Introducing – Sylvain Pinaud Chronograph Monopoussoir
Imagine, building a complicated mechanical wristwatch completely by hand to enter a competition about artisanal crafts. Your competitor? Cheese! That is the story of Sylvain Pinaud in a VERY tiny, exaggerated nutshell, but we’ll elaborate on that. The result of his efforts is impressive though, a very modern-looking, hand-built monopusher chronograph. We had time to meet the maker himself and go hands-on with Sylvain Pinaud’s Chronograph Monopoussoir.
Watch collectors will listen, wide-eyed and slack-jawed, to stories about grandfathers in the ’60s wearing a Daytona while changing the oil in an engine, only giving the watch a quick wipe with a rag before dinner was served. This is so far from the present-day reality that a watch that was once a functional nice-to-have is now being traded by people who went to finance school. What happened to the everyday watch? This was the question posed by a quartet of men who couldn’t find a good-looking watch that didn’t cause the heart rate to rise when nearing a doorknob. Their answer was to make their own, giving birth to Serica. The first watch from the brand is the Serica W.W.W. (standing for Wrist. Watch. Waterproof), a well-considered balance of vintage-inspired design and a price point that is approachable for almost all. Taking cues from the military watches of WWII, the lacquered Serica dial prioritises legibility, available in either black or white. Another interesting feature of the dial is that it is unbranded, a decision driven to focus on “design, build quality and purpose” before brand. While still within the realm of a marketing decision, it is a refreshing one…
Patek Philippe are not known for hi-tech carbon composite case materials, skeleton dials, or really any enthusiastic contemporary flair. What they are known for is being the priest of the Temple of Classicism, considered and purposeful in any direction of development, refusing to bend to ephemeral market tastes. The clearest way this can be seen is how little the design DNA (yes, I know you think that term is overused, GaryG) of their watches has changed over the last century. This lack of dramatic change forces those interested into the trenches of granularity to ascertain the importance of any particular Patek Philippe reference, specifically in the Calatrava family. One watch that appears perfect initially, and remains perfect no matter how close you inspect it, is the ref. 2526. The ref. 2526 is, in my mind, less of a watch, and more the platonic ideal of a watch, something you might show to an alien to communicate the perfect example of what a watch should be. One of the best-looking examples of a Patek Philippe ref. 2526 is the one pictured above, in yellow gold with a black enamel dial. Fortunately for all of us, GaryG wrote an article for Quill…
Editor’s note: A couple of years ago, life got a lot easier for the Melbourne Rolex collector. Rolex Australia blessed the coffee-obsessed city with a shiny new service centre, a move that made the already appealing prospect of buying a Rolex even more appealing, with the knowledge that a repair would be as pain-free as possible. Let’s take a look back at when Felix got to visit the centre shortly after it opened. One of the biggest issues in this industry is what happens to a watch long after it leaves the boutique on the wrist of its happy new owner. Aftersales support and servicing may not be as glamorous as releasing shiny new watches, but it matters. A lot. There’s no quicker way to ruin goodwill towards a brand than with a negative service or repair situation and, from the anecdotal stories I hear, it’s happening all too often, with common complaints including long wait times, unexpected costs, and processes that can be baffling in their bureaucracy. Still, it’s easy to see why aftersales support doesn’t get the attention it deserves. There are no immediate returns to be had by investing in servicing. If you had to sign off…
Editor’s note: The Australian Watch Forum has gone from strength to strength over the last 18 months, tripling its membership to 9000 members. Based on Facebook, their presence has been felt well outside of social media, with regular meet-ups and get-togethers in major cities across Australia. Here’s a throwback to Cam’s nod to their first venture with a big watch brand, when they partnered with Zenith last year to release a bronzed-case Pilot Type 20 Extra Special, featuring a special Southern Cross on the dial. During a time when planes were more fabric than steel, and I’m sure the phrase “on a wing and a prayer” had a much more literal meaning, Zenith were pioneering the use of pilot watches, with French aviator Louis Blériot wearing a Zenith on his wrist as he made the first ever flight across the English Channel in 1909. In fact, Zenith were so early to reach the skies that they are the only brand that can use the word “Pilot” on a watch dial, thanks to them being marketing-savvy and trademarking the term. All this is a roundabout way of saying that Zenith’s Pilot collection has some serious cred. This year, the well-received bronzed-case…
Editor’s note: Everyone knows Doxa make a great dive watch, but not as many people know they also produced excellent chronographs in the 1940s and ’50s. This is the story of one of those watches, a black dial Doxa chronograph with a spiral telemeter scale, worth significantly more than the €1200 Paul originally laid down for it. Enjoy. WHAT IS THE STORY OF THIS WATCH? I bought it at the Munich Watch Fair a few years back for 1200 euro. I’ve since been offered 5000 euro for it. I’ve collected watches since I was 11. My grandfather gave me a wristwatch and I’ve been hooked since then. It was an American brand, Gruen Curvex. As a young boy I’d go to flea markets and fairs. It was mechanics and all that. The thing about chronographs is that people don’t use them. It seems to be more about the dial layout. The balance perhaps? This one is beautiful with the outer telemeter scale and the spiral tachymeter scale — very much of the times. It’s a bit like an ironing board, you don’t really use it that often. I actually race cars and I do use a chronograph then, but it’s usually…