Riverside Sundial
Crafted by Hungarian-born horologist, Imre Kalincsak, in the 1960s and gifted to the city of Riverside California.
He wanted to give back to the community, so, in 1965, he proposed to design and construct an unusual sundial that could be placed in front of what was then the new library building downtown.
His proposal, though, was no ordinary instrument. In addition to telling time (both true solar time and time of day), Kalincsak’s sundial would also tell the position of the sun in relation to the vernal and autumnal equinoxes, the day and month of the year, and which sign of the zodiac is prevalent.
It is a highly-crafted instrument that was said to take Kalincsak nearly 3,000 hours of work to build over three years.
Image credit Steve Lech
Fading Hours
Norifumi Seki returns with an aesthetically restrained, but far from quiet, debut piece from the Quiet Club. The Fading Hours features a novel, mechanical alarm designed and crafted from the ground up by Seki. Taking a page from F.P. Journe's book, the movement eschews traditional wire gongs in favour of a broad, highly-resonant, flat arc for the hammer to strike—fitting, given that Seki was bestowed with the F.P. Journe Young Talent Award in 2020.
Given the soothing, bell-like tonality of the gong that Seki has been able to achieve, akin the to striking works of the Credor Spring Drive Sonnerie, I am curious if he has opted to leverage one of the copper-tin alloys passed down through generations of Japanese craftspeople that forge the nation's esteemed Sahari Orin singing bowls, in lieu of the more traditional steel favoured by European masters of the art.
Image credit Quiet Club Watches, Inc.
Mid-tier Swiss Watchmakers Seek Aid
Amidst a slump in sales on the heels of exponential growth, some mid-range luxury watchmakers have applied for government assistance in order to retain jobs.
I understand the economic incentives of keeping employment up and recognize that there are very real people, with families, on the receiving end of this aid. However, bailing out the luxury sector hardly feels like a judicious use of taxpayer dollars.
Régleur Extraordinaire
Tania Edwards, writing for Collectibility, delves into the provenance of Zibach's work, including his invention of the Patek Philippe Gyromax balance wheel.
Referred to affectionately at Patek Philippe as “les anciens”, adjusters were superstars and reportedly received about three times the pay of other watchmakers. They made their own hours, worked their own way, had their own individual methodology and did whatever was needed to win the coveted Observatory ratings.
The value encapsulated in that second sentence should not be underestimated. The freedom to work in that manner was undoubtedly integral to Zibach's successes, undergirding his ability to make creative connections and technical leaps others lacked the clarity to see.
Image credit Patek Philippe SA
The Watchmaker & the Guillocher
Pierre Maillard, reporting for Europa Star, on Kari Voutilainen and Georges Brodbeck's efforts to perpetuate the art of guillochage:
Since the end of the 1950s, no hand-operated rose-engine lathes have been built and there are no schools that teach the art. As a result, master engine-turners or guillocheurs have become an endangered species.
Kari Voutilainen has played a significant role in the revival of guillochage. The modesty of his output–60 to 70 watches per year–is inversely proportional to the influence that his timepieces have had and continue to have on the industry.
Brodbeck's tools and talent could not have found a better home.
The Alternative Horological Alliance
Three brands, one bracelet.
The first project from the Alternative Horological Alliance—a partnership between Ming, J.N. Shapiro, and Fleming—leverages the skills and resources of all three brands to achieve outcomes unlikely to have arisen on their own. The first is a tantalum bracelet, designed by Ming Thein and produce in the workshops of Joshua Shapiro, that can be fit to watches from all three brands.
Image credit Alternative Horological Alliance
Talking Watches With Yoshihide Isogai
In a laid-back chat with Hodinkee's Kyosuke Sato, Yoshihide Isogai discusses early Patek wristwatches, the craftsmanship that drew him to independent watchmakers, and Shellman's thoughtful foray into quartz watches fit for the Musée international d'horlogerie in La Chaux-de-Fonds.
A Visit With David Candaux
There are watchmakers, and then there are watchmakers.
Logan Baker, reporting for Phillips Auctioneers, pays a visit to the atelier of David Candaux.
With regards to Candaux's choice of titanium for the bridges of his timepieces, Baker writes:
For Candaux, titanium is the ideal material for modern watchmaking because, unlike nickel silver, which was once considered innovative due to its non-magnetic and stainless properties, it is also highly resistant, biocompatible, and a natural material, ensuring exceptional longevity for each timepiece.
Image via Phillips Auctioneers, LLC