Independent Watchmaking Archives - Revolution Watch

Introducing the Greubel Forsey Tourbillon Cardan

Lee Sheng — Wed, 25 Oct 2023 16:26:02 +0000

Introducing the Greubel Forsey Tourbillon Cardan

Good old Greubel Forsey with an innovative creation.

Independent Watchmaking

Oct 26, 2023

While Swiss independent watchmaker Greubel Forsey has recently shifted its focus towards sportier high-end chronometry wristwatches, it surprised us by unveiling the Tourbillon Cardan.

Deviating from its more recent Covexe case design, the Tourbillon Cardan presents a classic case and dial that immediately conjures memories of the brand’s timepieces from years gone by. The Tourbillon Cardan undeniably embodies the quintessential Greubel Forsey style, not only in its aesthetics but also in its mechanical precision. This is evident in the watchmaker’s latest innovation – the 8th, according to the La Chaux-de-Fonds atelier – in precision timekeeping: the gimbal system, which ensures the tourbillon maintains the optimal angle.

Classic yet innovative

The latest Tourbillon Cardan is a classic Greubel Forsey wristwatch that will undoubtedly delight the brand’s long-time collectors. It features a familiar case design that leans more towards a dressy style, in contrast to the integrated sporty look of the brand’s more recent watches.

However, true to the Greubel Forsey ethos, the Tourbillon Cardan is anything but a mere reproduction of bygone dress watches. In fact, the Cardan perfectly embodies the brand’s ethos, which is to create watches that honor the rules and traditions of classic Swiss watchmaking while infusing them with a contemporary aesthetic that belongs to our time. This is most apparent in the dial, which showcases multi-level components and partial open working, giving the watch a strikingly modern appearance not typically found in vintage chronometry timepieces.

But, more importantly, the brand has not only introduced a modern design language but also new mechanics. It has invented a variety of tourbillon configurations, ranging from an inclined tourbillon to a quadruple tourbillon. However, it never stands still and continues to innovate, as evidenced by its latest and 8th invention, the Tourbillon Cardan.

The Tourbillon Cardan can be broken down into three components. First, the core tourbillon itself, which completes a revolution every 16 seconds, or almost 4 complete revolutions per minute, making it the fastest within the brand’s collection.

Second, the tourbillon is, as you may have guessed, inclined at a 30-degree angle. This is an innovation that dates back to the founding of the brand in 2004. According to Greubel Forsey’s research, a 30-degree angle is ideal for the inclination of a balance in a wristwatch, considering the time it spends on a wrist and sitting on a desk, in terms of offsetting the gravitational error.

However, the 30-degree angle won’t always remain constant. Certain wrist movements or methods of placing the watch in a box or on a table can alter the inclination of the tourbillon to an undesirable angle, such as one that’s perpendicular to the ground. This is where the brand’s latest invention comes into play – the Cardan, a mechanism based on the principles of a gimbal.

Traditionally found in marine chronometers, a gimbal serves to maintain a horizontal profile of the marine clock, ensuring that the balance wheel does not encounter positional errors induced by gravity. This, in turn, increases precision and the ability for sailors to estimate deviation and determine longitude more accurately.

In the Tourbillon Cardan, the gimbal serves to maintain a 30-degree angle instead of a horizontal profile. This modern innovation pays homage to classic chronometry methods, setting the watch apart as a distinctive and uncommon offering in today’s wristwatch landscape. Only a handful of past examples of wristwatches with a gimbal exist, including the Zenith Christophe Colomb Hurricane and, to some extent, the ingenious Cartier Astrorégulateur.

You might wonder why the inclination angle is fixed at 30 degrees rather than horizontal, which would minimize gravitational influence. That’s because the gimbal in the Tourbillon Cardan isn’t freely moving. Instead, it has a 48-second period during which it tilts backward and forward from +30 to -30 degrees. In other words, it doesn’t move freely to offset all inclined angles, but rather within a narrow range of angles. According to the brand, a 30-degree inclination for the tourbillon is ideal in this case.

Our verdict

The Tourbillon Cardan is a welcome addition to Greubel Forsey’s collection, encompassing several defining features of the brand. These include innovative timekeeping mechanisms, a contemporary yet elegant aesthetic, and, of course, impeccable hand finishing of all movement components.

By incorporating a gimbal, the Cardan embodies the brand’s ongoing pursuit of complex mechanics designed to enhance chronometry. Arguably, these traditional techniques may be less efficient than modern precision machinery methods such as deep reactive ion etching (DRIE) and LIGA, but these classic solutions offer a unique fusion of beauty and emotion, and will undoubtedly stand the test of time, at least from an artistic perspective. As the philosopher Zhuangzi eloquently pointed out, there is usefulness in the seemingly useless, and this watch serves as a sterling example of that concept.

Greubel Forsey Tourbillon Cardan specs and price

Movement: Tourbillon Cardan; manual; 80 hours power reserve
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, tourbillon, and power reserve indicator
Case: 46 mm x 13.81 mm; titanium; water resistant to 30 m
Strap: Black plant-based strap with titanium folding clasp
Availability: From Greubel Forsey and its retailers
Limited edition: 55 pieces over the next five years
Price: SGD 729,000

News

By Sheng Lee

Leonardo DiCaprio Joins $2 Million Investment in ID Genève’s Sustainable Watchmaking

Oct 17, 2023

Limited Edition

By Wei Koh

Atelier Wen x Revolution Perception ‘Càn’

Oct 11, 2023

Limited Edition

By Wei Koh

TORSTI LAINE × REVOLUTION ‘ONE LOVE’

Sep 29, 2023

Videos

By Revolution

ArtyA, The Maverick Trailblazer Redefining the Rules of Watchmaking Part I

Sep 18, 2023

News

By Felix Scholz

Rare Roger W. Smith Series 2 Open Dial offered for sale at Wristcheck

Sep 13, 2023

FROM THE SHOP

Bell & Ross

Bell & Ross x Alessandro Palazzi x Revolution & The Rake Bellytanker Chronograph "Vesper"

$5,250.00

TECH SPECS

Movement	Self-winding caliber BR.CAL-301; 42-hour power reserve
Functions	Hours, minutes, small seconds, chronograph and date
Case	41mm; CuAI7Si2 bronze; water resistant to 100m
Dial	Sunray brushed with applied, gold-plated indices
Strap	Black calfskin; satin polished bronze folding clasp
Limited Edition	Limited edition of 50 pieces

The post Introducing the Greubel Forsey Tourbillon Cardan appeared first on Revolution Watch.

Leonardo DiCaprio Joins $2 Million Investment in ID Genève’s Sustainable Watchmaking

Sheng Lee — Tue, 17 Oct 2023 15:59:56 +0000

Leonardo DiCaprio Joins $2 Million Investment in ID Genève’s Sustainable Watchmaking

A milestone for a crowdfunded startup with a circular economy approach to watchmaking.

News

By Sheng Lee

Oct 17, 2023

Established just three years ago, Swiss microbrand ID Genève has seen impressive growth in a relatively short time, gaining significant attention from the watch enthusiasts and the wider community. The brand recently disclosed a successful CHF 2 million seed funding round, featuring high profile investors like Oscar-winning actor Leonardo DiCaprio.

Leonardo DiCaprio is one of ID Genève's high profile backers

What sets ID Genève apart, and what led to this recent round of fundraising?

It turns out that this brand distinguishes itself by prioritizing sustainability in a way that surpasses many luxury watch brands. They’ve made a significant commitment to ensuring that the production of their watches and packaging aligns with the principles of a circular economy.

The key distinction between the circular economy and the traditional linear economy lies in how products are handled at the end of their life cycle. In a linear economy, waste materials are often discarded, ending up in landfills or other disposal sites. However, in a circular economy, all the byproducts of production, including energy and waste generated during the end of a product’s life, are reintegrated into various parts of the economy to extract value.

ID Genève's Circular S

Recycling steel and more

A compelling example of this approach is how ID Genève, with the assistance of its partner Panatere SA, collects steel waste from various sources, including watchmaking and medical facilities within a 200-kilometer radius of its headquarters. This collected steel waste undergoes multiple processes, including a fully solar-powered melting stage, to be transformed into the cases of the watches they produce. ID Genève proudly states that 100% of their steel is recycled.

The solar furnace used to make ID Genève components

This is how the brand participates in the circular economy: instead of introducing more new materials, it utilizes only what is available within the current economic ecosystem, transforming them into new products. This, in turn, reduces the demand for excessive raw material extraction and minimizes waste disposal.

Further contributions to the circular economy by ID Genève include their straps, which are crafted from 80% grape skins, stalks, and seeds discarded by wineries. Additionally, the brand emphasizes that the automatic ETA 2824 movements used in their watches are refurbished and refinished rather than purchasing new ones.

ID Genève's Circular S

Backed by Environmentalists

These efforts attract individuals who are passionate about both the environment and high-quality timepieces. Consequently, Oscar-winning actor Leonardo DiCaprio who is known for his fervent drive to conserve the environment, are among the investors supporting ID Genève in their circular economy watchmaking endeavor.

Leonardo DiCaprio’s involvement is particularly noteworthy, given his strong advocacy for sustainability and climate change, which he even emphasized in his Oscar speech. His investment in a young watch company is a surprising yet highly welcome and exciting development. Mr. DiCaprio expressed his enthusiasm, stating, “I am thrilled to be an investor in ID Genève, a brand that’s driving change in the luxury industry and beyond, by consistently innovating and focusing on circular economy principles.”

ID Genève's Circular S

It’s worth mentioning that Nicolas Freudiger, the co-founder of the brand, had set a goal to collaborate with DiCaprio within three years of the company’s founding, as reported in The New York Times. This dream has now become a reality. Mr. Freudiger explained his fixation on this idea, saying, “We have always been interested in working with a global environmental advocate like Leonardo DiCaprio, and we’re thrilled this partnership has come to fruition. Our hope is that this synergy will give us a louder voice in championing sustainable practices.”

The fundraising joined by the two gentlemen mentioned above, has secured an initial round of funding raising CHF 2 million as seed capital.

ID Genève watches are available in showrooms in Geneva, Lausanne, and Zürich, as well as online and through Watches of Switzerland stores in London and New York.

News

By Revolution

A Retrospective Exhibition on Urwerk’s 25-year History Is Not to Be Missed!

Oct 6, 2022

FROM THE SHOP

Bell & Ross

Bell & Ross x Alessandro Palazzi x Revolution & The Rake Bellytanker Chronograph "Vesper"

$5,250.00

TECH SPECS

Movement	Self-winding caliber BR.CAL-301; 42-hour power reserve
Functions	Hours, minutes, small seconds, chronograph and date
Case	41mm; CuAI7Si2 bronze; water resistant to 100m
Dial	Sunray brushed with applied, gold-plated indices
Strap	Black calfskin; satin polished bronze folding clasp
Limited Edition	Limited edition of 50 pieces

The post Leonardo DiCaprio Joins $2 Million Investment in ID Genève’s Sustainable Watchmaking appeared first on Revolution Watch.

Atelier Wen x Revolution Perception ‘Càn’

Wei Koh — Wed, 11 Oct 2023 14:00:08 +0000

Atelier Wen x Revolution Perception ‘Càn’

Our second collaboration with rising independent star Atelier Wen is a sparkling riff of our sold-out first drop with the brand. Presenting Atelier Wen x Revolution Perception ‘Càn,’ featuring a radiant champagne sunray guilloche dial and a grade 5 titanium bracelet with individually polished inner links for a stunning, shimmering effect.

Limited Edition

By Wei Koh

Oct 11, 2023

Translated from Mandarin, Càn (粲), means “brightness and splendour, and indeed our second collaboration with Atelier Wen, the independent brand that is tapping on the very best artisanal and watchmaking capabilities of China, is all that.

Similar to our sold-out first collab, Atelier Wen x Revolution Perception ‘Càn’ is based on the brand’s wonderful integrated bracelet, sports chic, 100-meter water resistant watch named Perception, now made even more desirable with two key improvements. Our latest version features a matte brushed and high polished grade 5 titanium case and bracelet with polished inner angles on all the links for a shimmering statement. In place of the striking red dial of its predecessor, Càn features a radiant champagne-coloured sunray flinqué guilloché à main dial individually crafted by Master Cheng Yucai.

Atelier Wen x Revolution Perception ‘Càn’ is based on the brand's wonderful integrated bracelet watch, Perception

As a refreshingly modern showcase of the very best artisanal and watchmaking capabilities of China, this collaboration is testament to how far Atelier Wen has come since its launch five years ago.

More than Just Perception

For those of you who are not already acquainted, Atelier Wen is brainchild of two talented young men Robin Tallendier and Wilfried Buiron, both self-professed Sinophiles. From the very inception of their brand, their goal is to introduce the global watch-loving community to the artistry latent in Chinese watchmaking, one that has long remained under the radar for the general watch-buying publics. Accordingly, their name Atelier Wen was derived from the French word for “workshop” and the Chinese word for “culture” (文),

Wilfried Buiron and Robin Tallendier (right)

Tallenier and Buiron aimed high with Atelier Wen, but if anyone could achieve these lofty goals, they could. Two of the finest minds of their generation, both recognized from an early age that the future lay in collaborations between East and West and sought out degrees at Peking University. A horological devotee since the age of 14, Tallendier made such an impact while in China that he was appointed an “Execution Expert” by the Chinese government, which gave him unparalleled access to the legendary Mainland watch companies, including the famous Dandong/Peacock company. He was also a private equity hot shot in Paris until he decided to dedicate his life completely to Atelier Wen.

Buiron, meanwhile, was born and raised in Hong Kong and graduated from not one but two of China’s top universities, Peking University (where he befriended Tallendier) and Tsinghua University. With his flawless command of Mandarin, he is something of a television personality in China. He is also the founder of a successful start-up, Zaapi, which builds digital commerce infrastructure for Southeast Asian MSMEs (micro, small and medium enterprises).

A Chinese Odyssey

In late 2018, Atelier Wen made its first splash in the watch world with a timepiece named Porcelain Odyssey that showcased the exquisite art of Chinese porcelain for its dials.

Atelier Wen Porcelain Odyssey – Hao Purple Edition

Atelier Wen Porcelain Odyssey – Ji

Their next launch was the stunning integrated bracelet sports chic Perception, which made watch lovers sit up and take notice. A work of remarkable maturity, Perception is balanced and ergonomic, beautifully constructed and nuanced, as evident in particular in its guilloché à main dials.

Atelier Wen's Perception, here pictured with different dials

These incredibly exquisite dials are the work of Chinese Master Cheng Yucai. Drawn to the traditional English and Swiss decorative technique of rose engine turning, which uses gear reduction driven by the human hand to transform elaborate large scale patterns into extraordinarily complex engraved dials, but unable to access the largely antique machines needed to perform this mimetic act of transubstantiation, Cheng did the seemingly impossible and designed and built his own, and even patented it. It was a stunning breakthrough and achievement after many years of grueling, solitary effort in his workshop in Xinmi, a rural town in Henan province. His dedication to his craft and skill are extraordinary; no effort is spared to create perfection.

Our first collaboration with Atelier Wen, Xi

For the circular panier design of our first collaboration Xi, for instance, Cheng created 36 separate sections at the edge of the dial, instead of the regular 24. But as these patterns converge at the center, they become so tiny that keeping them distinct is an incredible challenge. Suffice to say that Cheng went through several rounds before he was satisfied with the results.

Our latest limited edition features a radiant handcrafted champagne sunray guilloche dial

The dial of Càn, meanwhilem features a flinqué pattern which is somewhat more classic than the circular panier one used on Xi. However, this apparent simplicity is deceptively complex. Tallenier shares, “As it is arranged according to a ‘tunnel’ symmetry, extreme regularity between each section is needed. If a section is even slightly larger or smaller, then the depth-of-field effect will be compromised, and the dial will end up looking like a blurry assembly of lines.”

To ensure that each of the 24 sections making up the guilloché dial look like deep grooves, Master Cheng also had to work with extremely narrow angles between each of the sections, significantly increasing the rejection rate. But the final results were well worth it.

Presenting Atelier Wen x Revolution Perception ‘Càn’

More than mere artistry, Perception represents something unique; it is a truly modern Chinese timepiece. Says Tallendier, “We both lived in Peking and explored as much of China as we were able to. What we see is a vibrant, dynamic and incredibly modern city. So we wanted to make a watch that was similarly modern and that responded to the needs of the contemporary collector yet continued to draw on the city’s impressive traditional roots. This was the impetus for Perception.

“We took inspiration from the shape of ancient pagoda rooftops for the case sides, and from the windows of pagodas for the center links of the bracelet. We were both fascinated about a type of traditional building construction method called Sunmao (榫卯), which doesn’t use nails or cement but uses complex interlocking joinery. Our dial is actually two layers that are 0.5mm and 0.4mm in thickness. The top level is made of the special copper compound and has the guilloché pattern engraved on it. The bottom features the indexes which fit through slots cut into the upper dial. Both levels are locked in place by the chapter ring without using any screws or soldering or glue. We wanted to express what we love about Chinese culture in a more complex way.”

Atelier Wen x Revolution Perception ‘Càn’

Our latest limited edition bears the well-loved hallmarks of its predecessor such as the grade 5 titanium integrated bracelet, this time with individually polished inner angles on all the links, a painstakingly intricate process that is incredibly labor-intensive.

Atelier Wen x Revolution Perception ‘Càn’ features a grade 5 titanium integrated bracelet, this time with individually polished inner angles on all the links

Tallendier shares that the reason why they decided to push for this improved bracelet is because, after delivering the first batches of regular Perception, a major theme that emerged from collectors’ feedback was that a number of them were curious to see how the bracelet would look like with more polishing.

“We are always keen to find ways to make our watches progress, be it improvements or simply stylistic evolutions. What is more, we are generally not fans of repeating the same concepts over again, so adding a layer of novelty to Càn felt like an avenue to make it more attractive and interesting to our eyes.”

A total of 288 angles needed to be polished by hand on every watch

This was not an easy journey to say the least. Firstly, by the time we had agreed on those changes, the 100 grade 5 titanium bracelets were already pretty much all made, meaning that it was impossible to change the design to implement flatter angles on the links. This also meant that each bracelet would need to be fully dismantled, very carefully, which, of course, took time. Secondly, and most importantly, each of the angles would need to be polished by hand, one by one. There are six angles on central links and 10 on H ones. A bracelet has 18 of each — meaning that a total of 288 angles needed to be polished on every one of them. That is a grand total of 28,800 angles to polish by hand for the series.

Tallendier adds, “We did not have extra bracelets as buffer, which meant there was no room for mistakes when polishing the angles. That made it all a very tense affair. Imagine having to polish close to 30,000 angles and not being allowed even one single mistake. This was so tough that Mr Liang, our supplier asked to stop the project on a few instances. Perhaps our candid idealism of always bringing in more to achieve our grand vision was what kept him in!”

Atelier Wen x Revolution Perception ‘Càn’ is powered by the self-winding extra thin Dandong caliber SL1588

Other hallmarks include the quick micro-adjustment system that lets you adjust the bracelet with a mere push of the Atelier Wen logo, as well the self-winding extra thin Dandong caliber SL1588 that keeps the thickness of the watch at just 9.4mm.

Atelier Wen x Revolution Perception ‘Càn’ is presented with an additional rubber strap for versatility

As with Xi, there are multiple ways of wearing Càn. It comes with an intuitive quick-change system fitted to the spring bars that gives the customer the option of switching to the accompanying additional rubber strap.

As its name suggests, Atelier Wen x Revolution Perception ‘Càn’ shines a brilliant light on the incredible talent and vision behind this upcoming microbrand. The design appeal and the sheer luminous beauty of its handcrafted dial, its strong value proposition for a watch with a grade 5 titanium case and guilloché à main dial and its wonderful ergonomics are a splendid taste of the good things to come.

Atelier Wen x Revolution Perception ‘Càn’ is available on RevolutionWatch.com on 18 October 2023, 10pm SGT / 4pm CET / 10am EST. For enquiries, please email shop@revolutionmagazines.com.

Tech Specs

Atelier Wen x Revolution Perception “Càn”

Movement: Self-winding extra thin Dandong caliber SL1588; 41-hour power reserve

Functions: Hours, minutes and seconds

Case: 40mm; grade 5 titanium; water resistant to 100m

Dial: Champagne guilloché with “Sunmao” structure; rhodium plated applied indexes

Strap: Titanium bracelet (upgraded, polished inner angles of centre links) and additional grey rubber strap with folding buckle

Price: USD 3,600, excluding taxes

Availability: Limited to 100 numbered pieces

Limited Edition

By Revolution

Unboxing the Atelier Wen x Revolution Perception – Xi (喜)

Apr 18, 2023

Atelier Wen

By Wei Koh

Culture and Revolution: Atelier Wen × Revolution Perception – Xi

Apr 14, 2023

Videos

By Revolution

In Conversation with Robin Tallendier of Atelier Wen

May 26, 2022

FEATURED FROM THE SHOP

TECH SPECS

Movement	Self-winding extra thin Dandong caliber SL1588; 41-hour power reserve
Functions	Hours, minutes and seconds
Case	40mm; grade 5 titanium; water resistant to 100m
Dial	Champagne guilloché with “Sunmao” structure; rhodium plated applied indexes
Strap	Titanium bracelet (upgraded, polished inner angles of centre links) and additional grey rubber strap with folding buckle
Limited Edition	Limited to 100 numbered pieces

The post Atelier Wen x Revolution Perception ‘Càn’ appeared first on Revolution Watch.

TORSTI LAINE × REVOLUTION ‘ONE LOVE’

Wei Koh — Fri, 29 Sep 2023 14:00:03 +0000

TORSTI LAINE × REVOLUTION ‘ONE LOVE’

Independent watchmaker Torsti Laine and Revolution create 12 unique timepieces celebrating the power of horology to unite people.

Limited Edition

By Wei Koh

Sep 29, 2023

Triple Guilloché À Main Dial with Breguet numerals

The moment I held my first Torsti Laine watch, I fell in love with it. In some ways, I feel that the understated and under-the-radar Finnish watchmaker has been creating the type of watches that the collector world loves — vintage-inspired designs with incredible attention to detail, like the works of Kikuchi Nakagawa in Japan and Atelier de Chronométrie in Spain — but with more exuberantly expressed dials and at a far more accessible price point. That is to say, Laine’s watches are wonderful 1940s and ’50s-inspired watches with stunning handmade dials and calibers that hark back to the golden age of watchmaking with their massive slow-beating balance wheels and beautiful movement architecture.

The stunning caseback view of the Torsti Laine x Revolution 'One Love' limited edition collaboration

I decided to make the pilgrimage to his atelier located in the heart of Le Locle, Switzerland, unassumingly situated on the first floor of a nondescript building. Inside, I found a wonderfully refreshing, incredibly authentic one-man show where Laine creates his watches. Sure, there was something of a mad scientist’s laboratory at his workshop, but that spoke of Laine’s inventiveness and self-reliance.

The Rising Star of Torsti Laine

So who exactly is Torsti Laine? After a brief stint writing and even teaching code programming, he became enamored with watches and enrolled in the famed Kelloseppäkoulu watchmaking school where Kari Voutilainen, too, had received his education. Amusingly, Laine began to supplement his formal education by deciding to build his own clock, which he accomplished in three years.

Torsti Laine

In 2014, he entered a competition held by A. Lange & Söhne. Fascinated by how the moon appears in different positions around the globe, he submitted an innovative design. It was of a watch with a single pusher that could be used to correct the moonphase so that it was accurate in any position on earth. The project also featured an indicator of the earth’s position as viewed from the moon. This design won him a 10,000-euro prize which he used to purchase his first tools. Following his success at the competition, Laine relocated to Le Locle to live in the epicenter of watchmaking and has operated his own brand since 2016.

Torsti’s initial work focused on chronographs using movements like the Valjoux 22, 23 and 72, and he even made one stunning sector dial pièce unique featuring a vintage Longines 13ZN movement.

Today, Torsti focuses less on chronographs and more on his time-only watches which are offered in two sizes: a 38mm version powered by a Vaucher micro-rotor movement and a 40.5mm version with a manual wind, largely proprietary movement based on a Unitas gear train. These are known respectively as the V38 and the GG3. Incidentally, GG stands for “Gelidus,” a frosted finish reminiscent of the snow in Laine’s native Finland, and “Guilloché,” the engraved decorative pattern he has become famous for.

Laine's V38 with guilloche salmon dial

In character, Laine is a stoic man of few words, though he possesses an intense intellect with an amusingly dry sense of humor. If you haven’t heard of him, then congratulations because you’ve just discovered an individual that I consider to be one of independent watchmaking’s very last best-kept secrets — partly because of his humility, as Laine doesn’t like talking about himself, and partly because his watches aren’t the type that shout at you, but man are they beautiful!

After wandering his watchmaking lair, I gathered my courage and proposed a collaborative series of watches with Laine, who looked back at me and basically said nothing for almost a minute. I started to panic. Had I offended his pure watchmaking sensibilities by proposing a commercial project? Then I realized he was reflecting on the nature of our project.

Two-Tone Meteorite and Frosted Dial with Eastern Arabic numerals

Laine looked down at the stunning GG3 watch in his hand and said, “I like the fact that Revolution is present in three major parts of the watch collecting world, the United States/Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Maybe we could make a watch that expresses the unity and solidarity that is created by our love for watchmaking.”

The Torsti Laine GG3

I would come to learn that the thing with Laine is, he is almost the Finnish version of a Buddhist monk, meaning that he doesn’t say a lot but when he does, his words are redolent with meaning.

One of the things I’ve always loved best about horology is that it transcends, age, race, religion, gender and nationality. I’ve always thought of watches as the great unifier. I replied to Laine, “How about if we were to create four watches — all united by the same color dial and micro-engraved movement, but each with a unique dial featuring a decorative pattern showcasing your mastery in guilloché à main? Then we will make these same four watches with Breguet (Western Arabic) numerals, Chinese numerals and Eastern Arabic numerals to pay tribute to the three languages that we at Revolution create our content in? Meaning that we will have a total of 12 pièce unique timepieces that are meant to be symbols of unity and solidarity, watches that remind collectors of the international appeal of horology and its capacity to bring people together. In fact, I have the perfect name for our timepiece — the Torsti Laine “One Love,” based on your 40.5mm in diameter GG3 platform.”

The 12 stunning variations of the Torsti Laine x Revolution 'One Love' limited edition

Why the 40.5mm watch? I get it that prevailing tastes have shifted to smaller sizes. But hear me out. It all has to do with the movement. The V38 is a spectacular watch from a size perspective, but the movement is a relatively straightforward execution of the Vaucher micro-rotor movement used by several brands, including Parmigiani Fleurier for the fantastic Tonda PF and even the aforementioned Nakagawa for his Murakumo. With the V38 watch, the customization is limited to the micro-rotor which Laine reworks to fantastic effect.

Laine's V38 with a straightforward execution of the Vaucher micro-rotor movement featuring his beautifully customised micro rotor

However, the GG3 is a different story. I remember being impressed with Torsti’s GG3 watch already for its sublime and purposeful take on classic ’40s-style chronometers, but turning the case over seriously took my breath away — that’s how beautiful the movement is.

While Laine might start with a relatively pedestrian Unitas 6498 ébauche, to say that he works some serious transubstantiation worthy of King Midas would be something of an understatement. Also, let’s take note that many of the world’s best independent watchmakers use relatively ubiquitous ébauches as the base of their movements. Kari Voutilainen, Ludovic Ballouard, Felix Baumgartner and Michiel Holthinrichs have all depended on the Peseux 7001. And both Richard Habring and Stefan Kudoke rely on the Valjoux 7750. Why? Because these are, first of all, available to them, and secondly, they are tried, tested and highly reliable. The Unitas 6498 is what is called in industry parlance a “workhorse,” meaning that, in the words of the old Energizer Bunny commercials, it “keeps going and going and going….”

Says Laine, “When it comes to a vintage-style chronometer, the Unitas offers all the characteristics that you would expect from the movement architecture. It features a large oversized balance wheel that vibrates at the classical speed of 18,000 vibrations per hour, like the old chronometers of the ’40s and ’50s, a single large barrel with an extremely stable performance, and a three-quarter-plate construction.”

But looking at a standard Unitas ébauche versus Laine’s GG3 movement is like looking at Eliza Doolittle before and after she meets Professor Higgins in My Fair Lady. Or Gigi and Bella Hadid before and after they decided to become supermodels. The point is, starting with the Unitas movement as his base allows Laine to create beautiful watches at an accessible price point.

Torsti Laine: Master of Decorative Techniques

What do I mean by beautiful? OK, hold on to your seats and let’s go through the particulars of Laine’s LA18.1 movement.

To begin with, the entire architecture of the movement is different. Instead of a straightforward three quarter plate, Laine has created a magnificent, sensually curved baseplate which snakes around the ratchet and barrel wheels with the litheness of a belly dancer, and features razor-sharp spear points that are hand beveled and polished to perfection just to showcase his extraordinary ability at finishing. This plate is made by Laine with his own miniature computer numerical control (CNC) machine. Then a custom finish is applied, combining frosting and the best miniature engraving in relief that I’ve seen, using Laine’s very own laser-engraving machine in a room in his atelier, next to where he applies the rose gold galvanic treatment to the plate himself.

Laine GG3 platform featuring Torsti Laine's exquisite signature micro-engraving

For those of you who may have an opportunity to visit Torsti in the house where he works and lives in the center of Le Locle, I urge you to do so. In an era where many are jumping on the independent watchmaking bandwagon, Laine is seriously a wonderfully refreshing one-man show, with an incredible MacGyver-like atelier, which is a testament to his self-reliance, inventiveness, authenticity and autodidactic creativity. When I look at his incredibly efficient yet largely jerry-rigged laser-engraving machine, after carefully placing safety goggles on my face, I couldn’t help but ask how in the hell he’d invented his own laser engraver. He looked at me with a totally straight face and replied, “I read some books.” Classic!

Laine's beautifully engraved GG3 movement for this limited edition collaboration

OK, but I digress from the beautiful construction and hand finishing of his movements. Take a look at how all the parts of the baseplate’s complex engraving at the highest level are mirror polished by hand. Look at the beauty of the beveling around the entire plate that, as I’ve explained, forms one of the most complex shapes I’ve come across. Look at the stunning snailing on both his ratchet and barrel wheels. The contrast in reflection between light and dark on these wheels is truly magnificent.

Note the tiny peace symbol and a dove of peace on the top left, tucked into a roof-shaped section of the baseplate beside the barrel and ratchet wheels

Look at every one of its countersinks holding either a screw or a ruby, they too are polished to stunning effect. Look at the head of each screw and the way it reflects light, or more correctly, doesn’t reflect light at all because it is black polished, the pinnacle of polishing. This technique is also known as “spéculaire” in French, which means polishing a steel part to such perfection that it only reflects light in one direction, producing a “black” effect when the light strikes the surface at a right angle. But not content with this, Torsti also black polishes the click for the barrel as well as the two screw heads that you see underneath the balance wheel.

My favorite part of Laine’s movement, however, are the two bridges — the bridge that retains the escapement wheel and the complementary bridge that retains the balance. There exists a tradition for beautifully finished steel bridges in independent watchmaking. Christian Klings made some very beautiful ones on my friend Mark Cho’s pièce unique, while the Grönefeld Brothers and Petermann Bédat have also used them to ravishing effect. But you don’t normally find this element in an accessibly priced watch like Laine’s. I also love the beautiful and elegant shape of these bridges which feature slim Constantin Brâncuși-like elements. Being positioned close to the rubies retaining the balance staff and escape wheel staff, the bridges feature pointed wing-like shoulders, which to me makes them look like birds in flight.

A Paean for Peace

When it came time to design the relief engraving, Laine and I decided to push his laser-engraving machine to the outer edges of its capability. He explained to me, “Since our watch is about unity and respecting different cultures, why don’t we try engraving the word ‘Peace’ in as many languages as we can fit on the baseplate?”

Triple Guilloché À Main Dial with Chinese numerals

After a lengthy design process arranging each of these words to the best aesthetic effect, we managed to fit “Peace” in 70 different languages on the movement’s baseplate. It was only when I saw the final effect that I realized it reminded me a little bit of the secret engraving used on the Greubel Forsey Invention Piece watches, though I suppose that association can only be a positive one. As a surprise, Laine also added a tiny peace symbol and a dove of peace tucked into a roof shaped section of the baseplate beside the barrel and ratchet wheels.

Laine’s GG3 movement, here featuring the word ‘Peace’ in as many languages as we can fit on the baseplate — 70 in total

What was truly impressive was that once this spectacle of micro-engraving was completed and we were satisfied with the sharpness and clarity of each word under magnification with a watchmaker’s loupe, Laine set about the process of linear graining each “Peace” so that it stood out in fantastic shimmering contrast to the baseplate’s frosted finish. The end result is something that to me resonates with positivity and unity.

Each watch is housed in a steel 40.5mm case

Each Torsti Laine × Revolution “Chronometer One Love” watch has the same steel 40.5mm × 11.3mm case, and features a domed sapphire crystal as well as a lug width of 20mm. All four executions of the dials will be rendered in Torsti’s absolutely stunning shade of purple. Why purple? Because it represents strength, power, positivity and love. It is also the color of transformation. The four different watches offered are as follows:

One Love with Double Guilloché À Main Dial

Chronometer One Love with Double Guilloché À Main Dial: Both the outer and center sections are decorated with Flamme guilloché. The seconds section is decorated with Clous de Paris guilloché. Priced at CHF 11,000 each, excluding taxes

One Love with Triple Guilloché À Main Dial

Chronometer One Love with Triple Guilloché À Main Dial: The outer section is decorated with horizontal Panier (a basketweave pattern) guilloché. The center section is decorated with Flamme (a twisting sunray pattern) guilloché. The seconds section is decorated with Clous de Paris guilloché. Priced at CHF 11,000 each, excluding taxes

One Love with Two-Tone Meteorite and Frosted Dial

Chronometer One Love with Two-Tone Meteorite and Frosted Dial: The outer section has a frosted finish. Both the center and seconds sections are in meteorite, rhodium plated for color. Priced at CHF 11,800 each, excluding taxes

One Love with Guilloche and Frosted Dial

Chronometer One Love with Double Guilloche and Frosted Dial: The center section is decorated with panier guilloché and paired with Chinese numerals, flamme guilloche paired Eastern Arabic numerals or grain de ritz guilloche paired with Breguet numerals; the outer section has a frosted finish. Priced at CHF 11,800 each, excluding taxes

The first three dial executions are available with white rhodium Breguet, Chinese or Eastern Arabic numerals. Together with the three one-of-a-kind guilloche-and-frosted dial execution, our One Love project comprises a series of 12 pièce unique timepieces.

The Torsti Laine × Revolution “One Love” is available to the public for purchase on RevolutionWatch.com on 04 October 2023, 10pm SGT/ 4pm CET/ 10am EST. For enquiries, email shop@revolutionmagazines.com

Tech Specs

Movement: Manual winding caliber LA18.1, based on Unitas 6498-1; 46-hour power reserve

Functions: Hours, minutes and small seconds

Case: 40.5mm; stainless steel; water resistant to 30m

Dial: Four executions in 12 examples featuring variously triple and double guilloché (Panier, Flamme, Clous de Paris), meteorite center with frosted outer, and guilloche center with frosted outer

Strap: Leather with stainless steel pin buckle

Price: CHF 11,000 / CHF 11,800 excluding taxes

Availability: 12 unique pieces

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Sold Out

Laine

Laine x Revolution Purple Dial Frosted with Guilloché Center "One Love" (Hindu)

$13,200.00

TECH SPECS

Movement	Manual winding caliber LA18.1, based on Unitas 6498-1; 46-hour power reserve
Functions	Hours, minutes and small seconds
Case	40.5mm; stainless steel; water resistant to 30m
Dial	Four executions in 12 examples featuring variously triple and double guilloché (Panier, Flamme, Clous de Paris), meteorite center with frosted outer, and guilloche center with frosted outer
Strap	Leather with stainless steel pin buckle
Limited Edition	12 unique pieces

The post TORSTI LAINE × REVOLUTION ‘ONE LOVE’ appeared first on Revolution Watch.

ArtyA, The Maverick Trailblazer Redefining the Rules of Watchmaking Part I

Revolution — Mon, 18 Sep 2023 05:23:36 +0000

Embark on an extraordinary journey with Wei and Yvan Arpa, a trailblazing maverick in the world of timepiece creation, as they delve into the captivating story of ArtyA (ART + Yvan Arpa), the namesake brand Yvan founded in 2010.

Having made significant contributions to some of the watch industry’s most remarkable success stories, Yvan took a daring leap into the realm of extreme art pieces that defy conventional categorization in watchmaking. Each creation is either numbered or utterly unique, a fusion of audacity and creativity that disrupts norms – often in a provocative manner. In an industry known for conservatism, Yvan is a trailblazer who’s achieved remarkable feats in record time. Today, ArtyA calls Geneva home and stands as a fiercely independent entity, operated by a highly efficient team of fewer than ten individuals. Their mission: to craft masterpieces instantly recognizable for their distinctive, creative, passionate, epicurean, and original style. ArtyA champions a philosophy of ultimate luxury, brimming with pure, uncompromising emotion, year after year. Clearly, Yvan doesn’t play by the rules, and you’re invited to join us for the thrilling first part of this incredible two-part episode.

The post ArtyA, The Maverick Trailblazer Redefining the Rules of Watchmaking Part I appeared first on Revolution Watch.

Rare Roger W. Smith Series 2 Open Dial offered for sale at Wristcheck

Felix Scholz — Wed, 13 Sep 2023 07:23:46 +0000

Rare Roger W. Smith Series 2 Open Dial offered for sale at Wristcheck

News

By Felix Scholz

Sep 13, 2023

‘May you live in interesting times’. The apocryphal saying that quietly asserts the benefits of boring consistency over unpredictable turbulence can certainly be applied to the secondary watch market at the moment. Prices for many of the vaunted hype watches are softening, and stock is becoming easier to find. However, there’s a massive caveat — and that’s that the truly, actually rare stuff, the highest of high quality, is still performing exceptionally well. Perhaps the best example of this is the independents. Independents like Roger W. Smith, the legendary Isle of Man-based maker, the only protégé of George Daniels. A man who has, since 2021, quietly been making a handful of watches every year the old-fashioned way, in his quiet studio.

The Rise of Roger W. Smith

Dial details on the Roger W. Smith Series 2 Open Dial

Roger W. Smith watches don’t come up for sale too often, but when they do, the results are always impressive. Phillips, for example, sold Smith’s Pocket Watch Number Two in 2023, resulting in a $4.9 million dollar sale. That watch was particularly special, but even regular production wristwatches are inching closer to the seven-figure bracket. All this makes Wristcheck’s upcoming sale of a rare Roger W. Smith Series 2 Open Dial in a prototype 40mm white gold case a sale to watch.

The best of British watchmaking

The watch is — as you would expect — stunning. Delivered in 2010, it’s meticulously hand-finished, with a single-wheel version of the Daniels Co-axial escapement and free-sprung Quadrajust balance. The barrel bridge and balance cock are engraved with English floral designs, and finished with frosted and gilded plates. As you’d expect at this level, the movement is fitted with gold chatons and flame-hued screws in blue/purple. What sets this example above the regular Open Dials is its place in the evolution of Smith’s designs. Roger W. Smith explains, “This Series 2 Open Dial watch in white gold is particularly important to me, being the first of my Open Dial watches to be housed in a 40mm case. Of note is the fact that the watch has the first of my evolutions of the co-axial escapement. This ‘Mark 1’ escapement represents one of the milestones in my quest to continue improving on George Daniels’s original concept. There are only ten of my Open Dials in existence with this particular escapement, and one of the gratifying aspects of watches such as this one being made available again is to have the chance to experience it once again. It brings back many special memories.”

Almost as remarkable as the watch itself is the story of how it was acquired. Mister Phillip Pon, is the original owner of the watch, he purchased it in 2010, not through the typical process of enquiry and order, but rather at a dinner party. Pon attended a dinner with some of the world’s greatest watchmakers, including Kari Voutilainen, Romain Gauthier, Ludovic Ballouard and of naturally, Roger W. Smith. At this point, Pon owned a watch from all the makers in attendance, except for Smith, and expressed his desire to change that situation. According to Wristcheck, Smith was sufficiently moved to unveil from his pocket a watch that he had personally crafted and offered it to Mr. Pon – upon which the transaction promptly took place.

Box and papers

Ten years on, the sale of this watch won’t be taking place at a dinner party, but rather over at Wristcheck. Enquiries on the watch are open until the 22nd of September, with a starting price of $1.15 million US.

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FROM THE SHOP

Bell & Ross

Bell & Ross x Alessandro Palazzi x Revolution & The Rake Bellytanker Chronograph "Vesper"

$5,250.00

TECH SPECS

Movement	Self-winding caliber BR.CAL-301; 42-hour power reserve
Functions	Hours, minutes, small seconds, chronograph and date
Case	41mm; CuAI7Si2 bronze; water resistant to 100m
Dial	Sunray brushed with applied, gold-plated indices
Strap	Black calfskin; satin polished bronze folding clasp
Limited Edition	Limited edition of 50 pieces

The post Rare Roger W. Smith Series 2 Open Dial offered for sale at Wristcheck appeared first on Revolution Watch.

Independent Watchmaking Archives - Revolution Watch

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Classic yet innovative

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Leonardo DiCaprio Joins $2 Million Investment in ID Genève’s Sustainable Watchmaking

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Backed by Environmentalists

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TORSTI LAINE × REVOLUTION ‘ONE LOVE’

TORSTI LAINE × REVOLUTION ‘ONE LOVE’

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ArtyA, The Maverick Trailblazer Redefining the Rules of Watchmaking Part I

Rare Roger W. Smith Series 2 Open Dial offered for sale at Wristcheck

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