SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017 GQ.COM.AU 161WATCH
Square watches don’t sell. So the saying goes.
Unless, of course, you hit upon a quadrilateral
design that does resonate with watch fans, in
which case, history tells us, you’ve almost certainly
created a brand-defining timepiece. Cartier’s
‘Tank’ dates all the way back to 1917. TAG Heuer’s
‘Monaco’ arrived in 1969, while Bell & Ross’s more
recent ‘BR 01’ debuted in 2005. Each has become a
halo product for its brand. Another famous square-
case is the Hermès ‘Cape Cod’. Landing in 1991, it
takes design cues from the chain of a ship’s anchor.
For 2017, Hermès introduced four iterations of
the ‘Cape Cod TGM’, which, at 33mm by 33mm, is
the largest ‘Cape Cod’ model. Of the newbies, three
pieces are quartz, the fourth is powered by the
self-winding calibre ‘H1912’, created in partnership
with movement maker Vaucher, which counts
Parmigiani Fleurier and Richard Mille among its
other clients. The ‘Cape Cod TGM Manufacture’
is characterised by a hobnailed inner square on
its dial, a feature absent from the quartz models.
Baguette-shaped, Corum’s ‘Golden Bridge’ is
where the brand declares it’s technical prowess –
literally, given that the collection is skeletonised.
Spearheaded by ex-managing director of
Chopard Italy, Davide Traxler, between 2015 and
May 2017, Corum is a brand whose stock has
been on the rise. At Baselworld 2017, the brand
presented the ‘Golden Bridge Rectangle’, in
which a linear gear train links a spring barrel at six
o’clock and an escapement at 12 o’clock. The case
and plates comprise 18kt rose gold, making for
a sophisticated, statement-making dress watch.
And SEVENFRIDAY is another brand tapping
into the cult status of the square piece. The hybrid
‘S1/01’ pairs a Japanese mechanical movement
from Miyota with a NFC chip that connects to the
SEVENFRIDAY Android App. A fittingly fun piece
from a brand for whom every day is a Friday.
hermes.com; corum.ch; sevenfriday.comSQUARE
ROOTS
SHAPESMB&F’s creations seldom sit within one product category.
WWhile mhile most of the brand’s crackpot contractions do indeed ost of the brand’s crackpot contractions do indeed
tell the timtell the time, they do so in such inventive and intricate ways e, they do so in such inventive and intricate ways
that to categorise themthat to categorise them m merely as timerely as timepieces would be to epieces would be to
do a disservice to comdo a disservice to company founder, Mpany founder, Maximaximilian Büsser ilian Büsser
(form(formerly of Jaeger-LeCoultre and Harry Werly of Jaeger-LeCoultre and Harry Winston). Büsser inston). Büsser
doesn’t create watches; he conceives mdoesn’t create watches; he conceives machines. achines.
Having teamHaving teamed up with high-end clock med up with high-end clock maker L’Epée aker L’Epée
1839 five tim1839 five times previously, this year the partnership es previously, this year the partnership
yields ‘Destination Myields ‘Destination Moon’: a 41cmoon’: a 41cm-tall, torpedo-shaped -tall, torpedo-shaped
table clock. Power for ‘Destination Mtable clock. Power for ‘Destination Moon’ is provided oon’ is provided
by an oversized winding crown at the rocket’s base. by an oversized winding crown at the rocket’s base.
A vertically stacked mA vertically stacked movemovement, regulated by a lateral ent, regulated by a lateral
balance wheel and escapembalance wheel and escapement, displays hours and ent, displays hours and
mminutes on two revolving stainless steel discs near the inutes on two revolving stainless steel discs near the
rocket’s nose. ‘Destination Mrocket’s nose. ‘Destination Moon’ is available with silver, oon’ is available with silver,
black, blue or green landing pods, all of which comblack, blue or green landing pods, all of which come with e with
Neil, the rocket’s solid-silver-and-stainless-steel resident Neil, the rocket’s solid-silver-and-stainless-steel resident
astronaut. astronaut. ‘Destination M‘Destination Moon’, approx. $25,800; moon’, approx. $25,800; mbandf.combandf.com
MB&F’S
MAD MAD
WORLD
CLOCKWISE
F R O M T O P :
STAINLESS
STEEL ‘CAPE
COD’, $4130, BY
HERMÈS; LIMITED
EDITION ROSE GOLD
‘GOLDEN BRIDGE’,
$104,000,
BY CORUM;
STAINLESS STEEL
‘ S 1 /0 1 ’, $ 1 8 7 0 ,
BY SEVENFRIDAY.