The Longines Conquest VHP collection has a laser-focus on extreme accuracy and precision
Timekeeping, and by extension wristwatches, used to hold much greater allure and prestige among a broader spread of society than it does today. This is not a reference to the 19th century or something, but instead mere decades ago, at the precise moment quartz movements gave more people the chance to have their own personal timekeepers. Strangely, the promise of a brighter future for accuracy did not pan out as planned.
Budget air travel and an ocean of information distributed worldwide that can be called up in an instant on any screen from phone to tablet and terminal, have set the bar very high for curios. In other words, nothing excites anymore. Though it has only been a few centuries since table-sized clocks were accurate enough to be fitted with minute hands, and just about a century since the affordability of wristwatches extended beyond gentry to the common man, the general public seems to have largely forgotten what an awesome thing a wearable timekeeper is, in reliably dividing the continuum of time into discrete intervals that we can mark and measure.
AN EXISTENTIAL CRISIS
We bring this up because before accurate timekeeping became so commoditised (appearing on phones and ovens, as it is often bemoaned) that it descended into the mundane, watches were special and regarded with the respect accorded to specialist instruments. And the very thing they specialised in was precision timekeeping. Those were the days when chronometry competitions would generate a fair bit of excitement, because creating a supremely accurate watch was no small feat of technical ingenuity.
This story is from the Issue 45 edition of WOW Singapore.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the Issue 45 edition of WOW Singapore.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Hand-Finished Ceramic
Once thought impossible, Blancpain demonstrates how to bring handcraftsmanship to ceramic cases and bracelets with the Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe Quantième Complet Phases de lune 5054
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
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
Coming In Thin
Bvigari’s releases for 2024 continue to stun the watch world with its trail-blazing innovation and sublime artistry
Light The Night
Luminox celebrates 35 years of existence by drawing on its heritage in the realms of the air, land and sea
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
Delighting To Surprise
Tissot CEO Sylvain Dolla weighs in on the novelties of 2024
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
Expedition Hublot
A peek into the manufacture at Hublot reveals the amount of intricacies and technology behind the often quirky watches
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