Walk No. 17 De-accessioning Time: The Metropolitan Museum's Sale (2/2/2016)

Who's to say when one walks, one can't shop as well?  What better place to virtually stroll than an online museum store?  Right now, the Metropolitan Museum of Art has a fabulous selection of its art-inspired watches on sale at 50% off.

• Greek Meander Bangle Watch
• French Deco Harlequin Watch (I featured this one in my post, "Yuletide Timings:  Meet Me At the Met," December 2014)
• Parisian Buckle Watch
• Medieval Quatrefoil Bangle Watch
• Chevron Motif Bangle Watch
• Jewelled Laurelton Hall Mosaic Watch
• Laurelton HallPendant Watch
• Rohde American Modern Watch
• Edo Cherry Blossoms Watch
• American Art Deco Bracelet Watch   

Walk No. 16 An Exciting Career Path -- The North American Institute of Swiss Watchmaking (1/30/2016)

Want to work first hand on luxury watches?  Consider applying to the North America Institute of Swiss Watchmaking (NAIOSW) in Fort Worth, Texas. The Institute is sponsored by the Richemont Group, a luxury brand holding company with ties to such outstanding firms as Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Piaget, Vacheron Constantin, Jaeger-LeCoultre.  NAIOSW was founded for "the purpose of educating successful watchmakers for a career in luxury watch repair."

The 2017 Certified Watchmaking Course began in early January, 2016 and is an immersive 3000 hours of study and practice. The dates for the Classes of 2018 and 2019 have already been announced. Student selection is highly competitive. The good news --- there is a Prestigious Watch Brands scholarship that provides each student with the full amount of tuition, fees, tools, and supplies necessary to complete the program. Room and board are at the students' choice and expense.   

Walk No. 15 Paul Gorman Shares More on Bowie and Boshier (1/14/2016)

Just a short follow-up on my last walk mourning David Bowie. A little off the watchscape path, but worth noting.

Paul Gorman writes a blog titled, Paul Gorman is ... On January 12th, he wrote a tenderly insightful post about David Bowie's relationship with Derek Boshier,  ”I love the book… your work cascades over the decades’: David Bowie was going to contribute to Rethink/Re-entry.  

Tenderly is a word rarely found in blogs, but in Gorman's case it is one that I think his Bowie tribute deserves.  

Walk No. 14 Stopping to Mourn David Bowie (1/11/2016)

David Bowie, rock star and so much more tragically passed away yesterday at age 69 from cancer.  Although many of his songs reflected the concept of time passing, did he have any specific connection to wristwatches?  The answer is only obliquely at best -- that being through the artifice of Bowie's friend, artist, Derek Boshier.

Bowie’s concept-album Lodger (1979) contains pictures of an Omega Speedmaster Professional and an Omega Flightmaster. The images can also be found in Boshier's stunning new monograph documenting his work, Rethink/Re-entry published this fall.

Did Bowie select these?

No, according to Boshier who designed the album's inside sleeve where the Omega images appear.  “I chose them from a lot of watch pictures because I liked the double watch image and it was a good, clear photograph. It could have been other watches, by any brand. I never even knew they were Omega’s”.

Read the entire story in Paul Dezentjé's  Speedy Tuesday Fratellowatches' post (February 17, 2015),  "How a Speedmaster and Flightmaster ended up in David Bowie’s album art."

In tribute to David Bowie, I am posting a recent photograph, Looking Skyward Major Tom in his memory.

© Maryhelen Raciti-Jones

 

Walk No. 13 Visiting the National Watch & Clock Museum's YouTube Channel (1/10/2016)

Love to watch YouTube?  You and 1.3 billion others! So it's good to know that the The National Watch & Clock Museum, located in Columbia, Pennsylvania   maintains its own YouTube channel.

On it, the general public as well as National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors (NAWCC) members can access themed playlists, Museum objects, educational and publicity videos, and vintage horological films.

Among the picks are An Introduction to Antique Clocks (17 videos); a short, six minute tutorial on how to photograph a wristwatch; and a video examining President James Monroe's pocket watch during his time in office. 

(Thanks to Steve Humphrey, NAWCC Executive Director for bringing this to my attention in his Executive Director's Weekly Newsletter January 10, 2016.)
 

Walk No. 12 And the Winner Is: GEM Awards Watch Design (1/9/2016)

Last night, the Jewelers of America hosted its 14th Annual GEM Awards in New York City. Considered the Academy Awards of the fine jewelry industry, the event "recognizes the outstanding achievements of individuals and companies whose work raises the visibility and status of fine jewelry and watches."

The nominees for Watch Design, an inaugural achievement category at this year's ceremony were Cartier, Piaget, and Roger Dubuis. All three are exhibitors at SIHH 2016 and are part of the Richemont group, a Switzerland-based luxury goods holding company.

For this category, "Innovation in Design" and "Technical Expertise" were two of the primary criteria for the nominees' initial selection.

And the the Award goes to Cartier. 

The firm's watchmaking was recognized for its longstanding history of capturing Parisian flair in its watch forms and movements.  Case in point is the new Clé de Cartier Collection -- its shape, new house movement, and new crown which is seamlessly integrated into the watch's case.

Strapped for time, watch the Watch Design Awards Presentation segment (1:18:42-1:26:50). 

Walk No. 11 SIHH's Magnetic 24 -- Saunter Three (1/8/2016)

For the context of this Saunter see Walk No. 9 (1/6/2016).

SIHH's Main 15 (Third/Last 5):  Piaget; Richard Mille; Roger Dubuis; Vacheron Constantin; Van Cleef & Arpels.

SIHH's Carré 9 (Third /Last 3): Laurent Ferrier; MB&F; Urwerk.