Every once in a while, we find ourselves in possession of an object that is – quite simply put – deeply pleasing. For all of the bells and whistles to be seen within the watch industry these days, I find that it’s the timepieces that draw down and execute each simple detail with care and attention that are the ones that stand the test of time – pun most certainly included! After a week with just such a thoughtfully crafted watch from Pierre Gaston’s Date collection on my wrist, I have the feeling that the designers behind these horological accessories have hit on a winning master-formula. So, what exactly is it that provides this mighty sense of satisfaction? With a week under my belt, within which to analyze the approving nods that the watch seemed to be drawing out of me, it’s time to break down exactly how this Pierre Gaston timepiece pushed my buttons.
Always bet on red. Photo: © 2020 NS Publishing. All Rights Reserved.
Innovative Case Design
Pierre Gaston’s rather celebrated patented case is engagingly attractive – once again in it’s purity of design, as much as it’s uniqueness. In brushed stainless steel, the edging of the case features segmented cutouts that provide a perfect sense of proportion. I found myself running a finger around the watch in absent minded moments – apparently, to this wearer at least, it is as gratifyingly tactile as it is visually appealing. Removing the watch and flipping it over reveals a display into the inner mechanical workings of the watch, like a well kept secret that you’ve been exclusively clued in on. This is a feature that I love to see – simply because the fine mechanics of traditional watchmaking is simply a wonder that will never cease. No matter how extraordinary modern technology becomes, in my mind, there will never be anything so magical as the minuscule and precise inner workings of an artfully crafted automatic mechanical watch.
Harnessing Symmetry And Geometry
Beyond pleasing design, as soon as it is placed upon the wrist, one of the most instantly noticeable features of this watch to the discerning watch wearer is the absence of a protruding crown. Creatively hidden within the case, the crown sits behind a tiny plate – a logical place to put it on an automatic watch that, when worn every day, requires no attention to run in perpetuity. The absence of a protruding crown lends marvelously to the overall symmetry of the design. If you, dear reader, are left handed, you will have no doubt experienced the irritation of a crown making constant contact with your wrist. Pierre Gaston’s watch case is, in this sense, fantastically ambidextrous – providing a comfortable wearing experience for both left and right handed watch lovers. A dig about on the Pierre Gaston website – hunting for clues as to the root of the agreeability of this watches aesthetics – turns up treasure. It would seem the designers looked to the golden ratio when composing the relationships between the arcs of the sector dial and the case. No wonder it seems to hold an instinctive draw.
High Caliber Swiss Made Movement
Of course, a mechanical watch is only as fine as the movement it boasts, and while a week’s wear is not long enough to get a measure of such a timepiece’s precision, I think we can be self-assuredly confident that Pierre Gaston watches offer tried and true precision. My certainty is rooted in my discovery that the watch on my wrist houses the ETA 2824-2 – an automatic Swiss made movement of prized quality. Such a caliber of movement can usually be found within the cases of watch industry top manufacturers, such as Tudor and Longines. Tudor uses it in several of their lines, including the Tudor Heritage Black Bay and the Tudor Heritage Ranger. Consumers take note: Pierre Gaston’s collections are highly competitive, by all estimations – in terms of quality, composition, and mechanical artistry.
A Modern Twist To The Time-Old Sector Dial Love Affair
For over a century, the sector dial has been prized for it’s practicality and it’s harmonious impact on the eye. Undulating and yet ever-present in couture design throughout the years, the global affection for the sector dial is in ascension once again, with a fresh wave of sector dial designs gracing the collections of the most exclusive luxury watch brands. Often harnessed as a doffed cap to vintage watch designs, the Pierre Gaston spin on the sector dial is delightfully forward thinking. To qualify this particular term, the dial must feature two concentric arcs, each serving as a measure of hours and minutes respectively. From each arc, radial lines mark the precise passing of the hours, minutes, and seconds – for exact timekeeping whenever the wearer requires it. Although I can’t recall the source, I recently read something along the lines of: “Wearing a watch in the era of smartphones is an act of rebellion.” I, for one, would much rather gaze at a beautifully composed watch face – of a mechanical watch, no less – than get lost in a screen as so many do these days. I was also delighted to note, from the Pierre Gaston website, that a collection of watches featuring sector dials with unusual numerals will be deliciously drip-fed to avid watch enthusiasts. The first is to feature strikingly elegant Eastern Arabic numerals.
Modestly Marvelous Design
There is a delightful sense of balance to the Pierre Gaston watch that, to me, holds all the quality of iconic design. The watch is somehow satisfyingly substantial in size, while not feeling bulky or in the slightest bit inelegant. The simple leather strap is flawless in it’s construction, soft and supple, and exceedingly comfortable on the skin. The sector dial provides precise timekeeping, while appearing effortlessly aesthetic. I have the sense that great thought was put into the weight of the lines, and the font of the numerals, with complementary color accents running between the hands, numbers, and the stitching on the strap – all in all, a measured composition. The date window is perfectly unobtrusive, placed so as not to steal the limelight from the watch’s satisfying symmetry. The double coated anti-reflective sapphire crystal is an investment in invisibility – perfectly preventing reflection from robbing the wearer of pleasing design within their line of sight.
A Creation For Longevity And Enjoyment
I have formed the impression that this is a watch that will offer it’s wearers huge satisfaction over years of wear, and trustworthy time measurement. For those who seek a refined, classically elegant, and yet freshly forward thinking watch that is a pleasure to wear, a timepiece from Pierre Gaston is certainly not going to disappoint. In terms of comfort, durability, aesthetics, and craftsmanship, the value to quality ratio is unquestionably favorable. I suspect, when duty calls on me to review another watch, I’ll feel rather trounced in taking this one off. From the automatic mechanical self-winding, to the 100m water resistance, there is simply no call for such an act. For buyers of this gratifyingly item, this particular concern will be pleasantly unnecessary.
Credits: Article and images by Henny Maarten @ wristwatch.news. See the original article here – https://wristwatch.news/a-horological-contact-high-simplicity-refined-from-pierre-gaston/
