What do we look at when we buy a watch?
The answer from those in the industry is that there is no movement that holds, because those who buy a watch, after evaluating it as a whole, look mainly at the dial and it seems that very few people are fascinated above all by a well-made movement. Yet the tendency to show the mechanics in every way, even through the dial itself, suggests another way of thinking on the part of the watchmaking public. And you, what do you think?
Do you agree with our reader from Rende (CS), who writes to us (in issue 162) protesting loudly against skeleton dials, or are you one of those who won't buy a watch if it doesn't have a visible case back and would almost strap it on your wrist inside out?
The Wyler-Zagato
These questions, which periodically come up again in our work, became more pressing in my head after attending the presentation of the new watch Wyler Genève realised in collaboration with the atelier Zagato (a design and coachbuilding centre that produces very limited editions for collectors of sports cars, from Ferrari to Maserati, in one-offs or in 'series' of 9 to 99). The design studio of Andrea Zagato, a childhood friend of Marcello Binda (CEO of the Binda Group, owner of Wyler Genève), designed a beautiful aluminium dial that gives this 'difficult' watch a totally new appeal. For its part, Wyler has undertaken to equip the 25 models in the Wyler-Zagato series with a movement brand new to the company, derived from the hand-wound calibre with 8-day power reserve of the BNB Conceptone of the Swiss companies at the forefront of customised movements today (they are also responsible for the tourbillon used by Hublot, Bell & Ross e Franc Vila).
Now, in front of Marcello Binda who tended to draw the attention of the specialist press to the interesting characteristics of the movement (the specialist press is always sensitive to the subject of 'mechanics'), for once I found myself thinking that I would buy this watch primarily for the dial. And that's a novel point of view for someone who, like me, usually analyses watches 'from the inside'!
Maybe it is because of a touch of pride at the fact that it is Italian design, maybe it is because the people behind the project are attentive entrepreneurs who really care about the Italian character of their products. The fact is that in this case, I am fine with it.
Mechanical engineering with an eye on the environment
In light of Wyler Genève's recent certification as Switzerland's first carbon-neutral brand, the company requested a prior analysis for the launch of the Wyler-Zagato watch event. The direct carbon emissions that will result from the event were therefore assessed in advance and will be offset through Carbon Neutral Company's appropriate projects, such as the installation of a hydroelectric power plant in China. The British Carbon Neutral Company has also certified Wyler Genève as a carbon neutral company after analysing its direct emissions. Wyler Genève will continue to assess its environmental impact in all operations and offset these emissions where necessary, while encouraging suppliers and partners to consider their own environmental impact.
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