Recently I have met an artist who creates amazing sculptures out of old machinery parts. Effectively he sources old rusty agricultural parts and makes them into something beautiful. The most amazing thing is that he is mainly self-taught and has never been to art school. Nevertheless he has discovered over the last few years that he has got this phenomenal talent. Within the world of horology there are also a lot of exceptional artisans without any formal training. For example Ukrainian born atelier Valerii Danevych constructs timepieces entirely from wood including the flying tourbillon movement. In fact the mechanism only contains four metal parts. Another great example is Swiss watchmaker Martin Pauli who trades under the label Angular Momentum.
As I have mentioned previously Martin Pauli was one of the first watchmakers I spoke to before I established Total Watch Review. In every sense he is a purist and absolutely loves creating new and exciting timepieces. The great thing about Martin is that enjoys experimenting with new materials and techniques. This means the designs can range from very traditional to modern industrial. From a personal view I prefer his larger and more adventurous creations. A few months ago I had the pleasure of testing his formidable 50mm bronze Polyphemos. Incredibly this watch was entirely hand crafted (without the intervention of a CNC machine) and only five of these models actually exist in the world.
A few weeks ago I got an email from Martin unveiling a new pocket watch called the Perlage. This is the first time I have written an article about a pocket watch but I definitely feel it warrantied it. Certainly this style of watch seems to be making a new renaissance. Even really Avant-Garde watchmakers like Urwerk have created their own modern interpretations. Dimensionally the Perlage is well proportioned and has a diameter of 54mm. This should discreetly fit into a waistcoat pocket for ease of use. As the case is constructed from steel, the recipient will definitely be aware of its presence. Personally I have never owned a pocket watch and generally prefer the interaction of a wristwatch. However the sensational Perlage could convince me to have a change of heart.
Visually the Perlage Pocket Watch is fusion of traditional and contemporary styling. When I asked Martin about its conception he explained that he just had an impulse to create this beautiful timepiece. The elements of the design I really love are the sublime mother of pearl dial and contrasting brass hands. Other features include a meticulously decorated bezel, steel chapter ring, large round luminous enamel round markers and a massively oversized crown. Overall the composition is extremely bold and as always the finishing is first rate.
Beneath the solid exterior lies a historical Fontainemelon Swiss made hand-winding movement dating back to the 1950’s. The Caliber FHF 96 comprises 17-Jewels and oscillates at a frequency of 18,000 vibrations per hour. This intricately decorated mechanism is visibly showcased via the sapphire crystal exhibition case back. Functionally the Perlage features hours, minutes and a respectable power reserve of 48-hours.
