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@YOKOLONDONPEARLS

THTHE EBOBELDAUTIFUL
Chemistry, engineering and artistry all combine to
bring Hublot’s latest release to bright, new heights,
writes Nathalie Marquez Courtney.

WEIR.IE WEIR & SONS 51

ASHublot founder Carlo Crocco The limited on to create cases in smoked black, blue and
was putting the finishing edition Spirit of red. However, the Spirit of Big Bang Yellow
touches on the company’s very Big Bang Yellow Sapphire is one of the most eye catching to
first creation in the late 1970s, he made a Sapphire 42mm, date, thanks to the high contrast between the
surprising decision: when it came to the strap €104,000, is cool, monochromatic grey of the openworked
to accompany his high end timepiece, he was available exclusively movements and the bright yellows of the
determined to go with natural rubber, a highly at Weir & Sons hands, markers, rings, case and strap.
unusual choice. It took a further two years in the history of watchmaking that sapphire
of intense development alongside the world’s has been created in this colour. The 42mm In just three short years, Hublot has become
leading experts in vulcanisation to make this case is created by mixing aluminium oxide the industry leader in the complex art of
unconventional combination of materials with copper to achieve that distinctive lemon materials science. It’s safe to say the brand
work, resulting in a complex, high tech process yellow shade. has revolutionised the creation of manmade
that quite literally fused metal bars within But, of course, this isn’t the first time sapphire, mastering a notoriously complex,
the rubber strap in order for the two pieces the brand has experimented with coloured unpredictable process and continuing to
to connect seamlessly. It was a horology first sapphire. Hublot first explored the concept explore ways to create new colours.
– the first time a natural rubber bracelet had of custom created sapphire back in 2016, FUN FUSION
accompanied such a classic watch. This was the making headlines with one of the very first It should come as no surprise, really, that
start of Hublot and the beginning of the ‘art of completely clear luxury timepieces, the Big Hublot should be the one to push boundaries
fusion’, a concept which is now at the heart of Bang Unico Sapphire. The brand quickly went and breathe new life into known materials.
the company’s Big Bang timepieces.

Fast forward 39 years and these themes
– innovation, fusion, cutting edge chemistry
and a boundless love of the unexpected – are
still core principles at Hublot, and the driving
inspiration behind all Big Bang and Hublot
pieces. This can be seen in the latest release,
the Spirit of Big Bang Yellow Sapphire 42mm.
A quintessential Hublot piece, it is designed
to loudly and proudly go where other haute
horologists dare not tread.

The bright, sunny yellow, completely
transparent case is made entirely of custom
created, coloured sapphire crystal. Beneath
it beats a chronograph based on Zenith’s
legendary El Primero, resulting in a truly one
of a kind timepiece. Scratch resistant, it is
almost as hard as diamond, but a feather-like
107 grammes on the wrist.
CATCH THE RAINBOW
While Hublot’s Big Bang pieces are known
for their unabashedly bold aesthetic, many
people overlook the truly cutting edge
engineering that goes into making them.
A special kind of alchemy is at work to create
the warm solar hue of the Spirit of Big Bang
Yellow Sapphire, which marks the first time

“A quintessential Hublot piece, it is
designed to loudly and proudly go where
other haute horologists dare not tread”

52 WEIR & SONS WEIR.IE

From 2012’s renowned ‘Magic Gold’ in cutting edge materials. Its irreverent, contains micromechanics workshops, a
watch, the Big Bang Ferrari Magic Gold, a slightly rebellious streak has marked it out suite of CNC machines and an actual
revolutionary unscratchable gold (codeveloped as the wild child of the Swiss watchmaking gold foundry, where the famed ‘Magic
with the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology) industry. Many of its limited edition pieces Gold’ is created.
to 2018’s vibrant, eye catching Big Bang Unico have become beloved by anyone wanting to
Red Magic (featuring a case made of solid red make a statement, leading to high profile This inventive spirit has led to a dizzying
ceramic), a disruptive, innovative spirit is a collaborations with A-listers like Usain Bolt as array of products released at a breakneck speed
core part of the Big Bang ethos. well as Ferrari and soccer club Juventus. that would be more familiar to Silicon Valley
app makers than traditionally trained Swiss
Since 2005, when the Big Bang collection The brand doesn’t rely on these celebrity watch designers. “It’s a really entrepreneurial
was first unveiled under the watchful guidance collaborations, nor does it rest on its laurels, approach; we don’t think about things over a
of the legendary Jean-Claude Biver, unusual striving to stay at the bleeding edge of lot of months,” said Guadalupe in an interview
materials presented in bold and unique ways horological design. This has meant with luxury watch magazine QP. “If we think
have been top of the agenda, giving new life creating patented processes and techniques, something is innovative and suits the brand,
to the original ideas that founder Carlo expanding its R&D and bringing case we go, and we go very fast.”
Crocco explored. creation in-house, something few others do.
Its factory, near the Swiss Jura Mountains, In with a bang, and, it seems, showing
That year saw the renaissance of the no signs of slowing down.
famed Hublot case and rubber strap
combination, which was awarded THE BIG BANG: A TIMELINE OF INNOVATION
Best Design at the prestigious
Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de From mixing gold and rubber, denim and diamonds, to creations
Genève. The piece thrust of coloured sapphire and even silver embroidery – since
the brand firmly into the its launch, each Big Bang collection has dared to push the
spotlight, and Big Bang horological design envelope even further.
could not have been a more
apt name for the collection. 2005 Simply called the Hublot Big 2015 Hublot celebrated the tenth
“We launched a watch with a Bang, the critically acclaimed anniversary of the Big Bang by taking its
gold case and a rubber strap – original Big Bang marked a stark mastery of materials to new heights. As
this was the first time you could departure from traditional well as new anniversary models, such as the
find them together in one piece, watchmaking in so many Big Bang Unico (with a proprietary Unico
in the watch industry,” said Hublot ways and set the course for movement), Hublot released decidedly
CEO Ricardo Guadalupe. “So the innovative new direction quirkier collections and pieces like the Jeans
the name Big Bang comes from the brand would take. It is Ceramic Limited Edition (featuring a watch
the beginning of time, where still being made today and face inlaid with actual denim) and the award
everything was unified. It was the remains one of Hublot’s bestselling winning Big Bang Broderie range, which
only moment where you had featured a skull design rendered in carbon
rubber and gold together at the timepieces. fibre and silver embroidery.
same time.” 2012 The launch of the Big Bang 2016 A completely clear watch, the Hublot
TO BOLDLY GO Ferrari Magic Gold saw Hublot Big Bang Unico Sapphire featured a case
Since then, Big Bang has introduce a new revolutionary 18k gold. middle, bezel and caseback all cut out of
become a byword for bold, Dubbed “the most scratch resistant gold blocks of sapphire crystal and hinted at
daring, innovative designs, for ever created”, it cemented Hublot’s the custom made sapphire creations that
making high end sports watches status as masters of materials science would follow.
like no other. The collection in the watch world. It also marked 2018 Made almost entirely of a bright
continues to challenge perceptions red ceramic, Hublot patented the unique
of what a ‘traditional’ watchmaker Hublot becoming the official high material it used in its headline grabbing Big
can make by fusing the old with the end timepiece maker for Ferrari. Bang Unico Red Magic.
new, encasing old-world mechanics 2013 Not pausing for breath, 2019 After working with transparent,
Hublot added to the Ferrari smoked black, blue and red sapphires,
From top: The Big Bang 2005 Anniversary collection with a range of Hublot released the shimmering Spirit
Edition, €33,100; Big Bang Ferrari Magic Gold, new models, including the of Big Bang Yellow Sapphire, which
innovative Big Bang Ferrari Red features a first of its kind intense
€41,400; Big Bang Unico Sapphire, €57,100; yellow sapphire case.
Big Bang Unico Red Magic, €27,900 Magic Carbon, which featured a
solid carbon fibre case made entirely
in-house at Hublot.

WEIR.IE WEIR & SONS 53

#ThisIsYourTime

TISSOT seastar 1000
AU T O M AT I C .
WATER RESISTANCE UP TO 30 BAR
(300 M / 1000 FT).

TISSOT, INNOVATORS BY TRADITION

RAECVUOLLTUUTRIAONL

For millennia the preserve of
royalty and the rich, pearls
were prized to the brink of
extinction, until Japanese
innovator Kokichi Mikimoto
shared his cultured creations
with the world – and
democratised the pearl,
writes Annmarie O’Connor.

WEIR.IE WEIR & SONS 55

IFfortune favours the brave, then pearls are, without a Previous page:
doubt, fashion’s abiding currency. As the world’s oldest Kokichi Mikimoto
known gem, their decorative history boasts a mix of This page, from top
myth, folklore and symbolism.
right: An early
For millennia, pearls were retrieved, at great risk, from oyster diver; Mr
oysters by divers in the Indian Ocean and the South China Mikimoto at work
Sea. Believed to attract wealth, love and protection, ancient Opposite page,
civilisations viewed the iridescent spheres as magical talismans, below: Shopping for
mysterious in formation and, thus, harbingers of good luck at pearls in the 1930s
burials, birthing and wedding ceremonies.

From rites of passage to birthright, nobility and royalty co-opted
the nacreous baubles as markers of prosperity and social status.
Julius Caesar mandated that pearls be worn only by the Roman
Empire’s aristocracy; medieval Europeans used them to decorate
regalia, while Elizabeth I crowned Renaissance lore with rumours of
owning 3,000 pearl clad gowns and a collar for her pet ermine.

The semiotics of adornment soon widened to include wealthy
global merchants, Belle Époque café society and dynastic
American families like the Astors and Vanderbilts. Such was the
demand for pearls, especially high quality seawater specimens
from Japan, they continued to be gathered without restraint
and traded, often for high prices. By the 19th century, their
unsustainable market growth resulted in dwindling oyster

56 WEIR & SONS WEIR.IE

18k white gold, Akoya cultured pearl,
morganite, spinel, sapphire, tanzanite
and diamond necklace,
supplies and the near extinction POA, from the recent the entrepreneur’s dream
of pearl producing oysters. to “adorn the necks of all
Then a new culture dawned. Jardin Mystérieux women around the world”.
collection
In 1893, Kokichi Mikimoto, Mikimoto’s egalitarian
the son of an udon shop owner vision aligned beautifully with
in the Japanese town of Toba, the spirit of emancipation in the
created the world’s first hemispherical USA and Western Europe, which
pearl. Inspired by a childhood fascination allowed for social reinvention through
with the pearl divers of Ise and a desire to the codes of fashion. From the early
protect the balance between man and nature, suffragettes and the emboldened flapper girls
Mikimoto propagated pearls in protected Akoya of the Jazz Age to the liberating influence of
oyster beds. The method? By manually implanting an designer Coco Chanel, donning pearls became
irritant into the oyster to stimulate the secretion of nacre – a part of the growing aesthetic of personal power.
crystalline substance which builds up around the invasive object Anything that disrupts the status quo, however, elicits
to form a pearl. opposition. For Mikimoto, defending the honour of his product
As with most innovations, Mikimoto’s wasn’t without against industry naysayers and pearl dealers who questioned
challenge, from oyster-eating octopi to typhoons and a ‘red its authenticity and price point became part of his mission.
tide’ of toxic algae blooms that almost wiped out his crops. Determined to futureproof his efforts and to have Japanese
His persistence paid off when, in 1896, he was the first person pearls recognised worldwide as first class gems, Mikimoto used
to be granted a patent, basing his business on Ojima Island public forums and public gestures to elevate his work.
(now known as Mikimoto Pearl Island), where his first pearls He opened his first boutique in 1899, situated in Tokyo’s
were grown. By 1905, his dream came full circle in culturing a chic Ginza shopping district, a destination for Western fashion
perfectly round pearl. trends. In 1907, he established the Mikimoto Gold Work
This iconoclastic discovery would radically alter the Factory – Japan’s first full scale jewellery production facility,
international market and sink the value of natural pearls. where he would hone the brand’s signature style: a unique
No longer were these glistening orbs the remit of the elite; a amalgam of European manufacturing techniques and traditional
new democracy had been created, one which would facilitate Japanese crafts, including millegrain, openwork, decorative
metalwork and keshi pearl beadwork.
Subsequent boutiques appeared between 1913 and 1933
“From the early suffragettes to the in London, Shanghai, New York, Paris, Bombay, Los Angeles
and Chicago, and by 1935 Mikimoto’s 350 pearl farms were
liberating influence of Coco Chanel, producing 10 million cultured pearls a year.
The world was taking note, including Thomas Edison and
donning pearls became part of the the Japanese Emperor, both of whom endorsed the legitimacy of
growing aesthetic of personal power” his cultured pearls and reputation as a visionary and vanguard.
It became apparent: Mikimoto wasn’t simply a technical artist;
he was also a master marketer. In 1926 he submitted a five
tiered pagoda covered in 12,000 platinum set pearls, modelled
after Horyuji Temple, to Philadelphia World’s Fair. He upped
the ante in 1933 with a model of George Washington’s Mount
Vernon residence embellished with 24,328 pearls, followed by a
resplendent replica of the Liberty Bell, nicknamed ‘the Million
Dollar Bell’, presented in 1939 at New York’s World’s Fair.
The world also took note when Mikimoto infamously
burned 720,000 inferior pearls made by his rivals to protest
the lax standards that were threatening the industry he had
tirelessly worked to serve and protect. It’s this ethical and
artistic commitment to quality which has earned him the titular
honour ‘the King of Pearls’.
Mikimoto died in 1954 but his passion for craftsmanship
remains part of the brand’s living legacy. Each harvested pearl
is chosen according to five strict quality benchmarks: lustre,
surface perfection, shape, colour, size. Once selected, the edit
is cleaned with specialised techniques and handed over to the

WEIR.IE WEIR & SONS 57

expert sorter to be examined Clockwise from left: 18k white
again by northern light, morning gold, natural pearl (Conch),
light and daylight. Only 18k natural freshwater pearl,
gold, platinum, all natural colour sapphire, tourmaline, garnet,
gemstones and the finest silk threads aquamarine, alexandrite and
are used in crafting jewellery which is diamond ring, POA; 18k white
easily identifiable by the outline of an oyster, or the gold, natural freshwater pearl,
Mikimoto name, engraved on every jewel and a sapphire, tourmaline, garnet,
signature (M circle) logo charm on cultured pearl alexandrite, and diamond
strands and bracelets. brooch, POA; 18k white gold,
white South Sea cultured pearl,
Moreover, each collection, in both ready to wear sapphire, tanzanite and diamond
and high jewellery lines, is an extension of the earrings, POA, all from the
founder’s ideology – a union of innovation and Jardin Mystérieux collection
tradition. Over 80 years ago, the brand’s yaguruma an elaborate couture collection inspired by the secret
sash clip, with interchangeable settings in 12 different gardens of European royals and aristocrats. Designed to
forms, set a new trend for multifunctional jewellery. showcase the majestic power and aesthetic refinement of their
Today, the ethos of serviceable style continues. lords and ladies, these baroque enclosures also served as the
seat of secrets and intimate exchanges.
The Geneva Collection’s 40in scarf necklace blends The philosophy of the garden is captured in the minutiae
pearl stringing with metalwork to allow greater of motifs, from undulating olive branches and climbing
flexibility for the wearer, so unique that only three roses to posing peacocks and wrought iron arches adorned
Mikimoto craftsmen have perfected this technique. Les with intricate scrollwork – a symbolic interplay of the interior
Pétales de Ginza bracelets feature white South Sea and and exterior worlds. The main attraction? An elaborate 18k
Akoya cultured pearls enveloped in diamond set rose petals white gold bib necklace adorned with Akoya cultured pearls,
with the trademark Pearls in Motion™ mechanism, allowing the morganite, spinel, sapphire, tanzanite and diamonds. The design
pearl to be placed at any point within the bracelet and worn at a echoes the expectation of standing at the entrance of a private
variety of lengths. sanctuary, uncovering the landscape of the soul – the vulnerable
space between what is concealed and revealed.
Most recently, as part of Paris Fashion Week Haute Couture After all, it’s in the risk that real reward is found. Who knows
Autumn/Winter 2019, Mikimoto premiered Jardin Mystérieux, this better than Mikimoto?

A CHARMED LIFE – THE MAKING OF MIKIMOTO

1893: Kokichi Mikimoto cultures the world’s The Mikimoto building, Grace Foundation.
first semispherical pearl. known as Ginza2, in Tokyo 2002: The Pearls in Motion™ Collection
1899: The first Mikimoto Pearl Store opens in debuts, featuring a patented mechanism that
Tokyo’s chic Ginza shopping district. allows each pearl to be individually repositioned
1905: Kokichi Mikimoto cultures the world’s along an 18k gold chain for multiple looks.
first spherical pearl. 2005: Mikimoto Ginza2 Store opens, designed
1913: The first overseas Mikimoto Pearl Store by the famed architect Toyo Ito. Inspired by
opens in London. a jewellery box, it has since become a Ginza
1914: Mikimoto establishes a black South Sea landmark.
pearl farm in his oyster beds off Ishigaki Island; 2007: Mikimoto and Japanese fashion
in 1931, he cultures his first black South Sea designer Yohji Yamamoto launch the Stormy
pearl, measuring 10 millimetres. Weather Collection – a limited edition line of
1969: Mikimoto wins the prestigious De Beers fine jewellery.
Diamonds International Award for the brooch 2013: Mikimoto celebrates its 120th
‘Prelude to Space’. anniversary.
1975: New York store opens on Fifth Avenue. 2014: Mikimoto x Hello Kitty Collection
1986: Paris store opens on Place Vendôme. launches in Paris to coincide with Hello Kitty’s
1995: London store opens on New Bond Street. 40th birthday.
2001: Mikimoto launches the Princess Grace 2018: Mikimoto is made an official Haute
Collection – a limited edition line of jewellery Joaillerie member of the Fédération de la
with a portion of sales donated to the Princess Haute Couture et de la Mode.

58 WEIR & SONS WEIR.IE



art
deco

Gwyneth Paltrow

supporltsiDvoneorsyCohuoorsepassion

WATCHHOW TO BUY A
It might seem like a simple transaction but there are plenty of
factors to consider before buying your first watch. James Buttery
offers some insider advice on choosing the right timepiece for you.

Watches tend to be a big purchase GMT-Master II
whatever your budget, whether you’re Oyster Perpetual
in the market for a perpetual calendar in white gold,
or your first serious timekeeper. The reason for €34,400, Rolex
that, and the reason we buy watches at all, has
changed completely in the last few decades. Gone
are the days of buying a watch to keep you on
time throughout the day. Today we are constantly
surrounded by digital smart devices far more
accurate than any mechanical watch could hope
to be, so we have no real need to carry a watch
with us; instead need has been replaced by desire,
and the idea of having a single watch has become
as antiquated as the idea of watching television in
black and white.

Watches in the 21st century are a more
romantic, symbolic purchase with a host of
factors worth considering before arriving at
a final decision – although if you’ve always
had your heart set on an iconic design, say a
Rolex Submariner or Cartier Tank Anglaise,
congratulations and thank you for reading
this far.

If you’re new to watches and intimidated
by the terminology, remember we all started
somewhere. It takes time to learn the many
intricacies of watchmaking, a craft that is
hundreds of years old. By picking up a specialist
magazine like this or scouring the internet for
answers, you’ve already started learning, but
the most useful distinction to make early on is
between mechanical and quartz watches.

WEIR.IE WEIR & SONS 61

MECHANICAL BUDGETING
VS QUARTZ
In an ideal world we
Mechanical watches rely on wound mainsprings for wouldn’t need to begin by
power, and a much finer hairspring and balance wheel working out a budget, but
for timekeeping. Both hand wound and automatic – with so many watches
flavours exist; the former needs to be wound every day to choose from – having a
or so by hand using the crown, while the latter keeps the ballpark figure in mind can
mainspring wound by means of a freely rotating weight often assist in narrowing
as long as the watch is being worn. Advocates of the down the field a little.
hand wound watch appreciate their direct connection Whether you’re looking to
with it and the ritual of winding it, while automatic spend a few hundred euros or
watches offer great convenience if you intend to wear several thousand, work out what’s
them all the time. achievable and realistic. With all
Quartz watches – a relatively modern development that said, it is also worth mapping out
celebrating their 50th anniversary this year – take their the sort of watches you could afford
power from a battery and the regular vibrations of a tiny if you were to spend perhaps 10 or 20
quartz crystal to help them keep much more accurate time per cent more, and add up whether that
than mechanical watches. Quartz watches are often sold on might be worth it to you. It might not
the convenience of not having to reset the time after the sound like the best financial advice to
watch has been sitting stationary for some time, when the stretch beyond what you’ve budgeted
mainspring of an automatic watch would have long since for, but the number of people I’ve
depleted its power reserve. But it’s worth remembering spoken to who wished they’d spent a Presage Automatic watch with
that eventually the battery will run out and you’ll need to little bit more to buy a watch they were rose tone white index dial and
take your watch to have a replacement fitted, which we proud of, rather than merely content
can all agree is less convenient than being able to restart an with, still surprises me. brown strap, €495, Seiko
automatic simply by putting it on your wrist. Even with a few hundred euros to point, from entry level quartz through
In theory, of course, we should all be wearing quartz spend, your options include mechanical to finely finished Grand Seiko and,
watches or even smartwatches by now, eminently smug as well as quartz watches but much of finally, masterpieces of haute horlogerie
at their superior timekeeping abilities, but, as I previously the cost in this segment will have been under the Credor banner. If Seiko’s
mentioned, our reason for buying diverted to how the watch looks on watchmakers are capable of producing
watches has completely changed. Classique 9068 rose the outside, so the movement will exquisite grande sonnerie striking
Today, the mechanical watch is an automatic strap watch, look industrial rather than a finely watches, then you can rest assured
antidote to the digital age. Those finished mechanical movement and the brand will have made a good job
€25,900, Breguet of an elegant three handed watch
from Seiko’s dressy Presage collection,
smart devices we’ve become so will almost certainly be hidden or perhaps an iconic Turtle from
reliant on are far more functional behind a solid caseback. the brand’s excellent dive-centric
than a mechanical watch could ever For this, among other reasons, Prospex range.
be, but they are also cold and I’d suggest looking to Japan, and
impersonal. to Seiko in particular. The grand Beyond €1,000, build and design
These days, we buy Japanese brand is perhaps the start to become more elaborate, as do
mechanical watches precisely most comprehensive watch the materials used to make the watch.
because of how anachronistic ‘manufacture’ in the world, Bezels might be made of high tech
the springs, wheels and which simply means it ceramic instead of anodised aluminium;
levers inside them produces every major more scratch resistant sapphire crystal
seem: they are a link component necessary will be used instead of mineral glass.
to a different time, a to make a watch More of the watches you look at in this
symbol of humankind’s under its own roof, bracket will include those manufacture
ingenuity that’s much rather than buying movements: you’ll have to decide
easier to relate to parts in from whether that’s important to you, but
than one consisting of suppliers. It is also know that third party movement
microprocessors and unique in producing builders like ETA and Sellita make
capacitors. watches at every price great, reliable movements too.

62 WEIR & SONS WEIR.IE



FINISHING DO:

As you go further up the TRY IT ON
price spectrum, finishing will This may sound like the most basic advice but put the
begin to improve, both on watch on your wrist before you buy. It might look great in
the case – where lines will be the brand’s somewhat unrealistic photography, but until
sharper – and eventually the you try it on you won’t know for certain whether it’s the
movement. The apt thing about right watch for you.
buying a fine watch is that you CONSIDER YOUR OWN STYLE
are often paying for someone’s Do you see yourself as traditional or at the cutting edge?
time. Take Patek Philippe’s classic A carbon fibre Hublot Big Bang might look out of place if
Calatrava, the Ref. 5196, a simple you spend most of your time in tweed, while the refined
time-only gold watch with small silhouette of a Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso probably wouldn’t
seconds. Its 215 PS Movement consists make much sense if you’re sporting the latest Yeezys.
of 130 tiny components – a relatively
modest number in watchmaking – but DON’T:
each one of those components will be
hand polished and finished to the highest FORGET SERVICING COSTS
standard, often requiring several hours Mechanical watch movements are just like car engines, full
each, despite being hidden behind a solid Calatrava 5196J 001, of moving parts, and as such they will need a service every
caseback. It is those countless hours that €19,410, Patek Philippe once in a while. A watchmaker will disassemble each and
every component in the watch, clean and re-oil them, and
add so much value to the finished piece. final regulate the watch for optimal timekeeping. Servicing
You’ll also have to consider complications, the functions beyond costs vary depending on the level of complication, and
timekeeping offered by certain watches. Chronographs are the most from brand to brand.
popular with buyers (although I can’t imagine what they’re all timing) GIVE IN TO PEER PRESSURE
while perpetual calendars will mean you don’t have to set the date until Watch enthusiasts rarely operate in a vacuum – you’ll
2100, a mechanical miracle for sure. My favourite by far, though, is either have friends interested in watches or be part of the
the GMT: a genuinely practical complication for anyone who travels or, extremely active online community. Just remember to buy
perhaps more accurately, anyone who would like to return to the golden your watch for yourself, not for how others will react to it.
age of commercial aviation, when flying to some distant clime was a
genuine event, not a clammy long haul chore. WHO ARE YOU?
The GMT complication was created by Rolex in 1954 at the behest
of Pan Am, which wanted a practical dual timezone watch for its pilots Now all that’s left to do is select the right watch, and here a bit of self
and received the GMT-Master. reflection wouldn’t go amiss. You’ll know your own routine, lifestyle and
While we’re basking in the warm glow of Rolex, we should also discuss the tastes better than anyone and the kind of watch that will fit to help you
issue of branding. The effect is powerful and – considering the hundreds of arrive at a shortlist. Do you hanker for a classic dress watch from Breguet
millions of Swiss francs that watch manufacturers spend on building their for all those black tie events or something robust like a Tudor Pelagos,
story every year – it should not be underestimated. If you’re even vaguely capable of withstanding the knocks and scrapes of an active lifestyle?
interested in watches, different brands will speak of different things to you,
which probably have very little to do with watchmaking. Whether you feel But this is all merely a guide: don’t take the various categories of
a particular affinity with Breitling’s authority in the air, Panerai’s nautical watch too seriously. Don’t feel you shouldn’t buy a diver’s watch capable
origins or Omega’s part in the moon landing… honest advice? If one brand of reaching the ocean depths because you’ll only get it wet in the shower
speaks to you louder than others, let it: you’ll be happier in the long run. each morning. There are no established rules anymore, so buy the watch
you feel most comfortable with.
“The idea of having a James Buttery is editor of QP Magazine, the world’s most authoritative
single watch has become watch magazine.
as antiquated as watching
television in black and white”

64 WEIR & SONS WEIR.IE

ENJOY A MAGICAL CHRISTMAS

The K Club in Straffan, Co. Kildare is the perfect location for you
and your family’s Christmas & New Year’s celebrations.

Open log fires, Christmas trees in every bedroom and yuletide decorations
bring the festive season to life. Sink into a deep sofa beside a crackling fire,

enjoy a glass of mulled wine and let someone else do the hard work!

LET OUR FAMILY LOOK AFTER YOURS THIS CHRISTMAS!

For more information on our festive packages please contact us on
+353 1 601 7200 | [email protected] | www.kclub.ie

K CLUB GIFT VOUCHER
a luxury Christmas gift

WatrhhPeSHIeeTLOYsLnLUTPoIOSNimToGtGRRpAEceATLoPIEAOcHAmNNYrlaStOTesRSRsTssEEtHViPcatOAHoRrREhsPHNwUiAwtRLaRsEhTDtaWcolIhrDweeGaiEsldl anyneidnvejterhwgeeomlloeaurkyti,notgfh.seMtryeelee.t

G-Shock Bluetooth smartwatch, €570, Casio WEIR.IE

66 WEIR & SONS

Bumblebee pendant, €175, Alex Monroe WEIR & SONS 67

WEIR.IE

Dive watch, €1,345, Gucci; Born choker, €149, Calvin Klein WEIR.IE

68 WEIR & SONS

WEIR.IE Radiomir 3 Days Acciaio watch, €9,950,
Panerai; Classic watch, €185, Mondaine

WEIR & SONS 69

Serpentˇs Trace bracelet, €605, Shaun Leane; WEIR.IE
PRC200 watch, €475, Tissot

70 WEIR & SONS

WEIR.IE Strawbeon watch, €70;
Grassneon watch, €70,
both Swatch

WEIR & SONS 71

CTLHAESNSEICW

The pinnacle of Swiss watchmaking, Montblanc’s elegant
new Heritage Collection marries sophisticated vintage
styling with precision horology, writes Jillian Bolger.

Originally known as the maker of the world’s finest fountain From top: Heritage THE HERITAGE COLLECTION
pens, Montblanc channelled its reputation for craftsmanship Pulsograph Limited
and excellence into the competitive world of watchmaking, Edition 100, €29,000; MONTBLANC HERITAGE PULSOGRAPH
with its first styles appearing in earnest in 1997. Nine years later, Heritage Monopusher LIMITED EDITION 100
acquiring Minerva – a historic Swiss watchmaker specialising in In the mid-20th century, wristwatches with
mechanical movements – Montblanc copper-fastened its status, Chronograph, a pulsometer found favour with the medical
becoming a major player in the world of fine watchmaking. €4,900; Heritage profession. Known as doctors watches, these
Perpetual Calendar timepieces displayed a patient’s pulse rate directly
This year, Montblanc’s impressive new Heritage Collection Limited Edition 100, on the watch’s dial. Minerva had much experience
looks to the strengths of Minerva, drawing on more than €25,700; Heritage crafting pulsometers, and Montblanc has drawn on
160 years of tradition. Celebrating its historical functions, Automatic Day Date, its archives to create this limited edition beauty.
precision mechanics and design codes, it is directly inspired €2,530, all Montblanc The 40mm timepiece in steel, featuring a pulsation
by Minerva’s classic wristwatches of the 1940s and 1950s. bezel to count 30 heartbeats, is powered by the
Montblanc manufacture monopusher chronograph
Elevating retro to a whole new level of desirability, the calibre MB M13.21, visible through the caseback.
Heritage Collection’s aesthetics include domed dials with two
finishes and sophisticated vintage colours – think salmon, smoked Design aficionados will be drawn to the curved
caramel and silvery white. Inspired by sharp tailoring, luxurious salmon pink dial, with two dauphine style hands
fabrics and masculine elegance, the collection translates into a cool, and blued baton hands for the seconds and subdial
confident and relaxed style. indications. The hand wound movement provides 60
hours of power reserve and this handsome, limited
Fully polished cases feature curved horns with facets, each fitted edition timepiece, of which only 100 exist, comes with
with sapphire crystal glass boxes for an elegant historical look. New a masculine anthracite sfumato leather strap.
three, six and nine minute chronograph markers pay a design nod MONTBLANC HERITAGE MONOPUSHER
to the old rotary payphones of the era. The beautiful sfumato CHRONOGRAPH
leather straps are fashioned at the Montblanc Pelletteria, the Offering an accessibly priced model at the heart
luxury maison's own leather workshop in Florence. of the Heritage Collection, Montblanc’s great
looking new monopusher chronograph builds on
Montblanc manufactures the collection in Villeret – the former the technical nous of Minerva’s movement-crafting
home of Minerva dating back to 1858 – and it’s here that the knowledge. Featuring the latest chronograph
extraordinary archives’ bank of watchmaking knowledge and design within the Montblanc collection, there’s a
design provides a constant source of inspiration for the maison’s domed, silvery white dial with two different finishes,
creative and technical teams. Behind the retro aesthetics lies a anthracite Arabic numerals and blued baton hands
comprehensive range of movements marrying Minerva calibres for the seconds and subdial indications.
from the past with modern engineering. For superior performance,
the entire Heritage Collection is water resistant to five bar and This 42mm timepiece comes in a fully polished
certified by the Montblanc Laboratory Test 500. stainless steel case with a domed sapphire glass

Just like the uncompromising quality of a Montblanc writing
instrument, a Montblanc watch is crafted with the same attention
to detail, purity of design and desirability.

72 WEIR & SONS WEIR.IE

“Behind the retro aesthetics lies a comprehensive
range of movements marrying Minerva calibres
from the past with modern engineering”

box and the Minerva Manufacture reserve, the limited edition watch comes steel case with a choice of silvery white or
embossing on the caseback. Choose in an elegant 18k red gold with distinctive salmon coloured dial. Both enjoy the same cool
from a sfumato leather strap or steel retro aesthetics: dials with Arabic numerals, dots
Milanese mesh bracelet. silvery white dial. as indexes, and hands that are rhodium coated or
MONTBLANC HERITAGE anthracite coloured and enhanced with Super-
PERPETUAL CALENDAR MONTBLANC HERITAGE LumiNova. An 18k red gold version with smoked
LIMITED EDITION 100 AUTOMATIC DAY DATE caramel coloured dial is also available, complete
The Montblanc Heritage Perpetual A subtle tweak on the Automatic, with red gold coated applied dots as indexes.
Calendar is elegant and old school, its the Heritage Automatic Day Date Choose from a grey sfumato strap or steel mesh
pared back dial belying the technical enjoys the same pared back style with Milanese bracelet. The watches are powered by
brilliance. Featuring a brand new domed silvery white dial and striking blue Montblanc’s MB 24.27 automatic movement,
manufacture movement, it indicates seconds hand. In addition, you’ll enjoy with a 38 hour power reserve.
the hours, minutes, day, date, the practicality of a day and date display MONTBLANC HERITAGE GMT
month, moonphase and leap year neatly styled into the dial. In a 39mm, Elegant and authentic looking, there’s no
in a simple to read format. The fully polished stainless steel case, the denying the vintage appeal of the Heritage
new movement took three years to hands have been rhodium plated to GMT. Available in three versions – with a
develop, with an adjustable crown in match the colour of the case. With a silvery white domed dial and grey leather strap,
both directions making it far simpler to 38 hour power reserve, the sfumato with a steel mesh Milanese bracelet, or with
set than traditional perpetual calendars. leather strap completes this fresh and a signature salmon coloured domed dial and
masculine offering. leather strap – it’s the latter we love the most.
A clever new safety feature prevents Powered by an automatic calibre equipped with
you from setting the watch between From top: MONTBLANC HERITAGE a 24 hour GMT complication, the Montblanc
the hours of 8pm and 12pm, when Heritage AUTOMATIC Heritage GMT comes in a 40mm, fully
any manipulation could damage the Automatic, The core of the new collection – polished stainless steel case with the Minerva
movement. Powered by a self winding €2,220; and entry level point for the less Manufacture embossing on the caseback.
movement with a 48 hour power Heritage GMT, complicated pieces – the Heritage
€2,790, both Automatic comes in a 40mm stainless
Montblanc

WEIR.IE WEIR & SONS 73

The maestro Moon Phase: a celestial timepiece that
synchronises the rhythms of time with the lunar cycle.
The maestro, meaning “master”, echoes the mastery of
handcrafted Swiss horology.

TIOMUET
David Izzo, Bar Italia
When it comes to a great meal, timing is
everything. So for many chefs, a watch is one of David’s family has been involved with food since
their most prized possessions – not just for its the early 1900s. His mother’s family had vineyards
accuracy, but for its beauty and durability too. and farmland in northern Puglia, where he spent
Leslie Williams talks to some of Ireland’s food his summers helping on the farm and making pasta
heroes about their most trusted timepieces. sauce. David opened Bar Italia on Dublin’s Ormond
Quay in November 1999. The restaurant makes all
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHNNY SAVAGE, ASSISTED BY EMMET BANAHAN its own pasta, the pizza dough is fermented for at
least 48 hours, and David sources his meat directly
WEIR.IE from farmers. Bar Italia’s wine list has one of the best
Italian selections in the city.

“I first became aware of quality watches when I
was a teenager,” David says. “My dad told me that
he would get a Rolex from his job at Alitalia when he
retired, and this inspired me. What a generous way to
thank an employee, I thought, and it really must be
special if it takes 40 years of effort to get it!

“A watch was always important to me. Some of
my first words in English were: ‘What’s the time?’ A
watch can also change how the world sees you.

“Once I started working, I bought lots of fashion
watches but I noticed that they never lasted. I smoked a
lot when I was younger and one day I decided to give up.
Every day, I put the price of two packets of cigarettes
into a piggy bank. Unbelievably after just one year, I had
the price of a Rolex Datejust (pictured), so every time I
look at my watch, I think about willpower and how you
have to work for your dreams. I also realised I would
never need to buy another watch – durability is the key
thing with Rolex for me – but also it is a store of value; it
is as good as money in the bank. Remember at the end
of Marathon Man where a Rolex saves Dustin Hoffman?

“Now I have a second Rolex for dress wear – a
Cellini on an alligator strap. I also bought a Rolex for
my beloved wife and she loves it. I have one planned
for my 50th birthday in four years, so I've put my
name on the waiting list at Weir & Sons for a Rolex
GMT-Master II with a blue and red 'Pepsi' bezel. The
real dream is a Daytona, though. Maybe one day!”
baritalia.ie

WEIR & SONS 75

FIELDFORCE
SPORT CHRONO

MAKERS OF THE ORIGINAL SWISS ARMY KNIFE | ESTABLISHED 1884

Shiva and Lina Gautam, WEIR & SONS 77
Montys of Kathmandu

Shiva and Lina Gautam opened Montys of
Kathmandu Nepalese Restaurant in Temple
Bar in 1997 and it has only grown in reputation
since. Shiva is the restaurant manager and an
occasional chef, while Lina mainly works on
menu development. Montys’ legendary wine
collection is Shiva’s other passion – currently
he has over 1,000 wines on the list, including
some legendary Grand Cru Bordeaux and
Burgundy, and iconic wines such as Penfolds
Grange.

Originally from Nepal, Shiva spent his
formative years in the UK at a scholarship
school, graduating as an engineer. “I had always
aspired to owning a good watch, and with my
second pay cheque I bought a Gucci, which
I still own. When I met Lina, I bought her a
Gucci watch as an engagement gift, shortly
before we moved to Ireland to open Montys.”

Lina, also a Nepalese native, still has fond
memories of her first timepiece – a digital
watch with a red display that her dad gave her
for her tenth birthday. The early success of
Montys allowed Shiva to switch his Gucci for
a sleek, black ceramic Rado Automatic. Soon
after, as a Christmas present in 2005, Lina
visited Weir & Sons and bought Shiva a two
tone Cartier Tank (pictured) and he has rarely
taken it off since.

Lina followed suit, this time with a two tone
Rolex Datejust (pictured) bought at Weir &
Sons as a Christmas present after a tough
year. “I hoped that Lina’s Rolex would bring us
better luck in 2011, and it did! I love the graceful
nature of an automatic movement: the smooth
sweep of the hands, its independent nature, the
mechanical magic of it all,” says Shiva. For Lina,
wearing a watch is an essential part of everyday
life. “I’ve been wearing one longer than I have
my wedding ring or any other piece of jewellery.

“My Rolex is perfect,” adds Lina. “But I
think I could be persuaded to consider a ladies’
gem set Omega Constellation – it could even
be in gold. I don’t mind!” Shiva’s heart’s desire
is equally as luxe. “I have looked longingly
at the Patek Philippe range whenever I pass
the store window. They are such beautiful
machines. Perhaps some day soon, but I am
trying not to be greedy…”
montys.ie

WEIR.IE

78 WEIR & SONS Luca de Marzo,
Rosa Madre

In 2014, Luca de Marzo, who is originally from
Rome, and wife Patricia opened Rosa Madre in
Temple Bar. The restaurant, which specialises
in seafood, has an extensive wine list and
perhaps the best Champagne and sparkling
wine selection in the country. “My first watch
was a Swatch featuring the Italian comic book
character Corto Maltese,” Luca remembers.
“I think I still have it somewhere. I always had
this sense that a watch ‘makes the man’. Flash
is not important; quality is what I care about.
Working in Venice as a waiter, I had to assess
my customers quickly and I realised the watch
was a great shortcut: I learned to guess what
kind of wine a customer might like just by
looking at their watch.

“My father had an Omega Constellation
that I loved – my mother bought it for him. I
didn’t know it was valuable, but I knew it was
stylish and important. My first good watch was
also an Omega, a gold Seamaster, but thanks
to my uncle I also fell in love with Rolex.

“My uncle trained as a watchmaker in his
younger years and has a large collection of
Rolex, including a Daytona and Submariner.
His love of horology inspired me. I thought
I would buy a standard Datejust but once I
tried on his GMT on a Jubilee Bracelet, I was
hooked. It took some patience but finally four
years ago I bought my Rolex GMT-Master II
(Ref. 16710, pictured) with the ‘Coke’ bezel. It
has not been off my wrist since. It is easily the
most comfortable watch I’ve ever worn – I feel
complete when it is on my wrist.

“My wife didn’t quite understand my love of
watches at first and she was more interested in
a Chanel bag but, after a year or two of seeing
my Rolex, she understood, and so of course I
went to Weirs and bought her a Lady-Datejust.
She loves her Rolex as much as I love mine.

“I’m content for now but if I buy another
watch, I think it has to be Patek Philippe;
a Nautilus would be great, but I will have to
work hard!”
rosamadre.ie

WEIR.IE

PHOTO RETOUCHÉE #lovemyantares

Antarès
with interchangeable straps

When you’ve been making
watches for as long as we have,
some things just come naturally.

Big Crown
ProPilot X Calibre 115

Marcus O’Laoire, Marcus O'Laoire, shot exclusively for
Food writer, chef & DJ Weir & Sons Style Magazine at Ukiyo Bar,
ukiyobar.com
Marcus O’Laoire describes himself as a modern
day food nomad. Having worked in kitchens
in his early 20s, he soon began contributing
food writing to magazines and appearing on
television, while also becoming one of the
most in demand techno DJs in the city. “My
first watch memory is from when I was five
or six years old – I wanted a specific Flik Flak
watch so badly,” Marcus recalls. “Something
about watches spoke to me, even at that age.
I remember playing with my dad’s watch, a
Swatch with a bubble case which I still have,
and treasure, and it grew from there.

“As I got a bit older, I became deeply
fascinated by the complexity of automatic
movements, by the deep history surrounding
watches, as well as my own relationship with time.

“The watch I wear the most in my collection
is my trusty Rolex Sea-Dweller 4000 (Ref.
16600, pictured) from 2007. I wanted a Rolex
but I also wanted a bombproof daily watch
and, after trying it on, as well as a couple of
Submariners, I decided the slightly larger case
suited me better, and I bit the bullet. Since
then it’s been on my wrist everywhere from
thermal pools in Iceland to cave diving and
jungle hikes in Vietnam, with countless gigs,
meals and mischief in between, and it’s still in
better shape than I am!”

His most ‘lust have’ purchase? “There’s quite
a list: a Patek Philippe 5740, a ‘Paul Newman’
Rolex Daytona, and maybe even a Flik Flak
with dinosaurs on it, just for old times’ sake!
On a more practical level, I’ve had my eye on
a steel Sky-Dweller with a blue face for a while
now. It’s a stunning watch and I’m absolutely
sure it’s going to be considered a classic
collector’s Rolex sooner rather than later.”
Instagram: @marcusthedj

WEIR.IE WEIR & SONS 81

MCRAYZSETAL

Aoife Carrigy explores the labyrinthian
legacy of Antoine LeCoultre, whose art
of precision remains at the heart of the
Jaeger-LeCoultre Manufacture today.

The philosopher Jean-Christophe Bailly once characterised specialised engravers use a miniature hacksaw to remove a
natural light as an infinite workshop, because it is light tiny 0.2 grammes of material from a total 0.98 grammes.
that sets us human beings to work, nurturing our curiosity
and driving us to excel. Meanwhile, at one of seven enamellers’ workbenches, artisans
literally play with fire to apply motifs using enamel fragments
In the Vallée de Joux near the Swiss Jura Mountains, where coloured by finely crushed metal oxides. The grand feu enamelling
the light is as crystalline as the air is crisp, sits a glass labyrinth. carried out at Jaeger-LeCoultre is a particularly delicate technique.
Here, master craftsmen excel at their art of precision, building Each piece is fired more than 20 times in an 800°C kiln, and
on centuries of Swiss inventiveness to improve upon technical each firing risks cracking not only the decorative coloured layers
perfection. This Métiers Rares Atelier – or rare handcrafts of enamel but up to 10 transparent protective layers that coat
workshop – lies at the heart of the Jaeger-LeCoultre Grande each motif.
Maison and its historic Manufacture, established in 1833 and
committed to the art of precision to this day. Eleven separate workbenches are dedicated to the particularly
precise art of gem setting. Visitors can watch as these practitioners
Every element of each Jaeger-LeCoultre watch is designed, carry out the preparatory mitraillage (milling and drilling) to
produced and assembled under one roof. Each timepiece marries create seats for each stone to settle into, before applying signature
elaborate watchmaking based on technically sophisticated techniques that Jaeger-LeCoultre has adopted from fine jewellery
complications with intricate artistic expressions of the rare traditions. These include invisible or mystery setting, where
handcrafts practised here. diamonds of varying diameters are juxtaposed without the tiniest
gap to create an entirely smooth surface of gemstones.
From outside the Métiers Rares Atelier’s glass exteriors, visitors
can observe up to 30 artisans deep in concentration at their Even the work of the guilloché specialist is treated here as
wooden benches, including clusters of chamferers and engravers, a handcraft. Although guilloché translates as ‘engine turning’
enamellers and guilloché specialists, gem setters and polishers. and refers to a method of mechanical engraving, the art of
Inside, at the heart of the light-bathed labyrinth, a dedicated this specialised work lies in an ability to treat the rose engine
worktop provides a blank canvas onto which a live feed of the ‘machine’ like a hand tool. Under the firm pressure of the
artisans’ process is projected, magnified 40 times to showcase artisan’s thumb, the decorative surface is moved in a circular or
the painstaking skill involved. Visitors can also watch the work linear fashion across this sharp edged, immobile tool, and metal
through glass panels for a real scale observation of the delicate shavings are successively removed to reveal a shimmering motif.
hand gestures at play.
It is not just visitors to the historic Manufacture who
At five separate engravers’ workbenches, the intricate skills of are encouraged to observe here. Reflecting the emphasis on
line, gem set, lacquered and modelled engraving are practised. interaction that is central to the Jaeger-LeCoultre philosophy, the
The simplest engraving might take two hours of intense physical layout of the Métiers Rares Atelier fosters co-operation
concentration, while it can take up to a full week for one master between various clusters of techniques, with the artisans organised
artisan to hand produce a complex image such as a coat of arms. into centres of competence. When decorating the timepiece’s
A full three weeks is required to skeleton work the minute series movement, for example, the technique of engraving follows
of movements within the most complex calibres, for which that of chamfering (or bevelling); therefore, these workbenches

82 WEIR & SONS WEIR.IE

A technician working in
the Métiers Rares Atelier

in Jaeger-LeCoultre’s
Grande Maison Below:
Hand engraving at the
Métiers Rares Atelier

MASTER ULTRA THIN DATE

The latest Master Ultra Thin strap – secured with an 18k pink
Date watch expresses Jaeger- gold pin buckle – is interchangeable.
LeCoultre’s art of precision with
a refined aesthetic finesse to On the reverse, a solid pink gold,
match the mechanical exactitude oscillating rotor engraved with
of its self winding movement. Just the Jaeger-LeCoultre logo can be
7.8 millimetres in thickness and admired through its sapphire crystal
39 millimetres in diameter, this caseback, along with some of the
classic dress watch model has been 219 components, of which 32
revisited with a slender 18k pink are jewels, that make up the
gold case now surrounding a bold Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 899/1.
eggshell dial. This understated shade As with all Jaeger-LeCoultre
makes a strong backdrop for the movements, this self winding
pink gold bezel and the elongated, mechanical movement
golden polished hour markers that has been exclusively designed,
complement the elegant dauphine produced and assembled in
hands. At six o’clock, an unobtrusive the historic Jaeger-LeCoultre
aperture displays the date. The case Manufacture workshops in
is water resistant to 50 metres and the Vallée de Joux village of Le
the hand stitched brown leather Sentier, where Antoine LeCoultre
established it back in 1833.

WEIR.IE WEIR & SONS 83

Almost 180 specialist skills and trades From top: Master Ultra and mechanisation was internationally recognised
go into manufacturing each watch Thin Moon enamel watch, with a gold medal at the first Universal Exhibition in
€36,900; Master Ultra London in 1851. His legacy lived on after his death
are neighbours. Besides expressing a Swiss understanding in 1881, thanks to the work of his son Elie LeCoultre,
that everything has its own logical place, this has a highly Thin Date watch, with whom he had established the Vallée de Joux’s first
practical purpose, as an excessively chamfered component €15,100; Rendez-Vous Manufacture. This move to bring under one roof each
may not leave enough surface for engraving. Their Date medium quartz of the watchmaking skills previously housed in separate
carefully considered proximity eases observation and workshops proved to be a key strength of what became
communication between these coworking artisans, watch, €14,900, the ‘Grande Maison of the Vallée de Joux’.
encouraging each to practise their art with a precision all Jaeger-LeCoultre
that allows perfect conditions for their colleague’s process. That pioneering legacy endures, expressed by many
technical breakthroughs over the years, and matched
This free flow of technical expertise and artistic
inspiration is reflected in the relationship between masters by the elevated artistic expression of the Maison’s
and apprentices within the Atelier, creating an environment in-house Métiers Rares artisans.
in which new working methods are developed and In 2004, when the Gyrotourbillon became
innovations born. the first grande complication wristwatch to
feature a tourbillon gravitating on two axes,
The marriage of fresh thinking with age old skills has fostered the traditional skills of hand guillochage, fine
many ‘world first’ moments for the Maison. These milestones hammering (martelage) and grand feu enamel were
began with the invention by founder Antoine LeCoultre of a
machine that could cut from steel the watch pinions – or small given contemporary expression to showcase the
cogwheels – so central to the precise art of Swiss watchmaking. mesmerising multi-axis tourbillon.
This invention led him to establish his own watchmaking In 2007, the Dual-Wing concept of the Duomètre
workshop in 1833, in the Vallée de Joux village of Le Sentier, watch took inspiration from the flight of a bird to
where the company’s Manufacture remains based today. unite two independent mechanisms – one dedicated
to the functioning of the complications, the second to
In 1844, LeCoultre invented the Millionomètre, the first the precise measurement of passing time – by a single
instrument to measure the micron, a unit that represents one regulating part. The aesthetic harmony of its symmetrical
millionth of a metre and that is still used in many technical and dial and pink gold case was hand decorated with a host of
scientific fields. LeCoultre’s contribution to timepiece precision high precision methods, such as the patented côtes soleillées
technique that creates on the metal an impression akin to
“Every element of each rays of sunlight.
Jaeger-LeCoultre watch is One of the Maison’s finest expressions of technical
designed, produced and precision married to artistic technique is its 2018
assembled under one roof” reimagining of the Reverso. This iconic Art Deco model
was first designed in 1931 to be suitable for players of polo,
with a reversible case that can swivel in its carrier to protect
the watch glass from potential knocks. The Reverso Tribute
Enamel caseback was reinterpreted as a second watch face
on which an enamelled miniature of one of three iconic
paintings – representing the highly technical styles
of European Pointillism, Chinese ink wash painting
and Japanese woodblock printing, respectively – was
created. The watch front displays handcrafted details in
harmony with the back of the watch. For example, the
dial of the Pointillist-inspired Reverso Tribute Enamel is
guillochéd with small lozenges embossed under a deep
green translucent enamel, while the ink wash model boasts
delicate geometric guilloché patterns under opalescent ivory
hued enamel.
These handcrafts practised within that light-washed
glass labyrinth represent just some of almost 180 specialist
trades and artisanal skills plied at the Manufacture today,
where over 400 patents are applied to produce nearly 1,250
calibres. It’s a legacy that Antoine LeCoultre could surely
be proud of.

84 WEIR & SONS WEIR.IE

POWERED BY
ANY LIGHT

Never Needs a Battery

Capella Diamond

M A R Q™ C O L L E C T I O N FORGED FROM OUR DNA. AUTHENTIC IN EVERY DETAIL.

Copyright © 2019 Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries.

SECOND SKIN

From expertly crafted, handmade wallets to buttery soft totes and ingenious
laptop cases, our leather department is your go-to for savvy, statement pieces.

Lovingly crafted with centuries old techniques, a leather accessory is much more than just an
everyday item. Made to last and constantly improving with age, this unique material is as versatile as
it is hardwearing. At Weir & Sons, we pride ourselves on stocking everything from bags, wallets and
passport holders to laptop cases, cardholders and belts by some of the finest makers. Whether it is

for personal or business use, we have a range of styles suitable for personal and corporate gifting.

WEIR.IE WEIR & SONS 87

Orlando leather holdall
weekend bag, €380, Saddler
The perfect weekend bag, this tan leather
holdall also doubles as a suit bag and
comes with zip and shoe pockets.

Mini wallet with perforated Extreme 2.0 folded pocket credit
leather in cognac, €65, Secrid cardholder, €200, Montblanc
Innovators in protective cardholders and cash
wallets, Secrid wallets are made using the best Coming with a carbon fibre print motif and
leather with a patented magnetic strip protector a leather interior, this pocket holder has
built in. This model comes with space for six
cards, all neatly released with one click. eight slots for credit cards with two additional
pockets and features Montblanc’s Shield
technology with RFID-blocking lining.

Barolo black wash bag, €83, Saddler
Made with Saddler's distinctive luxury high

quality leather, the lid of this neat bag
contains a zip pocket while inside a middle

divider keeps contents separate.

Laptop case in leather, Leather passport holder with credit
€150, Tony Perotti cardholder, €59, Tony Perotti

Designed not just to hold your laptop Handcrafted with strong, durable leather and
but your laptop accessories also, there soft, satin lining, this features Perotti's superior
is room too for business essentials, all double stitching and three large pocket slots for
neatly tucked into lined zip pockets. credit cards, boarding passes or plane tickets.

Black leather belt, €250, Montblanc
This black cut-to-size belt comes with
a rectangular high shine, ruthenium
coated pin buckle for extra durability. Self
adjustable, it measures 4cm x 120cm with

a black printed leather strap.

Leather tote, €175, Saddler Double pocket wash bag, €125, Tony Perotti
The perfect day to night bag, this tote by Made with the highest quality Italian

the Swedish label comes in sustainable leather and using the brand's unique eco
premium leather in a maroon hue with a vegetable tanning process performed by
master tanners in Tuscany, this comes with
zipper and two inner compartments.
internal pockets and embossed logo.
88 WEIR & SONS
WEIR.IE

Industrial design and fashion come
together in our pocket-sized essentials

secrid secrid secrid

DSIRLVEAEMR “ITwas on silver that the strength
of the company was built. It
Silver is a key part of the Weir & Sons story. Jessie was really the foundation of the
Collins charts the evolution of its lustrous history. business.” David Broughan, manager of the
silverware department at Weir & Sons, should
90 WEIR & SONS know. Working at Weir & Sons since the 1970s,
his experience is second to none. The truth is, if
you want to know about Weir & Sons, you have
to tell the story of silver. As soon as Thomas
Weir established his business in 1869, it quickly
became the largest goldsmiths and jewellers in
the country. While it sold everything from scarf
pins to wedding rings, its silver offering was its
cornerstone.

WEIR.IE

NATHALIE MARQUEZ COURTNEY

At the time, David explains, the watch silver producing nations, meant that the silver Clockwise from left:
department was still a small part of the business. made here never became mechanised and so The silver plate made to
Silver, however, was the mainstay. “The never lost its artisan craftsmanship. The hand commemorate Weir &
core stock would have been domestic table skills stayed, and thus Irish silver continues Sons' 150th anniversary;
silverware, everything from condiment sets to be highly sought after. “Metalwork goes the TW hallmark, used by
to candlesticks and coasters as well as tea sets, back centuries in Ireland. And it’s always been Weir & Sons since 1872; a
trays, cutlery, teaspoons, all in an array of styles centred around Dublin. Antique Irish silver now detail from the RDS Horse
and variations for people buying wedding gifts. commands premium prices,” explains David. Show Perpetual Cup, made
Silver was really at its peak.” Though some silver by Weir & Sons; the silver
was imported from England, Irish silver was Times and styles changed, however, and crozier commissioned by the
sought after even then, and Thomas Weir soon gradually the market for household silver began Church of Ireland in 1959
set up a silver workshop in-house to cater for to wane. Instead, people started to seek more for the Bishop of Clogher; a
the growing demand. keepsake items in silver, with photo frames, set of silver spoons, made by
christening gifts and traditional presentational Weir & Sons
There were also the repair and engraving items soon becoming more popular. There was a
services that became a vital part of the business. functionality to the silver that was being sought WEIR & SONS 91
“The company had a full team of silversmiths
including chasers, spinners, polishers and
engravers offering a full bespoke service.” This
continued for the best part of the next 50 to
60 years. At times too, global events meant
that Weir & Sons had unique access to the best
pieces. “They had silver during the war years
that no one else had,” says David.

Ireland’s modest size, in comparison to other

“Ireland’s modest size meant that the silver
made here never became mechanised and
so never lost its artisan craftsmanship”

WEIR.IE

too, with decanters doubling as water jugs, and also a large demand for the rings during the late NATHALIE MARQUEZ COURTNEY
a desire to have pieces that had both design 19th century. They returned to vogue in the
quality and a dual purpose to them. 1920s, with a Celtic revival born out of the Art Clockwise from top left: Irish show jumper
& Crafts movement reigniting interest. The style Jessica Kürten holding the Aga Khan Trophy;
The perennially popular commemorative then languished again before being picked up in a detail from one of the sporting trophies
and bespoke pieces also endured, a part of the the 1970s. And its popularity is once again on made in the silver workshop; Irish silver picture
business that has been thriving for decades. the rise, but this time it is not just something frame, designed and produced exclusively for
Weir & Sons continues to be responsible for that’s seen as either a souvenir or a token piece Weir & Sons.
the Aga Khan Trophy, along with medals and but as part of our Irish heritage and an iconic
trophies for other major international sports Irish design. Now both Irish and international WEIR.IE
tournaments. Special commemorative items customers want to buy into the Irish and Celtic
include a piece to mark joining what was story in a more luxurious way, investing in more
the EEC in 1973 (now the EU) and one to precious metals and stone set pieces, while still
celebrate the Dublin millennium in 1988, drawing on that classic heritage.
as well as medals for the 1916 centenary and
the millennium year in 2000. To celebrate The jewellery is always Irish made, explains
Weir & Sons’ 150th anniversary, the team also David, and its authenticity is key to the
created an Irish silver plate, the first piece to be business. “With it gaining in popularity again in
hallmarked in 2019 at the Dublin Assay Office the past 10 years or so, we have started to build
when it opened on 3 January, with smaller and develop the range of brands we stock. And
replica versions also made. we are selling serious pieces of jewellery, with
diamond and Claddagh rings worth thousands
But the silver story wouldn’t be complete of euros. We are getting more and more
without charting the lasting success of Irish Celtic commissions to have individual pieces made,
silver and gold jewellery. The Claddagh ring in which is something not really seen before. It is a
particular, though designed around 1700 by a growing area and it’s wonderful to have it going
jeweller in Claddagh, Co Galway, only became so strong again.”
popularised in Victorian times, and there was

92 WEIR & SONS





CEIMTEYRALD ‘green’, the acronym here stands for: Go with
The Fumbally the seasons; Local produce; Avoid food waste;
Fancy greening up your shopping credentials? Sustainable practices. Everything grown and
Jillian Bolger charts the Dublin restaurants, hotels farmed on the estate is turned into seasonal
and stores with sustainability at their heart. dishes, supplemented with produce by top Irish
artisans. Sustainable dishes are highlighted on
EAT the menu and include a garden herb omelette
and delicious organic garden salad plate with
Airfield Estate AIRFIELD ESTATE brown bread. airfield.ie
The farm to fork movement seems a little THE FUMBALLY
difficult to achieve in a city setting, but not so at Laidback, hip and welcoming, the buzzy
Airfield Estate in Dundrum. The unique urban Fumbally café manages to be all things to all
farm has seen its excellent restaurant, Overends people. A melting pot of food styles – drawn
Kitchen, utilising the farm’s fresh produce to on from the international staff – the Dublin 8
deliver a seasonal menu with extra-low food hotspot serves great coffee and prioritises
miles. Maintaining an ambitious food ethos, delicious local, organic and seasonal produce,
culinary lead Luke Matthews oversees four with ethical and sustainable sourcing to the
simple principles, labelled GLAS. The Irish for fore. Vegan and vegetarian dishes are always
available, takeaway packaging is biodegradable
and you’ll find plenty of fermented foods,
homemade drinks and vinegars that have been
created using the leftover juice pulp. Next
door, in beautiful old refurbished stables dating
from around 1750, is the lovely Fumbally
Stables, billed as a ‘Food and Community
Space’. The Fumbally family uses this large
building to host food, cultural and educational
events, workshops and classes. Alongside yoga
sessions and holistic treatments, the space,
which includes a commercial kitchen, can be
rented out for private events too. thefumbally.ie
CORNUCOPIA
An old favourite, Cornucopia has always worn
its vegetarian heart on its sleeve. The family-
run wholefood restaurant has been serving
vegetarian and vegan food since 1986 in a casual
space with counter service. The 90 per cent
plant based menu changes daily, with everything
freshly produced in-house. Diners can enjoy
organic vegan wine, juices and craft beers
alongside treats like jackfruit curry, aubergine
fricassé, sweet potato sambar, and cauliflower
and tofu pie. The minimal dairy and eggs used
are organic. Striving to be as ethical as possible,
Cornucopia’s waste management policy includes
compostable and biodegradable packaging and
a discount for customers who bring their own
cup. Zero waste products are for sale, including
reusable Chilly’s bottles and Ecoffee cups. Staff
are encouraged to cycle to work with a bike to
work scheme. Best of all, the food is delicious
and really good value. cornucopia.ie

WEIR.IE WEIR & SONS 95

Aimsir

AIMSIR
Cornwall born chef Jordan Bailey and his Danish wife and front of house manager, Majken
Bech Christensen, have looked to Ireland’s natural larder for inspiration in Aimsir, their
dazzling new destination restaurant named after the Irish for ‘weather’. Opened in the Cliff
at Lyons in Celbridge, just outside Dublin, the stylish fine dining space serves only what can
be “sown and harvested, fished and foraged” on the island of Ireland. Previously head chef
at a three Michelin star restaurant in Norway, Jordan’s kitchen trickery and careful sourcing
mean the operation keeps an enviably low carbon footprint – with the beautiful kitchen
gardens around Cliff at Lyons primed to supply herbs, salads, fruits and vegetables. Guests
can stay overnight in Cliff at Lyons, but it is also open to non-residents, with bookings
selling out within minutes of release, so be sure to get in early. aimsir.ie

SHOP SIOPAELLA products. Lilly’s Eco Clean washing up liquid
Ella de Guzman’s brilliant Siopaella business is its bestseller. “People who may not be fully
Small Changes model is the antithesis of fast fashion. ready to commit to zero waste living are generally
SMALL CHANGES Reducing waste by giving a new lease of life to happy to refill washing up liquid bottles,”
Horrified by the plastic you strip off your preloved garments and accessories, Siopaella explains Naomi, who, in turn, returns the 20-litre
supermarket shop every week? So too was is a designer exchange that not only keeps containers to Lilly’s to be refilled. “We implement
Peadar Rice, who opened Small Changes in clothing out of landfills but provides a second this refill system with a couple of our Irish and
Drumcondra in 2010. Today the eco friendly life for the luxury items in your wardrobe. Dutch suppliers.” Naomi believes both retailers
shop aims to reduce both household and food Ella’s careful buying policy – beginning with and consumers need to push for a more circular
waste, with a self service refill station containing designer bags, shoes, jewellery and clothing economy, which reduces unnecessary waste, with
over 100 unpackaged products. Small Changes’ at her original store – has seen the brand Noms leading the way. noms.ie
biggest sellers are its eco friendly and cruelty-free grow to four outlets, a Wishlist service and
household products which are much cheaper to an online offering. For those not based in STAY
refill in your own container. Dried foods, such Dublin, there’s a smart Siopaella app where
as rice, nuts, pasta and coffee beans sell well over 10,000 sellers find new homes for their Iveagh Garden Hotel
too and the majority of the fresh food is loose. preloved designer pieces. Think Chanel IVEAGH GARDEN HOTEL
Zero waste alternatives like natural deodorant handbags, Balenciaga dresses and Miu Miu Europe’s first sustainable hotel, the glam
and eco soap are popular and this ambitious sunnies, all at knockdown prices. siopaella.com Iveagh Garden Hotel, has an impeccable eco
neighbourhood shop works with as many Irish NOMS CV that includes the lowest carbon footprint
producers as possible. smallchanges.ie Standing for ‘Natural, Organic, Mindful, of any European hotel. With a custom built
Sustainable’, Noms – Naomi Sheridan’s lovely renewable energy system which uses natural
Phibsborough shop – is all heart, marrying energy harvested on site, it has seen a huge
natural and organic food with ethical and decrease in the building’s energy usage and CO2
sustainable living. It sells loose, packageless emissions. A river running beneath the hotel
produce, including organic fruit and vegetables, acts as an energy reserve for cooling and heating
dry goods, and liquid refills of everything from the building without burning fuel, and even the
olive oil to ketchup and household cleaning lifts have been replaced with smart low energy
systems. It’s all delightfully luxurious too, and
OTHER ECO FAVOURITES a brilliant base for a weekend in the capital.
iveaghgardenhotel.ie
Check out Brother Hubbard, the Middle Eastern influenced holistic eatery on Capel Street
(brotherhubbard.ie) or Catalyst Coffee down the coast in Bray for great coffee with an ethical
heart (instagram.com/catalystcoffee_). For wonderful household once-offs, we love the
unexpected trinkets, treasures and furniture found in Decor on Wexford Street (facebook.com/
decordublin) and Mac’s Warehouse in Islandbridge is a salvage hunter’s paradise (macswarehouse.
ie). For eco parenting and baby supplies, look up Irish company Earthmother (earthmother.ie).

96 WEIR & SONS WEIR.IE