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Results for Omega De Ville

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Cartier Announced Diamond Hours for the Ballon bleu de Cartier and Tank Française watches! Revolution
Cartier Announced Diamond Hours Jun 2, 2014

Cartier Announced Diamond Hours for the Ballon bleu de Cartier and Tank Française watches!

With the release of two very popular models in steel with diamonds and in steel gold with diamonds, the Tank Francaise and the Ballon Bleu, Cartier is spoiling the ladies again! Up till now, Cartier have not really featured both diamonds and steel in a single watch before, and in the Ballon bleu collection we now see […]

Auctions: Phillips Bringing Three Mega Pateks to Its Spring Sales Hodinkee
Patek Philippe Apr 23, 2026

Auctions: Phillips Bringing Three Mega Pateks to Its Spring Sales

We'll have further auction coverage in the coming weeks, but it's worth giving Phillips a bit more attention, as it continues to lead in year-over-year sales. The auction house sold a record total of over $290 million in watches last year and has had five years in a row with over $200 million in sales. The market has shifted (I'd argue at least twice) in the past few years, but despite the growing F.P. Journe, independent, and pocket watch (yes, pocket watch) markets, the top lots for Phillips continue to be Patek Philippe. At each of their spring auctions, Phillips is selling an important Patek to headline the sale, and each is the kind of watch that could be the pinnacle of the world's top collections. Normal caveat here: I haven't seen these watches in person yet, and anyone considering bidding should make sure to check any watch in person if at all possible. A Patek Philippe ref. 2523 Two-Crown World Time With Cloissoné Enamel South America Dial First, we have the star of Geneva, to be sold on May 9: the Patek Philippe ref. 2523 two-crown world time with cloisonné enamel map of South America, from 1953. Aside from rare variants of 2499s or 1518s (and a few repeaters), these two-crown watches, with their incredible, angular lugs and giant open canvas at the center of the dial, have become the holiest of Holy Grails for many collectors. They are rare enough to be hunted and coveted, but there are also enough out there to be studied, understood, and codified. Too rare o...

Year in Review: the Best “Money No Object” Watches of 2025 Worn & Wound
Richard Mille or Jacob & Co Dec 23, 2025

Year in Review: the Best “Money No Object” Watches of 2025

I’m long on record saying the mark of a genuine enthusiast is being able to get just as excited about a $100 Timex or G-Shock as about a $100,000 Rolex or Patek. I still think there’s something to that. Still, I also recognize that summing it up so patly, though convenient, ignores a huge amount of the nuance that undeniably exists in the watch space. It also ignores some of the fundamental impacts of price, including, crucially, attainability. After all, there are very few enthusiast pursuits (or, really, pursuits of any kind) where price and pursuit can be wholly siloed, and watches are not some rare example where we can afford to be price agnostic - at least, not most of us. Still, once in a while, it can be fun to just say screw it and enjoy watches for what they can be at their most extreme. Which brings us to the topic of today’s 2025 round-up, “F**k You Money” watches. The concept of a “F**k You Money” watch can be a bit nebulous. Unlike dive watches or chronographs, say, which either are or are not what they say they are, there’s no real set definition for what qualifies as “F**k You Money,” but like Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart and pornography, I may not be able to specifically articulate what qualifies as a F**k You Money watch, but I know it when I see it. gérald genta Geneva Minute Repeater You thought I was gonna start with some crazy Richard Mille or Jacob & Co., didn’t you? Well, this probably isn’t going to be that kind of...

Report: Geneva Spring Auctions 2025 SJX Watches
Richard Mille RM UP-01 Ferrari May 14, 2025

Report: Geneva Spring Auctions 2025

Despite everything, including tariffs and a strong Swiss franc, the Geneva auction season turned out to be a strong one, with some of the strongest results being in the most surprising segments. The bigger winner this season was Phillips, which sold a bit under 200 lots for CHF43.4 million including fees, while also claiming the most valuable lots for the season, reflecting Phillips’ strong leadership and team. Despite being the market leader by some margin, the Phillips catalogue was arguably the riskiest as it included several high-value pocket watches and clocks – timepieces that not part of mainstream collecting today. Yet the gamble paid off with the most valuable timepiece this season being its Breguet Sympathique no. 1 that sold for CHF5.51 million. Christie’s achieved CHF21.2 million with a similar number of lots that were arguably more conventional in taste and format than at Phillips. One of its most valuable lots was a Cartier Crash “NSO” with a special order dial that sold for CHF736,000 – one of the biggest surprises of the season but proof that being eye-catching enough for social media is a big factor in desirability and value today. Interestingly, the Crash sold for exactly the same as the Richard Mille RM UP-01 Ferrari. The Crash went for about 15 times the original retail, while the RM UP-01 was about half of retail. The Crash NSO “nickele” grey. Image – Christie’s Over at Antiquorum, the tally was CHF10 million – from almost 800 lot...

Highlights: Pocket Watches and Clocks at Phillips Hong Kong SJX Watches
Richard Mille RM020 pocket watch Nov 16, 2024

Highlights: Pocket Watches and Clocks at Phillips Hong Kong

Having covered independent watchmaking and metiers d’art highlights at Phillips’ upcoming Hong Kong auction, we now look at timepieces that aren’t wristwatches. The Hong Kong sale is a two-part affair: a theme sale focused on timepieces of Japanese origin christened Toki, and the The Hong Kong Watch Auction: XIX. Both include a notable number of pocket watches and clocks across the spectrum of style and periods, from an iconic Cartier Model A mystery clock in rock crystal to the Richard Mille RM020 pocket watch. The catalogues with online bidding for Toki and HKWA XIX. TOKI lot 60 – Breguet digital jumping hours pocket watch This uncommon Breguet pocket watch with a two-tone case was sold in 1926 to a certain Mitoui T.K. for the sum on 16,000 French francs. This was a period when Breguet was making few timepieces, making watches from this era, especially complicated ones, relatively uncommon. With elegantly angled cutouts for the hour and minutes, the jumping hour display makes this watch a rarity. Similarly displays were found on wrist- and pocket watches of the time, including the Cartier Tank à Guichet. This particular piece does not bear the classic Breguet style, like the coin-edged case band or engine-turned dial. The style, however, is typical of the 1920s, though the two-tone case makes it unusual. This watch was made in France, since this was produced well before the brand’s move to the Swiss Vallée de Joux in the 1970s. The white-and-pink-gold 45 mm c...

Konstantin Chaykin Claims Title for Thinnest Mechanical Watch SJX Watches
Richard Mille outdoing each other Aug 29, 2024

Konstantin Chaykin Claims Title for Thinnest Mechanical Watch

The race towards nothingness in ultra-thin watches has picked up in the last years, with brands like Bulgari and Richard Mille outdoing each other in the thinnest-watch stakes. Now Konstantin Chaykin wins the race with his ThinKing, a prototype that comes in at a staggering 1.65 mm in back-to-back thickness - making it the thinnest mechanical timepiece today. Currently the ThinKing is a concept watch in its second prototype stage, constructed and executed by the Moscow-based independent watchmaker, with three pending patents linked to its development.  Initial thoughts While the technical merits are impressive, the watch seems bland on its face, or at least face-on. It appears to be a large, flat piece of steel with a dull finish, sporting twin eye-like registers for the hours and minutes. The ThinKing doesn’t have the visual flair of Richard Mille RM UP-01 Ferrari or Bulgari Octo Finissimo Ultra. But it is easily recognisable as a Wristmon, the brand’s signature collection of “rolling eye” watches. Since it is only a prototype and the aesthetics are not yet refined for commercial production, the ThinKing’s appearance can be overlooked. The brand name engraved in an arc resembling a smile The ThinKing is absurdly thin at 1.65 mm. This makes it 0.05 mm thinner than the previous record holder for the thinnest mechanical watch, the Bulgari Octo Finissimo Ultra Mark II. Although imperceptible to the naked eye, the minute reduction is amazing from a technical point...

In-Depth: Piaget Debuts Thinnest Tourbillon Watch Ever SJX Watches
Richard Mille RM UP-01 Now Piaget Apr 9, 2024

In-Depth: Piaget Debuts Thinnest Tourbillon Watch Ever

Piaget does the unexpected to mark its 150th anniversary. Instead of a special edition of an existing timepiece, Piaget has profoundly reworked the Altiplano Ultimate Concept (AUC) – endowing it with a flying tourbillon. The thinnest tourbillon ever by some margin, the Piaget Altiplano Ultimate Concept Tourbillon 150th Anniversary measures 41.5 mm in diameter and stands just 2 mm high, crystal included. In other words, Piaget installed a tourbillon in the AUC while maintaining the same overall height. Initial thoughts The original AUC of 2018 was an impressive example of micro engineering. The innovative movement construction resulted in a case thickness of just 2 mm, while still managing to look like a conventional watch, as opposed to the panel-like appearance of the even thinner Richard Mille RM UP-01. Now Piaget has built upon the concept by adding a tourbillon to the slim construction. A tourbillon is not a practical addition, since chronometry was never the main point of the AUC. Instead, this is an exercise in pushing the limits of micro engineering. Piaget’s engineer surmounted the challenge and the result is nothing short of amazing. It’s crucial to note that adding a tourbillon to the AUC is not merely adding a tourbillon. Practically the entire calibre was reworked – according to Piaget one 90% of the parts are new – right down to reducing the number of spokes in the wheels to minimise energy consumption. Beyond its mechanics, the AUC Tourbillon also...

SpaceOne Introduces an Affordable Tellurium SJX Watches
Richard Mille Planetarium-Tellurium Apr 4, 2024

SpaceOne Introduces an Affordable Tellurium

Founded last year by a pair of Frenchmen, entrepreneur Guillaume Laidet and independent watchmaker Theo Auffret, SpaceOne fashions itself as a maker of modular complications assembled in Paris that are make accessible thanks to Swiss movements and external components sourced elsewhere. Its second creation, the Tellurium, is an affordable – but heavily simplified – heliocentric tellurium watch priced at just €2,999, or about US$3,250. Initial thoughts A tellurium is a kind of orrery, a mechanical model of the solar system, which shows the planets’ positions relative to the Sun. Traditional orrery are kinetic sculptures driven by complex gearings and usually large format, desk clock size or larger. The Richard Mille Planetarium-Tellurium of 2007, for instance, was the size of a small table. There have been wristwatch-size versions of orrery, most famously Ulysse Nardin’s pair of the Tellurium Johannes Kepler and Planetarium Copernicus, which were faithful miniaturisation of orreries and conceived with scientific accuracy in mind but were priced accordingly. The SpaceOne Tellurium is a heavily diluted of the same. It shows only the Sun, Earth and Moon, each with minimal motion. The Earth, for instance, does not rotate on its own axis. Rather than being a miniaturised true orrery, this is an heavily simplified representation presented with sci-fi style. This simplified approach brings with it the inconvenience of a non quickset calendar. So setting the calendar from...

The Piaget Altiplano Ultimate 900P is just 3.65mm thick yet still looks like an actual watch Time+Tide
Richard Mille Jan 27, 2024

The Piaget Altiplano Ultimate 900P is just 3.65mm thick yet still looks like an actual watch

I have been very happy to see ultra-thin watchmaking make a comeback as of late, but the race to be the thinnest does have its concessions. For Richard Mille, to achieve the ‘thinnest mechanical watch in the world’ title it, in my opinion, had to sacrifice looking like an actual wristwatch – more like a … ContinuedThe post The Piaget Altiplano Ultimate 900P is just 3.65mm thick yet still looks like an actual watch appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Highlights: Independent Watchmaking at Sotheby’s Hong Kong SJX Watches
Richard Mille RM 53-02 Oct 2, 2023

Highlights: Independent Watchmaking at Sotheby’s Hong Kong

Following our look at notable complications and artisanal masterpieces on offer at Sotheby’s Important Watches I in Hong Kong, we now consider the independent watchmaking highlights in the sale that takes place on October 7. The offerings in the sale range from establishment names like Philippe Dufour – on offer is a Simplicity 37 mm in platinum made after the original run – to newcomers like Pascal Coyon with a Besançon Observatory-certified chronometer. And the highlights also include the headline lot of the auction, the extravagant Richard Mille RM 53-02 in blue sapphire crystal. Important Watches I happens on October 7, 2023. Registration for bidding and the full catalogue can be accessed here.  The Richard Mille RM 53-02 Lot 2116: Pascal Coyon Chronometre  One of the most affordable offerings in the sale is the Pascal Coyon Chronometre, a watch inspired by the French watchmaker’s career as a watch and clock repairer in Bayonne. Though based on a Unitas 6498, Mr Coyon’s hand-wound movement bears a strong resemblance to classical 19th-century pocket watches from the likes of Longines. While the movement is still a Unitas 6498 at its core, it has been dressed up with frosted bridges and a snail cam regulator, amongst other things. Being one of his earlier watches, this has a plain, 42 mm polished steel case with a stepped bezel and a white lacquered dial with red numerals for “12” and “60”, complemented by Breguet-style hour and minute hands. This ...

Roger Dubuis Combines the Inclined Balance and Flyback Chronograph SJX Watches
Richard Mille which Jul 21, 2023

Roger Dubuis Combines the Inclined Balance and Flyback Chronograph

One of the latest releases from Roger Dubuis, the Excalibur Spider Flyback Chronograph, makes the most of its openworked dial to show off a newly-developed calibre, the RD780, which combines an inclined balance wheel with an integrated chronograph. A complex movement with two patents pending, the RD780 is notably elaborate with unusual features like a digital minute counter and twin barrels. And technically-minded enthusiasts will also note the RD780 boasts diamond-coated silicon escapement parts, which are both wear- and magnetism-resistant. Initial thoughts Roger Dubuis’ current chronographs distinguish themselves through bold design and flashy technical features. While the style is outlandish, it is refreshing to see this unique approach to a chronograph design, particularly since the technical features are novel and interesting, such as the inclined balance wheel and column wheel, visible through the openworked dial. But the Excalibur chronograph’s technical merits are perhaps overshadowed by the design, which is excessive in a hyper-mechanical style. The chronograph’s dial is busy, even for an openworked dial. It is not easy to read, even when compared to what is being offered by the likes of Richard Mille, which is perhaps the closest comparison to the Excalibur chronograph. The Excalibur chronograph is priced at US$101,500, making it more affordable than the equivalent from Richard Mille, the RM 72-01. In fact, the Excalibur is half as expensive as the Richar...

TAG Heuer Introduces the Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph for Only Watch SJX Watches
Richard Mille Jun 29, 2023

TAG Heuer Introduces the Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph for Only Watch

Continuing from the unique piece made for the previous edition of Only Watch, TAG Heuer again experiments with its racing model for the upcoming charity auction. The Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph for Only Watch is the brand’s first-ever mechanical split-seconds chronograph, and channels strong avant-garde styling. Initial thoughts Finally adding a mechanical split second chronograph to the brand’s capabilities is a significant step for a TAG Heuer, who stand on their history of producing sporting chronographs. In contrast to the Monaco Carbon from 2021, the watch exhibits a significantly bolder aesthetic, aligning more closely with what one would expect from Richard Mille. However, unlike its counterpart, TAG Heuer’s approach to skeletonisation is tastefully restrained, focusing on a minimalist display rather than an overtly flashy appearance. One potential drawback of this release is the auction estimate, which ranges from CHF150,000 to CHF300,000. The inclusion of the new calibre and the utilisation of premium materials can justify the higher price. However, it is worth noting that the price point is consistent with what last year’s model achieved, which was CHF290,000, despite only having an estimate of between CHF50,000 to CHF100,000.  The winning bidder of this watch will also get a VIP experience of the Monaco Grand Prix next year, with access to the TAG Heuer hospitality suite, among other experiences over the weekend.  Avant-garde design Expertly mergi...

Breitling Introduces the Navitimer B01 “S&S; 10th Anniversary” SJX Watches
Richard Mille Jun 14, 2023

Breitling Introduces the Navitimer B01 “S&S; 10th Anniversary”

Breitling is introducing a luxe variation of its flagship chronograph to mark the tenth year of S&S; Group, a luxury retailer that represents brands ranging from Rolls Royce to Richard Mille in Vietnam. The Navitimer B01 “S&S; 10th Anniversary” Limited Edition is making its debut just in time for the opening of the Breitling boutique in the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi. Initial thoughts Highlighting its focus on Southeast Asia, it comes as no surprise that Breitling has unveiled another edition of its trademark chronograph, following the Singapore Airlines edition from last year. But instead of a mere change of colour as it usually does, Breitling has employed mother-of-pearl for the dial, an unusual material for the brand but one that adds a touch of extravagance to an otherwise functional pilot’s watch.  The mother-of-pearl dial instantly sets this apart from the standard Navitimer, particularly with the red gold case. Perhaps the only thing missing is the retailer’s logo on the dial, a detail that would hark back to the double-signed dials that are desirable in vintage watches.  Priced at US$21,800, the S&S; Navitimer is slightly more expensive than the standard production model in rose gold that has a plain, cream dial. This increase can primarily be attributed to the mother-of-pearl dial and seems fairly proportional for the upgrade in dial material. Tenth anniversary This Navitimer edition celebrates the tenth year of S&S; Group, which was founded in 2013 as the s...

Piaget Goes Ultra-Thin for New Polo Perpetual Calendar Worn & Wound
Richard Mille Feb 7, 2023

Piaget Goes Ultra-Thin for New Polo Perpetual Calendar

The trend toward ultra-thin highly complicated watches has reached a fever pitch in recent years, and there’s no sign of that trend slowing anytime soon. Piaget has been at the forefront of ultra-thin watches for many decades, most recently claiming the world’s thinnest mechanical watch with their Altiplano Ultimate Concept in 2020 (which was subsequently broken by Bulgari, and then Richard Mille). This year, they’re returning to the ultra-thin game with a new Polo Perpetual Calendar that measures a mere 8.56mm in thickness. This marks the first appearance of the perpetual calendar complication within the current generation of the Polo, and it should come as no surprise that it works rather well.  The Piaget Polo was redesigned in 2016 with a more refined presentation of their sports watch language. The round case features a slightly squared, TV shaped dial opening creating just enough tension to set it apart in a crowd. This was a notable departure from earlier Polo designs, which have never been shy about embracing their era. The newest Polo design feels timeless to my eye, but history will be the judge there. The design has shown flexibility, with the openworked Skeleton Automatic, and even on the very high end housing the brand’s ornate minute repeater in this Polo Emperador. The Polo Perpetual Calendar is the most complex Polo to date, and effectively uses the 42mm case to showcase their take on the QP. The information is presented in a clear and easy to unde...

How About a Big Bronze Skull for the Wrist? Bell & Ross Has You Covered Worn & Wound
Richard Mille there are skull watches Feb 1, 2023

How About a Big Bronze Skull for the Wrist? Bell & Ross Has You Covered

Ah yes, the skull watch. While not exactly what I’d call a “staple,” watches featuring skulls have been ever present in modern watch collecting for years. Most notably, we can look to independent watchmaker Fiona Kruger as something of a skull watch specialist, but other brands are in on the skull action as well. From Invicta (of course, Invicta) to Richard Mille, there are skull watches out there for every taste and budget. Indeed, one of my favorite watches from last year features a skull in a nontraditional way. But we can’t talk about skull watches without talking about Bell & Ross, who have released a variety of these watches in their relatively short history. Their latest release, the BR 01 Cyber Skull Bronze, is one of the strangest yet.  First, let’s answer the question many are likely asking themselves right now: why? While different brands might have varying rationales for creating skull watches, we can at least identify that the skull itself as a symbol is recognized somewhat universally as dealing with the idea of mortality. A memento mori, a reminder that every living thing dies, is a theme that exists in art going back centuries. This is a natural thematic playing field for a watch, dealing as it does with the passing of time. Also, they just kind of look cool. I’m reminded of a heavily tattooed friend being asked about the symbolism behind the artwork on his body (including, you guessed it, skulls) and his curt response, indicating that he just ...

GENEVA WATCH DAYS: The Bulgari novelties find a luxe upgrade for the Octo in gold Time+Tide
Richard Mille RM UP-01 Ferrari Aug 29, 2022

GENEVA WATCH DAYS: The Bulgari novelties find a luxe upgrade for the Octo in gold

In March this year, Bulgari released the world’s thinnest mechanical watch with the Octo Finissimo Ultra, only to be beaten again in July by the Richard Mille RM UP-01 Ferrari by just 0.05mm. While creating another record-breaking watch within a handful of months would be inconceivable, the Bulgari lineup for Geneva Watch Days offers an … ContinuedThe post GENEVA WATCH DAYS: The Bulgari novelties find a luxe upgrade for the Octo in gold appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Code41 Introduces the Mecascape Pocket Watch SJX Watches
Richard Mille Aug 24, 2022

Code41 Introduces the Mecascape Pocket Watch

A startup that relies solely on crowdfunding for its timepieces, Code41 has launched a variety of wristwatches since its founding in 2016. All of its products to date have been wristwatches with a stylised, mechanical appearance. Now Code41 is launching its first pocket watch, the Mecascape. Essentially a portable clock that doubles up as a desk clock, the Mecascape is powered by a manually-wound movement with an eight-day power reserve. Like the brand’s other timepieces, the Mecascape has a modern, open-worked aesthetic, but applied to a regulator-style display with each of the indications in separate sub-dials. Initial thoughts More of a portable panel clock than a pocket watch, the Mecascape is an interesting product that doesn’t quite fit into any category of timepiece. The best way to describe it would be as an interesting mechanical object that watch enthusiasts might appreciate. Though slim, it is quite large at about 10 cm long, which is about a third shorter than an iPhone. The size means its practicality as a portable timepiece is limited. It would seem more useful as a small desk clock. Visually it has the modern, open-worked aesthetic found on watches from the likes of Richard Mille and Hublot. The style works well with the concept of the Mecascape. And thanks to its scale the mechanics are more easily observed than on a wristwatch. At just over US$9,300, the Mecascape seems fairly priced on initial examination, largely thanks to its unconventional form and...

G-Shock mania at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics as top athletes vote with their wrists Time+Tide
Richard Mille Aug 6, 2021

G-Shock mania at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics as top athletes vote with their wrists

We’ve seen quite a collection of watches captured on the wrists of various athletes at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, everything from Rolex, F.P. Journe, Richard Mille, and more. But I suspect if I were to poll the larger watch community, and ask which watch in your collection would you wear if you were competing, … ContinuedThe post G-Shock mania at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics as top athletes vote with their wrists appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Franck Muller Introduces the Skafander Tonneau Diver’s Watch SJX Watches
Richard Mille models But it was Jun 18, 2021

Franck Muller Introduces the Skafander Tonneau Diver’s Watch

Introduced in 2018 but put on hold until recently, the Skafander adapts Franck Muller’s trademark tonneau watch case for a dive watch. Getting its name from “scaphander”, an archaic term for a diving suit, the Skafander has been facelifted just as it reaches stores in both stainless steel or titanium. Initial thoughts Brash and bold watch, the Skafander is much typical of Franck Muller’s current style. At first glance, the design might seem derivative, bringing to mind the Hublot Spirit of Big Bang, and of course various Richard Mille models. But it was Franck Muller that made the tonneau case a thing in contemporary watchmaking with the Cintree Curvex – Cartier, on the other hand, invented the shape in 1906 – so the brand has every right to the shape. In fact, the Cintree Curvex was one of the “it” watches of the 1990s, so successful it arguably inspired all tonneau watches in 21st century watchmaking. Complicated and mechanical in style, the Skafander has a partially open-worked dial, which doesn’t help legibility, but it’s very much the style for modern sport watches. The Skafander manages to set itself apart amongst watches in this genre, by way of its case shape and inner rotating bezel. And priced at about US$15,000 (or 23,800 Singapore dollars), it’s relatively pricey, but on par with comparable dive watches from Hublot. The Skafander in brushed titanium Tonneau case, round bezel The Skafander’s key feature results from matching a rotatin...

Franck Muller Introduces the Vanguard Line Cut SJX Watches
Richard Mille s familiar case style. But Dec 21, 2020

Franck Muller Introduces the Vanguard Line Cut

In a departure from its usual exuberant, Technicolor style, Franck Müller’s latest creation is slim, pared back, and monochromatic. An exclusive for its stores in France, the Vanguard Line Cut is a thin time-only watch entirely in sandblasted titanium, giving it a sleek, clean look. And priced a little under €10,000, it is also affordable as such things go. Initial thoughts While most of the Vanguard models feel derivative, or a bit much, the Line Cut seems just right in size, style, and price. It’s 41 mm wide, smallish by Franck Muller standards, and under 10 mm high, giving it the wide-but-thin proportions of many popular luxury-sports watches. And the pared-back look also extends to its colours and textures – the liberal use of sandblasted titanium is clean and suits the style, resulting in an aesthetic that’s both cohesive and attractive. But its water resistance is only 30 m, which is a bit less than typical for a sports watch. Not much was provided on the FM 708 movement inside, although the Franck Muller says it was developed specifically for this watch. Cintree Curvex Descended from Franck Muller’s signature Cintree Curvex tonneau-shaped watch, the Vanguard is a sports watch that does bear some resemblance to Richard Mille’s familiar case style. But the slimness of the Line Cut brings to mind instead the earliest watches of Franck Muller, which were mostly smaller and thinner than today’s models. The titanium case measures 41 mm by 50 mm, with a...

Up Close: Louis Vuitton Tambour Curve Flying Tourbillon SJX Watches
Richard Mille Apr 20, 2020

Up Close: Louis Vuitton Tambour Curve Flying Tourbillon

Since Louis Vuitton acquired complications specialist La Fabrique du Temps (LFDT) in 2012, the trunk maker has made impressive strides in its haute horlogerie. The newly launched Tambour Curve Flying Tourbillon Poinçon de Genève encapsulates Louis Vuitton’s complicated watchmaking – confident, modern styling combined with a first-rate calibre. Granted, the Tambour Curve is pricey – US$250,000 pricey – but it is clearly catered for a specific consumer. That buyer wants an ultra-high end, contemporary, and slightly sporty watch, the type of watch found in the segment dominated by Richard Mille and Hublot. But Louis Vuitton has executed the Tambour Curve extremely well, creating an appealing – and importantly, cohesively designed – wristwatch that is more than just looks. The LV 108 movement inside was developed and made by LFDT, which is led by veteran watchmakers Michel Navas and Enrico Barbasini, both of whom I hold in very high regard. Louis Vuitton long-term strategy in developing its watchmaking – essentially do it well and expensively – is demonstrated by the quality of the Tambour Curve. The brand could have gotten away with building a so-so watch, just because it is Louis Vuitton. But it didn’t, and the Tambour Curve exhibits a notable level of attention to detail in styling and craft. CarboStratum The Tambour Curve is a big watch with a streamlined, rounded form that is almost organic. Not only is the case round, its flanks are concave, whil...

Hands-On: Chanel J12 The Inseparables “Only Watch” SJX Watches
Richard Mille MB&F; Nov 8, 2019

Hands-On: Chanel J12 The Inseparables “Only Watch”

To mark the 20th anniversary of the J12 this year, Chanel gave its signature timepiece a microscopic yet significant makeover, both inside and out, while preserving the distinct identity that has contributed to the watch’s two-decade success. For Only Watch 2019, the brand created J12 The Inseparables – the very first examples of the new-generation J12 to roll off the line, distinguished by a unique case and bracelet finish. And the pair also happen to be one of the most affordable lots in the auction. The brand has approached these unique iterations in the same manner it approached the revamp – with subtlety and restraint. The pair of watches are both rendered in smooth, matte ceramic, with a tone-on-tone dial. And both are equipped with a special black-coated execution of the new Caliber 12.1 produced by Kenissi, the movement maker that is part owned by Chanel. Matte finish The most apparent difference between the Only Watch pair and the standard version is the matte finish of the ceramic case and bracelet; the standard models have a glossy, polished finish. While the J12 is primarily a women’s watch, especially in this smallish size, the finish of the Only Watch editions come across as more masculine – and also more refined and discreet. And as it always has been, the case measures 38mm. It is made entirely in-house by the brand, thanks to its ownership of G&F; Chatelain, a reputed case and buckle manufacture, whose clients include Richard Mille, MB&F; and Bel...