The mechanical watch, or time suspended

With the arrival of quartz watches in 1969, the mechanical watch suffered a certain disenchantment, to the point of going under the radar for a few decades, before gradually regaining ground in the 2000s; and finally, unleashing passions in auction rooms and beyond. However, it would be a little hasty to conclude that this is just a fad or a whim of wealthy speculators.

The mechanical watch, experiencing time differently

BD Go West Young man Tiburce Oger

So what is the difference between a mechanical watch and a quartz watch?

The mechanical watch differs from the quartz watch by the source from which it draws the energy that drives it. Indeed, there is no need for a battery to make its hands move: it is enough to wind the barrel spring. It is the relaxation of this one that will provide the energy necessary to give life to this set of cogs that constitute a mechanical watch . But as attractive as these kinetic considerations may be, they do not explain on their own what makes these watches so special. To discover it, I suggest you broaden the scope.

In November 2021, writer Tiburce Oger was promoting his recently published collaborative comic, Go West Young Man . This saga traces 150 years of American history with a common thread… a mechanical watch . And when asked if a firearm wouldn't have been more appropriate to serve as a common thread in a story set in the Wild West, he naturally replied that using a flintlock pistol from the 1763 Revolutionary War would have been completely incongruous during the Mexican Revolution of 1910! While using the same watch is not, quite the opposite.

What we must remember from this digression is that the mechanical watch does not suffer from the obsolescence that affects many of our everyday objects: it passes through time without aging, and will continue, as long as it is properly maintained, to give you this information that is both so trivial and at the same time so indispensable, which is the time. This ability to free itself from time also explains why mechanical watches are so present during transmissions between generations but also why these watches are also called " timekeepers ".

Skeleton watches with visible mechanisms: the art of seduction

New men's mechanical watch

Among the diverse shapes that mechanical watches come in, some stand out by revealing their precious inner workings. Skeleton watches reveal what is usually hidden, without revealing all its secrets; they are, in a way, to watchmaking what fine lingerie is to textiles.

However, not all skeleton watches have the same sense of modesty. Indeed, it is through a transparent case back that the most timid of them reveal their mechanisms. Others, on the other hand, open their dial so that we can observe part of the mechanism. Most often, it is the hairspring. And the fact that these watches are called "Open heart" is evocative enough to not need to add anything. Finally, there are those that are not afraid of the eyes, the most breathtaking, those that free themselves entirely from their dial: skeleton watches.

Mechanical watch fashion

Much less macabre than they seem, these skeleton watches are a delight for the eyes.

But don't think that simply removing the dial is enough to obtain a skeleton watch. At the very least, each plate, each cog, each part must be carefully thought out, openworked, decorated, in a subtle compromise between transparency and maintaining mechanical functions in order to obtain this very particular result. At best, like the watches found in particular at Code41 or BA111OD, the movement is directly imagined with the objective of maximizing the sensation of immersion and transparency that this type of movement provides, so much so that they rise to the level of the most delicate of laces.

Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso watch strap, the undeniable allure of exotic leather

Have you ever wondered why leather pairs so well with mechanical watches?

Some will talk about comfort, others about fashion or even tradition... While not wrong, they nevertheless miss the point. All things considered, it is ultimately a highly putrescible material, the hide of an animal, which the magic of tanning transforms into a stable and durable material. Thus, the hide, which has become leather, has in fact freed itself from the passage of time. In this sense, its place alongside a timepiece is all the more legitimate. Thus, leather also has every latitude to tell a story.
Take the case of the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso watch strap. For those unfamiliar with this model, it was invented by the Grande Maison in 1931. However, this watch originated not only far from a watchmaking workshop but also far away from Switzerland, in the colony of British India. It was during a business trip to the subcontinent that César de Trey, a close friend of Jacques-David LeCoultre and a watch distributor, attended a polo game between officers of the Crown Army. At the end of the meeting, one of them came up to him and pointed out the broken glass of his watch. He then challenged him to design a model robust enough to survive the shocks caused by playing polo. Back in Switzerland, César de Trey urged Jacques-David LeCoultre to get to work. And on March 4, 1931, a patent was filed for a "watch that slides in its holder and can turn on itself." This allowed the wearer to rotate the case 180 degrees to protect the glass. It was named Reverso, meaning " I turn around" in Latin. The first models were shipped to India to be tested by polo players.
Jaeger Le Coultre watch strap
As far as we can tell, the preferred Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso watch strap quickly shifted to leather, naturally, but more specifically to ostrich leather. A strange choice given that this bird has no connection with India. However, the influence of the Roaring Twenties and the decorative arts is still felt, and it must be said that the naturally distinctive patterns of this leather soften the lines of this rectilinear case.

Regardless, the Reverso enjoyed enormous success until the early 1950s. Round watches were now fashionable, and watch enthusiasts had found new stars. The Reverso, a pre-war symbol, was completely lost. Production was halted, the tools destroyed, and the rare orders were fulfilled using existing stock.

This journey through the wilderness would end in 1972 thanks to a gamble by one man: Georgio Corvo. A Jaeger-LeCoultre distributor in Italy, this businessman bought up all the stock (around 200 pieces) and took a gamble on relaunching the Reverso among the Italian jet set. Against all odds, success was once again there, and would subsequently spread throughout the world, making the Reverso an icon of the Dolce Vita. It should be noted that for this rebirth, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso watch strap would be preferred in the form of a men's crocodile watch strap. Here again, the patterns of this leather enhance the lines of this very special timepiece.

Thus, exotic leather evokes both a distant elsewhere and an art of living...

Leather watch straps maker, a craftsman at the service of time

Handmade ostrich leather bracelet for men

Knowing that tradition and the art of living are two sides of the same coin, it is important to turn to a leather watch strap maker with expertise as proven as it is recognized, especially when it comes to exotic leather. Indeed, if exotic leathers are distinguished from classic leathers by their original grains, they require special attention to be sublimated. It all begins with a rigorous selection of skins, where only the most supple and highest quality can be retained. Then, the leather watch strap maker will be keen to carefully make its cuts in the areas that most highlight the specificities of each of them: small tight scales for the lizard watch strap while the ostrich offers a very characteristic pearly appearance. As for the crocodile, it lets us choose between the regularity of the large square scales on its belly and the soft irregularity of the round scales on its sides. Finally, the delicate work of making the craftsman as such can begin. In the case of Maison Fèvre, it's 80 years of patience, French know-how and experience that guarantee a result that lives up to your timepiece. Furthermore, highly committed to passing on its know-how to the professionals of tomorrow, it's a safe bet that Maison Fèvre is among the French leather watch strap makers who, like the watches they adorn, defy the passing of time...

Cyril LEROY
Watchmaking editor at Maison Fèvre
Enlightened amateur & passionate collector

March 07, 2023 — Groupe FLEURUS
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