Author Archives: Timmy Tan

Greubel Forsey Robert Filliou Art Piece: Art Lesson

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Greubel Forsey Robert Filliou Art Piece. Introduced in 2015, this work of art pays tribute to Robert Filliou (1926 to 1987). Photo: © TANG Portfolio. Elfa / Timmy. 2015 Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie.

Greubel Forsey Robert Filliou Art Piece. Introduced in 2015, this horological work of art pays tribute to Robert Filliou (1926 to 1987). Photo: © TANG Portfolio. Elfa / Timmy. 2015 Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie.

At the 2015 Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie held in Geneva, Greubel Forsey introduced their Art Piece 1 paying tribute to Robert Filliou (1926 to 1987).

Who was Robert Filliou? Well, this Frenchman was described as a filmmaker, sculptor and Fluxus artist. Fluxus artists are described as those who combined different artistic media notably during the 1960s and such works are known to be non-commercial and anti-art.

Why did Greubel Forsey want to create a timepiece paying homage to Filliou? Well, it was for the Chapaeux! Exhibition “… which reactivates the Galerie Légitime of the Fluxus artist”, states the brand.

This “Chapeaux! A Tribute to Robert Filliou” exhibition brought together 14 contemporary artists as part of the FIAC or Foire Internationale d’Art Contemporain in Paris which was produced by the Time Art Gallery Greubel Forsey and curated by Raphael Cuir.

By all accounts, Filliou must have been an extraordinary artist, especially after knowing that the good folks at Greubel Forsey made such a concerted effort to create a tribute piece for him.

Interestingly, the watch does have a certain character about it. On the dial side, it is “stamped with the principle of equivalence” that was important to Filliou – “well made, badly made, not made”.

Greubel Forsey decided on “badly made” simply because it contrasts with their obsession for high quality craftsmanship.

The magnifier on the side of the case allows one to have an unobstructed view of Wigan’s unbelievable micro-sculpture – the miniature replica of Filliou’s Couvre Chef(s) d'oeuvre that was created in 1965 where playing cards seem to be spewing out from a bowler hat. Photo: © Greubel Forsey

The magnifier on the side of the case allows one to have an unobstructed view of Wigan’s unbelievable micro-sculpture – the miniature replica of Filliou’s Couvre Chef(s) d’oeuvre that was created in 1965 where playing cards seem to be spewing out from a bowler hat. Photo: © Greubel Forsey

For those familiar with Greubel Forsey timepieces, especially those made in collaboration with the amazing micro-artist Willard Wigan, they will be familiar with the magnifying system found at the side of the case.

This magnifier will allow one to have an unobstructed view of Wigan’s unbelievable micro-sculpture. In this particular example, it is the miniature replica of Filliou’s Couvre Chef(s) d’oeuvre which he (Filliou) created in 1965 whereby what seems like cards are spewing out from a bowler hat.

Sketches of the Greubel Forsey Robert Filliou Art Piece used on the brand’s invitation card for the 2016 Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie. Try spotting the bas reliefs of Greubel Forsey personnel involved in this artistic adventure.

Sketches of the Greubel Forsey Robert Filliou Art Piece used on the brand’s Christmas and New Year greeting card. Try spotting the sketches (side profiles) that became bas reliefs of Greubel Forsey personnel involved in this artistic adventure which is also found on the rear of the Robert Filliou Art Piece. What we discovered through this card is the fact that Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey personally initiated supporting the Adenium Foundation, a non-profit charitable organisation founded on 19 August 2010. Its aim is to implement social, educational and humanitarian projects, wherever possible, for the development, benefit and well-being of children worldwide.

On the case back of Art Piece 1, you’d have to look closer and discover the bas-relief profiles of those who embarked on this artistic adventure.

Is this watch “badly made” in any sense? The layman, us included, will probably beg to differ. This Robert Filliou Art Piece 1 looks good, seems to have been made with a a strong character and stands out for its expressiveness.

For us, it is definitely a piece of horological art.

Zenith Pilot Type 20 Hommage à Louis Blériot: The Calibre 5011K’s Space Edge

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Zenith Pilot Type 20 Hommage à Louis Blériot. Introduced in 2015, it features a meteorite dial. The meteorite is from the Muonionalusta asteroid which impacted Earth some one million years ago. The numerous triangular formations observed on the dial indicates that this is most likely an iron meteorite, one that is made almost entirely out of metal as it bears the Widmanstätten pattern. Limited to 5 pieces. Photo: © TANG Portfolio. Elfa / Timmy. BaselWorld 2015.

Zenith Pilot Type 20 Hommage à Louis Blériot. Introduced in 2015, it features a meteorite dial. The meteorite is from the Muonionalusta asteroid which impacted Earth some one million years ago. The numerous triangular formations observed on the dial indicates that this is most likely an iron meteorite, one that is made almost entirely out of metal as it bears the Widmanstätten pattern. Limited to 5 pieces. Photo: © TANG Portfolio. Elfa / Timmy. BaselWorld 2015.

In 2015, Zenith paid homage to French pilot Louis Blériot’s adventurous and conquering spirit with its Pilot Type 20 Hommage à Louis Blériot featuring a meteorite dial.

Who was Louis Blériot? Louis Blériot (1872 to 1936) was an aviator and airplane manufacturer who became famous as the first to fly an airplane across the English Channel from Calais, France to Dover, England on 25 July 1909.

He flew in his Blériot XI, a monoplane with a 25-horsepower engine and his achievement allowed him to claim the £1,000 prize offered by the Daily Mail.

Louis Blériot subsequently became a leading aircraft manufacturer. It is said that between July 1909 and the start of the First World War in August 1914, his Blériot factory produced around 800 aircraft, most of which were Type XI monoplanes or its variations.

The “embryonic air forces of France, Britain, Italy, Austria and Russia all operated Blériot machines, and flying clubs as far afield as Australia purchased his monoplanes,” according to the Encyclopedia Brittanica.

On the dial of the Pilot Type 20 Hommage à Louis Blériot is what the brand describes as a deep grey meteorite dial that is fascinating and with a “… natural motif forming interlacing ribbons against a finely sandblasted background”.

The meteorite is from the Muonionalusta asteroid which impacted Earth around one million years ago and landed somewhere between Sweden and Finland, a region located 140km from the Arctic Circle.

The numerous triangular formations observed on the dial indicates that this is most likely an iron meteorite, one that is made almost entirely out of metal as it bears the Widmanstätten pattern.

This pattern is named after Count Alois von Beckh Widmanstätten, the director of the Austrian Imperial Porcelain Works in 1808, and it was created by the interlocking crystal structure of two nickel-iron alloys: kamacite and taenite.

The movement used in the 60mm Zenith Pilot Type 20 Hommage à Louis Blériot is the famed Calibre 5011K. The Calibre 5011K manual-winding movement beats at the frequency of 2.5 Hertz (18,000 vibrations per hour) and has the minimum of 48 hours of power reserve when fully wound. We recommend enlarging this image and having a closer look at the engraving work on the movement that depicts Louis Blériot’s cross-channel flight in 1909 onboard his Blériot XI plane together with his trusted Zenith wristwatch. Photo: © Zenith

The movement used in the 60mm Zenith Pilot Type 20 Hommage à Louis Blériot is the famed Calibre 5011K. The Calibre 5011K manual-winding movement beats at the frequency of 2.5 Hertz (18,000 vibrations per hour) and has the minimum of 48 hours of power reserve when fully wound. We recommend enlarging this image and having a closer look at the engraving work on the movement that depicts Louis Blériot’s cross-channel flight in 1909 onboard his Blériot XI plane together with his trusted Zenith wristwatch. Photo: © Zenith

Flip the watch over and watch collectors will be pleased to discover Zenith’s famed Calibre 5011K manual-winding movement that is hand-engraved.

This was the movement that was used for marine chronometers and pocket watches, and it found fame by securing for itself the most accurate chronometer award at the 1967 Neuchatel Observatory contest.

This is one of the rare original Calibre 5011K movements that have been restored and decorated. Do look closely at the engraving work on the movement that depicts Louis Blériot’s cross-channel flight in 1909 onboard his Blériot XI plane and his trusted Zenith wristwatch.

The Zenith Pilot Type 20 Hommage à Louis Blériot is limited to only five pieces.

Why is this watch so limited?

Firstly, the Calibre 5011K is an original from the past that is strictly reserved for limited editions only. Secondly, meteorite is not an easy material to work with, let alone create for a watch dial.