Posts Tagged ‘Watch’
Wow Watch Wednesday: New Romain Jerome CEO Unveils Moon Invader at Baselworld 2010
Taking the reins during the early part of this year, Manuel Emch, the new CEO of Romain Jérôme, did not have much time to add to the company’s watch collection before Baselworld 2010 in March. He was, however, able to design and finish one watch to unveil at the fair. Aggressively titled the “Moon Invader”, the form and function of the piece has been inspired by actual Moon landings, resulting in a very unique looking timepiece.
New CEO, New Approach (Well, Sort Of)
It’s fair to say that this latest release departs considerably from the look of previous DNA of Legends timepieces, which have become quite visible in the media during the past couple of years, but still remains true to the RJ ideals. The most obvious difference occurs on the 46mm case. It is not exactly round, has a less pronounced bezel, and is actually a cushion shape, like a square with rounded sides.
In fact, at first glance it almost appears square like a Bell & Ross Instrument.
One thing that remains the same as prior RJ models is the use of extremely rare materials. Spare parts from the Apollo 11 mission are integrated into the case components and represent just one of the numerous aspects that link the Moon Invader to lunar landing missions.
The case itself is actually modeled after a lunar landing pod with the specialized corners depicting the landing gear and work somewhat in the same way by pivoting to adjust to the terrain. In this case the terrain is the wearer’s wrist. This feature is meant to have the function of increasing comfort by automatically adjusting the shape of the case-back to your wrist.
It was hard to tell from the prototype how effective this function will actually be as the pivoting feet were not fully operational, but I can imagine how it could prevent the considerable size of the watch from rolling or bouncing around too much on the wrist.
The back of the case displays more lunar landing symbolism. The most obvious element is a silver medallion that is embedded into the steel. This object is made of pure silver that is infused with authentic moon dust. It is sculpted to resemble the moon’s surface and purposely left untreated and prone to oxidization. Oxidization is a concept that RJ is very fond of thanks largely to the influence of former CEO Yvan Arpa.
The dial of the Moon Invader displays the distinctive RJ “X.” It is applied on a metal mesh that is inspired by the material used to make the tires of the lunar roving vehicles. The subsidiary dials, RJ logo, X structure, and graduated outer ring of the dial are applied to the mesh and offer a cool, robust-looking relief.
The quality of the construction and finish of all the dial’s elements are recognizable as high-grade. Although the mesh background ties in well with the overall concept and has a peculiar charm, I would love to see what the face would look like with a more exotic-looking material like carbon fiber as its background.
It’s All In The Design
There is a specific category of luxury watches where plenty of attention is paid to the manufacturing of the case. Romain Jerome fits in this league with the likes of Graham and Hublot watches. RJ goes a step further by sprinkling extremely rare substances into the mix. It is obvious from the finishing and the complexity of the case that a lot of ingenuity and work is packed into the body of the Moon Invader.
Also in accordance with other brands making this style of watch, the mechanical movements inside the watches are comparably mundane, albeit reliable and of high quality. Like all RJ calibres, the ones that power the Moon Invader models are modified third-party movements, provided by ETA in this case.
The Romain Jerome Moon Invader series is composed of several different variations combining black PVD coated stainless and 18 karat gold. Each model will be produced in limited numbers as is usual with the company’s creations.
The Final Word
Whether it was intended or not, the Moon Invader also represents a formal introduction of Romain Jerome’s new CEO to the market and gives some insight as to what we might be able to expect going forward. Obviously he remains supportive of the use of extremely rare materials in the construction of their timepieces, such as moon dust and spare parts from the Apollo 11 mission in this instance.
At the same time, this watch very much distinguishes itself from previous “DNA of Legends” models, allowing Emch to step out from the shadow of his predecessor and squarely make his mark on the brand. Based on this latest model perhaps the future will hold a shift to a more eclectic design approach for this young company?
We will certainly be watching.
Matt Baily – Watches Canada
3 Great Comments. Leave one too. | Filed under BaselWorld 2010, New This Week, Watch Reviews, Wow Watch Wednesday
MB&F HM.3 Frog – The Frog Is A Prince!
Being late for an appointment is never a good start, but being late when you were only 5 minutes away to begin with is just embarrassing. Regrettably this was how I started my time with Max Büsser, of MB&F, luckily for me he is a forgiving man.
I am at MB&F headquarters to have a look for myself at the newest variation in their rather exotic stable, the (almost) all new HM3 known simply as “The Frog”.
This variation of the standard HM3 has been garnering considerable media attention both on-line and in print, especially in the Far East, so they very least I could do was go and try it on.
So it’s based on the HM3 and so that means it’s just an evolution of the existing model, right? Sounds feasible, however the best laid plans sometimes go astray. The initial design for The Frog was penned very quickly, however, that of course is where things start to become complicated.
The time indicators of the HM3 are displayed via two separate globes, and so the same was required for The Frog. However, the hour indicator was changed from 24 to 12 hours and the method of indication changed from stationary spheres with moving hands to stationary hands with moving spheres.
No problem right? Ah, no.
Actually these “small” changes required significant changes to the drive chain and some ingenious solutions.
On the HM3, moving the indicator around the stationary hour and minute markers is relatively simple. With little mass, the force required to move the indicators is very small; however moving an entire dial requires considerable power which must be delivered evenly.
The solution?
A strong light material is needed, such as aluminum, which greatly reduces the mass of each sphere. However, rather than pressing the dial they decided to carve it from a block. This is much more difficult and considerably more expensive, but results in a much more consistent product.
In the original design these indicators were set under a frame that allowed you tell the time. To aid clarity the frame has been dispensed with and the numbers have been directly applied to the domes, also known as the “eyes” of The Frog.
The outer cases were ground from a block of sapphire, and presented all manner of challenges; you see unless you make the radius of the curves even between the outside and the inside surfaces you end up with a lens which will look very odd indeed.
Perhaps the biggest difference between the two HM3 models is the weight, the new titanium case is considerably lighter than the previous steel one. As today’s trend is towards thinner and lighter this is very much on the mark.
There are two models available; the “Black”, limited to 12 examples, but if you don’t have yours confirmed you are too late they are already spoken for. The other has a mirrored case and is available in unlimited quantities. The other main difference between the models is the color of the rotor, powder coated blue for the standard model and green for the “Black” model.
The green version was apparently much more difficult to produce and in the right light really stands out, with the color changing between a strong green to one with a blue halo.
While some may find the design of the HM3 challenging, I prefer to see it as a strong statement. For some the price may be in the specialist collector range, it is undoubtedly a fantastic development of an already fantastic watch.
So what’s next for MB&F? Why the HM4 of course. Roll on July
My Watch: Robert-Jan Broer, AP Royal Oak ‘Jumbo’
Robert-Jan Broer, 33 years old and long time collector and admirer of fine timepieces. Although not professionally occupied in the watch industry, I know my way around pretty well and get things done for my dedicated blog (FratelloWatches) about fine watches.
My all time favorite watches are those designed by Gérald Genta in the 1970s. Why? Not because every self respected playboy was wearing one of these time pieces when relaxing in St Tropez or Monaco in those days, but because they reflected something new… something unheard of… a luxury stainless steel wrist watch for the price of a gold Patek Philippe Calatrava. Although only made in a limited number at first, demand soon outstripped supply.
I am, of course talking about the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak ‘Jumbo’, introduced in 1972.
Later on, Gérald Genta repeated the same with his design for the stainless steel Patek Philippe Nautilus timepiece and the IWC Ingenieur SL. Hysek followed with his ’222′ (now Overseas) model for Vacheron Constantin.
You either hate or love these watches at first sight (and start to learn loving them later on in your watch collecting career). I belong to the first category and ever since I learned about the Royal Oak, I promised myself to get one whenever possible.
Although the Royal Oak Off-Shore (introduced in 1993) and the Royal Oak Date which got a facelift in 2005 are timepieces that will fit the current standards for tough looking stainless steel sports watches a bit better than the original 1972 based model, I still decided to pursue the mother of all Royal Oak watches.
The Royal Oak ‘Jumbo’ by the reference of 15202ST is the one I bought last year December, the crown jewel of my modest collection. The Jaeger-LeCoultre caliber 920 based movement, the AP 2121, has a height of just barely over 3 millimeters thanks to the clever rail-system for its rotor and the Gyromax balance wheel which makes my heart tick faster.
The hour and minute hand seems to float between the tapisserie dial and the flat sapphire crystal, the stainless steel octagonal bezel with eight bolts made out of white gold clearly demonstrating their difference in color when playing with (sun)light and the hand crafted bracelet with its amazingly razor-sharp satinized finish are proof of a well thought through design by its creators, Gérald Genta and Audemars Piguet.
Interview With Christophe Claret – One Man, One Vision (Part. 1)
Unless you are an astute observer of the luxury watch industry it is very likely that you have never even heard the name Christophe Claret, or at the very least don’t fully appreciate its significance. You are, of course, not to blame for this as many of his customers in the past have chosen to downplay his involvement in the development of their projects (although it is generally common knowledge in the industry.) You see Claret, along with his state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities, has been behind some of the most mind-blowing, exceptionally complicated watches ever made.
Don’t believe us?
Well, there was the groundbreaking Chapter One for Maîtres du Temps, the Opus 4 and Tourbillon Glissiere for Harry Winston and let’s not forget that his company has produced every single eye-popping piece for the Jean Dunand collection so far. Keep in mind though that these are just a few recent examples of the high-end brands that actually acknowledge the integral role he has played in the creation and realization of their timepieces.
There are many more, including larger mainstream brands, who also seek out his expertise with high end complications although they’ll never say it publicly.
Last year Christophe Claret SA celebrated 20 years of existence and took the first real steps towards creating their own identity in the market with the release of the highly anticipated Dual Tow. Last week Mr. Claret took some time to sit down with us and reflect on how far his business has come, how they’ve weathered the financial storm and what the future may hold for this extraordinary company.
TWL: A belated Happy Birthday, Mr. Claret!
CC: Thanks! We reached 20 years last year, and to celebrate we created the Dual Tow. However, we did not achieve this in a single day. After the first decade, when we were still relatively small, we spent 5 years from 2000 to 2005 building the brand, and saving money so that we could have financial reserves at our disposal. Following this we invested a further 5 years in development and expansion, focusing especially on our production tools.
We were just 35 staff back in 2005. Now we are 105!
The sublime Jean Dunand Shabaka, made a reality by Christophe Claret © Christope Claret SA
TWL: Wow, your company is growing very fast! Some observers say that universities can deliver around 50 very high level watchmakers per year, while in reality the industry requires around 10 times more. How do you face this challenge?
CC: We have built relationships with many universities around the world and are very active in this area. We send our own experts around the world to find the best students and hire them as trainees. And sometimes they come back with one or two as employees!
TWL: Remaining independent is key to you, isn’t it ?
CC: Yes. We produce 80% of the final product in house. I’m the only shareholder of Christophe Claret SA. I don’t rely on any bank, and don’t contribute any additional funds. I run the company purely on the cash flows it generates. I am using the company’s cash reserves to ride out the uncertainty of the crisis.
TWL: Which represents…?
CC: Approximately another 2 years of funding requirements. But I do hope that the crisis won’t last until then!
TWL: Do you think it will, though?
CC: I’ve learnt a lot from the past 1998 crisis. For now, I think things will improve within two years. By 2015, we should see a return to strong market of 2006-2007.
TWL: So, how does the company look today?
CC: We have 18 customers for which we produce movements all year long. We lost a very limited number of them during the crisis, but I’m quite confident that new ones will arrive pretty soon.
For our clients, we work simultaneously on 40 different movements. At the same time, we create 5 new movements per year. Our maximum was recently reached when we created, in one single year, 8 new movements! Currently we produce around 400 units per year, for a revenue of 20 million CHF in 2009.
TWL: How many new movements have you produced so far?
CC: Around 64 since inception.
Highly complicated movements are manufactured and put together by the best watch-makers in the industry. © Christope Claret SA
TWL: What process is required for these movements to go from concept to reality?
CC: We have a strong Design / R&D department, of around 10 people (the industry average is around 3! – Ed.).As I am first a watchmaker, and then a manager, I am actively involved in the entire creative process.
Up until 2009, we only produced movements to order, based on the specific requests of our clients. Since this year, we have started creating our own movements, which our clients then discover once they are finalized. Now we have currently 5 movements under creation. 2 to 3 will be presented to our clients, the remaining will be for our own production.
TWL: This could be a bit risky! Are you sure your clients will buy these new movements without having seen their plans before?
CC: No I’m not. But I have more than 20 years experience in this field working simultaneously with the clients of Christophe Claret; consequently, I feel I have quite a good overview of the market trends…!
TWL: Talking about market overview, what are your thoughts on this crisis, is it really over?
CC: We’re not through yet, but we’re heading in the right direction. To get through it, some companies bet on their iconic models. Some reduced their production. For my company, I put the emphasis on our manufacturing equipment. This will be key to our success when the crisis is truly behind us. Certainly though some suppliers of movements will fail under bankruptcy proceedings and there will certainly be (and already have been) market adjustments to reflect these difficult times.
In the end though, when demand rises again, there will be a strong need for companies that are able to react very quickly and produce movements in a very short timeframe. Companies such as Claret, that already have all the required equipment in house and ready. In addition, having our own in-house equipment allows us to remain completely independent.
TWL: Do you think the rise of Asia will impact the traditional economic model?
CC: Asia has two different faces for us. First, as a client; Chinese millionaires continue to grow more numerous year after year, that’s a fact – even if the Chinese market is quite hard to enter for a small company like us.
Second; as competitors. Yes, China presented its very first tourbillon recently but, you know, I’m not too worried about it. The tourbillon is currently their most prestigious complication. At Christophe Claret, it’s the basis of all our models….
On top of that, we must not forget that once the US emerges from the crisis, they will be back with their strong appetite for high end luxury goods, fulfilling the potential we all know exists there. And both Christophe Claret SA and the Dual Tow are already there in the market ready for this and we have invested heavily in our equipment to meet this demand.
The company has invested heavily in developing state of the art equipment. © Christope Claret SA
TWL: You seem to be very involved with the production equipment?
CC: Definitely. It is the key to the success of our business. We spent months in the R&D of our own industrial machines, for instance developing the technology to laser cut gold, titanium, etc. It’s a co-development in partnership with companies like BC Technologies or Biwi.
TWL: Are these machines then patented by Christophe Claret?
CC: No, or only in the case of key innovations specifically developed for our own needs. But it’s not in the interest of industry to patent innovation.
TWL: But doesn’t allowing your competitors to buy the machines you’ve spent months developing give them the opportunity to achieve the same level of execution as you?
CC: You know, when competitors buy these machines, it’s good for the company that builds them, and consequently it’s good for the whole market. That’s our philosophy.
Moreover, you know, when they buy the machines we co-developed, it means we already have them in house for months or even years! I know that companies like Rolex, Patek Philippe, and Greubel Forsey have bought some units. Patek bought 3O units of one of them, for instance. Greubel Forsey also bought one but they sold it.
Having a high end machine is one thing, knowing how to use it properly is something else entirely…
TWL: Do you plan to bring the whole process of creating and realizing a watch 100% in house?
CC: No, 80-85% is good. It lets some key suppliers live. It’s important for the market that they remain alive and well, it’s not in our own interest to be fully independent. It’s a question of ethics to provide good, faithful suppliers, with long term orders.
Read Part.2 of this special interview where Mr. Claret talks to us about this week’s Wow Watch – the Dual Tow!
Wow Watch Wednesday: Benzinger Boutique Fancy Blossom Series (Video)
Last week we introduced you to the all new Benzinger Boutique collection, and in particular the masterful craftsmanship of Jochen Benzinger. Today we’d like to focus our attention specifically on one area of the new collection, the breath-taking Fancy Blossom series. More than just a timepiece, this is a moving work of art for your wrist.
The Master Craftsman
Jochen is considered by many to be the leading specialist worldwide in skeletonized and guilloché timepieces, and looking at the Fancy Blossom series, it’s not hard to see why. Utilizing traditional techniques passed down through the generations, watch movements are carefully disassembled in his workshop before being skeletonized, guilloché, hand-engraved, and even sometimes technically modified by hand. To ensure the most authentic result possible he only uses special historical machines and tools.
Whilst the process is painstakingly slow and requires intense concentration and skill, the end result always make the effort worthwhile. In the case of the Fancy Blossom series, the Caliber ETA 6498 manually wound movements have been completely skeletonized, engraved and guilloché by hand with flame-blued screws.
Each piece in the series has been designed without a dial to allow complete visibility of the movement and is finished-off with flame-blued Breguet-style steel hands. The visual effect is undeniably stunning and one can’t help but gaze in awe at the truly exceptional talent this man possesses.
However, to truly appreciate the amount of skill and effort required for each piece we recommend you watch the excellent video below, showing Jochen at work on a movement for the Fancy Blossom series.
Presented in a 42mm, 18K White gold case with leather strap and diamond bezel, the individual pieces within the Fancy Blossom collection are available for €25.500,00.
The Final Word
It never ceases to amaze us when we see pieces of this exceptional quality produced. Sure, this is not a complicated timepiece in the traditional sense of the word, but it is nonetheless a complex and beautiful creation that reflects the exceptional abilities of man that belongs to the last of a dying breed. In today’s fast paced, consumer driven society it is reassuring to see that not all traditions have been forgotten completely.
To find out more visit the official Benzinger Boutique website: www.benzinger-boutique.com
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- Nick Orloff: Beautiful piece, regrettably a little (?) out of my price range. I’d love to...
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