Europa Star Watch Aficionado USA 6.11

Europa Star is brought to you direct from the heart of the Swiss watchmaking industry

WATCH AFICIONADOSpecial Web & iPad Edition

USA & CANADA VOL.47 N°06 DEC./JAN. 2011

Free and direct iPad access via www.europastar.com

053465-PAM311-EuropaStarUSA.indd 1 25/11/11 16:51

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EUROPA STAR WEB & iPad SPECIAL

THE GENEVA TIME EXHIBITION MOVES

UPMARKET

In its fourth year, the Geneva Time Exhi-bition (GTE) will be presenting itself in adifferent light, with an emphasis onquality rather than quantity. Exhibitiondirector Florence Noël has confirmedthat the number of exhibitors is unlikelyto exceed fifty and that only “selec-tive” brands will be present.The exhibition will nevertheless wel-come its first major group, in the formof the Groupe Frédérique Constant,which now covers the three brands ofFrédérique Constant, Alpina and Ateliersde Monaco. Other names exhibiting forthe first time are DeLaCour, Jordi SwissIcon, Milus and RSW. A special area,called “The Avenue”, will be dedicatedto these first-time exhibitors at the show.For the first time, the general public willbe admitted to the show on its lastday, a move that was not easy to pushthrough after it first met with someresistance from the brands accordingto Florence Noël: “At first the brandsweren’t very keen on the idea becausethey needed to be able to concentrateon sales without any distraction. Butnow the public will be admitted onthe last day of the show, when it willbe a little quieter. This will give watchfans a chance to see some of the rarerpieces on the market.”In our preview of the GTE we previewproducts from young brands and brand-new names in the world of watchmak-ing: Cyrus, Dietrich, Jordi Swiss Icon,Louis Moinet and Magellan. (...)

Read our preview of the GTE on www.europastar.com

GENEVA’S WINTER SHOW(S)

T he first major international eventof the watch calendar year, theSIHH, is a must-see show, since

it is here that the major lines are drawnfor the year to come, whether in terms ofambitions or the upcoming trends. In thissense, the SIHH is both a barometer of thecurrent horological situation and an invalu-able indicator of what will be happeningover the year.

Around this flagship event is anchored awhole range of other assorted boats ofevery shape and size that want to takeadvantage of the timing. Suites and meet-ing rooms in the major hotels have alreadybeen commandeered for the occasion.

The race for the retailer begins, and thekick-off date is constantly being movedforward. While the SIHH opens its doorsofficially on Monday morning, the previousSaturday is when the limousines begin toline up at the starting gate.

Solicited from all sides, the large buyers areinvited on tours of the Geneva manufactur-ers, and are requested to come to the hotels,

private exhibitions and various boutiqueswhile they are in the city.

All of this activity, however, is not carriedout only by the large well-known watchbrands. Little by little, a backstage presencehas gradually grown to become almost aninstitution, like the GTE, which is trying toincrease its level of acceptance this year.

So, what can we already say about andwhat can we expect from the 2012 edi-tion of the grand Geneva watch week?

Watchmaking, like the rest of the world, isin a strange situation. The storm of the pre-ceding crisis—2008—has passed, businesshas nicely resumed, and the Chinese motoris turning at full capacity, absorbing all theavailable stocks. Yet, there is a feeling ofuncertainty in the air. As we know, aroundthe whole world, when things go well, busi-nessmen are afraid that things will take adive. When things go badly, they worry thatthings will get even worse. Today, things arestatistically good, so they are worried. Whatif China stalls, if the Euro collapses, if theUnited States gets mixed up in all this?

To these economic-geo-strategic concernscan be added other disconcerting factorsrelated directly to the watch industry itself.We have the impression that a sort ofwatchmaking Darwinism is accelerating itspace. The strong are getting stronger andthe weak, instead of gaining self-confi-dence, are getting weaker. The groups arecontrolling distribution in an increasinglyhegemonic manner, leaving only a fewcrumbs in terms of the windows availablefor the more modest brands.

The 2012 edition of the SIHH and the sur-rounding exhibitions and private showswill tell if this feeling is justified or not. Inthis respect, we will be watching closelywhat happens in the hallways of the GTE,where a number of ambitious newcomerswill be presenting their wares. The successor lack of success of these different brandswill help us better understand the cur-rent trends. Certainly, the sales figures ofthese companies will be nothing like thoseof the large dominant brands, but it isoften by looking at the outskirts that youcan better understand what is brewing inthe centre.

MAGELLAN


The most highly prized metaphor amongwatchmakers today is that of the tree. As youread through our pages, you will find it men-tioned in several places, told to us by watch-makers themselves. For example, you willfind this metaphor mentioned in the supple-ment that is devoted to Jaeger-LeCoultre onthe occasion of the SIHH. Another allusion isfound in an interview with Philippe Merk,CEO of Audemars Piguet, who talks aboutthe “Royal Oak tree” that hides the AudemarsPiguet forest. In the previous issue of EuropaStar there was an article about Lange & Söhne,which talked about its Akademie in terms of“understanding the tree and its roots.”Why is the metaphor of the tree being evokedso often? Perhaps it is because the tree, inthe mind of watchmakers, has as much to dowith the art of timekeeping as it does withthe state of our societies. Among all livingthings, man is the best at dominating spacewhile the tree clearly masters time, sincethere is no other organism that can live aslong as a tree—up to 5,000 years for somespecies of pine trees in California. The tree isthus virtually immortal since it is capable ofcloning itself indefinitely, as is demonstratedby a spruce tree in Sweden that is thought tohave first germinated in 7158 BC, more than9000 years ago. That watchmaking wouldtherefore evoke the metaphor of the tree asthe master of time is not really all that sur-prising. Yet, it is the revival of this metaphorthat we wonder about. The idea of the watch has long flirted withthe notion of modernity, and the socialimportance of the timepiece has increasedalong with the imperatives of global com-merce, regulation of transportation, and thecoordination of world economies. Today,

while “instantaneous time” has imposeditself at the heart of financial transactions,abolishing space and its frontiers, the tree,although incapable of moving but better atmastering the dimension of time, seems likea reassuring symbol. The world may crumblearound us, crises may provoke storms acrossthe world, hierarchies may be shaken up, butthe tree remains standing like a comfortingreference point. It is thus tempting to look to the tree forinspiration. Its structure lends itself admirablyto the metaphor of watch brands that, on

this globalised planet, are looking to reaffirmtheir geographical base and their historicaldepth (the roots), as well as to reassure abouttheir solidity (the trunk). They also demon-strate their savoir-faire through their branchesand take pride in the fruits produced eachseason. The unchanging seasonal cycle of thetree—which blossoms every year and isalways faithful to itself yet different—offersa very promising image. A tree thus represents a heritage that is con-tinuously accumulated. And while its growthmay sometimes slow during particularly coldseasons, it never stops—something thatmany a watchmaking brand aspires to. Yet, itis also in the most intimate details that thetree evokes timekeeping. Don’t the rings ofits trunk actually mark the cyclical passage oftime, a bit like a natural clock? That the metaphor of the tree is so populartoday is not at all unexpected. The euro mayexplode; China’s expansion may slow down;the sea levels may rise. But the tree will con-tinue its steadfast growth.

R Pierre M. MaillardEditor-in-Chief Europa Star

THE METAPHOR OF THE TREEEDITORIAL

J12 RÉTROGRADE MYSTÉRIEUSE by ChanelThe J12 Rétrograde Mystérieusefeatures a vertically positionedcrown that is activated by ceramicinserts hidden in the bezel (at 2o’clock and 4 o’clock). Since thiscrown impedes the movementof the minutes hand, a unique fly-back system is used to move the

minute hand anti-clockwise around the dial to resume its coursebeneath the crown. While this takes place, the intervening min-utes (11-19) are indicated on a separate disc at 6o’clock. White high-tech ceramic case and braceletwith 12 white ceramic inserts on the bezel andwhite crown and bridges. www.chanel.com

www.europastar.com

EDITORIAL The metaphor of the treeCOVER STORY Chanel: The great whiteSIHH Royal Oak, the tree that hides the forest

Panerai flattered by artVacheron Constantin, confident in its own futureRalph Lauren SIHH previewGreubel Forsey at the foothillsCartier’s balance of contrasts

GENEVA SHOWS Geneva’s winter showsThe Geneva Time Exhibition moves upmarketDe Bethune, ten years and twelve calibres laterUR-1001 Zeit Device, the mother ship

MANUFACTURING Tissot’s logistics centreAUSTRALIA Bausele watches arrive with a unique sense of style FRANCE Antikythera

Latest updates ...

Coming soon to Europastar.com

HIGH-MECH Hautlence, at a strategic turning pointGallery: the latest high-mech watches

PERSPECTIVES Raymond Weil, maestro of independenceGALLERY Chronographs, Diamond watchesFOCUS ON GERMANY Tutima’s “hommage” as a symbol of its new ambitions

The Original from Glashütte • Nomos, doing things differentlyMANUFACTURING 110 Years of Dubois DéprazRETAILER PROFILE King Fook Jewellers, Hong KongWORLDWATCHWEB® Looking beyond Facebook and TwitterLAKIN@LARGE Battered, bruised, but British!

SIHH Timeless novelties from Baume & Mercier • Girard-Perregauxunveils new look • Montblanc celebrates the anniversary of the chronograph • Parmigiani: Telescopic time • Piaget thinksthin again • The rebirth of Roger Dubuis

GENEVA SHOWS Frédérique Constant Vintage RacingFranck Muller goes classic… and complicated

MARKET FOCUS-CHINA Belles Montres Shanghai • Marketing and the Asian Dream Sea-Gull’s new factory

RETAILER PROFILE The Rolex Experience, only in ShanghaiWORLDWATCHWEB® Frustrating digital realities in mainland China

Just posted …www.europastar.com

EUROPASTAR PAN USA 229X267_RLWJ SLIM867 DEC.indd 1 28/10/11 12:10

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EUROPA STAR WEB & iPad SPECIAL – COVER STORY

G old is yellow, pink, white, andsometimes even has a bluetint. Platinum is pale grey with

a Nordic glow. Steel comes in a more intensegrey with a vivid brilliance. But, there is nomineral or alloy in nature that is white,pure and intensely white.As a result, white had become nearly tabooin “real” watchmaking. It was only associ-ated with inexpensive materials confinedto small seasonal and ephemeral watches.In a word, white was only for fashion.

That is until… …until 2003, when Chanel introduced itsalready famous J12 clothed in brilliantwhite. (It was born black in the year 2000.)Chanel? A white sports watch by Chanel?The watch community could not believethe audacity of what it was seeing. Yet,the public would ultimately decide.What the watch pundits did not understandwas the magic of ceramics. More precisely,

they did not understand the magic of thecolour “white” that came from a materialborn nearly 30,000 years ago, during thePalaeolithic era. The oldest known art ofman, ceramics was discovered well beforeglassmaking and metallurgy. It thus canbe considered a “noble” material in allsenses of the word. It is also a materialthat, in the 21st century, has earned a rep-utation for high-tech sophistication, withits many applications in the aerospaceand medical industries. This “technical ceramic,” as it is also called,produces a material with a low density andis therefore lightweight, but which has ahardness factor well above that of steel(only sapphire and diamond are harder). Itis also resistant to the most intense thermalshocks and to the most aggressive and cor-rosive chemicals. It is a material that doesnot age, is highly scratch resistant, has insu-lating properties, and is biocompatible.Even beyond these remarkable character-

istics, ceramic is incredibly sensual, and itabsorbs body heat. A comfortable mate-rial with a silky feel, the unique and subtleinterior glow of ceramic evokes—if wemust find an equivalent material—theessence of ivory.In 2003, against all expectations, the high-tech, pure and spotlessly white ceramicChanel J12 would become a new aes-thetic standard in watchmaking. From thenon, white would be one of timekeeping’snoble colours.

Two years later, in 2005, Chanel struckagain with a watch that would firmlyestablish the reputation of this noble mate-rial. With its white ceramic J12 Tourbillon,Chanel took its first steps into the sacro-sanct circle of haute horlogerie. For thevery first time, a tourbillon was presentedin this high-tech material. Yet, even moreimpressive, the main plate of this excep-tional timekeeper—available only in alimited series of 12 timepieces—was alsomade in white ceramic. It was a technicalrevolution that produced the first grandcomplication mounted on a 2-mm thickceramic plate, machined to a tolerance of1/100th of a millimetre, and visible at theback of the watch under a transparentsapphire crystal. It was also an aestheticrevolution that combined, for the firsttime, the complexity of a tourbillon andthe mysterious silky shimmer of whiteceramic. With its bracelet, also carved out ofthis lightweight material and as flexible as itis resistant and timeless, the J12 Tourbillonreconciled the demands of mechanicalwatchmaking with great wearable comfort.Today, Chanel has taken another step withthe presentation of its new J12 RétrogradeMystérieuse (J12 RMT) in white ceramic. Thisremarkable watch sums up the technicaland design achievements of Chanel in thedomain of white. Here, the white ceramicnot only clothes the piece but also consti-tutes the major component parts of thisunusual haute horlogerie timekeeper. As areminder, the J12 RMT, a veritable concen-

THE GREAT WHITE


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trate of innovations, mixing horologicalcomplications with world firsts, integratesceramic at the core of a complex movementin the most advanced manner yet. Thus,this very special retrograde watch doesnot have a lateral crown but a retractablevertical ceramic crown whose functions—time setting or winding of the mechanicalmovement—are controlled by two push-pieces, also in ceramic, placed respectivelyat 2 o’clock and 4 o’clock on the bezel.These two mobile ceramic inserts seem, atfirst glance, like two of a dozen ceramicinserts that form the bezel. Because of its position, the ceramic verticalcrown effectively stops the minute hand inits tracks, thus preventing it from going pastthe ten-minute mark. But, starting at thispoint, the hand retrogrades peacefully andtravels over to the 20-minute mark, where itagain takes up its normal course. During thisinterval, the minutes between 11 and 19 areindicated by a counter located on a smallminute disc, thus “digitally” indicating thetime. And of course, the disc is also in white,as are the power reserve indicator (placed at12 o’clock) and the large screw-in bridgesthat support the gear train.

The white, the great white, this wonderfulwhite that Coco Chanel described as goingwith everything (just as for black) under-scores the vigorous architecture of theJ12. It goes right to the heart of the form. Apart from its obvious physical qualities,ceramic makes the watch delightfullylightweight. Wrapping gently around thewrist, its bracelet is composed of 48curved white ceramic links. Individuallypolished, they confer an exceptional soft-ness to the bracelet, thus providing a feel-ing of warm comfort. This warmth comesfrom the fact that ceramic is a conductivematerial and it absorbs and maintains theheat of the body part that it touches. Itsvery particular brilliance, which we might

qualify as an interior glow, combined withthe silky polishing, make the timepiecetruly magical. The watch is forgotten onthe wrist. Launched in 2000 in black ceramic, the J12becomes resolutely masculine and sportywith its vigorous lines, scratch resistance,and sturdiness. In 2003, with the intro-duction of the white ceramic timekeeper,an additional step was taken. Not only didChanel dare to enter the world of sport,but it also broke all taboos by introducingthe colour white into the world of mas-

culinity. Yet, the sportiness of the piecedoes not detract from its elegance. Withits balanced proportions, its determinedlines, and the confidence of its design, theJ12 exudes a remarkable overall harmony.This sportiness is accentuated even morewith the J12 Chronograph that, in thewords of its creator, is “a superlative J12,ready for all uses”. Driven by a highly reli-able self-winding Swiss mechanical move-ment and certified by the COSC (ContrôleOfficiel Suisse des Chronomètres, OfficialSwiss Chronometer Testing Institute), the

Camille Lacour, Chanel’s new watch ambassador, wearing a white J12.

J12 TOURBILLONLimited and numbered edition of 12 watches. 18-caratwhite gold and high-tech* white ceramic. Manual-wind-ing movement, Tourbillon CHANEL 05-T2 on a high-techwhite ceramic main plate (a Chanel exclusive). Powerreserve: 100 hours. 21,600 vibrations per hour. 10½ linecalibre. Movement height: 5.3 mm. Encasing dimension:28.50 mm. 17 sapphires. Number of components: 171.Screw-in crown, water-resistance to 50 metres. Triplefold-over clasp in 18-carat white gold. Diameter: 38 mm.*High technology material, highly resistant to scratches.


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J12 Chronograph displays hours, minutes,and seconds, as well as chronograph func-tions and the date. In addition to this reli-ability, the case of the J12 Chronographconfers upon the timepiece an additionalair of sportiness. The screw-in case backprovides the high-tech scratch-resistantwhite ceramic case with water-resistanceto 200 metres (20 ATM). Also in ceramic are the two push-piecesactivating the chronograph functions (start,stop, return to zero), the screw-in crown,and a crown protector. The case also in-cludes a unidirectional rotating toothedbezel made of steel. Since reliability andreadability go hand in hand, its dial offersnumbers in relief made of Delrin along withluminescent hour markers and hands.

Even though the ceramic J12 was initiallycreated for men, it is clear that womenlove it, too. This is undoubtedly due to theparticular qualities of the white ceramic—its ability to harmoniously combine withthe most precious of metals, such as gold,and of course with the sparkle of diamonds.

Ah, diamonds set in white ceramic—whatan amazing union between the fire of theearth that, over aeons of time, transformedblack carbon into the hardest and mosttransparent material, and the fire of manthat transforms oxides, powders, and gran-ules into a material as perfect and peren-nial as ceramic.This blend of remarkablematerials and the resulting plays of lightconfer upon the jewellery versions of thewhite ceramic J12 a level of brilliance likeno other. By bringing together ceramic,diamonds, and precious metals, Chanelhas broken with traditional styling andhas opened new creative perspectives.The addition of gold, diamonds, and pre-cious gemstones to the J12 only adds toits architectural balance. Whether discretelyset with diamonds around the bezel orradiating with the brilliance of baguettediamonds, the J12 demonstrates the extentof its versatility. Always different, but alwaysitself, it succeeds in creating multiple effectswhile maintaining its own recognisable

form. Undoubtedly, this is one of the char-acteristic signs of an “icon.” Since 2008, Chanel presents another oneof its icons, the Première watch, availablein the same white ceramic, a material that,in only a few short years, has becomeimmensely popular because of its intrinsicqualities. Combined with white gold orsteel, the white ceramic of the Premièretimepiece demonstrates that it lends itselfperfectly well to the subtlest of alliances.Because this noble, luxurious, smooth andshiny avant-garde material is perfect forsetting off the precious, fine and femininesilhouette of this watch, which elegantlyrecalls the small watches of the 1930s.In 2011, almost 25 years after its creation(1987), the Première is now available inperhaps one of its most audacious ver-sions: with a white lacquered dial and astainless-steel case set with 52 diamondson a very fluid triple-wrap bracelet that is53 cm long and consists of links in steeland white high-tech ceramic.

J12 CHRONOGRAPHHigh-tech* white ceramic. Self-winding mechanicalchronograph movement, COSC** certified. Power reserve:42 hours. Functions: hours, minutes, seconds (counterat 3 o’clock), date, and chronograph (12-hour counter,30-minute counter, centre seconds). Unidirectional ro-tating bezel. Screw-in crown, water-resistance to 200metres. Triple fold-over clasp in steel. Diameter: 41 mm.*High-technology material, highly resistant to scratches. **Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres.

PREMIÈRE TRIPLE ROW CERAMIC STEEL DIAMONDS Stainless-steel case set with 52 diamonds (~0.26 carat).White lacquered dial. Bracelet of 156 articulated steeland white high-tech* ceramic links (53 cm). High-precisionquartz movement - 11 mm. Water-resistance: 30 metres.* High-technology. Highly scratch-resistant material.

J12 JEWELLERY Limited and numbered edition of 100 watches. 18-caratpink gold and high-tech* white ceramic. 46 baguette-cut diamonds (~4.4 carats). 8 diamond indicators. Self-winding mechanical movement. Power reserve: 42 hours.Functions: hours, minutes, seconds and date. Screw-incrown, brillant-cut diamond (~0.15 carat), water-resis-tance to 100 metres. Triple fold-over clasp in 18-caratpink gold. Diameter: 38 mm.*High-technology material, highly resistant to scratches.

Watch with linear power-reserve display, grade 5 titanium case. Sapphire crystal back.CORUM superlight titanium baguette-shaped movement (7 gr).

www.corum.ch

For more information please call 949-788-6200

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VACHERON CONSTANTIN, CONFIDENT IN ITS OWN FUTURE

GENEVA SHOWS – SIHH


PANERAI FLATTERED BY ART


O fficine Panerai presented itslatest model in October 2011at the inauguration of a special

exhibition entitled “O’Clock. time design,design time” organised in partnership withLa Triennale di Milano Design Museum. Forthe inauguration of the exhibition, artistPatricia Urquiola created the installation“I mondi di Officine Panerai” (The worldsof Officine Panerai), which highlighted theunique design of Panerai watches with eighthistoric and contemporary models. Panerai watches were also featured in twoof the most eagerly anticipated new worksamong those on display: the world premieresby British artist Damien Hirst, who usedPanerai dials to create “Beautiful SunflowerPanerai Painting” and “Beautiful FractionalSunflower Panerai Painting”, two workscreated using the spin painting technique.The new Luminor Marina 1950 3 Daysmodel presented at the inauguration of thisexhibition uses a new movement based onPanerai’s in-house P.3000 calibre launchedin 2011. Baptised the P.3001, the manually-wound movement with a 72-hour power

reserve differs from the “parent” calibre inthat it has a power reserve indicator with3-day scale on the back of the movement,which is visible through a sapphire crystalcase back.The 47 mm polished stainless-steel case ofthis new model is, of course, classic Panerai,with the trademark crown protector andminimal markings—oversize 12, 3 and 6plus hour markers and small seconds at

9 o’clock—on the dial, which is housedbehind 3 mm-thick Plexiglas®. The LuminorMarina 1950 3 Days is water resistant to 10bar (approximately 100 metres).At the same time, Panerai has also re-vamped its entire advertising, placing itsproducts at the centre but with subtle ref-erences that reflect the brand’s Florentineheritage whilst at the same time alludingto its Swiss Made manufacture movements,which can be seen in the background ofthe advertisements.

The exhibition “O’Clock. time design, design time” runsfrom 11 October 2011 until 8 January 2012 at the Tri-ennale Design Museum, viale Alemagna 6, Milan.

www.triennaledesignmuseum.org

A t the beginning of October2011, Vacheron Constantinannounced a plan to invest

CHF 100 million between now and 2020.Roughly half of this will be ploughed intoextending the company’s Geneva head-quarters (split into two equal stages from2012-2015 and 2015-2020). The remainderwill be invested in a 5,400-square-metrefacility in Le Brassus, in the Vallée de Joux,at a cost of CHF 30 million and the purchaseof equipment, production tools, and train-ing (CHF 20 to 30 million). With these new facilities, Vacheron Constantin

plans to double its workforce to 1,300employees, which is twenty times morethan it had 30 years ago when its currentCEO, Juan-Carlos Torres, joined the vener-able watch house located on the Ile, in theheart of Geneva. In time, this major investment will allowthe Geneva manufacture to increase pro-duction from its current level of 17,000to 18,000 watches to reach 27,000 to30,000 timepieces. Yet Torres does not seem to be as confidentin the global future of Swiss watchmakingin general, even predicting a slowdown in

the sector in 2012 in a remark he made in aninterview with Swiss newspaper Le Temps. Isthis then a contradiction? Europa Starputs this question—and many others—to the CEO of Vacheron Constantin. (...)

Read the interview on www.europastar.com

ROYAL OAK, THE TREE THAT HIDES

THE FORESTAudemars Piguet is celebrating thefortieth anniversary of the Royal Oak aswell as the twentieth anniversary ofits “extreme” Offshore version and thetwentieth anniversary of the AudemarsPiguet Foundation. The emblem of thefoundation is an oak tree encircled bythe famous octagonal design of theRoyal Oak, which also incorporates theequally famous screws, which at thetime were considered to be nearly acrime against watchmaking.This contested design, the brainchildof the ingenious and late Gérald Genta,was launched in 1972 (three yearsbefore the eruption of the “quartz cri-sis”) as a luxury mechanical sportswatch that entered a new arena forwatchmaking, that of lifestyle. Adver-tising created for its launch said it all:“A price like that, he teased, and theydon't even hide the screws,” museda gentleman leaning on the railing ofa yacht.

Although the Royal Oak has made thereputation (and fortune) of AudemarsPiguet, the model today poses a risk.The large oak branches—don't they runthe risk of overshadowing the brand’sother collections and propositions, ofoverpowering the brand’s identity?Philippe Merk, CEO of Audemars Piguet,talks to Europa Star about these andother questions. (...)

Read the full interview on www.europastar.com


“Beautiful Sunflower Panerai Painting”, © 2011 DamienHirst and Science Ltd. All rights reserved DACS. Pho-tography by Prudence Cuming Associates

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GENEVA SHOWS – PRIVATE EXHIBITIONS

RALPH LAUREN SIHH PREVIEW

DE BETHUNE, TEN YEARS AND TWELVE CALIBRES LATER


"I like places and objects thattransform us, that take ussomewhere else for a day, an

evening or just a moment. I like the romanceof films, cars, Cole Porter tunes and FrankSinatra songs. They all have one thing incommon: they are ageless. They are time-less." – Ralph Lauren.

For SIHH 2012, Ralph Lauren continues itsclassic and timeless direction with twonew watches in the Ralph Lauren SlimClassique Collection – the 867. The new867 timepieces combine bold geometriclines inspired by the Art Deco period witha sleek and thin silhouette, elegant guil-loché engraving craftsmanship and mas-terful gem setting.The first Ralph Lauren 867 watch modelplaces a single row of brilliant-cut diamondson the bezel of the watch, and accentuatesthem with a glossy black frame that reflectsthe use of contrasting blacks and whitesthat characterises much Art Deco design.

With the second Ralph Lauren 867 watchmodel, two rows of brilliant-cut diamondsadorn the bezel of the watch. Diamondshave also been set into the lugs, and a sin-gle rose-cut diamond graces the crown.Both models feature traditionally craftedsilver opaline dials, with domed and stronglydefined black Roman and Arabic numerals.Presented in 18-carat white gold, these

models come on a black alligator strap witha white gold pin buckle, and both are exe-cuted in a classic 27.5mm width, respect-ing the traditional dimensions of an iconicdress watch. As with the other models inthe Slim Classique collection, these watchesare powered by an ultra-flat (2.1mm thin)hand-winding movement by Piaget forRalph Lauren.

O ver the past decade, DeBethune has developed aninstantly recognisable iden-

tity and an impressive production capacitythat allows the brand to produce everythingbut sapphire crystals and leather strapsin-house. This relatively small company,which produces only around 250 watchesper year, had its considerable efforts overthe past years rewarded with the prestigious“Aiguille d’or” prize at the 2011 GrandPrix d’Horlogerie in Geneva.Europa Star met with the De Bethunemanagement team of co-founders DavidZanetta, president and Denis Flageollet,technical director, plus CEO Pierre Jacques,

to talk about the brand, its products, andwhat is in the pipeline for next year’s majorwatchmaking shows. (...)

Read the full articleon www.europastar.com

TISSOT’S LOGISTICSCENTRE

Tissot have recently inaugurated whatis perhaps the most technologically-advanced storage and retrieval systemin the entire watch industry.Born of a need for space at the com-pany that shipped over three millionwatches last year and aims to deliverover four million timepieces this year, thestate-of-the-art, fully-automated facilitycan store up to 12 million watches andcomponents simultaneously.Five robots operate simultaneously,moving among the 35,000 storageboxes at speeds of five metres per sec-ond in this huge box, which is 20metres wide, 20 metres long and 16metres high. The Cube, as the new logistics centreis called, is linked directly to Tissot’sSAP system and has advanced securityand fire-control systems for protectingthis valuable stock. Tissot’s PresidentFrançois Thiébaud explains this newfacility to Europa Star. (...)

Read the full report on www.europastar.com

MANUFACTURING

DB 25 QPCalibre DB 2324 QP self-winding mechanical movement,featuring patented self-regulating twin barrel, tita-nium/platinum balance wheel with flat terminal curve,triple pare-chute shock-absorbing system and exclusivethree-dimensional moon-phase display. Balance frequency:28,800 vibrations per hour. Case: 44 mm diameter, 12.50mm height, double anti-reflective sapphire crystal front andback. Dial: silver-toned, hand guilloche; apertures for dayof the week and month, date sub-dial at 6 o’clock, blued-steel moon-phase display at 12 o’clock and blued-steelhands. Strap: extra-supple alligator skin with pin buckle.


GENEVA SHOWS – PRIVATE EXHIBITIONS


C artier has served up modelsfor both sexes as its appetiserfor the 2012 SIHH, each with

a unique dial that immediately draws theeye to the watch. For ladies, there is theMasse Secrète Panther Décor watch and forgentlemen the Rotonde de Cartier CadranLové Tourbillon.Ladies first. Cartier’s house animal, the pan-ther, prowls around the dial of the MasseSecrète Panther Décor piece, set against adeep purple mother-of-pearl dial. The beastin 18-carat white gold is set with diamondsand has black lacquer spots—a designfamiliar from the brand’s jewellery pieces,in particular the “Panthère de Cartier”brooch. But the panther is not just decora-tive, since it is actually a novel form of“inversed” oscillating mass and it powersthe calibre 9603 MC manufacture move-ment (a self-winding movement whichhas a 48-hour power reserve) hidden insidethe 18-carat white-gold round case. Thecase itself recalls the famous Cartier jew-ellery pieces and is fully paved on the case,bezel and lugs with a total of 633 dia-monds for a total of around 6.8 carats.

For gentlemen, Cartier offers a flying tour-billon model whose dominating crescent-shaped scale of skeleton Roman numeralsslopes towards the centre of the watch,automatically drawing the eye towards thetourbillon cage, which floats above thebridges on the dial. The Rotonde de CartierCadran Lové Tourbillon is powered by thecalibre 9458 MC manufacture movement,which is positioned slightly off centre inthe case. The manually-wound calibre is39 mm in diameter and 5.58 mm in height

and, operating at 21,600 vibrations perhour, offers a power reserve of 50 hours.An 18-carat white-gold case and sapphirecrystals for the front and back, plus batonhands and a beaded crown set with a sap-phire cabochon, provide the signatureCartier design elements. The Rotonde deCartier Cadran Lové Tourbillon is limitedto 100 individually numbered pieces, eachbearing the prestigious Geneva Seal hall-mark as a confirmation of the high-qualityfinish of its components.

T he very imposing UR-1001 ZeitDevice condenses the last fif-teen years of experimentation

conducted by Urwerk into a time-measuringobject with more than generous dimen-sions and ample weight. It is neither a wrist-watch nor is it a traditional pocket watch—unless you have a solidly reinforced pocket. Urwerk refers to this model as the “MotherShip” of all their timepieces. This new typeof object groups together all the primarymechanical advances explored by Urwerkover the last decade. Limited to eight pieces,with a selling price of CHF 340,000, this“Mother” unites the brand’s style and its

horological research by a number of func-tions and indications that come together tomake a totally unique and original GrandeComplication. It is a rare timepiece indeedthat indicates the seconds, minutes, hours,day/night, months, years, centuries, andeven the millennium. And that is not all.Additional displays indicate the workingcondition of the piece: a power reserve(39 hours) indicator and an “oil change”indicator (every five years). (...)

Read our full explanation of the mechanics of this piece

on www.europastar.com

– 12 –

GREUBEL FORSEY ATTHE FOOTHILLS

A new GMT model will be the star ofthe SIHH 2012 for Greubel Forsey. It isa model that signals a certain maturityof the brand’s unique tourbillon tech-nologies, since it is the first time thatone of these so-called “fundamentalinventions” by the company has beenassociated with a complication.The invention in question is the 24-second inclined tourbillon, whose com-pact size is perfect for allowing com-plications to be added to the movement.The 25-degree inclination and the fast

rotation of this tourbillon help to com-pensate for the effects of gravity on themovement and therefore offer improvedisochronism. A globe is used to display GMT with a24-hour day/night scale engraved on asapphire ring around its equator. But therear view is just as important as the dialside, since the wearer can use a largewheel divided into 24 time zones to setthe “home time” on the globe using theGMT pusher at 10 o’clock. This practicalscale even uses different colours for timezones that use daylight savings time.Aside from the revolutionary tourbil-lon movement and novel GMT display,the watch also shows a painstakingattention to detail in its decoration.Upholding the traditional decoratingskills of 19th century English and Frenchwatchmakers is so important to thetwo founders of the company, in fact,that they have helped the canton ofNeuchâtel set up a course for re-trainingthat welcomes around 10 studentseach year. (...)

Read the full story on www.europastar.com


CARTIER’S BALANCE OF CONTRASTS

UR-1001 ZEIT DEVICE, THE MOTHER SHIP

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LETTER FROM FRANCE


The boss of Hublot, Jean-ClaudeBiver, financed the “Antikythera”project, whose name is derivedfrom the famous astronomicalmechanism of ancient Greece. Anexhibition in Paris now features aminiature replica of this antiquedevice and its modern namesakethat is worn on the wrist.

Make a clean sweep of the present. Onlythe past is promising. The “Internationale”of the “sovereign debt” nations is the newrefrain. Woe to Greece, which is falling intochaos. Well, yes, it was better before—over2000 years ago—when the Hellenic civil-isation radiated throughout the Mediter-ranean. On October 10, in Paris, at theMusée des Arts et Métiers (Museum of Artsand Crafts), formerly a royal priory, awatch —a large steel and gold vessel—re-emerged from the depths. Its name:Antikythera. Its manufacturer: the Swissbrand Hublot. Only three will ever be made. It is a sort of replica of the famous astro-nomical calculator discovered in 1901 byGreek fishermen off the island of Anti-kythera. The Parisian museum is devotingan exhibition to the mystery of this mech-anism, which dates back to the first centuryBC. Its remains, as fragile as old bones, areconserved in the Archaeological Museumin Athens.Hublot’s boss, Jean-Claude Biver, in hisrole as patron, is getting a symbolic glorytinged with pride and irony from thisadventure of “three, five million” (Swissfrancs). “All watch brands date back to the19th century,” he says, “but Hublot goesback to 87 BC.” That is some record to beat. None of this would have been possiblewithout the financial support of the Swissbrand (which is part of the French multina-

tional LVMH group), which is getting com-munications mileage commensurate withits apparent selflessness. The collaborationbetween Greek humanities researchers, aFrench museum, and a prestigious Swisswatchmaker was highly improbable, butthe overriding passion of Mathias Buttet,today Director of Manufacturing and R&Dat Hublot, made it all happen.The story began in 2008 after Buttet readan article in the monthly French magazineScience et Vie, about Antikythera, astron-omy, physics and the quest of a team ofGreek scientists, led by Yanis Bitsakis, tolearn more about the unique Antikythera—nothing similar has ever been found. “Ifell in love with Antikythera,” reminiscesMathias Buttet, then director of BNBConcept SA, located in Duillier, in the can-ton of Vaud. “We have heard a lot of thingsabout this movement, dating back to ancienttimes and undoubtedly designed by one ofthe descendants of Archimedes. I don’tsee anything religious about it. This epochwas marked by empiricism. People notedtheir observations, day after day. Using amathematical model, they could predictthe eclipses of the moon and the sun.”

Like Indiana Jones faced with a greatenigma, Buttet took it upon himself tominiaturise the original Antikythera—which was the size of a shoebox—so thatit would fit into a wristwatch. His com-pany, which employed 180 people, closedits doors in 2010, a victim of the financialcrisis. But, there were still skills and knowl-edge up for grabs. Hublot, one of BNB’sbiggest clients and located in Nyon, onlyfive minutes from Duillier, hired MathiasButtet and thirty of his associates. Alongwith them came the Antikythera project.“I told Jean-Claude Biver,” Buttet adds,“that he must not be a grave robber. Thathe should not make this watch into a com-mercial product, but rather create some-thing in homage to our scientific ances-tors, to our forefathers.”The Greeks wanted to organise an exhibi-tion on Antikythera at the Musée des Artset Métiers in Paris. So, Biver financed theexhibition and the production of the threewristwatches. One watch was earmarked forthe Musée des Arts et Métiers, the secondfor the Archaeological Museum in Athens,and the third for the Hublot Museum.Efthymios Nikolaïdis, like other of his Greekfriends, had to eat his hat but he does notseem to regret this collaboration. “We areresearchers in the humanities and do nothave the habit of working with industrial-ists. Having said that, however, we havenot had any public financial support for thelast twenty years, and today, even less thanever. We therefore looked for sponsors.”And along came Jean-Claude Biver. Europehas returned to the time of the Medicis.

“Anticythère” Exhibition at the Musée desArts et Métiers (www.arts-et-metiers.net),until June 2012. Address: 60 rue Réaumur,75003 Paris.

BAUSELE WATCHESARRIVE WITH

A UNIQUE SENSE OF STYLE

World famous Bondi Beach, SydneyHarbour Bridge, Ayers Rock, SydneyOpera House are all Australian iconiclandmarks in the serious traveller’s diary.Recognising this potential, the newAustralian watch brand Bausele, paystribute to the Australian culture and itsremarkable iconic landscape.For the first time, Bausele offers buyersthe opportunity to celebrate Australiawith a timepiece on the wrist introduc-ing an absolutely unique discussionfeature not shared by any other brand.The designer has captured naturalphysical elements by using grains ofsand, coal and red earth gathered fromfamous Australian places and settingthem into the crown of each watchbehind a tiny crystal window.Initially the Bausele collection launchesin three styles (Surf, Yachting and WineBar) using three Australian elements(sand, coal and red earth).

Three Australians of expatriate Frenchextraction are the driving force behindthe new brand—and clearly there isno shortage of industry knowledgeand experience.Maxime Elgue, moved to Australia forthe second time in 2008 to run OceaniaDuty Free Shoppers Group (DFS) havingworked for Cartier for 18 years inAustralia, South-East Asia and the FarEast. He is now the Bausele marketingand sales manager, as well as Oceaniaagent for luxury brands Chopard, Bell& Ross and Baccarat. (...)

Full article on europastar.com

AUSTRALIA

THE WATCH THAT RE-EMERGED FROM THE DEPTHS

Over all five continents, Europa Star has now expanded its multi-channel media network tobecome the most reliable international source of direct information for global watch brandsand the world of fine jewellery.Stay tuned, for all the information, direct from the source, with Europa Star in Print, on the Weband on your iPad.

Europa Star Watch Aficionado USA 6.11

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