The Luxury Watch Blog

Antiquorum’s September 26th auction of Important Collectors’ Wristwatches, Pocket Watches, & Clocks will mark the start of an exciting Fall season for collectors and enthusiasts of horology from all over the world. With over 300 significant lots, it is guaranteed to be a sale that will peak your interest and lure you to bid on the finest timepieces the market has to offer. Previews will be held in Tokyo, Hong Kong, Beverly Hills, and New York.

The “Top Lots”

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The hairspring is the most overlooked of all watch components; like the human heart, it continues, unbidden and unseen, its vital role. Not only do its oscillations have to be precisely regular, they have to be so in the most hostile of environments; the human hand and wrist are the parts of the body which undergo the most variation in position and temperature (think about it, what other part of your body goes in the freezer?). Yet we expect microscopic accuracy from a modern watch, an accuracy of 1 second per day is equivalent to hitting a 1 inch bull’s-eye at a distance of over a mile.

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On May 12-13 ^th, Antiquorum Geneva will hold its second auction of 2007, in which nearly 696 watches and clocks will be auctioned off.

On this occasion, two lots, No 311 and 312 will be sold and we are proud to share with you the wonderful story of lot No. 311. We warmly thank Mr Alan Downing, who we met at our Antiquorum Office in Geneva three weeks ago, for sharing with us the exceptional story of this Pow Rolex.

Following a very interesting discussion with Mr Downing and thanks to the rich illustrative material he provided us with, we hereby present the story of this Rolex Oyster which belonged to Mr Clive James Nutting, Corporal in the Royal Corps of Signals, who was a prisoner in Stalag Luft III from 1939 to 1945. This essay written by Alan tells us the story of Clive Nutting and shows how Rolex (and other watch factories) were engaged in the regular supply of watches to men incarcerated in Prisoner of War camps like Stalag Luft III (located at Sagan, 100 miles southeast of Berlin, at present Poland). This camp is probably the most famous of all Prisoner of War Camps due to it being the scene of the great escape of march 1944 and the subsequent making of the 1962 film of the same name.

We are pleased to share this story, provided by Alan, and photos with the TimeZone community in advance of the catalog’s publication.

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In 1833 Antoine LeCoultre (1803-1881) founded a small workshop, which was to become the Manufacture Jaeger-LeCoultre.

In 1844, LeCoultre measured the micron (?) for the first time; he created the world’s most precise measuring instrument, the millionometer (a device capable of measuring to the nearest thousandths of a millimeter).

In 1847, LeCoultre created a revolutionary system that eliminated the need for keys to rewind and set watches. A push-piece activated a lever to change from one function to another.

In 1851 at the first Universal Exhibition in London, LeCoultre was awarded a gold medal in recognition of his collective works in the fields of precision and mechanization.

Elie LeCoultre, Antoine’s son understood that it was necessary to control all the different stages of manufacturing and assembly. In 1866 he transformed his workshop into a ‘Manufacture’. Under one roof, his employees were to pool their know-how, enabling them to meet the most incredible challenges. In 1870 LeCoultre & Cie manufactured the components of complicated movements using mechanized processes. Within 30 years, thanks to the marriage of hand and machine, the Manufacture created more than 350 different calibers of which 128 were equipped with chronograph functions and 99 with repeater mechanisms.

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I was very impressed with the bracelet. I don’t notice the extra weight of the solid links, but they still do an excellent job of balancing out the weight of the case. To me, the links are also the perfect size. They are smaller than some I’ve tried on which feel jagged or segmented, but still large enough that I don’t worry about their mechanical strength. Because each link hinges in the middle, the bracelet can fold flat on itself with no minimum radius, meaning it can be forced flat (if taken off and put in a pocket for instance) without any damage

I’m also a big fan of the brushed finish. While I did like the brushed/polished combination of the Aquaracer Alarm I also tried on, I think it would have seemed a little fussy on the smaller links of the F1.

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MD: Stefano, can you describe your role at Girard-Perregaux and tell us what areas you oversee?

SM: That is the one billion-dollar question! (laughing) I have three main roles inside Girard-Perregaux. First, I’m involved in product design. Second, I am responsible for the global Girard-Perregaux corporate image including our retail concept. And third, I am in charge of the BMW-Oracle Racing partnership. From the relationship with the Challenge to the design of limited editions dedicated to our America’s Cup partnership. In general, I’m working on keeping the brand image and the design consistent in different fields. We have a clear vision of what makes Girard-Perregaux and pay close attention to our brand’s integrity.

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To honor the closeness between classical music and haute Horlogère -two ancestral arts still instilling an incomparable emotion-, Girard-Perregaux is associated to of one of the most unusual and prestigious musical event in Europe: the Menuhin Festival Gstaad. Exceptional concerts with international artists will take place until the 8th of September.

In tribute to this 51st Festival, Girard-Perregaux has dedicated a 10-pieces limited edition: Menuhin Festival Gstaad. In addition, the company organizes in its lounge located in the Festival tent, an exclusive presentation of two artists immersed in their work: a Girard-Perregaux master watchmaker and the renowned violin maker Claude Lebet.

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The Abacus watch is so minimal that they only sign that you might be able to somehow get the time from it is the little ball rolling around inside it. The little ball actually does sort of tell time, the face is blank so really it only gives you a good estimate.

How it works is there is a magnet beneath the watch face that captures the ball. The magnet kicks in when you level out your hand/wrist into a time-telling position if you will.

The watch features stainless steel cases, leather straps, mineral or sapphire glass faces and price tags ranging from $150-$230. They are also water resistant down to 100 feet.

Looks a little like a Movado

Most MP4 watches look fantastic if you’re 12 years old and really love plastic and rubber watches, but Epoq’s latest MP4 watch brings a slight bit of class to the video watch business. Made of stainless steel, this watch has a 1.5-inch LCD screen, 2GB memory, MP4 video and MP3/WMA/WAV audio. $199 isn’t cheap, but how else are you going to get video on a watch?

Movado Group, Inc. invites investors to listen to a broadcast of the Company’s conference call to discuss second quarter earnings results. The conference call will broadcast on Thursday, September 6, 2007 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time at www.movadogroup.com. This call will be archived online within one hour of the completion of the conference call.

Participating in the call will be Efraim Grinberg, President and Chief Executive Officer, Rick Cote Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, and Gene Karpovich, Chief Financial Officer.

Movado Group, Inc. designs, manufactures, and distributes Movado, Ebel, Concord, ESQ, Coach, Tommy Hilfiger, HUGO BOSS, Juicy Couture and LACOSTE watches worldwide, and operates Movado boutiques and company stores in the United States.