ARCHITECTURALLY SPEAKING Rolex and the Art of Architecture

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1 CELEBRATING THE MACHINE WITH A HEARTBEAT INTERNATIONAL VOL. 48 USA ISSUE 83 AUTUMN 2018 VEGAS THE REVOLUTION WAY FIGHTING STARS WINE AND WATCHES ROLEX ARCHITECTURALLY SPEAKING ARCHITECTURALLY SPEAKING Rolex and the Art of Architecture SPRING AUTUMN 2018 $14.95US USA 83

2 SPACE AND TIME Rare and valuable, meteorites have ignited passion in many collectors, hunting space rocks and watches with meteorites inside. BY JIM CLASH METEORITE PHOTOS COURTESY OF CHRISTIAN MEZA AND AEROLITE METEORITES I will never forget where I was when I touched my first space rock. Contrary to popular belief, meteorites are not all behind thick glass as the sole purview of big museums. I was part of a group meteorite hunting in Odessa, TX, near the famous crater, there for a few days with sophisticated metal detectors, Ground Penetrating Radar the works and we had found absolutely nothing. Dejected and at the end of day three, we were traveling on a graveled back road, a shortcut to where our cars were parked. Suddenly Geoffrey Notkin, host of the Meteorite Men television show, stopped the car as he thought he had seen a meteorite in the road. We all laughed, told him that he was wish-hallucinating, but we walked over anyway. Sure enough, a rusted Odessa meteorite the size of a small tomato was stuck smack-dab in the roadbed, and in plain view. As we looked for more, eventually finding 50-pounds worth, it became evident that years ago the gravel excavated from a quarry nearby to build the road had contained the meteorites. Such is the excitement of collecting. You just never know. Most of the meteorites we found that day were donated to a local museum, but I got to keep a few small ones for myself. The lure of space rocks since then has all but consumed me. While I haven t been on any more hunts, I have bought a number of specimens ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars. Most are metallics that is, they are made of more than 90% iron and nickel. They are heavy and on their surfaces are noticeable little craters and come from faraway places like Sikhote-Alin (Siberia), Campo del Cielo (Argentina), Chinga (Tuva, Russia Federation) and Canyon Diablo (Arizona). For the record, space rocks are fairly rare. Some of the most exotic ones, not in my price range, sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars. They predominately travel from the Asteroid Belt between Mars and Jupiter. As they pass through Earth s atmosphere, they heat up and glow. Most self-destruct, but some meteors survive and hit the ground. A very select few are from the moon and Mars. How cool is that? Bottomline, collecting meteorites is both a passion and an investment for me. The excitement of owning an otherworldly piece of our solar system, beautiful in its own way, is hard for me to describe. It is a scientific roadmap to the past and the future is bright prices of meteorites over the last decade have done nothing but increase and are projected to continue that escalation going forward. What s not to like? 148 WATCH CULTURE

3 Pictured: Gibeon iron, meteorite from the Namib Desert. 149 WATCH CULTURE

4 MAGICAL METEORITES The use of meteorites in watches is rare and worth celebrating. BY KEITH W. STRANDBERG American author Jack London once said, I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet. I feel the same way about meteorite watches why have a normal dial when I could have a piece of outer space on my wrist? There is something magical about meteorites, not only their unique appearance, but also knowing that they are not of this earth. Having a slice of a meteorite on a watch, there to admire on your wrist whenever you want, is special indeed. Here is an overview of some of the best meteorite watches available today. These watches are about as rare as the meteorites themselves, and worth every penny. 151 WATCH CULTURE

5 Clockwise from top: Louis Moinet New York Mechanograph; Louis Moinet Space Mystery; Louis Moinet Wabar tourbillon. Backdrop: Brahin pallasite meteorite. 153 WATCH CULTURE

6 FIVE WAYS TO START YOUR OWN METEORITE COLLECTION BY JIM CLASH 1) The easiest places to hunt are dry lakebeds, the polar ice-cap regions and undisturbed deserts. Identified impact craters can also be good hunting grounds and, like Chelyabinsk, a large witnessed meteor gives collectors a good idea of where to look for the newest falls. 2) On the secondary market, buy from dealers and auction houses that guarantee authenticity and have an established history and track record. is not the best place to shop for meteorites. Aerolite Meteorites org, Notkin s website, is a good place, as are the Meteorite Exchange www meteorites-for-sale. com and Blaine Reed Meteorites blaine-reed-meteorites.blogspot.com. 3) Acquire meteorite specimens from vendors who belong to the International Meteorite Collectors Association (IMCA). Members of the IMCA are strictly vetted and are required to follow a code of ethics that includes abiding by international laws pertaining to meteorite exportation and ownership. 4) Start your collection with one example each of the three main groups of meteorites: iron, stone and stony-iron. 5) Consider an area of specialization, as a meteorite collection can take many forms. Some collectors favor witnessed falls, others are intrigued by historic pieces that have a museum or old-collection provenance. Some may collect pieces that have an attractive aesthetic shape or strive to acquire one example of every different meteorite classification. Above all, follow your heart! Collect pieces that speak to you. Think of yourself as a temporary custodian of these visitors from space. Most meteorites have traveled many millions of miles and may be billions of years old. If cared for properly, they will still be here long after we are gone. The vast majority of meteorites are rich in iron, so keep them away from moisture and handle with care and respect. 155 WATCH CULTURE