Results for Frequency / Beat Rate (vph, Hz)

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Mar 18, 2020

Hands-On: Romain Gauthier Logical One Byzantine

The Romain Gauthier Logical One was launched in 2013 to critical acclaim, and clinched the year’s award for Best Men’s Complication at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG). While centred on the very old idea of a chain and fusée, the Logical One stood in contrast to contemporary wristwatches with the same complication. Other watchmakers sought, single-mindedly, to miniaturise the chain and fusée – doubtlessly a feat of micro-engineering – but Romain Gauthier took a step forward and developed a truly modern incarnation of the constant-force mechanism that originated in the 15th century. And contrary to well-known makers of the chain and fusée today, most notably A. Lange & Söhne, Romain Gauthier ensured the chain and fusée in the Logical One is entirely visible on the dial. Since its debut, the Logical One has been iterated multiple times, with variations covering the spectrum from traditional to ultra-contemporary. The attractiveness of the many versions vary – some are overdone – while others are a perfect fit for the impressive movement. One that works perfectly is the unique Logical One Byzantine that has the striking combination of a blue enamel dial and movement bridges bridges engraved with a motif inspired by Byzantine art. (Though this specific combination is unique, similar-looking examples have been produced, for instance with blue sub-dials but without engraving.) Case and architecture Due to the complex architecture of the movemen...

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Quill & Pad

Mar 3, 2020

Geneva Watch Days 2020 Is On: Good News Or *Covid-19 Cough* Desperate, Short-Sighted, Money Grab?

Ian Skellern's feelings regarding the rapid series of announcements of watch events like the cancellation of Watches & Wonders and Baselworld as well as the full-steam-ahead project Geneva Watch Days have been equally quickly undulating: from initially being enthusiastically for, Ian ended feeling against Geneva Watch Days. Why put anyone’s health at risk, especially with perhaps little in return but a few photos and a persistent cough? But it is a tough call.

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Breguet idea while Feb 23, 2020

In-Depth: The Unfinished George Daniels Watch

George Daniels’ contributions to horology, as a watchmaker, historian and educator, were multi-dimensional. Most are widely known, and his watches are now incredibly valuable. But one of his creations – the “Unfinished Daniels” – remains tantalisingly incomplete, residing in the Clockmakers’ Museum within London’s Science Museum (which is also now home to Daniels’ Space Traveller II pocket watch). Even though he completed only a small number of watches – 23 pocket watches and four wristwatches made by hand, along with the serially-produced Millennium watches – Daniels’ inventions, techniques and philosophy have been deeply influential. His successor Roger W. Smith now practices the Daniels method with his own hand-made watches, but other notable watchmakers, including Francois-Paul Journe, have cited Daniels as an inspiration. The unfinished Daniels movement in the George Daniels exhibit in the Clockmakers’ Museum. Photo – Science Museum Like many great watchmakers over the ages, Daniels’ pursued perfect chronometry throughout his career; inventing a novel, superior escapement was perhaps his greatest achievement. And he managed to do it twice. Having observed that the sliding friction in the conventional Swiss lever escapement affects the rate of a movement over time, he set about developing solutions. He invented two escapement types: one inspired by a 18th century Abraham-Louis Breguet idea, while the other was the entirely original and mo...

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Breguet Classique Dame Ref 9065 Feb 13, 2020

Breguet Classique Dame Ref. 9065 Features Tahitian Mother-Of-Pearl Dial And More Than A Touch Of Romance

Breguet launches the Classique Dame Reference 9065 in time to celebrate Valentine’s Day and the season of love, but rest assured this watch is the right choice any time. Martin Green thinks that's largely due to the Tahitian mother-of-pearl dial, but there's much more to this colorful delight as he explains here.

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Feb 12, 2020

Hands-On: Avantist La Majesté Tourbillon

Now four years old, Avantist was founded by Bruneian entrepreneur Keeran Janin and probably most famous for its tennis watches that incorporate string taken from the racquet used by Martina Navratilova when she won Wimbledon 1987. The brand has since diversified into other memorabilia timepieces, including one that contains strings from one of John Mayer’s guitars and another featuring threads from the national flag flown on the day of the Sultan of Brunei’s coronation. But Avantist’s most notable timepieces are the series of skeleton tourbillon watches that are entirely customisable, the La Majesté Tourbillon. These custom watches have so far been created for notable personalities, including sportsmen and heads of state; the first example – the model name translates as “His Majesty” – was conceived for the Sultan of Brunei. Powered by a hand-wound, skeleton movement from complications specialist Concepto, the La Majeste is customisable in its entirety, from the case and movement material to the design of the barrel ratchet wheel. Though the La Majeste is yet another watch in the sporty-skeleton-tourbillon genre, it manages to be a different take on a familiar look. At the same time, it combines an interesting movement with a surprisingly light and tactile feel in the hand. Thoughtfully detailed From design to production, the La Majeste Tourbillon is the work of leading names in Swiss watchmaking, most notably with Concepto supplying the movement. Best kno...

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The Watch Bros May 10, 2025

MB&F; M.A.D.1S Ice Blue | In-Depth Review

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De Bethune Dream Watch 5 Jan 27, 2020

Hands-On: De Bethune Dream Watch 5 in Rose Gold

De Bethune’s brand of watchmaking has spawned many avant-garde watches, ranging from the Urwerk collaboration for Only Watch to the East Asian-inspired Maestri Art. But its most outstanding sculptural creation is unquestionably the Dream Watch 5, an extraterrestrial seashell that tells the time. Originally launched in 2014 in mirror-polished titanium, the original Dream Watch 5 was extremely expensive, but also tiny, having the proportions of a lady’s watch. Fortunately, it was later enlarged to its current size of just under 60 mm at its widest, from crown to pointed tip, though it remains just as expensive. The Dream Watch was then iterated into several one-off examples, with the most incredible being the Dream Watch 5 in heat-blued meteorite; its extraordinary nature matched by the US$450,000 price tag. The Dream Watch 5 in meteorite More recently, a custom version of the Dream Watch 5 in 18k rose gold was delivered last year. Even though the design is exactly the same as the other variants, the rose gold specimen has a distinctly more classical look that dials back on the sci-fi feel. Like the other versions of the watch, the Dream Watch 5 in rose gold is entirely mirror polished, but also accented by an insert of polished, heat-blued titanium on the case back that extends to the crown, which is also made of the same material and then topped with a 1 carat ruby. Despite its aesthetics, the Dream Watch 5 is actually functionally simple: it indicates the hours and m...

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Konstantin Chaykin Jan 24, 2020

Konstantin Chaykin Introduces the Mouse King

Russian watchmaker Konstantin Chaykin had a hit on his hands when he unveiled the Joker at Baselworld 2017. Inspired by the “moving eye” clocks invented by German clockmaker J. Oswald in 1926, the Joker has since been iterated into several new versions, including the one-off Joker Selfie that sold for 75,000 Swiss francs at last year’s Only Watch charity auction. To mark the upcoming Chinese Year of the Rat, Konstantin has created a special variant of the Joker – the Mouse King – featuring the same “rolling eye” time display, but powered by a new base movement. According to Konstantin, the genesis of the watch came during the recent Christmas season, when he read the German fairytale The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, or Nussknacker und Mausekönig in its original language, to his daughter. A story about a nutcracker doll that comes to life and then defeats the evil Mouse King, the fairytale is the basis for Tchaikovsky’s ballet The Nutcracker. But most relevant to Konstantin is the fact that one of its main characters, Drosselmeyer, is a clockmaker. And in another coincidence, the Chinese Year of the Rat begins on January 25, 2020, which is also his daughter’s birthday. And so the Mouse King watch was created, as a limited edition of seven watches – because the evil Mouse King has seven heads, each wearing a golden crown. It indicates the hours and minutes regulator-style with a”moving eye” display, along with the moon phase at six o’clock ...

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Breguet Marine 5517 Jan 23, 2020

Up Close: Breguet Marine 5517 in Titanium

Breguet today is highly regarded for its watches that classically designed but often powered by innovative, high-tech movements, like the Classique Chronométrie 7727 with magnetic balance pivots, or the recent, elaborately finished skeleton tourbillon 5395. The brand is not, however, known for its luxury-sports watches (its line of Type XX aviator’s chronographs are entry-level and not quite sports watches). But last year Breguet unveiled the latest – and best – version of its luxury-sports watch, the Marine 5517. An under-appreciated contender in the category, the new Marine more conservative in style than its competition, but built to an admirably high standard. The Marine 5517 in titanium with a matching bracelet Horloger de la Marine Unlike its competitors, Breguet was relatively late to the luxury-sports watch segment (though not as late as A. Lange & Söhne, which launched the Odysseus last year); the original Marine only made its debut in 1990. The model name was inspired by Breguet’s appointment in 1815 as Horloger de la Marine – clockmaker to the French navy, an appointment it held for over 150 years. Designed by Jorg Hysek, perhaps the most famous watch designers of the 1990s, the first-generation Marine was distinguished by its fluted, domed crown, but otherwise looked pretty much like any other Breguet. That was replaced in 2005 by the second generation, a major redesign that gave it a more distinctive style. The practical robustness of the Marine...

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Hublot Introduces Jan 13, 2020

Hublot Introduces the Big Bang Integral

Launched in 2005, the Big Bang was the watch that reestablished Hublot as a major watch brand. Fifteen years on, the model gets its most major revamp to date with the launch of the Big Bang Integral. While the basic concept is simple – it’s a Big Bang with an integrated bracelet – the new watch is a substantial upgrade in construction and finishing. The case was redesigned to fit the new bracelet, but also to accommodate a higher level of finishing. The Big Bang Integral King Gold Upgraded inside and out Most of the case edges, and also the pushers, have polished bevelling that contrasts with the brushed finishing on the top surfaces. The alternating surface finish continues onto the bracelet links, which are also facetted in profile. At the same time, the case construction has been improved in substance. Though the new case retains the traditional “sandwich” construction of the Big Bang, the filling of the “sandwich” is no longer resin, but is instead the same material as the front and back plates of the case. The only remaining resin bits are the resin lugs, or “ears”, on each side of the bezel at three and nine o’clock, the fundamental design feature of Hublot that was inspired by a ship’s porthole (hublot is porthole in French). The Big Bang Integral in titanium The All Black The new Big Bang is available in titanium or 18k King Gold as regular production models, and also the 500-piece limited edition Big Bang Integral All Black. Like its namesake...

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Bulgari Introduces Jan 13, 2020

Bulgari Introduces the Octo Finissimo Black Sandblast-Polished Ceramic

Unveiled alongside the new variants of the Octo Finissimo in gold or steel, the Octo Finissimo Automatic Black Sandblast-Polished Ceramic is another take on the all-ceramic model launched last year. While last year’s watch had a uniformly matte finish on the case and bracelet, the new ceramic Octo Finissimo has alternating sandblasted and polished surfaces, giving it a little bit more life, with the polished bits catching the light just right. The all-black look is made a little bit more interesting with the varied surface finish, but retains the extreme sleekness of the original ceramic Octo. Like the case, the dial is monochromatic, but made legible, to a degree, with different surface finishes. The dial itself has a matte, frosted surface, while the markings and hands have a glossy finish. The dimensions of the new ceramic Octo remain unchanged from the earlier model, at 40 mm wide and 5.5 mm high. Inside is the BVL138 movement found across the Octo Finissimo Automatic model range. Key facts and price Octo Finissimo Automatic Black Sandblast-Polished Ceramic Ref. 103368 Case diameter: 40 mm Height: 5.5 mm Material: Black ceramic Water resistance: 30 m Movement: BVL138 Functions: Hours, minutes, and seconds Frequency: 21,600 beats per hour (3 Hz) Winding: Automatic Power reserve: 60 hours Strap: Black ceramic bracelet Availability: At both retailers and boutiques Price: US$15,600, or 22,000 Singapore dollars For more, visit Bulgari.com.  

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Theo & Harris May 10, 2025

The UGLIEST Patek Philippe Yet? The New $41K Watch Everyone’s Talking About!

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Longines Heritage Classic Chronograph 1946 Jan 8, 2020

Hands-On: Longines Heritage Classic Chronograph 1946

Longines’ determination to churn out affordable vintage remakes is going strong, despite having just unveiled the Heritage Classic Sector Dial and then the Heritage Military 1938 late last year. Previewed last year but only just officially launched, the Heritage Classic Chronograph 1946 sticks to the same formula – reproduce a desirable Longines wristwatch and price it modestly – but is unusual in being the first vintage-inspired chronograph since the Avigation BigEye of 2018. More unusually, it’s a good-looking remake of an odd-looking vintage watch, purportedly from 1946, in the Longines Museum that combines elements not usually found together. Whatever the case maybe with the historical inspiration, the design of the remake has been sleekly refined. Heritage Classic Chronograph 1946 Like other remakes, the 1946 won’t win any prizes for imagination, but it’s a good-looking remake that gets the details right. The basis for the remake is a watch from 1946 in the company’s museum, which was most probably powered by the famed cal. 13ZN flyback chronograph movement (which was succeeded by the equally famous cal. 30CH in 1947). Introduced in 1936, the cal. 13ZN represented the cutting edge of chronograph technology at the time, being the first serially produced chronograph movement to incorporate a flyback function. Catered for sportsmen and aviators, the flyback function allowed the wearer to reset the chronograph without having to stop it first. As a rather...

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Dec 31, 2019

Mystery Vs. Transparency in luxury watchmaking – how much do you really want to know?

It is becoming increasingly common to see small, emerging microbrands threaten to “pull back the curtain” on the luxury watch industry, in an attempt to upend the established order and claim a slice of the suddenly democratised pie for themselves. But how effective, or even responsible a strategy is it? Is it time to stop … ContinuedThe post Mystery Vs. Transparency in luxury watchmaking – how much do you really want to know? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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Richard Mille Introduces Dec 19, 2019

Richard Mille Introduces the RM 33-02 Automatic

Originally introduced in 2011 as a round, dressy-ish watch that was distinct from most other Richard Mille watches, the RM 33 has now been revamped and looks like, well, other Richard Mille watches. The new RM 33-02 is still round, but is aggressively styled and executed in a striking combination of materials. Just as it is with Richard Mille’s better known tonneau-shaped watches, the RM 33-02 has an angular, notched bezel, while the case is a sandwich combining carbon composite and gold held together by large, visible screws. The bezel notches at six and 12 are continued onto the integrated rubber strap, which has a fin running down its length, accentuating the sporty look. The bezel and back are made of Carbon TPT, a carbon composite made by North Thin Ply Technology (NTPT), a Swiss materials specialist that supplies the material for all of Richard Mille’s composite cases. Layers of carbon fibre within the composite give it a distinctive, striped appearance that is now found on most Richard Mille watches. In between the carbon composite is a case middle in 18k red gold. Also in red gold are the large Arabic numerals, which sit on a pair of black-coated titanium rings mounted on the base plate of the movement – necessary because the watch has no dial. Despite the bold styling, the RM 33-02 is a relatively compact watch, measuring just 41.7mm in diameter, and a slim 8.8mm high. That’s thanks in part to the extra-thin RMXP1 movement inside. It’s an automatic that...

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Patek Philippe Dec 18, 2019

Editorial: The Meaning of Quality in Vintage Watches

There are endless ways to collect in any category of art and collectibles, including watches. The easiest way is to buy whatever strikes one’s fancy, as a hobbyist’s pastime. Carried on over an extended period of time, one is bound to possess a sizeable collection, a mixed bag consisting of nice and, more likely than not, middling objects. But is this the best way? The alternative – and far more meaningful – way to collect, is the focus on quality. But just what, one may ask, is “quality”? In this day and age, it is a word thrown around a lot, by laymen, dealers, and collectors alike. To me, “quality”, first and foremost, refers to the significance of a given object. For the most serious collectors of timepieces made by Rolex and Patek Philippe – the two most important manufactures in watchmaking due to their continuous histories of producing illustrious craft – it entails the pursuit of models that are the most significant both aesthetically and technically.  At the pinnacle of Rolex collecting lies the ref. 6062. Debuted at the Basel fair in 1950, the 6062 was the world’s first waterproof, self-winding wristwatch with complete calendar and moon phase (pictured at top, a steel Rolex ref. 6062 from 1953). One of only two original Rolex models with moon phase – the other being the non-waterproof ref. 8171 with snap-back case – the 6062 represented the epitome of postwar Rolex watchmaking: a complicated yet robust and accurate automatic movement s...

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Dec 15, 2019

Business News: Swiss Authorities Weigh ETA Sales Ban

According to Swiss newspaper Schweiz am Wochenende (via Reuters), Switzerland’s Competition Commission, a federal body that oversees competition and antitrust matters, is considering an outright ban of movements sales by ETA to third parties, in other words brands outside of the Swatch Group, starting January 2020. Also known as COMCO, or its German acronym WEKO, the agency is expected to deliver a verdict on December 19 . No explicit reason was cited for the potential ban, but it was implied that a recent COMCO report on the industry structure of the movement business is the reason. It is possible that COMCO believes the number of alternatives to ETA is sufficient that the watch industry would be better served over the long term by forcing watch brands to switch away from ETA. COMCO has long tussled with Switzerland’s biggest movement maker, in a dispute that began 17 years ago, when ETA announced it would gradually halt sales of ebauches, or movement blanks, to brands not owned by its parent company, Swatch Group. Because ETA was, and still is, Switzerland’s largest movement, reputedly producing some five million movements a year, its decision was regarded by COMCO as anticompetitive. And the wider Swatch Group – which is the country’s largest watchmaking conglomerate – produces perhaps a third of the components needed for watch movements in the entire industry. In the subsequent years ETA and COMCO reached various agreements over movement supply, with the l...

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Watch Geek May 10, 2025

Monro Ocean Adventure - unboxing a bronze beauty!!

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F.P. Journe Invenit et Fecit’ Dec 10, 2019

Book Review: ‘F.P. Journe Invenit et Fecit’ By Jean-Pierre Grosz

‘F.P. Journe Invenit et Fecit’ by Jean-Pierre Grosz narrates the story of François-Paul Journe, one of the most successful independent watchmakers of our time. This book outlines both Journe’s incredible and – dare I say – courageous career and delves into his personal life, which wasn’t always rosy and light. A very atypical career that deserves the attention it receives with this book, Elizabeth finds it is a must-read.

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Breguet Classique Tourbillon Extra-Plat Squelette Dec 9, 2019

Up Close: Breguet Classique Tourbillon Extra-Plat Squelette 5395

In terms of press, Breguet’s most significant watch of the year is a relatively simple one, the Type 20 for Only Watch, which sold for 210,000 Swiss francs at the charity auction, or just over four times the high estimate. But the most significant watch in terms of haute horlogerie is the Classique Tourbillon Extra-Plat Squelette 5395. The ref. 5395 a large, thin, and ornate watch that’s actually a variant of the large, thin, and simple ref. 5367 introduced two years ago. More elaborate than the typical Breguet, the ref. 5395 is beautifully executed, down to the smallest elements, like the blued-gold hobnail hour markers or mirror-polished countersinks. But most importantly, the movement within is finished exceedingly well – by hand – to a level that’s a cut above the average Breguet complication. Most of that is obvious in the photos below. Graceful proportions At 41mm and just 7.7mm high – thinner than the 8.1mm Royal Oak “Jumbo” – the ref. 5395 sits elegant and flat on the wrist.  Compared to larger, and usually more complicated, Breguet watches, this feels like what a classical Breguet should be. Because of its diameter, however, it can look like a dinner plate on smaller wrists. And the ref. 5395 doesn’t work on hairy wrists either, because the skeletonisation leaves a wide gap in between the bridges. That’s because the skeletonisation of the cal. 581SQ inside is extreme; according to Breguet some 50% of the movement’s mass was removed. And th...

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Bell & Ross BR 01 Laughing Skull Dec 2, 2019

Hands-On: Bell & Ross BR 01 Laughing Skull White

While skull watches are very much today’s fad, Bell & Ross’ use of the Jolly Roger started a decade ago with the BR 01 Skull, with its square watch case being a perfect frame for a bony visage. The brand’s skull watches have proliferated since then, but the evolution had been purely cosmetic, until last year when the brand unveiled a watch as elaborate mechanically as it is aesthetically – the BR 01 Laughing Skull, powered by a proprietary movement with a simple automaton of a skull that opens and closes it jaw. And this year, B&R; has introduced the BR 01 Laughing Skull White, with the skull finished in a bone-like lacquer. Distinctive face Like all BR-01 watches, the case is 46mm wide, but it is a tad thicker than the static skull watches at 13.5mm high, but that’s a functional requirement, a result of the automaton on the movement. In short, it is a large watch, but that’s exactly the point. The case is sandblasted steel and is decorated with stamped hobnails on the top surface and case back, giving it a pronounced, distinctive character. And it is worth noting the unusual finish of the skull would work quite well with a case in bronze, a material that B&R; has used liberally in the past and will probably continue to. The dial features a photo-realistic appliqué skull that’s been stamped out of brass, and then painted matte off-white with shading to create shadow and depth. The result is striking – at a distance, the skull is seemingly projecting out o...

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Jaeger-LeCoultre Gyrotourbillon 3 Meteorite Nov 27, 2019

Up Close: Jaeger-LeCoultre Gyrotourbillon 3 Meteorite

The Jaeger-LeCoultre Gyrotourbillon 3 Meteorite is a highly technical yet decorative grand complication panelled in meteorite and aventurine. But it also evokes watchmaking of the early 2000s in its mechanical grandeur. Exotic tourbillons started to proliferate at the turn of the millennium, and soon the offerings were numerous, ranging from orbital to inclined to multi-axis. Today such tourbillons are commonplace, but in the early 2000s they were radical and cutting edge. While the orbital tourbillon was nothing more than a visual spectacle, the inclined and multi-axis tourbillons were attempts to adapt Breguet’s invention for the wrist, in other words they made chronometric sense, at least on paper. One of the earliest and most significant multi-axis tourbillons was the Jaeger-LeCoultre Gyrotourbillon of 2005. While it wasn’t the first multi-axis tourbillon in a wristwatch – that honour goes to Thomas Prescher – the Gyrotourbillon was distinguished by its elaborate, three-dimensional cage of lightweight aluminium, made possible only with the aid of modern technology. The original Gyrotourbillon of 2005, which also incorporated a perpetual calendar with equation of time With the leap year and power reserve displays on the back The Gyrotourbillon was arguably the complication that defined Jaeger-LeCoultre as an haute horlogerie brand rather than a movement maker for other marques. Since its launch the Gyrotourbillon evolved into several iterations, including thi...

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Breguet overcoil Visible through Nov 23, 2019

MB&F; Introduces the Legacy Machine 101 in Palladium

In 2014, MB&F; unveiled the Legacy Machine 101 (LM101), its most affordable classically-styled watch, but nonetheless equipped with a beautifully executed, hand-wound movement that had its styling and decoration conceived by Kari Voutilainen. Several editions later, including the pair of “Frost”watches and one in platinum, the brand unveils the Legacy Machine 101 Palladium. Limited to 18 pieces, the watch has the same dimensions as the earlier versions of the LM101, so the case 40mm wide, making it the smallest Legacy Machine. It is made of palladium, a bright white metal that resembles platinum – they are both in the same family of metals – but is considerably lighter, yet harder and more resistant to scratches. The case has a polished top surface on the lugs and bezel, with a contrasting brushed case band. It is combined with a pale blue, sunray-brushed dial, on which time is indicated on a sub-dial at two o’clock and a power reserve on a smaller sub-dial at six o’clock. Both sub-dials are in white lacquer with printed markers, giving them a vague resemblance to porcelain dials on antique pocket watches. Like all other Legacy Machines, the balance wheel is suspended high above the dial by an arched balance bridge. The balance is 14mm large with four adjustable weights for regulation and a hairspring with a Breguet overcoil. Visible through the sapphire case back, the movement demonstrates a significant degree of fine finishing and classical details, no doub...

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Time+Tide May 10, 2025

Andrew races IWC CEO Chris Grainger-Herr through the Schaffhausen manufacture

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De Bethune Introduces Nov 20, 2019

De Bethune Introduces the Maestri’Art DW5 Armilia

Shaped like an extraterrestrial seashell, the De Bethune Dream Watch 5 (DW5) is the brand’s most striking timepiece. It’s simple in function – showing just the time and moon phase – but more of a time-telling object than a mere watch. The new Maestri’Art DW5 Armilia is the opposite of the sleek, smooth finish of the original Dream Watch. The rose gold case is fully engraved with a motif from Les Cités obscures, or The Obscure Cities, a series of graphic novels by Belgian duo François Schuiten and Benoît Peeters. Specifically, the engraving depicts Armilia, an underground city of the novels that’s shaped like an armillary sphere. François Schuiten’s original drawing of Armilia Responsible for the engraving is Michele Rothen Rebetez, a freelance engraver based in Le Locle who has worked with De Bethune for several years, most recently on the Maestri Art I and II. Instead of the deeper, relief engraving that Ms Rothen Rebetez typically uses for watches, the DW5 Armilia is finished with banknote style engraving, made up of numerous fine, shallow lines to create depth and shadow. The DW5 is produced in two sizes, and the DW5 Armilia is in the larger, 58mm size. Mechanically, it is identical to the standard DW5, with the time indicated in a narrow window, along with the spherical moon phase display, both framed in blued titanium. The cal is 18k rose gold, while the crown is topped with a 1-carat blue sapphire.   Key facts and price Maestri’Art DW5 Armilia R...

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Nov 19, 2019

Singer Reimagined Introduces the Track 1 Emirates Edition

Singer Reimagined, a sister company of Singer Vehicle Design, the acclaimed Californian outfit that modifies 964-series Porsche 911s, made its debut in 2017 with the Track 1 – a watch with a retro case but an ingenious, modern movement. The brand has since introduced several limited editions for key cities, including Geneva and Hong Kong. Now, to coincide with Dubai Watch Week, it is launching the Track 1 Emirates Edition, a smartly coloured iteration with contrasting dial textures for more intuitive reading. Measuring 43mm wide and 15mm high, the watch features a ceramic-coated aluminium case, created by subjecting aluminium to an electro-plasma oxidation process that creates a thin layer of ceramic on its surface. This gives the case a hard, scratch-resistant surface while keeping it lightweight, although the coating can be damaged by impact. In the same vein, the bezel, pushers, crown and case back are in titanium, but coated with zirconium nitride (ZrN), a hard ceramic that is pale gold in colour. The dial features black, concentric hour and minutes discs on the periphery with an olive-green centre and a gilt tachymeter flange, while all the hands are orange. The watch is otherwise mechanically identical to the standard versions. It is equipped with one of the most revolutionary chronograph movements of recent times – the AgenGraphe, which was developed by Agenhor, a respected Geneva complications specialist led by Jean-Marc Wiederrecht. Boasting five patents for...

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Panerai Introduces Nov 19, 2019

Panerai Introduces the Radiomir California PAM 931 & Radiomir 8 Days PAM 992

Panerai’s new launches this year have so far been inclined towards civilian sports – including the Luna Rossa trio and Mike Horn edition – which is a key part of chief executive Jean-Marc Pontroué’s strategy that also emphasises “experiences”. But with its two new launches – the Radiomir California 47mm (PAM 931) and Radiomir 8 Days 45mm (PAM 992) – the brand returns to the old school Marina Militare style – both have a familiar look that’s heavily inspired by wristwatches Panerai made for frogmen of the Italian navy in the 1930s and 1940s. Radiomir California 47mm PAM00931 Notably, both watches have steel cases with an “aged patina effect”, essentially a surface coating that reproduces the look of the vintage originals. The Radiomir California 47mm (PAM00931) revisits a design that Panerai has reproduced several times in the past – modelled on the ref. 3646 of the 1930s – but now with a “tropical” dial in graduated brown that mimics the look of aged dials on vintage Radiomir watches. It has Roman numerals on the upper half and Arabic numbers on the bottom, a design originally meant to aid legibility by clearly distinguishing the upper and lower halves of the dial. The crystal is domed PlexiGlas, while the movement is the extra-large, hand-wound P.3000 with a three-day power reserve. The second model is slightly more interesting, since the design is more novel (in other words having not been done before, at least in the exact same con...

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Audemars Piguet Nov 9, 2019

Top 3 most expensive watches sold at Only Watch 2019, also featuring Audemars Piguet and F.P. Journe

Patek Philippe’s entry into Only Watch 2019, the one-of-a-kind stainless steel Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime ref. 6300A, has just smashed, in fact obliterated, the record for the most expensive watch ever sold at auction. But it wasn’t just the Patek that stretched into the seven-figure stratosphere at the charitable auction last night, as two other … ContinuedThe post Top 3 most expensive watches sold at Only Watch 2019, also featuring Audemars Piguet and F.P. Journe appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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Vacheron Constantin as enjoying Nov 8, 2019

Business News: Richemont Reports Flat Watch Sales and Losses Online

Having just announced its six-month results to the end of September, luxury conglomerate Richemont eked out a rise in sales driven by its jewellery division, with its online business staying in the red and watchmakers showing no growth. Sales rose 9% increase to €7.397 billion, with a stable net profit of €869 million, based on actual exchange rates. The group reported double-digit sales growth in China, Korea, Japan, the US and the United Kingdom. But overall sales in Asia Pacific, which accounts for 37% of the group’s sales, has been subdued, mostly due to the political unrest in Hong Kong, which accounts for around 10% of the group’s revenue. The city saw sales drop by double digits. Richemont’s jewellery brands, namely Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels, though it just added Buccellati to its portfolio, reported an 8% rise in sales. Notably, it was led by a higher increase in watch sales than jewellery. Prospects for the group’s watch brands, which include IWC and Panerai, have been muted due to the slump in its biggest market, Hong Kong. Richemont singled out Panerai, A. Lange & Söhne and Vacheron Constantin as enjoying the highest growth within the watch division, which is notable for the fact that these brands are not usually the drivers of growth, at least in recent years. The A. Lange & Söhne Odysseus, launched too late to help sales but its maker did well anyway In terms of sales channels, retail sales at Richemont’s own stores were up by 4%, but who...

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Fratello May 10, 2025

Introducing RZE × Fratello Limited Edition: Resolute Pro \

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