the art

of horological
complications

2020/2021
 THE ART
OF Horological
Complications

© Gerhard D. Wempe KG, Hamburg 2020

Author: Thomas Wanka 2020/2021
Noble radiance BREITLING 81
Metal bracelets make wristwatches into sporty luxury items 8 Chronomat Limited Wempe Edition 82

ROLEX 19 HUBLOT 85
Oyster Perpetual GMT-Master II 20 Big Bang Integral Titanium 86
Oyster Perpetual Day-Date 40 22
CHOPARD 89
PATEK PHILIPPE 25 Alpine Eagle Chronograph 90
Nautilus Chronograph 5980/1R 26
Nautilus 5711/1R 28 GIRARD-PERREGAUX 93
Laureato Infinity - exclusively available at Wempe 94
BREGUET 31
Marine Tourbillon Équation Marchante 32 ROGER DUBUIS 97
Classique 7337 34 Excalibur Spider Huracán 98

A. LANGE & SÖHNE 37 FERDINAND BERTHOUD 101

Odysseus 38 Chronomètre FB 1 102
Zeitwerk Minute Repeater 40
ULYSSE NARDIN 105
JAEGER-LECOULTRE 43 Executive Blast Black 106
Master Control Chronograph Calendar 44
Master Grande Tradition Grande Complication 46
TUDOR 109
Black Bay Fifty-Eight Navy Blue 110
CARTIER 49
Pasha de Cartier 50
TAG HEUER 113
Carrera Heuer 02 114
VACHERON CONSTANTIN 53
Overseas Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin 54
WEMPE IRON WALKER GLASHÜTTE I/SA 117
Iron Walker Automatic Chronograph 118
IWC SCHAFFHAUSEN 57 Iron Walker Automatic Diver‘s Watch 120
Portugieser Perpetual Calendar 58
LONGINES 123
GLASHÜTTE ORIGINAL 61 Spirit Pilot‘s Chronograph 124
Senator Cosmopolite 62
MONTBLANC 127
WEMPE CHRONOMETERWERKE GLASHÜTTE I/SA 65 Heritage Manufacture Pulsograph Limited Edition 128
Chronometerwerke Automatic Pilot‘s Watch Bronze 66
NOMOS GLASHÜTTE 131
Tangente Sport 132
175 Years of Watchmaking in Glashütte 68
ERWIN SATTLER 135
PANERAI 77 P 100 Bauhaus 136
Luminor Marina Fibratech 44 MM 78
 Foreword

Time was originally measured according Our second retrospective peers a bit fur-
to the position of the sun, which is why ther back in time to a structural develop-
Romance languages use the same word for ment program that began exactly 175 years
“weather” and “time.” The advancement of ago in the small, impoverished town of
society can also be seen in the evolution of Glashütte in the Erz Mountains. This pro-
time measurement, whose progress went gram’s unparalleled success proved that the
from the sundial to the geared clock and intentional establishment of watchmaking
then the atomic clock. The accuracy of in Glashütte was indeed the right decision.
timekeeping, along with its global stand- The industry’s history is marked by polit-
ardization and formalization, served as a ical upheavals, but the town’s inhabitants
motor for the industrialized modern age. were able to hold their own at all times and
It also contributes to the feeling that the under all circumstances thanks their com-
pace of life has accelerated. mitment to watchmaking. This is why out-
standing mechanical timepieces are still
To prevent the past from becoming a manufactured in Glashütte today.
hasty form of the present, this edition of
The Art of Horological Complications Wempe wrote an important chapter in this
takes a look to the past – but not too far ongoing success story. Our family-owned
back. We focus our attention on the 1970s, company renovated Glashütte’s observatory,
a decade that was a colorful field of experi- establishing our own watch production
mentation, especially in popular culture. facility and Germany’s only chronometer-
The watch industry likewise found crea- testing facility there.
tive ways to combine contrasts. One was a
new generation of sporty luxury watches, Cordially yours,
recognizable by their integrated bracelets
made of stainless steel or precious metal.
Nowadays these watches serving as role
models for new editions are sought-after Hellmut Wempe
collector’s items.

T H E A RT O F H ORO LO GI C A L COM PL I C ATI O NS

Foreword 7
Noble radiance – renowned observatory in Kew, England
metal bracelets make in 1914, Wilsdorf equipped every Rolex
wristwatches into watch with a caliber that could pass the
sporty luxury items chronometer test. Precision was no longer
an unresolved issue, but resistance to water
Legendary watchmaker Abraham-Louis in its exposed position on the wrist re- Rolex President bracelet
Breguet made the first known wristwatch mained problematic. When Mercedes
in 1810; its recipient was none other than Gleitze attempted to swim across the Eng-
Napoleon’s sister, the Queen of Naples – lish Channel in 1927, Wilsdorf recognized they must begin their ascent without from the outset with a stainless steel
and for many decades thereafter, wearing the potential of her undertaking. “The exhausting their limited supply of air, tak- bracelet, it was the first watch with a uni-
a wristwatch was considered extremely Wonder Watch That Defies the Elements” ing into account any pauses for decompres- directionally rotating bezel to preset the
unmanly. The vest pocket was where a proclaimed a headline in the Daily Mail sion that might be necessary along the way. intended dive time. Rolex chose the three-
gentleman wore his watch, the quality and when Wilsdorf gave the swimmer a watch Émile Gagnan collaborated with oceano- row Oyster bracelet it had developed in
material of whose chain indicated his social to carry with her on her adventurous swim. grapher Jacques-Yves Cousteau to develop the late 1930s to serve as the attachment for
status. Only after half a century had passed She wore the world’s first water-resistant a breath regulator called the Aqualung its Submariner, which was created in 1953
in 1943; thanks to a breathing mixture in- and officially launched in 1954. These first
side a pressurized cylinder, this innovation metal bracelets were comparatively simple
made scuba diving possible – and diving constructions, but nonetheless empirically
soon became important in military applica- proven and sturdy. The riveted stainless
tions. Armies in many different countries steel bracelets on Tudor’s Black Bay models
set up special divisions for frogmen. Recre- are reminiscent of these early attachments
ational diving first became popular in and pay tribute to the pioneering divers
Rolex Oyster bracelet the 1990s and afterward developed into a of yesteryear. When Rolex presented the
sport enjoyed by countless amateur divers. Oyster Perpetual Datejust in 1945, it was
was the struggle for supremacy between wristwatch – appropriately called the With the increasing demand for watches equipped with a matching metal Jubilee
the pocket watch and the wristwatch “Oyster” and patented the year before – not conceived expressly for divers, engineers bracelet. The President bracelet was intro-
ultimately decided in favor of the latter. on her wrist, but around her neck. The first at watch brands focused their efforts on duced with the Oyster Perpetual Day-Date
Among other challenges, the watch bracelet serially manufactured Oyster models were constructing seawater-resistant metal in 1956 and is still exclusively reserved for
played a decisive role in this. Describing likewise secured by leather straps. Wilsdorf bracelets. The first wristwatch developed that model today. The Pearlmaster brace-
the hurdles to be overcome, Rolex founder had big plans for wristwatches, realizing expressly for divers was the Fifty Fathoms, let debuted in 1992 and has accompanied
Hans Wilsdorf asserted in typical terse they would quickly become fashionable which Blancpain debuted in 1953. Designed the Pearlmaster ladies watch ever since.
precision, “A wristwatch that cannot be re- accessories and accordingly needed to be
lied on is not worth owning.” Wilsdorf able to “adapt to changes in taste.” Each
meticulously worked through every chal- owner would want several watches, and if
lenge. Registering “Rolex” as his brand’s they were not all acquired simultaneously,
name in 1908, a mere two years later one of then at least successively. Water-resistant
these became the first wristwatch ever to materials for wristbands became urgent
earn a chronometer certificate; after he when divers needed to know exactly how
even succeeded in obtaining one from the long they had been underwater and when Rolex Pearlmaster bracelet

8 metal bracelets metal bracelets 9

Metal bracelets also offered new possibili- epitome of a genuine luxury watch. This
ties for innovative clasps. One of the best changed in the 1970s, a revolutionary dec-
known is the Oysterclasp for all Oyster ade in more ways than one, in which new
bracelets. In some models, this closure is materials such as plastic perfectly matched
also equipped with a quick-adjustment the irresistible allure of rebellion. Novel
mechanism: the Easylink enables its wearer styling and an unprecedented indulgence
to readily adjust the bracelet by as much in vivid colors put a new face on everyday
as five millimeters. The bracelets of the life. This environment favored innovation,
Rolex Professional models are secured but a new trend in the watch industry was
by Oysterlock clasps, while those of the initially considered too revolutionary:
Submariner, Sea-Dweller, and DeepSea stainless steel wristwatches with integrat-
diver’s watches are equipped with Fliplock ed metal bracelets priced as high as watches IWC Yacht Master
and Glidelock extensions; the latter two with precious metal cases and bracelets.
mechanisms allow the bracelet’s length to Designer Gérald Genta (1931-2011) is in-
be adjusted without taking the watch off separably associated with this new epoch of Moreover, the watch case no longer needed attachments challenge every craftsper-
the wrist. Metal bracelets are the optimal steel watches. Born in Geneva and trained to be round to accommodate a spring bar son involved in their production. Patek
attachments for diver’s watches, which – at as a jewelry designer, Genta achieved his between the strap lugs. Customers’ reac- Philippe’s Nautilus serves as a good exam-
the very latest since the advent of the James first major success with Audemars Piguet’s tions ranged from cautious to reserved at the ple to illustrate the complex processes and
Bond films – can also be worn under the Royal Oak in 1972. The metal bracelet’s Royal Oak’s premiere in 1972 – as it was with diverse polishing techniques that are es-
sleeve of a tuxedo jacket. Although these direct connection to the case by means Genta’s Nautilus, which Patek Philippe sential to the success of a metal bracelet for
sporty timepieces have enabled their wear- of two smaller elements that also function unveiled in 1976, and his Ingenieur SL by a luxury wristwatch: these steps include
ers to distinguish themselves as true adven- as bracelet links achieved the unprece- IWC, the Royal Oak’s success story did not sandblasting (also known as lapping in spe-
turers, a wristwatch with a gold bracelet dented feat of making stainless steel an begin until much later. IWC is currently cialist jargon), brushing, and high-gloss
and a gold case was still considered the acceptable material for luxury watches. paying a very successful and appreciative polishing. Patek Philippe explains that
tribute to Genta with the stainless steel after the first processing by machine, no
Patek Philippe Nautilus bracelet of the Portugieser Yacht Club. In fewer than 55 manual operations are
subsequent years many models quietly dis- needed to complete the case and bracelet.
appeared from the brands’ collections, but The handcrafting process begins with
not from the memories of collectors: the each of the bracelet’s individual outer ele-
combination of small quantities and bold ments, whose undersides are sanded while
styling was very tempting for watch enthu- their upper surfaces are satin-finished. The
siasts. Rapidly rising prices paid by collec- central elements follow: each underside
tors for rare steel watches along with the is sanded while each upper side is polished.
renaissance of the mechanical watch Next comes the assembly of the bracelet:
prompted the brands to again include these individual elements are joined and pins are
models in their portfolios. The challenges inserted. Sharp edges on the bracelet’s
involved in manufacturing stainless steel upper and lower surfaces are painstak-
bracelets should not be underestimated, ingly beveled and smoothed and then
though. These elaborately constructed satin-finished to create a uniform finish.

10 metal bracelets metal bracelets 11

The next step is masking, which sees a integrated metal bracelet, which may be stainless steel. TAG Heuer, one of Hublot’s consisting of alternating polished and satin-
protective film applied to individual areas made of stainless steel or other metals, sibling brands in the LVMH Group, finished elements, it has a signature safety
on the outside of the bracelet not destined including precious alloys. Hublot is one of achieved a different historical significance clasp with a safety catch and integrated
for treatment in the subsequent finishing the latest brands to confirm the undimin- with its Aqua Racer diver’s diver’s extension mechanism.
process. Now the central elements and the ished momentum of this trend. As the third watch, which successfully Girard-Perregaux’s Laureato,
beveled edges are polished to a high gloss. word in the name of the Big Bang Integral launched in 2003. A solid which premiered along with
This is followed by fitting the clasp, adjust- suggests, a metal bracelet has been inte- stainless steel clasp with an its three-row steel bracelet in
ing its tension, and riveting the cover of grated into the flagship model of the sporty, integrated diver’s extension 1975, is likewise inextricably
three-blade clasps. Every detail is exam- expressive brand. The core of Hublot’s mechanism and safety push linked to the history of luxury
ined again during a final inspection. Gérald brand essence comprises combining pieces secures this sporty steel watches. The bracelet’s
Genta also created other groundbreaking precious metal cases with rubber straps, model’s finely brushed, three- cambered and polished mid-
designs: Omega’s Constellation as well as which helped them to achieve a break- row, stainless steel bracelet. dle part harmonizes with the

Girard Perregaux
Laureato

Longines Piaget
TAG Heuer Aquaracer Hydro Conquest Polo

Longines offered divers inter- eye-catching bezel, which

Bulgari’s Bvlgari Bvlgari and Octo are through in watches. Under the leitmotif of esting access to its collection juxtaposes straight lines and
based on his ideas. Genta designed appeal- the “fusion” concept, Hublot successfully with the launch of the Hydro arcing curves. Piaget’s Polo
ingly classic lines to go with his frequently introduced many unconventional materi- Conquest in 2007, which un- pursued a different creative
octagonal cases connected by elaborately als, some appearing in this context for the derwent various facelifts and route to its goal in 1979,
designed bracelets that adroitly combined first time. But it was not until the arrival improvements in ensuing Hublot achieving an exciting contrast
fine, multiple links. His bracelets often of the brand’s integrated metal bracelet that years. TAG Heuer has regu- Big Bang Intergral through the interplay be-
tapered toward the clasps so that one com- the decisive design task seemed solved. larly updated and optimized tween the round periphery of
ponent is hardly every precisely the same Remaining faithful to the brand’s DNA, its entire collection over the past decade the broad brushed bezel and its daring
size as another. A sporty luxury watch can the elaborate bracelet with its wide central and more, and the Aqua Racer’s stainless inner contours with four semicircular
hardly compete on the market without an elements is made of titanium rather than steel bracelet is among the beneficiaries: curves. This dialogue is enhanced by the

12 metal bracelets metal bracelets 13

proportions of the wide, satin-finished, are equipped with a double folding clasp. Santos de Cartier Parmigiani Tonda
central element of the stainless steel Parmigiani likewise took a great leap
bracelet with which the Polo S has been of- forward in 2020 with the Tonda GT and
fered since 2016. It was not Gérald Genta, the Tondagraph GT chronograph: the
but Jörg Hysek, who designed a steel brand headed by the internationally re-
wristwatch with integrated bracelet for nowned restorer and watch designer
Vacheron Constantin in 1977. Launched to Michel Parmigiani now presents a collec-
celebrate the 222nd birthday of the brand tion of sporty watches with very slim and
founded in Geneva in 1755, it served as handsomely integrated steel bracelets.
a role model for Vacheron Constantin’s Panerai offers metal bracelets for some of
Overseas, which appeared with its distinc- its models as well: the central section of the
tive jagged bezel in 1996. The Maltese latest version recalls the conspicuous
cross, which has been this brand’s regis- crown protectors of the Luminor and
tered trademark since 1880, inspired this Luminor 1950; this bracelet only fits those
unusual bezel, and the distinctive cross re- models obviously. The metal bracelet of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Polaris is similarly Chopard’s Alpine Eagle recalls the brand’s
curs in the bracelet components. An inno- striking. Contrasting broad, satin-finished, St. Moritz model, a famous interpretation
vative strap-changing system was intro- central components and polished, beveled of a sporty luxury watch. The Alpine Eagle,
duced in 2016 that has since allowed the elements along the side, the bracelet skill- which is also available in a chronograph
stainless steel and precious metal bracelets fully prolongs the play of light reflecting off version as of this year, has a case made of
to be readily removed and replaced with the Polaris’s alternately satin-finished and a special steel alloy: Lucent A223 is un-
rubber or leather straps. Cartier goes one brushed case. Breguet, which has always commonly resistant, bright, and reflective.
step further: the owner of a Santos or Pasha felt very much at home in the elite world of This alloy’s sheen reminiscent of gold
watch can disconnect its stainless steel fine watchmaking, now proves that it can results from the high purity of the material,
bracelet and, furthermore, the bracelet’s also meet the challenges of robust watch- which is manufactured in a resource-saving
components are designed so that the pins making in its Marine collection. And manner from up to 70% recycled steel.
can be loosened and the links individually
added or removed to alter the bracelet’s
length by the owner – all without tools.
With Breitling’s reissue of the Chronomat,
this Grenchen-based brand retrieved the
Rouleaux bracelet from its archives, which
was quite popular in its day. Introduced to
fete Breitling’s 100th birthday in 1984, and
now in reworked form, the Chronomat
is an exemplary symbol of the revival of
the mechanical wristwatch. Its integrated
metal bracelet with its characteristic
cylindrical elements was a major contribu- Breitling Chronomat Panerai
tion to this model’s success; current models Santos de Cartier

14 metal bracelets metal bracelets 15

 Glashütte Original recalled Special Edition 40 Years Wempe New York
a diver’s watch from the Iron Walker Diver’s Watch
recent past: the SeaQ col-
lection is based on the
Spezimatic Type RP TS 200,
which was unveiled by VEB
Glashütte Uhrenbetriebe
in 1969. Available in a model
with the brand’s typical
panoramic date display, it
wins admirers thanks to its
uncommonly slim, three-
Nomos Club Sport Neomatik 42 row, stainless steel bracelet,
which is equipped with an
eight-step fine adjustment mechanism. Iron Walker collection from Wempe light vividly but without sparkling. The
Stainless steel played only a secondary role Glashütte I/SA. This line’s impressive wristwatch has been with us for a century,
The epicenter of German watchmaking – at A. Lange & Söhne until 2019, when the styling benefits to no small degree from the but the fastening element that earns it the
Glashütte – has recently seen elaborate and Odysseus joined this brand’s collection as integrated transition between the case and name wristwatch is not always given the at-
exciting bracelet constructions that com- its first serially manufactured stainless its bracelet: the case’s elegant lines contin- tention it deserves. Thanks to the integrat-
bine outstanding engineering and inno- steel wristwatch. The secure folding clasp ue into the H-shaped elements compris- ed bracelet, designers and engineers can
vative styling. The Sport metal bracelet on this model’s five-row stainless steel ing the bracelet, which tapers toward its explore and skillfully utilize new creative
by Nomos Glashütte is nearly as complex bracelet can be adjusted in small incre- folding clasp. These parts are vertically potentials. And the bracelet’s fluent tran-
as this brand’s watches, consisting of no ments to add up to seven millimeters to satin finished; their edges are chamfered sition into the case invites it to bask in a
fewer than 145 individual parts, all of which its length. Pressing the button embossed and polished so the bracelet can reflect well-earned spotlight.
are manually screwed together. In 2019, with the Lange logo allows the wearer to
adjust the length by pulling
or pushing the bracelet,
an adjustment can be ac-
complished without even
opening the clasp. The
steelworkers known as Iron
Walkers, whose surefooted-
ness and freedom from
vertigo raised the steel
skeletons of skyscrapers in
New York City’s urban
canyons to breathtaking
heights in the 1920s, were
Glashütte Original SeaQ the role models for the Wempe Iron Walker Diver’s Watch

16 metal bracelets metal bracelets 17

 The Crown
and the Camera

Marlon Brando wore a Rolex wristwatch

when he played the role of Colonel Kurtz in
Apocalypse Now. Another Rolex timepiece
shone on Paul Newman’s wrist when he
slipped into his alter ego as pool player
“Fast” Eddie Felson in The Color of Money.
And a third Rolex was strapped to the wrist
of Bill Paxton in Titanic when he portrayed
treasure hunter Brock Lovett, who ex-
plored the famous shipwreck aboard a Alejandro G. Iñárritu
Mir submersible. The wristwatches ap-
peared in these movies not as a result of These four brand ambassadors, who were
product placement, but thanks to the per- honored for their diverse achievements
sonal preferences of the films’ directors. including a total of 57 Oscars, have made it
Rolex has been the exclusive timekeeper for their missions to share their life experienc-
the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and es with young filmmakers. Through the
Sciences since 2017 and sponsors the Rolex Mentor and Master Student Initia-
Oscars ®, which are awarded by the Acade- tive, the brand with the crown-shaped
my. Rolex is also a founding sponsor of logo supports aspiring filmmakers through
the Academy Museum of Motion Pic- mentoring and contributes to culture by
tures: designed by architect and Pritzker passing on world-renowned artistic her-
Prize winner Renzo Piano, the museum is itage. Both Scorsese and Iñárritu have
intended to serve as a central meeting mentored master students in this program.
place for cineastes and will include, among Since 2002, talented young artists from a
its other attractions, approximately 4,600 variety of disciplines have been chosen to
square meters of exhibition space and work creatively and for an extended period
a cinema auditorium with seating for of time with masters of their field. Other
1,000 viewers. Rolex also has partnerships mentors in the film genre have been Alfon-
with Kathryn Bigelow, James Cameron, so Cuarón, Stephen Frears, Mira Nair,
Alejandro G. Iñárritu, and Martin Scorsese. Zhang Yimou, and film editor Walter Murch.
T H E A RT O F H ORO LO GI C A L COM PL I C ATI O NS

ROLEX 19
Oyster Perpetual facturer to design a watch for its pilots
GMT-Master II that could display the time in more than
one zone and Rolex’s Oyster Perpetual
The development of aviation surely ranks GMT-Master was born in 1955. It was
among the greatest achievements of hu- subsequently produced in numerous vari-
mankind in the twentieth century. From ants, but each has the typical 24-hour two-
Otto Lilienthal’s initial bouncing attempts color bezel for day/night indication and
and the Wright brothers’ first powered the distinctive triangular 24-hour hand.
flight, the pathway into the air pro- The GMT-Master II was powered by
gressed with extraordinary Caliber 3085 from 1982 onward.
speed toward the first This model’s 24-hour hand
commercial flight in can be reset in hourly
1914, when a flying increments to show a
boat carried passen- different hour with-
gers from St. Peters- out affecting the po-
burg in Florida to sition or progress
neighboring Tampa. of the minute and
And civil aviation second hands. The
continued its dynamic 40 mm GMT-Master II
development; pleasantly is currently available
surprised passengers were in several variations, in-
served by the world’s first stew- cluding two models in stain-
ardess on May 15, 1930. As air travel less Oystersteel with Jubilee
grew progressively more popular, flight bracelets and one model in Everose gold
attendants became commonplace aboard with an Oyster bracelet. Its automatic
airliners. In the 1950s and 1960s, commer- Caliber 3285 supports fast, independent
cial jets enabled passengers to travel to resetting of the hour hand to indicate
far-flung locations around the world faster the time in a second zone. This caliber
than ever. And suddenly there was no boasts a 70-hour power reserve and is accu-
longer only one time but more than two rate to plus or minus two seconds per day.
dozen different times, each speedily acces- Numerals and graduated markings are en-
sible simply by crossing the boundary of graved into the bidirectionally rotating Oyster Perpetual GMT-Master II in 18-karat Everose gold,
its time zone. Pan Am, one of the largest two-color – brown and black – Cerachrom manufacture movement Caliber 3285, Superlative Chronometer
airlines at the time, asked a Swiss manu- ceramic bezel. (COSC + Rolex certification after casing of the movement)

20 ROLEX ROLEX 21
Oyster Perpetual on the three-link President bracelet with
Day-Date 40 – The semi-rounded link elements, a bracelet
Presidential Watch that still remains exclusively reserved for
the Day-Date. The bezel’s fluting original-
Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf brought his ly served a practical purpose: it was used
vision to fruition with the introduction as a firm grasp so the component could
of the Oyster Perpetual Day-Date in 1956. be screwed to the case band, thereby en-
Since registering the Rolex brand in Swit- suring the watch’s water resistance. The
zerland in 1908 his aim had been to build bezel fluting therefore corresponded to
the perfect wristwatch, which he its counterpart on the case back.
approached with the Oyster Rolex built special tools to
featuring a water- and screw the case’s back to
shock proof case. Cer- the case band, thus
tified chronometers, making the watch
his movements en- uncommonly water-
joyed a reputation resistant. The fluting
for high precision. serves only aesthetic
The premiere of the pur poses nowadays.
automatically winding The Oyster Perpetual
Perpetual rotor in 1931 Day-Date is offered solely
made his Oyster watches in gold. The Day-Date 40
indispensable timekeepers in houses Caliber 3255, which was
daily life. Rolex celebrated its fortieth launched in 2015. Equipped with a bidi-
anniversary with the Datejust in 1945, and rectionally winding rotor, this automatic
Wilsdorf presented the 100,000th chro- movement boasting a 70-hour power re-
nometer to none other than Winston serve relies on a progressive Chronergy
Churchill in 1947. The Day-Date followed escapement. Its two components – lever
as the “Presidential Watch”: this iconic and escape wheel – are made of a nickel-
model is most often seen gracing the phosphorus alloy that are resistant to
wrists of presidents, leaders, and visionar- magnetic interference. The escape wheel
ies. With the full weekday spelled out at is openworked, which reduces its weight
12 o’clock and the date in a window at and thus also its inertia, thereby boosting Oyster Perpetual Day-Date 40 in 18-karat Everose gold,
3 o’clock, the Day-Date remains true to its its efficiency. The rate is accurate to with- manufacture movement Caliber 3255, Superlative Chronometer
basic characteristics. This model comes in plus or minus two seconds per day. (COSC+ Rolex certification after casing of the movement)

22 ROLEX ROLEX 23
 New Premises Create equally striking due to its emphatically
New Opportunities modern architecture, which distinguishes
the building as a new landmark in Plan-les-
Accommodating complex and complicated Ouates. Spacious glass surfaces – plenty of
things in the smallest of spaces is a Patek daylight is indispensable for watchmakers –
Philippe specialty. Almost a quarter of a are subdivided by bronze-colored fire es-
century after inaugurating the first factory capes inspired by similar constructions on
building in the Geneva suburb Plan-les- buildings in New York City and white con-
Ouates, in 2015 the manufacture decided to
lay the foundation stone for a new building.
Patek Philippe’s watch collection had
evolved considerably during the preceding
quarter of a century; complicated watches
currently comprise nearly half of all models,
where so-called useful complications like
annual calendars, the “weekly” calendar,
time zone displays, and world-time watches
are enjoying particularly strong growth.
This has lead to an increase in the average
number of components per watch and cor-
responding complexity in the production Patek Philippe manufacture building
process. The new building nonetheless
proved essential despite the fact that no in- crete walkways along the entire length of
creases are planned to the annual produc- the façade. The building resembles an enor-
tion of 62,000 watches; the yearly quota is mous ocean liner with clearly defined forms.
naturally limited by the extremely strict The interior is divided into five segments,
quality requirements of the Patek Philippe which can be accessed via four staircases
Seal. Construction work on the new build- and more than 20 passenger and freight
ing was completed and production activi- elevators. An auditorium offers seating for
ties commenced there at the beginning of up to 299 persons. The building is crowned
2020. And Patek Philippe’s new building is on the fifth floor by a penthouse restaurant
already impressive thanks to its sheer size: with 880 seats and a fantastic panoramic
189 by 67 by 34 meters with ten floors, in- view of the surrounding countryside as
T H E A RT O F H ORO LO GI C A L COM PL I C ATI O NS cluding four underground stories. It is well as four lounges for VIP guests.

Patek Philippe 25
Nautilus 12-hour totalizer is positioned at 6 o’clock.
Chronograph 5980/1R The 5980’s rose gold case spans 40.5 mm
when measured across the dial’s center from
The octagonal bezel tracing gentle curves the 10 to the 4, and it is 12.2 mm in height. It
rather than straight lines unmistakably is also water-resistant to 12 bar, which cor-
bears the signature of Gérald Genta, who responds to a depth of 120 meters. Its Ca-
first sketched Patek Philippe’s Nautilus in liber CH 28-520 C consists of 308 com-
1976. A chronograph encasing powered by ponents, including 13 bridges. When fully
Caliber CH 28-520 C was added to the col- wound, it boasts a maximum power reserve
lection to celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of 55 hours. This movement’s Gyromax bal-
of the Nautilus; its pushers triggering the ance is paced at 28,800 vibrations per hour
chronograph’s functions are discreetly inte- and equipped with a Spiromax hairspring,
grated into the case, which resembles a port- unveiled by the Patek Philippe Advanced
hole. The broad, satin-finished bezel, the al- Research Department in 2006 and made of
ternatingly polished and satin-finished sur- Silinvar®, which was likewise developed by
faces of the case, and the integrated flanks of Patek Philippe and presented the year
the bracelet create an appealing and varied before. The name combines syllables bor-
play of light. The dial’s embossed decora- rowed from the words “silicon” and “invaria-
tion with black gradient is another typical ble.” Monocrystalline silicon is extremely
feature of the Nautilus, while the hands and temperature stable, lightweight, twice as
applied gold indices glow in the dark. The hard as steel, and very resistant to wear and
chronograph’s combined 60-minute and tear. A Spiromax hairspring has less mass
and is only two-thirds as tall as a Breguet
hairspring, so it undergoes less stress from
gravity and impacts. Patek Philippe patent-
ed the geometry of the spring with its char-
acteristic thickening at its outer end, the
integrated fastening for its balance spring
stud, and its self-centering integrated collet
– features that contribute to the watch’s ac-
curate timekeeping. The Patek Philippe
Seal introduced in 2009 confirms that the
watch’s rate does not stray beyond the nar-
row range from –3 to +2 seconds per day. 18k rose gold, self-winding movement, chronograph

26 Patek Philippe Patek Philippe 27

From Wetsuit ingredients for a model soon to become a
to Tuxedo – classic. When this watch was launched in
Nautilus 5711/1R 1976, customers first had to get used to its
modern design. New materials, colors, fab-
The first design of the Nautilus is the brain- rics, and shapes were revolutionizing the
child of Gérald Genta, the ingenious de- look of daily life in the 1970s, but a sports
signer who conceived numerous stainless watch from Patek Philippe still seemed un-
steel watches in the 1970s. Patek Philippe familiar to many customers. History soon
brought him on board to create a sportier bestowed success on the innovative spirit of
watch model that would enable the brand the family-run manufacture. The Nautilus
now ranks among the world’s most
sought-after watches. Its name comes from
Jules Verne’s famous novel Twenty Thou-
sand Leagues Under the Sea. The portholes
of Captain Nemo’s eponymous submarine
had a similar oval shape in some depictions.
Like a ship’s window, the bezel is screwed to
the case. This was necessary in order to
achieve water resistance to 120 meters
(12 bar), which was rather deep according to
the standards of the time. The model’s dar-
ingly creative advertising slogan was, “It
looks as sharp with a tux as it does with a
scuba suit.” The Nautilus underwent a ju-
to appeal to a new customer base. Genta dicious facelift in 2006 when it was given
certainly delivered the goods: the eye- a three-part case and a central second hand.
catching porthole design, the interplay of Automatic manufacture Caliber 26-330 S C
polished and satin-finished components, can be viewed through the sapphire crystal
and the prominent integrated bracelet case back. Water resistance to 12 bar and
initially made of stainless steel were the the integrated bracelet remain unchanged.

18k rose gold, self-winding movement

28 Patek Philippe Patek Philippe 29

 More than Seductive
Embellishments

It was Abraham-Louis Breguet who first

used guilloche patterns to decorate time-
pieces in 1786: the impressive aesthetics
of the final result lent a silky appearance
and pleasant texture to the watch’s case.
Breguet’s real interest, however, was in
the additional functionality offered by a
guilloche pattern as the technique protects
the decorated object against wear and
scratches that tended to mar smoothly
polished surfaces. Guilloche, it turned
out, also improved light reflection, making Guilloche engraving under a microscope
the dial easier to read; additionally, differ-
ent decorative patterns could be used to process. On the contrary, everything here
mark off each indication such as the hours is handcrafted and only possible thanks to
and minutes, the seconds, a power-reserve manual guidance: while the artisan’s left
display, and various other counters. Guil- hand turns a crank to drive the machine,
loche is a mechanical handcraft comprising his or her right hand pushes a carriage
delicate and precise engraving of the ma- holding the graver tool, which engraves the
terial with complex patterns consisting of material. Great skill and many years of
straight, curved, continuous, and broken experience are required in order to master
lines. This fine work is carried out with the all the subtleties of this art form, which the
aid of a hand-guided guilloche tool capable Breguet brand continues to cultivate at
of producing circular figures or linear its manufactory in L’Orient, in the heart of
patterns. A skillful artisan can lead the fine the Vallée de Joux. In workshops expressly
grooves (guilloche patterns) to run parallel created for this purpose, approximately
to or cross one another, thus forming a twenty specially trained craftspeople work
repetitious, symmetrical pattern. Although with both historical and modern guilloche
the technique requires the aid of a machine, machines that were designed and manufac-
it is by no means an automated industrial tured in-house.
T H E A RT O F H ORO LO GI C A L COM PL I C ATI O NS

Breguet 31
Ménage à Trois collection. A first glance at the dial con-
of Superlatives firms that this line literally has sailor’s
blood in its veins: an exquisite guilloche
The Renaissance man Abraham-Louis pattern in the form of little waves creates
Breguet, an all-around genius, was interest- maritime accents on the watch dial. The
ed in all areas of watchmaking, but particu- Marine Tourbillon Équation Marchante,
larly in marine chronometry, a specialized without a doubt the technical flagship of
field that was already leading horological the line, is a masterpiece of haute horlog-
research during Breguet’s lifetime. Not erie combining three of the most sophisti-
only among the great seafaring nations cated grand complications: a one-minute
were precise nautical instruments for con- tourbillon, a perpetual calendar, and an
quering the oceans the timepieces of the equation of time display. The so-called
hour. Breguet, who was a member of the equation indicates not only mean time but
Bureau des Longitudes, was appointed also true solar time, which can differ from
watchmaker of the Royal Navy by King mean time by up to +16 or -14 minutes over
Louis XVIII in the autumn of 1815. This the course of a year. It is linked to the
marked the beginning of a tradition that perpetual calendar, which, as if by magic,
continued into the 1960s and is now beau- will automatically take into account the
tifully expressed in the brand’s Marine differing lengths of the months until the
last day of February 2100. The retrograde
date display is a charming addition, whose
hand hurries back to its starting position
after reaching the end of its 180-degree
scale. The technical virtuosity is further
enhanced by a slender caliber: this rare
gem is powered by extra-thin automatic
Caliber 581DPE, which boasts a silicon
escape wheel, a silicon balance spring,
and an 80-hour power reserve. A total of
563 components nestle into a very small
volume of space, working together in per-
fect harmony to display the time – and so
much more. 18k rose gold, self-winding-movement,
tourbillon, perpetual calendar

32 Breguet Breguet 33
Consummate Simplicity

The special fascination of Breguet wrist-

watches lies in their perfect proportions,
which lend a profoundly harmonious and
elegant appearance to this manufacture’s
exquisite timepieces. Beginning with the
numerals and indexes, continuing with the
hands and indications, then to the case and
bezel, and culminating in the strap and
clasp, perfection in form results from the
meticulously measured dimensions of every
element, including the tiny, barely visible
details. This harmonious charm is particu-
larly expressive in the Classique line; con- subdials were also not a mere aesthetic gim-
noisseurs often agree that these timepieces mick, but served to clearly distinguish
are the ones epitomizing Breguet watches. among the displays. These are flanked in
Each pays homage to the brand’s ingenious the Classique 7337 by two cloud-shaped
founder, whose legacy is reflected in diverse windows in which the date and the weekday
facets of the watch. Arguably the most out- appear. Enthroned above this ensemble,
standing example is the new Classique 7337 the moon phase display also indicates the
with its guilloche dial, whose intense blue current age of the earth’s companion, which
color acquires unique radiance thanks to is portrayed in white gold against the back-
diverse filigree patterns: a barleycorn motif ground of a naturalistic starry sky. As in
for the periphery of the hour circle, a check- every Breguet watch, the external aesthet-
erboard pattern for the small seconds sub- ics reflect the fascinating mechanical inte-
dial, and the famous clous de Paris motif in rior. A pane of sapphire crystal in the back
the dial’s center. It is well known that this of the white gold case reveals extra-thin au-
rare handcraft is a style-forming feature tomatic Caliber 502.3 QSE1, which is lav-
that traces its ancestry to Abraham-Louis ishly and traditionally finished by true
Breguet, who introduced it in 1786. The masters of their crafts. Modernity, on the
original purpose of guilloche was not to add other hand, is embodied by the innovative
embellishment to Breguet’s pocket watches, silicon hairspring enhancing the precision 18k white gold, self-winding movement,
but to improve their legibility. Off-center of the timekeeping. moon-phase display, small seconds subdial

34 Breguet Breguet 35
 Every Watch Is Meticulous finishing is even lavished on
Assembled Twice parts that are later hidden. Each Lange
movement is then meticulously assembled
There is only one quality standard at and finely adjusted until all mechanical
A. Lange & Söhne: perfection. All compo- parts perfectly interact – only to be com-
nents are elaborately finished by hand and pletely disassembled afterwards, at which
each watch is assembled twice, no matter time all parts are painstakingly cleaned.
whether the timepiece is a perpetual cal- The finest finishing and polishing is also
endar, a minute repeater, an automatic, or applied to the component surfaces later
a simple three-handed model. One reason visible through the sapphire crystal on the
for this repeated assembly is the three-quar- back of the case. Only after the three-quarter
ter plate: introduced by Ferdinand Adolph plate has been decorated with characteristic
Lange in 1864, it provides more support to Glashütte ribbing and the last gold chaton
the movement’s moving parts as a single has received its high-gloss polish is the
spacious bridge spans the entire gear train. movement assembled a second time using
But this capacious plate also makes assem- up to eight different lubricants. And now
bly more difficult because even an experi- thermally blued screws replace the provi-
enced watchmaker must screw it on and off sional screws used in the first assembly.
several times until each individual shaft
provides optimal vertical play. A second
reason for assembling the movement twice
is that the three-quarter plate is traditional-
ly made from nickel silver. This special alloy
of copper, nickel, and zinc ensures that the
movement is held with great stability. As
time passes, the alloy also acquires a warm,
subtly golden patina that naturally protects
the plate’s surface and makes galvanic coat-
ing unnecessary. However, this handsome
patina is unforgiving: a fingertip can leave
a permanent print and an inaccurately
guided screwdriver can cause light scratch-
es. Many long hours are spent finely finish-
T H E A RT O F H ORO LO GI C A L COM PL I C ATI O NS ing and polishing nearly all components. Fitting of the balance spring

A. Lange & Söhne 37

Odysseus case with a grey dial, the dark background
of which enhances the legibility of the
A. Lange & Söhne’s latest model family is white gold hands and notched baton-
already welcoming a new member: the shaped applied markers. These handsome-
Odysseus, introduced in 2019, is the first ly match the large date numerals and
stainless steel watch produced in series by weekday display, whose white letters stand
the Saxon manufactory. Robust construc- out against a grey background. The hour
tion and a case water-resistant to a depth of indices are noctilucent, as are the hour and
120 meters mean that this model can also minute hands. The dial gains an appealing-
be worn in situations where a precise me- ly vivid and almost sculptural quality
thanks to an embossed grooved texture
beneath the applied hour markers and sub-
dial scale for the seconds. This contrasts
with the matte inner surfaces of the main
dial and subdial. Above and below the
crown, wedge-shaped push pieces to ad-
just the date and weekday lend a distinctive
shape to the tripartite white gold case. An
interplay of brushed matte surfaces and
polished bevels adorns the case and strap
lugs. Manufacture Caliber L155.1 Datomatic
ticks inside the case, a movement whose
name alludes to its combination of date
mechanism and automatic winding. Ensur-
chanical watch would not typically accom- ing a highly stable rate, the balance vibrates
pany its wearer. A large weekday window at at a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per
9 o’clock, diametrically opposite the outsize hour (four Hertz), while recessed regulat-
date at 3 o’clock, distinguishes this sportily ing screws minimize air turbulence that
elegant timepiece. In addition to the stain- could adversely affect the rate. The move-
less steel version, the Odysseus is now also ment boasts a maximum power reserve of
available in white gold with an integrated 50 hours, while a large central rotor with
leather or rubber strap. The new model a peripheral platinum weight ensures re-
combines an 18-karat white gold 40.5 mm liable winding. 18k white gold, self-winding movement,
small seconds subdial, sapphire crystal case back

38 A. Lange & Söhne A. Lange & Söhne 39

Zeitwerk structed so that the number of tones chim-
Minute Repeater ing full-hour, ten-minute, and single-
minute intervals is scanned directly from
The Zeitwerk Minute Repeater is the only stepped snails connected to the display
wristwatch in the world to combine me- mechanism. This ensures that the audibly
chanical jumping numerals with a decimal announced time always precisely matches
minute repeater. It had been available only the time shown on the dial. A spring barrel
in platinum since its premiere in 2015, but supplies the energy for the striking mecha-
now A. Lange & Söhne presents a limited nism, while a push piece on the side of the
edition of thirty pieces in 18-karat white case triggers the Zeitwerk’s minute repeat-
er. By omitting a conventional slide, the
case is more effectively sealed; the watch is
water-resistant to three bar. Manufacture
Caliber L043.5 is equipped with sophisti-
cated safety mechanisms to guarantee reli-
able functioning of the complex striking
mechanism under all circumstances. Me-
chanical conflicts could occur if time set-
ting were initiated while the repeater is
chiming, so the system delays advancing
the numeral disks should this happen.
Likewise, for safety’s sake, the crown can-
not be pulled out while the striking mecha-
gold cases with deep blue dials crafted in nism is active. This also ensures that the
solid silver. The striking mechanism of the acoustic time indication always perfectly
Zeitwerk Minute Repeater chimes double corresponds to the time displayed. Finally,
strokes at ten-minute intervals rather than the striking mechanism cannot be trig-
the usual quarter hours – which matches gered if the watch’s remaining power re-
the “digital” display of the time, so what you serve is less than twelve hours, which
see is what you hear. The gongs and ham- means that the chiming is always complet-
mers are unobtrusively integrated into the ed and the watch cannot stop running while
dial’s design and meticulously tuned by the repeater is striking. A red dot on the
hand to produce a rich and harmonious power-reserve indicator scale indicates the 18k white gold, hand-wound movement, digital display,
sound. The striking mechanism is con- crucial twelve-hour mark. minute repeater, sapphire crystal case back

40 A. Lange & Söhne A. Lange & Söhne 41

 The Quest for with the ultra-slim Hybris Mechanica 11.
Crystal-Clear Sound It ensures that even when the quarter hours
are not struck, the minute chimes immedi-
Among grand complications, the minute ately follow the hour strokes. Calibre 950,
repeater is regarded as extremely sophis- which was launched in 2019, embodied an-
ticated and demanding. It gives a voice
to time: the user can trigger it to chime
the hours, quarter hours, and minutes en-
tirely as desired. A true master in this field,
Jaeger-LeCoultre had already developed
approximately 100 minute repeaters up to
1900. The fact that the original mechanism
is still valid and needs improvement only
in its details speaks to the genius of the
watchmakers of yesteryear, who found
ways to install a melodic ensemble within
the small volume of space bounded by
the case of a pocket watch. This is why
Jaeger-LeCoultre now focuses on optimiz-
ing the sound. The manufacture relies on Gongs of the Master Grande Tradition
modern methods and technologies, e.g. Répétition Minutes Perpétuelle
synthetic sapphire crystal, to assure a per-
fect audible experience. The “crystal gongs”, other premiere in the form of an innova-
which were patented in 2005, are soldered tively designed gong. Instead of a flat
directly onto the watch glass, which reso- arrangement of overlapping coils, the two
nates along with the gong and thus ampli- gongs wind in the same direction almost
fies its sound. In order to produce an evenly once around the movement’s periphery
powerful strike, the little gongs are square before bending upwards to form two semi-
in cross-section and have a flat surface circles around the upper part of the move-
against which the even tinier hammers ment. This improves the resonance and
strike. The speed and power of the blow is assures that the chimes ring with a crystal-
optimized by the trebuchet hammers, clear sound, which is emotionally echoed
which debuted in 2009. Jaeger-LeCoultre by connoisseurs in the form of incompara-
T H E A RT O F H ORO LO GI C A L COM PL I C ATI O NS introduced a new synchronisation function ble moments of happiness.

Jaeger-LeCoultre 43
Master Class presents a new generation of watches
whose styling is inspired by several iconic
The Master Control collection has shone watches of the 1950s – the Memovox,
with virtuosic mechanics and unmistaka- Futurematic, and PowerMatic models for
ble elegance since 1992. When it premiered example. True to these role models, the
on the stage of Swiss haute horlogerie, it not stylistic revision prioritized timeless de-
only convinced aficionados with its func- sign with a focus on detail and function.
tionality, practicality and aesthetics, but The case radiates a simple elegance with a
also set new standards thanks to a novel modern touch expressed through its
quality certificate. With the advent of this well-proportioned diameter of 40 millime-
ters, a bezel that slopes slightly downward
toward the outer rim, and dynamically
curved strap lugs. The same elegance also
distinguishes the silver dial with its deli-
cate sunburst finish. The technical
highlight is the Master Control
Chronograph Calendar, which is
powered by new Caliber 759. The au-
tomatic movement boasts a 65-hour
power reserve when fully wound
and is equipped with a complex
column-wheel chronograph with ver-
tical clutch as well as a full calendar with
weekday, month, date pointer, and moon
phase indicator. A chronograph augment-
certificate, Jaeger-LeCoultre fired off a ed with these calendric complications is
starting signal for a rigorous testing pro- a first for Jaeger-LeCoultre. Despite its nu-
cess – the “1,000 Hours Control” certifi- merous displays, the dial is well balanced
cate – in which the encased movement and intuitively legible. Even the sharply de-
is thoroughly tested for 1,000 hours be- lineated strokes of the pulsometer scale
fore the completed watch may to leave the along the flange blend harmoniously into
manufacture. This year, Jaeger-LeCoultre the expressive overall picture.
Stainless steel, self-winding movement,
chronograph, full calendar, moon-phase display

44 Jaeger-LeCoultre Jaeger-LeCoultre 45
Heavenly Trinity complex striking mechanism is set in
motion by activating the slide in the left
Jaeger-LeCoultre brings three large com- flank of the case, this wristwatch’s wearer
plications to the wrist with the Master hears what they see and sees what they
Grande Tradition Grande Complication: a hear. Jaeger-LeCoultre has been a master
minute repeater, a tourbillon, and a sidereal of repeating watches for over 150 years and
calendar. Each of these complications is a has devised numerous innovations to per-
masterpiece in its own right, but as a trio fect the quality of their sound. For example,
they embody a rare achievement in modern to benefit from the unique acoustics of
synthetic sapphire crystal, the patented
gongs are soldered directly to the sapphire
crystal, which resonates along with the
gongs, thus amplifying their sound. While
the repeater musically delights the ears,
the eyes can feast on an orbital tourbillon
and a detailed miniature celestial map de-
picting the starry firmament as it appears
above the Vallée de Joux. The displays and
functions are as complex as the construc-
tion: the tourbillon not only rotates around
its own axis once every 60 seconds, but also
completes one complete revolution per
sidereal day above the multilevel dial. The
sidereal day lasting 23 hours, 56 minutes,
and 4.1 seconds is accordingly somewhat
shorter than the solar day upon which our
haute horlogerie that very few manufacto- civil time is based; astronomers use these
ries in the world have mastered. Perhaps approximately four extra minutes to follow
the most demanding of these feats of watch- the visible motion of celestial bodies across
making is the minute repeater, a function the night sky. A small golden sun at the edge
that can be triggered by its wearer to chime of this watch’s constellation disk indicates
the time whenever desired. As soon as the the date, month, and zodiacal signs and
precisely orchestrated ensemble of the points to the 24-hour scale on the flange. 18k rose gold, tourbillon,
self-winding movement, moon-phase display

46 Jaeger-LeCoultre Jaeger-LeCoultre 47
 Centurial Witnesses never to have taken it off, even during
breaks between shots. Nobody seemed to
Gary Cooper, Alain Delon, and Gunter be bothered by the fact that the Tank’s cool,
Sachs wore them. As did Princess Diana, classic appearance contrasted starkly with
Catherine Deneuve, and Jackie Onassis. Valentino’s opulent oriental costume. And
Cartier’s celebrity factor is unique even precisely herein lies the secret to the suc-
in the luxurious world of the rich and fa- cess of all Cartier timepieces: they brilliant-
mous; iconic timepieces from ly unite contrasts and seem to
this exclusive house have shone take delight in playing with
on the wrists of the international them. Cartier’s bold and inci-
jet set throughout the last cen- sive designs (square, rectangu-
tury. The Tank, history’s first lar, round, or cushion-shaped)
unisex wristwatch, is particu- coupled with the accentuation
larly popular: important politi- and perfection of selected de-
cians such as Jacques Chirac, tails have resulted in veritable
leading avant- garde artists, icons of timekeeping for more
members of the intellectual than a century. Needless to say,
scene, and the most famous Cartier’s experts have mas-
fashion designers, including tered all disciplines of jewelry
Yves-Saint Laurent and Jean- and craftsmanship. The time-
Charles de Castelbajac, all wore pieces’ exteriors are so expres-
Tanks. A legendary quip is sive that one could almost
attributed to Andy Warhol, Tank de Cartier forget how exquisite their in-
who didn’t think it necessary to in an teriors are. That would be a
wind his Tank: “I don’t wear it to asymmetric shape most lamentable omission be-
tell me the time,” the Pop Art cause Cartier has evolved into
icon is reputed to have once said in his a full-fledged manufacture under the di-
characteristically brusque manner. Many rection of chief watchmaker Carol Foresti-
legends have grown up around the Tank. er-Kasapi. From spectacular tourbillons to
Actor Rudolph Valentino is said to have secret watches and perpetual calendars,
insisted on wearing his Tank during the the maison de Cartier has mastered the en-
entire shooting of The Sheikh’s Son and tire repertoire of haute horlogerie.

T H E A RT O F H ORO LO GI C A L COM PL I C ATI O NS

Cartier 49
The Squaring of catching blued sword-shaped hands con-
the Circle or tinue the appealing interplay of contrasts.
Charisma Down to The Pasha de Cartier is once again in
the Smallest Detail the limelight this year, presented in a new
generation. The most emblematic model
In 1985, Cartier reaffirmed that it is al- from an artisanal point of view is the
ways good for a surprise by presenting the Pasha de Cartier Skeleton, which features
Pasha de Cartier, a new watch line that once the time-honored Swiss handcraft of skel-
again demonstrated the brand’s creativity etonizing in its most beautiful form. The
and unerring sense of style. The watch’s individual components of manufacture
nonchalant personality is no less striking Caliber 9624 MC have been painstakingly
than its name: in the charged field between freed from all superfluous material so that
the two most contradictory geometric their precise interplay, function, and tiniest
shapes – the circle and the square – this details can be admired from every side
model embodies a profoundly original de- without obstruction. Like the other models
sign that has lost none of its fascination and in the collection, the Pasha de Cartier
sophistication 35 years later. As is usual for Skeleton is equipped with a number of
this French brand, the focus was on the per- innovative features like the QuickSwitch
fection of form. The squared railroad min- system. A paragon of ingenuity and sim-
ute track, which Cartier eloquently calls plicity, this mechanism enables the wearer
chemin de fer, blends harmoniously into to change straps entirely without the need
the circular dial. Four prominent, emphat- for a tool. The SmartLink system likewise
ically sweeping Arabic numerals and eye- requires no tool, making it child’s play for
the watch’s owner to adjust the length of
the watch’s metal bracelet. The “chained”
crown mechanism, which has always been
one of the most important design elements
of the Pasha de Cartier, has also been re-
designed. Cartier has gone one step further
in the new version by adding a little plate
that can be engraved with initials con-
cealed beneath the crown, which is topped
off with either a blue spinel or a sapphire.
Stainless steel, self-winding movement, skeletonized

50 Cartier Cartier 51
 Perfection has
many Faces

Goethe was just six years old when Vacher-

on Constantin was founded in Geneva in
1755. Fourteen years before Napoleon Bon-
aparte was born, the manufacture on the
legendary watchmaking isle Quai de l’Île
on the banks of Lake Geneva’s Rhône river
was already working toward the motto of its
founder Jean Marc Vacheron: “Do it better
whenever possible – and that is always pos- Manufacture building
sible.” In 1819 François Constantin joined
the company, which has done business dedicated to the revolutionary design idiom
as Vacheron Constantin ever since, unin- of the 1970s; the Malte collection is charac-
terruptedly continuing to manufacture terized by its charming tonneau-shaped
watches to this day. The Maltese cross was case; and with the Métiers d’Art pieces,
registered as the company’s logo in 1880. Vacheron Constantin preserves traditional
This manufacture has stood for the highest decorative techniques such as enameling,
art of watchmaking, so-called belle haute engraving, gem-setting, and guilloche.
horlogerie, for more than a quarter of a According to the spirit of its founders, the
millennium. Generations of master watch- manufacture continues the tradition of
makers continue to perfect the experience offering its discerning clientele the option
and knowledge they have acquired at the of having a watch made entirely to their
Genevan manufacture. In addition to count- own specifications. For this purpose, the
less awards, this mastery is also affirmed by company has a special department, Les
the Hallmark of Geneva, Swiss watchmak- Cabinotiers, which cultivates the knowledge
ing’s oldest seal of quality for exquisite and and expertise needed to manufacture these
technically refined timepieces. The brand’s outstanding one-of-a-kind pieces. This was
Patrimony line is classic thanks to the sim- also the birthplace of Reference 57260: cur-
plicity of its shapes; Historiques reinter- rently the world’s most complicated porta-
prets historical models with contemporary ble timepiece, the pocket watch is equipped
mechanisms; the sporty Overseas line is with no fewer than 57 complications.
T H E A RT O F H ORO LO GI C A L COM PL I C ATI O NS

Vacheron Constantin 53
Overseas Perpetual the months, but also takes into account the
Calendar Ultra-Thin leap years, when February is given an extra
day. This calendar accordingly needs no
Uniting complex mechanisms in the small- manual correction until the last day of Feb-
est amount of space is a challenge that prac- ruary in the year 2100. An oscillating weight
titioners of the high art of watchmaking made of 22-karat gold supplies the Over-
are keen to accomplish. One of the finest seas with the energy it needs. Even if the
examples is the ultra-thin perpetual calen- watch is not worn, its fully wound main-
dar of Vacheron Constantin’s Overseas spring stores enough power for approxi-
line. Its automatic movement is 29.6 milli- mately 40 hours. The slim movement is
meters in diameter and 4.05 millimeters in housed in a similarly thin case made of
height. This confined space hosts individu- 18-karat rose gold that is 41.5 millimeters in
al 276 components, including 36 jewels diameter, a mere 8.1 millimeters in height,
serving as gear train bearings. Beating at and containing an inner core made of soft
a frequency of 19,800 vibrations per hour, iron to protect the movement from magnet-
the mechanism powers displays for the ic influences. This watch’s impressive inner
hours, minutes, and moon phases as well workings are only one source of pleasure for
as a perpetual calendar indicating the its owner: admiring gazes are irresistibly
weekday, date, month, and leap year on a drawn to the dial, which boasts a transpar-
48-month counter. A perpetual calendar ent coating of blue lacquer, a satin-finished
not only “knows” the differing lengths of sunburst finish, and a velvety minute scale.
The hour hand, minute hand, and hour
markers are made of 18-karat rose gold and
coated with a white luminescent substance
that radiates a bluish glow in the dark. The
elements of the 18-karat rose gold bracelet
are shaped like half of a Maltese cross.
Thanks to a sophisticated quick change
system the bracelet can be easily removed
without any tool and replaced by a blue
alligator leather strap with large rectan-
gular reptilian scales. A strap made of blue
rubber is also included. 18k rose gold, self-winding movement,
perpetual calendar, moon-phase display

54 Vacheron Constantin Vacheron Constantin 55

 Navigation
on the Wrist

When IWC Schaffhausen’s Portugieser

first appeared in the late 1930s, this model
seemed unusually large. Its equally unusu-
al name alludes to the story of its creation,
which began when two Portuguese retail-
ers asked IWC to build a wristwatch with
the precision of a marine chronometer. The
manufactory, which had been founded in
Schaffhausen in 1868 by the American Portugieser Reference 325
Florentine Ariosto Jones, was well known
as a manufacturer of highly accurate pocket Pantli, IWC Schaffhausen’s erstwhile mar-
watches. IWC’s watchmakers accordingly keting and sales director, deserves credit
ensconced hunter pocket watch Caliber 74 for plucking Reference 325 out of oblivion
inside the 41.5 mm case of a wristwatch in and making it into what is arguably IWC’s
1939. The dial was inspired by the faces of most iconic product. The manufacture cel-
the deck watches that IWC was producing ebrated its 125th anniversary in 1993 with
for the British Navy at the time. Among the debut of Il Destriero Scafusia (Ref. 1868),
their other uses, these pocket-sized nau- which was advertised at the time as the
tical instruments aided with navigation most complicated wristwatch in the world.
aboard ship so they had to be readily legible This sparked the idea of reissuing Refer-
and extremely precise. With a subdial for ence 325 in a small and strictly limited se-
the seconds at 6 o’clock, a simple minute ries. The new name – Portugieser – not
scale, Arabic numerals, and slender feuille only recalls the origins of Reference 325,
hands, Reference 325 gave rise to a time- but also alludes to themes such as naviga-
less design language that would run like tion, precision, and reliability. The Portu-
Ariadne’s thread through the subsequent gieser Anniversary Edition (Ref. 5441) con-
history of the Portugieser family. However, sists of 1,000 pieces in stainless steel cases,
this elegant wristwatch in pocket-watch 500 in rose gold cases, and an additional
format was decades ahead of its time: IWC’s 250 timepieces in platinum cases. It quickly
books documented only approximately sold out, establishing a global trend toward
T H E A RT O F H ORO LO GI C A L COM PL I C ATI O NS 690 sales by the end of the 1970s. Hannes large-format wristwatches.

IWC SCHAFFHAUSEN 57
Portugieser
PERPETUAL CALENDAR

A milestone in the Portugieser’s history oc-

curred in 2003 when a perpetual calendar
debuted in this watch family. Developed by
Kurt Klaus in the 1980s, the sophisticated
mechanical mechanism automatically
adapts to the differing lengths of the
months, even “remembering” to add an
extra day to February in leap years. All dis-
plays are synchronized and can be easily
reset via the crown if the watch has been
left unused for a lengthy interval. Kurt petual calendar’s mechanical program-
Klaus seized the opportunity associated ming automatically recognizes the differ-
with the development of extra-large Caliber ent lengths of the months and adds a leap
5000 to fundamentally revise his calendar day at the end of February every four years;
module so it would optimally use the ample each of the indications are set via the crown.
space afforded by the generously sized In this version of the calendar, the date,
movement. IWC’s own manufacture move- month, and weekday are displayed on three
ments will be the base for this complication subdials respectively at 3, 6, and 9 o’clock.
for the first time this year: the 42 mm The perpetual moon phase indication is
timepiece displays calendrical information integrated into the month display and de-
on three subdials. IWC manufacture Ca- viates from the real orbit of the moon by
liber 82650 thereby delivers a single im- only one full day every 577.5 years. A dis-
pulse each night to power the displays play integrated into the weekday indicator
of the calendar module. Equipped with counts the years until the next leap year.
zirconium oxide ceramic components, Equipped with a domed sapphire crystal
the Pellaton automatic-winding mecha- on either side, the case 13.8 mm in height
nism conveys energy to the barrel, which is water-resistant to three bar (30 meters).
boasts a 60-hour power reserve. This move- The Portugieser Perpetual Calendar has
ment can be admired through a pane of an alligator leather strap made by Santoni
sapphire crystal on the case back. The per- and secured by a folding clasp. 18k rose gold, self-winding movement,
perpetual calendar, moon-phase display

58 IWC SCHAFFHAUSEN IWC SCHAFFHAUSEN 59

 Alfred Helwig borne only on one side, where two closely
Teaches the spaced bearings guided the wheel’s shaft.
Tourbillon to Fly This enabled him to install the rotating
cage and the escapement without an upper
It was Abraham-Louis Breguet who applied cock, thus offering an unobstructed view
for a patent for the tourbillon in portable of the tourbillon, which seemed to fly. Fur-
watches in 1801. This little “whirlwind” is a thermore, the cage was thus relieved of
small cage-like construction inside which pressure and could be quite delicately de-
the balance wheel rotates around its own signed. The flying tourbillon used less ma-
axis, thus compensating for the ill effect terial, was lighter, and less sluggish, thereby
of gravity on the accuracy of the rate. For achieving the best rate results for precision
an extraordinary watchmaker like Alfred watches of its era. Helwig’s masterpiece
Helwig, though, the tourbillon was a con- from 1920 is now believed to be lost. His
stant challenge impelling him to improve. teaching career spanned 41 years, during
Even his first teacher noticed how meticu- which time he trained more than 800 stu-
lously Helwig, who was born on 5 July 1886, dents. Glashütte Original’s school of watch-
carried out his tasks, recommending that he making, which now bears Helwig’s name,
attend the German School of Watchmak- conveys the expertise of Glashütte’s master
ing in Glashütte where he was accepted as watchmakers to the next generation.
student number 729 in 1904. He graduated
the very next year with top grades. He be-
came a journeyman and spend the years
from 1908 to 1910 at the Hamburg-based
Chronometerwerke now belonging to
Wempe. After military service in World
War I, Alfred Helwig returned to the Ger-
man School of Watchmaking in Glashütte
in 1917. He envisioned a flying tourbillon.
Making initial sketches, step by step the
flying tourbillon matured. Including its
gold settings, jewels and screws, the rotat-
ing carriage weighed less than half a gram.
Its hairspring was a mere 0.025 mm at its
T H E A RT O F H ORO LO GI C A L COM PL I C ATI O NS thinnest point. Helwig’s tourbillon was Manual engraving of the PanoLunar Tourbillon

Glashütte Original 61
Senator Cosmopolite a 72-hour power reserve and shows two
time zones in such an intuitive manner that
Glashütte Original’s Senator Cosmopolite its wearer can read the time in each zone
in blue is a new interpretation of this at a glance; a time-zone ring offers a selec-
globetrotter’s stainless steel version with tion of all 35 currently valid time zones.
the experts at the brand’s dial manufactory Each is represented by an official IATA
in Pforzheim modifying the face of the location code, which stands for an interna-
Senator Cosmopolite to optimize its legi- tional airport in the respective time zone.
bility. Even in bright daylight, the new A white IATA code indicates the 24 time
sword-shaped hour and minute hands zones that differ from Greenwich Mean
Time in full hours; a pastel blue code rep-
resents another eight time zones with half-
hour differences as well as the three
remaining time zones with three-quarter-
hour differences. Two windows at 8 o’clock
allow the wearer to select either daylight
savings time (DST) or standard time (STD).
There are also day/night displays for both
home time and the time at the wearer’s
location. The complex mechanism takes
into account any date adjustments when
travelling forward or backward in time
(east-west or west-east). The 44 mm stain-
contrast boldly against the galvanic blue less steel case is water-resistant to five bar,
dial, which is decorated with a sunburst which corresponds to pressure at a depth
pattern. Excellent legibility likewise dis- of 50 meters. Automatic manufacture
tinguishes the white printed numerals, Caliber 89-02 ticks at a pace of 28,800 vi-
markings, and lettering of the various dis- brations per hour; it has 63 jewels and a
plays. Twelve typical applied markers screw balance with four regulating screws.
round out the high-contrast appearance. The Senator Cosmopolite can be worn
The Senator Cosmopolite is powered by either on a stainless steel bracelet or a
manufacture Caliber 89-02, which boasts blue alligator leather strap.
Stainless steel, self-winding movement,
35 time zones, Daylight Saving Time/Standard Time

62 Glashütte Original Glashütte Original 63

 The tered time signal to the school of watch-
Urania Observatory making and the manufactories in Glashütte.
However, this method of transmission and
Urania built the observatory atop the the resulting inaccuracy of the time signal
Ochsenkopf hilltop high above the Müglitz had long since ceased to meet the needs for
valley between 1904 and 1910. The muse of precision required by Glashütte’s time-
astronomy in Greek mythology, Urania pieces. A telescope of their own in an onsite
also lent her name to the student associ- observatory was intended to solve the
ation of the German School of Watch- problem. The time finally came in 1910 when
making, which was officially opened in the observatory commenced operations. In
Glashütte on May 1, 1878 on the initiative addition to its own time signal, Glashütte
now also had an educational
observatory that was used by the
school of watchmaking. The
establishment of a research insti-
tute was also under consideration.
Ferdinand Adolph Lange’s grand-
son, Otto Lange, and Herbert
Wempe, who owned Wempe
Chronometerwerke in Hamburg,
Glashütte Observatory was inaugurated in 1910 met in the late 1930s and agreed
on plans to this end, but World
of Moritz Grossmann on behalf of the Cen- War II thwarted their plans: both compa-
tral Association of German Watchmakers. nies were obliged to build chronometers for
It contributed to Glashütte’s internation- the German navy. Following the war, the
al reputation; at times, one-third of the observatory became municipal property
school’s students came from abroad. The and was neglected. Decades of decay left it
watchmaking industry in Glashütte, which in ruins until 2005, when Wempe renovated
had been founded by Ferdinand Adolph it, transformed it into a production facility
Lange in 1845, needed a reliable reference for Wempe chronometers, and established
time. This was calculated with the help of on its premises Germany’s only chronome-
celestial observations by the Imperial ter-testing facility. The success is so great
Metrological Institute in Berlin, which that the observatory building has already
T H E A RT O F H ORO LO GI C A L COM PL I C ATI O NS cabled it in Morse code as a manually en- twice undergone extensive expansions.

Wempe Chronometerwerke 65
A Smooth Glide against the dial’s bronze-colored back-
ground. The case is water-resistant to
The Chronometerwerke Pilot’s Watch three bar, which corresponds to water
CW4 Bronze combines the long tradition of pressure at a depth of 30 meters. The case
Wempe’s production of pilot’s watches and is 41 millimeters in diameter, a size making
a trendy case material. Bronze has a warm, it somewhat more moderately dimensioned
soft color and thus a very special charm that than historical pilot’s watches. The brown
has made this alloy of copper and tin quite vintage-style leather strap is similar to
important in the visual arts. The Automatic those used by airmen of yesteryear to strap
Pilot’s Watch CW4 is a miniature their timepieces over their flight
masterpiece in its own right suits. The strap has a small
in bronze, a material decorative seam on one
that responds to the end and a bronze buck-
influence of oxygen le with the engraved
and moisture by de- Wempe logo on the
veloping a patina other end. Auto-
of oxidized copper, matic manufacture
which coats and pro- Caliber CW4, which
tects the underlying was unveiled in 2016,
alloy. Wempe’s experts combines traditional
add more aluminum to horological virtues with
the alloy to delay – and thus state-of-the-art technology.
pleasurably savor – the visible The high-performance movement
aging. This process cannot be prevented, undergoes a meticulous finishing pro-
but the patina lends a uniquely personal cess, which also includes finishing with
touch to each watch. The smooth bezel decorative patterns and fine engravings;
of the satin-finished case surrounds the five ruby bearing jewels are set into
bronze-colored dial of this model, which pressed chatons. An off-center heavy metal
is produced in a limited edition of just rotor rotates above the typical Glashütte
25 timepieces. The applied Arabic numer- three-quarter plate, winding a mainspring
als and indices share the same warm color, that stores enough energy for 90 hours
while the luminous hands contrast boldly of power.
Bronze, self-winding movement, chronometer,
saphhire crystal case back

66 Wempe Chronometerwerke Wempe Chronometerwerke 67

 revolving rollers digitally display the time:
Abraham-Louis Breguet and ran a leading
one roller makes a revolution every five horological workshop. While in Paris,
minutes, while the other advances every Lange also found time to study astronomy
hour on the hour. The clock was ordered and physics at the Sorbonne. The pages
because the king had been annoyed that of his travel and sketchbook detail how
meticulously he pursued these studies.
Rather than measuring his constructions
in the customary lignes, he used the more
practical – but still rather uncommon –
metric system. When Lange returned to
Glashütte 1855
Dresden, he married Antonia, the daughter
of his master, who had been promoted to
175 Years of to continue working exclusively for Lange court watchmaker. Lange was granted his
Watchmaking for a period of five years after the comple- master’s certificate and became a partner
in Glashütte tion of their training. The timing was well in his father-in-law’s business. Despite the
chosen. Saxony’s industrialization, the difficulties besetting the era, his horo-
It seems likely that the 15 young men from construction of railway lines, and the in- logical and entrepreneurial successes were
Glashütte ranging in age from 15 to 18 were stitution of a unified time zone for all of considerable. To promote the economy
eagerly looking forward to December 7, Saxony created a growing demand for accu- the Saxon government began handing out
1845. Despite their youth, they were to be- rate timepieces. Ferdinand Adolph Lange, subsidies, which spurred Lange’s entre-
come decisive for the future of the impover- who was born in Dresden on February 18, preneurial spirit and sense of civic duty.
ished little town in the foothills of the 1815, proved to be the ideal person to meet He began striving for the implementation
Erz Mountains. The youths attended a mid- this need. Following his parents’ separation, of his plan to establish a Saxon watch man-
day meal organized by the town at the invi- a merchant family with which his parents Five-minute clock of the ufactory as a German counterbalance to
tation of the company where were on friendly terms raised Semper Opera House in Dresden the then-predominant manufacturers of
they would soon begin ap- Lange as a foster child and fine watchmaking in England and Switzer-
prenticing as watchmakers. enabled him to receive an some spectators in the darkened hall land. But the festive start in Glashütte was
With some persistence, the education. He attended the triggered their repeating pocket watches misleading: training the 15 village youths
company’s founder, Ferdinand Technische Bildungsanstalt in to chime the time during a performance. from the “undernourished valley” turned
Adolph Lange, had succeeded Dresden and simultaneously The Semper Opera House has been de- out to be more difficult than expected, and
in obtaining a loan of 5,580 began training with renowned stroyed twice in its long history, but its many of them had to be replaced. Lange
thalers from the government watchmaker Johann Christian five-minute clock still shows the correct increased their number to 30. Slow to get
of Saxony to establish watch- Friedrich Gutkaes. During time today. Upon completing his appren- underway, watch production was delayed.
making in the state. He had this apprenticeship, his men- ticeship with distinction in 1837, Lange The company’s name became “A. Lange &
also been granted a non-repay- tor was commissioned to travelled to Paris, the center of precision Cie” as the subsidy proved insufficient and
able sum for the procurement create a digital clock for the watchmaking in those years. He honed brother-in-law Gustav Bernhard Gutkaes
of tools and equipment. The Semper Opera House. High his skills under the tutelage of Joseph had to come aboard as a guarantor. The
15 apprentices had committed C. F. Gutkaes above the stage, two silently Thaddäus Winnerl, who had been a pupil of pocket-watch movements were accordingly

68 175 Years Glashütte 175 Years Glashütte 69

 stamped with the “G&L” hallmark: G for own businesses in 1848 – supported by numbered among Lange’s friends, left companies relied on the same suppliers
Gutkaes and L for Lange. Ferdinand Lange, who wanted to establish a system Dresden and settled in Glashütte toward of individual components; they coordinat-
Adolph Lange analyzed the watch land- based on efficient division of labor. The the end of 1854. He helped Lange and his ed to promote technical developments
scape, identified his competitors in Eng- suppliers concentrated on manufacturing foreman Adolf Schneider train aspiring leading to improvements in movements
land, France, Switzerland and Germany, components such as hands, escapements, watchmakers by making models of move- and tools. The movements manufactured
and defined his goal: the production of a and balances. Others focused their efforts ments for educational purposes. In addi- by Lange, Assmann, Schneider, and
simple “but mechanically perfect pocket on milling, the production of pinions or tion to running his own watch manufactory, Grossmann were therefore nearly identi-
watch.” Precision was his top priority, so plates, and the manufacture of gears or which also produced precision cal, establishing the success of the
Lange’s production relied on the metric spring barrels. Success was frustratingly pendulum clocks and chronome- division-of-labor system. The
system from the outset even if the Saxon elusive at first. Still hoping to lead his ters, Grossmann gave lectures, Glashütte precision pocket watch
government did not officially adopt the company and the city of Glashütte to translated technical articles into was manufactured for 80 years.
meter as a unit of measurement until 1858. success, Lange applied for personal loans German, and published articles Shortly before the thirtieth an-
Using the millimeter as his basic unit of and went into deep debt. He exhibited his in technical journals. His lecture niversary of the founding of his
measurement simplified calculations, but watches for the first time at the Leipzig at the first German Watchmak- company, Ferdinand Adolph
first the movement’s dimensions had to be Trade Fair in 1850 and participated in ers Day in 1876 led one Lange died at the age of 60
laboriously converted from the old lignes the Great Exhibition in London in 1851. year later to the decision on December 3, 1875.
system (one ligne is equal to 2.256 milli- He was able to gain a market share in to establish the Ger- His sons Richard
meters). But Lange went even further: England and North America, where cus- man Watchmaking and Emil were al-
to that point, it had been customary to tomers were eager to buy and able to pay School in Glashütte, ready longstanding
merely manufacture and sell watches, leav- for good, reliable, high-quality watches; which opened its partners in the com-
ing their fine adjustment to local watch- the domestic market generated only about doors on May 1, 1878. pany, which was ac-
makers, who performed this task to the best ten percent of his sales. Another advantage This school, which cordingly named
of their abilities. Lange countered this risk of Lange’s division-of-labor system was that achieved global fame A. Lange & Söhne.
by only selling watches that had already he could evaluate his suppliers’ wares and in subsequent decades, Richard Lange distin-
been finely adjusted. During their five select only the best components among counts many renowned guished himself as a su-
“compulsory years” with Lange, the jour- them. His suppliers were nevertheless able watchmakers among its perlative watch designer
neymen specialized in the skills they had to operate profitably because other watch alumni. One-third of its students while Emil Lange developed out-
learned during their apprenticeships. Each companies began settling in the region, came from abroad and their reports helped standing commercial skills. One year later,
young watchmaker was responsible for a thus utilizing and strengthening the in- Glashütte earn an enviable reputation in Heinrich Schäfer in Vienna commissioned
specific step, thus significantly reducing frastructure of the emerging watch indus- their home countries. The aforementioned A. Lange & Söhne to manufacture a grande
the error rate. Ferdinand Adolph Lange try. One of these competitors was Julius Schneider likewise ventured onto the path complication.This watch has a striking
also optimized the tools and equipment, for Assmann, a native of Stettin, who settled in toward independent entrepreneurship, mechanism with small and large chimes
example, by introducing foot-powered Glashütte as an independent watch manu- opening his own watch factory in 1855 and (petite et grande sonnerie), a minute repeat-
lathes. Their operators could set round facturer on October 2, 1852, which was completing the cloverleaf of the four found- er, and a split-seconds chronograph with
parts such as pins, pinions, wheels, and also his 55th birthday. Ferdinand Adolph ing families. Over the next 20 years, “lightning” seconds (seconde foudroyante)
disks into continuous rotary motion, thus Lange, who had meanwhile also been elect- Glashütte’s pocket watches earned inter- and a 60-minute counter. It is also features
facilitating fine and precise machining. ed mayor, supported Assmann’s efforts. national renown as precise time-measur- a perpetual calendar with moon phase
The first specialist suppliers started their Watchmaker Moritz Grossmann, who ing instruments. All four watchmaking display. All this mechanical complexity is

70 175 Years Glashütte 175 Years Glashütte 71

ensconced in a chased and hand-engraved Glashütte.” A complaint filed by Assmann, watchmaking industry into overlooking commenced in the autumn of 1929,
gold hunter case with classic Graff engrav- Lange, and Union developed into a legal the triumphant trajectory of the wrist- followed by Caliber 55 for men’s wrist-
ing. Remaining a one-of-a-kind timepiece, dispute, which ended with a settlement on watch and dismissing it as a mere passing watches in 1931. Thanks to its clever archi-
its German silver movement is crafted in May 10, 1910 and the subsequent withdrawal fad. This miscalculation, further exacer- tecture, Caliber 58, which debuted in 1935,
1A quality and powered by three spring of Nomos from Glashütte. The city of bated by rampant inflation and the global was able to accommodate both a large
barrels. This unique creation dates from Glashütte received permission from the economic crisis, led to the opening of spring barrel and a generously propor-
the heyday of pocket-watch production in king of Saxony to use a new coat of arms in bankruptcy proceedings on June 17, 1925. tioned balance. This caliber earned its
Glashütte, which lasted from 1890 to 1914. 1912. The shield is horizontally divided into The Assmann and Union/Dürrstein com- place in watchmaking history as an unusu-
A. Lange & Söhne’s annual production in- a golden upper half and a red lower portion: panies were deleted from the commercial ally space-saving movement. The National
creased from 1,237 watches in 1872 to 2,417 the former bears a pair of diagonally register in 1930 and 1936. Only A. Lange & Socialists’ seizure of power led to a substan-
individual timepieces in 1907; Glashütte’s crossed mining hammers, while the latter Söhne survived the worldwide financial tial upturn in the watchmaking and fine
watchmaking industry employed 258 peo- shows a silver watch dial with a red sun. downturn. Glashütte’s watchmakers none- mechanics industries. Demand for marine
ple in that year. Glashütte’s fame attracted World War I put an abrupt end to the hey- theless remained undaunt- chronometers and ob-
other watch companies such as Nomos- day of watchmaking in Glashütte as many ed. The Giro-Zentrale servation watches rose
Uhren-Gesellschaft, which was founded in employees were needed to work in the Sachsen bank, which sharply. Collaboration
armaments industry or serve in the army. had granted large between A. Lange &
The watch companies devoted their efforts loans to the defunct Söhne in Glashütte
to manufacturing marine chronometers DPUG, founded the and Wempe Chronometer-
and observation watches. With support Uhren-Rohwerke-Fabrik werke in Hamburg led
from the city of Glashütte, the Deutsche Glashütte AG (Urofa) and to the creation of the
Präzisions-Uhrenfabrik (DPUG) was found- the Uhrenfabrik Glas- Unified Chronometer,
ed in 1918 to resume production of inex- hütte AG (Ufag) on De- 6,500 pieces of which
pensive watches for everyday use. Using cember 7, 1926 as it was were produced by the
standardized manufacturing methods, the eager to make up for its end of the war. Approxi-
focus was on a caliber with visible anchor losses. The new ébauche mately 12,000 observation
pallets in the Swiss style. New measuring factory planned to manufac- watches and pilot’s wrist-
instruments made by R. Mühle & Sohn ture, finish, and galvanize move- watches were also manufactured.
contributed to initial success in the form of ment plates with bridges and cocks. Each During this same period, Urofa made
a pocket watch making its debut in 1921 factory was legally independent, but approximately 25,000 wristwatch chrono-
whose production cost 20 percent less than Dr. Ernst Kurtz, a lawyer, managed both. graphs powered by Caliber 59, which
comparable timepieces made by local com- The watch factory – also an assembly fa- boasted additive timing and the ability to
petitors. The company produced 350 cility – was set to speedily and smoothly tally up to 30 minutes. Russian fighter
Grande Complication pocket watch precision pocket watches each month – assemble the movements. But due to inade- pilots began dropping bombs on the city
more watches than had previously been quate experience with mass production, it of Glashütte at 6 o’clock on the morning
1906. That company purchased complete manufactured in an entire year by all of was not until 1928 that the first pocket of May 8, 1945. Lange’s production facility
watches from Switzerland, gave them a Glashütte’s businesses together. This watch watches came to market at a competitive was among the casualties. Dr. Ernst Kurtz,
final inspection in Glashütte, and sold them sold very strongly at the Leipzig Spring price. Serial production of Caliber 52, the director of Urofa and Ufag, had left the city
under the name “New System – Nomos Fair, but the success misled Glashütte’s first movement for ladies’ wristwatches, the night before, preparing well in advance

72 175 Years Glashütte 175 Years Glashütte 73

and arranging for machines and their businesses trans- starting in 1964. Mergers with other watch-
and manufacturing equip- ferred to state ownership making companies in Ruhla and Weimar
ment to be transported to between 1946 and 1948. resulted in the highly efficient and large-
Memmelsdorf in Central Lange was nonetheless scale production of millions of timepieces.
Franconia, where they were able to begin delivering a Germany’s reunification abruptly ended
stored. After the war, this men’s wristwatch in 1949 this “success story” when the state-owned
stockpile enabled him to set by producing Calibers 28 GUB was taken over by the Treuhand fidu-
up a new wristwatch pro- and 28.1 (with central ciary authority; the company restarted oper-
duction facility in Glashütte second hand). The VEB ations under the name “Glashütte Original”
tradition under the name Glashütter Uhrenbetriebe with a core workforce of 72 employees con-
Tutima, which relocated its (GUB) combine was found- centrating their efforts on the production
production to Ganderkesee, Aviator chronograph, 1941 ed on July 1,1951. Among of high-quality mechanical watches, thus
near Bremen, in 1951. Tutima other firms, GUB incorpo- following the example set by A. Lange &
became well known in the 1980s when it rated A. Lange & Söhne, Urofa and Ufag, Söhne. Walter Lange, great-grandson of
was commissioned to manufacture service Robert Mühle & Co, and the Makarenko Ferdinand Adolph Lange, partnered with
watches for pilots in West Germany’s air vocational school into a single unit with Günter Blümlein to revive the Lange brand,
force. A grimmer fate was in store for the more than 1,000 employees. GUB pro- which joined the Geneva-based Richemont Glashütte 2015
remaining watch companies in Glashütte. duced its millionth watch as early as 1959, Group in 2000. Roland Schwertner found-
After the bombardment, watch production and exports to socialist countries had ed Nomos in 1990, thus resurrecting the called into existence after the Swatch
resumed on May 16, 1945, but an order to already begun in 1950. Starting in 1957, name of a watch manufacturer that had Group took over Glashütte Original in
dismantle Urofa and Ufag was issued on GUB also supplied watches to West Germa- been based in Glashütte in 1906. The 2000. And with Mühle Nautische Instru-
July 1. Nothing survived to dismantle at ny’s Quelle mail-order company, which Nomos manufactory now operates with a mente, which was already well known in
A. Lange & Söhne, which had suffered a di- marketed them under the name high degree of vertical integration, includ- the field of horological metrology, yet an-
rect hit during the bombing. The owners of “Meister-Anker.” Automatic watches were ing the ability to produce its own escape- other family from Glashütte contributed to
the watch companies were expropriated manufactured under the name Spezimatic ments. Union Glashütte was once again the market for Glashütte-made wristwatch-
es. With the elaborate restoration of the
city’s observatory and the establishment of
a chronometer-testing facility, Wempe re-
called a cooperation with A. Lange & Söhne
that was first planned in the 1930s and com-
menced manufacturing its own watches on
site. Tutima returned to its original home-
town in 2008. Following 175 years of color-
ful history, alternately marked by success
and beset by catastrophe, Glashütte has
earned a prominent and globally recog-
nized position on the international watch-
making map.

74 175 Years Glashütte 175 Years Glashütte 75

 Polarizing,
but with Style

There are only a handful of timeless stylis-

tic icons among the thousands of watch
designs in the world. Panerai stands out
among these elite few. Some connoisseurs
are not fond of this brand’s straightforward
and amply dimensioned styling. Others
find it to be the epitome of distinctive
beauty. But all parties agree on one point:
the style of Panerai’s dials and cases distin-
guishes these wristwatches from all others.
Probably no other watch brand is as skillful
in its mastery of bold masculine styling
coupled with minimalistic design. There is Panerai store, 1860
a simple reason for this: Guido Panerai
upheld a strict principle of functionality and added the brand’s watches to its port-
when he first designed these watches for folio in 1998. Panerai’s international market
the royal Italian navy in the late 1930s. This launch followed at the turn of the millen-
is also why the Radiomir and later the nium – and an incredible success story
Luminor models are distinguished by ex- began. Panerai now utilizes nothing but
cellent readability, especially in the dark its own movements from its manufactory
or under water. But their breakthrough as in Neuchâtel, Switzerland. Long regarded
commercial watches would not occur until as typically men’s watches, Panerai’s stylish
many decades later and in a very unusual icons are now also comfortably wearable
way. Sylvester Stallone discovered the on women’s slimmer wrists as the brand
brand by chance when he was in Rome to added several models from the Luminor
shoot the film Daylight, in which one of Due series to its collection as of 2016.
Panerai’s watches co-stars on Stallone’s Despite their smaller diameter of 38 mm,
burly wrist. The actor subsequently made they feature all of Panerai’s typical design
the timepiece into an “it watch” in Holly- elements and are also powered by Officine
wood of the late 1990s. Wempe was like- Panerai’s thinnest automatic manufacture
T H E A RT O F H ORO LO GI C A L COM PL I C ATI O NS wise infected with enthusiasm for Panerai caliber.

Panerai 77
Luminor Marina result is a matte grey appearance that
Fibratech 44 MM can be individually modified depending
on how the material is cut. In the new
The conspicuous design language of PAM01663 model, this innovative case
Panerai’s watches is sacred to the brand’s material is combined with a bezel and
fans, so-called Paneristi who hotly debate crown-protector lever made of Carbotech,
every even so slight variation and new a composite material developed in-house.
combinations of familiar elements. With The screw-down case is crafted from
this in mind, it is only natural for Panerai to micro-sandblasted titanium. The Luminor
seek new challenges and to push the Marina Fibratech is water-resist-
envelope in exploring new materi- ant to 30 bar, which is equivalent
als. After having been one of to the pressure at a depth of
the first to use bronze cases as 300 meters. Caliber P9010
a reference to its maritime was designed and developed
origins, this Florentine entirely in Panerai’s ma-
brand is now pursuing a nufactory in Neuchâtel. A
totally unprecedented mere six millimeters thick,
approach. The cases of the automatic movement is
Panerai’s new Fibratech still able to store enough
watches are made from the energy in its twin spring
minerally fibers of basalt. barrels to display the correct
Fibratech is an extremely unusu- time for three consecutive
al material that has never before days, even if it languishes
been used in the watch industry. unworn. The 44 mm Luminor
After initial tests in the aerospace Marina Fibratech has a sandwich-
industry, Panerai further developed and style dial in a blue color that get gradually
optimized the substance for use as a case paler toward the center. The four Arabic
material. Fibratech is made by melting numerals fluoresce green, while the in-
basalt rock to obtain unidirectional min- dexes are coated with white luminous ma-
eral fibers. These fibers are then bonded terial. The strap is made of blue Sportech
with polymers to form thin layers, which textile with white stitching secured by a
are superimposed in precise alignment and trapezoidal buckle made of DLC-coated
finally solidified under strictly controlled titanium. A blue rubber strap is also deliv- Fibratech, self-winding movement,
temperature and pressure conditions. The ered along with the watch. small seconds subdial

78 Panerai Panerai 79
 Chronomat – movement. This model, whose case dimen-
A Model Defines the sions and winding system departed from
Milestones of the contemporary tastes, caused quite a stir in
Company’s History the watchmaking world; it is now regarded
as one of the points of crystallization for the
The first Breitling timepiece to bear the gradual renaissance of the mechanical
name Chronomat – which combined syl- wristwatch. Inspired by the Frecce Tricolori
lables borrowed from the words “chrono- watch, Breitling celebrated its centenary
graph” and “mathematics” – was a paten- the following year with the Chronomat.
ted instrument watch with a This marked the return of
chronograph and a circular the mechanical chronograph
slide rule. Venus Caliber 175 upon which the brand had
provided the power for this originally built its reputation.
ancestor of the Navitimer. The screw-mounted riders
Chronomat models subse- protecting the watch crystal
quently played a special role became one of this watch’s
in the history of this watch special features; the riders
brand founded in St. Imier in at 15 and 45 minutes could
1884. The one-two punch of be interchanged to facilitate a
the turbulent quartz crisis kind of countdown function
and his own poor health using the chronograph.
impelled Willy Breitling, Breitling again chose a Chro-
grandson of the company’s Breitling nomat model to host its first
founder, to sell the firm to en- Chronomat, 1984 manufacture movement, the
trepreneur Ernest Schneider B01, which debuted to cele-
in 1979. The new owner and his family brate the brand’s 125th anniversary in 2009.
looked after the company’s affairs until After CVC acquired the brand in 2017,
2017. The headquarters were relocated to Breitling’s CEO Georges Kern commenced
Grenchen on December 30, 1982. Italian a thorough reorientation of the model range
aerobatic team Frecce Tricolori (“three- and brand identity – and thus the Chrono-
colored arrows”) commissioned Breitling to mat returns this year with reversible riders
make a chronograph with an automatic and the Rouleaux bracelet from the 1980s.
T H E A RT O F H ORO LO GI C A L COM PL I C ATI O NS

Breitling 81
A Legendary Model in steel Rouleaux bracelet with double folding
the Company’s History clasp is integrated into the 42 mm stainless
steel case. Breitling’s Chronomat is water-
Breitling concludes the comprehensive resistant to 20 bar, which corresponds to
redesign of its collection with the Chrono- the water pressure at a depth of 200 meters.
mat family. Alongside re-editions of classic Manufacture Caliber B01 keeps time inside
models such as the 1959 Navitimer 806 the case: a COSC-tested chronometer, this
and the chronographs in the Premier line, automatic chronograph movement is paced
all of the collections have been thoroughly at 28,800 vibrations per hour and can ac-
revised and the brand’s overall image has cordingly measure elapsed intervals to the
been visibly rejuvenated. The Chronomat nearest quarter of a second. After full
has always played a special role at each out- winding, its ball-borne and bidirectionally
standing moment in the company’s history. winding rotor provides enough power re-
Its four riders ensure its characteristic ap- serve to continue displaying the correct
pearance and simultaneously protect the time for 70 hours without further motion of
cambered sapphire crystal with antire- the wearer’s wrist. The chronograph move-
flective coating on both sides. The riders of ment comprises 346 components, includ-
the new editions of the Chronomat are ing a column wheel and a vertical clutch.
somewhat flatter and less likely to snag on a Breitling is producing a special version
shirt cuff, but they too are screwed to the exclusively for Wempe Jewelers with a blue
bezel from the outside at 3 and 9 o’clock and dial and silver-colored totalizers in a limit-
are interchangeable so the chronograph ed edition of 50 pieces.
can either tally up or count down.
The riders also facilitate the
handling of the unidirec-
tionally rotatable bezel.
The watch’s stainless

Stainless steel, self-winding movement,

chronograph, chronometer

82 Breitling Breitling 83
 Pleasure
and Responsibility

Hublot is no stranger to a well-groomed

appearance in the limelight, but this com-
pany also likes to tread new paths beyond
the posh red carpet. As such, Hublot was
one of the first watch brands to consistently
dedicate itself to soccer. Its partnerships
with UEFA and FIFA become obvious to
spectators when assistant referees raise
the boards displaying the added time in
front of the video cameras at major interna- Care for Wild dial
tional football events – including women’s
soccer. Among the brand’s partners are (Save Our Rhino Africa India) go directly
leading personalities in the world of to Care for Wild for the care and protection
football such as Kylia Mbappé and Edson of orphaned baby rhinoceros and to the
Arantes do Nascimento, who is better South African National Parks Agency.
known as Pelé. The popular team sport on Since 2015, Hublot has supported Best
the pitch is complemented by an equally Buddies, a non-profit organization that of-
popular team sport on the racetrack: since fers people with intellectual disabilities and
2011, Hublot has been the official time- developmental impairments opportunities
keeper of Scuderia Ferrari, the Formula 1 for friendships, integrated employment,
department of the Italian sports car manu- and managerial training. In its support of
facturer. Hublot annually designs new the Only Watch project, Hublot returns to
watch models in cooperation with Ferrari, a place of glamor. Every two years, major
including a Classic Fusion collection for luxury watch brands create unique time-
the Ferrari GT. Hublot also cultivates pieces for the Monegasque charity in sup-
close contacts with individually played port of Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
sports, like track and field and golf, as well Hublot has supported the foundation since
as world-class artists and musicians. Along- its establishment in 2005. The proceeds
side pleasure, Hublot is also aware of its of the auction, which is held at Christie’s in
social responsibility. A large percentage of Geneva, are devoted entirely to this good
T H E A RT O F H ORO LO GI C A L COM PL I C ATI O NS the proceeds from sales of the Unico Sorai cause’s research.

Hublot 85
Big Bang harmonize here: the seemingly sharp-edged
Integral Titanium – bracelet echoes the austere shape of the
Connection case and the angular edges parallel the
shapes of the chronograph’s push pieces,
Hublot’s Big Bang premiered in 2005 with which have been revised to incorporate
a spectacular combination of steel, ceram- distinctive features of the original 2005
ics, and rubber. Celebrating its fifteenth model. These pushers inspired the styling
birthday, the Big Bang is now available for of the bracelet with its interplay of edges,
the first time in combination with an in- bevels, and alternating polished and sat-
tegrated bracelet. The custom-made design in-finished surfaces, which recur through-
out the watch, its case, and bracelet. The
Big Bang Integral Titanium’s case retains
its “sandwich” construction, but without the
use of composite resin. The 42 millimeter
case and the bracelet with folding clasp are
manufactured entirely in lightweight tita-
nium. The sole exceptions to this are the
crown protection in black composite resin
and the rubber-covered crown. The dial
and bezel are designed in the same way as
their counterparts on previous Big Bang
models, but there is an exception here too:
indices have replaced the erstwhile Arabic
numerals. The column wheel of in-house
manufacture Caliber Unico V2 is visible at
of the bracelet is recognizable only at sec- 6 o’clock. Its chronograph mechanism fea-
ond glance, though: at first only the broad tures a horizontal double clutch; its thin
elements in the midline of the bracelet’s automatic winding supplies it with enough
three rows stick out, but closer scrutiny energy for three days of power reserve when
shows that the details combine to tell an fully wound. Caliber Unico V2 consists of
independent design story. All elements 354 components, including 43 jewels.

Titanium, self-winding movement, chronograph

86 Hublot Hublot 87
 Family Tradition events from the ground with her impres-
Begets Manufacture sive and particularly sensitive artistic im-
and Responsibility ages, two supporters take a critical look at
the Alpine region from the air. The first is
Founded by Louis-Ulysse Chopard in 1860, white-tailed eagle Victor, an internationally
the house of Chopard manufactures renowned aerial photographer who has
high-quality watches and jewelry. The filmed the Arctic Ocean, Mont Blanc, and
Scheufele family has run Chopard with its the skylines of Paris, London, and Dubai
exceptional sense of family spirit since 1963. with a 360° camera strapped to his back.
Perfection in every detail, creativity cou- Victor’s images promote the appreciation
pled with traditional craftsmanship, and and awareness of an environment that is
clear ethical values are the pillars of its changing much too quickly. Detailed satel-
success. Co-president Karl-Friedrich lite images of Alpine regions are generated
Scheufele, who is responsible for the com- at even higher altitudes by the second: the
pany’s watch division, returned to the roots German Aerospace Centre (DLR) and the
of the art of watchmaking with the found- European Space Agency (ESA) are also
ing of Chopard Manufacture in Fleurier in partners in the Alpine Eagle project, con-
1996. Twenty basic movements in as many tributing a global and scientific perspective.
years speak for the success of this strategy. The combined efforts of all participants
Chopard’s launch of the Alpine Eagle last offer a glimpse into our future.
year, drawing attention to the Alps, led to
Karl-Friedrich Scheufele co-founding and
supporting the Eagle Wings project, which
monitors the changes taking place in the
Alpine ecosystem with eagle eyes. Europe’s
tallest and most extensive mountain range
extends nearly 1,200 kilometers across
Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Liechten-
stein, Monaco, Slovenia, and Switzerland.
The Alps are geographically important,
accounting for 11% of Europe’s surface area
and exerting major influence on the cli-
mate. While German photographer Nomi
T H E A RT O F H ORO LO GI C A L COM PL I C ATI O NS Baumgartl keeps a sharp eye on Alpine Sea eagle with a 360° camera

Chopard 89
Alpine Eagle – The robust case protects Chopard’s auto-
The Chronograph matic Caliber 03.05-C from penetration
Spreads Its Wings by water to a pressure of ten bar, which cor-
responds to the water pressure at a depth of
The Alpine Eagle XL Chrono, a flyback 100 meters. Like all calibers in this collec-
chronograph in a new 44 millimeter case, tion, this movement was developed and
complements the Alpine Eagle collection manufactured entirely by Chopard and is
launched in 2019. The new watch’s ap- certified by the COSC, the official Swiss
pearance is striking and unmistakable, chronometer-testing authority. The com-
combining a round case with stylized plex chronograph caliber comprising 310
protruding elements, a crown components is equipped with
with an engraved compass a column wheel and flyback
rose, a bezel with eight mechanism; its mainspring
functional screws, lumi- boasts a 60-hour power
nous indices on a struc- reserve to keep the
tured dial in natural movement running
hues, and an inte- even when its skele-
grated metal brace- tonized tungsten-alloy
let with ingot-shaped rotor is not cur rently
links. From the chro- supplying it with a
nometer-certified move- fresh transfusion of
ment to the dial, bracelet, energy. Caliber 03.05-C
and A223 Lucent steel is embellished with mod-
case, these chronographs are ern finishing that expresses
manufactured entirely on premises by this collection’s sporty style. It can be
the experts in Chopard’s workshops. The admired by peering through the back of
Lucent steel alloy, specially developed by the case blessed with a sapphire crystal
Chopard, is the result of a complex indus- that is no less antireflective than its coun-
trialized process that endows the material terpart covering the dial. This front crystal
with three exclusive properties: it is hypo- protects the Aletsch-blue embossed brass
allergenic, extremely resistant, and has dial, which is adorned with a radial motif
a shine comparable to the gleam of gold. inspired by the iris of an eagle’s eye.
Stainless steel, self-winding movement,
chronograph, chronometer

90 Chopard Chopard 91
 Lauding the Graduate

Constant Girard, born in 1825, founded

Girard & Cie in 1852. Two years later, he
married Marie Perregaux, who came from
an important family of watch retailers in
Le Locle. The combination of their family
names gave birth to the Girard-Perregaux
manufacture in La Chaux-de-Fonds. Con-
stant Girard-Perregaux excelled in his
horological creations, above all in his es-
capement developments – and especially
tourbillons. His famous Tourbillon with
Three Gold Bridges, which was awarded
the gold medal at the Paris World Exhi- Manufacture building
bition in 1889, remains the unmistakable
motif of the manufacture to this day. Bridges in wristwatch format. In 2013,
Constant Girard-Perregaux was succeeded Girard-Perregaux premiered the first
by his son Constant Girard-Gallet, who watches utilizing this manufacture’s own
merged Girard-Perregaux with the re- revolutionary constant-force escapement;
nowned Bautte company, thus fusing two the trailblazing development earned
famous names in the elite world of Swiss Girard-Perregaux the Aiguille d’Or of
watchmaking. In 1966, Girard-Perregaux the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève,
presented the Gyromatic HF, the first which is widely recognized as the most
high-frequency movement beating at prestigious award in the world of watch-
36,000 vibrations per hour, for which the making. Girard-Perregaux marked its
brand was awarded the Centennial Prize 225th anniversary in 2016 with the return
of the Neuchâtel observatory for research of the Laureato in a limited edition, which
and development by the Canton of Neu- was presented as a complete family of mod-
châtel. After ten years of development, els two years later. The Laureato, which
the master watchmakers celebrated means “the graduate” in Italian, has devel-
Girard-Perregaux’s 200th anniversary oped into the most important model in
with the debut of a technical masterpiece: Girard-Perregaux’s current collection, truly
T H E A RT O F H ORO LO GI C A L COM PL I C ATI O NS the famous Tourbillon with Three Gold passing all its tests with flying colors.

Girard-Perregaux 93
Laureato Infinity – summa cum laude diploma with a hand-
Testimony of made dial crafted in black onyx. This
a Partnership glossy black face accentuates the watch’s
luxurious impression by providing an
The Italian translation of this word is very elegant background for the rose gold
accurate. While the original title of the markers, applied Girard-Perregaux logo,
1967 classic film The Graduate with Dustin and second hand. The silver-colored baton-
Hoffman refers to graduation either from shaped hour and minute hands engage
high school or college, the Italian name in playful dialogue with the stainless steel
(“Laureato”) more closely aligns with the case. The date is indicated by white nu-
university degree recently merals on a black date
earned by the main charac- disk, whose coloring
ter of the motion picture. matches the swarthy dial.
Be that as it may: with the The Girard-Perregaux
then freshly created Laure- Laureato Infinity 42 Mil-
ato, Girard-Perregaux de- limeters is available in
clared itself qualified to a limited edition of 188
begin its its life. The stain- watches. Water-resistant
less steel watch with inte- to ten bar, the stainless
grated bracelet was likewise steel case is only 10.7 mm
at the cutting edge of tech- high and has a diameter
nology. Girard-Perregaux’s of 42 mm. Manufacture
researchers opted for a fre- Caliber GP01800-1404,
quency of 32 kilohertz – paced at 28,800 vibra-
precisely 32,768 Hertz – Laureato advertisement, 1975 tions per hour, comprises
which remains the standard 191 components. Wempe
frequency for quartz watches today. Now- offers both this and a second limited edition
adays, of course, the classic Laureato with for a two-month period exclusively at select
its exciting mix of straight lines and round- branches in Germany, New York, and Lon-
ed curves is powered by a mechanical don: available in a limited edition of 88 piec-
movement from the manufacture founded es, this mechanical 38 mm variation is also
in La Chaux-de-Fonds in 1791. The current available with a bezel set with 56 diamonds
Laureato Infinity is the equivalent of a weighing a total of approx. 0.90 carats.
Stainless steel, self-winding movement, onyx dial

94 Girard-Perregaux Girard-Perregaux 95
 Extravagance
as a Mastered
Challenge

To want to position oneself as an extraordi-

nary brand is one thing but being able to do
so is quite another. The spectacular models
and collaborations with which Roger
Dubuis regularly surprises fans of the
brand would not be possible without the
relevant expertise of the Geneva-based Lamborghini Essenza
manufacture. This company is as young
as its dynamic image suggests. Exactly a the devilishly dissonant interval known as
quarter of a century ago, the manufacture’s diabolus in musica first found its way
founder, Roger Dubuis, ended his four- into watchmaking with the debut of the
teen-year career in Patek Philippe’s studio Excalibur Diabolus in Machina. Roger
for grand complications and founded his Dubuis personally created the basis for this:
own business. Thanks to an investor and Caliber RD 107 is based on Dubuis’ RD 08
watch designer, Dubuis succeeded in with its two unidirectionally winding
quickly establishing a manufacture with an micro rotors. A similar symmetry charac-
astonishingly extensive depth of produc- terizes the Excalibur Double Tourbillon.
tion. As early as 2003, he had premiered his As the Excalibur Twofold, however, it proves
own escapement with in-house hairspring, that this manufacture has successfully
thus accomplishing a feat of manufacturing transferred new technologies and materials
and horological constructive expertise to the world of watchmaking. By manufac-
mastered by only a dozen brands to date. turing certain components from an ultra-
Without exception, all Roger Dubuis white composite substance, Roger Dubuis
wristwatches are equipped with the brand’s enables the contours of the main plate and
own calibers. Nearly all of these watches the profiles of the rubber strap to glow in
earn and proudly bear the Geneva Seal. the dark in greenish tones. Any company
This gives the brand ample opportunity looking to go to the limits and beyond in
to resolutely pursue its own paths, which haute horlogerie must know the tradition,
sometimes lead to skillfully crafted, yet explore and implement new technologies,
T H E A RT O F H ORO LO GI C A L COM PL I C ATI O NS provocative timepieces. For example, and consummately master the craft.

Roger Dubuis 97
Excalibur Huracán – Powered by automatic manufacture Cali-
Black Swords ber RD 630, it offers the same high per-
formance, low weight, and excellent relia-
Geneva-based watch manufacturer Roger bility as its namesake. Its 45 milli meter
Dubuis nourishes its extraordinary status titanium case is coated with black DLC
from two sources. One is an extremely (diamond-like carbon) as are the bezel
high vertical range of manufacture, which and titanium crown. The watch, water-
endows this manufactory with the inde- resistant to five bar, which corresponds
pendence enabling it to constantly ven- to the water pressure at a depth of 50 me-
ture into new technical and horological ters, offers a skeletonized dial, a recessed
territory. The other source is partner- bezel with black lettering, and a similarly
ships outside the watch industry, such as recessed minute scale. The balance wheel
with Pirelli and Lamborghini Squadra paced at 28,800 vibrations per hour of
Corse, which is Lamborghini’s racing di- Caliber RD 630, a movement comprising
vision. In cooperation with that maker of 233 components, is inclined 12° to minimize
superlative sports cars, equally superb the negative effect of gravity on the iso-
sporty watches have been created that chronism of the hairspring. The base plate
spark the imagination of watch aficiona- and bridges are sandblasted and black-
dos and car lovers alike. The latest expres- ened with micro particles. The 60-hour
sion of this high-octane power is the power reserve is supplied by a 360° rotor
all-black version of the Excalibur Huracán. styled to resemble the tires of a supercar.

Titanium, DLC coating,

self-winding movement, skeletonized

98 Roger Dubuis Roger Dubuis 99

 Passion Rescues great success and earned appreciative rec-
Watch History ognition as a watchmaker. The highly pre-
from Oblivion cise timepieces that served as chronometers
aboard sailing ships had yet to prove them-
Ferdinand Berthoud was born into a selves suitable for reliably determining a
prestigious watchmaking family in the vessel’s longitude on the high seas. Thanks
Val-de-Travers in the canton of Neuchâtel to the accuracy of Berthoud’s marine chro-
in 1727. Today, the valley is also nometer No. 8, the navigators
the production site of two aboard an 18-month expedition
watch manufactures owned successfully determined their
by Chopard, whose co-presi- ship’s position to within half a de-
dent Karl-Friedrich Scheufele gree of longitude in 1768. This
is also president of Chrono- success led to Berthoud’s ap-
métrie Ferdinand Berthoud. pointment as watchmaker and
But we are getting ahead of mechanic to the royal court and
ourselves. At the youthful royal navy in 1770. He subse-
age of 18 Ferdinand Berthoud quently built no fewer than 20
was drawn to Paris, where he marine chronometers, which
opened his own workshop in rendered valuable service in the
1753 after the Royal Council of mapping of the oceans. He pub-
King Louis XV recognized his lished his main work on time-
outstanding talent and issued a keeping, Histoire de la mesure du
special decree appointing him temps par les horloges, in 1802,
watchmaker to the royal court. while Napoleon made him a
He also worked as a scientist. In 1755, he Knight of the Legion of Honor in 1804.
wrote several scholarly articles on the art Though Ferdinand Berthoud’s nephew and
of watchmaking for the encyclopedia sons successfully continued his legacy after
published by Diderot and d’Alembert. his death in 1807, the family name fell into
These were followed in 1763 by a two- centuries of dormancy with the death of
volume treatise with the modest title Charles-Auguste Berthoud in 1876. But the
Essai sur l’horlogerie. The Royal Society in sleeper awoke in 2015 when Karl-Friedrich
London was so impressed by this publica- Scheufele revived the brand threatened by
tion that they made him an “associate for- oblivion in Ferdinand Berthoud’s native
T H E A RT O F H ORO LO GI C A L COM PL I C ATI O NS eign member.” Berthoud also achieved valley. And thus our tale comes full circle.

Ferdinand Berthoud 101

FB 1 – A Tourbillon in the eighteenth century. Its unusually
in the Tradition of slowly paced three-Hertz tourbillon is
Famous Marine connected to a central second hand. The
Chronometers barrel and the fusée are connected by a
chain that ensures that constant torque
This wristwatch by Chronométrie is transferred to the barrel. The barrel and
Ferdinand Berthoud pays homage to the fusée are attached to the plate on one side,
horological genius of its namesake. And thus minimizing the height of the con-
with it Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, president struction. Other exquisite details include
of Chronométrie Ferdinand Berthoud, also a winding system with differential gear
continues the proud tradition of the house train and a very special power-reserve in-
of Chopard with this exception- dicator that relies on a truncated cone mov-
al chronometer. The Ferdinand ing downward as the mainspring
Berthoud FB 1 chronometer is runs down. After nearly three
furnished with a manual years of research and devel-
winding mechanism com- opment culminating in the
prising more than 1,120 most demanding reliability
components. It is en- tests, Caliber FB-T.FC im-
closed inside an octago- presses connoisseurs with
nal case with watertight its uniquely accurate rate,
sapphire crystal windows. constant-torque power sup-
Exclusively designed and ply, official Swiss chrono-
produced by Chronométrie meter certificate issued by
Ferdinand Berthoud in Fleurier, the COSC, perfectly legible dis-
Caliber FB-T.FC is equipped with plays for hours, minutes and seconds, and
several unique patent-pending compo- 53 hours of power reserve when fully wound.
nents: a tourbillon with a central second The uncommonly fine and slender spokes
hand, a movement superstructure support- of the gears are patterned after their coun-
ed by pillars, a constant-force mechanism terparts in regulator timepieces made by
via chain and fusée, and a mobile cone for Ferdinand Berthoud. The gears, which are
the power-reserve display. The pillar con- meticulously and patiently embellished
struction of Caliber FB-T.FC continues with circular graining, are also beveled at
the tradition of the marine chronometers the center to perfectly reflect light and di- 18k white gold, hand-wound movement, fusée-and-chain
originally designed by Ferdinand Berthoud rect it to the pinions. transmission, tourbillon, power-reserve indicator

102 Ferdinand Berthoud Ferdinand Berthoud 103

 The Swiss to the brink of insolvency in 1982 and 1983,
Watch Industry but its new CEO Rolf W. Schnyder and
and Seafaring chief watchmaker Ludwig Oechslin re-
turned it to the crème de la crème of Swiss
The sea has been a ceaseless source of in- watch manufacturers within a few short
spiration since human beings first gained years. When Ulysse Nardin unveiled the
the ability to think, and the urge to conquer Freak to the world in 2001, it turned the
its immeasurable expanses has always been watch industry upside down in more ways
accompanied by the quest than one: this luxury time-
for technical ways and piece was the first to boast
means to make that wish the use of silicon compo-
come true. Ulysse Nardin’s nents – and it functioned
maritime-inspired watch- without hands, without a
es tell the story of this on- dial, and without a crown.
going endeavor: their high- Two bridges took over the
precision complications work ordinarily performed
and corrosion-resistant by the hands, the upper
materials recall the close bridge displaying the min-
affiliation that this Swiss utes and its lower counter-
watch manufacturer has tra- part indicating the hours.
ditionally cultivated with The bezel and the back of
seafaring, sharing human- the case rotated to set the
kind’s fascination with the time and wind the main-
endless freedom of the sea. Freak X spring. And the company
Few watch brands can rival took it a step further in
the steadfastness with which this company 2019: the new Freak X models feature a
has dedicated itself to the development of crown for the first time, thus making them
high-precision marine chronographs for easier to set. And the Freak Next entirely
nearly 200 years. To this day, no wave can dispenses with pivots and bearing jewels.
be too high nor any dive too deep for this The result is maximum performance
brand’s extravagant timepieces. The so- thanks to the total elimination of friction
called quartz crisis brought the company in the bearings.

T H E A RT O F H ORO LO GI C A L COM PL I C ATI O NS

Ulysse Nardin 105

Executive Blast Black cuses on the X as a stylistic element, thus
following in the footsteps of last year’s
When Ulysse Nardin unveiled the Freak Freak X. The tourbillon oscillates at a pace
in 2001, it granted watch enthusiasts’ wish of 2.5 Hertz inside a completely redesigned
for a technically and creatively unique X-shaped cage. Skeletonized Caliber UN-172
wristwatch. This watch’s movement rotates is positioned vertically: its spring barrel
around a shaft in the center of the dial, the and the platinum micro rotor are located at
entire gear train completing one rotation 12 o’clock, while the tourbillon is at 6 o’clock.
around its own axis every sixty minutes so An evolved descendant of Caliber UN-171,
that the tip of its subassembly always in- UN-172 boasts a three-day power reserve.
dicates the current minute. A disk under The designers at Ulysse Nardin redesigned
the gear train requires twelve hours for one and reinforced the strap lugs, which are
rotation; an arrow tip on it points to the styled to resemble the aerodynamic wings
hour. The Freak was the first serially manu- of a stealth fighter jet. Each of their triangu-
factured watch with a silicon escapement, lar surfaces has a different texture: polished,
and this same high-tech material is used satin-finished, or matte. The iconic model
for the balance spring and tourbillon es- in the line – the Black Blast – features a
capement of the new Blast. Its design fo- black ceramic bezel, a black rectangular
bridge with red and black X-shaped pat-
terns, and a bright red silicon balance. The
latter is a first for Ulysse Nardin. The sap-
phire crystal’s seal is also red as are the
jewels and the words “Silicium Technology”
on the barrel. Ulysse Nardin’s grey logo
completes the rectangular frame. A pat-
ented system with three spring blades
allows the user open the folding clasp on
the textured rubber strap with a simple
click. The 44 mm ceramic case is water-
resistant to five bar, which is equivalent
to water pressure at a depth of 50 meters.
The Executive Blast is also available in
a titanium version with 18-karat rose gold. Titanium, self-winding movement,
micro rotor, tourbillon

106 Ulysse Nardin Ulysse Nardin 107

 Trendy Textile Straps The strap was also made with little “tunnels”
from Historic Looms containing barrette-style bars that securely
connect it to the watch. Finally, Tudor
Having registered the Tudor brand in 1926, turned to one France’s last weaving mills
Hans Wilsdorf established MONTRES of this type, which specializes in ribbon
TUDOR S.A. in 1946. Rolex’s founder want- weaving. Julien Faure still makes ribbons
ed to create a brand offering watches with using the traditional jacquard technique
the quality and reliability of a Rolex but at with shuttles and can weave an almost
more affordable prices. In addition to those inexhaustible variety of complex motifs.
admirable qualities, Tudor continues to set Thanks to their high thread density,
new trends in the watch industry – textile jacquard ribbons are not only extremely
straps being a good example. Fabric straps durable but also very supple, which makes
were already quite popular among collec- them quite comfortable to wear. Tudor first
tors of sports watches a decade ago when equipped its watches with textile straps in
most luxury watches were not yet available 2010; the company now offers them in many
with them because the major brands different designs and sizes. Even though
considered them unsuitable for their elite the textile strap has become a modern clas-
timepieces. Tudor recognized the design sic in the watch industry, Tudor’s straps set
potential of this accessory and had its their own standards thanks to their excel-
designers create distinctive straps, arrang- lent technical and aesthetic quality.
ing to have them handcrafted at the Julien
Faure weaving mill located in the region
around Saint-Étienne in France. Like many
innovations that subsequently attained
widespread popularity, textile straps for
watches originated in the military sector.
In the early 1970s, NATO stipulated that
soldiers’ wristwatches must be attached
to uniform nylon straps. Though not
particularly comfortable, they were inex-
pensive, sporty, and easy to interchange.
Tudor decided to redesign the textile strap,
equipping it with a closure similar to the Weaving of the Heritage Ranger textile strap on
T H E A RT O F H ORO LO GI C A L COM PL I C ATI O NS buckle on the seatbelt of a classic racing car. the antique Jacquard weaving loom

Tudor 109
Black Bay
Fifty-Eight Navy Blue

The number 58 in the name of Tudor’s Black

Bay refers to 1958, the year in which Tudor
presented Reference 7924, nicknamed “Big
Crown,” the brand’s first diver’s watch with
water-resistance to a depth of 200 meters.
In a 39 mm case, this new model takes after
its illustrious predecessor. This new diver’s
watch also continues Tudor’s long tradition
of blue sports watches, a story that began in
1969 with a diver’s watch equipped with a
blue dial and blue bezel. Other chrono-
graphs and sports watches soon followed in made its debut with the Heritage Chrono-
that model’s sporty footsteps. Incidentally: graph. The straps are manufactured in the
blue is the world’s most popular color, fa- Saint-Étienne region, a place where tradi-
vored more or less equally by men and tional Jacquard looms dating from the 19th
women alike. Tudor opted for a blue hue century are used to make them. The third
when it equipped the French navy with option is a stainless steel bracelet with rivet-
diver’s watches back in the 1970s. The Black ed elements. This diver’s watch is powered
Bay Fifty-Eight Navy-Blue thus continues by manufacture Caliber MT5402. Tudor
a noble tradition with its navy blue dial and ensures that the maximum daily rate devia-
unidirectionally rotating bezel. The cam- tion of this automatic COSC-certified chro-
bered dial also has a grained surface to dis- nometer whose balance is equipped with a
courage glaring reflections, while the stain- silicon hairspring lies between –2 and +4
less steel bezel bears a numbered ring in seconds. A bidirectionally winding rotor
blue anodized aluminum with silver minute supplies the mainspring with enough ener-
hashmarks and numerals. Tudor offers a gy for 70 hours of power upon full winding,
matching navy blue synthetic textile strap even if its wearer has taken the watch off
with a flannel feel; the textile strap has also and left it lying motionlessly. Tudor offers a
become one of Tudor’s typical features. The five-year warranty on watches purchased
company has offered its models with this after January 1, 2020: no registration is re- Stainless steel, self-winding movement, manufacture movement
strap style since 2010 when the accessory quired and the warranty is transferable. Caliber MT5402, COSC certification, chronometer

110 Tudor Tudor 111

 In the Race for to 1/100th of a second in the Mikrograph.
160 Years Heuer subsequently supplied chrono-
graphs for the Olympic Games and world
Edouard Heuer was just 20 years old when championships in alpine disciplines. Heuer
he opened his watch workshop in Saint- switched from two- to three-counter chrono-
Imier in the Swiss Jura in 1860. At first he graphs in the early 1940s: the third counter
made pocket watches, mostly with silver enabled the user to tally intervals up to
cases. In the 1880s, his company began twelve hours in duration. Jack Heuer took
manufacturing large quantities of pocket over the management of his family’s busi-
chronographs, which were used to measure ness as the fourth generation in 1958 and
the times of races on roads, cinder tracks, subsequently focused on diverse varieties
and bodies of water. In 1887, Heuer obtained of motorsports from amateur club rallies to
patents for its oscillating pinion, a com- Ferrari’s Formula 1 racing team. The com-
ponent that allows the chronograph to be pany premiered the Heuer Carrera in 1963:
instantly started and stopped by pressing a Jack Heuer borrowed this model’s name
button. When wristwatches supplanted from the Carrera Panamericana, a legend-
pocket watches, Heuer relocated the preci- ary but short-lived road race that annually
sion chronograph from the pocket to the traversed Mexico between 1950 and 1954.
wrist. Heuer’s catalogue from 1914 de- Heuer unveiled the world’s first automatic
scribed this wristwatch chronograph as chronographs in 1969. The label’s ownership
“unique on the market.” Edouard Heuer’s changed hands in 1985 to the Technique
son Charles-Auguste initiated a project that d’Avantgarde (TAG) group, whose acro-
would succeed in increasing the accuracy nym still appears in Heuer’s brand name
of stop-watches from 1/5th of a second to today. The “Don’t Crack Under Pressure”
1/50th of a second in the Semikrograph and campaign, which ran from 1991 to 1994, is
now being revived by TAG Heuer,
which has belonged to the world’s
largest luxury goods group
(LVMH) since 1989. Jack Heuer
returned to the brand as honorary
chairman at the age of 69 in 2001.
Frédéric Arnault became TAG
Heuer’s CEO in June 2020.
T H E A RT O F H ORO LO GI C A L COM PL I C ATI O NS Grand Prix Historique in Monte Carlo

Tag Heuer 113

Racing Models the digits 12, 4, and 8 to create a visual bal-
with a New Engine ance with the minute counter at 3 o’clock.
The new H-shaped bracelet is thinner than
To celebrate TAG Heuer’s 160th anniver- its predecessor, making it more ergonomic
sary, the Swiss watch brand presents an and enhancing its comfort. Caliber Heuer
updated and redesigned chronograph in its 02, an automatic movement manufactured
TAG Heuer Carrera racing collection. The entirely on premises at TAG Heuer’s Swiss
44 millimeter stainless steel case boasts Chevenex factory, powers this new Carrera
alternating brushed and polished surfaces; model. With only 168 components the
a multifaceted interaction that lends this movement makes do with a surprisingly
wristwatch a slimmer looking profile – for small number of parts, but thanks to its
which reason the sapphire crystal has been column-wheel gears and vertical clutch it
newly integrated. The deep blue dial of the lacks none of the attributes befitting a fine
TAG Heuer Carrera is decorated with a chronograph. Paced at 28,800 vibrations
round-brushed finish, and its color match- per hour, its power reserve fully wound is
es the hue of the ceramic bezel with inte- a remarkable 80 hours, so if the order
grated tachymeter scale. of the day is less-demanding,
In conjunction with the this chronograph can be set
chronograph, the tachy- down for up to three days
meter scale allows the without the need to reset it
wearer to calculate the afterward. The TAG Heuer
average speed travelled Carrera’s Caliber Heuer
along a defined length 02 is water-resistant to
of road. The inner ring – ten bar, which is equiva-
the so-called flange – is lent to the water pressure
beveled and its indices at a depth of 100 meters.
incline toward the center
of the dial. The hour coun-
ter at 9 o’clock now bears

Stainless steel, self-winding movement, chronograph

114 Tag Heuer Tag Heuer 115

 Watch Production achieved success as it was produced in large
in Glashütte quantities in the Soviet Union. Wempe and
A. Lange & Söhne jointly conceived a plan
Parents tend to be particularly critical of to establish a research and movement regu-
their own children. The same applies to lation institute in Glashütte, but their ideas
Wempe. All the know-how and experience never came to fruition due to World War II.
that Wempe has acquired since taking Kim-Eva Wempe made her grandfather’s
over the Chronometerwerke Hamburg is dream come true 60 years later. Following
incorporated into the production of our painstaking renovation work, production
own watches at Glashütte in Saxony. When of in-house watch collections began at Glas-
Herbert Wempe took hütte’s observatory
over the chronome- in 2006. Together
ter production on with the start of its
January 1, 1938, he watch production in
perfectly solved a Glashütte, Wempe
problem: simulta- received accredita-
neously training the Case of the Iron Walker tion to begin Glas-
most talented and with integrated bracelet hütte’s chronometer-
capable watchmak- testing laboratory.
ers while accessing new business oppor- Thus, in collaboration with the State Of-
tunities. He estimated that anyone who fice for Metrology and Verification of
makes extremely precise marine chronom- Saxony and the Thuringian State Office
eters is also perfectly prepared to service for Consumer Protection, Wempe operates
other high-quality timepieces. His assertion Germany’s only independent chronometer-
proved true: Chronometerwerke Hamburg testing laboratory. The Zeitmeister and
soon ascended into the elite ranks of Ger- Chronometerwerke collections were joined
man watchmaking. And the products are this year by the Iron Walker line. Whether
equally impressive, including marine chro- Chronometerwerke, Zeitmeister or Iron
nometers, observation watches, time-signal Walker, nearly every watch from Wempe
transmitters, and the Unified Chronome- Glashütte I/SA earns prestigious certifica-
ter. Developed by Wempe and manufac- tion as a German chronometer according to
tured in collaboration with A. Lange & ISO 3159, guaranteeing that it keeps time
Söhne, the Unified Chronometer later with the utmost accuracy.
T H E A RT O F H ORO LO GI C A L COM PL I C ATI O NS

wempe iron walker 117

Iron Walker because self-supporting steel structures
Automatic like the one depicted in the famous photo
Chronograph – made it possible to construct the skyscrap-
NO FEAR OF HEIGHTS ers that tower along Manhattan’s urban
canyons. The Iron Walker Automatic
The photo “Lunch Atop a Skyscraper” Chronograph is an expressive representa-
made photographic history; it is of course tive of these stainless steel constructions.
unforgettable: eleven construction work- Its 42 millimeter stainless steel case rises
ers sit on a steel girder at a dizzying height to a height of 13.95 millimeters. The lumi-
without any visible safeguard and Central nous coating on its steel indices and hands
Park clearly visible in the background. shines like a skyline at night. Sharp edges
The workmen hail from every cor- and gentle lines alternate, as do sat-
ner of the world, including a in-finished and smoothly pol-
few Irishmen and some ished surfaces. The lively
indigenous Mohawk peo- architecture of Iron
ple, all undauntedly en- Walker’s construction
joying a lunch break at continues into the ele-
a height of 250 meters gant three-part bracelet
during the construction with folding clasp, which
of the RCA building at merges seamlessly into
Rockefeller Center. The the case that is water-resist-
photo was shot on the 69th floor ant to ten bar (which corresponds
in 1932 and published in the New York to the pressure at a depth of 100 meters).
Herald Tribune the same year. The image The case houses automatic Swiss Caliber
remains as fascinating as ever, as do the ETA 7753, which boasts a 54-hour power
surefooted “Iron Walkers” who, for dec- reserve when fully wound. The move-
ades to come, went on to build the steel ment’s accuracy is certified by an official
skeletons that literally gave rise to New certificate issued by Germany’s only
York City as we know it today. The youngest chronometer-testing center at the Wempe
family of Wempe Glashütte I/SA watches Observatory in Glashütte. In addition
is inspired by these men, who seemed to the version with a deep blue dial, the
preternaturally free from vertigo and born Iron Walker Chronograph from Wempe
with spines of steel. It is equally inspired Glashütte is also available with a black Stainless steel, self-winding movement,
by the architecture their labor created – dial and white totalizers. chronograph, chronometer

118 wempe iron walker wempe iron walker 119

Iron Walker direction, and unintentional resetting is
Automatic virtually impossible because it is located
Diver’s Watch in the interior of the dial, in place of the
flange, and is protected by a sapphire
To comply with the international standard crystal. It can be adjusted by turning the
for diver’s watches (ISO 6425), a watch like additional screw-down crown at 2 o’clock,
this one must allow its user to be able to which effectively resists accidental ma-
precisely pre-set the intended diving time nipulation. Massive crown protection en-
up to 60 minutes. Since 1955, mechanical sures that nothing that could endanger the
diver’s watches have accordingly been dive can become snagged between this
equipped with rotating bezels bearing one and the screw-down winding crown at
correspondingly graduated minute scales. 4 o’clock. This unconventional construc-
But it is crucially important that tion also allows for unusually
the pre-set diving time elegant styling that’s sel-
shown by the bezel can- dom seen in a diver’s
not be inadvertently watch. This 42 mm
adjusted, ensured by stainless steel watch
the rotating bezels on is only 11.7 mm high;
diver’s watches, which thanks to its slim, pol-
can be turned only coun- ished bezel, this watch
terclockwise. At the start of can vanish under a shirt
each dive, the wearer rotates cuff almost like a dress watch.
the bezel until the distinctive luminous The case is nevertheless water-resistant
triangle is opposite the luminous tip of the to 30 bar, which corresponds to the pres-
minute hand. From this moment on, the sure at a depth of 300 meters. A tried-
diver can instantly view the temporal and-tested automatic Swiss movement
progress of the dive. If the bezel is acciden- boasts a 50-hour power reserve, and the
tally reset under water, the remaining German Chronometer-Testing Laboratory
diving time shown is never lengthened, but in Glashütte officially confirms the accu-
always and only shortened. Wempe’s Iron racy of the movement inside each indi-
Walker Automatic Diver’s Watch goes a vidual watch. Wempe’s Iron Walker Auto-
decisive step further: its rotating timing matic Diver’s Watch is also available with
component can also be turned only in one a blue dial. Stainless steel, self-winding movement,
internal diving bezel, chronometer

120 wempe iron walker wempe iron walker 121

 Accompanying
Famous Pioneers
and Researchers

Longines has always been a reliable partner

to researchers, pioneers, and exceptional
pilots. The precision, reliability, robustness,
and innovative technologies of Longines
watches and instruments have accompa-
nied expeditions to the planet’s last unex-
plored regions. Amelia Earhart, Paul-Émile
Victor, Elinor Smith, and Howard Hughes
are a few of the pioneers who relied
on Longines timepieces. Earhart wore a Elinor Smith
Longines chronograph on her nonstop
transatlantic flight in 1939, which lasted with the film Aviator in 2004, which saw
14 hours and 56 minutes. Paul-Émile Victor Leonardo DiCaprio in the role of the pio-
put his life in the hands of Longines watch- neering American aviator and business
es, which enabled him to calculate his longi- magnate. The brand with the winged hour-
tude at –40° Celsius during his seven-week glass logo was the official timekeeper for
crossing of icebound Greenland in 1936. Hughes’ record circumnavigation of the
“These watches spelled the difference globe in just three days, 19 hours, and 14 min-
between failure and success,” he declared utes. Hughes was the most famous user
afterwards. Pilot Elinor Smith had a Lon- of Longines’ patent-pending Siderograph,
gines watch strapped to her wrist while en- an onboard instrument for astronautical
deavoring to set a new world record in 1931, navigation. The crew aboard the pioneer-
when she suddenly lost consciousness at an ing airman’s plane relied on Longines chro-
altitude of 9,144 meters and nearly crashed nometers to display Greenwich Civil Time
her plane. She came to her senses in the and Greenwich Sidereal Time. They also
nick of time, regained control over her air- wore Longines Second-Setting watches to
craft and landed it safely. Undaunted, she monitor their chronometers’ accuracy.
tried again ten days later, setting an altitude Hughes described his motivation as follows:
record at 9,929 meters. Martin Scorsese “Do the impossible because almost everyone
T H E A RT O F H ORO LO GI C A L COM PL I C ATI O NS raised a monument to Howard Hughes has told me my ideas are merely fantasies.”

longines 123
The Pioneer Spirit ETA is the movement manufacturer in the
Lives On Swatch Group to which Longines also
belongs. Specificallyy for Longines, ETA
The Longines Spirit collection pays hom- equips the chronograph with a column
age to the pioneers of aviation who celebrat- wheel to control the chronograph’s
ed world records, pioneering achievements, functions and a silicon hairspring breath-
and heroic courage with Longines in the ing inside the balance. Unlike a conven-
1920s and 1930s. This brand looks back on a tional steel hairspring, a silicon balance
rich history of legendary pioneers and spring is insensitive to magnetic influ-
proudly pays homage to those bygone he- ence. This antimagnetic attribute com-
roes and their immortal spirit. bined with the high amplitude
As a link between history achieved by automatic winding
and innovation, Longines’ and a 60-hour power reserve,
new models feature typ- contributes to the move-
ical characteristics of ment’s extremely stable
pilot’s watches and al- rate. In order to make the
lude to classic time- most of this chronograph’s
pieces by the brand, complexity, the Longines
yet also combine these Spirit incorporates two
references with contem- subdials to tally the elaps-
porary styling and design ing hours and minutes as
codes. The five stars applied well as the chronograph’s
to Longines’ dials have always sweep seconds hand, which
stood for the exceptional quality and bears an applied red element. The screw-
reliability of this brand’s movements, while down crown ensures sturdiness and
the well-known chronometer verbiage protects the interior from water pene-
confirms the fact that each individual tration to a depth of 100 meters or a pres-
movement underwent and passed a 14-day sure of 10 bar. The cambered sapphire
accuracy test administered by Switzer- crystal is given several antiref lective
land’s official chronometer-testing au- coatings on both sides, thus guaranteeing
thority, the COSC (Contrôle Officiel Suisse great legibility of the dial. All of these
des Chronomètres). Chronograph Caliber factors combine to underscore the perfec-
L688.4 is based on ETA’s extremely dura- tionism of this wristwatch and the elegance Stainless steel, self-winding movement,
ble and highly reliable Caliber A08.L01. of its styling. chronograph, chronometer

124 longines longines 125

 Love of Craftsmanship workmanship that can only be performed
by experienced, masterly hands. There is
Some brands have the power to lend their a good reason why Montblanc’s style prior-
style to diverse product worlds with seem- itizes timelessly elegant aesthetics: like all
ing effortlessness, and Montblanc achieves Montblanc products, its watches are also
this feat in a most impressive way. Like built to be faithful companions for a life-
its legendary writing instruments, the time – at least. Alongside the century of
Hamburg-based company’s high-precision design history that Montblanc has already
timepieces in classic vintage look affirm written with its famous fountain pens, the
house can also look back with pride on
a long tradition in watchmaking that
began in 1858 in Villeret, when Charles-
Yvan Robert founded Minverva in Vallon
de Saint-Imier. Over the years, this manu-
facture earned an international reputation
for its precise timepieces and established
itself as a center of haute horlogerie.
Minerva invariably focused on the creative
interplay between tradition and the zeit-
geist. Montblanc likewise succeeds in
creating the extraordinary with its wrist-
watches, which bring out the best of all
areas of watchmaking. Montblanc is always
on the cutting edge of style and technology
Counting of the mainspring / at one end of the spectrum with collections
determination of the length like the 1858, Heritage, and Tradition as
well as outstanding craftsmanship and per-
one quality above all: a savvy sense of fectly styled allusions to tasteful design of
straightforward elegance paired with ex- the 1950s and 1960s. At the other end of this
cellent craftsmanship. This unbeatable spectrum stand the watches of the Time-
combination generates and sustains enthu- walker Collection, which are inspired by
siasm among Montblanc’s clientele. After the spirit of motor sports, and the Summit
all, genuine values result from competent collection smartwatches.
T H E A RT O F H ORO LO GI C A L COM PL I C ATI O NS

MontBlanc 127
Heritage Manufacture ally large 11.5-mil li meter balance wheel
Pulsograph Limited equipped with 18 screws, a column wheel,
Edition the legendary V-shaped chronograph
bridge whose design was patented in 1912,
Inspired in equal measure by the classic and the unmistakable hand-decorated
historic Minerva wristwatches of the Minerva “arrow” component. The hair-
1940s and 1950s, the newest creations in spring of the balance oscillating at the clas-
the Montblanc Heritage product line com- sic frequency of 18,000 vibrations per hour
bine a vintage aesthetic with striking color ends in a Philips terminal curve. Matching
combinations and sophisticated horolog- the case and tobacco-brown dial, which
ical complications. The highlight of the col- charmingly revives various vintage design
lection is the Heritage Pulsograph, which codes from the 1940s and 1950s, the nickel
appears in a limited edition of silver plate and bridges of
100 timepieces, each with a Caliber MB M13.21 are plat-
40-millimeter case in 18- ed in rose gold. The light-
karat rose gold. This ly domed and smoky
model is inspired by lacquered dial boasts
the timepieces that a grained hour ring
watch collectors call and sunburst pattern,
“doctor’s watches,” Arabic numerals plat-
which were used by ed with 18-karat rose
physicians in the past gold, dot markers with
to measure their pa- luminescent coating, 18-
tients’ pulse rates. The karat rose gold-plated Dau-
Heritage Pulsograph is distin- phine hands with luminescent
guished by its distinctive, smoky, tobacco- coating for the hours and minutes, 18-karat
brown dial and its color-coordinated rose gold-plated baton hands for the
sfumato alligator leather strap, both of seconds and chronograph indications, and
which accentuate the trendy vintage style. minute markings in rack-and-pinion
The sapphire crystal on the case back offers design. Historical pay-phone styling dis-
an appealing view of the sophisticated, hand- tinguishes the indications for three, six,
crafted finishing of Montblanc Monopusher and nine elapsed minutes on the chrono-
chronograph Caliber MB M13.21. This graph’s minute counter. All watches in the 18k rose gold, self-winding movement,
self-winding movement features an unusu- Heritage line are water resistant to five bar. chronograph, limited to 100 watches

128 MontBlanc MontBlanc 129

 From Saxony people simply refer to it as the heart of the
to the Whole World watch. Following seven years of research,
since 2014 Nomos Glashütte has produced
Aficionados of minimalism love Nomos this heart at its own factory: the Nomos
Glashütte. The design and construction of Swing System, which sets the pace in
this successful German manufactory’s Nomos Glashütte’s watches, also made this
watches celebrate the beauty of pure func- manufactory technologically independent
tionality, and each timepiece is equipped of Swiss manufacturers. Since its advent,
with a movement of the highest horologi- the Swing System has not only driven
cal quality. Inspired by Bauhaus, Nomos Nomos Glashütte’s watches, but also pro-
Glashütte’s models have earned many in- pelled the brand’s success story, ensuring
ternational awards and are acknowledged precision and longevity in 11 in-house move-
as modern classics. Classics are classics be- ments. The abbreviation “DUW” on the
cause they inspire creativity and the strive movements stands for “Nomos Glashütte
for excellence in the best of every era. The Deutsche Uhrenwerke” and affirms this
revolutionary principles of design taught manufactory’s claim as a maker of calibers,
by the Bauhaus school are a genuine made- creating movements designed with love
in-Germany classic. And classic Bauhaus and according to the rules of traditional
design finds its contemporary interpre- craftsmanship – built in Saxony and for
tation in Nomos Glashütte’s watches. the whole world.
Inspired by creatively focusing on the
essentials as done in Bauhaus master class-
es, Nomos Glashütte’s engineers, crafts-
people, and designers collaborate closely.
And like Deutscher Werkbund and Bau-
haus creations, the goal is to achieve top
output in every way at prices no more
expensive than absolutely necessary.
Nomos Glashütte’s products are today’s
Bauhaus. Some call it the escapement,
others the oscillator or regulator, but most Caliber assembly

T H E A RT O F H ORO LO GI C A L COM PL I C ATI O NS

NOMOS Glashütte 131

Tangente Sport – a depth of 300 meters. This water resist-
With Broad Shoulders ance is specified on the dial as 1,000 feet.
The Tangente Sport’s dial is available in two
Swimming regularly creates a wide shoul- color schemes: classically silver plated and
ders. Perhaps this is why the Tangente blue-black, the latter conjuring the hue of
Sport neomatik 42 Datum with its epony- the deep sea. More Super-LumiNova has
mous 42-millimeter diameter has a more been applied to the dial and hands in both
definite masculine look than many other versions, thus providing greater luminosity
models from the Glashütte-based manu- in the dark and underwater. The Tangente
factory. It is also the first watch by Nomos Sport’s metal bracelet consists of 145 stain-
designed with and for a metal bracelet. Its less steel components, all of which are man-
movement, manufacture Caliber neomatik ually screwed together; a screwdriver can
Datum (DUW 6101), is protected by an extra- be used to remove or add elements to the
strong case, gaskets, sapphire crystals, and bracelet. Additional fine adjustment with
crown protection to safeguard it from vi- a spring bar further enhances wearing
brations, shocks, and – above all – water in- comfort. The folding clasp, securely inte-
filtration. The Tangente Sport’s designers grated into the Tangente Sport’s bracelet,
used the advantage of the thin automatic is also one of Nomos’ own developments.
manufacture movement to create a much The date display of Caliber DUW 6101
more robust case with a water resistance of can be quickly set either forward or back-
30 bar, which is equal to water pressure at ward, and the movement also boasts a
Glashütte-style three-quarter plate, Nomos’
own Swing System escapement, a thermal-
ly blued hairspring, a doubly screwed bal-
ance bridge, and a rotor adorned with a
raised, gold-plated engraving that winds
the mainspring in both directions of rota-
tion. Fully wound, this watch’s power re-
serve is 42 hours. The movement’s surfaces
are rhodium plated and further embel-
lished with Glashütte ribbing and circu-
lar graining. Twenty-seven ruby bearing
jewels and thermally blued screws com- Stainless steel, self-winding movement,
plete the handsome creation. small seconds subdial

132 NOMOS Glashütte NOMOS Glashütte 133

 Family-Owned
Manufactory

“What you can’t buy, you simply have to

make yourself,” was Heinrich Sattler’s
motto. Erwin Sattler’s grandfather was a
clockmaker who on March 4, 1903 patented
a clock for desktops and shelves with a per-
petual calendar. His grandson Erwin estab-
lished his own clock factory in Gräfelfing,
near Munich, in 1958. In the style of the
time, the cases of his high-quality wall and
table clocks were partly hand-carved and Sattler Opus
decorated with gold leaf. Erwin Sattler’s
wife, Viola Sattler, who was the artist in the Jürgen Kohler – who had worked for the
family, painted various models by hand and company for many years, now support
thus lovingly created detailed one-of-a- Stephanie Sattler in the technical area. In
kind timepieces. Stephanie Sattler, one of addition, the second generation of the com-
Erwin’s three daughters, joined the com- pany’s ownerns offers precision clocks in
pany in 1989: an academically trained busi- the form of kits through its successful com-
ness economist, she has directed the com- pany Müller & Sattler Uhrenbausatz GmbH.
pany’s purchasing, sales, and commercial Another milestone in the history of the
divisions ever since. The erstwhile clock manufactory took place in 2006, when the
company began striving for full-fledged company relocated to a larger building in
manufactory status in 1992 with the aim to Gräfelfing. The machinery here was fur-
establish Sattler’s own in-house movement ther augmented to meet increasing demand
production. A vertical range of manufac- and a larger number of watchmakers now
ture of more than 90% was achieved in work under optimal conditions in these
2002, which was the same year that Erwin brighter and more spacious premises. A
Sattler handed over the company’s future special highlight of the new factory build-
to his daughter Stephanie Sattler-Rick ing is its façade, where the nearly eight me-
and watchmaker Richard Müller. Richard ter-long pendulum of the world’s largest
Müller retired in January 2020. Two mas- precision pendulum clock swings indefati-
T H E A RT O F H ORO LO GI C A L COM PL I C ATI O NS ter watchmakers – Markus Glöggler and gably back and forth.

Sattler 135
 listeners with its resonant chimes every
P 100 Bauhaus – The hour on the hour. Its black varnished and
Future of Tradition rather robust case skillfully directs the
viewer’s gaze to a black anodized dial
Bauhaus celebrated its one-hundredth with polished steel hands. The limited-
anniversary in 2019, but this is only the edition verbiage and Arabic numerals at
beginning of the story: a special edition every second hour position make for eye-
from the Erwin Sattler clock manufactory catching allusions to the Bauhaus tradition.
alludes to the tale. Due to their austere A visual counterweight to the dial is pro-
and well-proportioned lines, Sattler’s pen- vided by the high-polished pendulum
dulum clocks already set design standards lens weighing exactly one kilogram on
many years ago. All the lovelier that the its black wooden rod in the lower part of
limited 19-piece special edi- the clock. Pulley-winding
tion called P 100 Bauhaus provides Sattler Manufac-
has inherited the basic prin- ture Caliber 1510 with suffi-
ciples of the Bauhaus style cient energy for a seven-day
and continues to evolve power reserve. Measuring
them into the future as a 25.5 centimeters wide and
perfect synthesis of art and just over 10.5 centimeters
craftsmanship. The clear deep, it is easy to find the
lines, right angles, and duly ideal place for it to comple-
famous typography used in ment both modern and clas-
this nearly one meter-high sically furnished rooms.
clock embody the centu- The P 100 Bauhaus special
ry-old Bauhaus tradition. edition stands for the best
Form follows function here German-made quality and
because this pendulum for the Bauhaus of yesterday
clock also has plenty to offer and tomorrow. This is the
in terms of technology: timeless beauty that results
gold-plated gears, a move- from straightforward func-
ment borne on jewels and tionality, horological crafts-
ball bearings, and a striking manship, and a ceaseless
mechanism that delights quest for perfection. Black polished wood, seven-day movement,
limited to 19 clocks

136 Sattler Sattler 137

 If an item in this book has sparked your interest, please contact us.
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 Thanks to all manufacturers and company archives
that kindly assisted us by providing photo material
and to the Eagle Wings Foundation.

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Imprint

Publisher: Gerhard D. Wempe KG,

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Watch-Editor-at-Large,responsible
according to German press law.: Thomas Wanka
Editorial assistance: Sabine Zwettler
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Design: sandfort visuals, Hamburg
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