As I write from Perpetuelle.com Headquarters (East Coast USA) – underneath about 32 inches of snow…and still snowing…

Switching it up a bit from the many Baselworld 2010 pre-releases we are covering here, I wanted to show you a very special unique piece (or “piece unique” as the French may prefer to call it) that was recently unveiled by high-end and very talented watchmaker Parmigiani Fleurier (commonly known as Parmigiani).  Of course those of you who saw Parmigiani at SIHH 2010 in Geneva already know of this watch   It is the Tecnica Crystallisation watch.  While I’m not exactly sure what the inspiration for this watch – “mineral crystallisation” – is all about, I do know that this is a pretty incredible watch.  Aside from its obvious visual appeal, the watch has some neat elements – a skeletonized dial, a tourbillon, and a minute repeater with “cathedral” chimes (which I would like to hear!).  I am hoping to get some more background information on this watch and I will let you know if/when I do.

On the back:  enameling work with a three dimensional effect

Model

Tecnica Chrono – unique piece

Theme

‘Crystallisation’ inspired by mineral crystallisation

Movement

PF353  Skeleton, Manual winding, power reserve 48 hours, frequency: 3 Hz – 21,600 Vib/h, 47 jewels, tourbillon, minute repeater with 2 “cathedral” chimes, rhodium-plated bridges with lengthwise hand-drawn strokes, bevelling and backing hand polished, steel circular-grained lengthwise

Functions

hour, minute, minute repeater and chronograph

Case / Exterior

round case: 44.0 mm, thickness: 16.00 mm

material: 950 platinum, polished finish

double knurled bezel

water resistance: 3 bar / 30 m

crown: 7.0 mm, cabochon in genuine blue sapphire

case-back with sapphire crystal

double case-back with hand-engraved hinge according to the theme

covered with translucent grey enamel

individual number No. 12995 and UNIQUE PIECE engraved on the case-back

Dial

sapphire base, sand-blasted areas; transferred black minute track, counters and logo; transferred blue ring; “Javelin” shaped hour and minute hands in blued steel, with superluminova; chronograph minute counter hand and central seconds hand in blued steel.

Strap

‘Hermes’ type blue alligator strap with knurled 750 white gold ardillon buckle, polished finish

A bit delayed, but here’s a real beauty from leading Swiss watch manufacture Jaeger-LeCoultre that was introduced a couple weeks ago at SIHH.  While the Master Memovox and Memovox International perhaps captured much of the spotlight this year for JLC, the Master Chronograph is  no less equal a watch in the brand’s classic collection.  Below is the pink gold version (Ref 153420), but the watch will also be produced in stainless steel (Ref 1538420).  The 40mm case size is just right, too.

Movement: Automatic movement, 277 parts, 28 800 vibrations per hour, 65-hour power-reserve.

Functions: Hour, minute, small second, date, chronograph (hour-counter, central second, 30-minute counter).

Case: New case with the Master Control logo stamped on the case-back,18-carat pink gold, stainless steel.

Size: Diameter 40 mm.

Water Resistance: 50 meters.

Strap/Bracelet: Alligator leather.

Materials Available: 18-carat pink gold, stainless steel.

Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre: JAEGER-LECOULTRE CALIBRE 751 A/1.

Ref. 1532420, 18-carat pink gold/alligator leather.
Ref. 1538420, stainless steel/alligator leather.

蒔絵 – The Making of a “Sprinkled Picture”

Like a highly skilled watchmaker, the maki-e artisan is able to create with his hands something so intricate, so delicate, so amazing…it’s hard to put it into words.  All I will say is that these artisans are skilled in ways that I deeply respect and admire.  Watch:

You can read more and see close up photos of each of these watches on our SIHH 2010 forum by clicking here (scroll down the page a bit).

About Maki-e

Maki-e  – which literally means “sprinkled picture” – is the most sophisticated of all lacquer techniques, designating a decorative operation in which the design is created by delicately sprinkling gold or silver dust over lacquer – usually black – while it is still wet.

The lacquer is made from the sap of the lacquer tree, Rhus verniciflua. This tree, a relative of poison ivy, originated on the high plateaus of central Asia or Tibet. Today, it grows only in southern China, Korea, Vietnam and Japan, but it seems to have had a much wider range in the past. In Japanese, the word for the substance and the name of the tree are the same: urushi.

Lacquer techniques vary from country to country and are based on the quality of the lacquer and the use to which the objects will be put. The three categories most representative of the lacquer arts are carving, inlay, and maki-e. The number of possibilities is almost infinite, and the invention of maki-e and its variations by the Japanese is one of the most remarkable marriages of technical mastery and aesthetic sophistication in all the history of art. This decorative technique developed very early in Japanese history. It matured as an art form between the eighth and twelfth centuries A.D., becoming the predominant method of ornamentation beginning in the seventeenth century and remaining so to this day. It does not seem to have been used in China – or if it was, it disappeared very early on. It was highly prized there, however, as evidenced by the many orders placed from the continent over the centuries. Maki-e’s own rise allowed the techniques it involves to blossom as well. Beginning in the mid-tenth century, this technique far surpassed all its rivals and was heavily preferred over them for the delicacy of its execution, its quality of being distinct yet misty at the same time, and its incredibly poetic presence.

One of the greatest beauties of lacquer is that it can decorate the most precious of objects as easily as those used in everyday life. Lacquerware bowls and crockery have come down through the centuries, as have variously shaped boxes with all sorts of uses: document holders, tea caddies, incense boxes, paintbrush holders, inkwells, card cases, pill boxes, etc. While there has always been lacquered furniture, the preference has almost always been for small objects, for work that is enchanting in its meticulous perfection.

The “right” way…..

Finely tuned – the Audemars Piguet Millenary Quincy Jones Edition

and the wrong way….

Off-key – the Piaget Limelight Jazz Party Polo Tourbillon Relatif

Seriously – those little musical notes intended to imitate Roman numerals are more than tacky!  Sure you are free to disagree – that’s what the comment button is for

Still sifting through the massive onslaught of new watches from SIHH 2010…fun, fun…here is one more Panerai that caught my eye - the Panerai Luminor 1950 Ceramic (aka PAM 335).  More than just catching my eye (which can be a good or a bad thing, you know ), this watch has the signature Panerai look, it is in ceramic, with Panerai in-house movement (P.2003) with 10 days power reserve, and with useful functions (ie GMT and date function).  Basically – this is my kind of watch!  And….an estimated $20,000 per, I think I’ll take two   

Seriously though, I think this watch is something I could proudly and comfortably wear – unlike the 52mm Mare Nostrum PAM 300 (way too big), or the Radiomir Skeleton PAM 348 (looks cool and has ceramic case, but too edgy of a “Panerai” for me), or the Luminor 1950 Tourbillon Equation of Time titanium PAM 365 (if I get an EOT it would probably be an Audemars Piguet).  Now, if only I could do something about that price tag…

So, what do you think of this watch?  Yay…or nay? 

By the way, if you have not already, you can see all the 2010 Panerai collection here on our SIHH forum.

I blogged earlier about the Montblanc Metamorphosis watch, but here is another good video as produced by Montblanc – except in this video we get to see a good review of each watch it presented at SIHH 2010. If you want to see pictures of these watches, click HERE.
Enjoy the video!

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I wrote a few days ago about an intriguing new watch presented at SIHH 2010 by Montblanc (see here) – the “Montblanc Metamorphosis” – and I promised to be back with more details about it.   Well….I now have more information about this most curious and clever watch. 

Basically, by moving a slide down or up, the dial of this timepiece changes from a wristwatch with hour, minute, second display to a chronograph and vice versa.   Four wings in the lower half of the face open, slide under one another, and finally disappear to the left and right beneath the dial’s middle bar. A similar sequence transpires with two wings on the regulator’s hour dial at the “12.” After all the wings have opened, a subdial rises like the floor of an elevator at the 6 o`clock position, an aperture in this rising disk “swallows” the date-hand. The newly risen rotating disc is the minute counter of the chronograph. This fully mechanical, elevator-like function will no doubt evoke the admiration of aficionados of the fine art of watchmaking who witness this unprecedented transformation. Whoa!

I would like to point out that this watch is credited in large part to two obviously very gifted and creative talents, Johnny Girardin and Franck Orny.  They used methods from the traditional art of “automatons” construction (basically, the art of making old school mechanical “robots”) with great modern day application!  Nice work guys! 

Now – if you want to see the “metamorphosis” in action, check out this video from Montblanc:

One face of the Montblanc Metamorphosis……

…and the other…the same watch, mind you (not 2 different watches!)

 Also, you can read more and in depth about this watch here on our SIHH Forum / Montblanc stream.

p.s. – I still don’t like the droopy shape (“teardrop” Montblanc calls it) of the watch.  Cool mechanics, though!

Watch Videos Done Right

This post is less about the watch and more about its presentation.  Last week I showed you the “sneak preview” video of what turned out to be Jaeger-LeCoultre’s new Master Compressor Extreme Lab 2 watch.  And this week JLC introduced a second short video to highlight the official unveiling of this new watch.  Actually I am going to post both videos below – and I do this because I really like these videos.  The music is very cool – kinda pumps me up, motivational kinda music.  But more importantly because this is an excellent example of how to make a video that highlights a watch.  Most/many brands simply produce a video of the watch in isolation – usually we see watch parts spinning around until they become a whole watch or we go through an intricate tour inside the case of the watch.  But the disappointing thing with most of these videos is that they lack context, and make me think “If you have seen one, you have seen them all.”

In contrast, what I like most about these JLC videos is that they are the near perfect example of how to present a watch in the context of its intended use.  And I just love how the watch is seamlessly interwoven into the mountaineering scenes and we understand what this watch is about.  One of the better watch videos I have seen in awhile.   So what do you think – do you like this style video or do you have another one that comes to mind?

Video 1 – Jaeger-LeCoultre Pre-SIHH 2010 “Sneak Preview” Teaser Video (watch identity unknown)

Video 2 – Jaeger-LeCoultre SIHH 2010 Video Highlighting the New Master

And here’s a shot of the watch itself:

If you want to look at some more pics of this watch – or its rose gold brother, click here for our SIHH 2010 Jaeger-Lecoultre thread.

Another new one from Audemars Piguet – the Millenary Chronograph.  To be honest (I’m always honest here!) The design of this watch is one that I have not and still do not like.  Is this a dress watch?  Or a sport watch?  Now we seem to see a combination of both with the addition of chronograph counters, one of which is larger than the other two.  There are way too many circles on this dial for me.  In other words, the addition of a chronograph to this watch design seems awkward to me.  Because there is so much more to like from AP this year, on this one I’ll pass, thanks.  If you are interested in the specs on this watch, check it out over on the SIHH forum.

Watch fans – your enthusiasm can continue to run on high, because there are still new watches being “revealed” at SIHH 2010 in Geneva!  And of course as your loyal editor here at First In Watches, I remain vigilant and at the ready to share with you some of the most interesting ones here on this blog…..but of course if you want to see them ALL, just check out Perpetuelle.com’s official SIHH 2010 forum! 

So here’s a new one from Audemars Piguet that will no doubt be pleasing to many.  The Audemars Piguet Jules Audemars Perpetual Calendar with Caliber 2120.  The watch comes in 2 variations, both pictured – Case in 18-carat pink gold, silvered dial and (26390OR.OO.D093CR.01) case in 18-carat pink gold, brown dial (26390OR.OO.D088CR.02):