The Rake

SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL

While the headline of this story could easily allude to my public penchant for sausage dogs, it in fact references what I believe is one of the most important tourbillon wristwatches of all time. I speak, of course, of the new Chopard L.U.C Flying T Twin that is made in just five pieces in collaboration with Revolution magazine — aka the Chopard L.U.C 1860 Flying T, Special Revolution.

If the above seems biased or self-serving, let me explain myself. For the most part, the Swiss watch industry has found itself caught slightly out of step when it comes to the size of their wristwatches. Conjure up your horological Valhalla of the most iconic and desirable timepieces ever created and who appears in those mythical halls? A steel Patek ref. 1518? Sure! The dial measures 35mm in diameter. The Patek first-generation ref. 2499 with its square pushers and tachymeter? Absolutely. The dial measures 37.5mm. A Philippe Dufour Simplicity? Damn right. Did you know its original size was 34mm? He created the 37mm size only at the behest of four Singaporean clients of The Hour Glass. Ask him and he will tell you that he far prefers the smaller size that

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from The Rake

The Rake6 min read
The Vine Of Beauty
As a self-employed oenophile, I admit I do my fair share of work from bed. It turns out I am in great company, as the late Baron Philippe de Rothschild agreed to a collaboration with Robert Mondavi from bed in 1978. It was a collaboration that brough
The Rake3 min read
Letter From The Editor-in-Chief
It is hard to fully express the madness involved in founding a magazine dedicated to craftsmanship during a global financial crisis. There was not a number-crunching financier or even a money launderer anywhere in the world who would have backed it,
The Rake5 min read
A Peerless Peer
Posthumous reputations are seldom unequivocally fair. Some take an embarrassment of achievements to the grave and are then recognised for a single contribution to posterity (Nicolaus Copernicus enriched our understanding of the cosmos in uncountable

Related