I would argue that it appears Theo Auffret is learning about the market very quickly, enough to understand where his potential audience of collectors resides and how he can create the best product that fits his personality and that of the brand he is building. We all know that sport-themed high horology pieces are still extremely popular so it puts the Tourbillon Grand Sport against some solid company and in a very competitive market. But once again the caliber is juxtaposed against the sporty titanium case and instead of feeling like an “Ode to horology” it gives off the vibe of a watch designed to be appreciated in today’s market. Otherwise, the basics are carried through from Auffret’s debut piece. The layout is different but only so much as was necessary to facilitate the new gear train. If a future version saw the inclusion of a titanium link bracelet, then this would be the perfect melding of classic and modern in a sport watch.īack of the Theo Auffret Tourbillon Grand SportĬhecking out the rear of the Tourbillon Grand Sport showcases some differences between the previous caliber’s design while demonstrating that they share the same foundation. Titanium is also used for the second hand mounted to the tourbillon and the torque indicator hand. The movement is housed in a modern, sport style case with integrated strap (no bracelet for the time being), seen in the prototype in bushed steel but in production will be sturdy and light titanium. These are all around an evolution of the spade-tipped hands on the Tourbillon à Paris and help complete the homage to Greubel Forsey design when combined with the movement architecture, the style of the instant torque indicator, and the case design as a whole. On the Tourbillon à Paris, the hour and minute hands had a square pinion mount which put the aesthetic solidly in the 18 th century, but that is gone on the Tourbillon Grand Sport in favor of a simple round mount, with the addition of blued shafts meeting drop-shaped tips with white centers. It appears that Theo Auffret is one of the emerging watchmakers that not only wowed with his debut, but had enough passion and commitment to build on his momentum with new watches and new collaborations. Sometimes these first works are a foundation to build upon and the watchmaker will become a mainstay in the industry and shepherd in a new generation of watchmaking. In the watch world it is no different as many emerging watchmakers will hit the scene with their unique idea, or their mastery of some set of skills, and the industry will sit up and pay attention. These “overnight successes” are no such thing, it is always the result of years of hard work, dedication, and practice honing their skills, but the sudden rise from obscurity can sometimes make it appear like they just lucked into their position.Īnd while luck always plays a role in capturing the public eye, once you have captured it then it can persist partly thanks to a pattern of commitment to your craft. The taste of the masses is fickle and ever-changing, and past success is no indication of future performance.īut often, an artist will either have an existing back catalogue of work that people discover is equally as engaging, or they continue to create new works in the same vein of what catapulted them to fame and fortune. It isn’t that they aren’t producing fantastic art, but often that the style or artistic choices simply do not resonate with such a wide audience as the piece that made them popular. This may have very little to do with the individual artist: you have probably heard the term “one-hit-wonder.”Ī one-hit-wonder is usually a derogatory term used to describe what happens when an artist makes a work of art that captures the public’s imagination, something straight out of the zeitgeist, but fails to repeat it with their other work. Either they have a parabolic arc from obscurity to superstardom and back to obscurity, or they find the groove and continue producing at a very high level to sustain their popularity. Whenever a new artist breaks out onto the scene, the aftermath often goes one of two ways.
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