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Goodbye Sarkozy, welcome Hollande

mono — Fri, 11 May 2012 13:19:08 +0000

Goodbye Sarkozy, welcome Hollande is a post from: Monochrome.nl

Nicolas Sarkozy is a man of style. He dresses well and he even has a nice watch collection. This wouldn’t be a topic on Monochrome, if it wasn’t for the photo showing Francois Hollande, the new French president, looking at his watch and actually staring at the clasp!

Let’s first look at some photos showing the watches of the departing French president. There’s a Patek Philippe, a Breitling, an old Rolex Oyster Perpetual (Date or Datejust), a Rolex Daytona white dial and one with a black dial.

The photo above shows a typical inspired or even dramatic way of speeching. Not that I’m an expert in this field, but it seems the signature style of speeching for most French and Italian politicians.

The following photo shows Sarkozy with a Rolex Oyster Perpetual on a jubilee bracelet. From this small photo I cannot determine whether it’s a Oyster Perpetual Date or an Oyster Perpetual Datejust.

Not sure who he is signaling to call. However judging from the ear-to-ear smile it’s most likely a good looking lady, so we guess he signals Carla Bruni, his lovely wife, to call him.

Talking about miss Sarkozy, or Carla Bruni, it was her who gave Sarkozy a very nice president-wrothy timepiece. In 2008 she gave him a Patek Philippe ref. 3940G.

The Patek Philippe ref. 3940G has a round white gold case of 35 mm in diameter. It features a perpetual calendar and moon phase indication. The Patek Philippe reference 3940 perpetual calendar was produced from 1985 to 2006. Because the French news website Le Express states that Carla bought the watch in 2008, maybe she bought a used version?

The calendar functions are presented in a perfect balanced way. That’s one of the things that makes this reference so desirable and also the fact the case measures less than 9 mm in height. Add to that the gorgeous dauphine hands, the silver dial with applied hour markers and a calatrava-like round case resulting in a perfect example of a classic perpetual calendar.

The lousy photo above doesn’t show much details of the beautiful Patek Philippe ref. 3940G. But you can trust me that it does have a gorgeous movement, being caliber 240 Q (stand for quantieme) with 27 jewels, 48 hour power reserve and with the Geneva Seal.

I found another photo of Sarkozy with a Breitling Navitimer on the wrist, but let’s look at the following photo showing Sarkozy saying goodbye with a Rolex Daytona with a white dial on his wrist. Bye mister Sarkozy….

And this is what the next president of France looks like… Let’s justy hope he’s better in politics and leading a country through difficult times, than he is in telling the time. This photo doesn’t give a trustworthy feeling….

This article is written by Frank Geelen, executive editor of Monochrome Watches.

Tempus Fugit and Swatch exhibition in Cite du Temps in Geneva

mono — Sat, 05 May 2012 09:18:40 +0000

Tempus Fugit and Swatch exhibition in Cite du Temps in Geneva is a post from: Monochrome.nl

Two weeks ago we told you about an art exhibition in Geneva. Not just an art exhibition, because there are probably many in the city of Geneva, but one related to watchmaking. Graffiti artist Magaldi Xavier exhibited his interpretation of mechanical movements in the Cite du Temps.

The exhibition of Magaldi Xavier has ended, but a visit to the Cite du Temps might still be a good idea… Tom Hanx, one of our valued readers, went there, wrote a report and made a lot of photos. Not only from the graffiti art, but also from some very rare vintage Swatch models.

Cite Du Temps (City of Time) is a unique building in the heart of Geneva, a stone’s throw from the lake and overlooking the Jet d’Eau. Being in the middle of a bridge right where the river Rhone begins its journey from Lake Geneva, the building is also the venue for many horology related events. Locals seldom slow down, as the Geneva Electricity and Waterworks company has an office on the side of it; tourists are often looking the other way, at the lovely lake and surrounding buildings with famous brands on their top.

Many a brand have hosted parties and private viewings over the years, some making headlines like the anniversary Blancpain Fifty Fathoms and the failed robbery attempt. It is home to a permanent Swatch Exhibition, tracking the history of the brand from 1983 to present day. Those interested in the brand will be happy to know that (almost) all models are on display, categorized in year cabinets, including a few crazy rare prototypes, which have never been for sale.

As Monochrome already reported, the second floor hall recently invited watch and art afficionados to enjoy the small exhibition of Xavier Magaldi titled Tempus Fugit.

On a gloomy Saturday morning I packed my photogear and went to visit it. Cite Du Temps is open for visitors and easy on families – the cafe inside is a good place to enjoy a snack or a cup of coffee while waiting for the more passionate of the family to enjoy the exhibit. If you are lucky with the weather, there is also a sun deck attached to the bridge, so one can also enjoy the fresh air and the view.

Walking in the small hall on the second floor for the Xaview Magali exhibition, one might argue that this dislay is a personal statement more than anything else – you can see how the artist’s grafitti and watchmaking roots blended on the canvas. The earthy colors translate tradition and the watch detail sketches open the window to a watchmaker’s mind. It translates the soul of mechanical watches in a very appealing way making one wonder – which piece inspired this one? Is this the fusee chain a Lange und Söhne Pour le Mérite? Or a metaphore for the belts of a Devon Works?

Do you see resemblance with the sapphire dials of a Vacheron Quai De L’Ille here?

The Yin and Yang of a watch…

Hope you enjoyed this little tour – if you have questions, you can ask on twitter.

About the author: Based in Geneva freelancer, Tom Hanx is the onscreen alias of a passionate watch maven, who is following all things horological, trying to make sense of it all and buy a few watches in the process. Continuously working on his photography skills and watch knowledge, meeting new and exciting people in the watch world every day. You can find Tom Hanx on Twitter @Tom_Hanx

Great exhibition in Geneva – Mechanical Watch Graffiti

mono — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 12:14:28 +0000

Great exhibition in Geneva – Mechanical Watch Graffiti is a post from: Monochrome.nl

Tempus Fugit, or translated Time Flies, is an exhibition of graffiti art displaying mechanical movements. A must see for anyone in Geneva who likes mechanical watches, and I guess in a city like Geneva that will be many people.

Magaldi Xavier has been a graffiti artist since the early 90′s. Besides that he is a watchmaker. In his work he combines these two ‘metiers’ creating a unique view on mechanical movements. His exhibition called Tempus Fugit can be seen in at the Cité du Temps in Geneva until April 29th.

Something about the artist

Xavier Magaldi was born in Geneva in 1975. He clocked up his first experiments with spray-paint in 1989. After qualifying as a watchmaker from the Ecole d’horlogerie de Genève in 2000, he turned his attention to digital graphics and publishing. This wealth of diverse experience led to Xavier Magaldi concentrating on fusing the crafts he now mastered. He uses various techniques originating from street art to integrate elements such as tourbillons and perpetual calendars. The artist draws parallels between street art and horology through a comparison of the precise regulation of the spray can with that of a watch. He also derives visible creative dynamism from the juxtaposition of the meticulous art of watchmaking with the world of graffiti, which often dances provocatively on the borders of legality. The new era of Xavier Magaldi’s work is termed “Post-Graffiti” and expresses the artist’s vision of art, at the same time modern and traditional.

The painting below is called Tourbillon and Xavier Magaldi also created more artworks with names like Quantième Perpetuel (perpetual calendar), Chronographe or Répetition Minute (minute repeater). When you’re not in the position to visit the exhibition, than check out his website here.

Painting exhibition Tempus Fugit

March 28 to April 29, 2012

The City of Time Gallery (Deck Machine) – Geneva

From 9am to 18pm every day (free admission)

Baselworld 2012 – Schnitzel Dinner and the Timezone Watch of the Year 2011

mono — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 16:35:11 +0000

Baselworld 2012 – Schnitzel Dinner and the Timezone Watch of the Year 2011 is a post from: Monochrome.nl

In stead of the usual Weekly Watch Photo I share some photos made by friends. No photos of a watch, but photos of a dinner we enjoyed during Baselworld. A dinner that also was the award ceremony of the Timezone Watch of the Year 2011.

A few weeks ago, during Baselworld 2012, I organized what was supposed to be a small informal dinner for independent watchmakers and online journalists. The responses were overwhelming and we could skip the word ‘small’, however it was still informal and a lot of fun.

I was too busy, making sure that every one had a good time, so I didn’t make any photos myself. Luckily Gerard from In2watches and Ben from Hodinkee made great photos that evening and allowed me to use their photos. Thanx guys!

Let’s take a little look at what happened before…

Guests arrived at the restaurant, talking, having a beer. Like Bert (from team Fratellowatches) and yours truly (yep, with a beard).

Actually the entire Fratellowatches team was enjoying a few beers (Bert, Robert-Jan and Dennis)

When most guests had arrived, William from Timezone talked about the Timezone Watch of the Year. There had be great names who won this award in the past years, like Patek Philippe, Jaeger-LeCoultre (twice), F.P. Journe and… now two watchmakers from the Netherlands.

Mean while Ben from Hodinkee was making some photos with his new camera.

Charris from MB&F (front, right), Ian Skellern and Max Busser (in the back) are listening to William’s speech.

After William handed over the trophy to Tim and Bart Grönefeld for winning the Timezone Watch of the Year 2011 Award with their One Hertz, the roof went off. Tim and Bart, among the very best watchmakers of planet earth, also know how to celebrate and have fun. On the photo below they’re doing their ‘funny’ high five

After the brief but enthusiastic ceremony it was time for dinner. Here’s the Watchonista team (Alexander, Elze-Sophie and Malik on the far right) and Joanna from Ladoire in between.

Ernie from Watchuseek and Max (from MB&F) enjoying dinner and a good conversation.

More photos, much more photos can be found on our befriended websites. Please take a moment to have a look and hopefully you’ll like seeing the enjoyable side of a big and very busy fair that Baselworld is. You can find photos of Lionel Ladoire and Joanna Budzik from Ladoire, Felix Baumgartner from URWERK, Max and Charris from MB&F, Olivier from Speake-Marin, Karsten Freassdorf from Heritage Watch Manufactory, Alessandro and Katidja from De Bethune, Jeff Kuo from Xetum, John from McGonigle Watches and of course Tim and Bart Grönefeld.

Also many friends/colleagues were present: Ernie Romers from Watchuseek, Ben and Blake from Hodinkee, Robert-Jan, Dennis and Bart from team Fratellowatches, Gerard Nijenbrinks from In2watches, Bernard Werk from Watching, the lovely Suryia from Sparkle agency and of course William from Timezone!

Gerard’s photos can be seen here.

Ben’s photos can be seen here.

Watchonista’s photos can be seen here.

Rests me to thank every one for joining this big but informal dinner. Thanx for a great evening! And congrats again to Tim and Bart Grönefeld for a well deserved victory.

Continue Time – Cool Clock by Sander Mulder

mono — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 11:27:07 +0000

Continue Time – Cool Clock by Sander Mulder is a post from: Monochrome.nl

We usually don’t write about clocks, wall clocks that is, however the clock Continue Time is so cool, that we want to make an exception. And maybe the fact that it is designed by a fellow countryman, the Dutch designer Sander Mulder.

One of the cool things about the clock named Continue Time is that all custom made gears are visible. Seeing the technique at work makes it extra appealing to people with a predilection for mechanical movements.

Sander Mulder designed various items, from chandeliers to tables to lamps and even a speaker in the shape of a dog. Like all his designs it has a unique and unusual mix of form and function. And that’s why we like this clock as well. All hands, the hour, minute and seconds hand, are attached to one another and this results in an unusual way to display time.

The video shows some unique details of the clock and towards the end of the video, you can see how it works.

The end piece is the seconds hand, the middle piece is the minute hand and the most central piece is the hour hand. The design looks clean and very modern, with the use of aluminium and brass.

Continue Time isn’t small, it’s maximum diameter measures roughly 2 meters. This clock is available through Sander Mulder’s website and is limited to only 40 pieces.

Check Sander Mulder’s website for more information about his work and ordering details.

PS. We don’t want to withhold the dog shaped speaker named Woofer from you. Very cool!

Give away at Fratellowatches

mono — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 13:38:09 +0000

Give away at Fratellowatches is a post from: Monochrome.nl

Our friends from Fratellowatches are giving away some nice goodies and it’s easy to win. Recently they did a special about the Rolex GMT-Master, featuring many different versions of this classic pilot’s watch.

So,what’s to win? You can win several items used in the photo shoot, being a PME Legend Pilot Jacket (size Large) and a Ray-Ban Aviator (also size Large) in steel. Below you can see Dennis from the Fratello team posing the jacket and sun glasses. Respond to this post on Fratellowatches and like them on Facebook, in order to be included in the draw.

That sounds easy… and it is. So visit our friends at Fratellowatches by clicking the photo above.

The most beautiful watch winders of the world

mono — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 08:15:10 +0000

The most beautiful watch winders of the world is a post from: Monochrome.nl

What happens if the producer of the most luxurious vaults in the world joins forces with a producer of components and customized refinements for customers such as Aston-Martin or Bugatti? Yep… they created something incredibly cool. Is this perhaps the most beautiful and luxurious watch winder?

Well, maybe it isn’t the most luxurious. That honor goes to the Gigantis that was featured by our friends of TheSydneyTarts and which is made by the same people, Kudoe Schli & Matz. Maybe they don’t deserve the prize for the best company name, but luxury watch winders is their business and they really impressed us.

Until now they produced three models, all with a very different design, but also with some things in common. And that’s is the incredible attention for detail and making no compromises when it comes to choosing for the ultimate luxury watch winders.

Kudoe, Schli & Matz is a joint effort of two companies. Bernd Kussmaul and Uwe Matzner have been creating complex solutions for individual components, and customized refinements for customers such as Aston-Martin or Bugatti, Jaeger-LeCoultre. Markus Döttling and Andreas K. Schlittenhardt co-manage the Döttling manufactory, established in 1919, which enjoys a reputation that is unique around the world in the luxury safes.

If the Morphosis is the most beautiful watch winder, you have to determine yourself. We think it’s an incredible machine that looks amazing. The Morphosis has 42 watch winders, two times 21 individually programmable watch-winders. Each is placed in 90-degree position within the stainless steel casing of the Morphosis, so the watches are visible from the front. As you can see on the photo of the touch panel (below), this individually programming is taken very serious!

As soon as you enter your code on the touch panel, the interior starts turning and revealing your watches. But there is more… The Morphosis also has an integrated sound system that can be controlled by your smart phone. How cool is that? Yep… very cool. The materials used are by choice, whether it’s carbon, ray skin, fabric or a fine fur cover and the same applies for all the steel components.

OK, the Morphosis would be slightly out of balance for those with a watch collection worth several hundreds or several thousands of euro/dollar. So for those who have 42 watches and their value calls for a suitable watch winder, than look no further. The Morphosis is available from € 95,000 Euro (ex TAX) and more info can be found at the Kudoe Schli & Matz website.

Weekly Watch Photo – Ochs und Junior Due Ore

mono — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 16:25:55 +0000

Weekly Watch Photo – Ochs und Junior Due Ore is a post from: Monochrome.nl

It’s simple. If you want a perfect Weekly Watch Photo, than simply ask the Watch Photographer. Because Ochs und Junior are visiting the Netherlands for a brunch meeting, we asked the Watch Photographer to do his magic on the Ochs und Junior Due Ore.

Tomorrow, Sunday 11th of December is the Ochs und Junior brunch meeting in Villa Augustus (Netherlands). Beat Weinmann will present the newest watches and Ludwig Oechslin’s smart innovations. This is interesting material of every watch fan! Do you really think a moon phase needs 40-50 parts? Ludwig Oechslin thought otherwise….

And Oechslin was right, he showed the entire watch industry that smart innovations are still possible. The Selene features the most accurate moon phase in a wrist watch ever and it comprises of only 5 parts! So no 30, 40 or 50 parts, no just five (5) parts!

During the brunch meeting at Villa Augustus, Beat Weinmann will show the Ochs und Junior Selene and other models like the one pictured above and below, the Due Ore, to the guests. Later this month we’ll do an extended review of the Due Ore.

Many thanx to Bert a.k.a. the Watch Photographer for the beautiful photos. Check out his 2012 calendar of Rolex watches and get your copy before Christmas!

SalonQP 2011 starts this Thursday at The Saatchi Gallery – London

mono — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 15:30:10 +0000

SalonQP 2011 starts this Thursday at The Saatchi Gallery – London is a post from: Monochrome.nl

This Thursday, SalonQP starts again and offers you a unique chance to discover the finest watches and meet the most interesting brands in the world. Does this sound excessive? Well we know it’s true!

Unlike Baselworld or the SIHH, SalonQP really offers the chance for every watch aficionado to walk in and have talk with people representing the brands. And not only people representing the major brand, also many of the greatest independent watchmakers are there.

SalonQP is a very accesible watch fair, which makes it easy to have chat with brands and independent watchmakers, discuss their watches and maybe try something on your wrist. To name just a few…

Maîtres du Temps will be there with the new Chapter Two with chocolat dial, Heritage Watch Manufactory will be showing their magnificent chronometers and Roger Smith, a watchmaker that we have covered frequently on Moncohrome.

Also present are De Bethune, the Belgian horological treat Ressence, the great Peter Speake-Marin and MB&F will be showing their new Legacy Machine 1. If you’re planning to visit we can also recommend to have a chat with the people from Bremont, a young Brittish watch brand.

And if you’re done with walking and talking (of course while enjoying a nice glass of something), there are several other things having a look at the ‘History of Watchmaking’ exhibition curated by the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie and interactive workshops origanized by Jaeger-LeCoultre.

There are over 40 brands showcasing their products at SalonQP this year, please take a look at the full list of exhibitors on the SalonQP Exhibitors page. On the website you can also information about directions, admission and everything else you need to know before you will dive into the horological feast called SalonQP. Have fun!

Win a trip to Piaget with Hodinkee

mono — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 11:38:41 +0000

Win a trip to Piaget with Hodinkee is a post from: Monochrome.nl

Would you like to win an all-expenses-paid trip to Switzerland and visit both Piaget manufactures? Our friend from Hodinkee teamed up with Piaget and offer exactly that!

Yes that’s right, you can win a trip to Switzerland and get to visit the two Piaget Manufactures. This is an opportunity to get a look inside and see how Piaget creates their elegant and stylish timepieces, like the Altiplano created for Only Watch or the Emperador Coussin XL Tourbillon. Want to know how to win this trip?

In order to be entered in the random draw, you must need to have the answers on a load of questions. The answers can be found in Hodinkee’s must-read review of the Piaget Altiplano. So start reading, studying, making notes… and win that magnificent trip, all expenses paid, to Switzerland and visit both Piaget Manufactures. To the person who wins… we envy you

Here you can read how to enter the contest.

Oh… you have until November 17th, 2011.