Independents

Antiqua wearing impressions

 

Antiqua wearing impressions (with new photos)

by GaryG

Well, it's only been a week, but I have been wearing the Antiqua the great majority of that time and have made a loooong list of wearing impressions.  I hope that you are not getting "Antiqua fatigue" from this rapid-fire series of posts, but I am really inspired by this watch!  That's not to say that it's the perfect timepiece -- haven't found that one yet, but the quest is great fun.  That said, the "love" column substantially outstrips the "not sure" and "don't love" categories on this one.  All photos are mine, including some from our January 2011 visit to Vianney's atelier.  Without further ado, let's get going...

What I love about this watch:

1. One word: Steampunk.

The design ethic really appeals to me, and I dig the whole idea of "the future as predicted by the past" as a guiding principle.  We see the future through the lens of present-day items and technologies -- so having a submarine or space ship with heavy, riveted windows would seem to make perfect sense. 

2. Started "it" all -- the modern design movement in watches.  I received a message from a well-known industry figure the other day (let's call him "Max B.") who called the Antiqua "the missing link between tradtional and contemporary watchmaking."  I think that Max would know!  Put another way, the Antiqua itself (in Missing Link" guise) can be seen as an object that itself drew on the past to predict the future.

3.  That case.  Not just the design, but the finishing.  If there are cases that are more beautifuly done, I have yet to see them.  And, my sense is that the case design works to keep the finishing intact -- my watch is a fairly early production number, and the edges and polished surfaces still look great.  There seems to have been a great deal of thought given as well to which surfaces and edges to finish in what way -- whether brushed or polished, beveled at what angles, etc.

4.  More on the case: the portholes are gorgeous, and the polished inner chapter rings give real life the watch, reflect the dial indices in interesting ways, and throw light on the dials themselves.  SJX' great review was where I first read about these chapter rings, and he's absolutely right in calling them out as a key feature of the design.

5.  Rivets.  Lots and lots of rivets -- according to Vianney's website, 104 in all (I haven't counted them).  Different colors, sizes, and shapes -- all finished and installed by hand.

6.  The crown, which is rivet-studded and sits on a base that itself features four rivets.  See also my comment on the crown in the "not sure" section below -- but it is a work of art:

7.  It may not be obvious in the photos, but the main porthole for the hours and minutes is large enough that its edge covers the center of the underlying case.  This may not seem a big deal, but when I briefly owned a VH Contemporaine the center point of the circular graining of the "table" fronting the case always drew my eye.  As a result, I was obsessed with the solid case as opposed to seeing the open windows.  With the Antiqua, the effect is just the opposite.

8.  Underneath it all, it's bascially a round watch.

9.  The fact that the hands sit above the main body of the watch allows the main body to be quite thin for an automatic QP watch.  And, the bezels are not only of different sizes, they are different in height -- really drawing the eye whenever you see the watch at an angle.

10.  There are pushers (month and day of the week) but they are seamlessly integrated into the case design and execution.

11.  The watch sits beautifully on the wrist, as you can see above.  I don't have a big wrist, but the size of the watch is great and the lug design allows the strap to come straight down around each side of the wrist.  By the way, the idea that the Antiqua is a huge (or even big) watch is sorely mistaken.  I know that some early reviews characterized it as large and bulky, but I find that difficult to believe even by 1998 standards.  By today's measures, this is actually a quite modest piece.  For comparison, here's the Antiqua with another favorite:

For the picture below, I used the miracle that is Photoshop to overlay the case of the Antiqua on  the Observatoire (both taken from the same image).  The main body of the Antiqua is actually smaller than that of the 38mm Observatoire.

12.  Great lugs.  Very interestingly shaped and attached with half-moon extensions to the case -- and as noted above, really helpful in making the strap hug the wrist:

visib

13.  Nice strap -- as you can see in the photo above, there is a semi-circular indentation to make it match the lug.  Semi-gloss croc, with a rounded end a la Lange to ease it through the clasp.  The strap on my watch must be an extra-long as I'm on the last hole, but it still works just fine. 

14.  Before I leave the exterior features, I should mention the rich golden glow of the RG version.  The color of the gold itself is super, and the fact that the "table" of the watch is both RG and visible (although not too visible thanks to the size of the portholes) gives this watch a warm feel that's hard to describe (and difficult to capture in photos).

15.  As an adjunct, this watch looks great in indirect light, especiallly pink light late in the day.  More on the flip side of this later, but in pink or soft light the combo of RG and the PT dials can't be beat.

16.  Speaking of the platinum dials: they are fantastic!  The decision to use platinum was an inspired one, and gives the watch a really distinctive look.  Compare below with the silvered dial of the Observatoire -- it's a completely different look:

Each dial is multi-part, has different levels, and different finishes (frosted and grained).  And, the dials are clearly visible because the crystals have AR coatings.

The dials start life as separate pieces, and are hand engraved, which with platinum is no easy feat.  I understand that on the gold dials used on Vianney's other watches, the numerals and divisions are pre-scribed -- but on the PT dials of the Antiqua, it's all done free-hand.  Once the markings are engraved, they are filled with lacquer.  Here's a view of some dial parts before lacquering:

What else?  Lots:

17.  The hands: great shapes, nicely domed, and beautifully blued.

18.  The posts on which the hands sit -- thick shafts with rounded, mirror-bright tops. 

19.  Let's not forget the movement!  First of all, it's a QP -- what else for a time traveler to take?  Second, the design had to be tremendously inventive to put the indications in the appropriate spots on the surface of the watch.  There's also a lot going on in terms of multiple vertical planes -- not as much as a Datograph, perhaps, but still quite impressive. 

Note the finishing on this side of the movement -- really pretty.

20.  The movement has an instantaneous day/date change at midnight -- I do mean instantaneous, and I do mean right at midnight!  Both the day hand and the date wheel snap over with an audible sound as the hour and minute hands align at the top of the dial.  I haven't seen what happens at month end -- will be interesting to see whether the month change is as rapid.

21.  The year indicator points directly to the middle of the year (1, 2, 3, or LY) -- none of the creeping around that one sees with other QPs.

22.  28,800 VPH, ticking away almost silently.

23. The famous (and patented) mystery rotor, with the sapphire section connecting the rim and center -- and lots of rivets.  The rotor spins like a top at the slightest provocation, with the whirring rivets giving a real sense of movement.

24.  The hidden transition to the balance cock from the main bridge.  If you look carefully you can see it in the photo above, but from most angles it is almost impossible to see: 

25.  It takes 900 hours of labor to make.

26.  It comes with a matching winder box.  Rather unfortunately, someone in the chain of custody of this particular piece kept the winder (dang!) so I am now on a quest to find another...

27.  Speaking of winders, the winder feel is silky smooth.  It's an automatic watch, so there won't be that many opportunities to wind it, but the action is almost effortless.

28.  I can now interact with Vianney as an owner rather than just a fan:

29.  It is an impossibly beatiful thing made in chaotic surroundings.

30.  The good bits peek out from under your dress shirt 

31.  As Steve Jobs said when he introduce the iPad: "it is just so lovely to hold!"  And to wear...

Well, that's a long list of loves!  There are a few things I'm not so sure about:

1. The mystery rotor reveals little -- it would be great if the interior bits of the movement (rather than that 7/8s plate) filled the view through the sapphire rotor.

2. The port for the date is both narrow and deep.  The one on the Contemporaine is superior in this regard.  I know that this is a result of the layered movement design here, but it's not my favorite bit.

3.  The clasp, while it has the trademark rivets, seems almost feminine to me.  While I'm at it, the same might be said for the printing on the movement.  For a watch that so many people think is brutish, in real life it's actually almost dainty!  The Classic Janvier is a meatier interpretation of the same themes, and points to how the Antiqua might have been subtly different.

4.  The movement isn't entirely in-house -- but given how extensively it's reworked and the large portion of parts that are made in-house, that's really a niggle.

5.  The crown is tiny!  Look again at the comparison shots with the Observatoire and see just how small the Antiqua's crown is.

6.  The hand engraving makes each watch unique.  Unfortunately for me, it seems that on my "Vianney Halter" name plaque on the main dial, the engraver ran out of talent just after "Halt..." 

7.  Love the 28,800 VPH -- not sure about the smallish balance wheel.

8.  The watch (and in particular the PT dials) looks so great in soft/pink light -- it's not quite as pretty in harsh lighting conditions.  Still pretty, though!

I haven't had any experience with sending the watch for a servicing, but my guess based on the reports of others is that my reaction will likely fit on both the "love" list (what outstanding results!) and the "not sure" list (gee, that cost a few bucks!).

OK  -- getting close to the end here.  One thing I don't love:

1.  Karma.  What, you say -- Karma?  Yep.  I'm not sure whether the whole story of the Halter Barnes collaboration will ever be known, but it does make me a bit sad that there were bad feelings between the designer and watchmaking genius as a result of the process of bringing this watch to market.  A gorgeous result, but at some human cost...

That's all!  If you've read this far, it's a tribute to your stamina -- and I appreciate the opportunity to have shared these thoughts with you.  As always, all of the above represents my opinions as opposed to fact, and I gratefully welcome all comments, suggestions, questions, and criticisms.

Best,

Gary G

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