(Continued from Part 3) The most beautiful and the most simple watch at the show On the other side of the royal corridor that goes through Hall 1.0 is the Guggenheim-style stand of Patek Philippe (a location that the Geneva manufacture will keep next year, as Thierry Stern explained, along with a few details about the “veritable war of locations” that is under way at BaselWorld in light of the changes for 2013). In this temple of Baudelairean timekeeping (“there, everything is luxury, calm, and pleasure”), we discovered more than 26 new products. Besides the star of the year, the Reference 5204, a perpetual calendar split-seconds chronograph that we talked a lot about in our previous issue, Patek Philippe is focusing on complications this year, particularly on perpetual calendars, intended for men as well as for women. For him, it is the Perpetual Calendar Reference 5940, with its emblematic ultra-thin cushion case (44.6mm by 37mm), driven by the famous and very precise (-3/+2 seconds per day) Calibre 240 Q, automatically wound by an off-centred mini rotor (3.88mm thick).
For her, it is the Ladies First Perpetual Calendar, a complication that equips, for the first time, a ladies’ watch in the “current collections” of the family-run Geneva manufacture. Ultra-thin (35.1mm in diameter, 8.8mm thick), equipped with the Calibre 240 Q automatic movement (composed of 275 component parts), dressed in a rose-gold case encircled by diamonds, the Reference 7140 evokes true timeless elegance, if we dare employ this so over-used term.
“Timeless” is also the term that comes to mind when looking at the new manual-winding Calatrava Reference 5123—a beautiful example of simplicity, elegance, and watchmaking prowess. This 38mm circle of rose gold, discreet, pure, with superlative finishing and perfect proportions, was perhaps the most beautiful watch seen at BaselWorld 2012.
Far, far from the ostentatious platforms, with no ballyhoo, with no demonstrative accents, this watch definitely makes an impression with its manual-winding Calibre 215 PS and its delicate small seconds hand, an example of true horological art. It is a watch that, after seeing so many exhibitionist pieces with their entrails spilling out, allows us to quite simply rest our eyes.

Hand made
Another beautiful classic was found in a unique piece by Kari Voutilainen. On its dial, this tourbillon bears not the somewhat worn-out term of “Swiss Made” but rather the prouder notation of “Hand Made”. Along with only 13 employees, Kari Voutilainen is a bit like a miniature Patek Philippe. The company is a complete manufacture where nearly all the component parts of a watch are made—movement, case, dial, decorations, etc. Only the balance spring (Straumann, of which he makes the curve), the crystal and the leather strap are not included in this type of “total liberty,” as Kari Voutilainen explains. It is really quite simple, “either the subcontractors are inundated with work because they are good, or they don’t have any work at all because they are bad. On one hand, the deadlines are impossible, while on the other, the quality is lacking,” he says frankly.
Recently introduced by this small but beautiful manufacture is the in-house Twenty-8 movement, powered by a direct-impulse escapement in nickel silver with two escapement wheels in gold, that calmly reaches a power reserve of 165 hours. With its transparent case back, finely engine-turned silver dial, the Twenty-8 watch comes in a choice of white, yellow, or rose gold case. Selling at a price of CHF 82,000, only 18 pieces will be manufactured.
As for the company’s Tourbillon, it is a unique piece that was started in… 1996. What a change from the frantic projects that are rushing to get into showcases. In the beginning, Voutilainen made this tourbillon for himself, but in 2006, a very patient collector became interested in the piece. “Not a collector,” he corrects his words, but rather a “patron of the horological arts”. This patient individual thus had to wait until 2012 before finally getting a look at what seemed to be a beautiful piece featuring two hands and small seconds, with a finely engine-turned dial. But, when the watch is turned over, we discover a suspended tourbillon that apparently does its work all by itself. There are seemingly no gear trains linking it to anything, although there is an amazing escapement with a swivel detent. The lever does not have a stop lift but rather a round stone, with cut faces and a face at rest, which is mounted on the axis of the detent. “A configuration that is very tiny and very solid,” adds Voutilainen. The tourbillon’s carriage does not have a pillar. It is the bridge that carries out this function. The patron has, it seems, done well to wait, since this is a tourbillon that has all the time for him.

Seiko’s legitimacy
Let’s return now to more industrial considerations, while still remaining on the subject of fine mechanical timekeeping. Perhaps in Europe, at least, people will finally realise that in Japan, Seiko has possessed true mechanical and chronometric legitimacy for a long time, a legitimacy that many Swiss watchmakers can envy. (Weren’t the traditional Swiss timing competitions stopped in 1969 after Seiko’s victory?)
We mentioned earlier the precision of Patek Philippe’s Calibre 240 Q (at -3/+2 seconds per day), but Seiko’s new Hi-Beat 36,000 offers a very honourable and comparable -2/+4 seconds per day. “This is the most precise high-frequency watch that we have ever made,” explains the multilingual Shu Yoshino, “and it is very difficult to make this on a large scale.” The MEMS escapement, LIGA technology, in-house Spron 610 alloy for the balance spring and Spron 530 for the barrel spring play an important role in this impressive industrial performance. The special edition of the Grand Seiko Hi-Beat 36000 in rose, yellow or white gold (around €23,000) or in steel (around €6,500) is spearheading the brand’s global strategy that aims to fully authenticate the mechanical and traditional watchmaking legitimacy of the Japanese enterprise (which, we remind our readers, is preparing to deliver balance springs to TAG Heuer).
Seiko’s demonstration of mechanical know-how in no way prevents the company from presenting an impressive technological innovation with a new Astron equipped with GPS. This integrated GPS is a very powerful module, designed and produced by Seiko, that works everywhere in the world. Whether you are in a desert or in the middle of the ocean, it gives you the local time with the precision of an atomic clock (in other words, one second variation every 100,000 years). Covering all the 39 time zones around the globe, this solar-powered watch is totally autonomous and thus requires no change of battery. The key to this success is the science of energy management acquired through the brand’s successive developments, namely, the first Astron Quartz in 1969 that triggered the Swiss watchmaking crisis, the Kinetic in 1988, and the Spring Drive in 1998.
This perpetual calendar—it also includes one—has a strong, very readable, and classically modern appearance, and its functions are adjusted with nearly childlike simplicity. The first limited edition of 2500 pieces in titanium and ceramic or steel and ceramic is on sale for between €2,000 and €3,300, depending on the version.

Zenith takes off
Horological excellence, sound value for money and stylistic classicism signal the triumphant return of Zenith to the heart of Swiss watchmaking. In a few short years, Jean-Frédéric Dufour has not only put the venerable manufacture back on the right track, but he has given it a new direction. The entire collection has been reviewed and the number of references has been drastically reduced to 135, none of which are more than three years old. Dufour has built on the know-how and exceptional heritage of Zenith in terms of movements (100 per cent of movements are in-house), while investing massively (CHF 20 million) in the rehabilitation and reorganisation of the manufacture that dates back to 1865. A former “sleeping beauty”, Zenith had been seriously shaken up under the reign of Nataf, with somewhat baroque dreams of grandeur, but now the brand is fully awake and lucid, and has found a strong identity in line with its extraordinary history.
This year finds Zenith under the sign of aviation, where it has a very rich history beginning with the first crossing of the English Channel by Louis Blériot on July 25, 1909, with a Zenith on his wrist. A new Pilot Montre d’Aéronef Type 20, inspired directly from a model that belonged to Blériot, recalls this historic event. A large watch, it features a titanium case with a diameter of 57.5mm! It is driven by an historic movement, the manual-winding 5011K, a movement that equipped marine chronometers and pocket watches and that, in its time, was awarded more than 277 watch prizes. Limited to 250 pieces, (Zenith found, in all, 350 historic movements that have been entirely brought up to current standards), the watch sells for CHF 9,500.
The Pilot Big Date Special is inspired by a chronograph from the 1960s, intended for the Italian air force. A 42mm steel case, impeccable sandblasted matt black dial, classic symmetrical display, SuperLuminova hands, pure lines, and a perfect big date at 6 o’clock all suggest sporty classicism in this chronograph powered by a self-winding El Primero 4010 calibre. Its price: CHF 6,500 on a leather strap or Milanais style link bracelet.
For just under double this price tag, or CHF 11,900, the discerning customer can get the third model in the brand’s aeronautical year: the Pilot Doublematic. The world time disc, the day and night disc, big date, chronograph, alarm (loud and long, i.e. 30 seconds, it has its own barrel), are all driven by an El Primero 4046 calibre beating at 36,000 vibrations per hour, for a power reserve of 50 hours. What more could you ask for at this price? (Continued... Part 5)

Source: Europa Star June - July 2012 Magazine Issue