Now on the surface, you might look at this watch and think that you've seen it, or at least something like it before -
Well, you maybe you think you have, but in this particular case? Not really!
This watch was designed by Roger Zarzoso. For those unfamiliar, Mr. Zarzoso has worked behind the scenes for some of the most famous Swiss brands over a career spanning more than 30 years. He is the owner of Antoine Tavan, and this is his latest creation.
Now again, there have certainly been day/night, 24 hour watches out there before. But many of these were crafted either from base Unitas movements (hand-winding), or one-off manufacture creations. In both cases, let's just say the prices were prohibitive.
Well, get ready to be surprised.
It is entirely designed and manufactured in Mr. Zarzoso's workshop in Le Locle. This watch is something of a first, as it utilizes an ETA 2824-2 automatic movement that he has modified to display a 24 hour indication. As I said, there have been plenty of these complications done with a hand-wound movement, or much more expensive manufacture concoctions. And I could be wrong, but I believe this is one of, if not the first effort at such a modification in this type of dial layout. As ever, I am anxious to know if other examples exist, so please let me know!
Another distinction is the quality of enamel work. The dial is of copper, with enamel finishing using traditional techniques. The dial contains two scales in relief, each representing a unique half of the 24 hour day.
Now the other "stop the press" aspect of this watch? Well, the rumor is that this watch is going to be offered at a very, very attractive price. How attractive? Let's just say I am ready to order RIGHT now, and I am a poor English Teacher/Social Worker, so that is saying something.
That's all for now, but stay tuned!
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| Courtesy of Roger Zarzoso / Antoine Tavan |
This watch was designed by Roger Zarzoso. For those unfamiliar, Mr. Zarzoso has worked behind the scenes for some of the most famous Swiss brands over a career spanning more than 30 years. He is the owner of Antoine Tavan, and this is his latest creation.
Now again, there have certainly been day/night, 24 hour watches out there before. But many of these were crafted either from base Unitas movements (hand-winding), or one-off manufacture creations. In both cases, let's just say the prices were prohibitive.
 |
| Courtesy of Roger Zarzoso / Antoine Tavan |
It is entirely designed and manufactured in Mr. Zarzoso's workshop in Le Locle. This watch is something of a first, as it utilizes an ETA 2824-2 automatic movement that he has modified to display a 24 hour indication. As I said, there have been plenty of these complications done with a hand-wound movement, or much more expensive manufacture concoctions. And I could be wrong, but I believe this is one of, if not the first effort at such a modification in this type of dial layout. As ever, I am anxious to know if other examples exist, so please let me know!
Another distinction is the quality of enamel work. The dial is of copper, with enamel finishing using traditional techniques. The dial contains two scales in relief, each representing a unique half of the 24 hour day.
Now the other "stop the press" aspect of this watch? Well, the rumor is that this watch is going to be offered at a very, very attractive price. How attractive? Let's just say I am ready to order RIGHT now, and I am a poor English Teacher/Social Worker, so that is saying something.
That's all for now, but stay tuned!
Well, seasoned enthusiasts have certainly seen this design before: It is almost a 1:1 hommage (not to say a "replica") of the 'Cartier Pasha Day & Night' by Andersen Genève of the late 1990s respectively Andersen's 'Grand Jour et Nuit' of the 2000s.
ReplyDeleteBjörn Meijer
Well... yes and no, and in fact it has been done a lot by a lot of folks - you failed to mention several other brands in your analysis ; )
DeleteHaving said that, I feel pretty confident of a few things - 1. The two you referenced were a LOT more expensive than this new entry. 2. While I might be mistaken, I am fairly certain that one single person from Cartier did not handle every aspect of the watch (i.e. enameling, movement alteration, engraving, casing, etc.) - i.e. I suspect that there were sub-contractors involved.