Changes Coming to Hallmark of Geneva for 2012

After 125 years since the legislative body of the Grand Council of the Republic and Canton of Geneva established the Geneva Seal, the Foundation Council of TIMELAB – Geneva Laboratory of Horology and Microengineering that hosted the certification of the Geneva Seal since 2009-  is about to overhaul the current requirements for obtaining the "Hallmark of Geneva".

For more details on the Seal of Geneva, please link to "What is a Geneva Seal"

The Geneva Seal was established on November 6, 1886 with a mission to uphold the integrity of the watchmaking business - to guarantee the origin, craftsmanship, durability and expertise. The legislative body of the Grand Council of the Republic and Canton of Geneva saw the Geneva Seal as a crucial step in a watchmaking market of the late 1800's threatened by the multitude of watch forgeries using the name Geneva.  Exactly 125 years later, the Poinçon de Genève, a well established and revered mark of extinction and quality, still defines excellence in movement.  However the time has come for the Poinçon de Genève to define overall excellence as well.
In 2012 the timepiece shall be examined in its entirety. Stringent criteria for the approval of the movement and external components require the submission of 2D drawings; all components of the movement or any additional modules; an assembled movement and/or module and all the external components. This is the first step with which the components  meet the initial criteria for the Poinçon de Genève”. After a manufacturer has successfully obtained approval of the movement and external components, they must submit a complete reference kit of all components of the movement, any additional modules and the external components as well as a  reference movement/module. TIMELAB will then issue an approval report.
Now the Certification Process can begin.  The components are scrutinized and tested to ascertain if the components initially approved in the first phase are identical to this submission.  Intensive inspections are conducted in areas of component inventory, movement assembly and assembled movement inventory.
The criteria for the movements are assessed in a wide range of testing conditions specifically designed to maximize the validity of the assessments.

Assessment investigates factors such as materials - interestingly any watch materials crafted from Polymers are not accepted - here you see where the new requirements are catching up with the technological advancements of the era ;  shaped parts and supplies; strip springs and jumper springs; base plates and plates for additional mechanisms and bridges; jeweling; wheel train; the escapement ; the stud and adjustment index and adjustment system.  After this intensive testing process, the components connecting the movement with the case and dial must adhere to the "Hallmark of Geneva" criteria - better known in horological circles as casing-up.
Additionally, the seal of Geneva must be displayed prominently on one of the components of the movement. It is best if the company includes the serial number as well. The serial number is recorded an entered into a database.
Finally it is time for the inspection of the complete watch, cased-up as the final end product. Factors such as water resistance, accuracy, functional test and power reserve are tested at this stage.
To maintain the reliability of the original testing procedures, the  watch is constantly monitored by the personnel of TIMELAB, who may visit the watch company and the company provides complete access to all production facilities and equipment as well as any data.  TIMELAB may take the "watch-head" at any time back to their lab to perform any other tests.  In addition TIMELAB requires a yearly report of all testing  performed by the watch company, for a period of ten years.
The new certification is available from June 1st, 2012 and all these criteria must be adhered to by June 1st, 2013.

References:
www.timelab.ch/en/17/poincon-de-geneve
Vacheron Constantin November 2011 Newsletter

A Taste of Russia in an Unusual Timepiece

Maxim Nazarov Timepiece - Unique

Supremus — 60.03

Internationally acclaimed watch designer and manufacturer  "Maxim Nazarov" wanted an  intriguing redesign of his Supremus timepiece collection (see left inset), as a unique piece.  Something crazy, something that would stand out among the vast ocean of watches.  He turned to Sergey Volkov, a talented watch designer based in the deeply historic town of Uglich, on the banks of the Volga River. The result is magnificent.  The center of the dial is a vortex of swirling mother-of-pearl partially obscured by a yellow gold decorative plate resembling an oscillating weight.  The decorative plate is the signature mark of a Maxim Nazarov Supremus timepiece; however, Sergey Volkov used his amazing talent and expertise to exquisitely  engrave the plate.

  The enigmatic blue hue of the bezel is actually titanium temperature blued. "Cognac" Diamonds on the lugs serve as an arresting contrast to the titanium case within which beats a ВОСТОК 2416 (Vostok) -

Maxim Nazarov Supremus

Precision 24 mm caliber mechanical movement sporting a central second hand, beating at a frequency of 19,800 vph and capable of a power reserve up to 31 hours.  The movement's bridges and dams are coated with nickel or chrome and the screws are coated with either nickel, gold, cobalt or heat blued. 
The decorative plate serves to divide the 24 hour day into 4 equal 6 hour parts.  Reading the time is quite simple utilizing an original oblong blued skeletonized  hand situated in the center of the watch , consisting of two sides of different length which indicates the time on two semicircular scales. The longer side  points to the outer arc baring the numerals from 9 to 12 and the shorter end points to the inner arc baring the numbers from 12 to 6.

Maxim Nazarov has been displaying his extraordinary timepieces in watch shows around the globe.  Most of his watches are limited edition as a result of the painstaking precision applied to,manufacturing the watch and sometimes the watch is limited to but one - like the Unique Piece crafted by the talented Sergey Volkov.                           

The Effect of War on Watches

The demands of War has shaped the Watch Industry in countless ways. In the early, 1700's, tracking the inevitable passage of time was a matter of life and death. The intense need for an accurate timepiece was magnified on October 22, 1707, when four British Men 'O War sank just off the Cornish Coast and 2000 men were lost. This was not as a result of enemy fire, but rather human error. The fleet had no idea where they were, as they had no precise chronometer to decipher how far off the Longitude they were. The British Parliament , aggravated by this obviously needless catastrophe, passed the Longitude Act of 1714 whereby: A huge sum of money would be awarded to anyone who could invent a way to determine the precise longitude of a ship's location to within less than one degree. Click here learn more about the Longitude Act of 1714. John Harrison's marine chronometer was the first timepiece to successfully determine longitude at sea and in 1773, after much controversy, he was awarded his prize.
A pocket watch belonging to Abraham Lincoln recently turned up a couple years back with an ancient engraving referencing the American Civil War.
In 1880, German Emperor Wilhelm I visited the Berlin Trade Fair and spotted some prototype wristwatches designed by Constant Girard , he ordered 1000 for the German Imperial Navy wristwatches, and by 1880, 2000 had been produced and delivered. The cage protected the watch face in battle. Although, wristwatches were more handy than the popular pocket watches, they still did not hit the general market until Santos-Dumont ,a Brazilian aviator and popular icon, began wearing one. He approached Louis Cartier to fashion a watch so that he could keep both hands on the aircraft controls during flight. Being the trendsetter of the early 1900's, he popularized the wrist watch. Click here to learn more about Santos-Dumont

During World War I, in the dark trenches, soldiers were not able to see their time pieces, and so luminescence was applied to the dial. Unfortunately, the luminescence used was comprised of highly radioactive Radium. While the lume was highly effective in reading the numbers of the dial in the dark, the young girls who had painted the lume on the dials, died from the results of the exposure.
Click here to read their story - The Deadly Dials and Glowing Girls

Many Watches were designed with protective grills such as the
WWI British Air Force Military Watch depicted here.
Watches on today's market, are fashioned after military vehicles. The Cartier Tank was created by Louis Cartier in 1917, and inspired by the new Renault tanks which Cartier saw in use on the Western Front. The first Cartier Tank was presented to General John Pershing of the American Expeditionary Force. The lines and proportions are similar to those of tanks found on First World War battlefields. The bracelet represents the Tanks treads.
An entire company "U-Boat" is named after the German submarines from World War I and World War II. U-Boat is short for the German word "Unterseeboot" which literally means "undersea" boat.

Bell and Ross fashion its watches after the dials on a military aircraft. On March 18th, 2009, Bell and Ross became the official supplier to the French Air Force. The French Air Force requested that Bell and Ross create a watch specifically designed to meet the timepiece requirements of fighter pilots - the BR 03 Type Aviation. In addition, in Basel World, Bell & Ross unveiled the Limited Edition BR 01 Airborne which bares the skull motif on the watches dial. The motif originated in World War II and is accompanied by US Airborne motto, "Death from Above". A reminder of the courageous military paratroopers who jumped into enemy territory. The skull symbolized their incredible bravery . The skull motif was used by the military on fighter jets and patches. It was a symbol of strength and defiance of defeat even in the face of death. Today the skull is a tribute to all those brave men and women in combat who serve to defend this country. On March 18th, 2009, Bell and Ross became the official supplier to the French Air Force.

Many other brand Name Watch companies have become official suppliers for Army's. Breitling is the official supplier to the Royal Air Force, where the impeccable craftsmanship and exceptional endurance was tested in extreme atmospheric conditions.
Ebel supplied the British Royal Air Force with watches from 1939-1945.
Elgin (former watch company) issued this Canteen Watch to the U.S Navy during world war two. The crown flips off like the top of a canteen. (see inset)
In 1938, Longines crafted “Anti-magnetique” for the Czech Air Force.


Bremont, a British Luxury Watch Brand has taken history to a new dimension. Its EP120 pilot’s watch, depicted on the right, is made with parts from the famous RAF 1942 Spitfire Mk V fighter plane which shot down six enemy planes in a single day in World War II. Original parts of this plane has been featured in films such as the Battle of Britain. Pieces that were salvaged during the planes restoration have been incorporated into the EP120’s dial and movement.

In war, tracking time is a matter of life and death.

Today is Veterans Day. We salute all those who have put their lives on the line, and fought for this country.

Casio G-Shock Spotted on Celebs

Rushing through busy streets late for an appointment, I scanned shop windows with practiced efficiency.  All of a sudden a glittering row of something something caught my eye.  I skidded to a halt - much to the exasperation of rushing New Yorkers.
"Hey Cool!" I said, "What do we have here?"
The sparkling something somethings were actually a row of gem smothered iced out G-Shocks - Ka Ching.  The ultimate "must have" in Hip Hop Watches - a "Jacob & Co" type image for a fraction of the price.  So who has been seen with a G-Shock?  Lil Wayne was spotted in a Casio/Babe G-Shock DW-6900 Limited Edition Watch at a Miami Heat and Dallas Mavericks game 2 of the NBA finals , Eminem sports a black on black G-Shock 7900B-1 in his latest album Bad Meets Evil. Kanye West wears a G-Shock and so does Chris Martin.

But G-Shock is not only a Hip Hop Watch, you will find the incredible G-Shock Watch around the wrist(s) of Thai model and actor, Mario Maurer and don't be surprised if you spot Denzel Whitaker sporting a fiery red Casio G-Shock in the "now playing in theaters everywhere" movie Abduction. 

For more hot celebs wearing G-Shock Watches read my prior G-Shock blog. 

These lil beauties are surely image makers (or breakers depending who you are).  G-Shock is a hot ticket Urban Trend Item - gaining popularity and presence.

An AZZARO Timepiece Elegant in Its Own Right

AZZARO watches exude an efficient "I am in control" image. The men's watches have a relaxed formality coupled with a sense of organization.  The dial of the Men's Coastline series (see inset) sports clearly defined hour markers extending towards the center of the dial.  The hour markers portray the divisions of the day in no uncertain terms.  This watch is perfect for he who values time -planning his day hour by hour, but not flustered by the passage of minutes. After all ,most often, creative insight and intense problem solving do not increase at a constant minute by minute rate, but rather encapsulated in a chunk of time where all factors collide in grand comprehension.

AZZARO watches embody the extreme stylish attitude of the company as a whole.  AZZARO is most known for its highly fashionable edgy clothing, stylish shoes,  sensual perfumes, and wristwatches. Started by a talented young Tunision, Loris Azzaro, the company gained  instant fame when the cover of the  December 12th,1968 edition of "Elle" magazine  featured an exquisite ballgown.  1971 marked a relocation of his couture house to 65 Rue de Fouberg, Saint Honore, Paris which was frequented by famous personalities such as  Sophia Loren, Raquel Welch, Romy Schneider.  AZZARO even made stage clothes for Tina Turner. The 1970's was a booming period for AZZARO, even unveiling a collection in recognition of that time period - The "Seventies" Watch. Loris Azzaro's designs frequented the Red Carpet worn by Nicole Kidman, Sharon Stone and Liz Hurley.  Loris Azzaro passed away in 2003, but his legacy lives on in every design. 

AZZARO Sparkling Watch evokes the sensuality of an AZZARO Design.  The rose gold tone bezel and bracelet are designed to accentuate the shape of a woman's wrist.  A dial clad only in hand indicators leave the shimmering mother of pearl dial in full view protected by mineral crystal . Lines etched in the bezel and bracelet reflect light at many angles by adding to the watches joaillerie look without the addition of gems.  Within the stylish case of an AZZARO watch, one will find a highly efficient Swiss Quartz Movement.

AKRIBOS XXIV Precise Time 24 Hours a Day

It seems much of the glory, glamor and horological blog space is given to the super high end watch companies unveiling limited editions of wondrous creations. I too get excited when I see the latest Greubel Forsey timepiece or a MB &F masterpiece, and want to blog and blog and blog about it. However, there are numerous lower end watch companies serving the general public who are crafting excellent functional timepieces for affordable prices, which are noteworthy too.

Van Cleef & Arpels Journée à Paris

This morning a woman's watch by AKRIBOS XXIV caught my eye. The design of the watch resembles a Van Cleef & Arpels timepiece with its perfectly round dial, t-shaped lugs, diamond covered bezel, leather band and mother of pearl on dial. Obviously Van Cleef & Arpels exceptional mechanical movement, extraordinary gold inserts and dial discs movements, to name just a few, makes a Van Cleef & Arpels timepiece a Van Cleef & Arpels timepiece. But AKRIBOS XXIV has done a really great job producing elegant precise timepieces exuding a sense of worth and good style.

AKRIBOS means exact and precise in Greek and the Roman Numerals XXIV represent 24 hours in a day, thus one can look elegant and know the time all in an instant.

At THE WATCHERY the AKRIBOS XXIV watches are up to 84% off, which means you are actually purchasing your watch for 16% of the Original MSRP. Thus a $650.00 watch will cost you only $105.00 making it a great gift for the Holidays. AKRIBOS XXIV keeps the prices lower by utilizing a Japanese Quartz Movement (rather than a Swiss Quartz movement or an automatic mechanical movement) as well as protecting the dial with a Shatter resistant Krysterna (rather than Sapphire Crystal or mineral crystal). Krysterna is a relatively new watch glass material, which was first used in the eye glasses industry. Companies like Stuhrling Original and AKRIBOS XXIV experimented with this material for watches with much success. Recent research on Krysterna finds this new synthetic material spread over a large surface is more "shatter-resistant" than sapphire crystal. In addition the stones on the bezel are Austrian crystals.

These watches are really affordable and exquisitely elegant. An excellent choice!

Purchase yours at THE WATCHERY. Your One Stop For Brand Name Watches.

Keep Track of Five Time Zones with Elini



Only $7,999.00 (79% off MSRP)

 Keep track of five timezones in style with Elini Men's Square World Automatic.  New York, Los Angeles, Tokyo and Paris dials surround the home time dial in diamond paved splendour.  The stainless steel watch is a perfect square balancing the various time zone dials.  Within the 47 x 47 mm case, a Swiss Made automatic ETA movement ensures maximum accuracy of all five dials.  ETA is the acronym for Elegance, Technology and Accuracy, a Swiss company owned by Swatch Group, making movements since 1793.

 Elini, a high end jewelry company specializing in diamonds, formed in Antwerp Belgium in 1986, has manufactured watches since 2003.  In crafting an Elini timepiece,  Elini combines the skills of avant-garde jewellers with watchmakers excelling in the field of horology.  The resulting timepiece is of noted worthiness exuding obvious style. 
The Men's Square World Automatic White Diamond  sporting 8.75 ctw, is an example of unique elegance and ultimate efficiency. For those whose responsibilities require constant awareness of other time zones and the demand to portray a successful image, should consider an Elini Men's Square World Automatic.
In an unprecedented  price cut, THE WATCHERY is offering this watch for only $7,999.00. (79% off the MSRP) This offer stands for a limited time only.