Salon Sightings

WATCHMAKING INNOVATORS
And while some brands are focusing on strictly traditional forms of watchmaking, others are exploring quite interesting and modern techniques.

Maurice Lacroix for instance, presented its latest addition to its Masterpiece collection, the Regulateur Roue Carree. According to brand CEO Martin Bachmann, they weren’t trying to reinvent the wheel, just redesign it. And he did mean that literally. It’s a watch with a central minutes hand and small seconds, as well as a power reserve indicator on the dial. But what is more attention grabbing is the hour display that comes in the form of a square wheel. It turns by means of unique-shaped teeth, engaged by a clover-shaped regulator that allows for it to turn, thereby showing the hour. The movement was built in-house and designed by engineer and watchmaker Michel Vermot.

A week before the Salon, Montblanc had anelaborate shindig in Beijing celebrating the grand launch of its latest creation, the Metamorphosis. Part of the Timewalker collection, the watch is another amazing piece of innovation. Designed by Johnny Girardin and Frank Orny, who were inspired by the workings of automatons, the watch features a regulator hour hand and retrograde minute hand that transforms into a chronograph at a touch of a button. Basically, the hour regulator at 12 o’clock splits open to reveal a chronograph display, and the date wheel at 6 o’clock gives way to a minute counter. This one had me seriously dumbstruck for at least a minute, and for those who want to know more, it might be worth watching its demo video on YouTube.

AND THERE GOES my hopefully captivating rundown of the notable watches from the SalonQP. Cheers London, until our next fashionable encounter.