HOMME TIME
TIME The greatest achievements in luxury watchmaking show a distinct understanding of core values and an ability to harness them expertly.
Whether it’s a simple three-hand watch or a state- of-the-art grande complication, every A Lange & Sohne creation is conceived with ample measures of taste and finesse.
The 1815 Annual Calendar espouses both these values, combining immaculate hand polishing and decoration with a complication that’s subtle but no less distinguished.
In spite of its abundant beauty, this is a nononsense timepiece that does its job singlemindedly and flawlessly.
The annual calendar displays the day, date and month throughout the year with the sole exception of February. This elegant example also has a moon phase indication by way of a blue electro-plated rotating disc on which gold stars and moons are applied. Echoing the colour of the disc are a pair of blued-steel hour-minute hands. These are all very compelling reasons to wear the 1815 Annual Calendar to work but here’s another: take a look at the movement through the sapphire caseback and there you’ll see everything that makes A Lange & Sohne such a legendary manufacture.
A LANGE & SOHNE 1815 ANNUAL CALENDAR
Asociety watch is the kind of timepiece that starts conversations. Jaquet Droz’s ( www. jaquet- droz. com) Loving Butterfly Automaton and the Vacheron Constantin ( www. vacheron- constantin.com) Metiers d’art Copernicus Celestial Spheres 2460 RT both have what it takes to be the ultimate society watch.
The one thing about Jaquet Droz is its sheer dedication to tradition. A recurring theme in its novelties since 2013, Loving Butterfly takes us back to 1775, when Henri-louis Jaquet-droz created an automaton capable of drawing astonishingly accurate sketches, including one of a cherub driving a chariot pulled by a butterfly.
Loving Butterfly Automaton unites three artisanal crafts mastered by Jaquet Droz: stone dialmaking, gold relief engraving and miniature automata. With either onyx or black mother- of-pearl as the backdrop, the dial has been transformed into a fantastical scene from the forests of Switzerland’s Vallee de Joux.
The trees and accompanying foliage were carved out of gold individually and arranged in varying depths for a threedimensional effect. Likewise, the cherub and his butterfly-powered chariot were crafted in excruciating detail, right down to the butterfly’s filigreed proboscis.
JAQUET DROZ LOVING BUTTERFLY AUTOMATON VACHERON CONSTANTIN METIERS D’ART COPERNICUS CELESTIAL SPHERES 2460 RT
And then we have the Vacheron Constantin Metiers d’art Copernicus Celestial Spheres 2460 RT, a watch that pays tribute to the work of Nicolas Copernicus whose theory of heliocentrism revolutionised the way people understood the world. On its dial, you can see how the earth spins on its axis every 24 hours and how it orbits around the sun in a little over 365 days.
Metiers d’arts is also a strong suit of Vacheron Constantin, whose in-house artisans are dedicated to crafting some of the manufacture’s most lust-worthy timepieces. Three variations of this watch have been created: one with an enamelled dial paired with an enamelled planet earth, one that is fully engraved by hand and one that combines engraving with enamel. All three are based on the style of the 17thcentury cartographer Andreas Cellarius and his star atlas called Harmonia Macrocosmica. His sketches of the Copernican world system have been replicated on the dial, where a gold sun, handengraved by the manufacture’s artisans, occupy the centre spot, as it should.
The most alluring factor of this watch is that, unlike most celestial complications, its concept is very easy to explain. Its movement, Calibre 2460 RT, was created especially for this watch and therefore completely new. Containing 352 mechanical parts, this automatic movement powers the watch steadily as it displays not only the time but also your position relative to the sun with just a glance. Truly, a watch that Copernicus would approve of.
The most alluring factor of this watch is that, unlike most celestial complications, its concept is very easy to explain.
It’s very often impossible to say no to a Breguet, especially when you’re on dress watch territory. Strictly speaking, a dress watch is any timepiece with a pared-down dial and no complications. It may or may not be ultrathin, but the best ones definitely are. Breguet’s Classique 7147 ticks all the right boxes in this category, and then some. With an ultrathin gold case measuring just 6.1mm in height and no wider than 40mm, this timepiece oozes classicism.
Look at its pure white dial. Only traditional grand feu enamel affords such pristine perfection – examine it under a loupe or microscope and you might spot the signs that show it’s been crafted by hand.
The other thing to search for is the Breguet emblem laser engraved on the enamel, which is a hallmark of authenticity going back to the time of Abraham-louis Breguet. Painted Arabic numerals give it a timeless appeal, imparting a touch of personality one wouldn’t find with indexes. Even the Breguet emblem is painted, as are the small but elaborate minute markers.
Classic blued steel Breguet-style hands complete this watch and it’s imperative that they be complimented on their perfect length and perfect blueing. The hand for the small seconds, too, is perfectly blued. It sits on a slightly recessed subdial that is barely noticeable, but what is impossible to ignore is its elegant counterweight that’s a subtle nod to the 19th century.
Two thumbs up for this Breguet.
BREGUET CLASSIQUE 7147
Luxury as defined by this independent watch company means absolute performance and in the sports and leisure arena, few watches rival the RM 11- 03 Jean Todt in terms of strength and style. Made as a tribute to the FIA president, this timepiece is dressed in an unusual material exclusive to Richard Mille. Known as Quartz TPT, it is a composite material made by superimposing hundreds of layers of silica sheets measuring no more than 45 microns thick. It is extremely light and resistant, and its rich blue colour comes from a resin that’s used only by Richard Mille. It is said that this specific tone of blue is Todt’s favourite colour.
RM 11 is Richard Mille’s landmark chronograph model, immortalised by the likes of Formula One driver Felipe Massa both on the race track and off. The RMAC3 automatic calibre within the case has a skeletonised base plate made of grade 5 titanium, which is a biocompatible, corrosionresistant and remarkably rigid alloy. Its rarity also deserves mention; only 150 examples were made, thus ticking all the boxes of a classic Richard Mille watch.
As Todt says: “I love the watches designed by Richard. I love their lightness, their technicity and their exclusivity.”
RICHARD MILLE RM 11-03 JEAN TODT