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“This exclusive version of our Trunk Blandford field jacket has been created in collaboration with our friend Justin Hast. Well known in the world of watches, Justin is a photographer, editor and creative consultant. For this version of the Blandford, we worked with him to chose a new fabric for our classic field jacket shape, landing on a lightly waxed British Millerain fabric in a ranger camouflage pattern. The Trunk for Justin Hast Blandford Waxed Cotton Field Jacket is limited to just 5 pieces.”
I was humbled to have been able to design this with the Trunk team!
My old pal Tom Chamberlain from The Rake kindly asked me to pen a few words about the now legendary square watch from Bell & Ross.
Prior to Watches & Wonders 2022 I had the pleasure of visiting IWC and filming with Mr Christian Knoop. We talk Top Gun in this episode. Enjoy!
The good folks at Square Mile magazine asked for my opinion on the Royal Oak.
My dear friend and head of watches at MR PORTER Chris Hall was kind enough to ask me to write a story on IWC in the 80’s & 90’s.
I was asked by the good folks at The Saleroom what my favourite pick up from their platform has ever been - so here it is :)
Vacheron Constantin are THE definition of elegance. Whenever I am approached by a friend who is looking to get a “proper” watch (like top notch) - I always suggest they consider Vacheron. News from its HQ this week is that it will be donating a Les Cabinotiers timepiece to the Louvre Museum as part of the "Bid for the Louvre" online auction.
The watch is a bespoke one-of-a-kind model, whose dial will reproduce in miniature enamel or grisaille enamel an artwork kept in the Louvre Museum and chosen by its buyer. This unique offer, is part of a larger and joint effort from leading luxury Maisons and contemporary artists to support the solidarity projects of Le Louvre. 100% of the sale proceeds will be donated.
The "Bid For the Louvre" sale (online from 1st – 15th December) has been organised by the Louvre Museum and Christie's, with the support of Drouot.
The Vacheron Constantin's Les Cabinotiers watch is the only horological lot among the unique and exclusive pieces put up for auction. Check more our here.
For the first time, the Royal Oak Double Balance Wheel Openworked comes in that sexy black ceramic case and bracelet. As you’d expect from AP the finishing is meticulous, with the Manufacture’s trademark alternation of satin-brushing and polishing. While I am and always will also be a Jumbo guy - this is off the charts cool - and I can already see one across the room, gazing in ore in years to come.
More info here.
Lets face it - there’s nothing more fun than spotting a watch you recognise on a sportsman or actor (well there is - but i’m talking to you watch geeks). And for that reason, this news today is fantastic. For the first time in its history, Panerai, will serve as “Official Timekeeper” of the PRADA Cup taking place from January 15th to February 24th 2021 in Auckland (NZ), and the Challenger Selection Series for the 36th America’s Cup presented by PRADA. The race will establish which team will compete against the Defender, Emirates New Zealand in the America’s Cup final in March 2021. I personally am looking forward to seeing how the watches hold up in this conditions - no doubt they will be put to the test!
It is a sporty 44mm ceramic + titanium case with three proprietary colours of Badgerite lume. And while I have been a LW fan for many years - this might just be my favourite combo thus far! good lord I’d wear the hell out of it!!
More here.
Many say one of the hardest things from a design perspective in watchmaking is to make a time only watch look unique, interesting and exciting. Few have been as successful at this then Laurent Ferrier. The brand captured my heart the moment I saw them at William & Son in Mayfair years ago. The sheer elegance of the case and movement speaks for itself. Anyway, here is a deeper look at the men behind the brand - hope you enjoy:
Christian, growing up with your father, was watchmaking always set to be part of your working life?
I think so yes.
Several fields have interested me a lot during my life and even today I am convinced that I would have had an exciting career in the field of biology. Finally, I chose the path of microtechnology. I was able to touch the field of robotics for my diploma work as well as the one of space in a research laboratory for my first job. Despite a very "open" professional career beginning, I returned to watchmaking fairly quickly. This is where I have my friends and the history of my family for several generations. So I’ve decided to keep writing this story and I love working on our LF calibers. They are technically very interesting and above all aesthetically fascinating to design. (CF)
What was the first watch you both owned and loved?
A Breitling Chrono Datora, it was a gift from my father. I love to wear it from time to time. (LF)
The most memorable for me was the 1970 Heuer Autavia that my father had offered himself just after a race in 1971 and that he entrusted to me when I started my career in the watch industry.
It is a vintage piece but with a design that crosses time and trends perfectly. (CF)
Has there been a watch design that has influenced you over the others?
All the classic watches have necessarily influenced me. More than 37 years of career at Patek Philippe have left their mark on the watchmaker that I am. (LF)
Whether for cases or calibers, all LF pieces are inspired by our very first timepiece, the Galet Classic Tourbillon double-balance spring. But before this one was born, I found inspiration in the calibers of pocket watches that we encountered in chronometry competitions of the past century. I particularly liked the caliber and design of the 1946 Jaeger LeCoultre JLC170, 1946 which is, I’ve just realized, the date of birth of my father. (CF)
How long did it take to bring the LF brand to life?
As you know we first thought about creating our own timepiece in 1979 after winning the third place of the overall ranking at the 24 Hours of le Mans. But to make our dream come true took about two years. I was 62 years old at that time, it was now or never.(LF)
What was the greatest obstacle?
Building the Galet Classic Tourbillon double balance spring first was truly easy because it was our dream watch, the one we had dreamt of for many years and I had the chance to have carte blanche to build this timepiece so that actually was the easy part. (LF)
Then we have created the whole brand and our DNA around this timepiece, the only obstacle we first encountered was to choose the right path to take for the brand.(CF)
Ultimately, I think it was the doubt of not knowing how would be received our watch and how far we could go with this brand that was the hardest at the very beginning. (LF)
How did you approach the business side of watchmaking as the creator and maker yourself?
We have always made the watches we want to wear, without really worrying about the potential expectations of customers. It is, my friend, the co-founder and now President of the brand, François Servanin who’s in charge of the business side. The main idea of classic watches before Laurent Ferrier obviously existed but attention was particularly given to the dials and calibers of course, but in my opinion, the cases remained very technical and were relegated to the background from a design point of view. So, with our brand, I just wanted to restore its nobility to the watch case by integrating it within the general design of the entire watch. (LF)
Absolutely, we sometimes like to challenge ourselves on what has never been done before that we would like to see on a watch but it is the only business-related aspect we deal with when creating a new timepiece. (CF)
Where do you find inspiration for design?
With Christian, we like the purest and minimalist pieces possible and we try to remain focus on this perspective. (LF)
It often starts from a simple line, curve, or even a color ... and then all the rest of the design is created from it. A good example with our Bridge One where the entire middle case results from the spherical sapphire crystal. (CF)
We didn’t invent anything, it’s always a balanced mix of curves and straight lines. (LF)
When are you both at your happiest?
When a new creation arrives on our desk ... and it happens often! (LF)
Indeed, and for my part, I will add the moment when Basile, our head watchmaker, comes up to me to tell me that the new caliber is working properly… It is a very stressful moment for a watch manufacturer because the possibilities of making a mistake even the smallest are numerous when designing a brand new caliber. (CF)
How do you view the current state of trade shows, how do you feel is best to show clients and the industry your new watches?
Trade shows are always a magnificent showcase, they make customers, retailers, and actors of the whole industry move around the world. Now the internet is more and more a magnificent catalog, but we need to be able to put our watches on the client's wrist so that they could feel the timepiece. Our watches do not only tell the time, but they also provide emotion. (LF)
There are many shows and events around the world today and we cannot be physically behind each watch to introduce it. Behind every watches, there is a lot of interesting information. It is therefore very important that the Internet and the media prepare the ground for information and visuals. Then come the trade shows with the physical discovery of the watch where people can see it with their own eyes, touch and wear it. It is only afterward, often during live meetings with collectors for example, that we can push the explanations further on the many details and anecdotes. (CF)
What is it that makes LF unique?
We make the watches we would really like to wear and we try our best to remain in a timeless design and pure lines, far from all the trends which go as fast as they came. We have the chance to be a small brand and we take time to do things properly whereas in big factories it’s all about productivity and yield. (LF)
Among independent watchmakers, we form a father & son duo who have worked together on creation from the start of the adventure. We are fortunate enough to be able to make watches we would love to wear and as we like the same things in watch design, the future seems quite set for a while.
What are the characteristics of a LF collector?
The discretion the love for pure shapes and the will to own a watch that you could still want to wear in 50 years. (LF)
I might add that they find a deep appeal in our very limited production as we don’t produce more than 150 watches per year. Also, the story of the brand, of Laurent, François, and myself, a family business might be more appealing to a collector than all prebuilt made up stories that big factories could tell. Collectors, seasoned or not, seem more sensitive to this type of authentic watchmaking. (CF)
What are you both most proud of?
In ten years, we managed to launch a quite pleasing collection and that is something to be proud of. Most of all, we are proud to have started our own brand at a time when the economic context was unfavorable and where many people were trying to discourage us. (LF)
I don't particularly feel pride in myself or what I have created. However, I am very proud of my father and all that he has accomplished in his life. (CF)
What does success look like for you personally and professionally for both of you?
We both have an incredible privilege to do what we love and to be able to make a living from it. We have also received some awards and many compliments from customers which really touched us. We are also hopeful for the future and we look forward to concretize many projects on the way. (LF)
Is there a design you are working on currently?
Absolutely, we never stop creating and we still have multiple projects for years to come, on new movements or on aesthetic evolutions of our models. You will have to continue to follow us closely to find out! Novelties are coming very soon… (LF)
For more from Laurent Ferrier hit here.
My favourite Parisian watchmaker - Bell & Ross just dropped an extension of its BR05 collection that caused such stir last year in 2019. My love of what the brand does goes back a decade, when I locked eyes with a square, pilots dash tool for the wrist while on holiday in Nice. Unlike anything else, it was love at first sight. Loved by many, disregard by some, the brand still moves forewords into new territories and here are the two new references - let me know what you think in the comments:
BR 05 SKELETON BLUE
Limited Edition of 500 pieces + Available on a blue rubber strap or on a satin-polished steel bracelet (£5,200/£5,600).
BR 05 BLACK STEEL & GOLD
Available on a black rubber strap or on a bi-material 18ct rose gold and satin-polished steel bracelet (£5,200/£8,800)
For more info, head over to Bell & Ross.
How far do you allow the mind to wonder into the future?
Many years ago I walked into William & Son here in London. They were in fact the first retailer to give me a break - as a young buck with a watch site and a heart full of passion. To this day I still speak regularly to Mark Blundell its old PR Manager - a great man. There were two watches that caught my eye in those early days - one from Laurent Ferrier - its seamlessly elegant case was almost organic in its beauty. The second was the Upside Down, a watch that you really have to see in action to believe. Beautiful in its simplicity and effortlessly cool. As a continuation of my independent watch making series of interviews, the last being from Habing2, It was a real pleasure being able to ask Ludovic Ballouard a few questions about business, design and life. You will feel this in his answers, but Ludovic is universally recognised in the industry as one of the good dudes. So here it is - enjoy!
Ludovic, how did you come to watches?
By chance (as very often in Life). From a very young age, I have always been attracted by the infinitely small, this is why I started very young the practice of aeromodelling, my hands have always had this need to hold in them a screwdriver or any tool. At the age of 16 I therefore wanted to become a dental technician and it was by learning about this job that an adviser asked me, and why not a watchmaker? When I heard this word that I had never thought of before, I never wanted to do anything other than Watchmaking, it was a real revelation for me.
What was the first watch you owned and loved?
I was 8 years old and I dreamed of wearing a mechanical watch when most of my friends dreamed of a soccer ball or a bicycle. My Grandmother offered it to me. I had very small wrists and I remember that this watch had a very small diameter, ideal for a child. It was made of steel and it was a KELTON
How long did it take to bring the LB brand to life?
When I was a child, I always had in mind the idea and the desire to be independent in life. After watchmaking school, I worked in aeronautics for 10 years as an aircraft board instrument technician, then 10 years in watchmaking, including 3 with Frank Muller and 7 with Francois Paul Journe. I had ideas for a new watch concept already at school but I lacked experience… it was at the age of 39 and after working on the biggest existing complications such as the Grande Sonnerie by FPJ that I thought it was now time to take off on my own with my own ideas. My brand has been around for over 10 years now and there is no reason why it should ever stop since I am 100% independent.
What was the greatest obstacle?
I started in 2009 and my biggest obstacle was to have started in the middle of the global financial crisis. It was not certainly the best time to start but I believed it anyway and finally I was right to believe it since I am still here.
How did you approach the business side of watchmaking as the creator and maker yourself?
I carefully watched how my former employers worked, I selected the best to use them for myself and I also retained their errors so as not to reproduce them in my turn. I think the biggest mistakes I have seen and still see is trying to get too big and too fast which is impossible without financial partners. Only here, the day it goes bad, these same financial partners let you go and there it is very often the death of the brand and your dream, so my first lesson and the most important is to remain completely independent. My production will therefore be limited to less than 20 pieces per year, but that to the delight of my collectors
Where do you find inspiration for design?
I find inspiration in everyday life. For the Upside Down, I found inspiration in the 2008 financial crisis, the media around the world was talking about the numbers falling down so I thought if only one kept looking up, then that was enough to continue living. Upside Down is a hymn to optimism and it also reminds you that the present moment remains the most important thing to live. For Half Time, the inspiration came from Love ... when two halves are found to form only one.
With my wife and my son. During the day I work in the workshop accompanied by my wife and in the evening we find our son who loves playing with my tools and my radio-controlled planes. They give me happiness and inspiration
How do you view the current state of trade shows, how do you feel is best to show clients and the industry your new watches?
I think we are in a transitional period. Myself in recent years I have left the lounges of the centers of interest that I like like model aircraft and fishing for example. I was trapped by the addiction to the mobile phone and to online shopping, but after 2 months of lockdown I finally realize the importance of freedom and I therefore planned to return to the salons to see the latest news and especially talking about it verbally which is not possible with a tablet. So I think it will be the same in the world of watchmaking, that people will abandon their touchscreen tablet for a return to relationships that are much more human and that are even more essential to us today after what we have just to cross.
What is it that makes LB unique?
My complications are unique since they are all patented, my production is limited to less than 20 pieces per year, my components are 100% made in Switzerland and assembled in Switzerland by myself. You will therefore be sure to wear a fully Swiss watch with a unique complication that you will not find on the wrists of thousands or millions of people.
What does success look like for you personally and professionally?
Personally, it is to succeed in a Family Life in Love, professionally, it is to be able to live in a profession that you love. I am incredibly proud we are still independent.
Have you a design you are working on currently?
Yes, but I can't tell you anything because I never show something that has not been completely accomplished. Nothing less, I can offer you a clue: LESS IS MORE
“Only the present moment has a meaning”
(this is the slogan of my brand)
For for from LB - click here.
It’s the long lost brother of the Nautilus, cousin of the Royal Oak and older brother of the Overseas. The Piaget Polo, all too often, and unfairly I think, gets lost in the myriad of steel sports watches. There is a lot to love here, aside from the fact it is a great deal more affordable than the others - the Green edition is limited to 888 pieces and priced at £10,900. Thats a whole £7k more approachable than the Overseas and £13/14k than the Nautilus and Royal Oak.
The 42m stainless steel case boasts an integrated bracelet that alternates between polished and satin-finished surfaces in an “H” link design. The winner here is the green dial paired with pink-gold coloured hands, gold indexes and date window frame.And it doesn’t stop with what you can see here, this sucker is powered by Piaget’s 1110P self-winding movement that has a slate-grey-coloured oscillating weight that can be admired through a sapphire crystal caseback. Piaget is also a sensationally elegant brand that any dude should feel proud to rock. This gets my vote.
For more info head over here.
The deeper you get into the watch world, the deeper you find yourself in places you never thought you ever would be. Kind of like how you saw your parents gardening as a child or watching Antiques Roadshow and never thought you’d do it yourself. Well, clocks and pocket watches are that for me. And Christie’s will be presenting a unique collection of 101 Cartier Clocks, with a history spanning more than 80 years of clockmaking at Cartier, at auction on July 1st in Geneva. Not one to be missed.
The collection was created over a period of 30 years, and has a pre-sale estimate of CHF 3.9 million to CHF 5.7 million, with individual estimates starting at CHF 8,000. Here are 5 of my favourites:
Lot 1
Art Deco Onyx, Enamel and Ruby ‘Mignonette’ Clock, Cartier
Estimate: CHF 15,000 - 20,000
Lot 80
Art Deco mother of pearl, onyx, jade and enamel desk clock, Cartier
Estimate: CHF 70,000 - 100,000
Lot 68
Mid-20th century Lapis-Lazuli, Agate and Diamond clock, Cartier
Estimate: CHF 80,000 - 120,000
Lot 102
Belle époque ‘Planet semi mystery day and night’ desk clock, Cartier
Estimate: CHF 140,000 - 200,000
Lot 99
Belle époque enamel, ivory and diamond clock, Cartier
Estimate: CHF 40,000 - 50,000
Without a shadow of a doubt, one of the coolest guys in the watch industry, Jorn is the co-founder of Linde Werdelin, an adventure meets St Tropez chic brand driven by nordic design, Swiss engineering and based in London. Hope you enjoy this brief chat Jorn and I had recently:
Jorn, how did you come to watches?
I’m fourth generation in the watch and jewelry industry so it’s in my DNA, but a more important milestone was my grandmother letting me choose a Timex as my first watch when I was about 5 years old. When we started Linde Werdelin in 2002 it was a combination of love for watches/design and skiing.
What was the first watch you owned and loved?
The first real mechanical watch that I owned was the Cartier Santos when it launched in 1980.
How long did it take to bring the LW brand to life?
It’s an ongoing development and continual evolution. There is a point where you move from community to a brand and that can take decades.
What was the greatest obstacle?
Ourselves - in the sense you want so many things to go right too quickly; time and patience and a bit of luck works wonders.
You now operate a very different model to back then - do you look back and wish you had acted differently?
Ohh yes - I wish i had taken a lot of decisions much quicker and intuitively
What are the key attributes to how you currently operate?
Flexible, customer centric, evolutionary and our own path
What are you most proud of at LW?
That we are still here and doing well. It is for a multitude of reasons very hard to build a watch business - to be relevant to existing and new clients.
What does success look like moving forward at LW?
Continue to create products, values and ideas that resonate with our clients
Hit LW up here.
I was fortunate enough to go to Monaco for the first time last year for the boat show. What a 24 hours. While the excesses made me consider what was actually important in life, the energy and natural beauty was sublime. This week sees TAG Heuer partner with the Automobile Club de Monaco. The ACM showcase event is the the iconic Grand Prix de Monaco Historique which looks to be a wonderfully elegant gathering of vintage car lovers. Tag is also introducing a new watch to mark the occasion.
This limited-edition Monaco timepiece dedicated to the Grand Prix de Monaco Historique features the signature red-and-white colour code that is reminiscent of eye-catching sports cars from the thrilling world of motor racing. The small silver historic car logo of the Grand Prix de Monaco Historique at the 1 o’clock position on the crimson brushed dial instantly links this special model to the historic race. This model is produced in a limited edition of 1,000 watches, each of which is engraved with its unique number and the words “One of 1000”. The stainless-steel case back of this iconic square model has a transparent sapphire glass with the Grand Prix de Monaco Historique logo printed on the inside through which the sophisticated Calibre Heuer 02 in-house mechanical movement is visible. With a total of 168 individual components, including a column wheel. Further info over at Tag.
