EDIT NOTE
POSITIVE SIGNS?
As we start a new year that I can only hope will offer watch collectors more to cheer for than the generally downbeat 2016, I’ ve already seen a few positive signs of what’ s ahead in 2017.
The first inkling of good news came just a few months ago as Patek Philippe announced plans for a large-scale historic timepiece exhibition in New York. Watch fans who attended the Geneva watchmaker’ s exhibition at London’ s Saatchi Gallery two years ago know that when this company wants to woo the public it mobilizes resources available to very few others.
The upcoming exhibit, called“ The Art of Watches, Grand Exhibition New York 2017,” is scheduled to open July 13 at Cipriani on 42nd Street just across the street from Grand Central Terminal. It will consist of ten themed rooms chock full of vintage pocket watches and wristwatches as well as several Patek Philippe models rarely, if ever, seen outside of museums or private collections.
As Patek Philippe vows to use the space to inform the public about centuries of watchmaking history, visitors can expect to see, and learn about, much more than Patek Philippe’ s own history. In addition, the company will position watchmakers and artisans throughout the space to demonstrate the many skills needed to create today’ s haute horology.
We hope to see you there during the ten-day exhibit( which is open to the public at no charge starting at 10 am daily.) In the meantime, I invite you to turn to page 78 to take a look at just a few of the drool-worthy timepieces Patek Philippe plans to display during the exhibit.
More glass-half-full evidence can be read between the lines of our special long-read story“ Re-Birth of a Royal Timekeeper” by German-based writer Marton Radkai( starting on page 50) where we learn details about a new high-end watch brand that, despite many odds stacked against it, has made a splash in today’ s challenging high-horology environment.
Radkai’ s chronicle of the events leading up to the debut of the brand, Czapek & Cie, paints a picture of enthusiastic founders with an insistence at top-notch materials and design that appropriately echo the work of its namesake watchmaker to French royalty. The strong response to these debut designs from a generally skeptical watch-buying public gives me hope that even in tough times an interesting watch design that is well executed can still gain traction among collectors.
And, as you may know, Czapek & Cie did more than simply get itself noticed by the watch press. Just a few months ago, the brand took home the coveted Public Prize at the 2016 Grand Prix d’ Horlogerie de Geneve. We congratulate them and look forward to detailing many more Czapek & Cie debuts in the years ahead.
Regards,
Michael Thompson Editor-in-Chief mike @ isochronmedia. com
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WRISTWATCH | 2017