Guilloche: Patterns on a watch dial

Engraving on a watch dial can add real beauty to the overall appearance of the watch.  Guilloche is engraving technique done using a machine controlled by a skilled artisan .  Now you make think the machine is dong the work but you would be wrong.  The user is controlling it and the machine is helping to carve the material out of the dial.

Seeing it does give you a massive appreciation of how long it takes and the skill involved to achieve such a result.

I have found a couple of videos that provide the visual aid needed to fully appreciate this skill.

The first is from Vacheron Constantin

The 2nd video is from RGM, which is Roland Murphys company based in Lancaster Pennsylvania in the USA.  He gives a great explanation on how the machine works.

Awesome video from DeBethune on their Manufacture

My friend Massi posted this video on his Facebook account and what a video it is!  DeBethune is an independent maker of watches, who do things their way.  They have their own design of escapement using materials such as silicon and their watches are a thing of beauty.

This video is horological awesomeness for me.  For people new to watches and horology this gives an idea of how much work goes into producing a timepiece on a DeBethune level.

Clips from the Anitques Roadshow

The Antiques Roadshow is a program that runs both in the United States and The United Kingdom.  It a factual show where members of the public bring in items to learn more about them.  It is a entertaining program and is enjoyable to watch.

From time to time certain pieces are brought in which get my attention.  Thought I would post a few clips that were quite good.

The first clip is from the USA version.  A gentleman brought in a pocket watch by Patek Philippe that had been in his family for quite a long time.  This pocket watch was made in 1914.  This was before James Ward Packard and Henry Graves Jr had their superwatches made.

This watch eventually sold for $1.5 million at a Sothebys Auction. (Updated 16/05/14)

New Release from MB&F: The MB&F Legacy Machine 101

MB&F is a independent brand that I have always liked.  

 

Their Horological Machines are designs inspired from Max Busser himself from his childhood and other experiences in life.  

Not all the Horological Machines are to everyones taste, but some pieces like HM3, HM4 and HM4  I really do like.  

The Legacy Machine line, is at the other end of the spectrum.  The watches are designed with a take on the watchmaking of the 1800s and brought forward into todays realm.

The Legacy Machine 1 was a fantastic piece with 2 separate dials for independent time zones and the first vertical power reserve. An eye catching detail of the piece was the balance wheel hanging above the 2 dials, oscillating above them.   A very novel approach considering the balance wheel in nearly all watches is hidden from view.  In addition to all this movement was finished to the standards set by Mr Kari Voutilainen, a master and revered independent watch maker.  The movement was designed by Mr Busser, Mr Jean Francois Mojon and Mr Voutilainen.

For their latest release MB&F has released the Legacy Machine 101.  Their first completely in-house movement finished by Mr Kari Voutilainen.  The 101 features a smaller sized case at 40mm compared to the Legacy Machine 1 at 44mm. 

The large oscillating balance wheel is present on the dial side.  The dial showing  the time has been offset slightly to the right and the vertical power reserve has been replaced with a conventional dial indicator.

It comes in two versions.

Flashback to my first watch: The Flik Flak

My Flik Flak was my first wristwatch.  Flik Flaks are still made today by the Swatch group.  The case was made of aluminum.  Kind of cool for a kids watch, considering many years later FP Journe made the first aluminum sports watch.

As a youngster I thought this watch was incredibly cool with its green colour scheme and funny people shaped hands.

I thought it would be fun to do a comparison of the Flik Flak with the chunkiest watch I own.

My PAM at 44mm is pretty big and has a chunky case.  Viewing them side by side gives you a pretty good indication of the size difference :)

3 Titanium Patek Philippe pieces coming up for auction

In the watch world,  a watch made in small quantities usually gets major attention especially when it made by Patek Philippe and is made of a different material such as Stainless Steel.  Just look at the recent sale of Eric Claptons Patek Philippe 2499 in Platinum.  The reason why it sold for $3.65 million dollars was because one it was Eric Clapton's watch (He is an avid watch collector of Rolex and Patek Philippe) and secondly it was one of two pieces made in platinum.  The other piece resides in the Patek Philippe Museum.

At the upcoming Sothebys Watch Auction there are 3 Patek Philippes coming up for sale that are really rare.  Now we are not talking about stainless steel models.  We are talking about titanium pieces.  Patek Philippe have made titanium models for charitable organisations in the past, such as the Ref 5004T  Perpetual Calendar Splits Seconds for Only Watch. 

These new discovered pieces are completely bonkers!

Book Review: A Grand Complication

I copied this post from my old blog published last year.  As I am now starting fresh with Perpetual in Time this was something I wanted to copy over.

I have just finished reading A Grand Complication by Stacy Perman.

It documents the story of two of America's greatest watch collectors in the 20th Century,  Henry Graves Jr and & James Ward Packard.