The D Loke Dress Chronograph customdesigned hands form a full tip when in line with the five-minute markers .
THE REAL THING
Gary George Girdvainis Publisher | Gary @ isochronmedia . com
hile I ’ ll admit to being pleased at being invited to participate as a voting member of the Geneva Grand Prix of
W Horology ( GPHG ), I ’ m also a bit chagrined at the fact that I must draw my conclusions and make my best assessments about wristwatches without actually seeing them in person , holding the proposed contestants in my hand , and feeling the presence they each create .
As we are all aware there are circumstances beyond our control that have affected nearly everyone around the world ( go Sweden !) with new rules in many places forcing humans to cease proximal rapport . As if the digital age was not already stealing “ social ” reality from the next generation fast enough , we now have to physically distance ourselves from others – ostensibly for the greater good .
Bear in mind that I ’ m no Luddite clinging to the idea that face-to-face contact , shaking hands , and being anywhere in person is anything but an outdated concept . I also appreciate that physical contact and actual ( vs . virtual ) presence is an archaic construct , soon to be relegated to the tomes of ( printed ) history .
IN-HAND But the thought of offering my own approbation of a particular timepiece without holding it in my hands and feeling the heft or seeing the prismatic explosion of color cast from a spectacular jewelry piece simply cannot be fully appreciated on a screen .
Neither is on-screen impact or appeal the same when you virtually view the isochronic dance of a balance wheel - or the interplay of gears , levers and pinions of a well-dressed mechanical movement . Of-course they can be observed on video , and even the gentle ticking of a mechanical watch that you ’ d normally need to hold close to your ear to hear can be amplified and absorbed by rapt influencers around the globe via YouTube , but it ’ s just not the same and does not carry the innate organic and sensuous import as the real thing .
It ’ s not unlike the brick and mortar experience versus the virtual . It ’ s always better to have at least one in-person contact with a watch you want on your wrist – even if you intend to bargain hunt the same watch on-line . Fit , finish , and the je ne sais quoi of any individual timepiece needs to be experienced first-hand to be properly absorbed .
Yes , we live in exciting times where apps can do everything from drive your car to chew your food , but at some point there must be a human desire for physical contact . The sensations of touch , hearing , and even smell ( like a vanilla-imbued rubber strap ) add something that is simply impossible to replicate virtually .
So , I ’ ve done my best to socially distance and review the proffered timepieces to cast my votes for the GPHG with information gleaned from digital representations , hyperbolic estimations , and my own previous experience with most of the brands put forth . It ’ s clearly not the same as actually being there , but I guess this is the best we can do until we are gifted the return of our physical freedoms by the powers that be . If and when your own city , state , or country returns to you your basic rights and freedom , I encourage you all to take a break from the screen , large or small , and remember what it means to be a truly social being and get out and physically engage – in anything .
In the mean-time :
Keep Watching !
2 | INTERNATIONAL WATCH | FALL 2020