Think of one of the most unique, innovative and just down-right cool timepieces you have ever seen and then imagine it dressed in all black. That’s exactly what super exclusive luxury watch-maker Manufacture Contemporaine du Temps (MCT) have done and the result, the all new Sequential One All Black, is nothing short of superb.

In fact, quite frankly, we think this is one of the most sophisticated and seductive timepieces we’ve ever seen. However, don’t take our word for it, read on and judge for yourselves.

MCT Watches
If you’re not familiar with MCT Watches then you have most certainly been missing out. Comprised of an extremely talented team of watch-makers led by their pioneering founder Denis Giguet, MCT’s first creation, the highly acclaimed Sequential One, became an instant hit with collector’s and connoisseurs the world over.

And it’s not hard to see why.

The Sequential One is a complex masterpiece where each function is based on a combination of elements rotating on three dimensional axes, at different speeds and moments. It is more complicated than a tourbillion and each timepiece takes many days to assemble in MCT’s Geneva Atelier.

Conceived by Giguet and then designed in conjunction with another very famous player in the industry, watch designer extraordinaire Eric Giroud (read our exclusive interview with him here) the Sequential One represented the culmination of everything Giguet had learned during his time as the Head of Production at Harry Winston, overseeing the production of the famous Opus series (1 – 6).

A self-confessed passionate student of the last 200 years of Swiss high horology Giguet says he has a great respect for the watches made by his peers but at the same time acknowledges his ever present desire to create his own vision.

“I aim to ‘change the face of time’ by using new and quite unique movements and visual displays, always featuring a large and distinctive Hour indicator” he explains. “Many expensive watches have appeared with weird and wonderful designs but they often have very little functionality. Our customers tell us that they now want to buy “real” watches, not pure objects of fantasy.”

Even still, we can’t help but think there is something distinctively magical about this latest offering. Perhaps even…Black Magic?

The All Black Treatment
Available from June this year as a very special limited production model of just 20 pieces a year worldwide, we predict the Sequential One All Black will be an even bigger success with collectors than the original model.

Don’t believe us?

Well, the first 10 pieces for 2010 have already been pre-sold, so if you are considering adding one of these exceptional timepieces to your collection our advice would be not to wait too long. If you’re not yet convinced, read on and we think you might change your mind.

As you can see the distinctive case has received a carbon black DLC treatment using Gold as the base metal, resulting in an elegantly sculpted, sophisticated timepiece without compare. The black alligator leather strap, complete with dynamic red stitching, ensures that the Sequential One All Black fits snugly to your wrist, held in place by the unique MCT gold deployment buckle which is presented in a mix of gold and gold with black DLC treatment.

Just like the original model the stunning dial display comprises over-sized Hour numerals on 12 prism faces and a jumping, sapphire crystal dial, which combines with a single gold hand to indicate the Minutes. However, in this limited edition the prism faces have received a special dark coating which may seem like a minor detail but it really makes the large numerals stand out in contrast.

On the rear of the watch a sapphire exhibition case-back allows for unobstructed views of the breathtaking in-house designed and assembled movement which has been coated with Black DLC and contrasts superbly with the gold highlights.

It’s important to take a moment here to fully appreciate the significance of an in-house designed and assembled movement as it is rare these days that companies design such complex masterpieces themselves, preferring instead to outsource this task. However, for Giguet, this was never an option;

“The starting point for me in designing Sequential One was to develop and build an exclusive in-house MCT movement which we have called the ‘Jumping Sequential Hour’. It is rare for Swiss watch brands to have their own movement but for me it is a pre-requisite for any authentic, high horology company.”

As such, whilst some external suppliers were utilized to machine some of the parts required, the design and assembly process as well as quality-control testing was performed in-house by Denis and MCT’s own team of watchmakers, comprising head watch-maker Jérome Marcu, Baptiste Guye and Alexandre Bonnet. Therefore, for those fortunate enough to own one of these outstanding machines, they will have the peace of mind knowing that all servicing will also be conducted in-house by Jerôme and his highly trained team.

The Final Word
It is not often that we see limited edition re-imaginings of original models that really capture our imagination and cause us to re-examine everything we thought about their original incarnations. The MB&F HM 3 ‘The Frog’ is such a timepiece, as is the Urwerk UR-CC1 Black Cobra. Now, we have a third watch to add to this extremely exclusive list, the Sequential One All Black.

Never could we have imagined that MCT could do anything to this masterful timepiece to make us desire it any more than we already did (which was a lot for the record!) and yet they have. Not by making it more complicated or fancy, but instead by refining it and allowing its ever present elegance and sophistication to truly shine through.

What ever form of magic is at play here, black or otherwise, we have most certainly fallen under its enchanting spell.

To learn more visit MCT’s official website – www.mctwatches.com

As if you needed another reason to be completely enthralled by Swiss watch-maker Urwerk. Be careful though, this one bites! Officially announced yesterday the mind-blowing UR-CC1 has shed its grey gold skin to unveil a lethal black cobra beneath. As dark as it is mesmerizing, the UR-CC1 in black AlTiN will entrance you with its aggressive style and baffling mechanical complexity. Not for the faint hearted, this is one timepiece that must be approached with respect and caution.

Superbly Complex
The stealth-like styling and relatively simple display of this truly sensational piece from Urwerk mask just how superbly complex the mechanism actually is. Holding the piece face on you confronted with two very unusual but nonetheless simplistic looking indications: jumping hours and retrograde minutes. You see, on the UR-CC1 the hours and minutes count down the time by moving linearly.

To the uninformed that sounds like a rather unremarkable statement. Right now you’re probably looking at the clean, yellow dials and thinking “sure, it looks cool, but should I really be that impressed?” The answer is a resounding yes because the mechanism you see in front of you is so deceptively complex that it took the brilliant team at Urwerk more than three years of research and development and ten prototypes to overcome the technical challenges involved in indicating the hours and minutes in a linear fashion.

Why?
We’re glad you asked!

There were three main engineering challenges standing in the way:

• The movement could develop enough energy to operate the imposing minute cylinder, which is much heavier than a traditional hand, but where to find the additional energy to function the jumping hour cylinder?

• A toothed rack moves vertically to rotate the minutes, but how to ensure that it operates smoothly in all positions, despite the varying effects of the immutable laws of gravity?

• Having solved the power issues related to operating the jumping hours, how to ensure that there is enough energy available for the world-premiere digital seconds?

Still, these seemingly insurmountable challenges were not enough to deter the team from achieving their goal, and here’s how they did it.

Let’s Get Technical
A toothed rack/lever, visible through a display panel on the side of the “Black Cobra” transfers energy from the movement to the minute cylinder. The honeycomb structure of the lever offers the two seemingly contradictory properties of lightness and rigidity. Rigidity to accurately convey the profile of the triple cam to the minute cylinder, and extremely light/low mass so as to consume as little energy as possible and so that position, gravity and shocks have minimal effect.

The mechanism used is reminiscent of those seen in automata. A toothed segment at the end of a rack exactly moves up and down following the path drawn by the triple cam – a path that has been plotted from 104 reference points. Each of the three cams drives the rack for exactly 60 minutes. At precisely 60 minutes the rack drops on the cam provoking the opposite tooth-end of the rack to fall, which triggers the retrograde mechanism and rotates the minute cylinder. And all of this happens in just 1/10th of a second!

The energy released by the retrograde mechanism is recovered and used to power the rotation of the jumping hour cylinder. Visible through a display panel in the side of the case, a 12 pointed star and positioning spring are the only distinguishable components of this innovative mechanism for recycling energy.

Two essential elements, the disk for the digital seconds and the honeycombed rack, anchor the “Black Cobra” in cutting-edge technology. Photolithography was the only method able to provide the degree of accuracy and low mass required by these two critical components – the seconds’ disk weighs just 0.09 of a gram!

The Final Word
Felix Baumgartner, Urwerk’s ingenious Master watch-maker sums it up by saying; “We have created a monster that is hungry (for energy) so we have ensured that all forces can be recycled and reused. It is a very delicate balance as we work within fixed constraints, i.e. available force, mass, and current production technology, and then we go beyond our capabilities.”

…wow.

A special thanks to Urwerk for making all this excellent technical information available to us so that we could share it with you. Make sure you jump on their Facebook Page to get all the latest updates from this truly amazing company!

Over the last few days you may have noticed that The Watch Lounge was a bit quieter than usual and I apologize for this. However, once you hear the reason I think you’ll agree it was quite understandable. You see I spent 3 1/2 very hectic days touring all over Switzerland with industry veteran Ian Skellern visiting some the best known watch makers in the world so that I could bring you guys all the latest information and insights from the world of high-end luxury watches. In the coming weeks I will be publishing a series of more in-depth articles on the people I visited and the sights I saw.

So, who did I visit you ask? Good question.

To get a real snapshot of the industry I thought it was important to visit a mix of independent watch makers as well as larger manufacturers. Although I couldn’t hope to visit absolutely everyone in the short amount of time I had, we still managed to fit in a pretty good cross section, including:

• Thomas Prescher
• Peter Speake-Marin (Speake-Marin)
• Daniel Roth
• Maximilian Busser (MB&F)
• Felix Baumgartner (Urwerk)
• Hublot
• Ludovic Ballouard
• Roland Iten
• Girard-Perreguax
• Jean Richard
• Greubel Forsey
• Christophe Claret SA

I have already started uploading some of the photos from the trip on our Facebook page with the rest to follow soon, so make sure you get over there to check them out.

A special thanks again to Ian Skellern for not only helping me organize the trip but also for his excellent photography. We also have a couple of extra special prizes to giveaway, the details of which will be announced in the coming week, so make sure you stay tuned for that!

Thank you again for your understanding, I really hope you enjoy the photos and please feel free to leave your comments below.

It’s always great to see big companies giving back and no one does it quite like luxury watch manufacturer Hublot. Lead by their charismatic CEO, Jean Claude-Biver, an industry legend in his own right well known for his generosity, the brand teamed up with rock ‘n’ roll superstars Depeche Mode to raise money for teenagers with cancer. And raise money they did, combining their efforts to generate over a staggering US$620,000! What’s even more amazing is that they were able to raise this much money in the space of just a few short months!

Fighting For Good
Back in December 2009 Hublot and Depeche Mode pledged their support to the Teenage Cancer Trust which provides support services to teenagers with cancer in the areas of special care, research, family support and specialized diagnoses. A very worthy cause we are sure you will agree!

In order to maximize the amounts of funds raised, the two partners devised and executed a series of events which would prove to be hugely successful.

First, Hublot announced the creation of twelve exclusive boxes each containing twelve exclusive Big Bangs, designed in conjunction with Depeche Mode, with each one displaying one of the group’s iconic album covers on the dial. As an added touch each box also included vinyl and digital versions of the album, a framed gold CD and signed photos. Amid much fanfare these unique pieces were then sold at a special auction that ran from the 6^th to the 24^th of February.

The special edition Depeche Mode Big Bangs – © Hublot

It didn’t stop there, however. A charity concert was hosted by the group on the 17^th of February at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Fans from all around the globe flocked in to show their support, selling out the concert in just 40 minutes! Following the concert was a VIP reception hosted by Hublot where attendees could purchase raffle tickets for their chance to win a Big Bang Zirconium. Much like the concert tickets, these sold out in minutes.

All in all, this resulted in the two partners raising in excess of $US620,000 for the Teenage Cancer Trust!

Hublot CEO, Jean-Claude Biver, was ecstatic with the outcome saying;

“This joint project has proven to be a tremendous success! The result is amazing and we are so proud to have been part of this historical charity event. Depeche Mode have committed themselves with such enthusiasm to this project! It has been a humbling experience to join them on this journey. They are fans of Hublot and I am proud to associate our brand with their music and for a cause as important as the Teenage Cancer Trust…when you are passionate and successful in what you do, you should share and give to those less fortunate! This is exactly what Depeche Mode has done and I am proud that Hublot could help them achieve this. ”

Jean-Claude Biver signing the cheque for over $US620,000 – © Hublot

The Final Word
What more can be said, this is simply an amazing outcome! Two superstars have come together to combine their unique talents and leverage their global popularity to help raise not only funds but also awareness of those less fortunate or who are dealing with extremely difficult conditions. This is an occasion to be applauded resoundingly and at the same time held up as an example to others.

Hopefully the incredible success Hublot and Depeche Mode have achieved will inspire other luxury manufacturers around the world to take up the fight also, and pool their considerable resources towards  making a positive difference in the world.

C’est un fait avéré que cette semaine à Genève fut le théâtre d’une foule pressante et d’une bonne part de stress. Manquer un rendez-vous n’est pas envisageable, et c’est donc d’autant plus appréciable que d’avoir l’opportunité de se poser confortablement dans un fauteuil et d’avoir quelqu’un qui vous présente une succession de montres d’exception dans une atmosphère calme et détendue.

C’est donc avec un plaisir non feint que j’ai pris place dans le luxueux hôtel Beau Rivage, sis au centre de Genève, à proximité du lac.

Maitres du Temps
Comme vous le savez probablement, nous sommes ici de grands admirateurs des Maitres du Temps, et saisissons toute opportunité de passer du temps avec cet Atelier très en vue. Si vous avez manqué notre édition spéciale sur cette marque unique, rendez-vous ici !

Fruit de la collaboration des plus grands maîtres horlogers de ce monde, Maîtres de Temps s’est donné pour mission de développer de nouveaux concepts et de les mettre en œuvre dans de nouvelles solutions de manière harmonieuse. Chaque montre fait l’objet d’un « Chapitre » dédié au sein d’une même histoire, et tandis qu’il y a des éléments communs, il persiste des différences significatives entre la « Chapitre Un » et la « Chapitre Deux ».

Les projets eux-mêmes sont totalement innovants dans la manière dont les montres sont créées. Traditionnellement, le mouvement est crée, puis son boîtier est assemblé autour. C’est du bon sens commercial, car cela permet de créer une grande variété de styles différents sur la base du même mouvement, et de ventiler les coûts de développement sur une gamme complète.

Toutefois, cela conduit nécessairement à des compromis tant esthétiques que fonctionnels, ce qui n’était pas acceptable pour les Maîtres du Temps. Ainsi, suivant leur optique, le mouvement et le design sont conjointement élaborés, de sorte qu’aucune fonction ni aucun effet de style ne pâtisse d’un élément sur l’autre.

Chapitre 1
Produite en 2008 grâce au mariage des talents de Christophe Claret et de Peter Speake-Marin, la « Chapitre 1 » est une montre de haut vol. La première chose que l’on remarque est le poids considérable du boitier. Une manière de s’en départir est de préférer la version titane plutôt que la version en or rose ou blanc. C’est ainsi beaucoup plus léger, et vous pourrez penser à la difficulté d’expliquer une finition miroir sur du titane !

Au poignet, le boîtier légèrement incurvé la rend très confortable, malgré le poids des versions or. Le boîtier est haut, mais les bords sont biseautés de telle manière qu’un bord de manche ne pourra pas s’y prendre.

La « Chapitre 1 » est une collection unique de complications : chronographe à un seul poussoir, tourbillon, indicateur de phases de jour et de nuit, rétro GMT et date. Le plus délicat fut de rendre l’ensemble lisible ; et c’est ici un succès garanti lorsque l’on la compare à d’autres chronographes à multiples complications.

Les rouleaux d’indicateurs de phases de jour et de lune sont, de prime abord, d’un joli rendu, mais ils sont surtout d’une rare complexité. La phase de lune est en réalité un rouleau avec une lune blanche imprimée, qui se développe au sein d’un manchon bleu statique – je ne peux imaginer combien le calcul de tolérance a dû être complexe.

Le rouleau d’indicateur semble plus simple – simplement le jour de la semaine imprimé dessus, non ? En fait, non : il faut d’abord que le rouleau se déplace horizontalement à 90° pour transmettre l’énergie aux rouleaux, avec tout ce que cela comporte de frictions de pièces et d’énergie requise.

Par ailleurs, les rouleaux ne basculent pas automatiquement à minuit. Le changement s’étale sur 30 mn, entre 23h40 et 00h10. C’est un peu comme si un compromis se mettait en place dans le mécanisme, et ce mouvement a dû lui aussi requérir d’interminables sessions de travail.

Et alors que l’on pensait avoir tout vu, il y en a encore ! La cerise sur le gâteau provient de la forme de la boîte de présentation en chêne d’Amériques, au sein de laquelle est livrée la montre, ainsi que la magnifique mallette en cuir qui contient cette boîte. Lorsque j’ai vu tout cela, je me suis approché de ma carte de crédit – qui requiert aussi le dépôt d’une caution pour s’offrir au finale cette fabuleuse montre, boîte et mallette, non ? (J’espère que ma femme ne lit pas ça !).

Chapitre 2
Le modèle le plus récent des Maitres du Temps, “Chapitre 2″, possède un coffrage de même type que la « Chapitre 1 », mais qui en réalité s’avère être assez différent. Nos deux collaborateurs sont cette fois Peter Speake-Marin et Daniel Roth, qui avaient pour exigence de fabriquer la montre de poignet à triple calendrier la plus lisible du marché. Le pari est si bien réussi que l’on peut lire l’heure sur la montre d’une personne située à l’autre bout de la pièce.

La « Chapitre 2 » ne reprend pas le tourbillon, mais gagne un mouvement automatique et conserve les deux rouleaux (cette fois avec jour et mois). Elle possède de fines, brillantes aiguilles en or ciselé, de petites secondes ainsi qu’un large guichet de date à deux disques, situé à midi, qui complète parfaitement l’ensemble. Sans jeu de mots aucun, voilà qui me parle.

Plus légère que la « Chapitre 1 », elle semble davantage destinée au port quotidien. Le mouvement automatique est donné pour 40h d’autonomie, mais en réalité il est légèrement plus performant, en raison de la qualité d’assemblage et des tolérances utilisées.

Comme avec la plupart de ces montres haut-de-gamme, ce sont les petites touches qui les rendent exceptionnelles. La spirale en or 22-carats est gravée d’un superbe panier guilloche, en rien comparable à tout ce que l’on a pu voir précédemment.

C’est le fruit du travail d’un graveur à la retraite, connaissance de Daniel Roth, qui a réussi à le convaincre d’une aide de dernière minute, seulement trois jours avant qu’il ne faille évacuer ses outils de travail. Tout est dans le timing !

A l’instar de la « Chapitre 1 », cette montre possède deux rouleaux, mais c’est ici le seul point commun. Les rouleaux et la date sont à présent instantanés, ce qui signifie que la montre doit avoir emmagasiné suffisamment d’énergie dans la journée pour mouvoir toutes ces fonctions en même temps – un rendez-vous nocturne, en quelque sorte.

Pourtant, alors même que ce défi est levé, les rouleaux continuent d’être problématiques. Ainsi, plutôt que de choisir une surface gravée trop légèrement, le jour et le mois sont gravés en profondeur puis emplis de blanc, ce qui est, d’autant que je connaisse bien le sujet, une opération très délicate.

En conclusion
Par dessus tout, j’ai longtemps cherché à obtenir ce rendez-vous avec les Maîtres du Temps, et je ne pas été déçu. Une telle collaboration pourrait supposer certains conflits et compromis, conduisant à un résultat décevant. Mais ici, tout au contraire, quel que soit le problème qui a surgi durant la conception, il a conduit à une solution encore meilleure. Les défis techniques ont dût être, à n’en pas douter, d’une extrême difficulté, mais les montres arborent au final un design cohérent, un fonctionnement harmonieux, et sont dotées d’une présentation incroyable.

Si vous avez établi une liste des montres de vos rêves, celles-ci devraient en faire parti.

Traduit de l’anglais par Olivier Muller – olivier@thewatchlounge.com

It’s true that this week in Geneva is a huge rush and comes with its fair share of stress. Missing an appointment isn’t an option, so it is nice when the opportunity comes along to sit in a nice comfy chair and have someone show you a series of fantastic watches in a quiet and relaxed atmosphere.

So it is with high anticipation that I take my seat in the very swanky Beau Rivage hotel, which is situated in the centre of Geneva next to the lake.

Maitres du Temps
As you would no doubt be aware, we are very big fans of Maitres du Temps and look forward to every opportunity we get to interact with this highly regarded Atelier. If you missed our in-depth special on this unique brand make sure you read it here!

Resulting from the collaboration of some of the greatest watchmakers alive, Maitres du Temps is tasked with bringing together their ideas and fusing them into a seamless solution. Each watch is expressed as a separate “Chapter” in an on-going story and while there are common elements, significant differences exist between the available “Chapter One” and “Chapter Two”.

The projects themselves were also ground-breaking in the manner in which the watches were created. Traditionally the movement is created and then the watch case is fitted around it; this makes great commercial sense because it means you can create a range of case styles that use the same movement and spread the development cost across the whole range.

However, this inevitably leads to design and functional compromises being made, which was not something that was to be contemplated by the “Maitres du Temps”. Instead the movement and case were designed in tandem so that neither form nor function suffers at the hand of the other.

Chapter 1
Released in 2008 combining the skills of Christophe Claret and Peter Speake-Marin, the Chapter 1 is a very serious watch. The first thing that strikes you is the considerable weight of the case. The way to get around this is to choose the titanium version rather than the white or rose gold. It is much lighter – and think of the fun you’ll have explaining how difficult it is to put a mirror finish on titanium.

On the wrist, the slightly curved case makes it extremely comfortable, despite the weight of the gold versions. The case is high, but the sculptured sides means that a shirt cuff is unlikely to catch on the side and become annoying.

The Chapter 1 is a unique collection of complications: mono pusher chronograph, tourbillon, day and moon phase rollers, retrograde GMT and retrograde date. The challenge is to make all of this functionality readable; it certainly has to be considered a success in this area, especially when contrasted with other multi-complication chronographs.

The moon phase and day rollers are at first sight a nice touch but they are also much more complex. The moon phase is in fact a roller with the white moon element applied to it, which revolves inside a blue static sleeve – I can’t imagine how complex the tolerances are to build them.

The day roller is easy, right – that’s just the day of the week printed on a roller? Well no, actually: first you have to move the horizontal movement of a watch movement through 90 degrees to power the rollers with all the attendant friction and power expense that that entails.

Also, the rollers do not instantaneously switch at midnight; in fact the change takes about 30 minutes from 23:40 until 00:10. It all looks as if there’s a bit of a compromise going on somewhere – there must have been some very long and complicated meetings to work that out.

Just when you think you have seen it all, however, there is still more! The icing on the cake comes in the form of the blond American Oak wood presentation box in which the watch comes, and the magnificent leather briefcase that the box is stored in. When I saw these I started reaching for my credit card – who needs the deposit on a house when you can have a fabulous watch, box and briefcase? (I hope my wife doesn’t read this!)

Chapter 2
The most recent model from Maitres du Temps, “Chapter 2″, has a similar tonneau case to “Chapter 1″ but actually is very different. The collaborators this time round are Peter Speake-Marin and Daniel Roth, who were aiming to produce the most readable triple calendar wristwatch on the market. It is said that it is so clear that you can tell the time on someone else’s watch from across the room.

The “Chapter 2″ does away with the tourbillon but gains an automatic movement and retains the two rollers (now with day and month). It has bright, diamond cut, solid gold hands, small seconds and a two-disc big date indicator at the 12 o’clock position, which finishes off the watch very nicely. Now this really speaks (no pun intended) to me.

Lighter than the “Chapter 1″, this seems more like an everyday watch and a little bit more wearable. The automatic movement is rated at 40 hours, but in reality lasts a bit longer than that a result of the quality and engineering tolerances used.

As with many high-end watches, it is the little touches that really set it apart. The 22K solid-gold winding rotor has a beautiful basket weave pattern (panier guilloche) engraved upon it, and is unlike anything I have seen before.

It turns out that this is the result of using the skills of a retired master engraver known to Daniel Roth, who was persuaded to help them out only three days before he was due to dispose of all his tools. Talk about good timing.

Like the “Chapter 1″, this watch has two rollers, but the similarities end there. The rollers and big date are now instantaneous, so now the watch has to store enough energy during the day to move all of the date functions at the same time – sounds like more late-night meetings.

Even when this issue was resolved though, the rollers continued to challenge the makers. So rather than opting for cheaper surface printing, the day and month lettering is deeply engraved and then in-filled with white in what, I am reliably informed, is a very difficult process.

The Final Word
Overall I had been looking forward to this meeting with Maitres du Temps for some time and I was not disappointed. Collaborations run the inherent risk of conflict and compromise, leading to a potentially disappointing outcome. It is a testament to those involved that whatever issues came up during the design phases have only enhanced the end result. The technical problems faced were, I am sure, considerable, but the watches have coherent designs, operate smoothly and look incredible.

If you are compiling a dream watch collection these should be on the list.

Back at SIHH 2010 again today and looking forward to the many exciting discoveries that still await. It promises to be a rewarding day and so without any further delay, let’s get into it! First up is the classically understated International Watch Company.

IWC
This year’s theme – there’s a different one every year – is Sea Navigation. The presentation room is decorated as a seascape, with an evening sky as the stars come out. Regrettably the seats are uncomfortable textured plastic and the room is too small for the number of Press that has turned up. This seems to be a recurring theme this week.

The presentation is focused on the “Portuguese” range and the new models that complement those already released. I think the most successful model is the Yacht Club Chronograph. The contrast between the black face and the red sweep seconds is excellent and even better “in the flesh”. It’s best to steer clear of the rose gold version though, as in my opinion the mixture of colors doesn’t really work – go for the white gold version.

My favorite though is the Portuguese Minute Repeater. Originally released in 2009,it has had a bit of a facelift: at 44mm it is slightly bigger, and the small seconds has moved to the 6 o’clock position, but it retains what I think is the nicest chime of any repeater made today. With the silver dial, this time I would go with the rose gold version over the platinum.

Pure Elegance: IWC Portuguese Minute Repeater

Both watches are limited to 500 pieces in each metal. After a couple of lean years for IWC models these additions are a welcome return to form.

Piaget
Piaget made headlines late last year when the company rented the most expensive real estate in the UK, taking part of the existing Bulgari store at 169 New Bond Street.

It seemed like it was about time to check them out.

Of course Piaget is rightly famous for its jewelry, but the big focus of the presentation was its Altiplano Automatic ultra-thin watches.

Absolute Refinement: The Piaget Altiplano Automatic

The dial is aggressively plain, with baton markers for the numbers – two batons at the quarters and single batons for the rest – with small seconds at the 5 o’clock position. But it is the movement that is astounding: the new Piaget Calibre 1208P is only 2.35mm thick, with the automatic micro-rotor on board the movement in 22K gold.

The case is scarcely much thicker at 5.25mm, but it does have a sizeable 43mm diameter, so although it’s based on a 1960s design it has a very modern appearance.

This looks destined to become a classic.

Van-Cleef and Arpels
A presentation from VC&A is not everybody’s idea of fun, but personally it is one of my favorite appointments of the week. Being male and middle-aged I doubt that I am their target audience, unless I am looking to buy a present for my wife!

The Charms range is a little bit smaller this year, but that’s pretty much the only difference. The enamel dials with butterfly motifs and a special series showing California landscapes are fantastic pieces of work, but they weren’t the stars of the show.

The really fantastic model is “Le Pont des Amoureux”; it evokes a late-night meeting between two lovers on a bridge in Paris. The lovers are seen in silhouette, crafted in white enamel against a dark blue ground. They start at opposite ends of the bridge, the lady on the left with her umbrella indicating the hours and the gentleman on the right the minutes.

Using a Jaeger La Coultre retrograde movement the lovers gradually move towards each other until they meet at midnight.

Poetic Complications: Van Cleef & Arpels Pon des Amoureux

This is an exquisite piece of workmanship and absolutely beautiful – one of these for my wife’s birthday would certainly make her very happy.

The Final Word
While the remnants of the economic crisis remain, the outlook at this year’s SIHH was a much more positive, prices remain competitive and ranges more moderate than ultra-high end. SIHH remains a well run, well attended and interesting exhibition, roll on next year, but first, Basel!

Perhaps the hottest ticket in town this year at SIHH 2010 is an interview with Stephen Forsey. The co-founder of Greubel Forsey is a busy man and its not hard to see why when you look at the mind blowing pieces his company has created. But early on Tuesday morning I was able to spend a short time with him to talk about the latest products and look back over the last few hectic years.

While it has been my pleasure to interview only a relatively small number of independent watchmakers, they appear to have a number of common traits and Stephen does certainly seem to fit the mould. Without exception they are driven individuals, which is not surprising when you think about the amount of work and dedication it takes to make and launch your own watch.

This drive is allied to a passion for doing what they do, which understandably to some may appear almost like an obsession, however, manufacturers such as this one cannot be dismissed merely as a business. It involves so much more than just that.

Built On A Solid Foundation
Stephen has an engineering background and following a stint at the Hackney School of Horology in the late 1980s, he started out with the modest ambition of creating a few clocks that people might buy to order and make him a little bit of money. But this was the 1980s: the industry was in crises and quartz movements heralded the prospect of the demise of the mechanical watch-making business, so like many graduate watchmakers he hunkered down in someone else’s company. For Stephen this was Asprey’s in London.

The 1990s saw the return of interest in the mechanical watch, and the layoffs of the 1980s had left the Swiss watch industry with a problem – a lack of talented watchmakers. These companies scored the globe looking for talent to fill their ateliers; when Stephen landed at Renaud et Papi there were 15 different nationalities working there, and watch making was no longer a preserve of the Swiss.

In retrospect the remarkable thing about the members of this group at Renaud et Papi was what they did next. At the end of the 1990s the group began to disperse; with a common purpose, Stephen Forsey and Robert Greubel decided their future lay in creating the watches they wanted to make together. They believed that contrary to the thoughts of some other makers, not everything had been done and that innovation should be their focus.

Tourbillon 24 Secondes in platinum with black dial – Image © Ian Skellern 2010

Talking Shop
Gruebel Forsey is attending SIHH for the first time thanks in part to a 20 per cent investment by Richemont, which has also enabled Greubel Forsey to expand its workforce to nearly 100 spread over Greubel Forsey and its sister company CompliTime.

Stephen was kind enough to spend some time showing me his latest watches and, as I said yesterday, the quality is stunning and photos don’t do them justice, no matter how good they are.

Our discussions turned to how this quality is achieved and by way of an example Stephen explained how all of the screws used in his watches are made in-house. This means that the screws are made by a dedicated artisan, who is able to ensure that they are completely clean, all swarf is removed and there are no chemical residues to spoil the blueing process.

If the company is willing to go to these lengths for the screws, just imagine what it will do for the rest of the watch.

The Final Word
With the company continuing to grow and some excellent people coming on board, it looks like Stephen will be able to step back a bit from the endless rounds of PR and focus on the development of new technologies.

In my humble I think we have a lot more to look forward to from Greubel Forsey over the coming years. Now isn’t that an exciting thought!

Tourbillon 24 Secondes in platinum with black dial – Image © Ian Skellern 2010

Spec Sheet:

And just to really get your motors running, here are the specifications of the amazing Tourbillon 24 Secondes shown above:

Platinum case with lateral window, available in either a black or gold dial

Tourbillon 24 Secondes
Mechanical hand-wound movement, Calibre GF 01
Tourbillon 24 Secondes, 24-second Tourbillon rotation indicator, seconds indicator and power-reserve indicator.

Patented Movement

• Complete movement: 280 parts
• Tourbillon cage: 88 parts
• Weight of the cage: 0.39 g

Number of jewels 36

Olive-domed jewels in gold chatons

Power reserve 72 hours

Barrels Rapid rotating twin barrels (1 Turn in 3.2 hours) one of which equipped with a slipping spring so as to avoid excess tension

Balance wheel Free sprung balance with white gold mean-time screws (10 mm diameter)

Frequency 21’600 vibrations/hour

Balance spring

• Phillips terminal curve
• Geneva-style stud

Main Plates Spotted and snailed palladium-finished nickel silver

Bridges
• Hand bevelled, frosted and spotted palladium-finished nickel silver “Greubel Forsey” gold nameplate,
relief-engraved gold plate with the number of the timepiece
• Steel black mirror-polished and beveled Tourbillon bridge
• Black PVD-coated titanium platform under the Tourbillon and mirror-polished backdrop Gearing
• Involute circle profile
• Tangential inclined gear with profiled teeth, on fixed wheel and escape wheel pinion Tourbillon cage
• Inclined at a 25° angle, 24-second rotation
• Cage pillars in Avional
• Titanium cage bridges
• Gold counterweight

Displays
• Hours and minutes
• Small second sector
• 72-hour power reserve on a sector
• 24-second Tourbillon rotation indicator at 8 o’clock

Case
• Platinum with asymmetrical convex sapphire crystal
• Transparent back with asymmetrical convex sapphire crystal
• Lateral window with shaped sapphire crystal
• Raised engraving of the name of the Invention on a hand-punched background
• Gold security screws
• Polished bezel and centre band with hand-finished straight graining
• Hand-engraved individual number

Case dimensions
• Diameter: 43.5 mm
• Thickness: 16.11 mm

Water resistance of the case 3 atm – 30 m – 100 ft

Crown Platinum with engraved and black lacquered GF logo

Dial
• Gold dials
• Gold appliques
• Gold display sectors
• Applied gold logo

Hands
• Hours and minutes with Superluminova, small seconds and power-reserve in gold
• 24-second double-tipped hand, black anodised aluminium

Strap Hand-sewn black, brown and dark blue, alligator leather with gold folding clasp, hand-embossed with the Greubel Forsey initials

With more brands on show than ever, this year’s SIHH was always going to be a huge event. Plus, with the addition of Greubel Forsey and Richard Mille as first time exhibitors there was always going to be some juggling of space and it looks like I’m going to get some extra exercise this year.

The first thing that strikes you when you look at the map of the show is the size of the Cartier stand. It is absolutely huge – looks like there are some major presentations going on and some very nice private display rooms. Tomorrow’s task is to try and get in!!

Baume & Mercier
The Press are given a timetable of brand presentations to follow and first off was Baume & Mercier.

With the departure of then CEO Michel Nieto in September 2009, this could have been just a brand in transition. Luckily a large watch brand is like a super tanker: it takes a long time to turn, with the lead times for development so long that changes can occur very slowly.

The first surprise is that the company has launched a Facebook group and a Twitter account. It is keen to emphasize the history of the brand, using the great-grand-daughter of the founder to promote its entry to cyberspace and encouraging owners to tell the stories of their watches.

Baume et Mercier on Facebook – Image courtesy of Baume et Mercier

An excellent idea as long as your watch doesn’t break – that could lead to some interesting comments being posted.

It’s a busy presentation with lots of people, standing room only, and PR agents crammed against the back wall. With three new styles to present – William Baume, Classima Executives and Magnum, this is one of B&M’s busiest years.

William Baume is its premier range and is dedicated to the founder of the company. The watches are classically styled but another look reveals a surprise: this is a jump-hour watch.

The hours are displayed by Arabic numeral at the 12 o’clock position. Surrounding the hour display is a subsidiary minutes dial, and there is a small seconds dial at the 6 o’clock position. The range is limited to 40 pieces, yet priced at a not outrageous 17,500CHF – where do I sign?

The main quantity of sales will come from the Classima Executives range. The key here is an aggressive price plus a number of differing styles to cater for as wide a spectrum of tastes as possible. The most successfully executed are those with the grain d’orge guilloche dials.

Baume et Mercier XL Baume et Mercier XL GMT chronograph – Image courtesy of Baume et Mercier

The date-only model is 2,400CHF, a calendar model is 3,650CHF and for the “full fat†experience the Moon Phase is 4,200CHF.

In these economically challenging times it is more important than ever to have a complete range of offerings.

If you are a little strapped for cash but would like something with sapphire glass, a good design, aligator strap and a reasonable price then the Ultra Thin could be just the thing. Of course with something this thin we have to say goodbye to a mechanical movement, but this is good quality quartz movement with a minimalist design. You only get hours and minutes with this watch as there’s no room for a complication in the case, but it’s fantastic value at 1,350CHF.

Lunch
One thing that does seem to have been sacrificed is the space in the Press Room. Lunch looked like it was going to be a bit of a squeeze but luckily there was a second area which was much nicer.

Greubel Forsey’s Double Tourbilon Technique – Image courtesy Greubel Forsey

Greubel Forsey
If I thought that B&M was busy, that’s nothing compared with Greubel Forsey. The company is the new kid on the block here at SIHH, so its presentation room is much smaller than many of the others, but this doesn’t mean that there are fewer people. Even in these preliminary stages it looks as if GF is going to be the hit of the show!

Squeezing together a bunch of media hacks is usually a recipe for disaster and rarely an ideal ingredient for a good presentation, but things get off to a good start with the appearance of the chiselled Stephen Forsey himself, speaking very credible French. It sounds as if those years at Renaud & Papi have paid off; these small points often make all the difference. As if to highlight the ethos of the company, rather than a flashy high level marketing plan we are given a much more interesting insight into the R&D process and the development cycle for upcoming products, illustrated by a few slides of its new, and exquisitely designed, manufacturing facility in La Choux de Fonds – a welcome change.

I am sure many readers are familiar with the very high-end offerings of Greubel Forsey, but the reality of the quality and finishing of the products is staggering. I spent several minutes just watching the Tourbillon going round and round – I’ve seen it before but somehow it still looks very special.

Greubel Forsey has released two varients of existing models for the show: the Tourbillon 24 Seconds in
platinum and the Double Tourbillon Technique (shown above). The photos are the best way to describe the beauty of these watches so here you go.

Tourbillon 24 Seconds – Image courtesy Greubel Forsey

The interesting reality of Greubel Forsey being here is that in sales terms the company doesn’t really need to go through all of this – it already sells every watch it makes. However the value of maintaining your profile can’t be underestimated, especially if you want to ensure that your company continues to be perceived as at the forefront of watch technology. Maybe this is what independent horologers need to do to sell more watches.

Montblanc
I should say right out that I am not a huge fan of Montblanc watches; their pens, yes, but the watches, I just don’t think they’re me. So I didn’t have great expectations, but to serve me right there was a surprise: the long rumoured MontblancVilleret Metamorphosis.This is a remarkable device, truly two watches in one.

When you press a button on the left side of the watch the face breaks into two, and disappears into the interior to display a second face underneath. Switching between a chronograph and a more businesslike face the display is nothing less than miraculous, and a lot of fun to watch.

Best not to ask the price!

Well its the the start of a very busy week in the world of watch making in Geneva and the first event is the innaugrual Geneva Time Exhibition. A new event aimed at bringing together a range of independent watchmakers and providing them with an appropriate forum to exhibit their unique pieces, the GTE provides the perfect setting for small manufactuers to make themselves heard. The importance of this event should not be underestimated as if you are a small business, setting up your own exhibit and attracting visitors during the frenetic pace of SIHH week can be very expensive and carries a high risk of disappointment resulting from little return on what is for many, a substantial investment.

Though not a huge exhibition the range was impressive, the booths were laid out very nicely and there was somewhere to sit as well, a small and very welcome luxury which is not always available. However, the best aspect was the rather nice relaxed atmosphere; although, like any show, the point is to sell you a watch, the independant watchmaker tends to be a very passionate and driven individual and more than willing
to tell you all about their products.

The most exciting thing about the show is the chance to see and touch some watches you may only have ever heard about. This can often be the case with the smaller makers because they have fewer distribution points and may not even be distributed in your country.

There were a lot of brands on offer, but I have selected two I think were the most interesting:

Cornelius & Cie
Having heard about the engraving work of Kees Englebarts and seen some examples of his work it was a great pleasure to meet him and see some of his creations. In plain terms Kees is perhaps the most talented watch engraver working in Switzerland today and the quality of the work on his own timepieces is incredible. Unusually his watches are not based on a Valjoux or ETA movement but rather an A. Schild AS 690 from 1935. Each movement is disassembled, engraved and either gold or rhodium plated prior to reassembly.

The first range of models is the Chronosome 46XY for men (pictured above) and the 46XX for women. The 460XY case is a chunky 49mm with a height of 16.3mm, there’s no way around it, it’s a big watch. Quite heavy too especially with the red gold case, but that’s what I want out of what is a serious timepiece. The standout feature of the watch, quite literally, is the asymetric case; the mainspring barrel is offset and makes the case bulge at the 5 o’clock position.

This will become the signature of the brand across the whole of the range and while a little odd at first grows on you quite quickly. But it is the quality of the engraving and finishing that really sets these watches
apart, they have a wonderful solid feel.

The range has primarily skeleton dials, with numbers around the edge, giving a clear view through to the movement, but if you would like to see the movement you only need to turn the watch over to see through the very large sapphire glass back. Now I’m not a huge fan of skeleton watches, the dials can often be difficult to read, but luckily Cornelius & Cie also makes a half skeleton version which has a very classic look. If you are looking for something a little different with superb build quality, and a real wow factor Kees Englebarts might just have what you need.

www.cornelius-cie.ch

Rebellion
On a completly different tack is Rebellion Watches; their very contemporary, large rectangular cases are bold and not for the shrinking violet. This is another big watch, 46mm by 56.7mm, I mean big, and deep too at 19.6mm, you certainly get your monies worth here. The cases available are red gold or various coloured stainless steels and the design is all compound curves and bevelled edges, lots of details everywhere.

The range has a regulator, a chronograph and a tourbillon so everybody should be catered for, but my favourite is definetely the new Predator designed in co-operation with Eric Giroud (unfortunately images are not yet available on their website). Rather than the retangular cases of the main series, this is a much more standard round format, but it is the balance between the diameter, the depth the dial layout that makes this a compelling watch.

The dial of the chronograph version is in 5 layers, the base one of which is a honeycomb giving a view through to the movement, with sectorial seconds at the 9 o’clock position unually with two hands a short one for 0 to 30 seconds and a longer one for 30 to 60 seconds, and a date aperture at the 4:30 mark.

Again every taste can be accommodated with a time only version and a mono-pusher chronograph also available, and case materials of red gold, red gold/ceramic, steel, steel/ceramic and red gold/steel the number of different versions is considerable, if you buy one the chances of you ever seeing another one the same seem extremely slim.

You might expect the prices to be considerable and for some versions they certainly can be, but it is definitely possible to buy many of their models for much less than 10K USD and as I said at the beginning you are getting a lot of watch for your money.

www.rebellion-timepieces.com

The Show
Overall this looks to be an excellent addition to the annual Watch Calendar. As is to be expected there are some points that could be improved and it would be nice to hear feedback from some of the watchmakers on what they thought, but overall I thoroughly enjoyed myself and look forward to an even bigger and better show next year!