Do you know of Graham?
Next to Switzerland, the other country known for watchmaking is undoubtedly England. Many of its watchmakers have written the most beautiful chapters in watchmaking inventions, from the 17th century to the 21st century, with Georges Daniels (1926-2011), considered the greatest contemporary watchmaker. The one we are focusing on today is Georges Graham (1673-1751), whom Eric Loth, founder of the Graham brand in 1995—and with no connection to the illustrious London watchmaker—wanted to bring out of the shadows. Georges Graham created high-precision watches, instruments for astronomers, invented a mercury pendulum system, the detent escapement and the cylinder escapement. As the first watchmaker to be admitted to the Royal Society, he was responsible for the clock at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, and his notoriety earned him a burial plot at Westminster Abbey.
Graham is only 25 years old, but already possesses a fine reputation as an atypical brand whose creations offer two very different faces: powerful, singular models with a strong personality, of sporting or aeronautical inspiration, and sophisticated complications in more classic designs, directly inspired by the English watchmaker of the Age of Enlightenment. An anglophile, the founder and CEO of Graham chose to establish his company in La Chaux-de-Fonds and take advantage of the technical infrastructure and local partners necessary for the development of his watches.
The proof in three watches
1.Chronofighter Grand Vintage
We love it for its spirit and virile design that can be continuously renewed.
At almost 20 years old, the Chronofighter was the first collection launched by Graham and is today the brand’s best-known watch. A true fighter, its virile, robust and daring design at either 44 or 47 mm in diameter remains impressive. This imposing presence is further reinforced by the chronograph stop and start lever, located on the left side of the case, which owes its design to the aviator watches of the 1940s, which had to be operated by the gloved hands of the Royal Air Force fighter-bombers. The key to the success of the Chronofighter lies in its diversity, from ultra-sporty and masculine models to the unexpected lightness of the Superlight carbon models, to the deliberately vintage or inventive and ultra-contemporary pieces where pin-up (Nose Art Ltd models), Union Jack flag (UK Ltd), tigers, Swiss folklore (Swiss Edition) or excerpts from songs (“I Shot the Sheriff”) decorate the dials.
2.Swordfish Bronze
We love it because it takes courage and a bold attitude to take on its unconventional look.
Graham’s other must-have model is the Swordfish. With a name like this, it could have been a diver’s watch. But it isn’t. It borrows from the swordfish, a predator whose eyes miss no prey. For this watch, two round hour and minute counters have magnifying glass over them, increasing their readability by 20%. Launched in 2004, the Swordfish was so successful that it fell victim to numerous counterfeits, leading Graham to eventually withdraw it from its catalogue, before releasing new 46mm models in bronze and steel last year.
3.Geo.Graham Orrery Tourbillon
We love that the mystery of astronomy was applied in this contemporary design.
The Geo.Graham collection embodies the other face of Graham, with highly complicated Haute Horlogerie timepieces that showcase Georges Graham’s heritage. The Geo.Graham Orrery Tourbillon pays tribute 300 years after the creation of the first Orrery—mechanical solar system, or planetarium—designed by Graham in 1713. This watch, essentially a planetarium mounted on a wrist, features a central tourbillon with a gold bridge decorated in the vain of a historical piece by Georges Graham, representing the Sun. The Moon, Earth, and Mars orbit around this Sun. This astronomical watch has a functional 100-year calendar, powered by a movement developed exclusively for Graham by Christophe Claret.
