Jon

Technology & Watches
Tech journalist, Axel Metz’s reflections on watches—both the smart & not-so-smart variety. “I’m straining to think of another technology that can boast such permanence.”

The Evolution of the Skeleton Watch
Regis Meylan recounts the process of modernizing the art of skeletonizing watch movements at Audemars Piguet.

Inside Convergence Composite
A firm specializing in carbon fiber design & manufacturing for the horological industry.

A History of the Humble O-ring
Invented in 1936 by Danish draftsman, Niels Christensen.

A Horological Maverick
A motorsport-edged jaunt through the ateliers of watchmaker F.P. Journe.

Rocking the Boat
“Modern luxury isn’t just about spending bulk cash, it’s about knowing a good thing when you see it.”

Introducing nO-Ring
A gasket-free, direct mechanical sealing technology for watches from Mauron Musy.

Five Steps to Keep the Swiss Watchmaking Industry Ticking
It seems like a gross oversight to make no mention of room for improvement on the after sales service side, as well.

Prototyping the Deep Space Tourbillon Resonance
A deep dive into the design & prototyping of Vianney Halter's dual-oscillator Deep Space Tourbillon Resonance.

Drilling Holes for a Custom Watch Movement
Update number two on Project Minotaur from Chris Manning.

A Slowly Beating Heart
An exquisitely feminine take on a watch hand that oscillates in length as it moves around the dial, from Breguet.

April Watch Exports Were Down 81﹪ Year-over-year in 2020

Under the Dial of the Ressence Type 1 Squared X
Representing the passage of time through the fluid motion of coloured ball bearings.

Hole Center Measuring Attachment
Clever 3D-printing hack for your run-of-the-mill set of callipers. Not accurate enough for watch work, but could be used for general clock work.

Taming the 4th Dimension in a Ballet of 3-dimensional Mechanics
A look at Vianney Halter's dual-oscillator, Deep Space Resonance.

A Charming Profile of Théo Auffret
A young, French watchmaker hailing from Poissy, France.

The Contentious Consequences of Leap Seconds

“A Poetic Fit"
Breguet steps into the fountain pen game.

"That's Actually Super Hard."
Stephen Forsey on the initial naiveté that independent watchmaker face.

Bearing It Out
Understanding the impact of COVID-19 on the jewel bearing market. An unexpected takeaway from this research note is that jewel bearings can handle loads of up to 500 grams.

Time’s Up. Let’s Make a Change.
“The oppressor is always damaged by believing and treating others as less than fully human.” – Shannon Hale

An Education in Precision
“[T]his is not a job but a lifestyle.” – Herman Mayer

Project Minotaur
The Off Hours crew is building a watch.

Here's Hoping 2021 Rises Like a Phoenix From the Ashes of 2020
Grand feu enamel, hand engraving, hand finishing—a majestic display of handcraft in a unique piece from Schwarz Etienne & L'Atelier Blandenier. Peter Speake-Marin delves into the craft & techniques involved in bringing The Phoenix Collaboration from concept through to final product.

The Enduring Allure of the Rolex Day-Date
“This was arguably the most special day of his career, after he helped end Cleveland’s long title drought. To honor it, the King chose the President.”

Finding Purpose & Learning Perseverance Through Horology
Self-taught Australian horologist, Reuben Schoots, nears completion of his first watch movement.

“It’s an Effortlessly Cool Watch, Not Unlike the Man Himself.”
I kinda dig that Brad Pitt enjoys sporting a Rolex Explorer.

Digging Into the Details of Richard Mille’s Lower-Key, Extra Flat Timepieces

Watchmaking Officially Recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Wildlife Hazard Turned Wrist Hardware
Breitling’s new Superocean sports a brown NATO strap made from Outerknown ECONYL, a material repurposed from abandoned fishing nets.

Trailer for The Keeper of Time
A documentary featuring the likes of Philippe Dufour, F.P. Journe, & Roger W. Smith.

King Seiko Returns
In a limited run of 3000 pieces. This was a truly exceptional timekeeper back in the 1960s.

Ontario Government Passes Legislation to Make Daylight Time Permanent
“Ontario is now poised to lead the way on ending this outdated practice”

A Candid Audio Interview With Philippe Dufour
A living legend in the world of watchmaking, interviewed by a living legend in the watch journalism space, Jack Forster.

Grown Atom by Atom
A nice overview of the UV-LIGA tech Rolex quietly introduced into their in-house 4130 chronograph caliber a few years back.

W4T.CH
New-old-stock parts & vintage watchmaking tools.

Inside the Workshops of Akrivia
Alongside the brand’s founder, Rexhep Rexhepi.

Unique, Swivelling Pocket Watch Case Design
Crafted by antiquarian horologist, Seth Kennedy.

Fingerspitzengefühl
There's a German word for just about everything.

Closing in on 300
One of the oldest watch brands in the world, 283-year-old Favre-Leuba is still ticking.

Inside 'The Collective’
An interview with Asher Rapkin from Collective Horology, a private forum of collectors with access to exclusive watch collaborations.

Storied Surrey Street Clock to Be Restored by Norwich Watchmakers

Resonance & the Pursuit of Precision
From Christiaan Huygens & Antide Janvier to François-Paul Journe.

Reaching the Top
“Owning a Dufour practically means that there is very little, if anything at all, that could top such a watch." – Magnus Bosse

Watchmaking in Pandemic Times
Jordan Ficklin, former Executive Director of the AWCI, offers some thoughts on work-from-home for watchmakers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Last Cabinotier of Saint Gervais

The Rise of the Watch Museum

Keeping the Queen on Time
On the job with Windsor Castle's fourth horological conservator, Fjodor van den Broek.

Calgary's Historic City Hall Clock a Little Out of Sorts

500 Years of Watchmaking
A new exhibit showcasing centuries of watch-craft, in partnership with Vacheron Constantin, opens in Oxford, England.

Richard Mille Opens Its First Official Pre-Owned Boutique
Set in London's swanky Mayfair neighbourhood.

The Ultimate Speedmaster
Brice Goulard digs into Omega's reissue of the revered caliber 321, in its faithfully remastered stainless steel guise.

How Bond Made the Submariner Rolex's Most Iconic Timepiece
“Like Connery remains the most emblematic Bond, the Submariner remains Rolex's most emblematic model.”

The Alliance of British Watch and Clock Makers
How a chance meeting between Roger W. Smith & Mike France, of Christopher Ward, brought Britain's horologists together.

A Literal Living Legend
Philippe Dufour’s latest ‘Simplicity’ sells for $1,500,000 USD. The most ever paid for a timepiece made by a living, independent watchmaker.

“Even James Bond Couldn’t Resist Swapping His Standard-issue Rolex for a Pulsar at the Start of Live and Let Die”
Hamilton reissues its once groundbreaking LED watch, now with an OLED display.

Why Books Matter
Seth Godin digs into why books transcend both space and time, the value of their inherent focus, & the leverage they can imbue.

Philippe Dufour Rekindles the Beauty of Simplicity

The Blueprint Dial
A literally & figuratively transparent dial design from Zenith.

Armin Strom’s Charming Lady Beat
Pragmatically, it would be better to have the dial on the right-hand side. However, aesthetically speaking, that would lend the watch a wholly different experience.

Lighting Dials on Fire at Donzé Cadrans
Inside one of the most famous & fabled of all the grand feu enamel dial manufactures in the industry.

The Essence of Innovation
As practised by Rolex.

Impromptu Storytelling
Storytelling is a powerful tool. According to this piece in Forbes, the power of story can even be used to overcome imposter syndrome.

Coral Gardening
Hope for our coral reefs.

AP Was Once a Major Stakeholder in JLC
At the turn of the millennium, the Richemont Group paid Audemars Piguet CHF 280,000,000 for their share of Jaeger-LeCoultre.

A Wandering Mind Is an Unhappy Mind
According to research by Daniel Gilbert et al, in stark contrast to flow, a mind bereft of purpose quickly devolves towards discontent.

One of Thirty
A technically & visually interesting evolution on the ETA 6498, by Keaton Myrick.

A Less Simple Simplicity

Sustainably Scottish
Marloe Watch Company aims to bring watchmaking back to Scotland through an environmentally sustainable workspace on the outskirts of the Scottish Highlands.

“A New Movement Is Often the Overture to a Symphony"
The latest in-house caliber from Oris boasts a 5-day power reserve along with a silicon pallet fork & escape wheel.

Phishers Hack Instagram Account of Jean-Claude Biver

An Unusual & Extremely Minimal Take on the Concept of a Wandering Hours Watch
The likewise novel & minimal strap attachment leaves lots of room for improvement.

Infinite Faces
Beyond Ken Kocienda's Solar face that shipped with the original Apple Watch, Geoff McFetridge's Artist face is one of the first to truly begin to explore the boundary pushing potential of the device. The first time that the thought of a constantly evolving watch face ever crossed my mind occurred while touring a small exhibit of digital works at the British Museum back in 2004, coincidentally, the exhibit also included a profile on Jony Ive & his design work for Apple up to that point.

The Watchmaking Wizard Who Doesn’t Like Watches
The New York Times shines some long overdue light on the whirlwind work of Eric Coudray

Philippe Dufour Simplicity No. 100 Sells for $662,698

A Moderately Less Simple Simplicity

Dressing Planned Obsolescence Up in a Biodegradable Outfit Does Not Make It Sustainable
The mechanism inside the Sistem51 is riveted together. It cannot be serviced. Its “single screw” is a misleading marketing ploy.

Ruby Sphere
Interesting take on a mobile stud carrier for a free-sprung balance by Christian Lass.

A Secret 'Man Cave' Under New York City's Grand Central Terminal
While not nearly as elaborate, this reminds me a little of the Untergunther's secret hideout used during the clandestine restoration of the Pantheon clock in Paris.

Swatch Group Temporarily Shuts Down Several Systems on the Heels of a Cyberattack

Jocelyn Bell Burnell
The Mother of Pulsars

A Watch That Runs on Water

JLC Master Ultra Thin Knife Watch for the Forthcoming Film, The King's Man
The fixed bow to allow for the strap to attach securely at the 12 o'clock position, coupled with the manually wound watch caliber & tiny crown, is unlikely to make for a pleasant owner experience as an everyday watch.

Closing the Loop
Adventures in pinning down the correct size for Apple's new Solo Loop watch bands, by John Gruber.

Solid Tips for Micro-Engraving
Both literally & figuratively.

Design for Repair
If you're a company or manufacturer looking to make your products last longer (and you should be), iFixit is stepping up its game to help.

Twelve
A dodecagon inspired watch by Naoto Fukasawa for Issey Miyake.

Why We Sleep

Plus Four Wristlet Route Indicator
An antique scroll-map navigator, from the 1920s, small enough to fit on the wrist.

If You Can't Fix It, You Don't Own It
The New York Times touches on the tip of the iceberg as to why the process of getting a watch serviced today has become unnecessarily arduous.

The Optimist Toaster
Goodbye planned obsolescence, hello longevity.

Beat Rate & Power Reserve
The two main differences between ETA calibers 6497-1 & 6497-2.

"Nothing Piques the Interest of the High-end Collector Like Being Told They Can't Have Something"
Jack Forster delves into the groundbreaking, one-of-a-kind, not-for-sale, T0 Constant Force Concept Tourbillon from Grand Seiko.