Vanity Fair UK - 10.2019

ILLUSTRATIONS BY STUDIO NIPPOLDT

MUSEUM SHOWS & EXHIBITIONS

Tool Time: Water Pressure Tester by Justin Koullapis of The Watch Club

There are three main types of watch pressure

testing equipment. In the first, the watch is

locked in a chamber filled with compressed air.

As the pressure rises, a sensor detects the minis-

cule dimension that the watch gets squeezed and

interprets the results as pressure-resistance.

The hydrostatic test sees the watch immersed in

distilled water, and a screw applies huge force to

the chamber. If the watch is leaky, then water

enters. The fact that it’s so absolute (water either

gets in or not) makes this test the gold standard,

which is a little perverse because if it passes, well

and good, but if it fails, then you have a wet

watch, and this has to be immediately stripped

bare and serviced. Needless to say, this test is

only performed on very sturdy dive watches.

The final type is the vacuum test—also a wet

test, but without risk of water ingress. The watch

is immersed, whereupon a vacuum is applied.

The resulting low pressure compels any leaky

spot to reveal itself by bubbles forming at that

point. It has the advantage that not only does it

show whether the watch is pressure-tight, but

also pin-points the faulty spot.

will open next month at

To k y o’s N a t i o n a l A r t

Centre. The show explores

Cartier’s unique know-

how through sections titled

“Colours and Material

Transformation”, “Forms

and Design” and “Universal

Curiosity”. The Material

Research Laboratory, run

by designers Hiroshi

Sugimoto and Tomoyuki

Sakakida, is behind the

show’s scenography and the

unique viewing experience

it offers using a “cyclical

space” inspired by time.

Planet Omega, an

exhibition that offers

insight into Omega’s

heritage since 1848, will be

travelling through China

this year. The show explores

Omega’s conquest of space,

sports heritage, interest in

oceans (below), and its

James Bond legacy.

After Dubai in 2012,

Munich in 2013, London in

2015, and New York in 2017,

Singapore will host Patek

Philippe and the fifth

edition of its Watch Art

Grand Exhibition for two

weeks starting on

September 28. Free of

charge and open daily to

the public at the Sands

Theatre, the show offers

insights into the

watchmaking

traditions of the

family-owned company

through a larger-than-ever

selection of 400 unique and

historic timepieces.

“In Singapore’s

bicentennial year, the Grand

Exhibition underlines the

importance of Singapore

and Southeast Asia for Patek

Philippe. These markets are

not only significant when it

comes to the number of

collectors and enthusiasts

based in the region, they

also play a major role in

building appreciation for

the work of fine mechanical

watch-making,” the Swiss

brand said.

Bulgari, TAG Heuer,
Hublot and Zenith have
banded together to partake
in the first “LVMH Swiss
Watch Manufactures” 
exhibition at Dubai’s Bulgari
Hotel in January. While all
four brands have confirmed
their presence at Baselworld
in April 2020, Stéphane
Bianchi, president of the
LVMH Watch Division said:
“We remain very supportive
and loyal to Baselworld and
the Swiss watchmaking
industry, however it was not
possible for us to go 13
months without a global
presentation of our products
and brands.”
An exhibition dedicated
to Cartier titled “Cartier,
Crystallization of Time”

Stopwatch News Report

By Nazanin Lankarani

38 VANITY FAIR ON TIME AUTUMN^2019