FeatureThe Timekeeping Legacy That Triggered The Birth Of Graham Watches

There was a time when most of the greatest timekeeping innovations, those which paved the path for several mechanical watchmaking breakthroughs, were developed by the British. “One good reason for this was that the English were looking for more precision at sea,” explains Eric Loth, the founder and CEO of Graham watches. “They needed to know the time, to know the exact longitude and other details to help with navigation. Since the Earth was turning, knowing the time was the only way for them to know their exact location. The English conquered and ruled the world for so long because they knew the location of everything.” Time was paramount, as some of the greatest explorers even financed the research and development undertaken by clockmakers, who in turn, went on to make the biggest timekeeping inventions of their time. One such inventor and pioneer was George Graham, an Englishman, who began his career as a clockmaker in the late 17th century.

The Birth Of Graham Watches

A scientist and an eminent watchmaker, George Graham was a friend to astronomers. His inventions included the dead-beat and cylinder escapement, the mercury pendulum, and the most precise clock for the Greenwich Royal Observatory, which was used to time most of the naval achievements in the 18th century. However, Graham’s most renowned invention was the start-and-stop mechanism to measure the duration of events and occurrences, which is basically what a chronograph is, and hence the reason why George Graham is known as the ‘father of the chronograph’. It’s this distinction that has been the greatest source of inspiration for Graham watches.

Eric Loth has had an illustrious career in the watch industry, having worked with the likes of the Swatch Group, when he decided to create an independent brand. “For me, it was about transforming my knowledge about watches, the history of watchmaking, and my culture as an engineer, into a brand,” he informs. In 1994, along with a few partners, he acquired the rights to use George Graham’s name in a brand of Swiss-made watches. “We started in 1995, selling a few watches a year, but the real start was in 2000 when we made our first appearance during Baselworld,” Loth says, “That’s when people truly became interested in what we had to offer.” People began to realise that Graham was taking after true historical achievements and legacy. Watches by Graham are developed based on George Graham’s achievements, in some way or another. The brand offers a unique blend of British heritage and Swiss watchmaking know-how with every creation.

Chronofighter: The Graham Signature

“Just a few years after our Basel debut in 2000, we came up with the Chronofighter. It was something that I always had in me,” Loth looks back. “I knew I had to come out with something the market had not seen before.” Panerai’s signature crown protector and lever intrigued Loth, who was inspired by it but wanted it to perform some function. “I wanted it to be a trigger. We found an instrument with a timekeeping system that was made during World War II for bomber pilots,” expounds Loth. “It was used by the Germans, Italians as well as the English. They couldn’t use a regular chronograph while flying with their thick gloves on. It was a bigger watch, worn on the leg and used to measure time lapses between bomb drops.” Loth and his team knew that they wanted to do a unique chronograph.

It was only natural, given George Graham’s instrumental role in the development of the modern complication. “In 1610, George Graham made the first clock that could measure the durations of events. Before this, astronomers used to measure laps of time by stopping and restarting the balance wheel,” Loth explains. “Graham invented the clutch system that disconnected the balance wheel and independently measured the time. This ensured that the precision of the balance wheel would remain unaffected, even while laps of time were being measured. This mechanism was operated by a large trigger.” And it was this trigger that inspired the now signature element of Graham, the chronograph trigger in its flagship collection, the Chronofighter range of watches. The trigger is always on the left-hand side of the case and performs the dual function of protecting the crown and triggering the chronograph counters, while the chronograph reset push-piece is seen above the crown, also on the left.

The Rest Of Graham’s Vibrant Portfolio

Eric Loth’s passion for racing drove his interest in chronographs, which are an integral part of timekeeping in motorsports. And the Silverstone line of watches is one that draws heavily from the world of motor-racing. “I do some racing myself, so it was easy to draw inspiration from there,” Loth states. “We have also been sponsors of Formula One – for instance, the 2009 world champions, the BrawnGP team.”

This collection is a true representation of the kind of passion that racing enthusiasts and professionals like Loth feel. Silverstone reflects the adrenaline and the rush of the race, through shapes, motifs like the tyre-tread rubber straps, and the functions such as the tachymeter scale, big date, flyback chronograph and GMT feature. Most importantly, the use of colour is a major highlight of this collection, and incidentally a strong element of Graham’s look in general.  “We were one of the first few high-end brands that used a lot of colour, while other brands would only have black, steel and gold,” Loth declares. “And it was only natural for us to use the Formula One colours.”

While the Silverstone is all about racing, the Swordfish line is the brand’s interpretation of contemporary art. With elements that reflect retro as well as futuristic inspirations, one can say that this collection is influenced by steampunk styles. The bold look of Graham is more than evident with the pronounced bezels of the chronograph counters seen in this series of watches.

Among all the collections though, the shiniest feather in Graham’s cap is the Geo.Graham. A portmanteau of ‘George Graham’, the Geo.Graham is their range of Haute Horlogerie timepieces that exhibit the brand’s greatest strengths as innovative watchmakers. It boasts of complex mechanisms that bring to life high complications such as those seen in the moon retrograde tourbillon. The Orrery Tourbillon is the best example of this. A beacon of the brand’s expertise, this piece is even Loth’s favourite. “The completion of this watch was a special moment for me, next only to the birth of my children,” he says, of the tourbillon timepiece that depicts the Solar System and the accurately-timed revolution of the Earth around the sun.

The Graham Manufactory

We had a chance to see the Orrery Tourbillon when we made a trip to the brand’s headquarters in La Chaux-de-Fonds. The building is an imposing, unmistakable structure on a quiet street in the scarcely populated Swiss town. However, the entire setup of the brand is impressively contained on the first floor of the building itself. From the offices to the factory workshops, it’s all there. As you walk into the manufactory part, you’ll see the clinical perfection with which the watch components are laid out on the work-stations of the highly skilled watchmakers.

The dextrous professionals seem lost in the task at hand, as they put together movements and hands with minute tools, building the heart and soul of the timepieces that are produced there. However, it seems far from being a task, as each skilled worker is passionate about the craft. Before these movements are fitted into the cases that protect them, each case, with the glass, is put through a series of tests, including the drop test that assures the watchmakers of their sturdiness and ability to protect the mechanisms. Once the case is sealed shut, the pressure test ensures that there were no mistakes along the way, as a simulated water pressure chamber checks off the water resistance claim that each piece offers. The chrono-pusher test on the other where the sound functionality of the chronograph push-pieces is guaranteed.

Also in the facilities are spaces where new concepts are developed and plans stored. There are a lot of interesting ideas up the sleeves of Eric Loth, Managing Director Patric Zingg, and all the others who work there. “No two products are developed the same way. Sometimes we come up with an idea that is linked to George Graham, sometimes not, sometimes it comes later,” Loth explains. “Sometimes we find out we’re going the wrong way. But there are others in very nascent stages. We have a lot of works-in-progress stored in the drawers. We have a reserve of ideas that are yet to be developed. Sometimes we decide not to do something in a particular year, because it doesn’t feel right for the brand’s story at the time, and we set it aside for later.”

New Innovations And The Way Forward

And then there are new ideas and projects that are picked by the team at Graham at just the right time. Superlight, for instance, is one of them. “It’s something that we decided to do this year. We believe that the superlight watch at the price-point we offer is something that will be a key demand from the industry,” Loth declares. “Having the pleasure of a mechanical timepiece, yet one that is lightweight is something that people will want.” And it’s true. Lighter watches, realised through materials like Graham’s Superlight carbon – in the new Chronofighter Superlight 2018 collection – are a big trend this year.

Material innovation is one key area where Graham excels. Through research in high-tech materials, and developing those materials that offer opportunities for great designs as well as durability, is a major priority for the brand. With international patents in material technology and watchmaking, Graham is certainly a brand to take seriously. “We’re here for the long haul,” says Loth. “I see this brand growing phenomenally.” With a bold signature look, technical innovation, and the strong influence of watchmaking legacy, that’s not hard to believe.