DANIEL ROTH Extra Plat Rose Gold Skeleton

Instrument de Vitesse, a new opus in the La Fabrique collection, revives the golden age of timed races. This single push-piece chronograph seems to have been plucked from the dashboard of a vintage GT car. It is equipped with a single timing hand – the centre seconds hand – and can time a maximum of one minute. With its sleek and refined retro sports look, Instrument de Vitesse is intended for enthusiasts of watchmaking history and culture. Housed in a 39-mm steel case, its 4.20 mm manually wound Manufacture calibre ensures that the finished timepiece is less than 10 mm thick. Instrument de Vitesse is available with an ivory-white or ebony-black dial in two limited series of 25 timepieces each.

Appearances can sometimes be deceptive. At first glance, Instrument de Vitesse does not appear to be a classic chronograph. With its three central hands, it looks like a watch... with three hands, but the tachymeter scale running around the outer edge of the dial reveals its chronometric function. For this is a chronograph presented in its purest expression, dedicated to timing short bursts – a measuring instrument designed to take average speed readings over a maximum of 60 seconds. This, in turn, casts new light on the crown, which also acts as the chronograph’s single push-piece to set the slender centre seconds hand in motion.

Black is the absence of light. This is the physical definition of a colour that is synonymous with classicism and elegance. At Moritz Grossmann, black is used to form stylish contrasts and also serves as a testament to the highest standards of craftsmanship. The limited-edition ENAMEL ROMAN Vintage, for example, has an enamel dial whose manufacture presents multiple challenges. With this, Moritz Grossmann has chosen the occasion of its 16th birthday to once again shine the spotlight on the expertise of the ateliers and workshops in Glashütte.

Tradition requires renewal, otherwise it remains stagnant in the past and cannot survive. This is an approach that Moritz Grossmann has embodied since 2008: the manufactory opened 16 years ago as a tribute to one of the most exceptional personalities in the history of watchmaking in Glashütte. Moritz Grossmann was an innovative watchmaker and, with the founding of the German Watchmaking School in Glashütte, influenced a generation of artisans.

His values and vision now live on in the Moritz Grossmann manufactory, which crafts a small but exquisite collection of sophisticated watches that always remain true to the standards of the man who gave the manufactory its name. Characteristics of these timepieces include exclusive manufactory movements with innovative details that are designed, made and finely decorated in-house in the company’s own workshops. The highest of standards also come into play when finishing the watches, as impressively demonstrated by the special model marking the 16th anniversary of the manufactory.
 

Matt and refined with vintage style: Instrument de Vitesse presents the purest expression of a chronograph, with no sub-counters. The collection sets the tone with its Indianapolis blue and Silverstone grey dials. Its finely printed tachymeter scale is dedicated to speed and is as functional as a dashboard instrument.

Things are not always what they seem. At first glance, Instrument de Vitesse could be a highly refined three-hand watch. Only its discreet tachymeter scale, printed on the edge of the dial, and its name point us in the right direction: this is a chronograph designed for short bursts, an instrument for measuring average speed over a maximum period of 60 seconds. The purpose of the button on the crown thus becomes clear: a single push-piece that triggers the slender direct-drive central seconds hand.

This year, Angelus is releasing the Chronographe Télémètre as a limited edition of two sets of 25 steel timepieces and a further 15 in 18-carat yellow gold. Measuring 37 mm in diameter, with a vintage-inspired dial and a mono-pusher set into the winding crown, this short-interval timekeeping instrument contains countless tributes to Angelus’ rich history and particularly its speciality in crafting chronographs. Its noble hand-wound mechanism, historical roots and superior finishes give this chronograph a wildly elegant retro aesthetic.

After the Instrument de Vitesse and the Chronographe Médical, the La Fabrique collection welcomes a new masterpiece that recalls the functional and aesthetic history of Angelus. Founded in 1891 in Le Locle by the Stolz brothers, Angelus quickly specialised in alarm clocks, minute repeaters and, above all, chronographs. One of its iconic models already inspired the revival of the Chronodate collection 80 years later.

Armin Strom co-founders Serge Michel and Claude Greisler look back on 15 years of achievements including 17 exclusive movements, patents, unique designs and 97% in-house production depth. 15 years ago, Armin Strom transformed from a one-man show to a fully integrated manufacture brand when entrepreneur Serge Michel and master watchmaker Claude Greisler took over the reins.

Since 2009, the two childhood friends have been dedicating their lives to the science of movement, building up an independent manufacture with a team of 38, including 22 skilled watchmakers able to turn raw steel bars into hundreds of complex, interconnected watch components. So far, this has resulted in 17 brand-unique different calibres with a signature open-worked design divided among the brand’s three main pillars: System 78, Resonance and Masterpiece.

The 41.5 mm diameter Constant Force Tourbillon 11 watch in 18-carat yellow gold, released by Arnold & Son as a limited edition of 11, is driven by a hand-wound mechanical movement. Equipped with two barrels to give a 100-hour power reserve, this timepiece was entirely developed and built at the manufacture in La Chaux-de-Fonds. It is fitted with a constant force mechanism visible on the enamel dial and is regulated by a tourbillon that can be seen on the back. The architecture of this calibre is inspired by that of the timekeeping instrument driven by the first tourbillon created by Abraham-Louis Breguet in 1808, based on a chronometer movement designed by John Arnold. This first tourbillon regulator, now in the British Museum, was given to John Roger Arnold by the Paris-based watchmaker in honour of his scientific collaboration and friendship with his father. The Constant Force Tourbillon 11 timepiece, designed to mark the end of the 260th anniversary celebrations of John Arnold’s legacy, pays tribute to the watchmaker’s ingenuity and his close association with Abraham-Louis Breguet.

The greatest watchmakers of the Age of Enlightenment often knew each other. Some of them exchanged views and appreciated each other despite language barriers and political obstacles. And this was the case with John Arnold and Abraham-Louis Breguet. These two watchmakers, undoubtedly the most productive of the second half of the 18th century, forged a friendship that nothing could shake, not even the throes of war between the two countries or the French Revolution. Aware of their respective talents, during Abraham-Louis Breguet’s frequent trips to London between 1789 and 1791, they shared their views and knowledge of the principles of timekeeping, furthering the science of timekeeping, which in their eyes definitely knew no frontiers.