The tradition of clocks lives on today and the ample space provided by these watchmaking objects enables certain talented individuals to unleash their creativity, while others dream up original stage-settings for time.
Contemporary time
Minimalism and a nod to brand history are the key ingredients behind the success of the two new table clocks from Panerai. In these models, the favourite design codes of the Italian Maison are conveyed with a force that has already earned the two clocks the status of great classics. A 65mm transparent mineral glass rimmed by polished steel frames two dial versions. One is the famous sandwich-style dial with the SLC design dating back to the 1930s (PAM00641), while the other is a California dial, the first in Panerai’s history to adorn the original watch supplied to the Italian Navy in 1936 (PAM006541). Another reference to brand history takes the form of a large winding-crown enclosed by a stirrup featuring an original design inspired by the shackle – a typical piece of sailboat hardware used to secure ropes or cables. Panerai has chosen an exceptional mechanical movement to power these two models: hand-wound Calibre P.5000 with an eight-day power reserve.
Luminous time
Undimmed by the passing years, the tradition of table clocks is faithfully perpetuated at Patek Philippe with an ever-renewed sense of panache. The Dome clock introduced in the 1950s once again provides a backdrop for extraordinary demonstrations of fine craftsmanship skills such as engraving, marquetry, enamelling, as well as Haute Joaillerie and crystal-making. The latter expertise is given pride of place through another collaborative endeavour with the Compagnie des Cristalleries de Baccarat. The rounded curves of the limited-edition Crystal Chandeliers Dome Clock 20021M are attired in entirely hand-engraved natural crystal. Hundreds of hours of painstaking craftsmanship were required to create this luminous mantle for the mechanical movement equipped with the famous photoelectric cell patented by Patek Philippe in 1954.
Pure time
Simplicity and style are the keynotes of this epitome of elegance from Hermès. The white gold Pendulette 8 Jours is distinguished by its restrained style and its Art Deco-inspired Arabic numerals. Encircled by an 85cm-diameter case, the passing of time is displayed by blued hands sweeping over a white gold dial, orchestrated by a Swiss-made mechanical hand-wound movement. The latter is endowed with an eight-day power reserve and rewound using a stylised key. The design of this Pendulette 8 Jours based on one gold circle atop another is infinitely modern.
Sculpted time
Whether appearing in the guise of a wristwatch, a pocket watch or a desk clock, the Amadeo Fleurier Virtuoso IV is the ultimate protean horological object. Despite a modest 44mm diameter, it provides Bovet with the space required to express both the diversity of its artisanal talents and its exceptional creativity. From an aesthetic standpoint, the eye is inevitably drawn to the pair of rearing horses finely sculpted into the precious metal, admirably framing the disc-type jumping hours display and retrograde minutes. The lower half of the dial is entirely taken up by a majestically enthroned tourbillon. A closer look reveals the historical elements to which the tourbillon refers, since the design of the carriage bridges evokes the index-assembly of the 19th century timepieces produced by the Bovet brothers. Today’s watchmakers have also reproduced pallets with weights such as would have featured in the Maison’s pocket watches during the latter half of the 19th century, although ten times smaller than their historical counterparts.
Transparent time
Vacheron Constantin, the world’s oldest watch manufacturer in continuous operation since 1755, revisits the prestigious history of clockmaking with a series of 12 unique table clocks sculpted in rock crystal. Designed to form arches of light, these mechanical works of art named Métiers d’Art Arca train the spotlight not only on the limpid beauty of rock crystal, but also on the mechanical excellence of the movement inside. For a full year, experts hunted for the finest stones around the world and selected them for their optical quality, their colour, their radiance, their refractive index and the harmony of their inclusions. The spectacularly large, finely cut and facetted stone provides a remarkable clear view of openworked Calibre 9260. This Vacheron Constantin movement with its two barrels comprising springs measuring more than one metre-long guarantees an impressive 30-day power reserve, while a constant-force mechanism ensures exceptional regularity. Its less than one-minute discrepancy per week represents a degree of precision rarely achieved for a movement enjoying such substantial autonomy.
