Chopard L.U.C Quattro Spirit 25 Year of the Dragon Watch Review The Chopard L.U.C Quattro Spirit 25 Year of the Dragon reinterprets the firm’s jumping hour watch first released in 2021. Offered in three variants, the model draws on the extraordinary talents of the Maison’s craftspeople and watchmakers to deliver a wonderful marriage of artistic crafts and mechanical virtue. Mark McArthur-Christie, a self-confessed horophile and car obsessive reveals these two passions as he waxes lyrical about this latest creation. Image – Chopard LUC Quattro Spirit 25 Year of the Dragon – Reference 161977-00 ..read more

Perrelet Turbine Splash Watch Review The Perrelet Turbine Splash was recently unveiled at the ‘Windup Watch Fair’ in Chicago. Inspired by the work of legendary American artist Jackson Pollock, and his famous ‘dripping technique’, and employing Perrelet’s innovative Turbine know-how, the dial plays with the onlooker’s perception of movement and perspectives to deliver a wholly original composition. Perrelet watch Growing up in the 70s, watching TV dramas, I often wondered why car wheels appeared to rotate backwards. I later discovered this is caused by a ‘strobe effect’. The film cameras recor ..read more

Grand Seiko Starry Night SBGW314J Watch Review The Grand Seiko Starry Night SBGW314J was unveiled at Watches & Wonders 2024, one of nine new releases from the luxury Japanese marque. Drawing on the design codes of the very first Grand Seiko of 1960, this latest watch is said to have been inspired by Van Gogh’s Starry Night painting. Mark McArthur-Christie, a dedicated follower of horological matters and a man with a penchant for dismantling old timepieces, talks vintage watches and cutting-edge know-how. Grand Seiko at Watches & Wonders 2024 The Grand Seiko team at Watches and Wonders ..read more

Ressence TYPE 1° Round Black Watch Review After writing about Ressence’s extraordinary creativity, Angus Davies was granted the opportunity to have a few days hands-on with the company’s TYPE 1° Round Black. Could his experience tempt him to break with tradition and embrace the avant-garde? Image – Ressence TYPE 1° Round Black Ressence watch While I applaud innovation and creativity, I confess to being a bit of laggard and a tad tech-sceptic. Indeed, despite appreciating avant-garde design, there is always that little bit of me that remains wary. Perhaps it’s my age that makes me fearful of n ..read more

Steinway & Sons Spirio | r Piano luxury feature The Steinway & Sons Spirio | r Piano is a highly innovative concept conceived by the prestigious brand synonymous with excellence. Angus Davies recently travelled to the firm’s Hamburg factory and witnessed first hand the talents of the company’s craftspeople before listening to the ‘world’s finest high resolution player piano’. Image – ©Joerg Modrow Benchmarking excellence I’ve sat in a room and listened to debates as to who was the greatest tenor of all time, Enrico Caruso (1873-1921) or Luciano Pavarotti (1935-2007). Clearly, both men ..read more

TAG Heuer Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph Watch Review The TAG Heuer Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph is equipped with the ultimate expression of chronograph ownership, the ‘rattrapante’. A high complication often associated with Haute Horlogerie’s old guard, this avant-garde creation serves to illustrate how far watchmaking has progressed in the last 50 years. Piquerez watch case Days that change history begin like any other. On one of them in 1968, on a bedside table in the Jura, a watch alarm sounded. For a local representative of casemaker Piquerez, it signalled the start of another day ..read more

Laurent Ferrier Natural Escapement (Calibre FBN229.01) in-depth feature The Laurent Ferrier Natural Escapement is a modern-day take on Breguet’s échappement naturel (natural escapement). The Geneva-based Maison was able to make the system a reality by combining modern-day materials and technology with its legendary low-volume production methods and extraordinary watchmaking expertise.  The resultant escapement is highly efficient and is found within the Calibre FBN229.01, an automatic movement equipped with a micro-rotor. Image – Laurent Ferrier Square Micro-Rotor Blue Laurent Ferri ..read more

Panerai Luminor Quaranta BiTempo Goldtech PAM01641 Watch Review The Panerai Luminor Quaranta BiTempo Goldtech PAM01641 comes on the back of last year’s release, the Radiomir Quaranta Goldtech PAM01026. Once again, housed in a highly wearable 40 mm case and formed of noble metal, this latest watch brims with luxury while promising to be eminently practical. The Luminor Quaranta BiTempo Goldtech features a small seconds dial, date display and comes with a highly useful GMT function. Angus Davies, a self-confessed Paneristi, looks at this latest ultra-luxurious creation. Panerai military watches ..read more

Armin Strom One Week Manufacture Edition Watch Review The Armin Strom One Week Manufacture Edition has just been released by the Biel-based brand as it ‘celebrates 15 years of its integrated manufacture in 2024’. Dressed in a suit of anthracite clothes, this latest creation promises to seduce onlookers with its exposed twin barrels and elongated finger-like bridges. Armin Strom watch To paraphrase Gerard Kenny’s famous 70s hit, ‘Biel, Bienne, so good they named it twice’. The bilingual city, home to several watch brands, bears two names. The local companies tend to favour French or Swiss Germ ..read more

Vacheron Constantin Club 1755 London Retail Feature Vacheron Constantin has just announced the opening of Club 1755, a private space located on Old Bond Street, London. The ‘experimental space’ invites watch aficionados to enjoy a curated wine, spirit or cigar while engaging in conversation with like-minded individuals. Moreover, the space will include temporary installations, paying tribute to British art and culture. Vacheron Constantin depuis 1755 In 1755, Jean-Marc Vacheron engaged his first apprentice and, in that moment, founded what has since become one of the most prestigious names in ..read more