A few days ago a friend asked me about my favorite watch.
It’s one of those questions that we all face at some point, whether coming from an external source or from the voices that populate the space between our ears.
The truth is a myriad of watches immediately come to mind, swirling in our imagination, without us ever being able to really establish a clear hierarchy of our own taste and I believe I'm not alone on this matter.
But this is the very exercise that I set out to do. A list of seven watches that inspire me and make me dream. Obviously before starting I knew that seven would be too few for so many dreams and that’s why the "Take 1" on the title, so let me start on the list in no particular order.
Grönefeld - 1969 Deltaworks
The passion was born the day I first saw a 1969 Deltaworks by the Grönefeld Brothers. The beautiful design of perfect proportions, the apparent simplicity that contains unique watchmaking mastery and the possibility of color combinations, would make the 1969 Deltaworks collection, three of my favourites on this list.
Calm down, calm down, I've just started and i'm already hyperventilating!!
Very well, I then decide on the Grönefeld 1969 Deltaworks in its salmon dial version with orange strap with either steel or rubber clad inserts.
Bart and Tim Grönefeld, the Horological Brothers © Grönefeld
© Grönefeld
© Grönefeld
© Grönefeld
© Grönefeld
© Grönefeld
Singer Reimagined - 1969 TIMER Black SR 301
Next, another watch that captivates me both aesthetically and mechanically, the beautiful 1969 TIMER Black SR 301 by Singer Reimagined. One of the three variants of the 1969 collection. Inside beats a special heart named Singer Reimagined 6363 or AGH 6363 as it was conceived, according to the brand’s indications, by Agenhor. Checkmate!
I have a particular preference for all-metal watches and there's something in the color scheme of this watch with its orange and copper accents contrasting with the black dial, that reminds me of a dusky summer late afternoon as the Sun touches the horizon. The sight of beauty often turns me into a poet!
Rob Dickinson and Marco Borraccino © Singer Reimagined
© Singer Reimagined
Marco Borraccino and Master Jean-Marc Wiederrecht at Agenhor, © Singer Reimagined
© Singer Reimagined
© Singer Reimagined
A. Lange & Söhne - Odysseus
I continue by adding to the list the Odysseus by A. Lange & Söhne. Another superb piece in my opinion. The 363.179 version, the first one, is my favourite. Steel bracelet and blue dial. My passion for the German brand is based on the same principles that captivate me in watchmaking in general - beauty, simplicity, and technical mastery. A. Lange & Söhne is unmatched as a summary of this mantra and the Odysseus is my choice for its sporty and casual character.
Pure watchmaking elegance, with meticulous attention to detail, exceptional finishes, powerded by the impressive Caliber L155.1 and the way that bracelet wraps around the wrist makes the Odysseus one of the dreams on my list.
© A. Lange & Söhne
© A. Lange & Söhne
© A. Lange & Söhne
© A. Lange & Söhne
© A. Lange & Söhne
© A. Lange & Söhne
De Bethune - Starry Various Aérolite
Now it's time for the De Bethune Starry Various Aérolite. How many brands can boast having as many in-house calibers as De Bethune? A young and disruptive brand with a production of between 150 and 250 watches per year, with no other commitment than to break aesthetic and watchmaking barriers with a respect and reverence for tradition that often lacks in the watchmaking industry. All the lists I could make will include a De Bethune.
The Starry Various Aérolite is just a stunning beautiful watch housing the DB2109V4 Calibre in itself a demonstration of the brand's technical virtuosity and invention.
© De Bethune
© De Bethune
© De Bethune
© De Bethune
© De Bethune
Urwerk - UR-210 S
The next one on the list is my first great love in mechanical watchmaking, Urwerk. If this dream was possible I would remain faithful to what first captivated me in the brand’s watches; their rotating hour cube indicators and so I would choose the Urwerk UR-210 S.
Some say that when we are in love sometimes we act a bit foolish. In all my years involved in watchmaking the only time I expressly asked someone to take a picture with was when I first met in person the extraordinary designer Martin Frei and the equally genius master watchmaker Felix Baumgartner. I asked for it and I felt, on all levels, like a dwarf among giants! You guys absolutely rock! The Urwerk UR-210 S exudes a distinct power that puts it in a class of its own.
© Urwerk
© Urwerk
© Urwerk
© Urwerk
Felix Baumgartner and Martin Frei, © Urwerk
© Urwerk
MB&F - LM Perpetual PT
I now include another visually complex watch that makes me dream, the masterful MB&F LM Perpetual PT, my favourite perpetual calendar. Brilliant on all levels from the visual to the mechanical solutions needed to bring this watch to life.
An iconic piece by MB&F in partnership with Stephen McDonnell and since I’m dreaming, I would go for the platinum version with the gorgeous blue dial although any of the variations has a unique vibe.
+ info here
Max Büsser, © MB&F
Stephen McDonnell, © MB&F
© MB&F
© MB&F
© MB&F
© MB&F
Ferdinand Berthoud - Chronomètre FB 1L.1
At last but not least, the seventh piece of this dream list is a watch that shouldn't exist. It shouldn't exist because it is too beautiful for this world. In my dreams I have one on my wrist, I write it love poems and I tuck it in before going to sleep.
Ferdinand Berthoud is the pinnacle of watchmaking excellence and the Chronomètre FB 1L.1 exerts a hypnotic attraction on me. Every time I hold a watch by Ferdinand Berthoud I remember the words of my Art History teacher back in college; When we truly love something we should not covet its possession but rejoice in the fact that something so beautiful exists.
© Ferdinand Berthoud
© Ferdinand Berthoud
© Ferdinand Berthoud
© Ferdinand Berthoud
© Ferdinand Berthoud
To conclude with another quote, this time from a friend who wisely says watchmaking has as much to do with watches as it does with the ability to make us dream.
Wise words and dream on!
