Feature: Time for Yourself
May 03, 2004
Today, those who value such prestige look beyond what is available over the counter to reach for the horological Holy Grail: a made-to-order timepiece. Only an exceptional client will be considered for such an undertaking, and the end result usually represents the zenith of the manufacturer’s capabilities. Collectors covet the creations of....

Feature: Time for Yourself
May 03, 2004
Once you have been suitably matched with a manufacturer, there follows a verbal or written exchange discussing your requests and ideas. In the case of decorative work such as engraving or enamel, the manufacturer must decide, often in concert with the artisans, if the subject matter can be appropriately rendered. If your request is accepted, the....

Feature: Independently Healthy
Dec 01, 2004
"Maintaining relationships with suppliers, many of which are also filling huge orders for the groups, is a critical challenge," adds Audemars. In response, Audemars Piguet has invested in key suppliers, such as complication specialist Renaud & Papi, to maintain the flow of innovative products bearing the Audemars stamp. Other small companies are....

Best Of The Best 2006: High Notes
Jun 01, 2006
The F.P. Journe Sonnerie Souveraine is hardly the most complicated or flamboyant timepiece, but its purity of purpose and results-driven innovation place it among the best watches of the year. F.P. Journe’s Sonnerie Souveraine (around $500,000) advances the technical art of musical watchmaking. (Click image to enlarge) The Sonnerie....

Style: Rare Birds
Apr 01, 2002
Like purchasing a work of art, obtaining a desired minute repeater requires a special combination of patience and resourcefulness. The best approach may be to set aside strict brand loyalty and consider a variety of makes, as several manufacturers use the expertise of established specialty workshops and put their own twists on the chiming watch. Ulysse....

Feature: Independently Healthy
Dec 01, 2004
Whether it is the Sterns, Chopard’s Scheufele family, the Audemars and Piguet families, or individuals such as F.P. Journe, independents great and small are associated with identifiable personalities, with whom collectors connect on an emotional level. "We have a personalized relationship with the market," says Girard-Perregaux’s....

Feature: Time for Yourself
May 03, 2004
“Oh, I’ve already got that.” these words fall like a heavy blow when women of high style, bristling with shopping bags, range up to one another to size up the day’s booty. Even between men idly comparing watches, the barb loses none of its sting. The last thing you want to see when you have just secured a highly coveted....

Magnum Opus
Jul 02, 2003
Harry Winston’s latest limited edition Opus timepiece is as intriguing as a Rorschach test. What it evokes depends on the viewer—perhaps an engine block, a sci-fi submersible, or even a slot machine, but certainly not a watch. Indeed, Opus 3 appears as strange as a six-dollar bill; it has no dial, no hands, just six holes flashing numerals for....

Features: The Real Deal
Apr 01, 2003
Call it authenticity or call it originality, but clearly, experienced collectors are looking for something beyond aesthetics and performance. Witness the serious mechanical watch collectors who wait months and even years for pieces from the new wave of boutique watchmakers such as Philippe Dufour and F.P. Journe. These watches are coveted because each is....

The Chronomètre Souverain from F.P. Journe – Obvious simplicity
Jun 20, 2005
While this year, most watchmakers tried to create, with varying degrees of success, the most unusual or the most surprising tourbillon, “and the most useless,” adds François-Paul Journe with a bit of mischief in his voice, this watchmaker went against the grain and created his “simplest watch” up to now. It is a chronometer....