FROM THE EDITORS Letters + Events
The new Hermès Carré
IN LOVE WITH MY WATCH
often think about the countless hours of work at the hands of myriad professionals that go into making one high-end mechanical watch . But that ’ s
I probably a hazard of my job and , like many of you who also ponder such things , a love of watches . By the time a fine watch gets to one ’ s wrist , it has been touched by many and various artisans who are most often responsible for one small but important step along the long path to timepiece fruition . From the earliest design drawings to the final casing and polishing , a mechanical timepiece is a real feat of talent that requires multiple stages and endless quality control .
AESTHETICS , TOO , PLAY A LARGE PART IN THE MAKING OF A WATCH , and though many designs seen today are anything but traditional , beauty has historically been a high priority in watchmaking . Early enamel dials , engraved cases and gemstone-studded ladies pieces are witness to this fact , and twenty-firstcentury watches are an important part of this continuum . From hand-set stones to hand-painted dials , finely decorated and visible movements to case shape and size , the appearance of a watch is often the first thing that sets our hearts beating faster — often before we even begin to discuss what ’ s inside .
Somehow it all comes seamlessly together , substance and presentation , in an accessory that one will be proud to own and wear for many years and perhaps pass on to the next generation . It ’ s kind of like putting together a Broadway show , where no role is without importance , but some are just more conspicuous than others . And as the overriding role of a play is to entertain , so , too , the purpose of a watch is to tell time as accurately as possible within the parameters of the chosen mode , quartz or mechanical .
I own several high-end quartz watches that I really enjoy for specific purposes . But I must admit that my heart is in mechanical timepieces , in part because of the time and talent invested in them , but also because they are interactive and require movement or winding to keep them going ( as well as regular tune-ups ). Taking the performance analogy one step further , just as an actor is influenced by an audience , so too a watch is in this way influenced by its owner and vice versa . Maybe this is one reason why we get so attached to watches . Like a great relationship , they become part of our persona and our routine , our responsibilities and our aspirations .
Have fun reading ,
Nancy Olson Managing Editor | nancy @ isochronmedia . com
14 | INTERNATIONAL WATCH | WINTER 2018