Issue 36

REVOLUTION DIGITAL

Celebrating the Machine with a Heartbeat

REVOLUTION DIGITAL1 min read
Revolution Digital
FOUNDER & EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Wei Koh @wei_koh_revolution GLOBAL CONTENT COORDINATOR Stephanie Ip stephanie@revolutionmagazines.com EDITOR, REVOLUTION ONLINE Sumit Nag sumit@revolutionmagazines.com HEAD, SPECIAL PROJECTS & MANAGING EDITOR, ONLINE Kevi
REVOLUTION DIGITAL6 min read
Put On A Happy Face
Colour, as a noun, is first described in the Oxford English Dictionary as, “the property possessed by an object of producing different sensations on the eye as a result of the way the object reflects or emits light.” Colour goes far beyond just nounh
REVOLUTION DIGITAL2 min read
Our Contributors
In addition to contributing to Revolution, New York City-based Adam Craniotes is the founder and president of RedBar Group, the world’s largest collective of watch enthusiasts, with chapters in over 60 cities across the globe. He is a lifelong watch
REVOLUTION DIGITAL6 min read
Founder’s Letter
This issue of Revolution represents the final issue of 2020. And what a year it’s been, with global upheaval unlike anything that any of us has experienced in our lifetimes. And through it all, I have to say the creativity of the watch industry has o
REVOLUTION DIGITAL7 min read
The World’s First Blacked Out Watch
Necessity, as they say, is the mother of invention — a concept certainly not lost on a young Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, otherwise known by the nickname “Butzi”, when he found himself along with all other members of the Porsche dynasty cast out of a
REVOLUTION DIGITAL7 min read
This Is The New Gen
You don’t need to be an economist or a business expert to work out that 2020 has radically changed how people buy watches. People — especially people from China — aren’t travelling, and that’s caused watch markets that rely on the tourist dollar to d
REVOLUTION DIGITAL15 min read
2020 Cartier Pasha: The Reinvention of An Icon
There’s a reason that Cartier is one of the small handful of brands that not only weathered the seismic life-changing storms of 2020, but actually continued to excel, gain market share and grow in profitability. And that is because it is creating exa
REVOLUTION DIGITAL8 min read
Richard Mille Rm 72-01 Lifestyle Chronograph
Lovers of that magical elixir known as Burgundy regard Henri Jayer as a winemaker whose vision was so seismic that he radically changed our taste for modern wines. Jayer was a legend, the man who saw the potential of a forgotten rocky plot of brush l
REVOLUTION DIGITAL11 min read
Alpine Soaring
At precisely 6:00pm on 13 March 1930, one Joel “Woolf” Barnato, decorated British Army field artillery officer and three-time winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, set his empty champagne glass at the bar of the InterContinental Carlton in Cannes. He le
REVOLUTION DIGITAL3 min read
Ladies And Gentlemen
Patek Philippe dropped the Ref. 7234G Calatrava Pilot Travel Time on us at a time when travel wasn’t really a luxury we could afford, but unexpected as it may be, the sleeper hit is back with an important change in communications: the 37.5mm watch is
REVOLUTION DIGITAL3 min read
Power Under The Hood
Oris has a proud tradition of movement development. Over the course of the Hölstein-based brand’s 100-plus years of operation, the company had developed some 229 in-house calibres. But Oris made its last calibre in 1982. From this point, the brand sw
REVOLUTION DIGITAL3 min read
One For The Books
A quick assessment of the Audemars Piguet website will reveal that the Le Brassus-based watchmaker has exactly five timepiece families that combine the tourbillon and chronograph complications: the Jules Audemars Tourbillon Chronograph, powered by th
REVOLUTION DIGITAL5 min read
Breguet: Classicism At Its Best
It’s no exaggeration to say that Abraham-Louis Breguet might be one of the greatest watchmakers of all time, and that his contributions have left a mark on not just Breguetthe company, but also the entire watchmaking history since 1775. Breguet is cr
REVOLUTION DIGITAL3 min read
A Sporty Silhouette
It’s tempting to think of the Bell & Ross BR 05 collection, first released in 2019, as another in an increasingly long list of integrated-bracelet sports watches attempting to snatch the crowns off the two grand dames of the genre, the Nautilus and t
REVOLUTION DIGITAL6 min read
The Rake X Ralph Lauren ‘Negroni Bear’ Polo Bear Watch
His countenance is known the world over. His visage has become an obsession for men and women alike. There are legions devoted to his ineffable style, his ability to move effortlessly between sublime sports chic, pitch-perfect preppy-dom, and transce
REVOLUTION DIGITAL5 min read
A Sound Success
In the words of Lionel Favre, Jaeger-LeCoultre’s product design director, bringing a new line into a storied maison is never an easy task, but one could do so successfully if you remember your roots. “You can’t forget the history of a brand and say o
REVOLUTION DIGITAL5 min read
Nothing But Extraordinary
Nestled in the heart of Paris, on the Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, is Hermès’s best-kept secret. Just right above the brand’s flagship store is the ultra-exclusive Emile Hermès Museum, a private museum filled with the family’s personal collection, f
REVOLUTION DIGITAL3 min read
Introducing the IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph TOPGUN Edition “SFTI”
“We have a place up in Montana, if you know where that is. It’s on an island on the lake. My brother had told me earlier to keep an eye toward the sky on a particular day. And there he came, zooming through the sky in the cockpit of his fighter jet —
REVOLUTION DIGITAL18 min read
The Most Complicated Modern Rolex:the Oyster Perpetual Sky-dweller
Launched in 2012, the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Sky-Dweller has, in its eight-year life span, become an object of cult collectability and one of the most desirable modern classic watches around. Jay-Z’s got the 18K yellow gold and champagne-coloured dia
REVOLUTION DIGITAL1 min read
2020 Revolution Awards
On our last issue of every year, it has become tradition for us to celebrate by sorting through the wide array of watches launched over the course of the year and bestowing awards among the best of the best. It’s not an easy task to begin with, and i
REVOLUTION DIGITAL3 min read
A Tropical Getaway
The dial colour that has ruled the past decade is, undoubtedly, blue. Every time a watchmaker released a blue-dial variation of a watch, existing or otherwise, it almost always resulted in a hit — the caveat being that this was the case, as long as t
REVOLUTION DIGITAL1 min read
Revolutionary Watch Of The Year
This should actually be an award for most revolutionary brand of the last decade. Because in just six years, Bvlgari has achieved six groundbreaking records, including in 2014 the world’s thinnest tourbillon, in 2016 the thinnest minute repeater, in
REVOLUTION DIGITAL2 min read
Most Uplifting Watch Of 2020
I have to say, amid the inclemency of 2020, the Swiss watch industry has done a remarkable job of lifting our spirits. But there is one watch, which launched on 6 October, that has brought the hugest collective smile to the faces of collectors around
REVOLUTION DIGITAL1 min read
Best Complication
Our Best Complicated Watch award for 2020 goes, uncontested, to the Ferdinand Berthoud Chronometre FB 2RE because of this simple fact: with the FB 2RE, the maison has managed to create a timepiece that is seemingly a simple, time-only watch, brought
REVOLUTION DIGITAL1 min read
Best Sports Watch
I love Richard Mille. When you think of the testicular fortitude it takes to bid adieu to his best-selling, wait-list-creating 11-03 in its current form, when he could have made that exact same watch for another decade, you have to bow with respect t
REVOLUTION DIGITAL1 min read
Best Collaboration
It takes, as the saying goes, two to tango. And rarely has a dance been as beautiful, passionate and — dare we say it — sensual as the fruits of the union between MB&F and H. Moser & Cie, two of the Swiss industry’s most creative companies who brough
REVOLUTION DIGITAL2 min read
Best Dress Watch
The Tank was dreamt up by Louis Cartier in 1917, inspired and designed after the Renault FT-17 French tanks that were used during the First World War. It was a radical design for its time, but more importantly, it was a design that was so perfect, it
REVOLUTION DIGITAL1 min read
Ultimate Value
Look at it from this perspective. 2020 has been a year of unremitting bleakness, with the only bright spots for me being, after several Negronis, binge-watching Rage Against the Machine reaction videos. So when Rolex decided to launch its new watches
REVOLUTION DIGITAL1 min read
Sports Chic
Over the past decade, we’ve watched dress codes evolve from suits to sweats, casual Fridays spilling over the weekend and back into Monday, amplified now by a world working from home. As such, the voracious appetite for stylish sports watches remains
REVOLUTION DIGITAL1 min read
Technical Breakthrough
The war for maximum thinness has been an ongoing affair that with each new milestone brings us closer to the point where, supposedly, no one can go any thinner. It’s like an extreme game of limbo, only that bragging rights for the winner are of epic
REVOLUTION DIGITAL2 min read
Best Ladies’ Watch
Today’s feminine watch collectors are not the same as they used to be; as the industry has evolved, so have their tastes and knowledge. It was easy for brands before to simply release a diamond-set watch to target women without having to worry about
REVOLUTION DIGITAL1 min read
Best Jewelry Watch
When we think about the brands that make crazy-sexy-cool timepieces, Roger Dubuis definitely pops up on the top of the list. This year, Roger Dubuis again brings another stunning timepiece to the Excalibur line, a unique work of art named Superbia th
REVOLUTION DIGITAL2 min read
Best Design
Even before we get to the design of Chopard’s 2020 release and extension of their Alpine Eagle range, inspired by the St. Moritz integrated-bracelet sports-chic watch created by company co-president Karl-Friedrich Scheufele in 1980, there is plenty t
REVOLUTION DIGITAL1 min read
Most Awesome Watch
There is literally nothing not to love about the Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight Navy Blue. Fans of modern, well-sized, perfectly priced and pitched sports watches have been blown away by the quality and price point of the latest addition to the Black Ba
REVOLUTION DIGITAL2 min read
Best Quartz Watch
As the industry’s first mass-produced digital watch, it’s hard to overstate just how important the Pulsar P2 was to the world of horology, and in the PSR, Hamilton has penned a truly fitting love letter to this groundbreaking timepiece. From its deli
REVOLUTION DIGITAL1 min read
Best Concept
For years, we have been waxing poetic prose about the magnificence of Grand Seiko. Its level of watchmaking must be seen and recognised as an equal to the Swiss powerhouses from Geneva and Bienne. But just when we thought that natured-based artistry
REVOLUTION DIGITAL1 min read
Person Of The Year
Cartier is the perfect example of a brand that is making exactly the watch that customers want. Now you might think that this is a simple thing to achieve, but it’s not, and it is actually remarkably rare. It is as if the creative team from Cartier i
REVOLUTION DIGITAL1 min read
Most Fun Watch
One thing that makes me happy about the last few years is the incredible creativity coming from every brand under the sun in the sub-one-thousand-dollar category. Brands like Baltic with its HMS and Bicompax, Undone with its Basecamp Cali and Type XX
REVOLUTION DIGITAL1 min read
Brand Of The Year
There is something comforting and reassuring about familiarity. Sure, it’s nice to sometimes try something new or experience a pleasant surprise, but nothing beats the familiar. And this is exactly why we love Rolex so, so much; it’s all about evolut
REVOLUTION DIGITAL2 min read
Lifetime Achievement Award
While this is an award for his remarkable achievement over the 20 years of his career in the Swiss watch industry, Jean-Christophe Babin would actually be deserving of this award simply for all he’s done this year alone. Babin is at his core an innov
REVOLUTION DIGITAL8 min read
Reservoir × Revolution Hydrosphere Bronze ‘Maldives Edition’
François Moreau has always had a fascination with gauges. Something that becomes abundantly clear at our first meeting in Mexico City during the 2019 El Salón Internacional Alta Relojería (SIAR) — an event that now seems like it took place a lifetime
REVOLUTION DIGITAL6 min read
Moritz Grossmann Benu 37 Steel with Grand Feu Enamel Dial for Revolution & The Rake
Glashütte, the somnambulant Saxon hamlet, is not only the birthplace of German watchmaking, but also a town where female watchmakers have contributed vastly to the lexicon of modern horology. Case in point number one is Annegret Fleischer, the goddes
REVOLUTION DIGITAL8 min read
Holthinrichs Brutal Elegance Ornament Revolution and Refined Elegance Ornament The Rake Limited Editions
One of my favourite discoveries of 2020 has been Holthinrichs Watches. Michiel Holthinrichs who is based in Delft, a town about 50km from Amsterdam, has created precisely the type of watch that I feel the collector community was searching desperately
REVOLUTION DIGITAL16 min read
Rebellious Design with Horological Substance
On Roger Dubuis’s Instagram page, there is a man clad in a dark, elegant suit standing on a tower hundreds of feet above the urban landscape of a metropolis, unencumbered by any form of safety equipment. The message couldn’t be clearer: Roger Dubuis
REVOLUTION DIGITAL13 min read
How 2020 Will Transform Our Taste in Watches
While Dickens penned these words to describe Paris and London leading up to the chaos of the French Revolution, he might as well have been describing the world in 2020: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, i
REVOLUTION DIGITAL13 min read
In Conversation with Raynald Aeschlimann, CEO Omega Watches
He’s one of the most dynamic leaders in the watch industry and also one of the most genuine, sincere and kind individuals I know. On 5th October of the most challenging and imperiled year human history has ever known, Aeschlimann and his team at Omeg
REVOLUTION DIGITAL5 min read
World Of Tomorrow
To predict where watchmaking trends might head in coming months, one might compare notes with the past. The recent global COVID-19 crisis isn’t entirely unprecedented; history has a manner of repeating itself. Looking back to previous disruptions pro
REVOLUTION DIGITAL17 min read
In Conversation with Frédéric Arnault
Though I’m only starting to really understand him, as are the myriad of watch collectors and journalists the world over, I think it is fair to say that this has been one of the most significant years in the life of Frédéric Arnault. Because this year
REVOLUTION DIGITAL7 min read
The History and Romance of the French Military Issue Type 20
As restrictions lifted after many listless months in New York, I met with a collector of unusual Breguet watches in Harlem. We sat outside, on Malcolm X Boulevard, enjoying iced coffees at a distance. It was a welcome reprieve, made all the better by
REVOLUTION DIGITAL5 min read
Interview with ALFREDO PARAMICO
If you spend any time on social media and follow any of the most prominent Italian watch dealers, you will undoubtedly have seen Alfredo Paramico. Whether enjoying a good lunch on Davide Parmegiani’s yacht in Capri or enjoying a glass of Meursault in
REVOLUTION DIGITAL3 min read
The Final Word…
“We were busy getting ready for the April sales at the end of January, when we realised that something huge was beginning to happen. A month later, HK was like a ghost town with no one at work, no one on the streets or in the shops; it was completely

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