega Constellation is one of 269 remarkable timepieces, including rare Patek Philippe, Piaget, Ulysse Nardin and Jaeger-LeCoultre wristwatches, to be featured at the auction. A Patek Philippe Ref. 5016 in 18K yellow gold with a custom grey dial is estimated to fetch $450,000 - $ 650,000 and a limited edition Jaeger Le-Coultre Gyrotourbillon in platinum is expected to sell for $ 250,000 - $ 350,000.
The collection will be previewed in New York from June 9 - 11.
www.Antiquorum.com
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Omega - The new De Ville Chronograph
Omega's De Ville line has long been known not only for its elegant styling but for its introduction of some of the brand's most important watchmaking innovations. For example, it was in a De Ville in 1999 that OMEGA launched its calibre 2500 equipped with a Co-Axial escapement - the component that since it was released has revolutionized mechanical watchmaking. In 2007, the De Ville Hour Vision introduced Omega's Co-Axial calibre 8500/8501, the movement that demonstrated that Omega's Co-Axial philosophy had truly come of age. And it was in the De Ville Hour Vision Annual Calendar that the Si14 silicon balance spring made its debut, offering an unparalleled level of stability and performance in a seriesproduced mechanical watch movement.
The De Ville Chronograph Omega Co-Axial calibre 9300/9301 carries on the line's tradition of classic design and its most innovative technology. It is powered by the chronograph in the brand's family of proprietary Co-Axial movements. Equipped with Omega's Si14 silicon balance spring, the timepiece is delivered with a four-year warranty. Frequent travellers will appreciate the fact that they can change the hour hand without affecting the minute and second hands - ideal for moving between time zones or for adjusting to the twice yearly time change in most parts of the world.
This new De Ville Chronograph is available with either a 42 mm 18 Ct red gold case on a brown or blue leather strap, or with a stainless steel case on a stainless steel bracelet or on a black or blue leather strap.
The 18 Ct gold model's Co-Axial calibre 9301 has an 18 Ct gold rotor and balance bridge; the stainless steel model is powered by the Co-Axial calibre 9300, which has a rhodium-plated rotor and balance bridge.
The two-zone dial has been created in a choice of opaline-silver or blue for the 18 Ct red gold models and opaline-silver or black or blue for the De Ville Chronograph in stainless steel. It has two domed sub-dials. The chronograph sub-dial at 3 o'clock has both the 60-minute and 12-hour counters so reading the elapsed time is intuitive. At the 9 o'clock position is the small seconds hand. The watch has a central chronograph seconds hand as well as 18 Ct gold diamondpolished, facetted central hour and minute hands. Its applied Roman numeral indexes are also crafted from 18 Ct gold, facetted on the sides and ends and fully diamond-polished.
The De Ville Chronograph is water resistant to 10 bar / 100 metres / 330 feet. With its combination of simple elegance and cutting-edge technology, the De Ville Chronograph Omega Co-Axial Calibre 9300/9301 is a stunning reminder of what a classic, yet highly technical mechanical watch can be.
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Omega - Seamaster Co-Axial 300 M Limited Edition James Bond 007
OMEGA celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of the first James Bond film with the launch of two commemorative limited edition watches, a press conference and a showcase of props from every James Bond film at its new Westfield Stratford (England) boutique.
The event was opened by OMEGA president Stephen Urquhart, who welcomed media and guests and talked about his brand's relationship with the film franchise. He said, "James Bond is unmatched as a cultural icon and we are excited to be celebrating half a century of great adventure films featuring the world's favourite spy. We are also happy to have the opportunity to display items from every one of those films. I know that the showcase will bring back a lot of cinematic memories." Stephen Urquhart was joined by OMEGA's vice president and head of product development, Jean-Claude Monachon, who introduced two Seamaster Diver watches that OMEGA has released to commemorate the milestone. Released in two sizes, the new Seamaster Diver is distinguished by a red "50" on its diving bezel, a reminder that it is celebrating a special anniversary. Also at the press conference was Lindy Hemming, the Oscar-winning costume designer who chose the OMEGA Speedmaster as 007's watch in GoldenEye in 1995. Asked about her selection of the OMEGA Seamaster with the blue dial, she said "I was convinced that Commander Bond, a Naval man, a diver, and a discreet gentleman of the world would wear this watch as opposed to the one everyone expected me to use."
She added, "I had also known contemporaries when I was in my twenties who were military and naval, and some who worked in field of energy and electricity, who all swore by their Omegas. Therefore, as one of the early tasks in designing the new Bond, Pierce Brosnan, I went to a props and hand props meeting and argued for the use of Omega, which I had of course first investigated to make sure they would be interested in placing their watches on Bond!" Bond film props and gadgets on display The showcase which opened on Wednesday features props from all 22 previously released Bond films. The Parahawk from The World is Not Enough is displayed outside the boutique; it attracted considerable attention from shoppers in the mall who were pleased to enter the boutique to see a wide range of props that includes a Dom Perignon champagne bottle from Dr. No, a flask bomb used in A View to Kill, super-villain Jaws' teeth from The Spy Who Loved Me and Bond's piton gun from GoldenEye.
The showcase continues through Friday February 24th at the OMEGA Boutique at the Stratford Westfield Mall and is open to the public.
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Omega - Speedmaster Moonwatch "Apollo 15" 40th Anniversary Limited Edition
Apollo 15 was the fourth of NASA's six missions to land on the Moon. It was the first to feature a long duration stay on the lunar surface and there was a greater focus on science than there had been on previous missions. Most notably, it was the first mission where the Lunar Roving Vehicle was used.
The Apollo 15 mission began on July 26, 1971; the crew landed on the Moon four days later and they wouldn't splash down until the 7th of August. The adventure had lasted more than twelve days!
Omega commemorates a successful mission
Omega has created the Speedmaster Moonwatch "Apollo 15" 40th Anniversary Limited Edition to commemorate this important and successful mission.
It is a classic Moonwatch: it has a polished and brushed stainless steel case and bracelet, a black aluminum ring with a tachymeter scale on the bezel and a domed shatterproof hesalite crystal with O etched inside. Its three subdials are arranged in true Speedmaster Professional fashion on the black dial: the small seconds at 9 o'clock, the 12-hour counter at 6 o'clock and the 30-minute counter at 3 o'clock.
Some distinguishing features
There are also some features which distinguish the "Apollo 15" 40th Anniversary model from the classic Speedmaster Professional. This Limited Edition timepiece has a minute track in blue, white and red - the three colors of the Apollo 15 patch. There is a blue ring around the small seconds subdial; there are white and red rings around the 12-hour and 30-minute counters respectively.
The screw-in caseback is embossed with an image of the Lunar Rover and the words "APOLLO 15" and "40th ANNIVERSARY". The outer circle of the caseback is black chrome engraved with "THE FIRST WATCH WORN ON THE MOON", "JULY 30, 1971" and the limited edition number.
An iconic movement
At the heart of the Speedmaster Moonwatch "Apollo 15" 40th Anniversary Limited Edition wristwatch is the classic Omega caliber 1861, the same manual-winding chronograph that equips the legendary Speedmaster Professional.
The Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch "Apollo 15" 40th Anniversary was created in an edition limited to 1,971 pieces.
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Omega - Hour Vision Blue
OMEGA has created a special watch - the Hour Vision Blue - in support of ORBIS International's fight against preventable blindness. Working closely with OMEGA on the project is actor and brand ambassador Daniel Craig.
The elegant Hour Vision
The OMEGA Hour Vision Blue wristwatch is a special edition of the stunning Hour Vision. It has a 360° see-through case-body which is set in a robust 41 mm stainless steel outer case.
The Hour Vision Blue is equipped with OMEGA's Co-Axial calibre 8500, the movement that signalled a revolution in series-produced mechanical watchmaking. The self-winding watch is an officially certified chronometer, a testimony to its precision and performance. Its Co-Axial escapement on three levels means that the hour hand can be adjusted independently of the minute and seconds hands - ideal for travellers who regularly need to change time zones.
The Co-Axial movement can be observed through sapphire crystal in the polished, screwed caseback. The Hour Vision Blue is water resistant to 10 bar / 100 metres / 330 feet.
Adding distinction to the timepiece is its sun-brushed blue dial designed especially for the appropriately named Hour Vision Blue. It has 18 Ct white gold facetted hour, minute and seconds hands and features a date window at 3 o'clock. The OMEGA Hour Vision Blue is presented on a black leather strap.
OMEGA and ORBIS International
OMEGA will donate a minimum of a million dollars to ORBIS International over the next four years and looks forward to its partnership with a remarkable organization that has carried out programs in 88 countries and trained some 250,000 health care professionals while delivering quality eye care to more than 12 million individuals around the world.
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Omega - Ladymatic
Can you imagine a line of women's watches that recalls the most compelling design elements of the golden age of couture and combines them with the best mechanical watch movements in the world? Is this idea simply too good to be true?
Omega can answer these questions in a word: Ladymatic.
Reviving a legendary name
The Omega Ladymatic reintroduces a name from the storied brand's illustrious past. Originally launched in 1955 and continuing for the better part of a generation, the Ladymatic wristwatch line defined feminine grace and elegance in another era. It was one of the brand's first self-winding watches to be designed especially for women and it featured the smallest automatic movement Omega had ever made.Omega has chosen to revive the legendary name with a family of watches whose design originality and Co-Axial innovation combine to give an entirely new meaning to Ladymatic. These are timepieces that have been created to address women's desire to own wristwatches that make profound fashion statements but which are also equipped with the best series-produced mechanical watch movements in the world.
Nicole Kidman and Ladymatic
Academy Award-winning actress Nicole Kidman, an Omega brand ambassador since 2004, will be the face (and wrist) associated with the Ladymatic line. Asked what she thought about Omega's decision to usea name associated with a product launched in the fifties, Kidman said, "There's something appealing about that type of communication. There's a fascination with the era which means that the advertisements can be playful without actually turning back the clock. As the Ladymatic watch collection represents state-of-the-industry technology, this campaign is really a sort of wink."
What's in a name? Ladymatic in 1955 and 2010
When the first Ladymatic watches were released by Omega in 1955, the name concisely communicated the collection's strength: the Ladymatic was a self-winding watch created especially for women.Omega president Stephen Urquhart said about reviving the Ladymatic name, "We're certainly aware that it sounds different now than it did 55 years ago. But the new watches are superb and they've been designed for women who have told us that they are as interested in the quality of our mechanical movements as they are in the style of the watches."Mr. Urquhart added, "By reviving this name, we've been able to focus attention on how important our women customers have been to us over the years and also to show the world what a mechanical watch for women should be in the 21st century."Nicole Kidman echoed his sentiment saying, "These days, interest in the quality of a watch movement isn't gender specific - women have the same interest in its performance as men do. The Ladymatic addresses that perfectly."
The Ladymatic Line
The watches in the new Ladymatic line feature polished 34 mm cases with a distinctive ceramic ring between an outer decorative wave and the inner case body. The cases are crafted in 18 Ct red or yellow gold or in stainless steel.The Ladymatic watches are offered with a choice of polished or snow-set diamond-paved bezels. The polished screw-in crown is either set with a Brilliant Omega CutT™ diamond or is embossed with a polished OMEGA logo. The polished caseback has a sapphire crystal that reveals the movement that powers the watch.The movement driving the Ladymatic watches is the Omega Co-Axial calibre 8520/8521. At its heart is the Co-Axial escapement, the component that in 1999 signaled a revolution in how mechanical wristwatches are made. Each movement is equipped with OMEGA's exclusive Si 14 silicon balance spring, an innovation that makes it more resistant to external shocks and environmental disturbancEach watch in the Omega Ladymatic collection is an officially certified chronometer, a testimony to their outstanding timekeeping performance. The remarkable stability and performance of the Co-Axial calibers equipped with silicon balance springs makes it possible for Omega to deliver each Ladymatic wristwatch with a four-year warranty.The stunning face of the Ladymatic is highlighted by the supernova pattern, which emanates from the centre of the dial. The extra-white mother-ofpearl or lacquered black dials match the colour of the striking ceramic ring. The dials are available either with 11 diamond indexes in facetted 18 Ct gold mounts or in understated elegant simplicity with no hour markers. There is a diamond-polished date window at the 3 o'clock position. The polished alpha-shaped hands have been made from 18 Ct gold and are treated with white Super-LumiNova, making them readable in any lighting conditions.The Omega Ladymatic watches are presented with either bracelets in metals matching their cases or on alligator leather straps in mother-of-pearl white or brilliant black. The metal bracelets feature Omega's patented 3-row screw-and-pin design with a butterfly clasp. The alligator straps have a polished link in the metal that corresponds to the case and an 18 Ct gold foldover clasp.The new Omega Ladymatic Collection draws certain influences from its namesake: like the original Ladymatic watches, the line perfectly blends graceful, timeless design and Omega's groundbreaking technology. The new collection, with its Co-Axial technology and bold fashion features, takes the best elements of an earlier era and introduces them, completely updated and upgraded, to women of accomplishment in a new century.
[Rating: 5 / 5 stars]
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