![]() Technical prowess is shown by the addition of “complications,” additional functions to the basic time-telling elements. Rather than add complications to give extra information, they have developed an entirely new complication of design – mechanisms and forms that have never been created before. These artisans are altering the fundamental idea of what a watch IS. These manufactures adhere to the strictest levels of quality and craftsmanship established throughout history, but redefine the fundamental notion of a watch with new materials, new ways to display the time, or even by creating fully three-dimensional kinetic sculptures. ![]() Small, independent creators have burst on to the scene to usher in this new wave of horology. Just as Modern and Contemporary Art brought a major shift from the previous millennia of art, Contemporary Horology marks a break from the history of watch making. The answer this time has been to turn towards art and design. Production advances such as computer controlled CNC machines which can create most unfinished parts without a human hand ever touching the metal make it possible for many brands to create all of the traditional complications that were once only achievable by a handful of master watch makers. Every watch buyer has a cell phone in his pocket that gives the precise time. And in the 21 st century, new technologies touched almost every aspect of life – including the telling of time. In the 1970’s, the mechanical watch industry faced a near extinction level event with the introduction of the battery powered Quartz watch which was cheaper to produce and more accurate than any mechanical watch could ever be. It is Contemporary Horology and it is the future. It is a marvel of creativity, design and mechanical craftsmanship. It has no traditional “complications” and yet is MORE complicated to create. The fact that the arms point to the minutes and the cubes show the hours is almost beside the point. ![]() It has robotic arms and cubes that rotate. It is Horology as it has been for 150 years, nearly unchanged. It is a marvel of mechanics and craftsmanship. It gives you the time in two time zones, solar time, the correct date for 200 years, the phase of the moon, the state of the planets, a representation of zodiac signs, and a split-second stopwatch. This article was originally posted by Whitewall Magazine where I occasionally write as their Watch Expert:
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