Richard Mille’s Luxurious Paris Boutique, Complete With Handpicked Champagnes, Cigars . . . And Full Of Rare Wristwatches
Richard Mille opened his new boutique in Paris. The chic new location just off the Champs-Elysées, whose vicinity is also home to Christie’s and several art galleries in addition to luxurious high fashion boutiques, showcases the now quite substantial collection well. This gorgeous boutique is home to amazing timepieces, while downstairs VIP guests can be treated to private showings while relaxing with a cigar and a glass of fine French champagne.
Hôtel de Vendôme In The Heart Of Paris: Now Owned By Chopard
I recently had the chance to spend two nights at the Hôtel de Vendôme, which is situated as the gateway to Paris’ swankiest shopping square: Place Vendôme. I stayed there as a guest of Chopard on the way to Le Mans, and this is when I learned a very interesting fact: the beautifully appointed hotel housed within an eighteenth-century mansion now belongs to the Swiss brand.
How Vacheron Constantin Celebrated Its 250th Anniversary In 2005
As we approach Vacheron Constantin’s 260th anniversary, which is set to be celebrated on September 17, 2015, I would like to take a brief look at the epochal timepieces that the brand brought out in 2005 in honor of its first quarter century. Vacheron Constantin is one of the very few – and certainly the oldest – Swiss watch company to have manufactured its timepieces consistently without interruption over the entire course of its long lifespan.
Queen For A Day: Breguet Reine De Naples Haute Joaillerie
The Breguet Reine de Naples collection launched in 2002 following the historic description of an “oblong (repeater) for bracelet.” This now-iconic feminine shape was resurrected 190 years after Caroline Murat, Queen of Naples, commissioned Abraham-Louis Breguet to make the repeater for her royal wrist. The Reine de Naples’ oval-shaped case is a rare sight in watchmaking, but it serves to make one of the most memorable watches in production today.
Video: Greubel Forsey And The Art Of High-End Finishing
A very significant percentage of the (hand) work − and therefore cost − of a high-end watch goes into the finishing of components.
Today, fine finishing is no longer essential from a practical point of view as watches are assembled in dust- and moisture-free environments, and waterproofing generally does a good job at keeping moisture and dust out of the timepiece during daily use.
But fine finishing isn’t just about mechanical practicality: contrasting finishes visually break up large surfaces, and reflections off mirror-polished steel catches the eye. Finishes can be a signature of sorts: think of Breguet’s guilloche dials or Greubel Forsey’s English-style frosted plates.
Few brands take hand finishing as seriously as Greubel Forsey, where each and every component is individually decorated. Just finishing one bridge can require two days of work. And that’s just one of hundreds of components in the brand’s usually quite complicated movements.
And then the watchmaker has to assemble all of these beautifully decorated parts, without a single scratch.
In this video by The Watches TV, Stephen Forsey explains why finishing is so important to Greubel Forsey and takes a look at the whole process.
Why I’ve Never Owned A Rolex – And Why I Might Yet
Once in a while on the collector forums, a question is posed: is there anyone in the collector community who has never, ever owned a Rolex? As a general rule, respondents to these queries tend to express disbelief that such a creature could possibly exist given the quality and ubiquity of the brand’s watches. Well, folks, I’m here to tell you that such people do exist, and that I’m one of them. How could it be?
Is Independent Creative Horology Dead?
In the early 1990s, I was facing the same dilemma as today: should I buy modern or vintage? The problem was that the modern watches actually all looked vintage, right down to the sizes. There was something lacking, and watch shopping at times almost felt like perusing the yogurt section in a Soviet supermarket.
I’m obviously exaggerating here, but in general it seemed to me that creativity was more or less an afterthought.
Enter Vianney Halter in 1998 with the Antiqua Perpetual. And then what happened next: the birth of ICH (“independent creative horology”).
Bulgari’s Beloved Serpenti: A Brief History
Bulgari’s serpent theme, which began in the 1940s, has evolved into a creative symbol for the brand. Like a snake shedding its skin, since that decade dominated by war and recovery, the Bulgari Serpenti has metamorphosed, reinventing itself. However, the basic concept remains the same. In in both Greek and Roman mythology, snakes represented positive characteristics such as rebirth, healing, protection, strength, eternity, and seductiveness thanks to the elegance of the creatures’ soft, winding bodies.
Koma Kurabe: The Slim d’Hermès With Authentic Japanese Porcelain Enamel Dial
La Montre Hermès announced its brand-new core collection called Slim d’Hermès at Baselworld 2015, which was an instant hit with critics and collectors alike. At the very same time this creative company co-announced a limited edition of 12 pieces decorated using a special artistic technique found in Japan. Called Koma Kurabe, the edition honors Kamo Kurabe Uma, a famous Japanese horse race. A talented Japanese artisan graces the elegant new timepieces with porcelain dials that reproduce scenes of the horse race that still takes place once a year in the spring when the picturesque cherry blossoms are in full bloom.
6 Chopard Watches Dedicated To Legendary Racecar Driver Jacky Ickx
Jacky Ickx and Chopard co-president Karl-Friedirch Scheufele have been friends for 27 years. In 1989 Scheufele and Ickx drove the Mille Miglia together. “We got to know each other there. He turned up and said, ‘Well, I have no intention of driving. You’re driving; I’m going to watch the scenery’,” Scheufele recently laughed. It is such shared events in addition to the legendary race car driver’s achievements that have inspired Chopard to continue to dedicate timepieces to Ickx, honoring a man who can certainly be called one of the world’s very best drivers.