A Grand Day Out - Part 4

So after the Manufacture, we were off to the JeanRichard Museum.

And who better to get the grand tour from than the Conservateur des Musees - Willy Schweizer?

The museum itself has an upper and lower floor - the upper being administrative offices, and the lower level being divided into three uniquely defined areas.  We entered into what Willy informed me was a library that he is in the process of assembling.  Yes, it is a library, but it is also a very elegant lounge-type area, some beautiful mid-century furniture, airy, spacious and, well - perfect!

Photos and keepsakes of "friends and family"abound.  This is just the sort of place you'd want to visit to relax and talk about your passions.  My understanding is that the library is currently "in process" but Willy is off to a fantastic start.

From the library we moved to one of the main collection rooms which housed tools and pieces from the era of the original Daniel JeanRichard.  Legend has it that a wealthy man had bought a watch in London, and upon his return to Switzerland it was not working, and that the young JeanRichard without proper tools or training was able to repair it, as referenced in the painting above.

I have to say that the sequencing of the tour - first the modern manufacture, and then the museum was particularly well thought out.  From the present (and in many ways the future) to go back to a time where there were no standard measurements.  To that end, the making, and repair of a watch was a very personal thing.

And you could see the progression from a solitary pursuit, to the gradual "industrialization" with several sets of hands coming together to work on a common project.

There's more to come from the museum - stay tuned!

A Grand Day Out - part 3

So I believe we were talking about watches!  These are for some very special people - you'll have to read to the end to find out who they are going to.

Willy continued to lead me through the various stages of production and assembly.  As he said again and again - "our grandfathers don't work here".  What was truly astonishing to me was the sheer volume of production performed at such an exacting level of quality.  At every step of the way, there are MULTIPLE quality control checks.  If any part of the watch doesn't meet the exacting specifications?  Back it goes until it does!

But I would have to agree emphatically, that all of that attention to detail is worth it!  There are a lot of "haute/luxury" watch brands out there, and sometimes it is difficult to understand why they cost what they do.  As Gertrude Stein once said about Oakland - "There's no 'there' there".  Not so with Girard-Perregaux - having seen the amount of work, care and attention that goes into every Girard-Perregaux and JeanRichard - I can assure you that you get even more than what you pay for!

By the way - this is my ALL-TIME dream watch!  I am proud to say that one of these did not find its way into my bag!  The temptation, I can assure you, was strong!  So I will need to start the GP Vintage 1945 fund!

And this one is timeless.  This is not a fad, it is not of the moment - it is of EVERY moment.  This is a watch that will be passed from father to son.

And JeanRichard really is a manufacture brand!  It is easy to discount JeanRichard as a poor relation - but this is really not so.  This is obvious in walking through the manufacture - there is not a "B" team or a JR/GP division of labor or know-how.  Both fantastic brands are worked on by the "A" team.

And those chronographs at the beginning of today's installment?  They are 30 year service awards for a certain transportation manufacturer in Turin.  Let's see... I'm 43 now, maybe I could still squeeze 30 years in...

More to come - including a history lesson from the Professor himself,  Willy Schweizer.

Girard-Perregaux 1966

This just in from Girard Perregaux -

Girard-Perregaux 1966

FULL CALENDAR IN WHITE GOLD

The Swiss Haute Horlogerie Manufacture has unveiled a new version of the
Full Calendar from its Girard-Perregaux 1966 collection, this time in white
gold to beautifully accentuate its discreet elegance.

Courtesy of Girard-Perregaux

The Girard-Perregaux 1966 Full Calendar harmonizes the functions and
style of a grand watchmaking classic in an interpretation, which is both
elegant and modern. Its smooth 40- millimeter round case, perfectly polished,
houses an extremely useful complication: a full calendar, enabling the
display of the date, the day, the month and the phases of the moon.

Time elapses smoothly on the perfectly proportioned and slightly domed dial.
In support of the fine leaf-shaped hands, two windows placed side by side at
12 o’clock display the day and the month, while the moon follows its path
at 6 o’clock, surrounded by the date display.

Courtesy of Girard-Perregaux

Pleasing symmetry, optimum legibility: the Girard-Perregaux 1966 Full Calendar
in white gold satisfies the highest demands in terms of design refinement and
distinguished style.

The sapphire crystal case back reveals the automatic-winding, mechanical
movement GP033M0, designed by the Manufacture.

Courtesy of Girard-Perregaux

The Girard-Perregaux 1966 full Calendar is available in a choice of an intense
black dial or a luminous white-silvered opalin dial.

Technical specifications

White gold case
Diameter: 40 mm
Antireflective sapphire crystal
Sapphire case-back
Water resistance: 30 meters

Girard-Perregaux movement GP033M0
Mechanical with automatic winding
Calibre: 11 ½’’’
Frequency: 28’800 vibrations/hour (4 Hz) Power reserve: minimum 46 hours
Jewels: 27
Functions: hour, minute, sweep second, full calendar with date, day, month and
moon phase indicators

Alligator strap
White gold pin buckle

www.girard-perregaux.ch

What watch would Lawrence of Arabia wear?

Photo courtesy of JEANRICHARD

I want to start this out by saying I KNOW that  Thomas Edward Lawrence (more widely known as Lawrence of Arabia) wore an Omega.  But I have been reading Michael Korda's HERO - a truly well written biography on Mr. Lawrence, and seem to have the vast expanse of that desert landscape and all of its mysteries stuck in my mind.  As a side note, Mr. Korda is a well-respected collector of Patek Philippe, so there's the connection!


But at first (and even second and third) glance, this fantastic new timepiece from JEANRICHARD carries me off to a fantastic place, full of natural beauty, wonder - and adventure.

Courtesy of JEANRICHARD

This is the JEANRICHARD Highlands "SAND" - just released for the SIHH this week.  Rugged and romantic at the same time.  Here is what JEANRICHARD has to say -



A revival of a JEANRICHARD model from the 1990s, the Highlands Sand immediately brings to mind the exploration of the great outdoors, closeness to nature and simplicity.

In the mid-1990s, the ‘Highlands by JEANRICHARD’ watch celebrated ‘the quintessence of nature’. Peter Beard's superb photographs, used in the brand's advertising, illustrated the fantastic and richly evocative panorama of the African landscape. JEANRICHARD has now reinterpreted this timepiece, which retains the character of its predecessor and is equipped for all kinds of adventure.

The most notable aspect of this watch is the significant development in the design of the case.

Courtesy of JEANRICHARD

This reprises a theme close the Brand's heart: the use of a round bezel on a
tonneau middle. The aesthetics are the result of an unconventional approach based on well-defined shapes. The watch's generous proportions (44.5mmx40mm) emphasizes its robust construction. The case is water-resistant to 100 m and the screw-down crown gives optimal protection.

Courtesy of JEANRICHARD

Its notched rotating bezel lends it a technical feel and allows a second time zone to be displayed. The ecru dial is directly inspired by the original.

The hours are marked by large Arabic numerals and dynamic hands with a luminescent coating, offering excellent readability in even the murkiest conditions.

The Highlands Sand is equipped with a fabric strap featuring a folding safety buckle
perfectly adapted to the lifestyle with which it is associated. The use of the JR1000
movement, developed and manufactured in the Brand's workshops, was an obvious
choice.

Courtesy of JEANRICHARD

This automatic movement, which is renowned for its reliability and production
quality, can be seen through the watch's sapphire case-back.

This model is also available with a khaki dial on the Highlands Baobab or a black dial on the Highlands Ebony.




TECHNICAL INFORMATION

CASE

Sand-blasted stainless steel case
Dimensions: 44.50 x 40 mm
Height: 11.96 mm
Antireflective sapphire crystal
Sapphire crystal case-back secured with 4 screws
Water-resistant to 100 m
Screwed crown
Bidirectional rotating bezel

MOVEMENT

JEANRICHARD movement JR1000
Self-winding
Calibre: 11 ½’’’
Frequency: 28,800 vibrations/hour (4 Hz)
Jewels: 27
Power reserve: min. 48 hours
Functions: hour, minute, second, date

DIAL

Ecru mat dial
Luminescent Arabic numerals and indexes
Black hands with luminescent material

STRAP

Delivered with two straps: khaki fabric and brown calfskin
Sand-blasted stainless steel folding buckle


http://jeanrichard.com