Horological Meandering

Ornatus-Mundi
[Zenith]
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So that's it, 5k!

Dear Friends

it has been a long way, but it was a way I intensively shared with true friends. While strolling along (both figuratively and literally, marvelling at the posh booths in Basel and Geneva), I could whitness how my knowledge on watches intensified and - as a side effect - my appreciation of watches changed.

Time for a few minutes of stocktaking (at this stage a deep thank you to both Damjan (who alerted me on my 'coming of age') and Kari (who prevented me from wasting my 5000th on the Apple watch in the last minute):



First, you admire the big brands. Their promise is prestige, the feeling of belonging to a 'club' (particularly if you start as a student...)

Then, you get to appreciate complications. This teaches you something about the intricate and complex mechanisms that could be inside a watch, plus you learn something about astrology and physics.

Eventually, in-house movements become a condition sine qua non. At some point, you realise that not all watches are created equal. There are those and those. You prefer the latter... Your other half however questions your sanity, she feels the support of your bank accountant.

Those becoming increasingly common, the independent watchmakers enter the scene. A great many of new friendships are made, and fascinating insights into the design and construction, from a horological point of view, are gained. You start to loose a lot of money for inviting watchmaking geniusses for dinner.

The latter eventually leads to a completely new level of appreciation of what one might call 'commercial watchmaking', with a constant reinvigoration of passion and enthusiasm, incredible discoveries, and likewise phenomenal dissappointments.

You visit many watch manufactures, you are overwhelmed by the talent at first, but one day you realise that those are essentially the same. But you learn to distinguish by taking note of tinest details in production processes...

Is this the proverbial 'PuristS' way'? Probably, but where does it start?

There are a few landmark pieces which passed my way.

The first one was a 1950s 14kt yellow gold Dugena watch which I bought at a flea market for exactly 2DM. Yes, this is 1€ in today's currency. Not only was this a great deal (it worked, just needed a replacement crown), but it also ignited my passion for anything ticking. Unfortunalely, I don't have an image of that (nor do I have that watch anymore).

Then, I would like to mention the IWC Cal. 853 automatic, which was something like my first serious watch. It was a wonderful piece to wear, classic, restrained but full of personality:



My first contemporary luxury watch was a Blancpain Villeret Ref 1161. While a bit outside the 'norm' for a Blancpain, I loved its fine details and learned to appreciate a fine modern watch even without a display back.



The watch also brought me in close contact to two of the most eminent leaders in the watch industry, Marc Hayek, then freshly instituted president of Blancpain, and Jean-Claude Biver, then outgoing president before he was to set his third defining mark in the industry, i.e. reinvigorating the House of Hublot. The rest is legend.

After that very meeting, I developed close friendships within the industry and had the unique chance to moderate Blancpain's in-house watch forum. That lasted for almost 8 years before its time was over - enter PPro...



I am most grateful to the many, many fantastic people and friends whom mentored me along the process. They are too many to list individually, but I would like to mention the group around Hans Zbinden, Michael Friedberg, Peter Chong, Eugenio Demmenie and - last but not least - the late Michael Dunn (image credit: Fx):



Mike was a mentor of mine for many years and a true friend. For more on his exceptional personalitly please click here . I had the very emotional opportunity to wear one if this watches again during this year's Basel fair:



In terms of teaching me most I would like to mention two very different types of watches, the ochs und junior series of ultra-reduced watches, ...



... and their antipole, the ultra-complicated watch created over a century by Louis Élysée Piguet, Franck Muller and Paul Gerber:



Paul Gerber is ever since then one of my dearest friends:



Similar holds true for the only Austrian manufacture, Habring2 (image credit: Ming Thein):



Another friend of great importance (and partner in crime) is Oliver Meindl:



Which brings me to my last point: The image above highlights a behaviour which the general public would call interesting, and those who take a closer look perhaps as worrysome: watch photography! This a point in case is why our friendships are so important, because they provide a sanity check and help assure ourselves that everything is normal indeed.

Its a second addiction which cannot be easily controlled, whether the environment is amenable for this or not. Here I was caught taking images of clocks at the residence of the Austrian ambassador to the European Union. Everbody else was behaving as appropriate (e.g. drinking champagne and having small talk)... no wonder I never made into the Foreign Service...



Purists take every occasion to refine the tools and techniques necessary, even if this means strolling vintage watch stores (images again: Ming Thein):





Yes, we cannot help: everytime we see a guy wearing a fine watch - arms up and camera's out:



So, I feel enriched by this addiction, and particularly by this wonderful crowd here. In this respect, Melvyn Teillol-Foo and of course Thomas Mao, who sucessfully lured me over here.

And to all of you for being to generous with your passion, knowledge and time!

Happy ticking!
Magnus

  This message has been edited by Ornatus-Mundi on 2016-09-09 07:27:40