For some of the readers, you might have known that the writer had just started an internship in a financial institution in Singapore. Naturally, as a WIS (Watch Idiot Savant), the writer is paying attention to the watches that his colleagues and corporate warriors are wearing.
Over the course of a few days, the writer has seen some rather interesting pieces that some of the people are wearing. Of course, it is not too difficult to identify who are those that are more interested in horology, and the others who buy a watch to simply tell time. But we think for the uninitated, a recommendation article for those in the corporate world who want to start collecting watches may prove useful.
Well, let us begin, without any further ado!
Nomos Tangente Automatik
The Nomos Tangente Automatik on the right, with its predecessor (the manual-winding variant) on the left.
The first watch that we are putting up today would be Nomos Glashutte’s Tangente Automatik, an in-house German watchmaker that is inspired by the iconic Bauhaus design at relatively reasonable prices.
We generally like Nomos because of its price proposition, as well as its simple and straightforward design. And we like the Tangente Automatik more as it features an in-house automatic movement, as its nomenclature suggests. This makes it more convenient for those who do not wish to manually wind their timepiece, and it also prevent new collectors from potentially over-winding their watches.
The Nomos Tangente Automatik is the perfect choice for someone who wants a decent dress watch that is made in-house, without splurging too much for an equivalent product. What makes it even more interesting is that it is not a “Swiss Made” timepiece, but one whose quality and finishing gives its counterparts in Switzerland a good run for their money.
Grand Seiko 62GS
Grand Seiko 9S65, a faithful replica of the original. Available in steel, white gold, rose gold and yellow gold. This version is cased in steel.
Next up, we move on to the Land of the Rising Sun. The Japanese are known to take great pride in their work, and the Grand Seiko is an excellent testimony to that. For comparison sake, we look at the relationship between a Grand Seiko and Seiko as one would at a Lexus and Toyota. Like the car, the Grand Seiko can be seen as the more luxurious, higher end, better finished version of Seiko.
Among the many excellent pieces in the Grand Seiko repertoire, we have a particular soft spot for the 62GS. The 62GS is a special collection created to commemorate the birth of the original Grand Seiko pieces in 1967. Eight models were produced as a result. Details in this link. The stainless steel version, as pictured above, is probably one of our favorites. We think that it looks very beautiful, and it is rather dressy as well. Perfect with office attire.
The Grand Seiko 62GS features traditional design cues from the 60s and the 70s, but it is fitted with Grand Seiko’s in-house Caliber 9S65. And to top it off, the finishing is excellent.
Jaeger LeCoultre Geophysic Universal Time
Jaeger LeCoultre Geophysic Universal Time in Stainless Steel.
Jaeger LeCoultre produces some rather excellent watches over the past few years, and we were thoroughly impressed with the new Geophysic collection.
In the corporate world, we think that the Geophysic Universal Time might be one watch that corporate warriors may find it useful. Besides just telling the local time, the watch is capable of telling the time of all the different timezone in the different parts of the world. Very useful for those international conference calls. And also for those frequent trans global travel. It is also very user-friendly, as the owner only needs to adjust to the local time when they are overseas using the same single crown. The movement is the Jaeger LeCoultre’s Caliber 772, featuring a deadbeat second complication.
A. Lange & Söhne 1815
The Lange 1815 200th Anniversary F.A. Lange in honey colored gold. The pin is in 18 k yellow gold, with a 15 year old patina. The pin is a piece unique, hand made by Master Engraver Helmut Wagner, and is made to resemble the crown of a Lange watch, and adorned with a diamond endstone used in Quality 1A Lange watches.
When it comes to excellent timepieces, it is always the “Holy Trinity” brands (Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin, and Audemars Piguet) that come to mind. At Deployant, we will want to add a third to this group. We feel that A. Lange & Söhne produces watches that are on par, or are sometimes even better, than some of the watches that are produced by some of these brands.
Take the 1815 for example. The 1815 is an entry-level timepiece in the A. Lange & Söhne stable, with a wide array of variants with differing complications. For a corporate bigwig, we believe that the simple, yet presentable 1815 is a watch that is good. Its finishing, especially the gorgeous L051.1 movement, would certainly mesmerize both watch aficionados and non-watch collectors alike. To top it off, we think that the watch is sized nicely at 38.5mm, and it would pair very well with a suit or a shirt.
The 1815 is available in different case materials, ranging from the usual trio of gold (white, pink, and yellow), to the more unusual ones like platinum or honey gold. The latter two are usually reserved for limited edition pieces, but we reckon that the usual variants are sufficient enough to make you spoilt for choices already.
H. Moser & Cie. Endeavor Perpetual Calendar
The H. Moser & Cie. Endeavor Perpetual Calendar. This one is the “Black Edition”, which features a titanium case with DLC coating.
When it comes to form and functionality, we reckon H. Moser & Cie. is one of the watchmakers that epitomize the principles nicely. Just take a look at the Endeavor Perpetual Calendar, and you will understand why.
The Endeavor Perpetual Calendar, or it was known as the Perpetual 1 back then, was launched in 2005. It caught the entire horological industry by surprise, as no one had seen a perpetual calendar that looks so simple and uncluttered. The month indicator, for instance, is represented by a small hand on the center of the watch, in which it utilizes the hour indices to indicate the current month. It is brilliant, to say the least.
This watch offers collectors the perpetual calendar complication, without the usual array of sub-dials and indicator windows. We guess that some people might not even recognize that this watch features such a complication, as it is deceptively simple and it is so unlike the perpetual calendar watches that we know of. It is definitely a functional timepiece, and one that minimalists will appreciate thoroughly.
Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Ultra-thin Minute Repeater
The Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Ultra-thin Minute Repeater. Another simple, but elegant dress piece.
We round up our selections today with something that is more exclusive and rare: the Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Ultra-thin Minute Repeater.
In terms of aesthetics, the Patrimony Ultra-thin Minute Repeater appears to be a nondescript but elegant dress watch. But do not let that fool you. It is a Minute Repeater. According to our Editorial Director, this particular timepiece produces one of the best sounds among the other Minute Repeater watches in the industry. Find out more about it, as well as how Vacheron Constantin had managed to achieve such results, in a review article that we have done some time back.
The Patrimony Ultra-thin Minute Repeater is probably out of reach for many of us, since its price tag is a staggering S$633,400. But if one is a tycoon and plans to splurge on a timepiece that is respectable and exclusive, then perhaps this might just be the one that would make the cut.
Afterthoughts
For this week’s installment of Throwback Sundays, we have featured quite a number of dress watches. This is because we feel that when it comes to the corporate world, the watches should be dress piece to pair with a suit or a long sleeve shirt nicely. While this is not a rule that everyone must follow, but we think that it is one of the best combinations, and one that would look the most appropriate especially in a boardroom or a business meeting.
We hope that you have enjoyed our article, and do share with us what are some of the topics that you would want us to cover. Have a great week ahead, and ciao!
