Royale Paris 2024

It would seem that Paris is (as is often the case) inspiring passion and creativity this summer -

Courtesy of Pequignet

Before we go any further, if you are unfamiliar with the song made famous by Joe Dassin, allow me to treat you to a modernized take. Ironically, a song about Paris, France, romance and everything else particularly awesome in life was originally charted by a young man born in Brooklyn, who studied at the University of Michigan and might have had a possible career as an author having won a prize for fiction as an undergraduate in Ann Arbor. And although I am a traditionalist, I have to say that this updated version of Les Champs-Elysées from Pamplamoose (best band name EVER!) is the shit that killed Elvis!  You're welcome! 

But back to watches -

Pequignet had a special treat up their sleeves to help celebrate France and Paris in particular. 

Courtesy of Pequignet

This is the Royale Paris 2024 - LIMITED EDITION. It is based on the Royale Paris. The functions include hours, minutes, small seconds located in the lower right quarter, power reserve in the lower left quarter, and a wonderfully legible large date just between 12 o'clock and the center of the dial. And as a special flourish? The day is in blue, the dates in white and red.

Courtesy of Pequignet

The case back is another homage, with La tour Eiffel (that's Eiffel Tower to you) etched in pride of place.

This new release is limited to 33 pieces.

And is priced at 7,700,00 € TTC

Here are some of the pertinents, straight from the folks in Morteau -

Case:

Steel, polished finish with polished/satin finish caseband
Crown with embossed "Fleur-de-Lys" logo Bezel secured with screws

Dial and Hands:

Opaline white
Hands in polished steel
Large date display and jumping hours
Date display blue-white-red
Power reserve at 8.00
Small second at 3.30

Movement:
Calibre Royal®
Frequency of 21.600 Alt/h
88-hour Power reserve
39 jewels
Sunray and rhodium oscillating weight 

When Beige is Beguiling!

While everyone (including this guy) is still talking about the Red Radar that was announced yesterday, I spent a lot of time yesterday thinking about all of the brands that have come and gone in the past 20 years or so, and how rare it is for an independent concern like Bell & Ross to not only still be around, but to keep building on the success that they've achieved.

Now an obvious part of that is the watches. The watches have been, and continue to be, special. From the first one I ever clapped eyes on in person back in San Francisco in 2002 (which is not this one, but gives you the idea) -

Courtesy of Bell & Ross

My friend, Francis Zanetti, the man who originally coined the phrase - "The shit that killed Elvis!", was wearing one of these one day when I was making one of my weekly visits to Seregin's in San Francisco. Bell & Ross didn't necessarily resonate with me one way or the other at the time, but that chance encounter planted the seed that would grow into (if not an obsession), a very strong interest.

And what has continued to pleasantly surprise me, is that Bell & Ross has been anything but static.  While beige has continued to live on in the collection, it has continued to steadily evolve -

Courtesy of Bell & Ross

and evolve -

Courtesy of Bell & Ross

and evolve -

Courtesy of Bell & Ross

It is a rare thing when a brand can not only establish, but evolve and refine its design grammar to such an extent that if you took the Bell & Ross name and logo off of the dial, you would still know it. And that is rare, and is to be commended.

But anyone who knows me knows that I believe that a watch brand is more than just the products it puts out, it is also the people. Having spent time with the North American team, and visiting the HQ in Paris -

Courtesy of Bell & Ross

The people make Bell & Ross what it is. There are plenty of watch brands out there, but there is only one Bell & Ross.

Yes, I am a fan.  Yes, I am biased. And yes - Beige is BEAUTIFUL!

Enjoy your watches!

The Arceau Grande Lune The Arceau Grande Lune

From Hermès -

Courtesy of Hermès

Here are the pertinents -

CASE

Henri d’Origny (1978)
Very Large Model (TGM), 43 mm, round Anti-glare sapphire crystal and caseback

DIAL

Blue dial.
Transferred Arabic numerals. Rhodium-plated hands

MOVEMENT

Mechanical self-winding movement, crafted in Switzerland

MODULE

Large Moon module

FUNCTIONS

Hours, minutes, seconds, date at 6 o’clock,
moon phase at 6 o’clock, day and month at 12 o’clock

BUCKLE

316L steel folding clasp, 22 mm

STRAP

Matt Abyss blue alligator strap

Lip

An important note to this story - in the time since my visit, my partner Rick Marei and I have been in discussions with Lip to represent them in North America and sell them through our soon-to-open online store.  So while everything I am writing here about Lip is absolutely from the heart, it is important to disclose to you, the reader, that I am in discussions to make that relationship more of a business one, so I am biased, and I do have a potential business interest.  They have not paid for this content, it is my own.  Both Rick and I are looking forward to bringing Lip Watches to North America.  Stay tuned!

I have held off on posting this because I was still taking some time to digest my visit to Besançon this past November.  

I feel it is safe to say that if you are looking for technical content, or brownie hounding then Tempus Fugit is probably NOT the outlet for you.  

But, contrary to what some brand managers out there might think, I do have feelings, and sometimes my heart will draw me in what I would honestly say are unexpected directions.

And this past Thanksgiving week, I returned to Besançon pretty much four years to the day that I first visited.

And while there were some touristy things that I did, the most important part of this one-day stop was to visit Lip. 

Lip has become something of a cult figure here in the US.  Not for nothing, the Mach 2000 is something of a anomaly in the world of watch fans.  If we are honest about it, in its current format is essentially, a quartz chronograph.  But this is a watch that demonstrates that a watch is far more than the sum of its parts.  Think I'm kidding?  While in France I received a Facebook message from a fellow watch journalist stateside asking me to pick one up while I was there and bring it back for him.  There are certain watches out there that hit visceral nerves, and for me Lip has a few models that speak to me on levels I can't really quantify.  They are emotional as much as pragmatic.  Lip, at its very heart, is as much a feeling as it is a brand.

I refer you to an article by Adam Sofineti -

http://www.watchpaper.com/2020/02/02/lip-nautic-ski-hands-on-review/

A part of Lip's history is a "passing around" of the brand.  When I visited four years ago, Lip had been living sort of a diluted life, really treated by the (then) owners as a label to brand watches under, and not the watch brand that they truly were.  

Enter the Berards - Philippe and Pierre-Alain.  In the time since my last visit, they have taken ownership of Lip, and reinvigorated it.  I am not here to criticize the previous owners.  I am, however, here to applaud the Berards, and the entire team at Lip.  

How do you manage a legend?  Curious to relate, Lip stirs a LOT of emotions in not only watch fans, but in the French consciousness.  But prior to the Berard's, that emotional connection was more of a sense of nostalgia.  

Since the Berard's?  I hate hyperbole, but walking around the streets of Besançon, Paris, and the offices and workshop at Lip, I really felt the energy, the passion, I really felt why some brands connect on the level that they do with fans and the public at large.

It would be easy to do a Blancpain and "start from year zero", but the team at Lip live in the real world, one where you don't manufacture history.  To that end, they have a rather unusual (in today's watch world) department that handles vintage Lip questions, assessments, and if I understood correctly, possible restoration (but my French is lacking, so I will need to get clarification on that point).

And while it would be easy for the Berards to simply have bought the label and turn to a white label company for everything, it was very clear to me that Lip clearly represents something special to them, and I got that same feeling touring around the new facilities that they have installed for mechanical watches.

It is not enormous, but it is not insignificant either.  And I think what is encouraging about it to me, is that it represents the first step forward.

It also bears mentioning that Lip has stayed true to its roots.  

While it would be easy for them recreate themselves as something that they are not, and never were, they have held the line on pricing.  In a world where brands both big and small jack up their prices only to jettison their unwanted stock to the grey market where it is discounted down to the bare bones, Lip offers something novel - a great watch at a fair price.

Now I realize that everyone wants to go to Switzerland to visit the historic Maisons, and that's fair enough.  But if you are really a fan of watches, history and culture?  Get yourself to Besançon and soak up all of the history and charm that this wonderful city has.

and pick up a Lip watch while you're at it, either here, or the City of Lights.  You don't have to be a Hipster to be a Lipster ; )

The BRV2-93 GMT Blue

From Bell & Ross -

Courtesy of Bell & Ross

This is another pre-BaselWorld release from Bell & Ross.  It is available on a bracelet (above), as well as a pretty snazzy strap (below) -

Courtesy of Bell & Ross

Movement :
BR-CAL.303. Automatic mechanical.

Functions:
hours, minutes and central seconds and date.
Second time hand rapid-setting, independent from the hour hand.

Case:
41 mm in diameter. Satin-polished steel. Bi-directional bezel with 24-hour scale. Blue and grey two-colour anodised aluminium disc. Screw-down crown. Sapphire case-back.

Dial:
blue sunray. Numerals and indices coated in white Superluminova®. Metal skeletonized Superluminova®-filled hour and minute hands.

Crystal:
box-type sapphire with anti-reflective coating.
Water-resistance: 100 metres.

Strap:
grey and blue elastic canvas strap or satin-polished steel.

Buckle:
folding for metal bracelet.

The Heure H

From Hermès Horloger

Courtesy of Hermes

14 Days with the NOWA Blue Matter

Starts now.

PRE-SIHH From Hermès

A new take on the Cape Cod -

Courtesy of Hermès

Available in a few new versions, the two that caught my eye were these.  A blue lacquered dial (above).

And a what Hermès refers to as a black gold-treated and polished dial (below) -

Courtesy of Hermès

Here are the pertinents -

DIAL

Blue lacquered or black gold-treated and polished dial, coated with a translucent lacquer.
Applied “Anchor Chain” hour-markers. Rhodium-plated hands

CASE
A square embedded in a rectangle
Large model (GM), 29 x 29 mm, lug width of 19 mm Imagined by Henri d’Origny in 1991
316L steel
Sapphire crystal with anti-glare treatment Water-resistant to 3 bar

STRAP
Malta blue grained or étoupe smooth calfskin, single or double tour, equipped with a 316L steel 17 mm pin buckle

MOVEMENT
Quartz, Swiss made

FUNCTIONS
Hours and minutes

Not a Day for Watches

In agreement with many of my colleagues in the 4th and 5th estate, and inspired by Gregory Pons, 

and supported by several writers and individuals that I hold in high regard, Tempus Fugit will not be writing about watches today. 

The one thing that I will state in regards to watches, and the watch world - in working in this milieu for what is now going on ten years in various guises, I have never failed to be surprised by what a connected community we live and work in.

For those of you with friends, family members, co-workers and colleagues that found themselves in harm's way yesterday, please know that you have more friends than you know about who are all standing with you today, tomorrow and forever.

I wish you all peace.

Henki

Eberhard at Bells Montres

Save the date!  November 23rd  -  25th will mark Eberhard's participation at Belles Motres.

Courtesy of Eberhart

Having been at it for 125 years, Eberhard is a natural choice to participate in this exclusive event.
More than 14,000 visitors will attend this 6th edition of Belles Montres in Paris, and Eberhard will present some interesting pieces -

The Extra-fort Roue à Colonnes Grande Date 125ème Anniversaire limited edtion.  500 pieces available in stainless steel, with a further 125 in pink gold.

125 YEARS: THE TRADITION OF THE PAST AND THE INSPIRATION OF THE FUTURE.

Eberhard & Co. at Belles Montres: a show that aims to “conquer Time”.

Barnstorming with the Young Watchmakers of Girard Perregaux

Baseball is a fairly American game, and one of the most romantic aspects of the game has been lost in the modern era.  BARNSTORMING!  What is barnstorming you might ask?  The term was often used to describe traveling entertainment or my favorite example - traveling baseball teams.  The concept was pretty straight forward, a team of ball players would pile in a bus, then go from town to town taking on every team they came across.  Perhaps my all-time favorite player, Satchell Paige led more than a few such excursions.  But this was more than just a series of ball games.  This was often something magical - imagine you live out in the middle of nowhere, and your heroes come to town?!

Now granted, watch making is not exactly baseball - but it's not every day you get to see a true artist at work in your home town!  Well, the Girard-Perregaux Barnstormers pulled up their traveling caravan in the City of Light -

Courtesy of Girard-Perregaux

So after New York and Beijing, Paris offers her hospitality to the Young Watchmakers of Girard-Perregaux.

Courtesy of Girard-Perregaux

So for those of you in Paris - here's your chance to catch up with the new wave of watchmaking excellence.

Courtesy of Girard-Perregaux

And as with any good barnstorming tour, you never know when a famous face might show up -

Courtesy of Girard-Peregaux

There's something about a boutique...

Having worked for Tourneau (San Francisco - in a mall), and having visited plenty of watch and jewelry stores in my rep/pr/marketing life, I have to say that florescent lighting not only gives a sound, but frankly - a smell - and not a good one!

It seems that these days everyone is so worried about having "the biggest selection", and you hear certain well-known LA retailers boast that they can "get you anything you want... at least 30% off!"  It reminds me of a not-so-happy time in my life when I was in a big cold room with 25 other lost souls dialing up medical practices to sell them consulting services that they couldn't afford.  It was, to quote a friend, soul - destroying.

When did buying (and more importantly) selling watches take on the same look and feel of a desperate used car lot on the outskirts of a dead-end town in South Dakota?

So thank you to the brands that are taking the time, and spending the money to provide a real experience.

Courtesy of Jaeger Le-Coultre

This is Jaeger Le-Coultre's boutique in the Place Vendome.  Although it will be undergoing a bit of  a make over, don't worry!  JLC has you covered in the City of Lights - a temporary location will be opened on rue Saint-Honore.

So next time, give the "super-store" a pass.  If you're going to drop some serious Euros on a watch, set your sights a little higher.  Visit the boutique.

"Watch of the Year" nomination

Courtesy of JOHN ISAAC GENÈVE

John Isaac Geneve's Jumping Hour has been nominated for "Watch of the Year" for the Montres Passion Competition.

Vote here at -

http://www.concours.montrespassion.ch/fr/

What watch would De Gaulle wear?

Courtesy of LIP

Well, in this instance I can answer pretty forthrightly that it was a LIP. 
Every time I see this watch I am reminded of the film - 
Day of the Jackal, and can picture all of those great old Citroens, 
and imagine a beautiful day in Paris.

This is a modern reinterpretation of the LIP watch of that era. At that time, 
electronic watches were all the rage, but as this is a modern version, 
a reliable quartz movement keep it moving forward.

I had the good fortune of meeting with the LIP folks at their booth at 
BaselWorld and suspect that it won't be long before the next French 
legend is wearing a LIP watch.


And you can purchase directly!
www.lip.fr/en

Guillermin Mollet - Part Deux

It is inevitable that sooner or later, you are going to have a watch that not only catches the eye, but starts conversations with complete strangers.  That in fact is what happened this past week here in Santa Barbara as I was wearing my Guillermin Mollet so I thought it might be time to (in the words of Henry Rollins) re-heat it!

Photo courtesy of Guillermin Mollet

I have to say that if I could have had any of them, this would have been my first pick!  The two-tone dial, and the alternating use of numbers and indices is really well-presented.

However, I do love and cherish my own -

There are still a few of these out there for those of you who are interested.  Solid gold, powered by self-winding swiss movement, and beautifully packaged.  But the watch case itself is the thing - beautiful and unique!

Peter Speake-Marin to exhibit in Paris and London

This just in from Peter Speake-Marin - he will be exhibiting in Paris and London

Paris -Belles Montres at the Carrousel du Louvre in central Paris 26-28 November
http://www.bellesmontres.fr

He will also be in London for an informal get-together in Mayfair, London on the 3rd of December.

If you are interested in seeing the new Marin 2 Thalassa and are in either neighborhood at the time please contact him for more details.

68@speake-marin.com




Speake-Marin SA
Rolle, Switzerland
www.speake-marin.com