Posts Tagged ‘Independent Watchmaking’
MB&F x H. Moser LM101 Aqua Blue Fumé
‘A creative adult is a child who survived.’ The origins of this line are debated, thought to be first penned by Robin W. Winks, but in any case MB&F describe this tenet as central to their creative process. Their use was the first time I’d ever come across the quote, engraved on early cases. Last…
Read MoreSarpaneva Moomin Rose Gold Hands
Independents don’t necessarily have a monopoly on creativity, but it does increasingly seem like the small eponymous names are showing the Richemonts of the world how it’s done. This is particularly true of Stepan Sarpaneva, whose brilliance lies in just how much of his personality he’s able to suffuse throughout his watches. He is not…
Read MoreLyrique Étude N°1
Unless your idea of wild night out is casually browsing GPHG nominees with a negroni in hand (don’t worry, you’re in good company), you probably won’t have heard of Lyrique. They started last year and have made 70 watches in total, so don’t feel bad. Lyrique is really less a brand at this point and…
Read MoreMother of Pearl Dial 217QRS Voutilainen Retrograde Date
Only 30 217QRS, Karis’ Retrograde Date, have ever be made, in an even split of platinum, white gold and rose gold. But this? This is the very last one produced, 30. And the material combination here is something outrageous: teal mother of pearl dial, green guilloché hour track, and white gold case. It’s no surprise…
Read More1 of 10 London Edition Urban Jürgensen Big 8
The subtlety of one color can make a watch. I feel, perhaps too strongly, that British racing green may in fact be the classiest hue to ever exist, full stop. This isn’t some childish James Bond Aston fascination or anglophilic pandering, no. On its own merits, the precise deep green with just a hint of…
Read More1 of 12 Laurent Ferrier Classic Origin Opaline for Revolution
Amongst a certain set of watch enthusiasts, the dual-tone split of a sector dial inspires the same sort of awe as Moses parting the Red Sea. It’s not a complex task, a sector dial. They began in the 1920s as a means of additional clarity, often in pocket watches. They were a touch easier to…
Read MoreDe Bethune DB25 White Night
I just adore, or rather I mean love, when independents take a step from impressing the world, flashing technical innovation and bold design cues, to demonstrate their ability through restrained or classic sensiblities. Dufour has the Simplicity. Roger Smith the Series I. Rexhep the Chronometre Contemporain. De Bethune, well this may be as close as…
Read MorePiece Unique Roger W. Smith Series I
With every day that passes, the horological marketplace which consumes my attention becomes a more diverse and interesting place. It would be callous of me not to discuss this development. A Collected Man, the long established leader in independent retail, recently changed the game by announcing ‘exceptional’ auctions. These single lot auctions will exist to…
Read More1 of 10 Romain Gauthier Insight Micro-Rotor in Black Titanium
Romain Gauthier make some of the most intimidating watches of any modern independent. This is due to their immense finishing, masculine proportion, precise manufacturing, and, perhaps most of all, industrial aesthetic. There’s also the fact that RG produce just a few dozen watches per year, far fewer than almost everyone else. Seeing one in the…
Read MorePhilippe Dufour Simplicity
What ink remains to be spilled on behalf of the Simplicity? This is it, as good as watchmaking gets, independent or otherwise. Where Patek Philippe are undisputed masters of their craft, that is an effort of some 1600 people to elevate watchmaking to an art. The Simplicity is one man’s effort to distill heaven into…
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