-
Review - The top 5 watches viewed on WorldTempus in 2015
Richard Mille watches are among the most sought-after timepieces on the Internet, even though their prices put them beyond the reach of all but the wealthiest watch collectors. The most viewed watch in the WorldTempus database of over 12,000 timepieces this year was the Richard Mille RM 52-01 Skull Nano-Ceramic. The name alone hints at which this particular Richard Mille model was the most popular. It has the trendy skull motif that we have seen on other models this year (although in this case it actually forms the baseplate of the movement) and uses a high-tech material for its case that is typical of the brand.
Hublot's Big Bang celebrated its 10th anniversary this year, so it's little surprise that the brand's iconic model, which has defined a generation of watchmaking, makes our top five list of the most viewed watches in 2015. The model in question is the Big Bang Yacht Club Monaco, perhaps capitalizing in interest in the millionaire's playground.
An association with a leading sports personality often makes a watch popular. One article about Stanislas Wawrinka and his Audemars Piguet regularly tops the most viewed list whenever the Swiss player is doing well in a major tennis tournament. The popularity of the world's number one tennis player in 2015, Novak Djokovic, and his association with Seiko probably explains why the brand's innovative Astron GPS Solar made the podium of the most view watches on WorldTempus this year.
The remainer of our top 5 is made up of watches whose popularity was derived from the fact that they were among the prizes up for grabs in the monthly WorldTempus competition. The Emile Chouriet Historical Heritier that was offered in our November competition came out ahead of the Eberhard Tazio Nuvolari Gold Car collection that was won in our June competition.
-
SalonQP - London calling
SalonQP brings together over 90 exhibitors from the world of watchmaking, including a large contingent of home-grown UK watchmaking talent that watch fans can usually only see at this annual London event. Three new brands will launch at the show, including Czapek & Cie. which was presented only yesterday on WorldTempus.
Urban Jurgensen is one of 15 brands that will be exhibiting at the show for the first time, with a further twelve brands choosing SalonQP for new product launches. Traditionally, SalonQP is also the first opportunity to see the exhibition of all the winning watches from the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Geneve.
A separate exhibition entitled "Gems of Time: The Art of Colour" looks specifically at the use of coloured gemstones in fine watchmaking and two of the informative seminars during the event will be devoted to the subjects of high jewellery watches (13th November at 12.30pm with Sasha Slater of and Caragh McKay, editor of and coloured gemstones (13th November at 3pm with Daniel Struyf, International Jewellery Director at Bonhams).
Watch fans will be spoiled for choice with the broad selection of big names and smaller, independent brands and will have a rare chance to see a Grand Seiko Hibeat movement being assembled by one of the brand's master watchmakers, Mr Hiraga, who is travelling all the way from Japan. An even rarer delight is the opportunity to see a Roger Smith timepiece. The master watchmaker from the Isle of Man, who worked with George Daniels, produces only 10 pieces of his Series 2, which uses a single-wheel version of the Daniels Co-Axial escapement.
-
Seiko - Premium Boutique
The first Seiko Premium Boutique was inaugurated in Ginza, a high-end shopping district in Tokyo on July 30. This is the first boutique carrying Seiko's three luxury brands exclusively： Grand Seiko, Credor and Galante.
The previous day, a ribbon-cutting ceremony and a press conference was held with the attendance of Wang Leehom, a famous Chinese-American singer and actor who he has been Seiko's brand ambassador in Asia since 2011.
"Showcasing our prestigious collections, this boutique will offer a true window to the Seiko world, and visitors will experience the uniqueness of Seiko's craftsmanship and Japanese hospitality" announced Shinji Hattori, President & CEO of Seiko Watch Corporation at the press conference held at Wako, a landmark specialty store in Ginza.
-
If you have missed it... - Watch industry news
Seiko - The Alien Seiko - when childhood dreams come true
Childhood memories are of great importance when you buy a watch as a grown-up. A recent purchase proved that right.
WorldTempus Rant #14
The Importance of Swiss Made
The Swiss Made issue is a balancing act that involves safeguarding the "Made in Switzerland" aspect yet without raising the price of ownership to a prohibitive level.
Bovet - A free spirit
Bovet 1822 proudly affirms its classic heritage and its time-honoured technical mastery. Nonetheless, a closer look reveals that the House ardently defends the audacity of its founder, Edouard.
IWC Manual labour and a little prince on his asteroid
Surrounded by the river Rhine in the scenic town of Schaffhausen, Swiss watch manufacturer IWC produces watches with a masculine flavour.
Chronicle - Wanted Notice
British royalty seeks a "horological conservator". Details of a (right royal) job description!
TAG Heuer - Tiempo de Relojes 2013 Special Prize awarded to Guy Semon
Tiempo de Relojes Magazine awarded Guy Semon for his contribution to the watch industry by developing the most comprehensive and innovative Concept watches.
Reuge - Maximilian Busser makes a confession
Not only has Maximilian Busser invented the concept of the watchmaking collective with his 'friends', but he has now also invented - or rather popularised - that of horological philanthropy.
H. Moser & Cie - what makes H. Moser "Very Rare"?
H. Moser & Cie. is introducing a new communication campaign featuring a revamped visual identity and a new signature: Very Rare.
Dior/Zenith - Dior timepieces and Zenith
Manufacture
Since 2004, Dior and Zenith have been working together with three calibres: the "Irreductible", "Elite" and "691" calibres.
Vacheron Constantin - New Component Manufacturing Facility
Vacheron Constantin has decided to unite under one roof its watch component production activities previously spread between three different buildings.
-
Technique - Military Watches
The Watch Review, Summer 1994 Special
Having been entrusted by the Directory with the Egypt campaign in an attempt to keep him at arm's length, Napoleon Bonaparte, the first to carry the name, went to war. He had a fleet, which would end up being destroyed by Nelson, a hat perched jauntily on his head and a Breguet in his pocket. It is quite likely that this is what ticked continuously when he placed his hand on his breast. It appears that he was obsessed with time. To the extent that he would exhort his officers to buy a Breguet, the best watch in his opinion.
By the time he returned in 1799, his hat and his watch were covered in sand. Little harm was caused to the hat, but the Breguet was permanently clogged. The future emperor ordered a new one, claiming dishonestly that his own had gone wrong again for no reason. Breguet obliged and Napoleon remained faithful to it. At the close of the century, horologists were called upon to equip the French army and navy.
A few years elapsed. This was the age of competitions, each admiralty offering handsome rewards for seaworthy chronometers. The observatory committees fell joyfully into their clutches, instituted proceedings to their hearts' content so their proteges would be placed in pole position and they would lay their hands on the royalties.
In 1815, a very self-satisfied Bonaparte became emperor. He seems from his expression to be saying "apres moi le deluge". One year later, Europe was promptly hit by downpours. In Switzerland, people fished for trout from their balconies. By hand. Around 1830, Breguet won a contract with the French navy and built its first marine chronometer. It would take at least 10 years to produce a chronometer worthy of the name.
The best trademarks were in the teeth. In 1865, Guido Panerai set up his Panerai workshop in Florence, the then Italian capital. He specialised in precision instrumentation and received his first official order for watches from the Italian navy in 1867.
In 1876, Paul-David Nardin joined the marine chronometer race, hotly pursued by Girard-Perregaux and Henry Grand-Jean from Le Locle who also responded to the competition announced by the German Imperial Admiralty in 1877. In all, nine German and two Swiss manufacturers competed.
The first recorded purchase of a military watch was a pocket watch in polished or mat gold or silver, fitted with handles through which a chain could be slid so that it could be worn on the wrist. Besides a bracelet, Wilhelm II had wanted casing to protect the watch glass. Wilhelm might almost have been rated intelligent had he not swiped Alsace and Lorraine from the French in 1871. But enough of this nonsense, let's get back to our watch. It was signed Girard-Perregaux and was designed for the officers of the German Imperial Navy.
Wilhelm of Prussia, proclaimed Emperor of Germany at Versailles, would receive two thousand of these timepieces from 1880 onwards. A decade later, the British Navy was seeking delivery of comparison watches and approached the leading manufacturers, including Vacheron & Constantin which had already turned its attention to the deck watch.
The object of the game was as follows: once a vessel anchored in port, a ship's boy would set off to find out the time at the observatory and set his comparison watch by it. On his return to the deck, the sailor's time would be compared against that of the onboard chronometer. The commander would note the difference in minutes and seconds between the two in a moleskin logbook, wisely return his pen to the inkwell and touch nothing else.
Indeed, the timekeepers on board were only changed at a precise time. Beforehand is too early, afterwards is too late. Dismiss! At the start of the 20th Century, Eberhard became the supplier of watches to the Italian navy. From 1903 to 1906, Paul-David Nardin produced forty-five timepieces on average each year. In 1910, Longines shipped its fob watches as far as the Ottoman Empire, from which it had received an order to equip the Navy.
At the outset of the Great War, the Navy ordered navigation watches from Hamilton which would be installed in torpedoes, destroyers and submarines.
Elgin, Waltham and Longines joined the ranks with their Deck Watch. All of which still only involved surface navigation.
At the height of the First World War, the Italians conceived of a revolutionary undersea strategy. The imperial fleet of the Austro-Hungarian Empire did not anchor outside its fortified ports. So, since the enemy sailors would not come to them, the Italians went to the enemy sailors. They invented the combat submarine and brought out their combat craft in 1915.
In the secret confines of his workshop, Panerai artfully tinkered with optical systems as well as a mechanical calculator for torpedo launches. He knew what the Navy was plotting. A special unit was set up by the name of Motoscafi Anti Sommergibile and took to the open seas. The first attack by the naval frogmen of the MAS successfully took place on 31 May 1918. Engineer Lieutenant Commander Raffaele Rossetti and naval doctor Raffaelle Paolucci sank the 20,000 tonne warship Viribus Unitis, anchored in the Dalmatian port of Pula. A couple of bombs and the warship was defeated at the city walls.
Costanzo Ciano, a naval officer, would develop the strategy. From 1921 onwards, radio time signals changed matters for marine chronometers. Exit the comparison watch and observatories. Enter the hourly pips. In the 1930s, Eberhard chronographs adorned the wrists of Italian naval officers and Omega created a rectangular-shaped diver's watch in a double case.
On the military side, various methods were under study. The British Home Fleet was deployed in the Mediterranean to intimidate the Italians who were encroaching un poco troppo on the African continent. Italy was clearly no match. In 1938, the combat craft answered to the 'molto simpatico' name of First Assault Vehicle Flotilla. Deemed a little long-winded, it was replaced by Decima Mas in 1941.
Piloted torpedoes nicknamed pigs were bestrode by Italian swimmers, explosive dinghies and combat divers from the Gamma Group. Such was the programme of delights conjured by the lovers of the Dolce Vita. The divers had dark rubber suits, warm underclothes, short flippers, breathing apparatus withstanding immersion for three hours and a dagger. Complete with instruments comprising a navigation watch, depth sensor and compass, all of which were manufactured in Panerai's Florentine workshop.
The Panerai Radiomir, the ancestor of the Luminor reissued by Panerai, was unlike the Luminor in that it used harmful radium and was larger than normal. It was fitted with two types of mechanical movement: one manufactured by Angelus, the other by Rolex. There are two models of Rolex type classic screwed winding crowns or a special patented locking system. The dial is black with fluorescent numerals. On board their assault craft, the officers sported a Panerai Mare Nostrum, a chronograph with a luminous dial.
During the Second World War, the habits of the good old days in the Navy were resumed. The warships observed radio silence to prevent detection by the enemy. So ended the time pips. And back to square one with marine chronometers. Which had to be accurate to within one second, as we know, to calculate longitude and to avoid crashing into rocks or an enemy vessel. That would be messy.
In 1939, the US Navy entreated the eight best American manufacturers to make it marine chronometers. In 1941, Hamilton was contracted to produce 337 of them, taking over from Ulysse Nardin who was the main supplier.
On receipt of the first two chronometers, their commissioners leapt with joy: they were excellent. Suddenly, Hamilton was asked to make not 337 but 1,000 pieces. The warships, heavy cruisers and submarines were swiftly supplied with several Hamilton gimbal chronometers stored in their chests.
So pleased were the Americans that demand grew and grew. President Roosevelt, the recipient of a Hamilton marine chronometer, promised in writing that he would take care of it and keep it at the White House until the end of the war, afterwards finding a place for it in his library in Hyde Park. Hamilton met with universal approval, especially since the US Navy had approached Elgin and Roth Brothers and found that their chronometers were not up to the task.
On the other hand, Elgin was developing a diver's watch at the same time as Hamilton. It was a waterproof version of the General Purpose Wrist Watch, featuring a waterproof cabochon winding crown, held by a chain. Hamilton would produce no fewer than 8,902 watches for Uncle Sam's Marines, plus 898 for the Maritime Commission and others. The Hamilton watches of the marine riflemen were engraved with the letters US MC and were, of course, part of their kit. The Germans of the Kriegsmarine had Berg, Alpina, Siegerin and a few Panerai watches, which had a white dial marked KM. The Royal Navy used Jaeger-LeCoultre, Hamilton, Omega, Longines while the Japanese Imperial Navy was supplied by Seiko.
The groundswell that took 50 million human lives ended jubilantly. In 1945, Lauren Bacall suggested that Humphrey Bogart whistle if he needed anything. And he whistled.
In 1946 the Indochina war broke out. The French set off with their Waltham, Elgin and Hamilton watches and the - denazified - Kriegsmarine watches received in compensation for war damages. Meaning that the Nazi emblem on the dial, an eagle holding the world in its grip, was milled off. The sextants met the same fate.
In 1947, the English left their Indian colonies and the maharajas abdicated. Al Capone, or Alphonse to his family, died amid general indifference under the Miami sun. In 1953, the Submariner was baptised by Rolex. The Submariner was water-resistant to a depth of 100 metres.
Blancpain launched Fifty Fathoms, a diver's watch able to withstand a depth of 200 metres. Both were adopted by the divers of the French Navy. The Fifty Fathoms killed three birds with the one stone, equipping the US Navy, the Kampfschwimmer and the German Navy. Admittedly, Blancpain made waves as soon as it was introduced into the Navy. During a drill, one diver lost his at a depth of 53 metres and found it again by chance the next day. The Fifty Fathoms was also waterproof.
The Bundeswehr has since replaced the Blancpain with a military version of the Porsche Design Ocean 2000 in titanium, which IWC designed for the German Federal Army.
In Italy, Panerai reissued the Panerai Mare Nostrum and the Luminor which appeared after the Second World War. Nine hundred copies of each were released for sale, while a further one hundred of each went to the Italian Navy. Marina militare was stamped on the dial and they were treated with a titanium anti-reflection coating.
In France, besides the Submariner, the Rolex Tudor made an appearance along with the Yema Navigraph Quartz, Tag Heuer, Auricoste, Dodane, Triton, Le Forban, Paul Bianchi, Beuchat.
The American divers who were operational during the Vietnam War checked each hour, minute and second by a Benrus, an Elgin, or a Waltham. They would have had ample time to acquaint themselves with the mechanism of each watch by heart, down to each screw. They put up with it for ten years and more.
-
Seiko - American Heart Association's Go Red For Women®
Mahwah, NJ (August 29, 2012) - Seiko Corporation of America is proud to announce its continued support of the American Heart Association's Go Red For Women® movement, with two exclusively designed "Go Red" Seiko Tressia watches, created to support the fight against heart disease in women. Starting September 1, 2012, every new edition of the "Go Red" Seiko Tressia sold from September 1, 2012 through March 1, 2013, Seiko will donate $15 to the American Heart Association to help the AHA's Go Red For Women save women's lives in the United States.
During Seiko's successful 2011 - 2012 campaign with Go Red For Women, the watchmaker proudly donated $15 to the AHA's Go Red For Women movement with each sale of the signature "Go Red" Seiko Tressia for a minimum donation of $100,000. Seiko now looks forward to increasing the minimum donation by 50 percent to now reach $150,000.
"After a great achievement in raising funds for the American Heart Association's Go Red For Women movement with Seiko's signature Tressia this year, we are thrilled to build onto our campaign for Fall 2012 with two new stunning ladies' watches within the Tressia collection that will be desired by women who want to make a difference," says Mr. Ken Hagiwara, President and CEO of Seiko Corporation of America. Mr. Hagiwara continues, "The fight against heart disease in women is a cause that many of us hold close to our hearts. Go Red For Women's dedication to finding a solution makes us honored to play a special role in helping create awareness. We look forward to continuing our support of the American Heart Association."
"The American Heart Association's Go Red For Women movement is grateful to Seiko for supporting us in our fight against heart disease in women," said Donna Arnett Ph.D., M.S.P.H., American Heart Association President, Chairperson of the Department of Epidemiology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Public Health. "This is an exciting opportunity for Seiko to encourage consumers to help by providing funds needed for life-saving research."
-
Seiko - Icare 2 glider and the new Solar Pilot Watch
The SEIKO-sponsored icare 2 glider sets another new world record.
On September 10, the solar-powered glider "icare 2" established a new world record for the distance covered by a glider on a three point course*. High over the Alpes Maritimes in southern France, Klaus Ohlmann, the German pilot, who already holds over 40 gliding records, guided icare 2 over 439 km to establish the new mark. Just a few weeks earlier he had piloted icare 2 to another record*, 384.4 km for an 'out-and-return' flight, doubling his previous best.
Built by a team from the Institut fur Flugzeugbau at the University of Stuttgart, icare 2 is one of the world's most advanced gliders. Not only does it fly without the use of any fossil fuel, its self-generated solar power allows it to take off on its own, with no winch or other assistance. SEIKO is proud to support the project as part of its "Clean energy, Clear Thinking" initiative. SEIKO is the world leader in energy-efficient watchmaking and is determined to lead the watch industry towards a more sustainable future by creating energy-efficient products in the most energy-efficient facilities.
* pending ratification by Federation Aeronautique Internationale (aka The World Air Sports Federation)
SEIKO's environmentally-friendly watch technologies
SEIKO offers five watch technologies that, each in its different way, make a contribution to a 'greener' future.
Spring Drive:
This revolutionary technology requires no battery or external power source. Driven by a mainspring, Spring Drive is a luxury mechanical watch with an entirely new type of regulator. As a result, there is no environmental impact of any kind.
Kinetic:
Only SEIKO has mastered the challenge of generating electricity from the kinetic movement of the wearer's wrist. This electricity is stored in a self-recharging battery that needs much less frequent replacement than the conventional cell battery in a quartz watch, a major advance in 'green' watchmaking.
Quartz:
Since 1969 when SEIKO launched the world's first quartz watch, SEIKO has constantly improved the energy efficiency of its quartz movements so as to reduce the frequency of battery exchange. Today's SEIKO quartz watches use just 5% of the energy used by the 1969 Quartz Astron. Furthermore, all SEIKO watches contain batteries made by SEIKO at its own CFC** free facilities and, critically, these batteries are entirely mercury-free. SEIKO is, to date, the only watch company to produce its own mercury-free batteries.
Mechanical:
Of course, SEIKO mechanical watches need no external power source and the technology is inherently kind to the environment.
Solar:
By eliminating the need for battery change in a quartz watch, SEIKO Solar makes an obvious and important contribution to the cause of a healthier planet. SEIKO was an early pioneer in Solar technology, with its first Solar watch being launched in 1977.
** ChloroFluoroCarbon
A website tells the story: Clean energy, Clear thinking.
For further details on SEIKO's "Clean energy, www.seiko-cleanenergy.com Clear thinking" initiative, the website www.seiko-cleanenergy.com has been created. It explains SEIKO's green technologies in a way that will open some eyes towards the green dimension in watchmaking. Of course, watches are not major pollutants like cars or home appliances, but it is clear from the fast-growing sales of SEIKO's 'no battery change' Solar and Kinetic watches that consumers are now taking the environment into account as they make watch choices, so the time is right to explain the facts, and this is exactly what www.seiko-cleanenergy.com seeks to do. And you can watch icare 2 in flight!
The new SEIKO Solar Pilot Watch
SEIKO's new Solar Pilot watch sets a new standard in aviation watches. Not only does it deliver the rotary slide rule and chronograph functions that pilots require for navigation purposes, it operates on a solar cell that is powered by all kinds of light and will retain its charge for up to six months, even in complete darkness. The watch is fully charged after just five hours of exposure to sunlight in fine weather and never needs a battery change. The uniqueness of SEIKO's solar technology is immediately clear from the deep black color of the dial. Until this new generation of SEIKO technology, the dials on solar watches needed to be opaque to let the required amount of light through to the solar cell beneath. Now, thanks to a new generation of high-efficiency SEIKO Solar calibers, the dial can be pure black, allowing the pilot maximum visibility of the time data.
[Rating: 5 / 5 stars]
Sale Price:US$248.00
Sale Price:US$239.00
Sale Price:US$278.00
Sale Price:US$259.00
Sale Price:US$239.00
Sale Price:US$299.00
Sale Price:US$299.00
Sale Price:US$289.00
Sale Price:US$249.00
Sale Price:US$288.00
Sale Price:US$289.00
Sale Price:US$299.00
Sale Price:US$279.00
Sale Price:US$298.00
Sale Price:US$259.00
Sale Price:US$259.00
