Patek Philippe World Time 5110 (5110P-001)

WORLDTEMPUS - 13 December 2011

It is always a great pleasure to attend both SIHH and BaselWorld, and of course new watches are always great to see and even try on the wrist prior to writing about them. However, in retrospect some of the watches that thrilled me most were not even introduced at these two watch fairs. 

IWC Portuguese Siderale Scafusia 
One of these fantastic post-watch fair launches was the incredible IWC Portuguese Siderale Scafusia with tourbillon, perpetual calendar and customized celestial chart on the back. As far as I am concerned, this watch came as quite a surprise. Not that IWC does not produce wonderful watches, but still a watch with such an astronomical complication offering sidereal as well as solar time aside from other incredible complications had me wondering if IWC could be considered a horological competitor to the legendary Patek Philippe Sky Moon Reference 5002. 

Of course, I am not able to judge from a watchmaker's point of view since I am not a watchmaker or even very technically adept. Still, a watch of this caliber (pun intended) certainly deserves attention and applause from anybody who appreciates something out-of-the-ordinary that not only proves that IWC certainly employs talented engineers, but also incredibly talented artisans.

Patek Philippe Only Watch
As regards Patek Philippe, the model that got my attention was yet again not a watch that was on view within the showcases of BaselWorld 2011. It was, however, a model with a few years behind it including a wonderful minute repeater movement - and encased in steel. Anybody who knows just a little bit about Patek Philippe is probably aware that the company only makes a very few steel watches every year. Some claim it is only 500 per year, not one of which is a single complication. Patek Philippe complications are only encased in precious metals such as gold and platinum.

Reference 3939 from the Monaco Only Watch auction in September was, however, a complication and since it was encased in steel the attention was obvious as the serially produced version of Reference 3939 was only offered in gold or platinum. The sheer uniqueness of this model made it an instantly collectable timepiece worth a lot of money: US$1.9 million to be exact.

Linde Werdelin SpidoLite II Titanium
Independent Danish watch company Linde Werdelin also had my full attention with a watch it did not show during BaselWorld. Instead, the brand decided to only recently introduce the next generation of a watch that really turned heads in its direction: the SpidoLite. Admittedly, the first renderings hitting my mailbox did not impress me at all. Trying it on did, however, change my mind radically.
The SpidoLite is a watch offering not only a skeletonized dial but also a drilled-out case that leaves only the essential material. In other words, the Linde Werdelin SpidoLite is not only a light watch, it is also a great and dramatic-looking watch.

The SpidoLite II is the latest model by the young watch company founded by Danes Morten Linde and Jorn Werdelin in 2006. The SpidoLite II offers an automatic movement with small seconds at 9 o'clock and a fascinating perforated date wheel as well as a slightly altered drilling procedure of the case band as compared to the first SpidoLites introduced two years ago. 

A. Lange & Söhne Academy Course
Another thing that impressed me in 2011 was not a watch per se, but instead attending an Academy Course at A. Lange & Söhne for three days. Dressed in a white lab coat and sporting pink rubber on my fingers tips, I assembled and disassembled movements, added perlage to the typical Saxon three-quarter plate, polished gold chatons to perfection and blued steel hands over a 300-degree flame.

I learned that making an A. Lange & Söhne watch is not about speed. It is not about assembling as many movements a day as possible. It is first and foremost about skills and perfection. And while I realized this I found my Zen polishing tiny gold chatons considering if this was indeed the right type of work for me. And while writing this, I still consider if this might indeed be so. 
Is A. Lange & Söhne hiring these days?