Welcome to the Gilt Trips podcast. I'm your host, Kendra Lockhart. As a goldsmith and
gemologist, I'll be speaking 24 carat on all things jewelry, metals, and gems. Join
me plus a few friends to demystify both materials and designs as your private jeweler. Let's
tune in on these topics and get golden. There is an iconic line in the movie Margin Call.
Quote, there are three ways to make a living in this business. Be first, be smarter, or cheat.
Unquote. In the world of watches, it is usually come down to being first by being smarter. Today,
we are going to look at my personal 20 favorite innovations and timepieces, from the traditional
to the outrageous. Get ready to see how some engineers and their companies beat the clock.
Why do I personally love timepieces so much? First, I grew up a military kid, so my primary
jewelry gifts were watches, often with interchangeable straps. So that taught me that finer presents are
functional and require a level of responsibility. As I aged, I was given the key to carefully
wind the grandfather clock without over-cranking it, which would cause the need to recalibrate
the weights. Perhaps it was that first year in undergrad that started in architecture,
long before I majored in our history in metals. Lastly, our relationship to time is the most
defining element of having a human life, which is finite, yet measuring time helps us choose
how we use the passing of our lives, and that is universal and a great equalizer.
What determines a groundbreaking innovation? Is it revolutionary or cumulative visioning?
Where are the best blogs to learn? I will serve all this up and more in this episode.
After timestamps are in the show notes.
We begin my list with a disruption that sent the watch industry into a spiral. Thanks, Seiko.
Batteries were the Japanese advancement in watchmaking, which ushered in quartz watches
in the 1970s and early 80s. But that displaced mechanical watches around the world. This
would cause a significant decline of the Swiss watchmaking industry, which stayed traditional.
However, the majority of the world's watch production was shifting to Japanese companies,
such as Seiko, Citizen, and Casio. They were embracing the new electronic technology.
The quote-unquote crisis label by Swiss makers was to downgrade the advancement from these
Japanese brands. Did that work? Take a look at the number of classic watch houses who
started offering quartz versions to their product lines.
In 1974, Omega introduced the Omega Marine Chronometer, the first quartz watch ever to
be certified as a marine chronometer, accurate to 12 seconds per year using an advanced battery-powered
circuit that produced over 2 million vibrations per second. Since society loves innovation
and the Swiss had none in response at that time, Seiko led a charge in technology, economics,
and manufacturing. Continuing with a big name, we find the oldest
independent family-owned manufacturer. This means it's not absorbed by one of the big
conglomerates like Ruchemont, Kering, LVMH, or Swatch. Rarity also plays a factor in Patek
Philippe's desirability, and it doesn't hurt that it was a favor to Queen Elizabeth II,
mother of England's current king. But the legacy invention was the perpetual calendar.
This is, at least in traditional watchmaking, the highest and most sophisticated feature
possible in a dress watch. What it means is, it can clock the different days of each of
the 12 months and calculates for leap years as well.
By the way, no pressure trying to set it correctly. If you miss, it must be sent back for a full
factory reset.
Many people in the watch industry consider Briget, the goat, or the grandfather of watchmaking.
And we owe plenty to his paratroop contributions to the watch game.
In 1830, the Briget Company created the first watch that could be wound without a key. The
founder's son invented this by using a fluted or knurled knob instead of a key, which would
become the modern-day Stem and Crown elements, eliminating the need for an external tool
to wind the mechanics of a watch. Next, Briget himself is credited with inventing the Perpetuelle
watch, which is essentially the first self-winding watch.
And lastly, the Turbion improved the accuracy of pocket chronometers and remains a key part
of the house's distinction. A Turbion is a mechanism that constantly rotates the balance
wheel, balance spring, and escapement while the movement is running. If a pocket watch
is always vertical, gravity has a dragging effect on those parts. The Turbion acts like
a little gyroscope to counter the effect of Earth's gravity.
Breitling is credited with the first official chronograph, which means having a stopwatch
feature. We see the advent of an independent pusher to control start, stop, and reset functions.
This permits and allows more complex calculations or repeated measurements for a series of time
calculations, as in a split chronograph watch. Their iconic design, the Breitling Navitimer,
would provide precise performance metrics for activities like calculating flight paths,
and therefore is a favorite in the world of aviation and aerobatic flight, which means
those amazing plane tricks we see in the likes of top gun films.
In 1995, the Breitling Emergency Watch would be released. This was the first wristwatch
with an integrated emergency beacon, which has helped save lives in several situations,
most usually those of an extreme and dire nature.
Rolex. One of the most value retaining and well marketed watches in the world. While
they boast their own alloys with such benefits as using only the highest quality materials
in their watches, like the 904L stainless steel, which is more corrosion resistant than
other types, it was the pioneering of being the first waterproof watch that puts them
in our Hall of Fame today. In 1926, Rolex made the first waterproof and dustproof wristwatch,
therefore marking a major step forward. Given the nickname Oyster, this watch featured a
hermetically sealed case, which provided optimal protection for the movement with its screw
down crown versus a push pull style to wind.
Omega. The first watch that was space worthy. Acrylic crystals are still used today on many
lower priced watches, but it notably was on the Omega Speedmaster, and that is the model
that went to the moon. Very few luxury watches will still feature this. Acrylic is beneficial
because of its optical clarity and its dimensional stability, its lighter in weight, and its
more shadow resistant than glass. This would be known as the Hesalite crystal, and that
would meet the preliminary requirements while passing heat and pressure tests for the historic
chapter in our evolution called space exploration.
Aside from this, Omega has held the contract as the official timekeepers of the Olympic
Games since 1932. After Paris' competitions happening right now, in two more rounds it
will mark one century for this watch brand when the Olympics finally come around to
Brisbane, Australia. Omega's advanced engineering brought two new terms, the twin barrel technology
to watches, and the coaxial escapement. George Daniels created the latter in the 1970s, and
while these terms sound abstract, more simply said, it is splitting the wear and tear on
these parts to extend critical servicing so the wearer can, A, obviously enjoy it and
its performance longer, and B, reduce repair expenses. As for the former, it made for a
smoother running down of the power reserve in a watch, versus an erratic and inaccurate
stoppage. Plus, the positioning and marketing of this brand, with the James Bond franchise,
has an achievement on its own to make it visible and familiar to a worldwide audience. I personally
go have Omega points for decades of inclusivity for its female aficionados and having options
in multiple collections.
Tag Heuer The first part of the name is the acronym
for Technique de avant-garde, plus Heuer, the founder's surname. Many advances are credited
to the company that by now are familiar, patenting the crown winding for a keyless watch, improving
a chronograph's precision, creating stopwatch timers for dashboards, where Tag had my attention
was creating the Soluner, a piece to track moon cycles and tides, which assisted sailing
and fishing industries equally. Another subtle creation were interchangeable rings with markers
for the timing of different events. Tag would be a multi-generational company, and by the
1960s, it would romance the racing world. Here, Tag would introduce vivid colors and
partner with a Hollywood icon who had an appetite for speed, Steve McQueen. But it would be
the 2015 release of the first luxury smartwatch that would revitalize the brand's consistency
while showing its commitment to forward thinking in the realm of elite and intelligent wrist
watches.
IWC Before I begin, the training from IWC on their product
was impressive and still sticks with me today. Omega was a close second. As you can tell,
I love a usefully educational presentation. IWC was the only one on my list founded by
an American. Now, he was from Boston, and at the time the United States was leading in
machine manufacturing, while Europe had some catching up to do. So, Florentine Jones creates
the International Watch Company in 1868 and heads overseas to work with the best of Switzerland.
It didn't go well at first. He was turned away by much of the community, especially
in the west part of the country, or the French influence side. He would break into the German
part of the country, an area called Schoffhausen. This would become a critical location for
its proximity to a parallel industry in its future, Precision Automobiles.
While IWC stands apart in its edgy exploration into materials like titanium, carbon, and
ceramic, let's first address its minimalistic beauty. The work of Gerald Genthe, as far
as aesthetic, is most recognized of course for his Audemars-Piget Royal Oak. But it was
his redesigning of IWC's ingenueur model that made that an icon for the brand, with
exposed bezel screws and an integrated bracelet. Now, where would a watch company get the idea
of using titanium ahead of anyone else? A third lighter than steel, and more scratch
resistant as well. That location put them about a hundred miles away from Porsche, which
was discovering it for the frames of their vehicles. In fact, Porsche's marketing, with
statements like, honestly now, did you spend your youth dreaming about someday owning a
Nissan or Mitsubishi? That would affect the irreverence of IWC's. One of IWC's ad would
read, IWC, seen on Stewardess's nightstands everywhere. Morality aside, IWC took chances.
In addition to titanium, they would repeat the pioneering with carbon, ceramic, and bronze
in both evergreen models and limited run designs.
Hublot. Now it's on to a relatively youthful watch house. In 1980, the year of its inception,
Hublot integrated rubber into its watch, which became known as the Art of Fusion. Rubber
has since become a quote unquote flagship material for Hublot and marks their modern
approach since the birth of this company. Beyond alternative watchmaking components,
the design game of Hublot, which is a French word for a ship's portal, is instantly recognizable.
While the Big Bang is unforgettably overdone in a very indulgent way, the collaboration
with Sang Blue was subtle genius for the unique voicing from an internationally recognized
tattoo artist into complex artistry in timepieces. Roger Dubouy. Since 1995, this has had my
heart for mastering deconstruction and the skeleton dial. Then again, I am a true minimalist
in artistic mediums and goldsmithing. Using a strong homage to avant-gardeism with architecturalized
and enlarged components, Roger Dubouy partnered with motorsports companies. While that seems
ubermasculine, take a peek at the velvet collection, which is dynamically feminine, with a Roman
numeral dial that is both mathematically constructed and a nod to nouveau as much as a mocha painting
is. The romance of water is well expressed in Ulysses Nardin as a brand. Since 1846, it
is focused on high precision marine chronometers. This company became known for exclusively supplying
50 of the world's navies until 1950. This may give you the impression this is either
a traditional or conservative company, not when it comes to the use of silicon parts
in a mechanical movement, which was an industry first, or its use of synthetic diamonds in
its escapement in the 1980s. As for synthetic diamonds, you can hear more about that material
in my lab diamond episode. A notable design for Ulysses Nardin's company is the freak,
dubbed a laboratory on the wrist. It features no actual dial, no actual crown, no true hands.
But as for one of my dream watches, I would personally love to wear the Ulysses Nardin
dual time lady gray, a soft metallic gray dial, diamond bezel, gray crocodile strap,
be jeweled markers, date window at 2 o'clock, dual time at 9 o'clock, and a diamond marker
sub dial at 6 o'clock.
Richard Mille, or Richard Mille here in America. The controversy of this watch brand is that
many consider the look of it straight up hideous. So that's what we won't be prioritizing.
It's the suspension of the movement, or its inner engineering on braided steel cables
that creates its unmatched ability to handle force. For example, we had a client who essentially
blew out the motor of his watch by wearing it while rifle shooting. In total contrast,
you can find Richard Mille on the wrists of pro tennis players, golfers, and race car
drivers. Why? Well, because it can handle 5000 Gs, and for reference the Earth's gravity
is 1 G. Yes, they have their material and technical innovations, but the quantum leap
of the shock suspension and the weightlessness of the watch is mind blowing at first touch,
since we are accustomed to timepieces substance when held.
And I'm our pig. What can I say? It pays to hire the best. Designer Gerald Jenta, the
same one who revisioned for IWC, was behind AP's top seller, the Royal Oak. 90% of the
brand's sales are this model. And it works for all occasions, and is a wonderful break
from tradition with an octagonal case and screws that are on the outside, much like
a helmet. Besides the artistic success, their top claim to fame is with the first minute
repeater. A minute repeater chimes down to the minute, with differing tones for hours,
quarter hours, and obviously minutes. This opened up the ability to know the time in
the dark and for the vision impaired.
Ooh, the Panerai look. Immediately eye catching with a clean oversized pillow shaped case
and effortless readability. It was 1860 when Giovanni Panerai opened business in Florence,
Italy. Now that city is a massive art center, as well as having other mediums of beauty.
And for me, I read that in this brand. The highlight, literally, is the patented
radium paint for glow in the dark viewing. This mattered as the Italian Navy used Panerai.
By introducing this element, underwater visibility became possible just after the 20th century.
And by 1950, Panerai kept the feature, but left behind the dangers of radium.
And Constantine, the oldest and uninterrupted producer in the world. Considered part of
the Holy Trinity, alongside Patek and Ape, it retains centuries of techniques and the
prestige of some of the most complex watches made, alongside the heritage of their beauty.
Vacheron openly embraced the arts of each of the eras, and is one of the main reasons
it has retained its contemporary relevance and yesterday's values at modern auction prices.
Giacchia le Cult
This company's avant-garde design, the Reverso, showed two unprecedented concepts.
Made in the high tie of the Art Deco times, it solved the need for a watch being able
to withstand the rigor of polo matches. The case swivels so that it could flip over and
have the case back be facing up instead of the crystal and dial. It was made to become
a future classic, yet that is not what forwarded the art of watchmaking. Instead, it was the
use of sapphire crystal to protect the hands and dial. As I said, historically, materials
for producing the quote-unquote crystal were acrylic or glass. I've mentioned that synthetic
gem material has been around for decades and was invented before the 1900s. So it was JLC
and this watch which used a clear sapphire crystal with double to triple the relative
hardness and scratch resistance of other options. This would be adopted by other brands in the
1960s and is now standard as an element on modern luxury timepieces.
HYT
These watches use liquid to display the time. This independent watchmaker has developed a
very personal approach to the art of watchmaking, guided by an ambition to return to the very
source of clocks as they were first established many thousands of years ago. The Club Sidra,
which I spoke about in the previous episode. This model is made possible with the use of
a very fine glass capillary tube, connected to two bellows with walls as thin as our
eyelashes, but 10,000 times more watertight than even a traditional diver's watch. Depending
on the ratio between the reserves for this shared, closed-chambered liquid that will
translate to our markers on the dial, it's an incredible feat. How we can read this is
that one of the two liquids is colored and the other is clear. At set hours, the liquid
balance is reset. Why don't these liquids blend? HYT combines technology, philosophy,
art, and design, but it does boil down to their being a meniscus.
Debatun. Futuristically bold, but it didn't start that way. For 20 years, Debatun has
blurred the lines between traditional craftsmanship and contemporary design. The reinvented approach
became a free-spirited breaking of horizons through ongoing research into shapes, materials,
and functions. This small but mighty team would take home Heralogy's top prize for the best
watch of the year in their pursuits of revolutionary design and execution. While they only make
150 to 250 watches per year, it is the astronomy-themed aesthetic plus subtle improvements like floating
lugs vs. fixed lugs to hug the wrist and improve the comfort of wearing that make. The other
worldly look includes both the outer case design, integrating the stem and crown at
the 12 o'clock position, and its nod to a starry sky, or speedometer, or even skeleton
dials that seem to fuse minimalism and a dash of madhatter magic.
Manclive is art in motion and commands top dollar at auctions. What has this maysone
or design house done so differently? It is a triple threat of insane detail, poetic complications,
and intersecting jewelry and watchmaking techniques. My all-time dream watch if money were no object
is the Ronde Pepeon, or a round of butterflies. First, the insane detail is painstakingly
thought out as well as executed. The overall concept of the watch is a literal mechanical
storytelling, much like that of the unhinged toymaker uncle character, Drosselmeyer, in
the Nutcracker Ballet. On the dial of this watch, we find enameling at the level of Faberge eggs,
paired with intricate engraving on the case back. As for poetic complications, the features
are animated, such as a flying swallow that retrogrades, or resets, a dimensional layered
cloud on the dial, and in regarding the blending of goldsmithing and watchmaking techniques,
we find the bejeweled and adorned methods for the eyes and the operations of the timepieces
familiar to the hands. There are other accomplishments in this arena by Vancliffe, the Pont d'Amreau
or Lovers Bridge, and the Planetarium watch, but for me there's no comparison as far as
an exquisite and romantic ladies watch, like the one I just mentioned.
Jacob & Company is our last one, and if there is a company to beat regarding extravagance
and creativity on steroids, I'd be hard pressed to find anyone who can eclipse this one. His
immigrant status, coming over from Russia, was key to securing an apprenticeship for non-natives.
His homeland training in photography gave him a killer eye, and after gaining loyal clientele,
he went to Switzerland to find a team to bring his watches to life. Guess what? Like IWC,
he got the cold shoulder. It's a snobs game to crack. So he creates the five-time zone
piece with interchangeable bezels and straps. A photo of supermodel Naomi Campbell wearing
his creation landed him in the watch world while also making his name familiar to celebrities.
Filmmaker Quentin Tarantino hunted him down, and a deal was made. Jacob said, give me a
deposit on this design, I will make it and name it for you. That's smart marketing. His
partnership would reach the height of super car maker Bugatti. Jacob said, I want to be
remembered as a trailblazer. I say he nailed the assignment. Today, the most expensive
watch in the world, billionaire tourbillon with white diamonds, valued at $23 million,
is owned by boxer Floyd Mayweather.
As for the best watch blogs, I invite you to take a peek at Haudenki, A Blog to Watch,
The Watch Enthusiast, Worn and Wound, and Watch Pro. This episode is dedicated to Andrew
Casey, who is in the fashion industry as well as being a professional model. He was one
of the best in the group that I've trained, taking him from watch phobic to watch confident
with ease and play. Happy birthday.