PHOTOGRAPHS: GRAEME MONTGOMERY; ALAMY
WWW.BOATINTERNATIONAL.COM DECEMBER 2017A modern classic from Girard-Perregaux and a new book on famous
watches and owners areJon Alain Guzik’shorological highlightsStars of the small screen
While the six figure sticker price would cause
some to blanch, the Girard-Perregaux Tri-Axial
Planetarium should be placed in the pantheon
of functional works of art alongside, say, a bespoke
Rolls-Royce Phantom VIII, a Ranger Tugs R-31S
for the weekend lake house, or an original Harry
Bertoia screen for the office – all things to be added
to a collection of perfect, functional objects.
The Tri-Axial Planetarium is not for the faint
of heart, or slight of wrist. With its 48mm pink gold
case, sapphire crystal case back, triple axis tourbillon,
moon phase display and (my favorite part of the
timepiece) hand crafted and painted aluminum globe
with its 24 hour rotation to give the time around the
world, this is an instant classic.
$291,000, girard-perregaux.comMatt Hranek has created a style bible for any watch
collector. In his book,A Man & His Watch, Hranek
weaves the stories of 70 one-of-a-kind timepieces.
As well as anecdotes from famous owners, he
covers watches of historical significance, like Paul
Newman’s Rolex Daytona and the Rolex Oyster
Perpetual that Francis Chichester wore on his 226
day solo circumnavigation of the globe in 1966-67.
“People were always telling me these amazing
stories about their wristwatches and the emotional
connections they have to them,” says Hranek.
“All these men in the book opened up in such
an authentic way, even those I thought were going
to be inaccessible like Sylvester Stallone and Ralph
Lauren.” A Man & His Watch, by Matt Hranek,
$35, workman.comPOWER OF THREE
The Planetarium is
one of the few triple
axis tourbillonsFAMOUS FACES
The book contains
original photography
of each watchGIRARD-PERREGAUX
TRI-AXIAL PLANETARIUMA MAN & HIS WATCHBOAT LIFE 53