Just Because – The Patek Philippe 5178G Minute Repeater Cathedral Gongs (and its sound)

Recently, Xavier and I had the pleasure to visit Patek Philippe’s manufacture, from the case and bracelet factory to the Haute Horlogerie ateliers. It’s only once you’ve been there that you can understand that something special is going on, especially at the HH workshop. Patek Philippe minute repeaters, which are manufactured there, have always been known to be best-in-class. And believe me, they are. To understand why we had the rare opportunity to go hands-on with the latest addition to the collection, the Patek Philippe 5178G – which is also the occasion to explain the concept of Cathedral Gongs and, of course, we have the sound too.

8 years ago

HANDS-ON: The Martenero Kerrison

Since 2014, New York-based Martenero have been quietly making a name for themselves amongst the enthusiasts of the microbrand watch community. Their formula is of simple dials with bright pops of colour, paired with a twisted lug case – with the exception of their straight-edged Edgemere – brought to life by a desire to create classically-styled watches with a clean and modern look. This year they’ve taken a far-reaching approach to expand their five-watch catalogue, with their sixth release launched via crowdfunding website Kickstarter. The Kerrison more than tripled its pledge goal and I expect we’ll see it become a regular part of the stable next year. If you’re already familiar with Martenero, you might recognise the Kerrison’s basic design and silhouette. It’s a reimagining of one of their earlier models, the Marquis. The brand’s dressiest option and their most traditional. However, the Kerrison takes on a more casual everyday vibe that, in a pinch, can also answer the call up to suit duty. Some fine-tuning and a selection of brighter colourways. And it’s their most versatile watch to date. Spanning the line between dressy and sporty. Starting with a face that’s largely unchanged. The Kerrison uses the same dial…

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8 years ago

INSIGHT: James H. Ragan and his Omega Speedmasters

Editor’s note: Matt Hranek’s now sold-out book, A Man and His Watch, is one of the real standouts of the watch year, a beautiful and thoughtful text, packed with 76 stories of watches and the people who wear them. So taken were we by this book, we asked Matt if it would be possible to republish a few of his interviews. He kindly said yes.  JAMES H. RAGAN former aerospace engineer, NASA Omega Speedmaster Moonwatches I didn’t get to NASA until the start of the Gemini days, and watches were just one of many, many pieces I tested and procured as part of the flight equipment. It was crucial for each astronaut to have a flight watch to time an event or experiment. Mission control did the critical timing, but if they lost communication with the astronauts — like when they were out on the lunar surface — the astronauts needed watches as a backup. Otherwise, they wouldn’t know how much time was left on their suits before they ran out of oxygen. As a government entity, you can’t just go out and buy pieces of hardware and look at them — you have to do a competitive government procurement,…

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8 years ago

Review – The Piaget Altiplano Ultimate Automatic 910P, The New World’s Thinnest Automatic Watch

Piaget and ultra-thin are two words that go together very well. For over 60 years now, the brand has developed a true expertise in ultra-thin watches and movements (don’t forget that Piaget started its life as a movement manufacturer and not as a jeweller). From the Calibre 9P to the recent 900P, the brand has gone from one world-record to another. Last year, a certain Italian-rooted brand unveiled what was the thinnest automatic movement in current production… Today Piaget comes with their answer. They took one the thinnest hand-wound watches in the world, the Altiplano 900P, and added a peripheral rotor making it an automatic. And not just an automatic but the world’s thinnest automatic wristwatch.

8 years ago