Despite the time of the Amida Digitrend being in the thick of the Quartz Crisis, the original watch did not use the technology that was on trend at the time. Instead, the Amida Digitrend featured mechanical watchmaking, in an affordable 1 jewel movement, or a pin anchor 17 jewel movement variant. Ingeniously, the brand utilised a clever display that they patented as the LRD – the Light Reflecting Display. Shaped like a prism, the crystal projects the horizontal discs of the movement in a vertical arrangement – a display that was often referred to as perfect for drivers, as the driver does not need to take their hands off the wheel to see the time. In an era where many watches of this design went with an LED quartz movement, the Amida Digitrend bucked those trends, and went mechanical. Although the brand went extinct in 1979, the watch would go on to inspire a certain brand and his friends to create their version of the watch, until its rebirth in 2024.

The modern day Amida of 2024 is headed up by enthusiast Matthieu Allegre, his partner Clement Meynier, and engineer Bruno Herbet. The story goes that one of Allegre’s friends acquired 40 Amida Digitrend watches at an auction, and when Allegre held one in his hands, it was love at first sight. The new 2024 Digitrend is machined out of 316L stainless steel, with slight improvements in its finishing and contours to give it a sleeker profile in line with modern manufacturing. The time display echoes the original, with its retro design, and the caseback is partially visible, with the “Take-Off Edition” featuring a view into the balance bridge, as well as a commemorative engraving. 

Housed within the futuristic case, is the Soprod Newton calibre, beating at 28,800 vibrations per hour, set with 23 jewels, and features 44 hours of power reserve.

The disc system is ingeniously designed, with only an additional 9 parts needed to convert the movement to display the time on discs. 

Pre-orders began on the 28th of May 2024, and Amida will determine how long the pre-order period will be on their website. October 2024 will see the first pieces being delivered, with plans to be stocked at physical retailers in the future, opening the door to collaborations with partners who will represent the brand at its best. The Amida Digitrend is a watch that shows the ingenuity of mechanical watchmaking, and is a piece that will start a conversation with the enthusiast and casual observer alike.

Technical Specifications:

Movement

Caliber: Soprod NEWTON P092, Swiss automatic mechanical winding 

Auxiliary module: Jumping hour disc developed in-house with 9 mechanical components and 6 screws

Jewels: 23 rubies

Frequency: 28,800 vph (4 Hz)

Power reserve: 44 hours

Thickness: Movement : 4.6mm, Auxiliary module: 2mm

Finishes: Côtes de Genève, sandblasted, circular-grained, skeletonized oscillating weight, rhodium-plated finishes

Indications: Dual discs, for hours and minutes, respectively (LRD – Light Reflective Display)

Case

Material: 316L stainless steel, satin-brushed and polished 

Dimensions: Width: 39.6 mm / Length: 39 mm / Height: 15.6 mm

Crystal: Sapphire crystal reflective prism

Water resistance: 5 ATM (50 meters)

Strap & Buckle: Charcoal Alcantara lined in orange calfskin

Lug width: 22mm, Stainless steel buckle, 18mm

Weight: 110 grams

Price: CHF 2’900.- (excluded VAT)

With a handful of watches in his collection, Pierre has always been intrigued by the mechanics of timepieces and so we made the arrangements with Sugi, founder of Red Army Watches to let Pierre get the first-taste of taking a mechanical watch apart, service the watch and put it back together. Let’s hear about his experience.

Isochrono: Why did you decide to join the watchmaking class conducted by Red Army Watches?

Pierre Png (Pierre): Timing is the key to everything in life!
This was a great opportunity for me to see and get to know the insides of my watches, so I seized it!
Also, my work doesn’t allow me to commit to any long-term or enrichment courses… this class was just for a day and in my opinion, a chance in a life time opportunity.

Isochrono: Have you always been interested in watches previously?

Pierre Png (Pierre): I’m intrigued by the mechanics of timepieces.
I remember my dad’s younger brother giving me my first mechanical watch when I was about eight years old? Unfortunately, that joy was short lived. I cycled around the kampung to celebrate and show off my watch, but hit a bump and fell off, landing on my new watch! The watch cracked and revealed the tiniest of mechanical parts I’ve ever seen!

Isochrono: Tell me about the most important watch that you own.

Pierre: There’re so many to talk about and hard to choose because there’re ALL very important to me… I’m sentimental about it. I love my Dive watches. My Seikos, IWC and recently acquired Xtreme-1 from Azimuth. My first Rolex was a Daytona that Andrea and I bought for each other when we got married. But if I have to choose, it’ll be this crazy journey I underwent to get my first Grand Seiko, the 3180.

Isochrono: Describe how the experience of taking apart a watch movement was for you.
Pierre: Unbelievable! I thought it was going to be a walk in the park. I love watching mechanics stripping and assembling my car during servicing. I’ve had my share of taking apart and putting together weapons I’ve handled in the Army. But this was a whole new world! The parts are even smaller than I last remembered when I was eight! I have newfound respect for the masters and makers of timepieces.

Isochrono: What are your main takeaways from the experience?

Pierre: I have a newfound respect for the people servicing our precious time pieces. I am now more familiar with the parts of my watch and am able to appreciate the movements found in every time piece.

Isochrono: Would you be keen to progress to more difficult watches, or have you decided that you will appreciate watchmaking as an enthusiast instead?

Pierre: I’ll probably stay as a novice enthusiast for the meantime.

Master The Basics Of Watchmaking – Level 1

Syllabus

• Using a timegrapher to determine a watch’s performance, understanding the concepts of rate, amplitude, beat xq and measurement parameters (beats per hour, lift angle, etc)
• Demagnetising a watch and your tools
• Opening up a watch
• Releasing the mainspring tension
• Dismantling the hands, dial and movement progressively
• Understanding how a watch works and troubleshooting issues
• Why each watch part is there and the function it serves
• Cleaning, pegging and inspection of individual components before assembly
• Inspecting and oiling of components during assembly
• Setting the dial and hands
• Regulating the watch using the timegrapher
• Q&A and class summary
  
  Points to note:

No prior experience is needed for this course
Please bring along a USB drive for this course

The appreciation of mechanical watchmaking is best promoted through education and opportunities, and this is what The Watch Academy is all about. More genre of classes shall be available soon at The Watch Academy. Visit the following page to enquire or find out more. Classes are open to the public and even to tourists!

THE WATCH ACADEMY BY RAW

https://www.redarmywatches.com/shop/the-watch-academy/academy

Today is the first day of the second edition of “Spring Sprang Sprung”, a watch fair for independent micro brands. Obviously the first one you had last year was successful enough that you considered doing it again. Tell me about what happened between the end of the last fair and now.

Basically the decision to do the second one was easy based on the results of the first one. For the first edition, a lot of brands were happy in terms of the crowd turnout and of course the number of sales that they did as well. They also like the fact that it has a casual feel, unlike most watch fairs that have a more formal setup.

We made that decision within a month of the last fair to do the second one. But of course, in terms of the venue, structure and format, it’s something that took us a while as well to decide what to do.

This May and June, we started to become active in recruiting brands, reaching out to the previous exhibitors and asking them whether they were interested to come back, and of course approaching new brands as well.

I noticed that you have a mainsteam Swiss brand like Oris participating, which is a big difference. What else have you improved? 

So we learned from the Wind Up watch fair in New York and San Francisco that there were a number of bigger brands like Oris who would be interested to participate, and so we reached out to them to ask if they are keen to be part of it.

I happen to be one of their retailers in Singapore so we already have a good relationship. Within a few days we received positive confirmation, which is understandable because the nature of the fair is aligned with their brand approach. They want to engage the local watch community,  and so we are happy to have them here. 

In terms of format, this year we have additional panel discussions. Last year we had two, and this year we will have three. We have incorporated workshops as well which we did not have last year.  

What kind of workshops? 

We have enamelling, basic watchmaking as well as leather crafting workshops, and they are all done on site over the course of the fair.  

So give me some numbers. Last year how many brands did you have and this year how many? 

Last year we had 24 exhibiting brands who have all returned except one, and some new ones as well, making a total of 32 watch brands. We also have three leather straps brands, and one safe storage provider. So in total we have 36 exhibitors this year. 

How was the attendance last year?

Last year we had 700 registrations before the show. So we’re talking about the early birds. And then over the three days of the fair, we counted about 1,002 attendees in total. This year, the number of early bird registrations was almost 800, and we are expecting more. to attend.  

One of the interesting things about this week is that there’s also another fair happening at the same time, which is the Singapore Watch Fair at Sentosa, which caters to a different kind of buying demographic. So how do you see Spring Sprang Sprung in terms of a greater ecosystem of watch fairs in Singapore?

I envision that multiple fairs happening in a week is a great example of how the entire ecosystem of activities can come together and be branded as a new kind of Singapore Watch Week.

I don’t know whether it’s a coincidence that there are so many watch related activities happening this week but if a more concerted effort by all the parties involved can come together, that would be great. We could have activities that would cater to all types of watch enthusiasts, from the high end, to the affordable and everything else in between. 

Perhaps it might be good to have the Singapore Tourism Board involved in something like this. They do support initiatives such as this, right?

Yes, they do. And they have actually encouraged us to apply for a grant for future editions. Of course, there are quite a list of requirements that would have to be met, and the key one is how the fair or fairs can attract visitors from the region and around the world. 

So far, like today, we’ve been open only two hours, but I have already met quite a few foreign visitors already, from Thailand, Indonesia and China. So that’s a good sign. 

Do you think that Spring Sprang Sprung is something that you can do long term? Is it a viable concept? 

Yes, I do believe that as long as the community is interested. We are definitely looking forward to the future, pushing what we do to a bigger scale, with more brands participating, more visitors and also more activities.

Let’s look into the future then.  What’s your vision for Spring Sprang Sprung? 

As I said before, I would like to have Spring Sprang Sprung be part of a bigger ecosystem of watch fairs in Singapore. It would be nice if everyone exhibits in one big venue with multiple halls, where everything is centrally located. It would be good to have individual halls segmented by their genre. Perhaps we can be in one hall, then maybe the higher end independent labels in other, another hall for talks and workshops, and maybe a space for vintage watches and vintage watch dealers.

So something like a Baselworld for Singapore? 

Yes, something like that, but a little bit more. Baselworld was a fair that was more dedicated to the watch trade than for the final consumer. I think what a Singapore version should aim to be is more consumer centric. 

I think it’s important as well to have a regional focus as well, with the fair acting as a hub for watch retailers, media and consumers from around Asia.

Thank you Sugiharto. 

—–

Visit Spring Sprang Sprung at:

XM Studios – 809 French Road, Kitchener Complex, Level 3 XM Store,  Singapore 200809

On from the 20th to the 22nd of October, 11am to 6pm

The Team 

For the ART01, the team is led by Didier Bretin, a name that may or may not be familiar to followers of Greubel Forsey. The watchmaker-constructor of the Signature 1, his unique experience in engineering movements as well as incorporating the technical and visual codes of the brand into a watch gave him the right to lead the charge on Artime’s first watch that will set the tone of creations to come. He also comes with watchmaking experience from Philippe Dufour, and Audemars Piguet – brands renowned for their finishing and respect for traditional 

The rest of the team comprises former high-ranking AP Renaud & Papi watchmaking alumni, Stephane Maturel and Manuel Thomas, as well as Audemars Piguet alumni Claude Emenegger and Fabrice Deschanel who have been Creative Director and a board member of the company respectively. Rounding out the team is Emmanuel Jutier who is their sales and marketing specialist, cutting his teeth at the Swatch Group, FP Journe and at Greubel Forsey. 

The six members of Artime have been quietly working behind the scenes of watch brands, and with their powers combined, aim to bring a collegial nature to watchmaking, and to apply watchmaking art practically.

The Watch, and The Manifesto – ART01

The goal of the ART01 is to serve as the foundation of the Artime brand with the desires of freedom and inventiveness being the overall guiding principles behind every Artime watch. It seems that each Artime watch will be unique in its design and expression.

The ART01 is a watch defined by skeletonisation and openworking, with a case that alternates between transparent sapphire crystal and a titanium case middle that incorporates the lugs. The movement is crafted out of white gold that has a one-minute tourbillon located at 6 o’clock, and its skeletonisation enables an educational view of the watch, and how the power from the mainspring flows to the regulator. The bridges are also ever-so-slightly arched, with bases cut like blocks to give the sense of a solid, interlocking structure, whilst maintaining the flowing curved lines.

From a technical perspective, the tourbillon is particularly of interest, with its double-balance spring arrangement. There are a number of theoretical advantages to a double-balance spring: improved moment of inertia, more regular concentric breathing of the balance spring and less stress on the pivots – all of which lead to better precision of the movement. The movement comprises 261 components, with a power reserve of 80 hours, and beating at a frequency of 3Hz. With a number of ex-APRP personnel, it would only make sense that their design sensibilities carried over – in particular, the movement mode selector housed within the crown, with its distinctive Wind (R), Neutral (N) or Time Setting (H) indicator located at 3 o’clock.

The ART01 is the harbinger of things to come out of this dynamic team – this group of people are individuals who have contributed to great watches behind the scenes, but with their talents now fully focused on their own creations and styles, we can truly see the creativity that they have to offer. With this team behind Artime, the brand seems poised to take on the independent watch world, to show what is possible with a strong team of creatives behind a driving force of pushing the boundaries of what is possible technically and aesthetically.

Technical Specifications

ART01

Limited edition of 20 pieces only (in titanium) 

Recommended retail price: CHF 195,000 (excluding VAT)

Dimensions: Diameter 42 mm, height 11.4 mm

Movement: Hand-wound mechanical movement

  White gold bridges and wheels 

Components: 261

Jewels: 25

Semi-brilliant rubies and gold chatons 

Display/functions: Central hours and minutes

Small seconds on the tourbillon cage

Tourbillon

Function selector

Tourbillon: Three-dimensional architecture developed in-house, pillarless, hand-chamfered and decorated (patent pending)

Function selector: Satellite-type, with column wheel and coaxial pinions

Settings: N = neutral; R = remontage (winding), H = heure (setting the time)

Barrel: Barrel with slip springs, hand-chamfered and decorated

Power reserve: 80 hours

Balance: In-house design, variable inertia with regulating screws

Spring: Flat, opposite-facing double spring system by Precision Engineering AG

Frequency: 21,600 vph (3Hz)

Escapement: Right-angle lever escapement, gold escapement wheel

Movement component decorations

A ballet of decorations: straight-grained inner and outer flanks, sandblasted inner and outer flanks, circular-grained or satin-brushed top and bottom faces, polished chamfers, polished countersinks, mirror polishes

Case: Titanium with integrated sapphire case middle

Proprietary 360° panoramic view system (patent pending)

Bezel: Stainless steel, polished bevel, hand-chamfered, satin-brushed top and bottom faces, sapphire crystal

Case back: Titanium with sapphire crystal

Crown: Titanium with pusher to select watch functions

Water resistance: 3 ATM (30 meters, 100 feet)

Hands: Hand-decorated with luminescent Hyceram® ceramic (white by day/blue by night)

Hour track: Luminescent Hyceram® ceramic minute track inlaid in the sapphire crystal

Strap: Black grained calfskin, saddle stitching

Round black hour markers with luminescent Hyceram® ceramic centers

Clasp: Deployant clasp with secure comfort extension

Titanium, hand-chamfered and decorated

Isochrono: Welcome to Singapore. Can you tell us about this particular visit: what is it about and what’s in store for you here? 

RR: I think it’s really important to meet the people who support us, I come here because its one of the most important markets. Honestly it’s always a pleasure to see how much the people appreciate watches here. And I’m always impressed. I’m impressed by the knowledge and their appreciation of watches.

Isochrono: I remember in an interview, that Michael Tay was one of the key people to encourage you to strike out on your own. Tell us more about that moment, and your very first thought?

RR: It’s very funny you know in 2017 when we started to know Michael, he’s one of the guys who tell me I really should. Before that many people already tell me you should start your own watch, and sign by yourself. Because you did it, so you really have to.  I was not totally convinced at that moment. I don’t feel comfortable enough putting my name. I was saying to myself, who are you to put your name on a watch. Doesn’t make sense for me at that moment. 

And yeah, Michael was one of the guys who finally showed me that the most important watchmakers would sign their name on the watch. And I should also do that. Finally I did. It’s a really good choice. It was a really good choice. So I’ll always remember this.

Isochrono: Ok you have said that participating in Only Watch, is part of giving back to the watch world.

RR: I think it’s more of giving back to those that you can support at this time you know. I remember in my life I feel very lucky, because I have everything. I was born in a country that was in a different situation . I was born in 1987, but I left there in 1998. It was tough, many things happened. Whatever the situation, whatever the cost , if I can give back, it’s important to give back. So I’m really happy and proud to participate in this. I have been fortunate. I have been able to live in peace and practice watchmaking.

Isochrono: Can u tell us about the challenges of making ur own brand

RR: One of the major struggles was when I launched, I came with a design that was different, and I came to realise that watchmaking is quiet, not so open I would say. We want things quite traditional; we want to change things a little but not that much; quite conservative.

And I remember this was a struggle. People could not really understand what I was doing with the design. And I had to be very passionate to move on.  I will always remember for the first 3 years, it was catastrophic. It was not like today. Today I feel I learnt something and not only for me. For everyone. U learnt that u can find people that appreciate your watch. At this moment, I’ll tell you when I look back at these watches, I’m not sure if I’ll do the exact same thing today, but it was a good watch 12 years ago!

Isochrono: Briefly tell us about your time with Patek and FP Journe – what specific aspects did you like and apply towards your own watches/ running a company etc?

RR: I think everything. Everything because it was like a parent that educated and grow you . It was my education. You want or not, when you spend some time there doing your apprenticeship, you have some of the branding from them. You can’t say this is not me. I would say a lot of the base, I learned there. For F.P. Journe, I say it’s the same. I have always been respectful of what he did. I was looking with my eyes wide open u know, and I remember when he finally accepted I could work with him, it was very important to me. I went there with big motivation. I don’t want to lose any opportunity there. I’ll grab opportunities. Because I respect him and what he does.

Isochrono: So u have improved upon the RRCC1 and RRCC2 with deadbeat seconds. Tell us about this improvement.

RR:  I really appreciate that people appreciate it. The deadbeat seconds and also our evolution we did in many many steps; like the decorative dial to case. Now we are doing the case in-house, all these are another job u know, which need a lot of attention, lots of work, more work to get it done. I really appreciate that people see our differences.

This watch. I originally intended to do 200 pcs of the first one but in the end, I stopped at 50. Because I feel that I’m not the kind of guy that keeps following something, and just wants to do something that is repeated. I want to challenge myself, and since I started, it was really important to do some other projects. Different calibre. And this is why I want to challenge myself to do this watch, and I think that we can see an evolution. We all learnt something.

Isochrono: How did you convince Jean Pierre Hagman to work with you?
It’s obviously a great collaboration! Are you both inspiring each other to new heights? How has he influenced or affected you, vice versa?

RR: So, I’m very lucky. I didn’t have to do that much. I remember after 3 hours of discussion when he visited me, we spent some time together and he saw and accepted what we wanted to do, so quite quickly he joined. 

In Akrivia, everybody who works there follows the same rule. I want things to follow my dream and my ideas.

Isochrono: So you’re still the principle in the partnership.

Unfortunately yes but then again I think he inspires me. When you look at the case, you can see it’s hand-made and for sure today, we are using the same technique that he uses. So the growth is quite big. The overall DNA of the watch is in a way from him. It is very inspiring.

Isochrono: Looking towards the future – can you reveal what is next for you? As a watchmaker, and your plans for the Atelier . For yourself first.

RR: I really want to challenge myself again. Maybe a chronograph. I already thought about everything. It’s already done.

Isochrono: What about Akrivia as a company?

RR: I just want to have more skill in-house. It’s like you are going to cook, and you have more ingredients to experiment with more things, and I want to keep experimenting. So I want to have more tools to be able to make a better watch. 

Isochrono: So, what do you do when you are not working?

RR: I don’t really have a life, you know. The only thing I am doing is watchmaking and sometimes I do some sports. Boxing.

Isochrono: Cool.

RR: Yes it’s really good and fun. I go 2-3 times a week. Got to maintain myself, keep in shape. So that when I come to Singapore I can eat more.

Isochrono: That sure makes sense! Thank you for this interview and hope to see you soon!

Gerald: Hi Dean. Welcome to Singapore. We were just chatting about how Singapore is a new experience for you. What’s been your experience so far taking Norqain around the world?

Dean Schneider (DS): It was a great experience, a big adventure. Still, a long journey ahead of us, I think. It started two and a half years ago. It was actually absolutely not planned. As many people know, up until today, Norqain is my only real brand deal, collaboration, and partnership that I do. It was not planned because it is very tough for someone who wants to stick to his values and his mission in all possible ways – to collaborate with big brands who have budgets to finance such a collaboration – and still continue to stick to those values.

However, my association with Norqain came very naturally. It was suggested by a friend. I said a couple of times, “No, I’m not interested in the watch industry or the luxury industry” Then the friend said, “Listen, it’s much more than just a watch brand. It has a mission to it. It has a message to it. It has a higher purpose in general. So why don’t you just sit down with the CEO who would love to meet you and just have a casual chat and see where it leads to”.

I was anyways in Switzerland so I thought, okay, let’s do that. So we sat down, we chatted for about half an hour and it was an immediate match! We’re friends today as well. So it’s much more than just a partnership or a collaboration. The values are fully aligned. His values are the same as mine. He just practices them in the watch industry and I practice them in the animal conservation industry. And this is why I think that was such a good match.

And that’s when everything started. Up till today, if you ask me, like, how do you experience that whole collaboration thing, I don’t even look at it as a collaboration. We have never really had a real business chat or business talk. We don’t talk a lot of numbers either. It’s just, “You support me, I support you. Wherever I can help you, we will help. Wherever you can support Norqain, you will help”. And that’s how it has been for the past two and a half years and I hope it will remain that way because I love this way much more than the official traditional business, finance, contractual way.

Until the majority of the public started realiizing that by only being with the animals and at the same time creating cool, entertaining content, can all this be financed. So you need an income source.  Norqain has become an essential income source of Hakuna Mipaka and the entire mission.

I think people slowly but surely understand that as well – which makes me happy obviously because often we live in a dream world where our dream scenarios don’t align or match the reality.

Gerald: Tell us about the work you are doing with animal welfare and conservation

DS: Okay, so if you talk generally about conservation, you know, in my world there is like two different chapters. One is animal welfare and the other one is animal conservation and nature conservation.

The welfare part is just doing something for the benefit of an animal, whether it’s in captivity or it is in the wild. Conservation has nothing to do with captive animals. Like helping any animals in captivity, a herd animal or a domesticated animal has nothing to do with nature conservation.

So if we want to look at the global scale of conservation, global warming, species getting extinct, deforestation and all these things, my personal take is very  straightforward : I think it’s something you cannot stop, but you can delay the onset of such effects. Let me try to explain it thus.

The world and humanity will get extinct. Like most of the species will be extinct eventually. In fact, I believe nature will survive. Yeah. It has survived already so many times.

Let’s talk about the world, our planet. All the species, dinosaurs for example, will eventually become extinct. Humans included. However, “nature” will survive. It will recover, it will create a new system for itself. This is a fact and I think no matter what we humans do, it will not change this fact.

What we can do is to minimize the current harm which we cause our planet, so that a couple of more generations might be able to see the beauty of what we call “beautiful nature”.

You know what I mean? Eventually people will have to get used to having less of the nature world; people will forget about certain species…. it’s sad for us, for our reality now. It’s going to be normal reality going forward, for the next 10 generations.

So I think it is very essential to put efforts in protecting nature and in minimizing our negative impact.  We will not be able to stop it, which I think is just a reality which we need to be aware of. This needs a lot of resources. Yes. A lot of effort, a lot of resources.

Gerald: How has your association with Norqain specifically help in some of the projects that you’re working with?

DS: So I think there are two main ways.  First of all funds. Animal Welfare and Conservation is a field that always needs funding – it cannot by definition be a profit making endeavour.

A brand like Norqain can contribute to nature conservation by funding great projects and letting some funds flow into what gives back to our planet. This helps spread the message about having the right values towards conservation; and helps to create a community who is aware of animal cruelty.  This message can come through their products. For example the Wild One watch and all future watches will be 100% free of animal products That’s already one step into the right direction.

Gerald: This was something that you initiated, right?

DS: Yeah, I think pretty much. I think Norqain already wanted to have that uniqueness and do something positive, When they invited me to the table, I had one request: “There should not be any animal products.” Norqain took a calculated risk financially to institute this.

It changed the whole system, obviously. I think it’s a great success for me and Hakuna Mipaka as well, because we had an influence on a brand who hopefully will be a big world brand. Who will in turn be a great example for all other brands who still do unsustainable things, who still have products consisting of animal products, of animal materials.

And yeah, I think it’s a circle.

Gerald: Lets talk about the Wild One, what are your thoughts about how it turned out?

DS: Phenomenal. Like, I think it’s literally… I haven’t been long or big in the watch industry, like, or, you know, I haven’t had a lot of watches before.

You can just wear it and you don’t have to think about that there is anything that you harmed, anything on this, whether animal, nor plants, etc.
It’s sustainably sourced, it does not consist of any animal products, you can just wear it, like without any moral compromises.

On the other side, to have this type of quality, I mean, I’m literally wearing it every day, and it works, it’s shock resistant, you can, I wear it when I go under the shower, and it’s clean afterwards again.
The strap is like the rubber strap, it is fully vegan, it’s practical, not too heavy, it’s light, ultra robust because the NORTEQ material is so hardy that it an take a fall or beating without damage being inflicted. I love it. Not just because of my association with it – I am a user of it at the end of the day.

Gerald: Fantastic. Yes, this is a very unique collaboration. Do you see yourself as a someone who works differently (in a better way) with a luxury brand?

DS: Yeah, this kind of hooking up with this luxury world. From the world of nature and animal conservation is unusual – I think that’s why people like you are so important. Media can broadcast the  message further allows us to have a voice and to be an example for other potential collaborations.

What Norqain strives to have with each and every ambassador is a game changer basically. I truly believe that in the course of not one or two years, but in maybe five or ten years we can truly make a change like that. That even other ambassadors, high end ambassadors, celebrities, think before they create a deal. To think, okay, I’ll do the deal with you guys, but what’s the message behind it? What do I stand for? That this is a requirement for an actual deal. And it’s not just about the money which comes in. Its about what impact the collaboration has on the world.

Isochrono: With regards to Maurice Lacroix, I (Adi Soon; AS) personally prefer the watches from the Masterpiece collection –  I own four afterall. So tell me, with all the emphasis these past few years on the Aikon collection, has Maurice Lacroix forgotten the fans of the Masterpiece watches?

SW: I don’t know if you are aware of this, but for Only Watch this year,  we have a very nice sapphire cased Masterpiece watch based on the Gravity, which you like, but this time with a skeletonised movement. Obviously when brands do something special for Only Watch, some version of what is shown, in some form, will become available in the future, especially if the concept is accepted by watch enthusiasts. For this year, other than that, we will have a Masterpiece that is part of a very nice collaboration towards the end of the year. 

Also something else to take note of, the 50th anniversary of Maurice Lacroix is coming up in 2025, so we will be planning to showcase some fresh new movement developments which we have already been working on. As you know, movements take a minimum of three to five years to develop.

AS: Are there any general directions you will be taking with these new Masterpiece watches that you can share?

SW: Well, one feedback that has come up quite a few times is that the base movement on the Masterpiece watches is quite big, especially for our friends from Asia, resulting in watches that range from 43 to 45mm in width. This limits the number of people who can wear these watches. For the next generation of movement development, we’ve been working on sizing things down, bringing our Masterpiece line towards smaller case sizes. The sweet spot is probably around 40 to 41mm. 

Other than that, more interesting complications, like we always do with the Masterpiece line.

AS: So you’re not ignoring us then – the Masterpiece lovers? 

SW: Not at all. There are many things we can do, but we continue intelligently, and step by step. The Aikon collection has been very successful for us and we will continue to develop it and make it grow. And of course, recently with the launch of the Pontos S Diver, we kind of rediscovered another icon, with fans of the previous model, loving the improvements in the latest version. All these activities are important since with this stable base, we can invest in our Masterpiece developments. 

AS: As you know, Baselworld doesn’t exist anymore, and the two main watch shows that exist, Watches and Wonders, and Geneva Watch Days, are both in Geneva. Maurice Lacroix has been doing something very interesting in recent years that is different from everyone else – which is to take over the entire East West Hotel in Geneva.

It’s an utterly unique concept since you have everything you need in one place – meeting rooms, product showcase rooms, a restaurant and cafe, and even accommodation for yourself, your staff and your retailers. 

SW: In the beginning, we were not sure if this would work. But I have to say that, after the past few years here, we have definitely found something unique.

We call it the “House of Maurice Lacroix”, and the ambience of this particular hotel absolutely represents how our brand behaves and what we want to be. There’a a kind of casual, relaxed vibe, coupled with top notch service, and this is the kind of hospitality that we want to offer to the press and retailers who come to see us. If you’ve seen our boutique in Bangkok, you’ll understand the kind of environment that we’re going for. 

With the demographics of our customers, we find this hotel to be the best way to communicate our brand to those that we see. We could have been part of the main fair, in a big hall of very high end luxury brands, or we could have situated ourselves in a very posh and chic five star hotel like the Beau Rivage, but ultimately these options didn’t make sense for who we are, as a brand. 

AS: One of the things I’ve really enjoyed, since staying here thanks to your kind invitation, is the sense of camaraderie between everyone who is here, retailers, your staff, and other press, can have in the evenings, when we can all forget about work for some time, and just socialize as human beings. It’s a very nice concept, so congratulations for that. 

SW: Thank you. So far, it’s worked out well and we can definitely see ourselves continuing this format for the foreseeable future.

AS: The new Aikon Urban Tribe Skeleton is the second edition of the engraved case and bracelet concept that started with the first Aikon Urban Tribe watch. Can you explain to me from your point of view, why the first edition was so well received?

SW: First of all, how we stumbled upon this idea was a complete coincidence. There is a Hungarian artist who is a professional engraver with his own engraving workshop, who decided to engrave his own Aikon watch, and posted a picture of the result on Instagram.

When we saw it, we thought that it was so cool and that we had to bring it to more people. His watch had a more flowery and roundish design, but because Maurice Lacroix is a modern brand, we developed a design that’s a bit more square and symmetrical, and something inspired by architecture. 

With our initial prototype, we liked it, but we were not sure what other people would think. When we started showing it around, the response was overwhelmingly positive, and so we decided initially to do 100 pieces. But surprisingly, as we showed more and more people, the interest just kept on increasing. In the end we decided to make a limited edition run of 500 pieces. 

Given how we started this journey, we were shocked that all the 500 pieces sold out quickly.

Why was it so well received? Well, I think that the design was exceptional, and the idea was cool and different. That’s probably why.

AS: So this new version that you’re showing at Geneva Watch Days is the second edition, what did you decide to do differently with this one? 

SW: Despite the success of the first edition, one of the feedback we received was that it was too big, so now the second edition of the Aikon Urban Tribe comes in a smaller 39mm case, which I think will be comfortable for more people. 

The second most obvious difference is that the dial in the new version is skeletonized, as opposed to the Clou de Paris pattern on the dial of the first one. I think the skeletonized dial fits better with the whole concept of the watch, because the bridges are also skeletonized, with the lines that you can see reminding you of the design on the case.

We’ll of course bring something new in the future along these lines, and it will be even more exciting. I’m really curious to see how the response will be on the next one since I already know what it looks like, and I think it’s going to be fantastic.

AS: So how do you produce the engraving?

SW: Of course the original piece was hand-engraved, and we asked the artist if he could produce 500 watches for us. That was a bit of an issue it turns out as it takes two weeks to engrave each watch. 

So we had to find an alternative solution with our suppliers, and settled on a chemical engraving process that we used for the final product. The interesting thing about chemical engraving compared to laser engraving is that the quality is much better. The designs have more definition. If you compare the results from both side by side, you’ll see the obvious difference in quality.

AS: Finally, regarding sustainability, you’ve introduced a new camouflage pattern to a series of four new Tide watches. So, camouflage plus sustainability – explain.

SW: When we launched the Tide collection, we did 10 color variants that we thought would largely remain in the collection, and that we could upgrade slowly over time. What we realized though, was that, with Tide being a much younger product, and with lower pricing compared to the classical mechanical steel watches, we had to be a bit more dynamic in our approach. 

Why camouflage then? Well, it’s trendy now, and something that the audience of the Tide collection would resonate with. In terms of the colors we chose, we decided to take a “fashion” approach. If you look at the first Tide collection, you’ll realize that the bright colors tend to have a more spring/summer kind of vibe.

The new camouflage watches however have a more fall/winter kind of vibe.

Of course, we’re not gonna be as strict or as productive as the fashion industry, bringing new colors every quarter, but we will certainly bring new and surprising models two, three times a year, including new collaborations, which work great with the Tide watches.

Independent watchmaking has never been hotter – and what a time it is to see so many flourish! Amongst watch enthusiasts, there is a certain “je ne sais quoi” about independent watchmaking and why enthusiasts love it so – it could be that the creator’s vision for their watch is purely their own, that labour and skill is more easily visualised because the team is so front-and-centre, or where their background influences the creation of the watch. Whatever it may be, to understand independent watchmaking is to delve into the machinations of the mind of the creators and to understand their worldview of horology. Sylvain Pinaud is one such watchmaker who’s watches are a reflection of the man himself, and in collaboration with Massena Lab, has created a new version of the Chronograph Monopoussoir, a watch lauded for its technicality, in more classical guise.

Sylvain Pinaud is a name in independent watchmaking that people should be following very closely. French by birth, he attended watchmaking school in Morteau, and after a brief sabbatical travelling South-East Asia, he landed himself a role at Franck Muller where he would rotate between workshops for complications, before landing in a position in after-sales service. He would later find himself working for Carl F. Bucherer, developing prototypes of new complications, before striking it out on his own. Before his time at Carl F. Bucherer, he worked for a clock restorer that was connected to THA (Techniques Horlogeres Appliquees) – the very same THA with Vianney Halter as one of the key founders. Through Pinaud’s excellent work producing exceptional timepieces, Vianney Halter recommended him to join the AHCI (Academie Horlogere des Createurs Independants), where Pinaud is now a candidate for membership. 

Pinaud’s achievements in watchmaking should be more than enough to qualify him for membership into the AHCI – in 2022, he would win the Horological Revelation prize at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie Geneve (GPHG) for his Origine watch, and in 2019 would be the Laureate of the Meilleurs Ouvriers de France (MOF) for the original version of the Chronograph Monopoussoir. For context, the MOF celebrates the best craftspeople in different categories, most famously for culinary skills (think of the prodigious chefs like Joel Robouchon and Paul Bocuse), but encompasses other categories such as precision techniques, which watchmaking comes under. With all of these achievements, it’s no wonder this up-and-coming watchmaker caught the eye of William Massena of Massena Lab – what originally meant to be a personal commission, has garnered enough attention to be turned into a 10 piece limited edition run.

The Massena Lab version of the Chronograph Monopoussoir is styled to be more classical in its appearance whilst still retaining some of the characteristics that made this watch unique. Classical style meant a more conventional case design with a round shape, with lugs (in comparison to the original Chronograph Monopoussoir that featured a more futuristic style with hidden lugs).

However, the character of the original watch is preserved, with a sapphire crystal caseband that enables viewing of the movement’s three-dimensional architecture. Measuring in at 42mm in diameter and 11mm thick, the rest of the watch is crafted from titanium, and also features a sapphire crystal caseback giving a great view of the frosted bridges and the slow beating balance wheel oscillating at 18,000 vibrations per hour. 

On the dial side, the watch features the hours and minutes at 12 o’clock, running seconds at 8 o’clock, and a 45 minute counter for the chronograph at 4 o’clock, taking inspiration from vintage marine chronometers. The dial in particular is made by Comblemine, the dial factory of none other than Kari Voutilainen. The lower half of the dial is made to exhibit the amazing steel levers of the chronograph that have been expertly straight-grained and bevelled, as well as the countersunk jewels. Hands associated with timekeeping are kept in the natural colour of steel, whereas indications associated with the chronograph have blued hands so that they are easily distinguished. 

Movement-wise, as the name suggests, is the column wheel controlled monopusher chronograph movement that gave Sylvain Pinaud his fame, beating at 2.5Hz, with a 45 hour power reserve, and a chronograph actuated by the pusher set into the crown. All of the haute horlogerie finishes can be observed from all angles, including sharp internal angles for all chamfers, straight graining of all steel parts, and countersunk jewel slots. The watch is delivered on an aged calf leather strap that has been specially made for Massena Lab by Jean Rousseau.

Sylvain Pinaud has only been on the scene as an independent watchmaker for a short time of four years, but he has managed to win two prestigious awards for his craft, and is on his way to being the one to watch in the coming years. It seemed like fate that William Massena and Massena Lab spotted his craft – but like we mentioned earlier, independent watchmaking is labour intensive, with this piece limited to three pieces per year by production and limited to ten in total. Through this version of the Chronograph Monopoussoir, we at ISOCHRONO believe that his appeal has only widened, bringing a greater audience to his works that will hopefully inspire more unbridled creativity from him in the years to come.

Technical Specifications

Chronograph Monopoussoir Sylvain Pinaud x Massena LAB

Movement:
Manual-winding, single pusher column-wheel chronograph with horizontal clutch. 18,000 half oscillations per hour (2.5 Hz).

Functions: Hours, minutes, small seconds, monopusher chronograph with 45-minute counter.

Case: Titanium. Polished bezel with grained lugs for visual contrast. Sapphire crystal window panels on the sides of its titanium case, allow for the dial to be viewed from additional angles.

Dial: A fusion of modern design with vintage aesthetics inspired by marine chronometers. Hand-finished chronograph mechanism is left exposed and can be admired by the wearer.

Crystal: Sapphire crystal. Exhibition caseback also in sapphire crystal.

Bracelet: Aged calfskin, made in France by Jean Rousseau Paris for Massena LAB.

Price: CHF 130,000

The collection was a hit, especially the white ceramic “Lake Tahoe” and the sand-coloured “Mojave Desert”. Are the Oceana and Jet Black ceramic models something novel? Let’s find out.

Ready For Action

Retaining most of the original Pilot Chronograph 41 introduced in 2021 and the TOP GUN Edition of 2022, the 2023 edition features a 41mm case in classic Flieger style, with a lug-to-lug distance of 51.8mm, ready for any type of strap that shouts ruggedness. Instead of steel, you get a Pilot Chronograph 41 in ceramics, complemented with pushers in brushed titanium, a good contrast that doesn’t sacrifice harmony, largely due to the consistent matte finishing across the watch. The pushers are not screwed down like the crown but still offers a decent 100m water resistance, helpful if ever you have to ditch your jet somewhere out at sea and hang on for the rescue bird.

The dial has a granular texture that offers a subtle contrast from the case. This looks great and totally apt for a military-themed watch as compared to a dressier sun-burst dial found on the 2021 model. Time is marked by generously-lumed and pronounced Arabic numerals, accompanied by the oversized triangular index flanked by two dots at 12 o’clock, honouring hallmarks of a Flieger. I like the attention to details, exhibited through the day and date disc that matches colour with the dial, and on the chronograph second hand where the lume starts only from the pivot onwards, excluding the tail. Clarity of information matters in flight, especially when the pilot vision is affected at times of high-G manoeuvres.

The Pilot Chronograph 41 is powered by an IWC-manufactured calibre 69380 column wheel chronograph (not cam) with 46 hours of power reserve and beats at 28,800 vibrations per hour. 

Take My Breath Away

When the “Jet Black” and “Oceana” Pilot Chronograph 41 TOP GUN was introduced, I thought its just another colour & size variation based on a successful formula launched last year. It isn’t wrong to say that it is really about colours and size. But once the blinds were raised and I saw the blue for the blue it is, I was sold. It was a “you had me at hello” moment. (The Jet Black didn’t make me gasp for air but I’m certain it will find its way to collectors who are all about being tactical).

The “Oceana” is inspired by the U.S. Navy’s blue overalls, which is a very unique tone of blue that is distinctively IWC’s. It is contemporary-chic but subdued enough to still be taken seriously. Combined with the inherently smooth and monochromatic look of ceramic, the watch exudes a certain luxury despite being a tool watch at its core. It wears comfortably on the wrist in a fashionable yet grounded style. This is what Mavericks of the real world wear while playing beach volleyball without the need to shout-out “I’m a fast jet pilot”. 

The rubber strap in blue is a continuation from the dial with denim textile inlay. I didn’t really enjoy the denim texture on the strap at first but somehow it grew on me. Anyway, what other colour do you surmise will match the blue tone? The Pilot Chronograph 41 TOP GUN Edition has certainly breathed new life into IWC’s stable of pilot watches nonetheless.

Dogfighting

Let’s square it out. Technically, the TOP GUN collection is irrefutably based on a steel model launched a few years back and this is not the first time IWC produces a watch in coloured ceramics. Ceramics and IWC goes all the way back to 1986; which makes a worthy article for another time. However, the 2 watches in ceramics featured here “Oceana” and “Jet Black” colours are uniquely a first for IWC or in-fact the world, since it is a colour code specially concocted with Pantone for IWC.

What we should appreciate is the manufacturing process, which involves multiple trials by experienced hands to achieve ceramic in a particular colour. Zirconium oxide is combined with metallic oxides to give the ceramic its color. Achieving each color requires a set parameters of different raw materials, a distinct mixing ratio, temperature and exact duration of sintering.

We just need to like (or dislike) it for what it is, and in this case a colour that is unique to IWC, a proprietary material that is enduring and light, and the TOP GUN branding that appeals to aviation enthusiasts and fans of the movie.

You Can Be My Wingman Anytime

If you are not an aviation enthusiast or a fan of the movie, the colour and material edge that the TOP GUN edition offers is a pretty good proposition given that the watch can be your wingman on a first date to the movies, a night out to the club with your homies or on an adventure trip to experience the Nevada falls. 

Tom Cruise might not have worn an IWC in the TOP GUN sequel, but IWC’s partnership with the legendary Navy Fighter Weapon School (TOPGUN) is as real as it gets. IWC is now the official watch brand to create watches for the entire U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, collaborating and producing Squadron watches available only to current and former members of the unit. Each watch is engraved with the pilot’s name and call sign. How cool is that? 

The Squadron Watches are not available for sales, but it is this knowledge that certain things exists and yet, only accessible to a qualified handfull, makes an object desirable and collectible. It would be just as cool to get a version without another person’s name and callsign. Just like any collecting hobbies, the impulse and fixation on accumulating objects in a certain order can be very satisfying. So for the aviation enthusiasts, a pilot watch with cognitive and visual association with TOPGUN, Fighter Town, F14s, F18s and A4 Skyhawks is going to be something collectible.

Perhaps, what IWC could have done better, is to expand its narrative on how in-depth the collaboration with the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps really is. Finally, if IWC is reading this, it would be really cool to add colours of the “Aggressor Squadron” into the TOP GUN edition and conclude this line with a limited TOP GUN anniversary box comprising all colours of this edition. 

Technical Specifications

IWC Pilot Watch Chronograph 41 Top Gun Oceana & Jet Black

Collection: Pilot’s Watch

Case Shape: Round

Case length (mm): 41.9

Thickness (mm): 15.5

Case Material: Ceramic

Crystal: Convex Sapphire Glass; Anti-reflective coating on both sides

Caseback: Screwed-down Titanium Caseback

Dial: 3 snailed sub-dials; small hacking seconds at 6 o’clock, 12-hour counter at 9 o’clock, 30-min counter at 12 o’clock. Day, Date display at 3 o’clock;

Hands & Indexes:
Dagger hands with Super-LumiNova and Super-LumiNova Arabic numeral hour markers

Functions: Small Hacking Seconds, Day and Date, Chronograph

Movement:
Automatic Calibre 69380
46 hours Power Reserve
Frequency 28,800 VPH (4 Hz)
33 Jewels

Water Resistance: 10 bar, Screw-down Crown

Strap/Bracelet:
Matching blue rubber strap with denim-style textile inlay or black rubber strap with EasX-CHANGE system

Isochrono: Marco, glad to be able to sit down and have a chat. You look really cheery. What’s going on at Singer recently?

Marco Borraccino (Marco): Things are great. Our new watches, the 1969 Chronograph and Timer that has received very good feedback and we were just told that our new Singer 1969 Chrono has been nominated for the GPHG 2023 prize for Chronograph.

Isochrono: Congratulations! That is great news. We wish you success with this year’s entry. Can you tell us more about the 1969 Chronograph and Timer?

Marco: We were already working on a new dimension for Singer’s new watches in 2022, and the plan was to present them in June this year (2023). The 1969 series comes in a 40mm case. So we have been working to squeeze the movement into a smaller case to make the watch appeal to more people.

We also developed a new dial that is heavily vintage-inspired, with domed sapphire glass, an internal fluted ring under the domed sapphire, and an integrated steel bracelet, which is a first for Singer.

Isochrono: Was it challenging to downsize the Agenhor movement into a smaller case?

Marco: When we were working on the Agengraphe AGH-6361 movements for the 43mm watches, we had a peripheral time indicator that was formed by discs, which took quite some space. We wanted to keep the main function and essence of the chronograph right in the middle, where the focus should be.

So this time for a 40mm, we brought all information inside the dial, so for both the timer and chronograph, the time indication happens within the dial. Once we removed the peripheral disc, we can fit the movement into the 40mm case. It took some time. But it is not impossible. We still retained the discs and arrow indicator for telling time for the 1969 Chronograph, although smaller but even more focused and easier to read the time.

Isochrono: We can see that overall, the dial is clean and the window for hour and minute is smaller, which do help in quick view of the current time. So, what other things will you tell our audience about your new watch?

Marco: For the Timer specifically, its the first time we have a traditional time indication with a hour, minute and second hand in the center. Using the traditional way is a novelty for us but we want to try it and see how the market responds, while retaining the design style of Singer.

For the 1969 Chronograph, the Chronograph indication remains in the centre, which is the focus of the primary function as with all our chronographs. The time of day is secondary, but this time with a window on the dial, instead of a peripheral ring time indicator. The overall presentation allows you to have clean and sharp legibility of all information.

For these new models, the new metal bracelet that is designed from scratch is also new to us. You will see a more edgy link shape that contrasts with the smooth silhouette of the case. The links are designed after the ribs you see at the curbs of race tracks. That is where the inspiration came from.

Isochrono: What would you say about the new models compared to the earlier models?

Marco: I say functionality is still at the core of every Singer Reimagined watch. For example, the Chronograph still shows Chronograph hands at the centre while time is secondary. However, i think the new and earlier models can never be comparable side by side because they are designed to be different from the beginning.

So, functionality is what sparks the idea, form will come after that. Form can evolve, and should evolve. This is what happened on the 1969 collection. The Track 1 was meant to make a good first impression, and the 1969 collection is an evolution to cater to a different need, a different market segment. We will keep evolving and new things will be out to surprise the market.

Isochrono: Thank you Marco. I look forward to your new surprise, and I hope Singer will receive the GPHG award this year.

Marco: It was great catching up. Thanks for supporting the brand!

Technical Specifications: