In-Depth – Jacob & Co – The Method Behind the Madness
One of the most sensational watches presented at Baselworld 2018 is a creation by Jacob & Co. The uber-complex Twin Turbo Furious is a beast of a watch featuring an insane, staggering combination of complications: a double high-speed triple axis tourbillion; a decimal minute repeater; and a mono-pusher chronograph with reference time indication! For some, the discovery that the most complex watch of Baselworld was a ‘Jacob the jeweller’ creation came as a surprise, for others who have been following the brand, the Twin Turbo Furious is representative of the spectacular, mind-bogglingly complicated watches the brand is capable of producing.
As far as cool watch names go, this watch has one of the coolest: I mean, the head of the viper — it doesn’t get much more rock than that. And while the story behind the name is less viper lounge and more viper observatory, the watch itself easily lives up to its rock star name. It’s big, it’s blue, it’s made of ceramic and has a freaking tourbillon in it. What more could you want? Not much. Even the strap, alligator backed with rubber, is cool. And while the watch is hardly an object lesson in subtlety, I was surprised at how well the whole package works together — no single element overpowers the others. I was expecting this watch to be all about that blue ceramic case, but the blue is refreshingly muted, which makes for a watch I would easily wear, even though I’m not a rock star … TAG Heuer’s Carrera Calibre 02 Tourbillon Tête de Vipère Australian pricing and availability TAG Heuer’s Carrera Calibre 02 Tourbillon Tête de Vipère, $26,750, available at TAG Heuer boutiques.
If you happen to be a watch fan or a space enthusiast, this Thursday in Australia is the day you’ve been waiting for, with the opening of Universal Pictures’ First Man. Based on the book by James R. Hansen, the movie chronicles the life of Neil Armstrong in the years leading up to the historic Apollo 11 mission to the moon in 1969. It’s directed by Oscar-winning director Damien Chazelle, and stars known watch collector Ryan Gosling. It should come as no surprise then that a movie about the moon landing is also going to be Omega watch-spotting heaven. If you’re into watches (you’re here, so I’m going to assume you are) then you might already know the story of the famed Omega Moonwatch. But if not, I’ll quickly break it down. In 1964, NASA put the call out to the watch brands of the world, searching for a watch that could qualify for use on their manned missions. Officially announcing the Omega Speedmaster as “Flight Qualified for all Manned Space Missions” on March 1, 1965, and beginning the Speedmaster’s journey into space on the wrists of astronauts on the final Mercury missions as well as during the Gemini, Apollo, Skylab…
Editor’s note: When I began the hunt for my first “good” watch I came up with a list of certain criteria: a black dial, 40 – 44 mm case size, and good looks. However, the main one was that it needed to be a chronograph. It was the added allure of a more complex inside paired with an incredibly useful function that made the complication an absolute must-have in my eyes. Whether you feel the same, or have your own preferences, there’s more than one reason to love a chronograph. In fact, here are six … Chronographs are amongst the most popular complications with collectors. Perhaps because people use them for important timing events in their daily lives or — more likely — they speak to the spirit of adventure and action that’s hard to resist. Whatever the reason, here are six that have stood the test of time. Breitling Navitimer Rattrapante The Navi has been around since forever (or early ’50s at least), but we haven’t seen a split-seconds version before. Turns out it was worth the wait. $14,900 TAG Heuer Autavia One of TAG Heuer’s mightiest chronos is the Autavia, which is back in fine form for 2017. If your taste…
