Revontulet - and the Quick Northern Fox

Hyvää huomenta everyone! Having spent four winters in Finland (2 in the "old capital" of Turku, and 2 in Helsinki) I can tell you that it takes a special person to find the magic and express it in a way that is understandable to the ulkomaalainen (foreigners) . Ladies and gentlemen, Stepan Sarpaneva is pretty special.  And it took something pretty special to create this latest offering from Sarpaneva - the Korona Northern Lights.

Courtesy of Sarpaneva

These three pieces are the latest from Stepan Sarpaneva and represent a truly unique collaboration with James Thompson of Black Badger.  The Korona Northern Lights come in 3 versions -

Green -

In the daytime...

Courtesy of Sarpaneva

And at night...

Courtesy of Sarpaneva

Violet -

In the daytime...

Courtesy of Sarpaneva

And at night...

Courtesy of Sarpaneva

And Blue...

In the daytime...

Courtesy of Sarpaneva

And at night...

Courtesy of Sarpaneva

In Finland the story goes that the Revontulet (Northern Lights) are created by the escapades of a frolicking naali (Arctic Fox).  As he/she is running around (as foxes are apt to do) his/her fur brushes the sides of the mountains creating sparks that fly into the night creating the northern lights.

Another version has the playful naali brushing the snow with its tail, sending the northern lights skyward.  I prefer both explanations to the scientific ones.

Courtesy of Sarpaneva

But it would seem that in this instance, it was not the naali, but rather the Black Badger himself helping to create this magic with his fantastic "Moonglow" composite.  But as he explains in his Notes from the workbench, Moonglow was only available in one color - green.  So Mr. Thompson did some research and discovered some additional possibilities.  I don't want to steal the Black Badger's thunder, so here is a link to his site so that you can read all about it straight from the source -

Black Badger Notes from the workbench.

The case is 46 mm in diameter, with a thickness of 12 mm, has a sapphire crystal with multiple interior anti-reflective coatings, and will stay safe and dry to 10 ATM thanks to the Double secured water-resistant SARPANEVA screw-down crown.

The movement is a modified Soprod A10, which is self-winding and features a moon phase indication (29.5 days) that is the result of Stepan Sarpaneva's in-house complication.  It offers 42 hours of power reserve and is Rhodium plated with perlage finishing.

The dials are are DLC coated in green, violet or blue with Super-LumiNova indices, and as mentioned above were made possible thanks to the collaboration with James Thompson of Black Badger Advanced Composites.  The moon phases are of red or white gold.  The hands are also treated with Super-LumiNova.

I am really looking forward to seeing these in person at BaselWorld in a few weeks' time, but for now

here are the complete specs:

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Movement
• Modified Soprod A10 calibre, 11.5 lines, 28800 vph (4 Hz)
• Mechanical, automatic winding
• Phases of the moon (29.5 days), in-house complication
• 25 jewels
• 42-hour power reserve
• Rhodium-plated, perlage finishing
• DLC coated winding mass with 18K gold moon and masses

Case
• Stainless steel, 46 mm in diameter, 12 mm in thickness
• 1.5 mm thick curved sapphire crystal with multi anti-reflective coating inside
• Double secured water-resistant SARPANEVA screw-down crown
• Water-resistant to 10 ATM

Dial
• DLC coated blue, green or violet with Super-LumiNova indexes
• Luminous dials in collaboration with James Thompson of Black Badger Advanced Composites 

• Moon faces made of 18K red gold and 18K white gold
• Rhodium-plated hands with Super-LumiNova

Strap
• Leather in various colours, rubber
• Stainless steel buckle

The Motor Skull

From Romain Vollet -

Courtesy of Romain Vollet

42 mm of stainless steel surrounds what is referred to as a "Skeleton, self-winding movement".
Hours, minutes and seconds.

Just the thing for your next Day of the Dead get together ; )

A New Roller Ball Pen

From Manu Propria -

Courtesy of Manu Propria

This is the latest of Martin Pauli's latest creation - a roller ball.  Hand made one at a time by Martin in his atelier in Switzerland.

Available from March first.

The Transfer Window gets Shattered!

As it is announced today that the man that took the hit for Tag Heuer is now back in the saddle with, wait for it... Gucci!

In one of the shortest job searches in watch executive history, it seems that Stéphane Linder can remove his resume from Career Builder.  There are times when I think you just couldn't make this stuff up, and this is one of them.

Former Tag Heuer CEO Stéphane Linder was unveiled to the press and presented with his "Gucci Jersey" today and with the recent turmoil in the "House of Gucci" stateside (translation - mass exodus of US staff), it is reasonable to assume that "Cause" has been introduced to "Effect".

In fairness, Mr. Linder worked his way up with Tag Heuer and was a Tag Loyalist, which made his sudden departure unsettling to say the least.  But also, when reviewing how things have unfolded prior to that, somewhat predictable.  Mr. Linder is more on the technical side, he is not really a finance/marketing guy which is really what Gucci's bread and butter is.  So whether or not this is a "rebound romance" or "true love" remains to be seen, but I certainly wish Mr. Linder the best of luck.

In the wake of this it seems that we can draw one of two possible conclusions:

1.  This has been in the planning stages for some time and was possibly even somehow connected to Mr. Sofisti stepping down in the manner that he did.

2.  Perhaps, in fact, what is unfolding is a bit of a full-scale transfer?

I know that it's a nutty idea, but stay with me here sports fans:

What if...

Michelle Sofisti was named the next CEO of Tag Heuer?  He is a member of the Biver tribe and if you think of qualified, capable folks out there footloose and fancy-free, he would certainly fit the bill for a brand like Tag Heuer.

The world does indeed work in mysterious ways, and stranger things have happened.  Nobody on the outside could have predicted Jean-Frédéric Dufour moving over to Rolex.  Yet it all seemed to move with a (dare I say it) predetermined smoothness.  Almost as if it was a series of puzzle pieces that Rolex and LVMH worked collaboratively to assemble.  There has been a slightly longer "lag time" here, but that could be down to things like possible non-competes, etc. 

So we shall wait, and we shall see.  Suffice it to say, in regard to the next CEO for Tag Heuer it is clear that "those who know won't say, and those who will say don't know."

I would not necessarily bet the farm on this, but if Sofisti does become the Tag Heuer CEO - you owe me a Coke ; )

Academia Grand Tourbillon

From DeWitt

Courtesy of 

46 mm in rose gold.  The movement is DeWitt's calibre DW 8030, which was developed from the DW 8028 movement, the Manufacture's first 100% in-house manually-wound tourbillon movement.

 

The Transfer Window Opens -

At Hermes.

Now in fairness, this is an internal move, so let's hope that it is a smooth and positive one.

Here's the news -

Laurent Dordet appointed CEO of La Montre Hermès.

Laurent Dordet, currently CEO of Hermès Maroquinerie Sellerie, has been appointed CEO of La Montre Hermès with effect March 1st 2015.

46 years old and a graduate of the Ecole Supérieure de Commerce in Paris, Laurent Dordet began his career at Arthur Andersen in 1991. He joined Hermès International at the end of 1995 as part of the Group’s Finance Department. In 2002, he was appointed Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Holding Textile Hermès (Lyon), and subsequently became CEO of Hermès Cuirs Précieux. He has been in his current position since 2011.

Laurent Dordet takes over from Luc Perramond, who has been in this position since January 1st 2009, reporting to Guillaume de Seynes, President of La Montre Hermès. 


Now for those of you who have not been keeping score at home, Mr. Perramond took the helm at Ralph Lauren watches this month so we wish the best of success to both Mr. Perramond as he joins team "Ralph", and to Mr. Dordet as he saddles up to oversee the watch division.

Instrument Collection – DSTB

This will be one of the items revealed by Arnold & Son at BaselWorld in a few weeks.

Courtesy of Arnold & Son

So what's the big deal?  Let me tell you - "True Beat Seconds".  Okay, so what does that mean?

A "dead beat" or "true beat" second function is one that is so precise that it actually ticks not unlike a quartz or those wonderful old electric clocks I used to stare at desperately waiting for the bell to ring.

The second hand scale occupies the majority of the upper dial, floating above the lower placed hour and minute functions.

The case is of stainless steel, measuring 43.5 mm in diameter.

Limited to 250 pieces.  Here are the rest of the details:

Anonimo and the "Lazarus" Effect

It has been going on three years now since Anonimo transferred to new ownership.  The timing was particularly sad (at least for me) owing to the still then fresh publication of Dino Zei's book and the press event at BaselWorld in 2012 to promote it.

Now don't get me wrong, Anonimo had a LOT of problems, and frankly that is not really what I sat down to write about this morning.  What I am now cautiously hopeful about are the new models that are now being put forward.

Courtesy of Anonimo

This is the Militare Alpini Power Reserve Indicator.

It has the classic Anonimo case design with the crown at 12 o'clock.  Measuring 43 mm in diameter, it is crafted from bronze with a stainless steel case back.  The movement is listed as ETA's 7001 (sometimes referred to as Peseux per it's pre-consolidation affiliation) with a module to provide power reserve indication.  As a fan of hand winding mechanical movements, this one is right in my "wheel house".  The dial is a military green with (what I assume) is white Superluminova.  

Now for the Anonimisti out there, I absolutely get and understand that this may seem like an abomination.  But in fairness, the bronze cases are still made in Italy.  The one thing that would make it "acceptably perfect" for me would be to re-engage the craftspeople who provided the Kodiak straps.  But maybe that will come in time.

So as BaselWorld beckons, I look forward to seeing the offerings from Anonimo, and in particular the Militare Alpini Power Reserve Indicator.  Here's hoping that Lazarus is ready to rise in the form of a re-born Anonimo.

Here are the vitals:

Militare Alpini Power Reserve Indicator

Khaki-Coloured Dial

• Reference:
  AM.1010.04.002.A01
• Movement:
  ETA 7001 with an additional PRI module, 42 hours
• Dial:
  Second counter at 3 o’clock and the power reserve indicator (PRI) at 9 o’clock
  
  
  Diameter:
  43 mm
  
  
  Thickness:
  14.50 mm
  
  
  Water resistance:
  12 ATM
  
  
  
  
  
  

Very Rare Watches

From H. Moser & Cie.

Vintage 1966 with a Twist

The twist of a lathe!  This is the latest iteration of Girard-Perregaux's Vintage 1966 collection.  Measuring 38 mm, it is a little bit more of a restrained size that today's tendencies towards 42 - 44 mm.  It is a nice approach as a little bit less can often be more.

Courtesy of Girard-Perregaux

The case is pink gold, featuring a sapphire crystal display back. The movement is GP's
GP03300-00030-OM5A which is self-winding and boasts 46 hours of power reserve.

Perhaps the best feature of this latest model, at least in my estimation, is the dial. It is guilloché and truly lends something special to the look and feel.  Classic.

The strap is black alligator, secured with a pink gold buckle.

If I am honest, this is really the first of the Vintage 66s that has truly hit the target for me on all levels.    The size is reasonable, the case and dial are a perfect match, and the date window (which often looks as if it wasn't given much thought at all) is actually beautifully executed with a clear and visible date indication.  

My hope is that this marks a turning point for Girard-Perregaux.  Having visited the factory and met the people behind the watches, I can tell you that it is a very, very special place.  GP is blessed with a wealth of incredibly talented, creative, artistic and intelligent people.  But if I'm honest, the one thing (at least to me) that has been missing is the "Calatrava".  That one singularly classic piece.  The 1966 collection has been a positive step in the right direction, but it still didn't fully connect, at least not for me.  

Granted, I am a hopeless romantic, but it's hard not to be romantic about watches.

Well done Girard-Perregaux.  Cautiously optimistic in Santa Barbara.

Sometimes You MUST Laugh

Many of you probably stumbled on the "50 Shades of Grey" photo shoot from a certain well-known Instagram sensation.  I will abstain from any commentary here, but it did raise some interesting points as it was discussed and de-constructed on multiple social media platforms.

I then stumbled upon a parody of said-site and nearly passed out laughing.  With all of the posturing, posing and (if I'm honest) truly idiotic marketing campaigns out there in terms of advertisements, advertorials, and "alleged" stories (which are very subtle marketing campaigns in the guise of "reportage"), I think it is easy to get to a point where you feel that you are (if you are a male of a certain vintage) 11 years old and sneaking a peek at an "adult magazine" in the barber shop while waiting your turn to get your hair cut.

So as BaselWorld approaches, and we all get ready to guzzle huge vats of media Kool-Aid, I would like to share with you another Instagram sensation - Watch_Amish

Full credit to Eli Hershberger!  This stuff is HILARIOUS!  So take a break from all of the posing and goofiness, and have a laugh today.  And even take a moment to laugh at yourself - I promise you'll feel better!

After a long day, Eli Stoltzfus unwinds with a stogie rolled from the finest Pennsylvanian Seedleaf straight from his very own fields. 😙💨⌚️🐴🌽 #teamwatchamish #thefarmlifeinc #amishstagram #amishcigar #dutchmaid #lindewerdelin #womw #dailywatch #instawatch #smokinamish

A photo posted by Eli Hershberger (@watch_amish) on Feb 2, 2015 at 11:06am PST

Pre BaselWorld Previews from Glashütte Original

Glashütte Original will be presenting two new versions of the PanoReserve and the PanoMaticLunar.

Courtesy of Glashütte Original

For the PanoReserve there will be two new versions in stainless steel and red gold.  The stainless steel comes with a blue dial, and matching Louisiana alligator, or nubuck leather strap.

Courtesy of Glashütte Original

The gold version features a black dial and is paired with either a black nubuck or Louisiana alligator strap.

The PanoReserve sports Glashütte Original's Calibre 65-01 with is manual winding with 42 hours of power reserve.  Hours, minutes, sub seconds, large date and power-reserve indication.

Courtesy of Glashütte Original

The PanoMaticLunar is offered in the same two "liveries" of red gold and black, and stainless steel and blue.  The PanoMaticLunar uses Calibre 90-02 which is a self-winding mechanical movement.

Courtesy of Glashütte Original

Hours, minutes, sub seconds, large date and moon phase.  The movement features GO's Glashütte stripe finish that can be viewed through the sapphire crystal display back.

 

Ferrari and Hublot

This is the latest Ferrari co-branded effort from Hublot -

The BIG BANG FERRARI BLACK CERAMIC

 

Courtesy of Hublot

Limited to 250 pieces, this is reference  401.CX.1123.VR (Black ceramic) - 

Limited edition of 250 pieces 

The case is crafted of black ceramic, with a matching bezel.  The "H" titanium screws are black PVD treated titanium which are countersunk into the bezel.

The strap is black rubber, red Schedoni leather with blue and white stripes with red stitching and secured by a black pvd deployment clasp.

Courtesy of Hublot

And the BIG BANG FERRARI GREY CERAMIC, also limited to 250 pieces

401.FX.1123.VR (Grey ceramic) - Limited edition of 250 pieces, matching ceramic bezel.  The bezel screws are titanium.

The strap is Black rubber, Schedoni leather grey with black and white stripes, with grey stitching, finished with a titanium deployment buckle.

Under the hood is Hublot's HUB 1241 Unico movement which features a flyback chronograph feature.

Saddling up on a Thursday

As travel is (for many of us) about to become more hectic in the coming weeks, I thought a little something from the nice folks at Hermes might be in order:

Courtesy of Hermes

Stainless steel, self-winding, classic!  And nice and legible so you won't miss your flight ; )

This is the Dressage Petite Seconds, and here are all the details, straight from the horse's mouth -

DRESSAGE Petite seconde

Size :	large model
Case :	steel, 40.5 x 38.4 mm no-glare sapphire crystal and caseback water-resistant up to 50 m
Dial :	opaline silvered with vertical guilloché
Movement :	automatic winding mechanism by manufacture Hermès H1837, made in Switzerland 50-hour power reserve
Function :	hour, minute, small second
Bracelet :	matte havana alligator leather with steel folding clasp

Happy Lunar New Year

And it goes without saying, life is always better with a goat!

Movie Day

A short movie about Weiss just down the road in Los Angeles - your on your own for popcorn ; )

https://vimeo.com/weisswatchcompany/american-watchmaking



Weiss Watch Company- An Introduction from Weiss Watch Company on Vimeo.

The Transfer Window Swings Wide Open

It is typical at this time of year that brand managers start getting a wee bit anxious.  It is one of the less positive ways that the Swiss side of the industry tends to handle staffing issues.  Lately, it does not seem to have been an issue of competence.  Very talented people who had worked their way up in a firm, put in 10 plus years, and just as suddenly - they are shown the door so that they can:
pursue other professional interests and opportunities.  When other professional opportunities are not elaborated on, it means just what you think it does.

Now the Buddhist in me says this is the cycle, we are born and reborn.  Just as brands are born and reborn.  But ultimately what sudden exits of seasoned, talented personnel really reflect is short-term vision from the brand's home office.  Or maybe another way to put it, your brand is only as strong as the people who are part of it.

The watch business is just that, a business.  Sales goals have to be met, retail "turns" need to be realized, profitability is perhaps a bit more of a focus than learning and growing.  And that is as it should be.  But I also have to believe that there has to be a better solution than the mass of "shit-cannings" that are currently taking place.  Don't get me wrong, this sort of thing tends to happen every year just before SIHH and BaselWorld, but this year seems to quite a bit more pronounced than in previous times.  Top replacements will be dispatched from Switzerland - folks who no doubt are competent but lack the relationships, the cultural knowledge and the demographic understanding.  They will (hopefully) find their way in time.  But a lot of time, effort and disruption probably could have been avoided.

What is interesting from my perspective is that many Swiss brands seem to think that if a brand is successful in North America, and that the North American incumbent has been "at the helm" for any sustained period of time, then that North American incumbent is becoming more of a liability than an asset because she/he is just costing too much money.  I suppose that it is a good way to try and control your labor costs.  It is a rather unsettling trend and is not just limited to individuals.  Word around the campfire is that a certain group is going to relocate approximately HALF of its brands from the NYC metro area to sunny Florida.  Now on the surface this doesn't seem like such a big deal.  Companies move all the time.  But consider that your more senior talent are most likely of a certain age, making a certain wage, with certain family responsibilities like, I don't know - kids and mortgages.  They are not going to want to move.  Well, moving is probably not going to be "optional", ergo, new hires will be made at lower starting salaries.  SAVINGS!  Also Florida represents a much lower cost of doing business, so it is on some level understandable.  The good news for brands looking for staff in the NYC metro area, there could be a glut of talent available in the very near future ; )

For those out there now looking - I wish you a swift and fruitful turnaround.  Here's hoping after 10 plus years you at least get to keep your "jersey".

Solid Innings from Hublot

Okay, in fairness I am not always a fan of the over-partnered watch brand.  BUT in this case I am willing to make an exception.  Ordinarily it seems as if the brand will slap on a logo, engrave a new case back and call it done.  In this case, Hublot has batted for a century!

Courtesy of Hublot

These two models were created in partnership with the ICC Cricket World Cup.  Now cricket is one of those games best taken in with very large quantities of "oil cans" of cold lager and the highest level SPF sunscreen you can lay hands on legally.  There is a lot of tradition, a lot of subtlety in cricket, and in fairness to Hublot, I think they did a good job in capturing a lot of the nuance of the game.  The sub dial hands are shaped like cricket bats, and Hublot has stumped the competition with their cricket-centric marker at 12 o'clock.  (sorry, couldn't help myself).  But these little touches lend quite a bit to a watch that admittedly is not for folks like most of us - it is for collectors and I feel that at least in this instance, the subtle touches lend quite a bit in a sporty, yet tasteful manner.

Courtesy of Hublot

The strap is reminiscent of an actual cricket ball.  Having clocked more than a few of these whizzing past my ear during my teaching days at St. Andrews I can say that the attention to detail is impressively accurate ; )

A truly limited "century" edition ; )

A Very Rare Company

Sort of a slow news cycle at the moment.  So here's something on H. Moser -

A Vulcain Cricket President's Day

Okay, this has run before in various iterations, but as it is President's Day here in the "Land of the Free" I thought I'd re-heat this one a bit for you.

Now while it is true that president's have had various watches of note, it is, in fact, the Vulcain Cricket that has gotten the most "mileage" in terms of the number of US President's who have received and worn them.  This tradition started back before many of you readers were born.  President Johnson was presented one, and got so "wound - up" that he dispatched staffers to scour watch stores for Vulcan Cricket watches so that he could present them as gifts.

Vulcain, like so many other watch brands, bet big on The River card back in the late sixties/early seventies and got, well, "Rivered".  Per Wikipedia (as this is a lot cleaner than the Urban Dictionary):

river

The river or river card is the final card dealt in a poker hand, to be followed by a final round of betting and, if necessary, a showdown. In Texas hold 'em and Omaha hold'em, the river is the fifth and last card to be dealt to the community card board, after the flop and turn. A player losing the pot due only to the river card is said to have been rivered.

But time heals all wounds and Vulcain was brought back to life not by a fund manager or wealthy hedge fund in the UAE.  No, it was a small family jewelry store in Helsinki Finland.  They worked with Revue Thommen to create a new version of the Vulcan Cricket -

This one is mine ; )

So this President's day, let's take a look back -

Keijo Paajanen and his family brought Vulcan back and the tradition of presenting a Vulcan Cricket to US Presidents and others was re-born.  Here's a few excerpts from the Q & A with Mr. Paajanen -

How is it that you and your family got involved with the Vulcain Cricket in the first place?

Keijo Paajanen - It was through a meeting we had with Mr. Michel Ditisheim in Switzerland.  He was the Director for MSR (Montres Suisse Reunion) and a shareholder for Revue Thommen S.A.   It was actually his father Robert Ditisheim who originally created the Cricket!


JH - Helsinki, Finland is a long way from the US.  What was it that motivated your family to start presenting the Vulcain Cricket to US Presidents in the first place?

KP - As many watch historians and fans know, there was in the past a tradition of presenting a Vulcain Cricket to US Presidents.  We wanted the great story to continue and also because our family has always wanted to have good relations with the USA. My father and his family escaped from advancing Russians (Soviets) in 1939 (JH notes - this is the period of the Winter War).

JH - Who have you presented Vulcain Crickets to?

KP - To Ronald Reagan, George Bush (and same time Gorbachev), Gerald Ford (I personally met), Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter (I met also personally) and finally last year to Vice President Biden.

Well, time has since moved on, the Paajanen's are no longer in the jewelry business, but Keijo is kind enough to stay in touch and share stories about what were for me the glory days of Vulcain.

HM Goats

From Arnold & Son -

Courtesy of Arnold & Son

To celebrate the Lunar New Year, Arnold & Son announced a very limited edition of 8 pieces for their latest offering - the HM Goats

The case is 40 mm of rose gold with a diamond set bezel available as an option.  A white mother of pearl dial serves as the canvas for the hand painted image of a small family of goats.  It is truly beautiful.

But there is beauty under the dial as well -

Courtesy of Arnold & Son

Arnold & Son's A&S1001 movement sits under the dial, measuring a petite 2.7 mm in thickness.  It's twin barrel system is warranted to provide up to 90 hours of power reserve.  The movement can be admired through the case's display back.

Happiness truly is a goat (or three) on your watch ; )

The Original

So after posting one Atlantic model, go figure that another will start calling to me ; )

Courtesy of Atlantic

This is "The Original" Worldmaster model from Atlantic.  And it is THE SHIT THAT KILLED ELVIS!

I believe that I wrote about this one before, but somethings just speak to you, and this is one of them!

Here are the details, straight from Atlantic -

Worldmaster "The Original" Mechanical

53653.41.25G

Movement: Mechanical ETA 2804
Material: Stainless steel 316L for the case and genuine leather strap
Crystal: Domed sapphire crystal
Water resistance: 50 metres, 5 bar
Dials: Hand applied arabic numerals
Size-Special features: 42 mm, significant crown, elegant style of the case, see-through back.
Limited edition of 1888 pieces for the 125 anniversary of Atlantic. Design of an original model of Atlantic from the 40's.

The "Other" BaselWorld - 2015

As in years previous, Swiss Creative Lab will be hosting several brands that you will want to see and get to know.  But you will not find them in the halls of BaselWorld.  Rather, you will find them in various locations of the Ramada, right next to Hall 2, and across the "tram track" from the Palace.

Some of the folks you will see:

Courtesy of Kairos

                    Kairos - reputed to be offering the world's first mechanical "Smart Watch".

Tiret - the watch brand founded and driven by designer Daniel Lazar.

Dietrich coming off of a fantastic first year, Dietrich will be on hand to share their growing collection.

RALF TECH offering solid, rugged time machines to accompany you through life's adventures

Patrik and GoS Watches will be there with their Damascus steel masterpieces

Atlantic and their collection of timeless watches will be on hand

Geophysic® 1958

From Jaeger-LeCoultre

Courtesy of Jaeger-LeCoultre

In fairness, this isn't "hot off the press" but it is a watch that I've admired some time.  This is a reinterpretation of the original that debuted back in 1958.  So what was the big deal?

Well quite a bit actually - the original watch was designed to counteract the very nasty effects that magnetism can have on a watch.  So the folks at JLC endeavored to create it.  1958 was the International Geophysical Year, and it so happened to coincide with the 125th anniversary of Jaeger Le-Coultre.  During a meeting the year previous the idea of creating a watch that could stand up to the rigors of both magnetism and time, the Geophysic was born.

According to Wikipedia:

The Geophysic chronometer was proposed by long-time employee Jules-César Savary as a watch intended for scientific bases in Antarctica. The watch was fitted with the Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 478BWS and featured seventeen jewels, a Breguet overcoil, a regulating spring on the balance-cock, a shock-absorber and a Glucydur balance. The year of its release, the Geophysic was offered to William R. Anderson, the captain of the Nautilus, the first American nuclear submarine to travel between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans via the North Pole.^[10]

Fast forward to 2014, and the Geophysic® 1958 is here with a thrilling tribute to yesteryear.  

Here are the specs, straight from JLC:

Technical details

Reference:

8008520

Case material:

Stainless Steel

Strap/bracelet:

Alligator Leather

Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre

• 898/1
• 
  

Movement

• Automatic
• Number of pieces : 201
• Vibrations per hour : 28800
• Power-reserve : 43 Hours
• Jewels : 30
• Barrel : 1
• Height : 3.30 mm

Functions

• Hour - Minute
• Seconds

Case

• Stainless Steel
• Water resistance : 10 bar
• Diameter : 38.5mm
• Thickness : 11.3mm

Dial

• White

Hands

• Bâton

Strap/bracelet

• Alligator Leather

Buckle

• Pin Buckle 18.0 mm