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拍品專文
One of the great movements for those passionate about horology over the last two decades has been the support of the so-called "independents" - independent watchmakers designing watches by themselves or with very small teams under them. Christian Klings is one of the more under-the-radar independents, having produced only approximately 20 watches in his career spanning two decades, all working on his own, from scratch. For those few connoisseurs fortunate enough to know his work, Klings is given great respect for his designs, talent and workmanship. His timepieces are on par with some of the most famous and respected independent watchmakers working today, with an incredible attention to detail in all parts of the timepiece. The difference is that it is virtually impossible to obtain a Klings timepiece, as the few watches he produces tend to be spoken for immediately. Many experts believe that Klings is one of the most talented watchmakers alive today, even if he is not as well known as other "independents".
Klings works by himself in Wechselburg, Germany, a small town an hour away from Dresden. He does not employ any apprentices or anyone else in his shop - each of his watches is made entirely by his own two hands using traditional methods and tools, many of which he has built for his own use. He creates everything from the dial, to the crown, to the case, to the complications by himself, which is traditional watchmaking at its truest and highest level.
This is a unique commission piece that took Klings years to complete. Consistent with Klings' watchmaking ethos, this watch was designed entirely by hand drawings, with no use of CAD-CAM or any other software, helping to explain how naturally the proportions bear more resemblance to vintage pocket watches of the past. In 2001, when the timepiece was begun, Christian Klings was not able to finish the watch because his knowledge then was not advanced enough to complete the timepiece with it´s various complications. Since then the watch has been laying unfinished in a box. Years went by, and during sleepless nights he made numerous drawings until finally the technical difficulties were overcome. In 2016, after many years of perfecting, the watch was complete.
When one examines this watch, it is understandable that many laborious hours went into producing it. The tourbillon is combined with a detent escapement, an incredibly complex movement. A watch with a traditional detent escapement does not start by itself. Klings was able to develop a mechanism which starts and stops the balance at a certain angle. Needless to say it took several trials in order to bring the movement to perfection, in Klings' own words, it is only finished when the artist is satisfied. The construction of this watch including its start/stop mechanism took approximately 1,000 hours or more. Copies of drawings reflecting this process are included with this lot. With great design, Klings shows the full movement so that it can be admired by the wearer through a mineral crystal display back. The dial is classic and clean in its design. With ample room, the hours and minutes, power reserve and phases of the moon are legible and create a harmonious composition.
Christie's is very excited to be able to offer this special and unique commission.
Klings works by himself in Wechselburg, Germany, a small town an hour away from Dresden. He does not employ any apprentices or anyone else in his shop - each of his watches is made entirely by his own two hands using traditional methods and tools, many of which he has built for his own use. He creates everything from the dial, to the crown, to the case, to the complications by himself, which is traditional watchmaking at its truest and highest level.
This is a unique commission piece that took Klings years to complete. Consistent with Klings' watchmaking ethos, this watch was designed entirely by hand drawings, with no use of CAD-CAM or any other software, helping to explain how naturally the proportions bear more resemblance to vintage pocket watches of the past. In 2001, when the timepiece was begun, Christian Klings was not able to finish the watch because his knowledge then was not advanced enough to complete the timepiece with it´s various complications. Since then the watch has been laying unfinished in a box. Years went by, and during sleepless nights he made numerous drawings until finally the technical difficulties were overcome. In 2016, after many years of perfecting, the watch was complete.
When one examines this watch, it is understandable that many laborious hours went into producing it. The tourbillon is combined with a detent escapement, an incredibly complex movement. A watch with a traditional detent escapement does not start by itself. Klings was able to develop a mechanism which starts and stops the balance at a certain angle. Needless to say it took several trials in order to bring the movement to perfection, in Klings' own words, it is only finished when the artist is satisfied. The construction of this watch including its start/stop mechanism took approximately 1,000 hours or more. Copies of drawings reflecting this process are included with this lot. With great design, Klings shows the full movement so that it can be admired by the wearer through a mineral crystal display back. The dial is classic and clean in its design. With ample room, the hours and minutes, power reserve and phases of the moon are legible and create a harmonious composition.
Christie's is very excited to be able to offer this special and unique commission.