Clerc: Aquatic Treasure

Hydroscaph Central Chronograph Small Second

By James Lamdin

Clerc watches are steeped in family tradition, but not anchored to convention.

The thin central hands count the minutes and seconds.

These days, it seems like every brand worth its salt (water) is offering a dive watch. Even so, none are anything like Clerc.

To say that the Geneva-based company manufactures tool watches is only partly correct. The association is certainly a positive one, and brands that focus exclusively on creating no-frills tools solely designed for technical applications are generally lauded for their quality precision instruments. And yet, Clerc rises above the fray with purpose-built wrist machines for real-life adventurers. But to its credit, the brand shuns traditional design to create watches that are truly unlike anything else.

It can freely be said that Clerc walks its own path. And without fail, that path leads straight to water.

On the Edge

For divers, nothing is more important than knowing their limits. Depth, temperature, visibility and navigation are all of paramount importance, not to mention time. For the modern diver, an array of digital dive computers are available to take the guesswork out of monitoring dive time, but as any seasoned diver will tell you, a mechanical backup is more than just a nostalgic trinket.

Hydroscaph H1 Chronometer Carbon Edition

Clerc knows this lesson well as demonstrated by the Hydroscaph Central Chronograph Small Second, a watch for those who demand a serious mechanical tool for a 

serious sport.

Unlike most diver’s chronographs, however, it features a central chronograph function, in which the sweeping seconds is moved to a smaller, subsidiary register. The two chronograph hands in the center count seconds and totalize the minutes up to a full hour. In short, Clerc makes the diver’s chronograph much easier to read and use underwater in real-life applications.

Fortunately, all of this functionality doesn’t come at the expense of great design. The watch comes in an array of handsome colors and casing materials, including steel with a blue dial or black ADLC with a matching black dial, perfect for unleashing your inner SEAL!

Hydroscaph H1 Vancouver Bay Edition

Both feature Clerc’s signature case design, which is both futuristic and technical while avoiding anything superfluous. Chronograph operation is managed from beautifully sculpted hinged pushers on the right side of the case while a distinctive locking mechanism at 10 o’clock rotates the bezel.

Comfort and Style

Clerc’s commitment to cutting-edge technology has led it to embrace carbon fiber in a special version of its time-only diver, the Hydroscaph H1 Chronometer Carbon Edition. The use of this ultra-light material, in tandem with scratch-resistant DLC-coated steel and blue accents, forms a dashing alliance that is irresistibly handsome.

For the watch enthusiast who has everything, you’d do well to consider the Hydroscaph H1 Vancouver Bay Edition. The particular color combination celebrates Clerc’s partnership with Sub Aviator Systems. Manufacturers of some of the most technologically advanced private submersibles in the world, Sub Aviator Systems products are as cutting edge as Clerc’s, and the partnership is all about pushing towards a future in which mankind can explore deeper and longer, enjoying all that the oceans have to offer.

Greubel Forsey: Clear Advantage

Greubel Forsey produced just eight Double Tourbillon 30° Technique Sapphires.

By Stephen Pulvirent

The champions of haute horlogerie show off new mechanical marvels, proving creativity and passion are the best partners.

The transparent case is made from sapphire crystal.

There are few watchmakers who have been able to establish themselves as the king of a particular complication or category. That being said, few would argue that Greubel Forsey is anything less than the modern master of the tourbillon, creating innovative new takes on the centuries-old mechanism. But Greubel Forsey’s prowess doesn’t stop there. In addition to the new mechanical experiments, there is a dedication to the most-demanding finishing techniques to create timepieces like no others.

Window to the Soul

It would be hard to imagine a timepiece that exemplifies the trifecta of engineering, artistry and imagination more than the new Double Tourbillon 30° Technique Sapphire. The Double Tourbillon 30° was Greubel Forsey’s first creation, launched back in 2005, but with this update, it looks like an entirely new timepiece altogether. The foundation is a newly developed case, made entirely of sapphire. The material is used for the main body of the 49.95mm diameter case, as well as the sculpted lugs, bezel and both the front and back crystals, which are secured together with solid-gold screws. Even the fluted crown is sapphire.

The double tourbillon comprises 132 parts.

Beyond being visually striking in its own right, the transparent case also gives you a completely unobstructed view of the highly complex movement inside. The GF02s caliber is made of 396 total components, 132 of which comprise the signature double tourbillon 30° mechanism itself. The two tourbillon cages are nested, with the flat outer cage rotating once every four minutes and the inner cage (set at the 30° angle) rotating once every 60 seconds. Even with all of this, the massive series of four barrels, positioned at 10:30, provides 120 hours of power, counted out by the subtle indicator near 3 o’clock.

The real joy of the movement though is in the finishing found throughout the timepiece. The movement’s blackened baseplate makes the other components shine brightly, with the mirror-polished surfaces outlined by the hand-beveled edges. There’s no true “dial” to speak of, with the engraved indicators integrated into the structure of the movement itself. Only eight of these timepieces will be produced and it’s fair to say that this is the Double Tourbillon 30° in its most extravagant form yet.

Quantième Perpétuel à Équation

Coherent Complexity

As if that isn’t enough to sustain ambitious collectors for the year, Greubel Forsey also has the Quantième Perpétuel à Équation, another extraordinary creation. The 25° tourbillon — rotating once every 24 seconds — is just the beginning for this timepiece. Opposite, near 4 o’clock, sits a trio of displays for a straightforward perpetual calendar that includes the day, date and month, plus a small leap-year dial off to the left. The current day is spelled out like a person would actually read it, so the wearer doesn’t have to decipher a strange set of nested dials and hands.

Hidden on the back is a totally new equation of time indicator that utilizes a transparent window to offer a glimpse of the calendar mechanism itself. Finishing things off is a special crown that, through the use of a button in the center, can adjust all the functions of the timepiece, which eliminates the need for clumsy extra pushers. This is a complex timepiece executed in the simplest way possible.

Tourbillon 24 Secondes Vision

Refined Designs

Tackling a completely different sort of challenge, Greubel Forsey created the Tourbillon 24 Secondes Vision, its slimmest timepiece to date. In order to streamline things while retaining one of its signature tourbillons, Greubel Forsey added a unique sapphire bubble to the caseback, giving the mechanism the necessary space, without making the overall case thicker. It’s precisely placed to make it comfortable to wear, letting the watchmakers pack in more mechanics in seemingly less space. 

It’s a great example of simplicity being deceiving and it’s no surprise that the white gold edition of this timepiece took the grand prize, or Aiguille d’Or, at the 2015 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève; otherwise known as the Oscars of watchmaking. This new rose gold incarnation with a black dial was created to celebrate the much-deserved award.

The tourbillon might be the company’s best-known signature, but not every Greubel Forsey actually includes a tourbillon. The Signature 1 is a perfect example of a timepiece that carries all the same DNA as the brand’s more complicated creations, but with a more pared-down approach. Not only is it the most accessible model in the collection, it’s also one of the easiest to wear, with a rose gold case that is 41.4mm across and just 11.7mm thick.

Signature 1

Created in collaboration with Didier Cretin, one of Greubel Forsey’s top watchmakers, the Signature 1 shows off the incredible hand-finishing techniques that go into every Greubel Forsey timepiece, especially on the exposed bridges and escapement, including an oversized (12.6mm) balance wheel. This very well could be the most superlative three-hand timepiece available today.

Daring Duet

Giving the Signature 1 a run for its money though is the Double Balancier à Différentiel Constant, another Greubel Forsey without a tourbillon. Instead, there are two separate escapements, each with a balance wheel set at a different 30° angle. The time displayed represents an average of what the two balances count after being calculated through the use of a differential gear system. This is an extremely complicated way to create a more accurate timepiece, and one that required years of research and development to do correctly. One tiny miscalculation could render the entire mechanism useless.

One-of-a-kind Double Balancier available exclusively at Cellini.

Beyond chronometry though, the Double Balancier system is a beauty to behold, generously filling the dial cutout between 4 and 10 o’clock. A grained baseplate acts as a perfect grounding for the mirror-polished and beveled bridges and gears, with contrasting colors and blued steel accents. This is one you could stare at endlessly.

In just 12 years, Greubel Forsey has become one of the best-known watchmakers by creating true haute horlogerie. As the brand grows and evolves, so too does the level of creativity and ingenuity with which founders Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey dream up new creations. And if this year’s collection is any indication, the two are just getting started.

Girard-Perregaux: Precision Motors

Constant Escapement L.M.

By Victoria Gomelsky

For its 225th anniversary, Girard-Perregaux creates timepieces that honor its technical achievements and sophisticated style.

The most rarefied realm of the luxury watchmaking universe is home to a mere handful of firms. Girard-Perregaux is squarely among them. Founded in 1791 in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, the watchmaker celebrates its 225th anniversary this year with a slew of models that capitalize on its well-established expertise in precision timekeeping.

The silicon buckled-blade

Avant-garde Horology

Exhibit A: Girard-Perregaux’s pioneering Constant Escapement L.M. timepiece, which provides a solution to a timekeeping problem that bedevils most mechanical watches: the near-mythical attainment of constant force. You see, traditional escapements — the element of the movement most critical to a watch’s functionality — tend to lose power when transferring energy from the mainspring, or barrel, to the balance wheel, which governs timekeeping. This happens when the spring unwinds and gradually loses energy between windings, thereby transferring less and less power to the balance wheel, and wreaking havoc on the watch’s accuracy.

In 2008, Girard-Perregaux introduced a few prototypes that aimed to address this problem. But it wasn’t until 2013 that the Constant Escapement made its official debut. The result of a years-long research process to improve the science of chronometry, the L.M. model now boasts an unprecedented level of precision thanks to a brand new escapement design featuring a 14-micron silicon buckled-blade (that’s six times thinner than a human hair!) that accumulates energy before releasing it in a single impulse. Regardless of the amount of energy left in the spring, the watch keeps on ticking at a constant rate.

Stradale Chronograph

Enviable precision, however, is far from the only quality to recommend the timepiece. The 46mm case is another. It’s made from a titanium and carbon-composite material that’s both strong and lightweight; in fact four times lighter than titanium, and eight times lighter than steel. It has a manual movement that displays the time and the six-day power reserve. Its strikingly avant-garde design is the perfect package for the revolutionary mechanics contained within.

The Sporting Life

Girard-Perregaux’s Stradale Chronograph — part of its new “Competizione” line of chronographs — takes inspiration from the manufacture’s first sport chronographs, which emerged in the 1960s. They included a three-counter model, dubbed the “Ready-Go,” designed for rally drivers and motorcyclists. In the 1990s, Girard-Perregaux chose to honor these vintage models in a new chronograph collection paying homage to fast cars.

The Stradale borrows its aesthetic from these three decades’ worth of chronographs, as well as the brand’s iconic Club Italia model, a 1987 chronograph that’s considered something of a milestone piece because it was unveiled at a precarious time for the Swiss watch industry, when Japanese quartz technology was still dominant. The Stradale’s combination of polished and satin finishing, elongated lugs and vintage “mushroom-type” pushers lends the model its retro good looks.

1966 Full Calendar

The Stradale Chronograph has a 42mm steel case that features a sapphire crystal caseback to provide a glimpse of its elegant automatic movement. The brand offers four versions: a black dial on leather strap or steel bracelet, as well as a silvered dial on strap or bracelet.

Calendar Year

For fans of classic haute horlogerie rendered in simple, straight-forward stainless steel, Girard-Perregaux recently unveiled the 1966 Full Calendar, the latest iteration of its signature 1966 model. The watch harks back to the manufacture’s 1960s heyday, when it was one of a handful of firms to have an in-house research and development department. The pièce de résistance of the 40mm timepiece is its full calendar with date, day, month and moon-phase indications; the complication’s usefulness is matched only by its elegance.

Powered by the GP03300 self-winding movement, the model is a flawless example of refined Swiss finishing. Its mainplate and bridges are drawn, beveled, circular-grained and decorated with côtes de Genève as is the steel oscillating weight. For luxury watch aficionados in search of a dress watch beloved by the cognoscenti, the 1966 Full Calendar is a worthy investment.

Cat’s Eye Power Reserve

Purrfection

Despite Girard-Perregaux’s well-documented expertise in creating technically advanced men’s watches, the company has long nurtured its female collectors. In 2004, the manufacture debuted the Cat’s Eye line, a collection of shapely ladies’ timepieces with a seductive oval silhouette. Over the course of the next decade, the collection grew to accommodate countless variations and complications, including the well-received “Bi-retro” model, whose two retrograde hands display the seconds and days of the week.

The newest version, the Cat’s Eye Power Reserve, comes on a chic bi-color bracelet composed of rose gold and stainless steel links. Its self-winding mechanical movement displays the time and date, as well as the 46-hour power reserve. Available with or without a diamond bezel, the distinctive oval case embodies the genteel elegance for which Girard-Perregaux is famous.

Cartier: Flight of Imagination

Rotonde de Cartier Astromystérieux

By Scott Hickey

Everyone loves a good mystery, and this year Cartier has crafted one for the ages.

For more than a century, the legendary maison has fascinated the public with an irresistible spell that combines the power of machines and magic. The tradition began in 1912 with the first mystery clock, an ingenious invention in which the hands appeared to float as they orbited a clear dial.

Production is limited to 100 pieces.

In recent years, Cartier revisited the idea of the mystery clock to develop a new generation of mystery watches, including the Mysterious Hour and Mysterious Double Flying Tourbillon, the latter being Geneva Seal certified. Impressive as they are, the Manufacture Cartier in La Chaux-de-Fonds has outdone itself with the Rotonde de Cartier Astromystérieux. The design artfully blends elements from the modern Mysterious collection and the Rotonde de Cartier Astrotourbillon to conjure an original design that most certainly exceeds what Louis Cartier and clockmaker Maurice Couët dreamt was possible when they collaborated on the original mystery clock.

Clandestine Complication

Instead of a floating tourbillon or hands, the Astromystérieux’s entire movement (9462 MC) appears to be suspended inside a halo of Roman numerals. What’s visible — the escapement, balance wheel, gear train and barrel — completes a full rotation every hour and serves as the watch’s minute hand. What you can’t see are the four sapphire crystal discs stacked on top of one another in the center and the additional gearing that surrounds them. This complex system is responsible for a number of vital tasks, everything from rotating the movement and turning the hour hand, to setting the time and winding the mainspring.

Without a doubt, the revolutionary design behind the Astromystérieux represents a remarkable technical achievement. And in most any other watch, it likely would be the main attraction. But here, Cartier uses the engineering as a means to make a bold artistic statement, one whose purpose is to make you forget about the mechanical minutia and instead lose yourself in the mystery.

Crash Skeleton

Presented in a 43.5mm palladium case, the Astromystérieux is part of a numbered series limited to just 100 pieces.

Doing More With Less

Even as the number of skeletonized movements grows, Cartier finds ways to rise above the crowd with timeless aesthetics and the exquisite finishing used to decorate its sculptural movements. This year, the maison introduced two timepieces that epitomize its tireless dedication to horological artistry.

The first is rooted in one of Cartier’s most daring designs, the Crash, which originated in 1967. In its modern incarnation, the Crash Skeleton is larger than the original, heightening the visual impact of the asymmetrical case and movement, a shape that articulates the notion of perfection through imperfection.

Carved from the movement bridges, Cartier’s signature Roman numerals are bent, but still beautiful thanks to details like beveled edges and a satin finish that contrasts with the polished case. The clear exhibition back shows off the unusual arrangement of the gearing that makes up the hand-wound movement, which is made exclusively by Cartier. To honor the year of the Crash’s birth, production of this version is limited to 67 pieces.

Clé Skeleton

Inspiration for the Clé Skeleton, however, comes from a design introduced just last year. Named after the French word for “key,” the Clé recalls traditional key-wound clocks with details like the clicking sound that’s made when the sapphire-set crown is turned.

The juxtaposition of the case’s flowing lines against the angles of the Roman numerals is outstanding, but so is the watch’s technical pedigree, which includes Cartier’s first automatic-winding skeleton movement. The major challenge for watchmakers was to minimize the winding rotor on the back so that it wouldn’t detract from the airy design, but still power the mainspring efficiently. The result is a success on both counts.

Grace Under Pressure

Dive watches — like those who use them — are a special breed. Unlike most timepieces, all dive watches must include certain features and meet specific performance standards designed to protect the diver.

Calibre de Cartier Diver

Cartier approached the creation of the Calibre de Cartier Diver with a determination to not only make something that was authentic, but to do so while maintaining the brand’s signature look and feel. When the first wave of Cartier divers arrived two years ago, it was clear the maison was ready to jump headfirst into the category. From a technical standpoint, the Calibre de Cartier stands on solid ground, checking all the requisite boxes for its ISO 6425 certification: water resistance to 300 meters, unidirectional bezel, luminous display and screw-down crown to name a few.

But the brand didn’t stop there. It equipped the watch with its own automatic movement, the 1904-PSMC, a caliber that takes its name from the year Louis Cartier created the first men’s wristwatch for his friend, the pilot Alberto Santos-Dumont. The movement’s svelte profile allowed the Calibre de Cartier Diver to become the world’s thinnest dive watch, with a case that is just 11mm thick.

This year, Cartier updated the Calibre de Cartier Diver by introducing blue to the collection. The striking azure-colored dial — complete with the brand’s characteristic Roman numerals — matches the ceramic bezel. Like the original Calibre de Cartier Diver, three versions of the 42mm case are available: stainless steel, rose gold or a combination of both. The watch comes on a blue-rubber strap that is offered exclusively in North America.

Drive de Cartier Flying Tourbillon

High-Flying Style

The Drive de Cartier collection was one of the most talked about introductions for men this year, earning raves for its refined yet sporty style.

That appealing aesthetic begins with a new case shape that’s similar to a cushion, but with a more streamlined silhouette. Despite its 40mm diameter, the case wears like that of a smaller watch and rests easy on the wrist thanks in part to its trim (11.25mm) profile and contoured lugs. Beneath the shaped crystal, the dial’s elegant proportions and balanced arrangement echo the outline of the case while articulating the cohesive vision behind the design.

The pinnacle of the collection, at least in terms of complication, has to be the Drive de Cartier Flying Tourbillon. The movement at the heart of the watch is Cartier’s tried-and-true 9452 MC, an in-house caliber that epitomizes the incredible strides the brand has made since it introduced the Fine Watchmaking collection in 2008. Since then, the Cartier Manufacture has introduced nearly 50 in-house movements, a remarkable achievement by any measure.

The purpose of the tourbillon is to average gravity’s detrimental effect on timekeeping by rotating the balance and escapement inside a cage. The design featured in the Drive de Cartier, however, goes one step further. Unlike most, this is a flying tourbillon, a variation that has no bridge across the top of the rotating cage. The arrangement provides a clear view of the C-shaped tourbillon cage, which doubles as a small seconds hand as it rotates once per minute.

The tourbillon’s beauty is matched by the multi-level dial, which combines an openworked layer of Roman numerals on top of a white guilloché base, a hallmark of Cartier’s Fine Watchmaking collection. The rose-gold case — with its polished bezel and satin-finished sides — adds an elegant touch.

Drive de Cartier Second Time Zone

What Drives You?

In addition to the tourbillon model, there are six other members of the Drive de Cartier family. The first version — offered in stainless steel or rose gold — indicates the time and date, and features a small seconds at the bottom of the silvered flinqué dial. Two additional models provide a nice visual twist by pairing a gray dial with numerals that match the case metal.

All four Drive de Cartier models are equipped with the 1904-PS MC, the maison’s in-house automatic movement. If you’re curious about the PS included in the movement’s designation, it refers to the petite (small) seconds function.

The two remaining pieces in the collection take an unconventional approach to the second time zone complication. Instead of a GMT hand, a window display or a separate dial, the Drive de Cartier Second Time Zone indicates the time in a different zone using a 12-hour retrograde hand in tandem with a day/night indicator.

Panthers and Hummingbird

This model retains the date function, but here it’s transformed from a small window at three o’clock into a large date display at the top. All of this functionality is powered by Cartier’s self-winding 1904-FUMC movement — FU for fuseau, or time zone in French. It’s all tucked neatly into a 40mm case that’s offered in either rose gold or stainless steel.

Curious Cats

This year, Cartier put an unprecedented focus on bringing together the two specialties that represent the brand’s twin pillars: fine watchmaking and high-jewelry design. The results of this audacious collaboration are absolutely breathtaking.

Among the highlights are two superlative timepieces for women. First is the Panthers and Hummingbird, which deftly combines jewelry craftsmanship with imaginative watchmaking.

The 42.75mm white-gold case, set with 314 diamonds, forms a circular frame around a golden hummingbird perched atop one of Cartier’s signature panthers, which itself is comprised of 270 diamonds, a pear-shaped emerald eye and black lacquer spots. Pushing the diamond-set crown sets the scene in motion, which begins with a panther cub jumping out from behind its mother to chase the bird that takes flight in an arc across the dial. More than a charming visual spectacle, the length of the bird’s flight indicates how much power remains stored in the hand-wound movement, which is made in-house by Cartier.

Panthère Mystérieuse

Another exceptional creation born from this collaboration is the Panthère Mystérieuse, a watch that combines two of the maison’s historic traditions — the mystery clock and the panther motif.

Here, the mechanical slight of hand used to tell the time is surrounded by a panther sculpted from white gold and decorated lavishly with white diamonds, black lacquer and emeralds. A sight to behold, the watch is an absolute showstopper thanks to the three-dimensional panther that rises up from the dial as it peers intently at the hands orbiting untethered around the dial.

Infinite Style

Cartier’s ability to conjure instantly recognizable shaped watch cases is rooted firmly in its experience as a jeweler, where mastering the relationship between shape, proportion and volume is paramount. For more than a century, Cartier has put its indelible stamp on watch history with iconic cases like the Tank, Crash and Ballon Bleu.

Hypnose

Earlier this year, the maison unveiled a new contender for that legendary list  — the Hypnose. The case certainly lives up to its name with a mesmerizing arrangement of graduating ovals that get smaller as they move toward the center of the dial. The case, which is available in rose or white gold, consists of two diamond-set rings, one nested inside the other. They surround the silvered flinqué dial, which includes Roman numerals and an oval section at the center decorated with a sunray finish.

The Hypnose’s rose or white gold case comes in two sizes: small (30 x 26.2mm) and medium (37.8 x 33.3mm). Cartier also makes a special full-pavé model that comes on a diamond-set bracelet and incorporates a black lacquer ring into the case. All of the watches in the Hypnose collection are powered by quartz movements, which allows Cartier to streamline the design by moving the crown from the side to the caseback.

The range of watches that Cartier introduced this year is extraordinary, from true haute horlogerie pieces like the Astromystérieux and Panthers and Hummingbird, to must-have designs for men and women like the Drive de Cartier and Hypnose. What’s doubly impressive is how effortless Cartier makes all of it look.