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VIDEO: Distinctive design with the Louis Vuitton Tambour Damier Cobalt Time+Tide
Louis Vuitton Tambour Damier Cobalt One Dec 15, 2019

VIDEO: Distinctive design with the Louis Vuitton Tambour Damier Cobalt

One of the most appealing elements of a Louis Vuitton watch is just how unabashedly bold they are in their design, as well as their wrist presence. The new Louis Vuitton Tambour Damier Cobalt is an excellent example, with its amply portioned 46mm stainless steel case, vivid dial graphics and branded rubber strap. The dial … ContinuedThe post VIDEO: Distinctive design with the Louis Vuitton Tambour Damier Cobalt appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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Breitling Introduces the Navitimer Automatic 41 Southeast Asia Edition SJX Watches
Breitling Introduces Dec 12, 2019

Breitling Introduces the Navitimer Automatic 41 Southeast Asia Edition

The entry-level model in Breitling’s Navitimer line, the Navitimer 41 is a three-hander with date – plus the Navitimer’s trademark circular slide rule bezel. Already available in a variety of guises, it’s now available in a small, 36-piece run for Breitling’s Southeast Asian boutiques, with a blue dial and red gold bezel. The Navitimer Automatic 41 Southeast Asia Boutique Edition has a 41mm steel case, but dressed up with the rotating bezel in 18k red gold. As with all current Navitimers, the bezel has a “beads of rice” rim, a detail taken from the first generation Navitimer of the 1950s that was later replaced by a more functional knurled edge. To match the bezel, the hands and hour markers are plated in red gold, while the dial is a deep metallic blue. Though not available on the Navitimer prior to this, the combination is a familiar, having been used by numerous brands in recent years, especially with blue dials being fashionable now. And the movement inside the Breitling 17, which is a rebadged ETA 2824, a robust, no-frills movement, here with a COSC chronometer certification. The SE Asia edition is limited to 36 pieces, and not 50 as engraved on the case back of the prototype above Key facts and price Navitimer Automatic 41 Southeast Asia Boutique Edition Diameter: 41mm Height: 10mm Material: Steel with 18k red gold bezel Water resistance: 30m Movement: Breitling 17 (ETA 2824) Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, and date Winding: Automatic Freque...

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Blancpain Introduces the Villeret Ultraplate in Platinum SJX Watches
Blancpain Introduces Dec 11, 2019

Blancpain Introduces the Villeret Ultraplate in Platinum

Originally introduced in stainless steel and red gold earlier in the year, Blancpain has just unveiled the top of the line Villeret Ultraplate 6605, now in platinum with a deep blue dial in an 88-piece limited edition. Ultra plate is French for “ultra flat”, and it aptly describes the line, which includes both automatic and hand-wound models. The new Villeret Ultraplate 6605 is essentially the hand-wound, time-only version of the self-winding (plus date) Ultraplate 6223 that’s a decades-old mainstay in the Blancpain line-up. At 40mm wide and just 7.39mm high, the Ultraplate 6605 is compact on both dimensions and exceedingly elegant. It’s also slightly larger but thinner than the automatic 6223. Entirely polished, the platinum case is done in typical Blancpain style, with a thin, double-stepped bezel and slim, short lugs that allow the watch to wear smaller than expected. The deep blue dial has a simple sun-ray finish and features applied Roman numerals in white gold, along with a pair of elegant, open-worked leaf-shaped hands – a tiny detail but one that lightens the dial. Powering the watch is the hand-wound cal. 11A4B. Though a new movement, it is based on the automatic Frederic Piguet cal. 1150 introduced in 1988. The 11A4B is essentially an enlarged, hand-wind variant of the cal. 1150, with a diameter of 27.8m versus the 1150’s 26.2mm. Some of the enlargement is thanks to wider base plate and bridges, while retaining the original architecture – explain...

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IWC Introduces the “Lewis Hamilton” Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar SJX Watches
Hamilton Big Pilot’s Watch Dec 10, 2019

IWC Introduces the “Lewis Hamilton” Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar

To mark British racing driver Lewis Hamilton’s sixth Formula 1 World Championship, IWC has unveiled the “Lewis Hamilton” Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Edition. One of the most striking executions of the Big Pilot to date, the watch departs from the subdued, technical colours that characterise the line – which was inspired by German airforce navigators’ watches of the Second World War – and instead opts for a Bordeaux dial and pink gold accents. Measuring 46.5mm wide and 15.9mm high, the case is made of matte black ceramic, which accentuates its burgundy dial while downplaying its massive dimensions – though the watch is hard to miss on the wrist. The richly coloured dial is combined with a pink-gold crown and case back, while the hands are gold-plated and filled with cream-coloured Super-Luminova. All the indications are also printed in a golden hue, along with a black four-digit year disc and moons, matching the case. Visible through the case back is the in-house, automatic cal. 52615, which sports a solid pink-gold rotor. It features the brand’s trademark Pellaton winding system, a 7-day power reserve courtesy of twin barrels and most crucially, the landmark perpetual calendar module invented by IWC’s longtime technical guru Kurt Klaus. The perpetual calendar tracks the day, day of the week, date, month, four-digit year, with both northern and southern hemispheres moon phases displayed concurrently. All indications advance in a coordinated sequ...

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H. Moser & Cie. Introduces the Heritage Centre Seconds Funky Blue SJX Watches
H. Moser & Cie Introduces Dec 2, 2019

H. Moser & Cie. Introduces the Heritage Centre Seconds Funky Blue

A year ago, H. Moser & Cie. debuted the Heritage Pilot’s Watch, a retro, aviation-inspired watch with grey fumé dial for Swiss retailer Bucherer that was then a one-off unlike anything else in the brand’s line-up. Now the watch has officially joined the collection as the Heritage Centre Seconds Funky Blue, positioned as an entry-level model priced under US$14,000. The watch has a familiar design, for good reason: it’s modelled on early pilot’s watches from the 1920s that were produced by a host of brands including Longines and Zenith, and also Heinrich Moser, the predecessor of H. Moser & Cie. At the same time, according to Moser chief executive Edouard Meylan, the Heritage watch takes some inspiration from early 20th century wristwatches that were converted pocket watches with wire lugs soldered on for wear on the wrist. While the Heritage measures 42mm in diameter like a majority of Moser’s watches, it is just 11.1mm high, making it one of the brand’s slimmest models. Its stainless-steel case features an onion-shaped crown and thin lugs to mimic wire lugs. The case is largely polished, punctuated with fine, vertical fluting on its flanks, a detail taken from another watch in the Moser line-up, the Pioneer. The dial is a dark, metallic blue finished with sunburst brushing and the brand’s signature fumé treatment that gradually darkens towards the edges. But the most distinctive feature are the large Arabic numerals – modelled on the painted radium ...

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Vacheron Constantin Introduces the Les Cabinotiers Minute Repeater ‘Dance of the Gemstones’ SJX Watches
Vacheron Constantin Introduces Dec 1, 2019

Vacheron Constantin Introduces the Les Cabinotiers Minute Repeater ‘Dance of the Gemstones’

Another of the strikingly elegant, one-off minute repeaters that’s part of Vacheron Constantin’s 2019 Les Cabinotiers line-up is the Minute Repeater Ultra-Thin ‘Dance of the Gemstones’. Well, it is actually two repeaters, a matched pair of his-and-hers watches (that are available separately nonetheless) with eggshell grand feu enamel dials and ruby hour markers. The dials are extravagant yet elegant, evoking prominent watches of many decades ago. They are inspired by high-end gentlemen’s wristwatches of the 1950s that combined silvered or enamel dials with ruby hour markers, with baguette-cut stones for the quarters and brilliant-cut in between. These were often special orders for royalty or as royal gifts, with the best known being the pocket- and wristwatches made for King Saud bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia that bore his portrait on the enamel dial. His and hers A Patek Philippe ref. 2481 from 1955 with a cream enamel dial bearing a portrait of King Saud bin Abdulaziz. Image – Christie’s Both the repeaters share a similar case design, but different diameters and decoration – the men’s version is 41mm while the ladies’ watch is 39mm with a diamond-set bezel and crown. The watches are otherwise identical, powered by the same cal. 1731, an extra-flat, hand-wound movement that was developed in-house. Key facts and price Les Cabinotiers Minute Repeater Ultra-Thin ‘The Dance of the Gemstones’ Men’s model – ref. 6630C/000R-B662 Ladies’ model – r...

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Whither Watch Websites? The Future Of Online Watch Journalism (You Read It Here First) – Reprise Quill & Pad
Dec 1, 2019

Whither Watch Websites? The Future Of Online Watch Journalism (You Read It Here First) – Reprise

Back in 2018, Ian Skellern published a provocative article taking issue with the current state of online watch journalism. Specifically, he criticized what in his view is the low quality and repetitive nature of what we see online. But are things really uniform and uniformly bad or are there distinct types of online sources and content? GaryG wonders how we think about the different business models and value propositions of watch sites, and what it tells us about how the future may unfold.

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In-Depth: Commissioning the Voutilainen GMT-Villes Custom Time Zone Watch SJX Watches
Rado x Nov 28, 2019

In-Depth: Commissioning the Voutilainen GMT-Villes Custom Time Zone Watch

Voutilainen watches are well loved for their dials, which are made in-house and offered with a myriad of finishes – primarily guilloché or enamel – as well as numerous colours and appliques. But unconstrained freedom leads to hesitation, and too many choices make a decision difficult. American psychologist Barry Schwartz, writing in The Paradox of Choice, notes that consumers are often happier having to choose from fewer options, rather than more. The author’s custom GMT-Villes But in my own collecting, perhaps the opposite is true. When I work with an independent watchmaker on a custom or bespoke watch, exploring the abundance of possibilities is the main attraction, particularly when I can specify the details face to face with the watchmaker himself. Investing sufficient time to figure out my goal makes the process of choosing not a task to be feared, but an enjoyable journey leading to the unique piece. This is my story of commissioning the GMT-Villes from Kari Voutilainen (which happened slightly before I embarked on a similar project with Andreas Strehler). Kari Voutilainen in his showroom. Image – FHH The beginning of custom work After setting up his own workshop in 2002, Kari, then 40 years old, made his debut as an independent watchmaker with the Masterpiece series of wristwatches, starting with Masterpiece 6 unveiled at Baselworld in 2005. The Masterpiece watches were all one-off minute repeaters relying on rebuilt and finely decorated vintage ebauches ma...

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INTRODUCING: Rock and rolling with the Bremont Ronnie Wood “1947 Collection” Time+Tide
Bremont Ronnie Wood “1947 Collection” Nov 23, 2019

INTRODUCING: Rock and rolling with the Bremont Ronnie Wood “1947 Collection”

The limited edition watch is a tactic used by watch brands that is receiving increasing numbers of eye-rolls as dozens are churned out each year. But where many brands simply change a dial colour and limit production to 200 pieces, Bremont has been making limited editions with a difference. Cutting through the noise of endless … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: Rock and rolling with the Bremont Ronnie Wood “1947 Collection” appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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Bulgari Introduces the Octo Finissimo Tadao Ando Edition SJX Watches
Bulgari Introduces Nov 23, 2019

Bulgari Introduces the Octo Finissimo Tadao Ando Edition

Characterised by its sleek, modernist form, the Octo Finissimo Automatic was introduced only in 2017 but is arguably the most successful new design in the luxury sports watch category. Its architectural case and bracelet has now been melded with a dial conceived by Japanese architect Tadao Ando, resulting in the most intriguing iteration of the watch to date – the Octo Finissimo Tadao Ando Edition. Born in 1941, Tadao Ando is a self-taught architect whose minimalist yet monumental buildings demonstrate his mastery of concrete, geometry and light. Winner of the 1995 Pritzker Prize, Mr Ando’s notable works include the Church of the Light in Osaka; 21_21 Design Sight, a design museum in Tokyo; and most recently a lavender-planted hilltop shrine containing a giant Buddha in Hokkaido. While much of his work is located in his home country, he is also famed for several international projects, including the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth in Texas and 152 Elizabeth, a residential tower in New York City as well as the Cerro Pelon Ranch in New Mexico designed for designer Tom Ford. In the Octo Finissimo Automatic, he relies on simple geometry to create an unusually distinctive dial, with a spiral motif that emanates from the seconds hand, creating the effect of a wave rippling across the dial. Though the pattern is remarkably simple – it is printed in black lacquer on the dial – the effect is striking, especially when contrasted against the harsh, futuristic lines of the c...

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Chopard Alpine Eagle: A Cool – And Ethical – Sports Casual Watch Quill & Pad
Chopard Alpine Eagle Nov 21, 2019

Chopard Alpine Eagle: A Cool – And Ethical – Sports Casual Watch

Stainless steel case, integrated bracelet in the same material, manufacture movement, and a blue dial: these are the ingredients for today's watches that people are willing to spend a significant premium to obtain. For many, this was also the first thought that went through heads when Chopard recently launched its new blue-dial, stainless steel, sporty watch, the Alpine Eagle. Martin Green looks beyond that pretty blue face after wearing it for a week and gives us his thoughts.

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Singer Reimagined Introduces the Track 1 Emirates Edition SJX Watches
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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Nomos Introduces the Zürich Weltzeit Amsterdam Edition SJX Watches
Nomos Introduces Nov 17, 2019

Nomos Introduces the Zürich Weltzeit Amsterdam Edition

After the 2017 launch of the Orion 38 “De Stijl” – one of the most unusual and intriguing Nomos watches to date – Dutch retailer Ace Jewelers has unveiled the fruit of its third collaboration, the Zürich Weltzeit Amsterdam. Limited to just 25 pieces, the watch is a variation of the Nomos travel watch, distinguished by a handful of distinct but restrained tweaks. Previously available only with a blue or white dial, the Amsterdam edition features white indices and text, along with red accents on a stark, matte black dial. Appreciably, its stark, no-nonsense colour palette comes at a time when Nomos is increasingly relying on pastel-coloured dials. The watch features several nods to the Dutch city, with “Amsterdam” replacing Berlin on the city ring and highlighted in red, while home time is indicated at three o’clock by the flag of Ace Jeweler’s hometown of Amsterdam, made up of three Saint Andrew’s crosses. The rest of the watch is otherwise identical to the standard version. Its steel case measures 39.9mm wide and 10.85mm high, featuring angled, elongated lugs that are similar to the Orion’s and rather distinct from all the other collections. All surfaces of the case are polished, offering a great contrast to the matte dial. A pusher at two o’clock advances the local time display in one-hour steps while a recessed pusher at eight o’clock sets the home time. Visible through the sapphire case back, the watch is powered by the in-house automatic DUW 5...

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Hands-On: Bell & Ross BR03-92 Full Lum SJX Watches
Bell & Ross BR03-92 Full Lum From Nov 15, 2019

Hands-On: Bell & Ross BR03-92 Full Lum

From the ultra-graphic BR-X to the newly launched, all-steel BR-05 collection, Bell & Ross’ capacity for reinterpreting its signature square-cased, aviation-inspired watches has proven rather remarkable. But its latest watch is a return to its roots, and perhaps the most extreme iteration of its foundational BR-03 model. The BR03-92 Full Lum is the visual negative of the BR 03-92 Nightlum launched a year ago. While the Nightlum had a black dial with luminous numerals and markers, the Full Lum has an entirely luminous dial with its indices printed in black – and a luminous strap to boot. Stealth dial and strap The watch features what appears to be the standard, unapologetically industrial BR 03 dial with oversized Arabic numerals at the quarters and large baton markers. However, the entire dial as well as the bottom sections of the hands are painted with Super-Luminova. Notably, even the date disc, visible through an aperture between four and five o’clock, is coated with “lume”. And not only is the dial fully luminous, it also uses the brightest Super-Luminova, specifically C3. It is the purest form of Super-Luminova with a pale-yellow appearance during the day, while emitting an intense and long-lived green glow in the dark. As a concession to daytime aesthetics, a majority of watches utilise white lume, which is fully white in daylight and emits a blue glow in the dark. This is simply because white offers a more attractive contrast against black or blue dials. ...

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F.P. Journe Introduces the Astronomic Souveraine Grand Complication SJX Watches
F.P. Journe Introduces Nov 14, 2019

F.P. Journe Introduces the Astronomic Souveraine Grand Complication

Just days after the F.P. Journe Astronomic Blue made for Only Watch 2019 sold for a record 1.8m Swiss francs, the watchmaker has unveiled the regular production version of the same – the Astronomic Souveraine. While the last unique F.P. Journe produced for Only Watch eventually made into production in a significantly different form, the Astronomic Souveraine is largely the same. Save for the steel case, dial colours, and movement decoration, the Astronomic Souveraine is identical to the unique Only Watch creation. Inspired by a pocket watch Francois-Paul Journe produced in 1987 – itself inspired by the earlier works of Breguet and George Daniels – the Astronomic Souveraine has 18 complications, shown on two faces on each side of the case. These include showing both mean solar time and sidereal time, as well as an annual calendar, equation of time, tourbillon with remontoir d’egalite constant force mechanism, and a minute repeater. Despite its complexity, the indications are remarkably well-presented, and furthermore, can all be adjusted via a single crown. Though the case is 44mm wide – the largest wristwatch ever by F.P. Journe – it remains notably compact at just 13.8mm high, helped in part by his ultra-thin minute repeater mechanism with flat hammers and gongs. As with most F.P. Journe watches, the dial on the front is solid gold, as are the bridges and plate of the movement. The 758-part cal. 1619 is equipped with double barrels, which are partly visible ...

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Longines Introduces the Heritage Military 1938 SJX Watches
Longines Introduces Nov 14, 2019

Longines Introduces the Heritage Military 1938

Following the recent Heritage Classic with a “sector” dial, Longines continues to churn out compellingly-priced, well-conceived remakes with the Heritage Military 1938. Limited to 1938 pieces, the watch is modelled on the ref. 4092, an oversized military watch produced by Longines just before the Second World War. Such watches were often made for the firm’s agents in Eastern Europe, most prominently Zipper in Poland. The original watch from 1938 (left) and the modern reissue (right) Like the original, the Heritage Military 1938 has a 43mm stainless-steel case topped by a domed sapphire crystal, which is pretty much the only obviously modern element of the watch.  The rest is pretty much faithful to the original, right down to the typeface of the logo and numerals, even on the sub-dial. Crucially – traditionalists will surely approve – the remake is hand-wound like the original, in contrast to most other Longines remakes that are self-winding. The case has a polished top surface on the lugs and bezel, with a contrasting brushed case band. And the matte black dial features a railway minutes track, along with sans-serif Arabic numerals and baton-shaped hands filled with cream-coloured Super-Luminova to mimic the aged appearance of the radium “lume” on the original. And because the watch is powered by the suitably large ETA Unitas 6498-1 that fills the case, the small seconds is correctly positioned, sitting a distance from the central axis and close to the bot...

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INTRODUCING: The Longines Heritage Military 1938 Time+Tide
Longines Heritage Military 1938 Longines Nov 13, 2019

INTRODUCING: The Longines Heritage Military 1938

Longines is on an absolute roll in 2019, and it seems like only yesterday that we were treated to one of their hottest watches of the year – the sector dial Longines Heritage Classic. Not wanting to rest on its blue-handed laurels, Longines has just dropped this bombshell of a vintage reissue, and they’re calling … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: The Longines Heritage Military 1938 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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Montblanc Introduces the Heritage Small Second with a Minerva-Minerva Movement SJX Watches
Montblanc Introduces Nov 10, 2019

Montblanc Introduces the Heritage Small Second with a Minerva-Minerva Movement

During a chat with Montblanc watch division chief Davide Cerrato this weekend in Geneva – where the split-seconds chronograph he created for Only Watch sold for a 100,000 Swiss francs – he revealed the company had recently discovered a small number of finished Minerva MB M62.00 movements from the early 2000s. Already decorated and assembled, the hand-wound movements were then paired with a specially designed dial to create a discreet limited edition. The calibres were produced in 2003, during the brief period from 2000-2006 when Minerva was owned by Italian former billionaire Emilio Gnutti who was later convicted of insider trading. Mr Gnutti radically remade Minerva after he took over, elevating it from a producer of competent and honest watches into one focused on ultra high-end timepieces with exceptional movement finishing. But his endeavour was not financially viable and he sold Minerva to Richemont, which integrated the brand into Montblanc. The Minerva-Minerva movement The MB M62.00 in the new Heritage Small Second come from this period, so they have impeccable finishing. But unlike Minerva movements produced after the Montblanc takeover, these movements were wholly finished prior to the Richemont takeover so they are only marked “Minerva” and “Villeret”. Though the MB M62.00 are identical, both in style and finishing, to later movements marked “Montblanc”, aficionados will appreciate the nostalgic Minerva logo. The MB M62.00 movement is derived fr...

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Zenith Introduces the El Primero A386 Phillips Limited Edition SJX Watches
Zenith Introduces Nov 8, 2019

Zenith Introduces the El Primero A386 Phillips Limited Edition

In a first for watchmaking, an establishment watchmaker has collaborated with an auctioneer in creating a pair of limited edition wristwatches, resulting in the El Primero A386 designed by Phillips. The tie-up has resulted in a pair of watches, one in steel with a “tropical” dial, and the other in striking black and gold – with the total number made being just 69, a nod to the year of the El Primero’s launch. The two watches are actually part of the same creative process that spawned the platinum El Primero A386 One-Off that will soon be sold for charity. Aurel Bacs and Alex Ghotbi of Phillips were responsible for conceiving the look of both watches. According to Phillips, the duo imagined being designers of the brand-new El Primero in 1969, rather than looking back from today and creating a modern remake. The yellow gold El Primero is consequently a combination that was common back in the day – think Rolex Daytona “John Player Special” though never produced by Zenith. And the steel version is not actually a “tropical” dial, rather it is a reference to the brown colours fashionable in design and apparel during the 1960s. Hence it has its sub-dials in three shades of brown, a riff on the “tricolour” registers of the original A386. And the steel watch comes with a bonus: a steel “ladder” bracelet with straight end links that’s a replica of the same found on the original A386. Key facts and price El Primero A386 Phillips Limited Edition Ref. 30.P38...

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VIDEO: Maritime mastery with the Breguet Marine 5517 Time+Tide
Breguet Marine 5517 More than Nov 7, 2019

VIDEO: Maritime mastery with the Breguet Marine 5517

More than 200 years ago, Abraham-Louis Breguet was appointed as an official chronometer maker of the French Navy, and the tradition lives on today in the Breguet Marine 5517. The 5517 is a robust sports watch, machined in a lightweight titanium that almost perfectly matches the deep-grey dial tone, and offers a host of details … ContinuedThe post VIDEO: Maritime mastery with the Breguet Marine 5517 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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Highlights: Phillips ‘Double Signed’ Geneva Auction Part II SJX Watches
Audemars Piguet Gobbi” chronograph Nov 7, 2019

Highlights: Phillips ‘Double Signed’ Geneva Auction Part II

Here’s part II of highlights at Phillips’ Double Signed auction – you’ll find the first part here – including a lovely Audemars Piguet “Gobbi” chronograph with a green gold dial, as well as a gorgeous Patek Philippe Ref. 1463 “pink on pink” that’s more affordable than usual, for a reason. Lot 35 – Patek Philippe ref. 2499 in pink gold “Trucchi” The most valuable lot in the sale, with an estimate over 1.2m francs, is the Patek Philippe ref. 2499 third series in pink gold. It’s one of only six pink gold third series watches known; in fact, the total number of ref. 2499s in pink gold across all four series totals just 23. And this is the only one with the “Trucchi” signature on the dial, having been sold by the retailer in Naples that’s still in operation today. According to Phillips, it was sold by Trucchi to an Italian-American doctor in 1972, who then sold it to the consignor who sold the watch at auction in 1999 at Antiquorum in Geneva. It sold for almost 700,000 francs then, making it one of the most expensive watches in the world at the time. The watch is in exemplary condition, albeit with one quirk: the crystal is sapphire instead of PlexiGlas as is standard for the third series. Found only on fourth series ref. 2499s, the sapphire crystal and accompanying bezel was presumable installed by Patek Philippe in the 1980s according to Phillips, since the watch already had a sapphire crystal when it was sold in 1999. Lot 50 – Patek Phili...

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Highlights: Phillips ‘Double Signed’ Geneva Auction Part I SJX Watches
Vacheron Constantin tourbillon pocket watch ref Nov 7, 2019

Highlights: Phillips ‘Double Signed’ Geneva Auction Part I

Phillips’ thematic auction this season is titled Double Signed: A Celebration of the Finest Partnerships Between Manufacturers and Retailers, with a catalogue composed of watches with retailer signatures mostly on the dial, but occasionally on the case back. Though a retailer signature in itself does not make a great watch, many watches in the sale are already superb watches, but made even more special by the retailer’s mark, like the Rolex GMT-Master ref. 6542 below. More broadly, Double Signed is more historically evocative than most other thematic auctions, because many of the retailers cited within represent a particular time and place that is long gone, even if the retailer remains in business. Examples include Serpico y Laino of Caracas, which no doubt prospered during Venezuela’s good times that are now long forgotten, or Le Palais Royal of Havana that was the island’s premiere retailer before the Communist revolution. Here’s part one of the roundup of highlights from the sale. (And part II is here.) Lot 11 – Vacheron Constantin tourbillon pocket watch ref. 92244 “Asprey” One of the most proper examples of haute horlogerie in the sale is this Vacheron Constantin pocket watch that contains an observatory-certified tourbillon movement from the 1940s, though the watch was only finished and sold in 1992. It’s believed that in the 1990s, Vacheron Constantin discovered a small number of tourbillon movements that had been tested and certified as chronomet...

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Hands-On: Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 Tourbillon Openworked “Only Watch” SJX Watches
Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 Tourbillon Openworked Nov 7, 2019

Hands-On: Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 Tourbillon Openworked “Only Watch”

At Only Watch 2017, Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar in black ceramic – but with a one-off blue dial – sold for a whopping 800,000 Swiss francs, with two phone bidders driving it to nearly seven times the high estimate. It was the third most expensive watch in the sale. This year’s contribution is no Royal Oak – far from it – but it’s surprisingly worthy of a second look. In fact, it’s probably the best-looking watch to emerge from the brand’s often criticised Code 11.59 line. Amidst the flak heaped upon it, the Code 11.59 range had a couple of standouts, including the Tourbillon Openworked. And that’s where AP started for Only Watch 2019. The Tourbillon Openworked Only Watch retains the slim, beautifully finished skeleton movement, eschewing the contentious Code 11.59 dial altogether. And the movement has a two-tone finish that smartly highlights the most important mechanical components. To match the movement, the Only Watch edition features a two-tone case that does justice to the Code 11.59 construction in a way the uniform colour of the standard models simply couldn’t. Superbly constructed In terms of size, the case is identical to the standard model – 41mm by 10.7mm. Beyond immediate impressions, the case is wonderfully constructed with a subtle and intriguing mix of shapes and finishing made obvious by the two-tone materials. The octagonal case middle is pink gold, while the rest of the case, including the lugs, are white gold,...

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