Another week has come and gone, and we here at Man of Many like to celebrate that inevitable reality with a round-up of all the coolest happenings in the world of watches with our regular watch series, The Wind Up! In this week’s instalment, we have a couple of holiest of grails from Vacheron Constantin, one of the best bang-for-your-buck pieces from Seiko, as well as the latest mechanical marvel from Jaquet Droz, amongst others! So as always gents, sit back, relax and enjoy!
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Vacheron Constantin Les Cabinotiers Grand Complication Phoenix
As part of Vacheron Constantin’s build-up to next year’s SIHH, they’ve released some amazing imagery of some equally as amazing pieces. The first we’re going to feature in this week’s article is the Les Cabinotiers Grand Complication Phoenix, an insanely complex precious-metal hand-engraved affair that is an absolute show-stopper. Boasting a whopping 15 complications within its 47mm hand-engraved 18k pink gold case, the Les Cabinotiers Grand Complication Phoenix is a piece for the ages. One piece will ever be made, and its luckier purchaser will no doubt have acquired one of modern horology’s most incredible works of art.
Vacheron Constantin Les Cabinotiers Minute Repeater Tourbillon SkyChart
The next piece Vacheron Constantin have “leaked” is the Les Cabinotiers Minute Repeater Tourbillon SkyChart. This is a far more subdued affair compared to the Les Cabinotiers Grand Complication Phoenix, but it is in no way, shape or form a lesser watch. Within the Les Cabinotiers Minute Repeater Tourbillon SkyChart’s white gold case and black guilloché dial lies Vacheron’s in-house calibre 2755, an absolutely magnificent mechanism that incorporates a minute repeater, a tourbillon, a sidereal time indicator as well as a sky chart at the back of the piece. And like the Les Cabinotiers Grand Complication Phoenix, the Les Cabinotiers Minute Repeater Tourbillon SkyChart is a piece unique. Damn I wish I had a spare million or two lying around…
Jaquet Droz Loving Butterfly Automaton
The latest bit of engineering wonder from Jaquet Droz comes in the form of the Loving Butterfly Automaton. Unveiled at this year’s Baselworld, the Loving Butterfly Automaton is an intriguing combination of beautiful aesthetics and divine mechanics. This harmonious marriage, bringing together the best of both worlds of horology, is one that I think is often overlooked. I think that it’s important to note just how complex and intricately fine the integration of a mechanical automaton is into a timepiece measuring just 43mm. The components making up the Loving Butterfly Automaton are infinitesimally smaller than you can ever imagine, and for that fact alone I think Jaquet Droz’s latest automaton definitely deserves your appreciation, or at the very least your respect.
F.P. Journe Centigraphe Sport
Fans of F. P. Journe’s Centigraphe, rejoice, for we have the latest piece in the long line of illustrious Centigraphe models. Recently released alongside the Octa Sport, the Centigraphe Sport is the same wonderful 1/100th of a second chronograph, except this time it has a brilliant yellow dial housed in a titanium case with a ceramic bezel. As playful and casual as the Centigraphe Sport looks, this is by no means a slump in the mechanical-gusto department. The Centigraphe Sport is one of the most complex chronographs on the planet, and this time it dazzles with its vivid colour scheme. Beyond its aesthetic changes, 30% of all sale proceeds from the Centigraphe Sport will be donated to the Institute of Brain and Spinal Cord in Paris.
Seiko Presage Cocktail ‘Fuyugeshiki’
I make it no secret that Grand Seiko’s ‘Snowflake’ is one of my all-time favourite pieces. But it’s high price-tag makes it a no-go for me right now. And that’s where the story would have ended had Seiko not released the Presage Cocktail ‘Fuyugeshiki’, a wonderfully affordable alternative. Two limited-edition versions were made, a 40.5mm variant and a 33.8mm variant. Obviously, I’d pick the 40.5mm version, but the smaller model does open the market up for those with smaller wrists. The textured dial is the big seller for me here, but that’s not in any way taking anything from the Presage Cocktail ‘Fuyugeshiki’’s case, hour markers, movement and overall crispness. Priced from $699 (Aussie dollars, mind you), the Presage Cocktail ‘Fuyugeshiki’ is a definite winner in my books.
NOMOS Club Campus Amsterdam Limited Edition
The latest piece to come out of NOMOS Glashütte is the Club Campus Amsterdam Limited Edition, made specially for Ace Jewelers, a Dutch retailer. The Club Campus Amsterdam Limited Edition has a youthful exuberance about it that I know will appeal to our younger gents, as well as some of our older readers. There’s a lovely and very subdued colour palette going on here, too. Red, blacks and whites all seamlessly blending into the polished stainless-steel case. The “California” dial format (i.e. Roman and Arabic hour numerals) is a big plus for me, as is the base Peseux 7001 hand-wound calibre, which NOMOS have tended to really very well. Not a game-changer, but definitely a cool piece to add to any collection.
If you enjoyed The Wind Up and would like to continue reading about watches, you can head on over to my blog, Haulogerie, where I delve a bit deeper into the wonderful world of watches.
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