Cut For Time
Cut For Time: Jacob & Co. x Alec Monopoly, Bovet’s New Récital, LIP Reinvents Itself, And De Bethune Achieves A Record
This week, we’re looking at a street art collab, Bovet releases 15 pieces of its GPHG-winning Récital 26 Brainstorm Chapter Two, LIP resurrects a vintage movement, and De Bethune shines at a wine auction.
By Hyla Bauer
Contributor
Jacob & Co. and Artist Alec Monopoly to Collaborate
In keeping with its vision of pushing the limits of watchmaking, Jacob & Co. announced a partnership with world-renowned street artist Alec Monopoly. In its own words, the brand will create the watch incorporating its Astronomia movement “because it is a groundbreaking timepiece with one of the most innovative watch complications in the world.”
Alec Monopoly’s real name is unknown to the public. But not to be confused with the classic real estate board game, his work is anything but classic. Specifically, Monopoly is known for his works in bright colors, and counts Snoop Dog, Iggy Azalea, and Adrien Brody among his collectors.
“The reason we’re partnering with Alec is because his mission and goals align with ours,” Jacob & Co. CEO Benjamin Arabov said in a statement. The artist embraces “risk taking and exploring the endless abilities of creativity and innovation.”
Although the watches have not yet been released, Monopoly has shared a hint of what we might expect to see. “I will be hand painting a watch collection and the smallest canvas I have ever worked on,” he said. Stay tuned.
Semper & Adhuc’s New Instantanée LIP
The French brand Semper & Adhuc introduced a watch with the legendary LIP movement. The Instantanée LIP incorporates the mechanical LIP R100 movement – a round, hand-wound mechanical movement that dates back to 1958 and in production at LIP until 1970.
Watch aficionados know that not all great movements are Swiss or German (although today, the majority of them are). In the 19th century, British and French watchmakers counted discerning aristocrats and royalty among their clientele. LIP, founded in 1867 by Emmanuel Lipmann, is the oldest French watchmaking company that’s still in business.
“From the timekeeping of the Olympic Games to the wrists of presidents [like de Gaulle and Churchill] to the Himalaya model worn by the mountaineer Herzog and the expeditions of Captain Cousteau, the LIP watch has always known how to reinvent itself to make its mark,” Semper & Adhuc said in a statement.
The brand acquired a small number of the petite (13.5mm) movements, and the watch will be a limited edition of just 20 numbered pieces. The two brand’s signatures adorn the watch dial, which is gray with a white minute track and pink square hour markers. The stainless steel case measures 37mm across, and an aperture on the caseback reveals the LIP movement. The watches are priced at €2,400.
Bovet’s Récital 26 Brainstorm Chapter Two Now Available in 18K Red Gold
In 2020, Bovet introduced the Récital 26 Brainstorm Chapter Two at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genéve (GPHG), watchmaking’s annual equivalent of the Oscars. For the unaware, the purpose of the GPHG is to highlight and reward the most remarkable contemporary creations and promote watchmaking worldwide. The annual event draws the best of the best to showcase their newest, best creations, and last year, Bovet’s Récital 26 Brainstorm Chapter Two won the GPHG’s Mechanical Exception Award.
This year, the House of Bovet 1822 is proud to offer this spectacular timepiece with its signature “writing slope” case in solid 18K red gold. Bovet’s renowned “writing slope” case is subtly slanted – taller at 12 o’clock than at 6 o’clock, creating a gentle slope reminiscent of a writing desk.
The watch features Bovet’s patented double-sided flying tourbillon, a second-time zone with a 24-city disc, a precision moon phase showing both hemispheres, and has a five-day power reserve. Fifteen of the red gold Brainstorm Chapter Twos will be made with three dial color options – five with a blue quartz dial, five with a green quartz dial, and five with a blue aventurine glass dial. The watch is priced at CHF 355,000.
De Bethune’s Unique DB27 La Romanée 1865 Sold at Wine Auction in Geneva
The storied auctioneers Baghera/wines draws collectors from around the world for its auctions of exceptional wines. Last month, a one-of-a-kind De Bethune watch joined the ranks with the wines offered for auction. De Bethune is a member of Baghera/wine’s club 1865, and the watch is a tribute to this long-standing association.
De Bethune’s creation, a DB27 dubbed “La Romanée 1865,” has a burgundy dial and strap, fitting with the wine theme. What’s truly exceptional here is the dial that has a “multitude of small white gold pins inserted one by one with great delicacy, recreating the constellation that overlooked La Romanée on the day of the harvest on September 12th, 1865,” according to the brand. Rudyard Kipling was born in 1865, and the legendary Beau-Rivage hotel in Geneva also opened its doors in 1865.
The watch fetched a price of CHF 97,600, including the buyer’s premium. Along with the watch, the lucky owner will be treated to a personal tour of De Bethune’s manufacture, followed by lunch with Michael Ganne, the CEO of Baghera/wines, and Pierre Jacques, the CEO of De Bethune.
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