Grail Watch

Always watching for "holy grail" timepieces

[grail-watch]

Among some participants in the secondary watch market, I've noticed an interesting trend towards using the term "trade" or "trading" to describe watch transactions. They'll say stuff like "the 5711 was trading at $110,000 last week." Top: a well known watch dealer self-styled as a trading desk. Bottom: a real trading desk. This small bit of language suggests, to me, that people are cognitively drifting towards a belief that watches are one of many assets that do actually "trade," such as stoc...

Brendan Cunningham

[grail-watch]

Among some participants in the secondary watch market, I've noticed an interesting trend towards using the term "trade" or "trading" to describe watch transactions. They'll say stuff like "the 5711 was trading at $110,000 last week." Top: a well known watch dealer self-styled as a trading desk. Bottom: a real trading desk. This small bit of language suggests, to me, that people are cognitively drifting towards a belief that watches are one of many assets that do actually "trade," such as stoc...

Brendan Cunningham

[grail-watch]

Among some participants in the secondary watch market, I've noticed an interesting trend towards using the term "trade" or "trading" to describe watch transactions. They'll say stuff like "the 5711 was trading at $110,000 last week." Top: a well known watch dealer self-styled as a trading desk. Bottom: a real trading desk. This small bit of language suggests, to me, that people are cognitively drifting towards a belief that watches are one of many assets that do actually "trade," such as stoc...

Brendan Cunningham

[grail-watch]

Among some participants in the secondary watch market, I've noticed an interesting trend towards using the term "trade" or "trading" to describe watch transactions. They'll say stuff like "the 5711 was trading at $110,000 last week." Top: a well known watch dealer self-styled as a trading desk. Bottom: a real trading desk. This small bit of language suggests, to me, that people are cognitively drifting towards a belief that watches are one of many assets that do actually "trade," such as stoc...

Brendan Cunningham

[grail-watch]

How Tiny Fontainemelon Dominated Swiss Watchmaking in the 19th Century

Although it is located in a tiny village of less than 1,000 residents, the factory in Fontainemelon looms large in the history of Swiss watchmaking. The oldest and largest ebauche factory in the country was established there early in the 19th century, and Fabrique d'Horlogerie Fontainemelon (FHF) was a founding member of Ebauches SA 100 years later. Even today, the Fontainemelon factory remains a cornerstone of the Swatch Group. Let's look at the history that made Fontainemelon the dominant s...

Stephen Foskett

[grail-watch]

How Tiny Fontainemelon Dominated Swiss Watchmaking in the 19th Century

Although it is located in a tiny village of less than 1,000 residents, the factory in Fontainemelon looms large in the history of Swiss watchmaking. The oldest and largest ebauche factory in the country was established there early in the 19th century, and Fabrique d'Horlogerie Fontainemelon (FHF) was a founding member of Ebauches SA 100 years later. Even today, the Fontainemelon factory remains a cornerstone of the Swatch Group. Let's look at the history that made Fontainemelon the dominant s...

Stephen Foskett

[grail-watch]

How Tiny Fontainemelon Dominated Swiss Watchmaking in the 19th Century

Although it is located in a tiny village of less than 1,000 residents, the factory in Fontainemelon looms large in the history of Swiss watchmaking. The oldest and largest ebauche factory in the country was established there early in the 19th century, and Fabrique d'Horlogerie Fontainemelon (FHF) was a founding member of Ebauches SA 100 years later. Even today, the Fontainemelon factory remains a cornerstone of the Swatch Group. Let's look at the history that made Fontainemelon the dominant s...

Stephen Foskett

[grail-watch]

How Tiny Fontainemelon Dominated Swiss Watchmaking in the 19th Century

Although it is located in a tiny village of less than 1,000 residents, the factory in Fontainemelon looms large in the history of Swiss watchmaking. The oldest and largest ebauche factory in the country was established there early in the 19th century, and Fabrique d'Horlogerie Fontainemelon (FHF) was a founding member of Ebauches SA 100 years later. Even today, the Fontainemelon factory remains a cornerstone of the Swatch Group. Let's look at the history that made Fontainemelon the dominant s...

Stephen Foskett

[grail-watch]

How Tiny Fontainemelon Dominated Swiss Watchmaking in the 19th Century

Although it is located in a tiny village of less than 1,000 residents, the factory in Fontainemelon looms large in the history of Swiss watchmaking. The oldest and largest ebauche factory in the country was established there early in the 19th century, and Fabrique d'Horlogerie Fontainemelon (FHF) was a founding member of Ebauches SA 100 years later. Even today, the Fontainemelon factory remains a cornerstone of the Swatch Group. Let's look at the history that made Fontainemelon the dominant s...

Stephen Foskett

[grail-watch]

How Tiny Fontainemelon Dominated Swiss Watchmaking in the 19th Century

Although it is located in a tiny village of less than 1,000 residents, the factory in Fontainemelon looms large in the history of Swiss watchmaking. The oldest and largest ebauche factory in the country was established there early in the 19th century, and Fabrique d'Horlogerie Fontainemelon (FHF) was a founding member of Ebauches SA 100 years later. Even today, the Fontainemelon factory remains a cornerstone of the Swatch Group. Let's look at the history that made Fontainemelon the dominant s...

Stephen Foskett

[grail-watch]

Is The Naked Frederique Constant Perpetual a Hit or Miss?

The Naked Watchmaker just announced its collaboration with Frederique Constant, the Slimline Perpetual Calendar Manufacture. Although I've enjoyed recent collaboration models, this one misses the mark in some important ways, emphasizing the mechanics at the expense of utility and beauty. © Stephen Foskett for Grail Watch : Is The Naked Frederique Constant Perpetual a Hit or Miss?

Stephen Foskett

[grail-watch]

Naoya Hida & Co. is an independent watch atelier in Tokyo producing a small number of classically-inspired watches in annual batches. Each model uses a customized movement based on the ETA 7750 automatic chronograph ebauche, a surprising choice because Hida's watches are neither automatic nor chronographs!

Stephen Foskett

[grail-watch]

The Neo-Classical Watches of Naoya Hida

Naoya Hida & Co. is a Tokyo-based independent watch atelier producing a small number of classically-inspired watches. The company recently released their 2022 line for application. This article gives an overview of Hida, the watches, and their movements. © Stephen Foskett for Grail Watch : The Neo-Classical Watches of Naoya Hida

Stephen Foskett

[grail-watch]

Movement review Tianjin (Sea-Gull) calibre SG5

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Mitka Engebretsen

[grail-watch]

Mechanical Watch – Bartosz Ciechanowski

In the world of modern portable devices, it may be hard to believe that merely a few decades ago the most convenient way to keep track of time was a mechanical watch. Unlike their quartz and smart siblings, mechanical watches can run without using any batteries or other electronic components.

Bartosz Ciechanowski

[grail-watch]

What is a Lépine Watch Movement?

Today, a "Lépine" movement is one with small seconds opposite the crown. But this is not one of the many innovations we should associate with Jean-Antoine Lépine, one of the greatest watchmakers of all time. Watchmaker to King Louis XV and George Washington, Lépine changed the course of watchmaking forever, with his plate-and-bridges movement design still used today. So why do we contrast "Lépine" movements with "savonnette" or "hunter" and what's all this about small seconds? © Stephen Fosk...

Stephen Foskett

[grail-watch]

It is fair to say that Swatch's recent release of the Omega Speedmaster-inspired "MoonSwatch" is, thusfar, 2022's highwater mark for consumer interest in timepieces. A spreadsheet at ground control. When Swatch boutiques opened their stores on launch day, they were met by long lines that were reminiscent of the mobs who sought Cabbage Patch dolls during Christmas, 1983. There were even reports of scuffles. Everything sold out and we're still waiting for promised online sales to begin (if they...

Brendan Cunningham