The mountain of horology is steep and massive. This simple metaphor explains how those who have the most timepiece knowledge climb an increasingly difficult mountain of models, science, and aesthetics. Certain pieces which are very highly desired by “high altitude climbers” would make little sense to those still at the bottom of the mountain  who are only beginning to understand watches. That is certainly the case with the majority of watches being produced by Swiss De Bethune.

We absolutely love De Bethune for their creativity, expression of micro-engineering concepts, and modern appeal. These watches live in a universe all their own, and to really appreciate them you need to be a seasoned watch lover of the highest degree. Take the new De Bethune DB 28 Silicon/Titanium (ST) as an example for combining esoteric and perhaps ironic details that only a serious timepiece collector can fully appreciate.

How does one measure craftsmanship in the world of horology? Is it adherence to tradition? Perhaps the amount of human time spent producing a product? Maybe it is the level of technical expertise and research required to produce an item. Each of these are fair measures of quality and craftsmanship – found in differing amounts depending on the high-end timepiece you are looking at.

Craftsmanship in perhaps all of its forms is found in the watches offered by Grieb & Benzinger. The cooperation includes talent in both watch decoration and restoration. This is exactly what Grieb & Benzinger is essentially all about, and they take these crafts to an extremely high and exclusive level.

This watch is The Blue Danube, a one-of-a-kind creation highly representative of what Grieb & Benzinger does best. The watch starts with an antique Patek Philippe minute repeater split second chronograph mechanical movement that was produced for Tiffany & Company – reportedly in 1890.

An oscillating balance wheel is used in mechanical watches as the regulating organ inside of their movements – it is the connection point between the power source (mainspring) and the rest of the timepiece. Often considered to be the 'heart' of a watch, the balance wheel is the biggest factor in determining how accurate a mechanical watch will be.

But clever watchmakers have learned that multiple balance wheels can be built into watch movements. Though often used for mere visual spectacle and complication, multiple balance wheels can assist in making a watch more accurate – especially when placed right next to each other. Two balance wheels placed together in close proximity have a tendency to equalise each other, resulting in more stable operational results over time. Whereas gravity and other environmental factors can cause interruptions in balance wheel 'rate results', the effect of resonance means that two balance wheels next to each other tend to be more stable, increasing the accuracy of the mechanical movement.

For over a decade, the tourbillon has been the high-end watch complication with the most mystique. A tourbillon is a special type of balance wheel and escapement assembly on a mechanical watch that revolves in a circle constantly around its own axis. It is a concept that is hundreds of years old, developed as a means of making pocket watches potentially more accurate. The irony is that no one has been able to definitively claim they actually make watches more accurate, but what is certain is that tourbillons offer a rather fantastic visual when viewed on a watch dial, and more importantly, they have become one of the de facto signs of wealth on a timepiece. In certain cultures, in fact, the gifting of a tourbillon-based watch is a sign that the gift cost at least USD 100,000.

There are less expensive models, of course, but the perception of wealth in a watch is strong when it has a tourbillon. Much of this has to do with the fact that tourbillons are delicate and tricky to assemble, as they have a lot of parts and require very skilled labor to design and put together. The message of such a gift is often “someone very skilled made this for you.”

Traditional Swiss watch brand Blancpain has just released one of its most serious tributes to Chinese culture. It is no secret that, with a booming luxury economy in China, brands like Blancpain and many others are doing very well in the luxury-hungry market. Swiss watchmakers aren’t closed about the fact that they owe a lot to their fans in the Far East, and this ambitious watch is not only a mechanical triumph, but also a symbolic holding of hands between the Swiss and Chinese cultures.

As a purported world’s first, Blancpain has produced a mechanical watch that displays the traditional Chinese calendar, which unlike the solar Gregorian calendar, is lunar and considers other information like the zodiac and celestial stem calendar.