Little did John Arnold who founded Arnold & Sons ever reckon that this company he started in London at 1764 will one day be a world-renowned watch company. The unique back of the Grand Tourbillon Perpetual and its moon phase indication. Appointed to join the Court of the British King George III, John Arnold quickly realized that his true talent lay in his ability to invent timepieces for the British ships. This discovery enabled John Arnold to invent the first ever pocket chronometer, (Nº36). He also invented many horological breakthroughs like the helical balance spring, the bimetallic spring, and the spring detent escapement. Arnold and Sons possesses a rich history of leading great achievements in the field of Marine chronometers enacting and passing strict rules in the manufacturing process of maritime timepieces, as well implementing strict guidelines on how each and every watch are tested on land and on water.

Ballon Bleu de Cartier One of the elements we have found in the watch industry that continues to surprise and delight us is the level of inventiveness, creativity and whimsy that pops up where you least expect it. Sometimes this is found in the pieces themselves, sometimes in the events surrounding them, sometimes just in the amount of fun people are trying to bring into their lives. The Ballon Bleu de Cartier books were designed by Jean-Luc Fromental and Michel Baverey Cartier decided to launch their new wristwatch line with, of all things, comic books. More accurately, avante-garde comic book imagery brought forth with the premium feel that only they could provide. According to the illustrious luxury house, no Cartier object ever comes into existence without an accompanying legend. Their new watch, the Ballon Bleu de Cartier, brings forth its legend as viewed and conceptualized by seven of the brightest gems in contemporary comic book work.

DELIGHTFUL DERIVATIVE The revolutionary Panerai P.2005 watch movement set a standard for diving watches, thanks to world-reknowned accuracy, a GMT function, manual winding and three spring barrels that accumulates enough energy to operate the watch for at least six days. One delightful derivative of this calibre (the movement of the watch) is the Luminor 1950 Tourbillon GMT 47 MM Titanium. This watch combines tradition, sports qualities and exclusivity, along with durability characterized by a strong yet light case created in Grade Two titanium. The new Luminor is distinguished in particular by the tourbillon, a device invented by horologist Abraham-Louis Breguet at the end of the 18th century in order to eliminate errors of rate (faster or slower variations in time indication) caused by changes in the center of gravity, inaccurate workmanship, the thickening of the lubricating oil and the consequent varying friction in the different positions assumed by the watch.

This particular timepiece generates mixed emotions not just to its owner but also to many that happen to have the opportunity to study it up close. It’s a beautiful albeit very simply designed instrument.  Its craftsmanship and outright appearance are not what stimulates the undefined ratings of the watch. The primary source of the conundrum is the relatively new association with the mighty Ferrari brand. Certainly we regard the partnership to be more appropriate as both brands are Italian, but since 1992 until the seemingly abrupt cessation in 2003, Ferrari was synonymous with Girard-Perregaux which is considered by many horological critics, myself included, as the more superior house that can trace its roots back to 1791 as well as boast the fact that they manufacture a vast majority of their own movements and individual components as well. So with Girard- Perregaux there was a sense of powerful pedigree and master craftsmanship which includes Tourbillion complications.

The Seiko Watch Corporation has always been at the forefront of watch-making technology. With its latest release of the Spring Drive, the company looks poised to spark yet another major change in the industry.Driven to Lead Seiko has always taken great pride in being an innovator. From its humble beginnings as a clock supply factory and clockmaker established toward the end of the 19th century in the Ginza district of Tokyo, it ventured into watch-making, eventually releasing its first wristwatch model in 1924. But it was in 1969 that Seiko attained global fame by becoming the first watch company to successfully develop and market quartz watch technology. The world’s very first quartz watch, the Astron, was launched on December 25, 1969, months ahead of its Swiss competitors. This was quite a remarkable feat at the time, since Swiss manufacturers had long been recognized as the leaders in creating high-end, quality timepieces.

On the move again. Deeper. TAG Heuer has put something new forward for those with the need for depth and the love of the visually mechanical.Many collectors are enamored by the timepieces of the deep, those that are not just dive watches but deep, deep dive watches. Watches that will keep on going long after your own mortal body will have been crushed if you happened to actually test the thing in the water. These watches are big, bulky and heavy in order to withstand the pressures you will see as you start reaching past where the light can go. Because of this need for strength and impregnability, they also almost always have metal backs. Usually engraved with the depth rating, or an image of an old metal diving helmet or such, they were a necessary tool for those that worked the deep. For the enthusiast though, it meant that you couldn’t see your movement.

IWC reminds us of the real reason why our time is valuable.When my son was born, I, as a hardcore watch enthusiast, began the process of figuring out what his first watch would be. It had to be the right watch for the right reasons. Many of the moneyed choose a Rolex for this occasion because, and I quote them on this, at least it can always be pawned. A perfectly good reason you have to admit, but not one I necessarily want as prominent in my thought process. You could also go the extreme expense route, looking at only the Pateks and Vacherons of the horological world. While that from an enthusiast view is fine, it didn’t fit well with my own vision of what I wanted the watch to say. About myself and my dreams and priorities, and about what I thought about when I looked at my son. I ended up choosing something that spoke of history, heritage, expertise and even a bit of humor and fun.

Three hundred might not sound like that much in street terms, but we were in a full on race car in which what made that power was the heaviest thing it had to propel. The tubular chassis of this Solution F Touring Cup racecar was meant to keep rigidity to a maximum and weight to its barest possible minimum. Also, there were no nods to comfort and convenience here. No sound deadening material, no comfy padding of seat or shell. So yeah, it was justifiably jarring especially when we pitched into the curves while only making a fleeting acquaintance with the brake pedal.I began in the passenger seat, with the pilot’s seat being occupied by Philippe Charriol. For those who know only his brand, he is a popular watchmaker and designer. For those who have met him before, in person or in the pages of Calibre, he is a hard core car guy. This is his racecar, and he is shaking it down and getting some serious seat time in preparation for his assault on his latest motorsports campaign.

TISSOT QUADRATO CHRONO Tissot squares off the competition with a square-faced chronograph.Tissot’s Quadrato Chrono comes with a 30-minute, 1/10th of a second and 60-second counters. A 316L stainless steel case protects its ET A G10.211 calibre.Tissot Quadrato ChronoSeries: QuadratoFunctions: Chronograph(30 minutes, 1/10 of a second, 60 seconds), date, hours, minutes, secondsCase: 316L stainless steelCalibre: ETA G10.211Water Resistance: 100mBracelet Strap: Rubber strap with deployant buckle and push-buttonTISSOT'S HERMETIC TIMEPIECE first made its debut in the Roaring ’20s.

BALL WATCHES TAKE TO THE SKY. When Webb C. Ball set about to create a standard measure of timekeeping for the railroad industry that stretched across the American continent, manned flight was still more than a decade away. In 1891, Ball had just been appointed as chief inspector for Lake Shore Lines and in the aftermath of the Kipton train wreck, a devastating train collision that rocked the railroad community and highlighted the need for greater accuracy in timing. Webster Clay Ball began to implement sweeping reforms in the way time was kept by men who worked up and down the train tracks and he was able to devise a uniform and highly accurate means of time telling which eventually became the industry Standard. One important factor that weighed heavily in favor of the successful adaptation of this Standard was the strict requirement that Ball issued to all watch manufacturers that supplied timepieces used by all of his railroad workers.