AHCI & Independent Haute Horlogerie
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A visit to Montres Romain Gauthier

A visit to Montres Romain Gauthier Don Corson, August 2008 The Vallée de Joux has one of the worlds highest incidences of watchmakers. On the way to visit Romain Gauthier in Le Sentier, I drive through Le Lieu and see the factories of Dubois Depraz and pass Le Solliat, home of the Phillipe Dufour shop. Entering into Le Sentier Jaeger-LeCoultre's construction site next to their existing factory dominates the scene. Looking for a parking space near Romain Gauthier's shop I end up in front of the ne...

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URWERK’s affinity with Black - UR103 Hexagon

Press Release   URWERK’s affinity with Black   Geneva – September 2008 The traditional presentation of the year’s limited edition series «Black» URWERK is an event awaited with no small amount of impatience by aficionados of the brand. Ever since URWERK’s creation in 1997, the company has reserved the privilege of celebrating each new collection by dressing 10 timepieces - 10 exceptional timepieces - in black. This year the waiting is finally over, becaus...

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I love this movement....

I have just completed a short article for a magazine in which I featured the Lang & Heyne Albert of Saxony; I love the movement. It is based on a Unitas but boy does it look good, quite possibly the most beautiful Unitas on the planet. click here  to read the thread. ...

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An Evening with blu: 7 Aug 2008 Singapore (updated version)

Background Bernhard Lederer learned his trade in Germany but relocated 7 years ago to Switzerland and formed blu – 'Bernhard Lederer Uhrmacher' with his wife, Ewa. (Uhrmacher=Watchmaker in German)  Now the company is called 'Bernhard Lederer Universe' .   The flagship of the blu line is the MT3 or Majesty Three-Speed Tourbillon . The half-flying tourbillon has the lowest cage mass of all the tourbillon types. More of the mainspring energy can be used f...

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Casemaking at Thomas Prescher Haute Horlogerie

Casemaking at Thomas Prescher Haute Horlogerie   Today I will be visiting Thomas Prescher to see their CNC machine making case parts and learn how this is done.  After arriving in Twann by train I realise that I could have better taken the boat for a leisurely voyage.  The train station is about 15 yards from the pier.     After a 5 minute walk to the Prescher shop I find Thomas and Marc, one of his watchmakers and CNC specialist, ready to go.&n...

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Tour of Independence Dinner in Singapore: Roger Smith, Vianney Halter & Kari Voutilainen

Two weeks ago The Hour Glass held its annual Tour of Independence event to showcase the fine works of leading independent watchmakers. Roger Smith, Vianney Halter and Kari Voutilainen were present, along with their best works. This report details the Singapore leg of the tour, a dinner at the excellent Garibaldi restaurant along Purvis Street. Click here  to see the event report. - SJX ...

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H.Moser & Cie - notes from an encounter!

I had the pleasure to meet Mr Daniel Zimmerman from Moser (Director sales & marketing) a couple of weeks ago in their London dealer's showroom. It was a fantastic opportunity to chat with him, hear a little about Moser and see some wonderful watches. The first thing I noticed was that Daniel was wearing a platinum Henry with a lovely greyish ruthenium dial which he happily took off for me to look at. This watch definately looks much better in the metal than it does in pictures. The display back glass is b...

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Bad Sex..de Grisogono Meccanico..women, sex and the Max Busser MBF1

What can I say...??? bad sex is better than no sex or??? I wanted so much to LIKE to LOVE to HAVE the de Grisogono Meccanico and the Opus 8. Hey, and for those who know me, I do get enough sex. AND..return sex had now found me to like the Opus 8 a bit better!!! So..what greeted me with de Grisogono Meccanico..huh? It was like all sex...both the act and the finish...literally.. Pictures speak for themselves!!! Am I singling out some wacky watches??? When the world already marks me down as a lover of ...

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The launch of Maitre du Temps Chapter One in Singapore

Maitre du Temps unveiled the Chapter One grand complication yesterday at Il Lido on Sentosa Island here in Singapore. Present was Roger Dubuis, who along with Peter Speake-Marin and Christophe Claret form the trio of watchmakers that established Maitre du Temps, or "masters of time". All photos courtesy of Rootz Marketing Communications and Maitre du Temps. Click here  to see more. - SJX ...

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Horological weekend at the BHI...

Horological weekend at the BHI...   Leaving home     To reach here The headquarters of the British Horological Institute in Upton,  England.   The British Horological Institute was founded in 1858 as the result of the spirit of forward looking men in a time of crisis for the British horological trade.  While the British tradesman was convinced of the superiority of his traditionally handcrafted clocks and watches, foreign competition...

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De Bethune Dreams

Click here  to see more. - SJX ...

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Independent Clockmakers at Basel 2008: Frank Jutzi

A so-called mysterious tourbillon at the left turns and regulates this clock without apparent connection.             ...

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Independent Clockmakers in Basel 2008: Matthias & Sebastian Naeschke

The AHCI has among its members many interesting clockmakers. I am starting here with Matthias & Sebastian Naeschke a father and son team. I am sorry about the quality of these photos, clocks with their large size are even harder to photograph than watches under poor lighting. I hope you will enjoy these clocks anyway.   Note the diamond studded escape wheel !       A Naeschke specialty, musical clocks and automaton.  This bird swaying in its cage s...

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Independents in Base 2008l: Pita

Watches from Aniceto Jimenez Pita   Diving watch Oceana tested to 5000 meters.  The crystal is 8mm thick.Pita's special feature is his time setting mechanism that allows him to do away with the normal watch crown.                   ...

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Independents in Basel 2008: Thomas Prescher

As for many other independents 2007 has been a year of consolidation for Thomas Prescher.Doubling the size of his shop, expanding capacity to be able do a larger portion of the work in-house to deliver more quickly.Three axis tourbillon with a new dial. two axis and single axis tourbillons Several Sculptura Una     Tempusvivendi Dragons ...

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Independents in Basel 2008: Greubel Forsey

Stephen Forsey wearing 2 prototype watches Double Tourbillon 30°, RG with WG dial       The secret version for those that don't want to show off     24 Second inclined prototype worn by Mr. Forsey   24 Second inclined in RG         Invention piece 1   ...

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Geneva 2008: Urwerk

Urwerk is showing their watches outside the fairs in a suite at the Hotel Les Bergues. This is what I saw: The new 202 with automatic winding, Steel case coated with AlTiN. The AlTiN coating is used on machine tools to give them exceptional hardness and longivity.  Next to the watch you can see such a milling bit with AlTiN coating. The automatic winding mechanism being between the movement and the case back doesn't allow including a control panel in this model, but it does have an ...

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Independents in Basel 2008: Vianney Halter

This year Vianney Halter celebrates his 10th year selling watches under his own name.  He has no new model on display this year, but is showing the prototype, or very early production watches of most of his models from the last 10 years.  As prototypes or worn watches these displayed watches don't have the finish of an factory new watch any more, but they are witnesses of 10 years of his work. It was in 1998 that Vianney first showed that enigmatic watch called the Antiqua, a perpe...

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Geneva 2008: Max Büsser & Friends

Max is resolutely refusing to introduce new models in the middle of the noise of the Basel and Geneva events. But showing the evolution of his work at this time is part of the game. HM1 Titanium & Rose Gold Note the new dial allowing deeper looks at the movement on the titanium.  The new titanium model is also surprisingly light and with the new wider strap more comfortable and under control on the wrist.  You can see the difference in these pictures     HM1 Whi...

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Speake-Marin: A workshop visit

Nestled in a lakeside village Peter Speake-Marins workshop is not far from Geneva. After seeing Peter this morning as part of the team at Maîtres du Temps I stopped by his shop on the way home and got a guided tour from his charming wife Daniela, who is the commercial director of their company. Interesting pieces in the workshop.  A tourbillon waiting for final finishing     Daniela got out many of their treasures to show me. "The Roaring Tiger" look...

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New Brand: Maîtres du Temps

The new brand Maîtres du Temps has been initiated by Mr. Steven Holtzmann, its first watch is the Chapter One, a creation with the collaboration of Mr. Roger Dubuis, Mr. Peter Speake-Marin and Mr. Christophe Claret. The Chapter One is a manual wind one-minute tourbillon with mono-pusher chronograph with retrograde date, retrograde GMT, with day of week and moon phase indicated on rollers.   The idea of Maîtres du Temps is to bring together outstanding watchmakers to ...

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Independents in Basel 2008: Rainer Nienaber

Rainer Nienaber has a passion for dials and alternative time indications.  His retrogrades go from a retrograde minute regulator to a retrograde hour with central minutes and small seconds to the Tri-Retrograde with retrograde hours, minutes and seconds.       New this year is his mechanical alarm watch offered with two different dials.     Rainer Nienaber welcomes ...

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Independents in Basel 2008: Stepan Sarpaneva

This year Stepan Sarpaneva is showcasing his new Korona line. These watches are distinguished by their intricate and engrossing dials.  Here with a date and closed dial. Here with date and an open face to see the movement decoration behind. The case of this model is black diamond coated. Finally the moon phase version.   These are all automatic watches and the Korona theme contin...

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Independents in Basel 2008: Nicholas Delaloye

Nicholas Delaloye's mainstay is the "Garde-Temps" mens watch based on his own ND01 caliber, 3 hands small seconds.  The dials are mother-of-pearl and guilloché or in plated German silver.       Nicholas' first complication built on the ND01 caliber is the perpetual calendar.     Customization possibilities include the dial materials and also the movement decoration, here dragon engraving.   Nicholas also work...

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Independents in Basel 2008: Marc Brogsitter

Marc Brogsitter's impressive watches use unique movements built using the design ideas of the observatory watches from the 50's and 60's of the last century.  Marc Brogsitter's movements have tremendous balance wheels of 17.08mm diameter.  Turning at the leisurely tempo of 18000 beats/hour they are a real joy to watch. Brogsitter has designed 2 movements, a tourbillon movement and a constant force escapement movement, both using this very large balance wheel. The extravagant cases ...

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