Grail Watch

Just published!

My essay on the chiming watch, and how the discovery of radium deprived us of this charming complication for a century.

https://grail-watch.com/2026/02/13/blame-marie-curie-for-the-loss-of-the-chiming-watch/

As a watch nerd and computer nerd I greatly enjoyed spotting this 1897 trademark registration…

#Amiga

If you spend much time looking at watches from the 1950s you’ve probably seen a keychain watch that looks like a tire. Although the era of the tire watch has long gone, it proved to be an important milestone in Swiss watchmaking, showing that there was a market for a “second watch”, as marketing whiz Georges Caspari called it. And the whimsical shape attracted new and younger customers, a market Caspari addressed for Breitling just a few years later.

https://grail-watch.com/2026/01/29/from-gimmick-to-trend-marvins-tire-watch/

Steven Wood's attempt to gain a position on Swatch Group's Board of Directors faces significant obstacles due to the Hayek family's controlling stake, with Swatch's performance being defended against his criticisms by pointing out shareholder rejection and comparing it to competitors like

https://www.horolonomics.com/2025/12/the-curious-case-of-woods-swatch-board.html

Current status: Researching watches at the Horological Society of #NewYork #watches

A pink gold Patek Philippe Ref. 1415 'World Time' watch sold for CHF 444,500 at auction, setting a record despite criticism for its flawed craftsmanship and unconventional design.

https://perezcope.com/2025/11/28/a-patek-philippe-1415-world-time-with-rare-flat-but-dyslexic-bezel-at-phillips/

I've been playing around with some Grail Watch posters inspired by classic advertising for #watches - I just love this one, which was inspired by the classic Ed. Kummer Inventic poster which I believe was created by Fiedler in La Chaux-de-Fonds.

A controversial Sotheby's auction featured a "Frankenstein" Blancpain Fifty Fathoms watch, raising concerns about authenticity and the brand's misrepresentation of its historical roots.

https://perezcope.com/2025/10/30/sothebys-new-york-goes-full-frankenstein-a-made-up-vintage-blancpain-fifty-fathoms-bronze/

Glance at the #Halloween decorations in the article below and you'd think it came from any modern source.

Now check out the date...

Who else thinks #UlysseNardin should bring back this historic logo on their #watches?

Daniel JeanRichard's name is legendary, as is his position as the originator of watchmaking in the Swiss Jura mountains. But the tale of the young man who taught himself to repair and build #watches is really an allegory of the birth of the industry!

https://grail-watch.com/2025/09/26/reconsidering-the-folklore-of-daniel-jeanrichard/