RECOMMENDED WATCHING: René Beyer on Beyer double-signed dials
In their upcoming auction, Phillips is focusing their attention on the finest examples of highly coveted double-signed dials. A double-signed dial is where a brand has allowed the name of the retailer that will sell the watch to appear on the dial, alongside the brand’s name. Retailers that have had the opportunity to showcase their name on a watch dial include some of the most famous throughout history, including Tiffany & Co, Harrods, Wempe, Gübelin and Beyer. As a part of their authentication process, Phillips will attempt to contact each of the respective retailers (if they are still trading) to confirm the sale details of each of the watches at the auction. When it came to watches retailed by Beyer Chronometrie, Phillips sat down with the current CEO, René Beyer, to discuss the four watches on offer that were originally sold by the Zurich retailer. It’s a fantastic conversation, where you really get to see the depth of the passion that Mr Beyer has for the watches his family has sold for generations. Find the full video at Phillips right here.
The post RECOMMENDED WATCHING: René Beyer on Beyer double-signed dials appeared first on Time and Tide Watches.
Editor’s note: The Hublot Spirit of Big Bang Yellow Sapphire perfectly typifies why the Swiss watchmaker is at the forefront of material innovation and design aesthetic — you just don’t see many watches out there like this. This particular Spirit of Big Bang was actually the first watch in the world to be made of solid Yellow Sapphire and, when contrasted with its black open-worked dial, crown and pushers, it makes for a very attractive, if extroverted, timepiece. Magic Gold, ceramic, sapphire. We all know that Hublot loves toying with case materials, and their latest comes as yet another clever spin on case materials — the first ever watch cased in yellow sapphire. Hublot wasn’t the first to get into the art of crafting sapphire watch cases, however they have been the first to dabble in colour, and after the successful launch of blue and red, this glowing golden yellow became the brand’s latest addition earlier this year. While hanging in the sun at Watches & Wonders in Miami (sprinting from one meeting to the next), I had an opportunity to take a closer look at this jaune gem. The reality is that people love to bang on Hublot, and especially…
Linde Werdelin has once again teamed up with master engraver and artist Johnny “King Nerd” Dowell to create this – the Linde Werdelin Oktopus Volcano. Dowell, who was an engraver at the notable British gun makers James Purdey & Sons for 15 years, has previously worked with Linde Werdelin to create the Oktopus Reef and the Crazy Universe limited edition timepieces. Representing the third collaboration between Dowell and the boutique Swiss watchmaker, the Oktopus Volcano, as the name would suggest, depicts an active volcano. As such, the 44mm grade 2 titanium case, which is meant to portray a jagged rock face, is contrasted by 24k yellow gold, which represents molten lava. This highly complex aesthetic took more than a year to design, and is achieved by Dowell hand-engraving each and every nook, cranny and crevice into the titanium case and then inlaying the 24k yellow gold – a process that takes several weeks per watch. Just eight examples of the Oktopus Volcano will ever be created, and what makes them truly unique is that, because all the engraving is performed by hand, each and every piece will be unique and nuanced. Speaking about the new collaborative timepiece, Dowell said, “If…
Whether you’re an inveterate watch tragic, or just starting on your watch journey, the last year has been dominated by two main conversations. The drought of steel sports models (sorry guys, I got no answers for you on that one), and the future of Baselworld. Now, if you’re coming in cold on the concept of Baselworld, it’s fundamentally a trade show. But a trade show like no other. For a sense of what it’s like, check out this video. Or rather, what it was like. Because Baselworld has been going through some tough times recently. Broadly speaking, there’s a range of internal and external factors that can be summed up as a rapidly changing market and some institutional hubris. If you want to go a little more granular, this long interview with Baselworld boss Michel Loris-Melikoff by the excellent Robin Swithinbank is a very, very good read. So while the future of Baselworld is far from certain, Michel Loris-Melikoff is betting on it being around for a while longer …