BaselWorld Thursday with the Auguste Reymond...

Cotton Club Chronograph Moonphase!

So the first watch out for a BaselWorld tour was this blue dialed circle of Swiss chronograph goodness.

This is the Cotton Club Chronograph Moonphase AR.16M6.6.670.6

The first day of BaselWorld can often be complicated and this seemed the appropriate choice for taking on the challenge.
42.8 mm in diameter and one of the coolest blue dials I've ever seen, this watch got a lot of attention and a lot of people pulling up Auguste Reymond on their smart phones ; ).

I used it to time the trip to Basel from Lucerne - 1:14 owing to the need to take an earlier train, how long it takes to get from the ground floor of Hall 2 up to the watch area in area 2.2 - 3 minutes, 57 seconds when walking vigorously, and how fast you can consume a 3 course "potted" lunch in the press area - 7 minutes, 24 seconds with pauses for polite conversation and 2 beverages.

The movement is from the good folks at Valjoux and offers a pretty neat array of functions.

I will get more in-depth in a week or so, but for now here are the pertinent -

Technical Characteristics

Case material	Stainless steel
Case finishing	Blue PVD
Crystal	Domed sapphire
Case back	Snap transparent
Water resistance	8 bar (80m/266ft)
Case dimension (mm)	42,8
Case thickness (mm)	14,8
Strap width (mm)	22/20
Movement type	AR.1351
Rewinding	Automatic mechanical
Autonomy	48 hours
Strap	Leather crocodile imitation
Movement functions	hour, minute, second, day, date, month, 24-hour display, moon phases, chronograph

A Grand Day Out - Auguste Reymond - Part 2

So picking up -

Auguste Reymond is now, not unlike so may other smaller brands, reintroducing themselves.  As regular readers will note, I do not have a lot of time or patience for money wasting for vanity's sake.  And that is absolutely what you will not find at Auguste Reymond either in their facilities or their watches.

As I said yesterday, the workshop space is adjoined to the sales and administration offices.  And rather than redecorate, the team at Auguste Reymond has embraced the wonderful fixtures, furniture and amenities.  I am a sucker for "atomic age" furniture and architecture, so I love the space and it's furnishings.  But taking my personal style preferences out of the equation, this place is fantastic because it truly embodies the feeling of a certain place and time when elegance was possible without flamboyance.  And that sensibility truly lends itself to the Auguste Reymond of today.

While there are many links to the past -

The today's Auguste Reymond are very much of today -

The links to the heritage, to the foundation are there to be seen at any point. Even a reference clock just inside the entrance -

But today's Auguste Reymond is not your grandfather's watch company -

Courtesy of Auguste Reymond

Clearly based on a classic design idea, but updated and given a contemporary twist.  And owing to  the realities of life for smaller watch companies, there are some items that are not taken care of completely "in house".  Yet and still, it bears mentioning that Auguste Reymond actually makes things.  All too often watches are completely put together (from start to finish) by a third - party assembler and delivered to the administration office to be "finished off" with a price tag and then packed for shipping.  Not so at Auguste Reymond -

Real watches being assembled by real people at real work benches.  Again, you will note that the work benches are most definitely not the latest, most cutting edge, they clearly still work just fine!

Perhaps what was so enjoyable about the visit - it was both a look back and a look forward at the industry.  Classic equipment from the previous generation being skillfully utilized by the next one.

So in a time where it seems like watch companies disappear only to be "reborn" and retooled, I am grateful that there are still companies out there like Auguste Reymond, real watches from real people, assembled in an atmosphere that evokes all of the feelings that we associate with the industry.  It was a wonderful experience, and you never know, if things continue to improve for Auguste Reymond, visits from the public may become possible ; )

There is one more item to share - so stay tuned!

An Updated Cotton Club

From Auguste Reymond.

Courtesy of Auguste Reymond

This year marks a reinterpretation of Auguste Reymond's Cotton Club collection.

This is the three hand version featuring hours, minutes, seconds and date.  Measuring 42.5 mm in diameter, and equipped with Sellita's SW200-1.

Courtesy of Auguste Reymond

It is also available with a silver dial and roman numerals.

More to come from Aguste Reymond as BaselWorld approaches.