Technical and aesthetic virtuosity entrusted to the savoir-faire of the watchmaking Maisons. The excellence of time, which goes beyond marking hours, minutes and seconds, to show off what in the sector are called complications, that is to say, all the additional functions: from the chronograph to time zones, to calendars; tourbillons, moon phases, minute repeaters, just to name a few. Any additional function requires additional components and gears, which makes the movement more complicated: these functions are divided into complications and grand complications, the latter being more elaborate. Some are more highly valued than others, but all of them showcase talents and become testaments to the continuous research by Manufactures, who every time give us increasingly more sophisticated examples of engineering applied to time.
In fine watchmaking, in addition to the movements, the aesthetic component is also always in search of increasingly bold and creative forms of expression, where to dare sometimes means challenging even the rules of architecture.
In fine watchmaking, in addition to the movements, the aesthetic component is also always in search of increasingly bold and creative forms of expression, where to dare sometimes means challenging even the rules of architecture. The result is timepieces whose beauty goes beyond the traditional canons of watchmaking, telling stories that in this case too, are complex. They are works of art capable of offering the unexpected.
Like the Bulgari X MB&F Serpenti, a unique creation where caliber and design seamlessly accentuate each other. It was born from the collaboration between a Maison, Bulgari, synonymous with Italian elegance, craftsmanship and a rich cultural heritage and one, MB&F, that has redefined the concept of classic watchmaking by creating true watchmaking machines. Or Hublot, which with the Big Bang Meca-10, which lacks a conventional dial, renders visible and enhances the aesthetic value of something that normally remains hidden; a model of micromechanical engineering with a caliber inspired by Meccano constructions and which ensures a power reserve of 10 days. Patek Philippe challenges conventions by giving a new shape to a new complication: the Cubitus Instantaneous Grand Date, Day by hand and Moon phases, Ref. 5822P-001, the Maison’s new square-shaped watch is powered by the self-winding caliber 240 PS CI J LU, for which six patent applications have been filed.
In the women’s field too, horology proves it really “knows what it’s doing”, confirming that yes, women pay attention to beauty, but increasingly they also desire a complicated heart. Word of Jaeger-LeCoultre and Van Cleef & Arpels.
text by Azzurra Valentini
