The “Marie-Antoinette,” or watch No.160, was shrouded by mystery and intrigue even before the theft. The gold pocket watch was commissioned in 1783 and completed in 1827. Historical rumor relates that the watch was ordered as a gift forthe young Queen Marie Antoinette by Count Hans Axel von Fersen, a Swedish statesman who was alleged to be her secret lover.
There is an eerie reverence to the solitary confinement of No.160. The black and blood red exhibition chamber that again cages the timepiece appears to be an allegory to its dark history. Both parties, watchmaker and client, never lived to see the final result. Marie-Antoinette perished at the guillotine during the construction of her pocket watch and Breguet died four years before his masterpiece was was completed.
To even a casual Rolex Daytona Chronograph Automatic Two Tone with MOP Dial collector, the Marie-Antoinette looks like a strange mechanical device jam-packed with intereaving compasses and miniature protractors. However waht appears to be a chaotic invention is actually a precise mathematical arrangement of 823 unique parts that supports a self-winding system; a shock-absorbing mechanism; a complete perpetual calendar; a repeater that calculates hours, quarter-hours, minutes, and seconds; and evena thermometer. The blue-steeled hands are visible through the rock crystal dial, and the whole fascinating contraption is encased in an 18-karat gold case. The Queen measures 60 mm in diameter and its bridges, wheels, and other inner parts are all made of gold.
Corum has enjoyed strong development in Asia during the past few years with a significant growth rate. However, the potential growth remains very interesting. For example, India offers exciting prospects as the brand is still not strongly implemented there.
America, both North and South, indeed offers great potential as the whole distribution network needs to be rebuilt. With the taking over of the North American subsidiary in 2009, and the reorganization of the South American market, we now have the right people in place and tools necessary to convert the work achieved there into convincing results.
Europe remains an incontrovertible market due to itsstability and due to its role of “window market” for foreigners and tourists visiting Europe. With the swiss replica watches world’s growing mobility, it is essential that a brand be well established in its own market to settle its desirability among tourists.
Corum has allied itselfwith the sport of sailing through regatta sponsorships and relationships with Ben Ainslie and Loick Peyron. Do you sail yourself? And do you anticipate additional sponsorships?
I joined our Okalys-Corum team on their D35 for training once and it was a unique experience. I loved it. I was a unique experience. I loved it. I was fortunate to share their passion for sailing and be part of the cohesion that animates the team on board. Ever since Corum initiated its product repositioning strategy, with a return to its roots, the brand’s primary goal has been to create long-term values. True to this philosophy and its historical legitimacy, Corum is now a key player in the sailing world (starting with the sponsorship of talented Ben Ainslie, partnering alongside team Okalys-Corum and giving its name to the Corum Grand Prix, recruiting the charismatic Loick Peyron and its parnership with the Bol d’Or Mirabaud). My goal is definitely to enlarge the circle of our sailing friends by supporting more talented sailors and sponsoring major competitions across Europe and even overseas.
International Watch: Mr. Calce, in addition to serving as the global head of Corum, you are also the brand’s North American president. Waht are your goals for North America?
Antonio Calce: My function has a precise goal: to help bring Corum USA to the level of our other markets as quickly as possible, specifically in terms of brand image and of course profitability. We have already reinforced the sales and marketing team to strengthen our work with North American points of sale. To summarize, we will cocus on improving our organization, strengthening our brand image and gaining market share.
With regard to the restructuring in North America, I appointed Mr. Steve Shonebarger as COO and Executive Vice-President to redevelop strong relationships within the market, which is of utmost importance to our brand. With the team, we are working in depth to re-establish CoRUM’S STATUS BY IMPLEMENTING HEADQUARTER STRATEGIES ALONG WITH MARKETING AND SALES TOOLS.
International Watch: Mr. Calce, in addition to serving as the global head of Corum, you are also the brand’s North American president. Waht are your goals for North America?
Antonio Calce: My function has a precise goal: to help bring Corum USA to the level of our other markets as quickly as possible, specifically in terms of brand image and of course profitability. We have already reinforced the sales and marketing team to strengthen our work with North American points of sale. To summarize, we will cocus on improving our organization, strengthening our brand image and gaining market share.
With regard to the restructuring in North America, I appointed Mr. Steve Shonebarger as COO and Executive Vice-President to redevelop strong relationships within the market, which is of utmost importance to our brand. With the team, we are working in depth to re-establish CoRUM’S STATUS BY IMPLEMENTING HEADQUARTER STRATEGIES ALONG WITH MARKETING AND SALES TOOLS.
At the most recent Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie, Panerai unveiled the Luminor Marina 1950 3 Days Automatic, Ref. PAM 359. This Luminor Marina carries virtually all of the design cues of a historic piece made by Panerai almost twenty years ago, in 1993, as one of the first editions for the civilian market. The piece has the same sturdiness and water resistance (300 meters) as the original, but bears two major updates. The new Luminor Marina is equipped with the P.9000 in-house automatic caliber with twin spring barrels and 72-hour power reserve. There’s also a newly designed black sandwich dial that has numerals where there were once stick hour markers. The Omega Seamaster 007 James Bond 40 Anniversary with Blue dial color of the luminescent material on the hands and numerals is the same ecru that canbe found on vintage Panerai timepieces from the 1940s.
The case of the Luminor Marina PAM 359 is an identical 44 mm size-same as the previous model-but with a polished look that contrasts with a brushed steel crown protector. An exhibition back is employed to display the in-house movement, which is another departure from the steel original. The new Luminor Marina case features a patented system for easily changing the strap (it comes with two) that requires the use of two small and easy-to-use tools.
For devotion to a single watch brand, the Paneristi may be unmatched. While chatting with various members during P-Day, iW heard accents from Europe, Asia and Australia, and number of American Paneristi recounted P-Days past for which they had traveled to Europe.
According to Paddy Conway, a Paneristi moderator based in Chicago, “Panerai keeps producing what we [the Paneristi community] see as beauty. To be able to wear that beauty and keep it hidden, personal or shown is an option that adds to it’s personal mystique. Though we arewatch enthusiasts, nothing compares to a Panerai. It’s not a watch. It’s a lifestyle. Oh so much more than a Panerai Ferrari Rattapante Chronograph Automatic with White Dial.” From the beginning, Giovanni Panerai forged relationships with immportant names in Swiss horology, and when his firm began manufacturing its own timepieces, Swiss movements were used to power them.
By 1990, Giovanni’s grandson Guido Panerai had taken over the family business and begun an ambitious expansion, repositioning Panerai as a maker of high-precision instruments and a supplier to the Royal Italian Navy. Guido moved the shop to Florence’s Piazza San Gioanni under the name Orlogeria Svizzera, the very retail space in which Officine Panerai’s flagship boutique today resides.
It was around this time that Officine Panerai began delivering optical and mechanical instruments to the Italian Ministry of Defense. Just a decade later, Panerai began experiments with luminous materials, with the ultimate goal being to produce instrument dials that military personnel could read at night and at great depths. The firm succeeded by mixing zinc sulphide and radium bromide-inventing a luminous substance that would eventually be given the famous name Radiomir. To this day, an illuminated dial graces every watch made by Panerai.
Members of the independent online Panerai collector community Paneristi.com converged in New York this September for the ninth edition of P-Day. P-Day is an annual celebration of the Paneristi community that encourages its members, who typically communicate through the online forum Paneristi.com, to meet in person and celebrate their shared, some might say obsessive, passion for replica Panerai Ferrari Automatic with Black Dial and Strap
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This year’s P-Day kicked off with a private cocktail party at the artist and avid Paneristi Eng Tay’s TriBeCa loft, and iW was there to get a sense of just what makes the Paneristi community unique.
Due to the loft’s relatively small space, invitations to P-Day were strictly limited, and this year only about 200 members of the community, which numbers in the thousands, were able to secure tickets.
And this P-Day was a very special one indeed, for several reasons. It was the first time that the event was ever held in the United States, despite the factthat the U.S. market is Panerai’s largest; this year marks the 10th anniversary of Paneristi.com; and Panerai this year honored its most enthusiastic oline collector group with their very own limited edition Paneristi Luminor, the Reference PAM 360.
A few tears were shed when Eng Tay presented Paneristi moderator Bo Bolander with a bust he made of former moderator Bob Quapaw, a longtime member fo the community who passed away last year, so that Bo might deliver the sculpture to Bob’s wife, Tammy. Later, two Paneristi instrumental in working with Panerai to complete the Reference PAM 360 project-Paddy Conway and Arif Sani-were gifted with their own PAM 360s, and one member who was unable to travel from Australia to New York was video-conferenced in so that he could open the box to his P.360 and wear it for the first time in the presence of his fellow enthusiasts.
Buckeye GMT
A COSC-certified automatic movemet comes standard on Balls new Engineer II Ohio GMT. Along with an hour, minute, and seconds hand, the timepiece features an independently adjustable GMT hand. To be sure you can read those various hands, 15 micro gas tubes are fitted into the dial. Holding the luminous dial is a 40 mm stainless steel case with anti-reflective sapphire crystal and screwed-in crown. Either a crocodile strap or stainless steel bracelet fastens the Ball watch together. Price: $2,199.
Horology Horoscope
For all those born under the scale, Seah offers this Libra timepiece from the firm’s astrological watch series. The watch’s bezel is engraved with the brand’s name, and along with the case is molded out of stainless steel.The quartz chronograph watch features three counters and a date. Price: $1,495-$2,995.
Retro Air
German brand Stowa introduces a remake of a rare Flieger watch from the 1940s. The piece showcases a Baumuster B dial with black coating and white print coated with SuperLuminova. A 40mm stainless steel case holds an ETA 2824-2 automatic movement.Steel blue hands coated with luminous material tickaround this retro dial design. The watch’s strap is made of black or brown leather. Price: $630 Euros ($845).
New Editon
Amechanical automatic winding movement powers Finnish designer Stepan Sarpaneva’s new concept dive watch, Korona K0, set for release next year. The Soprod A10 caliber is modified to allow all the dive timer functions to be set by only one crown. Housed within a 46 mm titanium case, the black diamond coated stainless steel dial employs SuperLuminova indices and rhodium-plated hands. Approximately $15,000.
Ever-Evolving
Glashutte Original unveils his and her Sport Evolution models. For him, the Sport Evolution Impact Chronograph features four red shock absorbers that protect the case in intense situations. These same red highlights accent the black case. SuperLuminova inlaind markers and hands make for easy reading. The chronograph watch features a tachymeter bezel and is powered by a GO Caliber 39-31. Price:$12,500 (strap model), $14,000 (steel bracelet).
Northern Lights
Born from a partnership between bladesmith Johan Gustafsson and watchmaker Patrik Sjogren, the Lapland-Sky by Gos is fitted with a Unitas/ETA 6498 movement with modifications by Soprod.A unique blue-purple color dial resembles an autumn night in Lapland, around which dauphine shaped hands tick. Everything is housed in a 44 mm case with bead-blasted sides and high-golss polished surfaces. A reindeer strap adjonins the limited-edition timepiece: Only three units will be made. Price:$11,500
