Horolonomics

This week, an article in Swiss media caught my attention. An aerial view of the COSC lab in Le Locle. Screenshot from YouTube account SWISSKY. On Monday, the criminal trial of a 37 year old man began in the watchmaking hub city of La Chaux-du-Fonds. Allegedly, the defendant trafficked in marijuana. But what really drew my attention was the prosecutor's charge that "Boris" (the pseudonym given to the defendant in the case) had also trafficked in stolen watch parts. I read a bit more and the allegation is that Boris participated in a robbery in Le Locle at one of the Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres (COSC) labs. I was surprised to read about this because I'd never heard about it before. As a reminder, COSC tests watch movements for accuracy and certifies them as "chronometers" if they pass the test. The process goes roughly like this: 1) a brand delivers movements to COSC for testing, 2) testing takes place, 3) chronometry certificate is issued...

I woke this morning at "zero dark thirty" in order to catch an Amtrak train into New York City. The exhibition entry. My destination was a preview of "Icons of Time," an exhibition and collaboration between UBS (a bank) and its "House of Craft," Hodinkee and Hodinkee's founder and President Ben Clymer. I'd missed the last gathering of this sort, held around the same time last year. But this time around my schedule allowed me to participate so off I went. The event promised to offer twelve timepieces, one for each hour marker on a watch dial, curated by Clymer. According to my invite, these timepieces were selected because they are rare and "[embody] both the vision of its maker and the enduring legacy of those who have worn it." I decided to see if I could guess ahead of the event which twelve might be featured. I promise I'm typing up this list as I ride the train. My first guess would be an Omega Speedmaster because that watc...