After almost a decade of deep dives into material innovation in traditional watchmaking, we have finally come full circle. Way back in 2016, we published a longish treatise on gold in watchmaking, which is unsurprising given the popularity of the metal over the centuries. We write centuries here but really we mean the entirety of human history, written and otherwise, because contemporary timepieces are also pieces of jewellery. And so it should surprise absolutely no one that in this second take on gold, we will be outdoing ourselves. In fact, we already have because we published a preamble to this story in Spring this year.
The watchmaking business has always been about both style and substance. Timekeeping is, even today, primarily a utility that drives productivity, efficiency and accuracy - it can literally tell us our place in the universe, depending on how the question is phrased. As with anything this important, there is a symbolic value to be had. It is a value with both power and prestige, which the ruling classes have always understood. Thus, we have arrived at the simplest connection between time and gold.
Now, we will have to address the matter of price quite prominently in this story (and its constituent parts) but it is worth bearing in mind, from the outset, that price is just one of many facets. More than any other precious metal, gold has a certain reputation as a proven store of value, a hedge against both inflation and deflation, and a stable investment class. Gold and silver are the only precious metals to be widely used as both jewellery and currency, distinguishing them from other precious metals. Gold is especially relevant for this examination because there is only one wristwatch in silver today that is widely recognised.
GROWING AND RETAINING VALUE
Denne historien er fra Issue 73-utgaven av WOW Singapore.
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Denne historien er fra Issue 73-utgaven av WOW Singapore.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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NEW FRONTIERS
The outgoing CEO of TAG Heuer Julien Tornare shares his management style and values. No doubt these will remain consistent in his new role as Hublot CEO, just as they were in his Zenith tenure
STRUCTURAL STYLE
Parmigiani Fleurier CEO Guido Terreni explains the logic of the new Toric collection and takes us through his thoughts on style and elegance
THE CONVERSATION: APROPOS COMPLICATIONS
A watch with complications appeals to different sorts of collectors, and is quite different to a complex watch. The editors of Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand discuss the virtues of all sorts of complications and consider when more is really better...
EUREKA MOMENTS
Our extended look at gold in watchmaking comes to a close in this third and final part, with a look at five proprietary gold alloys. Of course, there are certainly more than five so we will leave the door ajar on going even further
MACHINE LEARNING
The mechanical calendar has been perfected over the last 100 years; it remains a challenge that invites multiple watchmaking and engineering approaches. We get into the nuts and bolts of how the perpetual calendar gets the job done
CULTURAL SENSE
The story of our calendar and why it is rife with anomalies
QUANTA OF TIME
Just as hours, minutes and seconds are quanta of time, so too are days, weeks, months and years. We finally explore the story of the perpetual calendar in particular, in a year that invites such ruminations
PURPLE REIGN
H. Moser Cie brings a brand new dial to the party with the Pioneer Perpetual Calendar Concept MD Purple Enamel Sincere Platinum Jubilee Edition
AUTUMN HUE
Grand Seiko continues its celebration of the 20th anniversary of Calibre 9R with the limited edition SBGA499
TWICE UPON A TIME
The world's greatest double tourbillon wristwatch, the Breguet Classique 5345 Quai de L'horloge is back, with new hand-finishing touches
