Boston Common - Niche Media - A side of Boston that's anything but common.
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STYLING BY TERRY LEWIS "O n the outside, the jump hour looks very simple, but inside it is really complicated," says Gaetan Guillosson, North American president of German watch brand A. Lange & Söhne. Deriving its name from its distinctive design, the jump hour watch is one of the most classically elegant watchmaking complexities on the market. In a jump hour watch (also referred to as jumping hour), the hour indication is dis- played in digit format via an aperture (most often positioned at 12:00) that automatically changes on the hour. Because of their complexity, jump hour timepieces are offered by only about a dozen top watchmaking brands as part of their ongoing collections. Generally, the indication works via a complex rotating disk system within a more complex movement, usually consisting of several hundred components. Consequently, building a jump hour requires more time than a standard timepiece—with some needing several days' worth of a watchmaker's attention. The end result is well worth the effort to enthusiasts, as the overall look of the jump hour makes it a highly coveted timepiece. A. Lange & Söhne's complex Zeitwerk, which holds two pat- ents, features jump hour and jump minute indications on the dial in a pair of balanced apertures. A great deal of research and development went into creating the movement so that the jump hour and the jump minutes change with precise syn- chronization each hour. According to Guillosson, the watch is so unusual that there is a waiting list wherever it is sold. Time Jump AS ANTICIPATION BUILDS FOR THE BOSTON MARATHON, PRECISION TIMING IS TOP OF MIND AND JUMP HOUR WATCHES ANSWER THAT CALL. BY ROBERTA NAAS PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEFF CRAWFORD FROM TOP: From Jaquet Droz, The Twelve Cities watch ($31,200) is crafted in 18k red gold and offers an elegant jump hour indication at 12:00. Created in a limited edition of 88 pieces, the watch houses a self-winding mechanical movement with 12 time zones indicated by city names via an aperture at 6:00 on the enamel dial. Royal Jewelers, 58 Main St., Andover, 978-475-3330; jaquetdroz.com This A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk watch ($68,900) is crafted in 18k pink gold and houses a mechanical movement crafted in-house, the Lange Caliber L043, powered by a constant force escapement. It features a patented barrel design and offers jump hour indication via an aperture on the left side of the dial and jump minute indications via a harmoniously balanced aperture on the right. Seconds are indicated via a sub-dial at 6:00, and power reserve is indicated at 12:00. Shreve, Crump & Low, 39 Newbury St., 617-267-9100; alange-soehne.com From Cartier, this Rotonde de Cartier Jumping Hours watch ($38,600) is crafted in 18k gold and houses the 217-part Calibre 9905MC, with jumping hours and trailing minutes with disc mechanism. It offers 65 hours of power reserve, and each movement is individually numbered. 40 Newbury St., 617-262-3300; cartier.com Authentic watchmaking tools courtesy of Audemars Piguet. 84 BOSTONCOMMON-MAGAZINE.COM TIME HONORED 084-085_BC_SS_TimeHonored_Spring14.indd 84 2/7/14 12:11 PM