Watch Dandy

Parmigiani Fleurier’s Métrographe Chronograph was first introduced at the 2014 Salon International Haute Horlogerie, and it was at that point, envisioned by the company as a versatile and relatively affordable chronograph, with Parmigiani’s signature flowing case lines, that might serve as a point of entry into the company’s offerings and which might broaden its appeal to a younger crowd. The movement at launch was caliber PF315, which is an in-house base movement (caliber PF331) with Dubois Depraz chronograph module, and the 40mm case was designed to suit classic-leaning contemporary tastes. For this year, the Métrographe has gotten a face-lift, although the basic value proposition is the same: versatility, relative affordability, and that hard-to-nail combination of elegance and technical flavor that can, when you get it right, make for a real hit.

Some major news out of Switzerland today. According to a Bloomberg report sent out this morning, Breitling is said to be considering a sale, and the most likely suitors would be luxury-goods companies, according to unnamed sources.

While Phillips and Christie’s offered some superb vintage and modern watches this week in Hong Kong, I would say that many collectors were most rapt with attention over the first three Philippe Dufour Simplicitys that were on offer. I think many had expectations of what they would bring – with estimates ranging from roughly $100,000 to $180,000 for the three watches. The results? Quite a bit stronger.

You could spend weeks traveling through Switzerland today without seeing a single rose engine lathe – the complex machine used for centuries to produce the intricate patterns of the art known as guilloché. But, then, come to the Vallée de Joux, and you’ll find more than a dozen in a single room at the Breguet manufacture. Behind each one, a specialist guillocheur spends his or her day hand-decorating the company’s gold dials, using the very technique developed by Abraham-Louis Breguet himself at the end of the 18th century.