1,673 articles · 132 videos found · page 29 of 61
Hodinkee
A total of 23 complications – including a perpetual calendar, minute repeater, grand and petite sonnerie, flyback chronograph, and tourbillon – show AP's prowess as a true watchmaker of ultra-complicated watches.
SJX Watches
Undoubtedly the flagship of its recent new launches, the Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet Universelle is the brand’s most complicated wristwatch in recent years – or perhaps ever. A project that began in 2016, the uber-complication rooted in history: it is a tribute to L’Universelle, the grand complication pocket watch from 1899 made by AP for German watchmaker Union. But the watch simultaneously pushes the brand’s modern-day watchmaking to the limit, particularly in terms of miniaturising highly complex mechanisms. The Universelle is available in two guises, the open dial above and the solid dial pictured further up Officially one of the brand’s Research and Development timepieces – the model is also known as the RD#4 – the Universelle is an exercise in combining into a single wristwatch all the traditional mechanisms that constitute a grand complication, and then some – perpetual calendar, rattrapante chronograph with flyback, tourbillon, and grande et petite sonnerie with minute repeater. L’Universelle on display in the Audemars Piguet Museum Initial thoughts An assuming name that means little to anyone who doesn’t understand the historical inspiration, Universelle is a horological behemoth that captures AP’s industrial and mechanical capability. Though it has a highly modern design, the Universelle harks back to a bygone era of high watchmaking that prized highly complicated watches incorporating as many features as feasible into a (barely) wearable...
Quill & Pad
When De Bethune released the new DB25s Perpetual Calendar at Geneva Watch Days 2022, the main talking point was just how much the model had shrunk from its previous iterations to become a more perfect proportion. And like any good diet consultation, it was the result of careful and deliberate attention paid to the watch as a whole and how components worked with each other.
SJX Watches
Having looked at some of the most fascinating pocket watches and clocks on offer at Christie’s Important Watches auction that happens soon in Hong Kong, we now turn to attention to the genre that many collectors are now pursuing, independent watchmaking. As expected, amongst the offerings going on the block are works from the big names like F.P. Journe, Richard Mille, and H. Moser & Cie. But beyond the usual suspects, the sale also encompasses hidden gems, like the highly complicated tourbillon perpetual calendar by Gerald Genta presented as a Cartier Pasha. The Important Watches auction (lots 2306-2523), including watches from The Triazza Collection, begins at 1 pm on November 27 – the catalogue is available here. It’s followed by the second session (lots 2201-2282) offering watches from The Champion Collection at 7 pm – see the full catalogue here. The fully-engraved Gerald Genta movement inside the Cartier Pasha Lot 2382: Cartier Pasha Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar Considered one of the most successful watch designers of the 20th century – though his most influential designs were for Audemars Piguet and the Patek Philippe rather than his own – Gerald Genta was also responsible for some of the most complicated watches of the 1980s and 1990s when his namesake brand was at its peak. In fact, the Genta brand was so proficient at making highly complex watches that Cartier tapped Gerald Genta as a movement supplier for its top-of-the-line complications in the 19...
SJX Watches
Patek Philippe has introduced two variants of its classic paired complication: the Perpetual Calendar Chronograph Ref. 5271/11P and Ref. 5271/12P are set with blue sapphires and rubies respectively, with each having a graduated finish dial in a matching colour. Both new references retain the look and feel of the ref. 5270 but certainly pack a punch with their flamboyant jewelled cases. The first serially-produced gem-set variants of the reference in 11 years, the new pair joins the existing diamond-set ref. 5271P as the bling versions of Patek Philippe’s archetypal complication. Initial thoughts Much of the excitement over new releases from Patek Philippe tend to be centred on its sports watches nowadays but that’s not all that the brand has been doing. At Watches & Wonders in March, the brand launched a new version of the longstanding ref. 5270 that featured a smoked green dial that was widely applauded (no doubt in part due to the current popularity of the colour). But the recent launches left me wondering, what else can Patek Philippe do to up its game beyond its mastery of complications? Well, now we have an answer. In terms of the design, the new ref. 5271s retain the classic layout and distinctive feel of the perpetual calendar chronographs that the brand is known for, but with a few adjustments to the dial that give it a more contemporary feel. And then the coloured gemstones transform a watch that is ordinarily sedate into something over the top. While gem-se...
SJX Watches
To mark the reopening of its boutique within the same complex, Vacheron Constantin (VC) has just inaugurated The Anatomy of Beauty, an exhibition taking place in the ArtScience Museum of Marina Bay Sands from now to November 2, 2022. Open to the public with free admission, the exhibition is an all-encompassing showcase of the brand’s watchmaking split into three sections, starting with its historical timepieces and culminating in its modern-day grand complications like the Tour de l’lle. The first section, Our Heritage: A Legacy as Precious as Time, presents a selection of the brand’s notable timepieces from its earliest years – the oldest watch on show is exactly 200 years old – continuing into the present day with the landmark Tour de l’lle launched in 2005 to mark the brand’s 250th anniversary, an impressive double-faced watch with 16 complications. A pocket watch dating from 1822 with an engraved case set with amethysts The Tour de l’lle Following that comes The Anatomy of Beauty dedicated to the brand’s traditional and artisanal decorative techniques. Amongst the highlights is the Métiers d’Art “Great Civilisations”, a quartet of watches unveiled just earlier this year at the Louvre. Métiers d’Art “Great Civilisations” Finally Science and Complications explores the five most important complications for VC, namely the tourbillon, split-seconds chronograph, retrograde display, perpetual calendar, and minute repeater. The key exh...
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The combination of split-seconds chronograph and perpetual calendar has been a mainstay in Patek Philippe’s catalogue ever since the ref. 5004, but the brand’s latest take on the concept is unorthodox. The Split-Seconds Monopusher Chronograph Perpetual Calendar ref. 5373P-001 is described by Patek Philippe as designed for “left handers” and has its crown and pushers on the left side of the case. Essentially an inverted version of the ref. 5372P that’s now discontinued, the ref. 5373P is the first “destro” timepiece among the brand’s regular production offerings, but the movement is classic Patek Philippe. Like the earlier versions of the model, the ref. 5373P is powered by the CHR 27-525 PS Q, a gorgeous, refined, and extremely slim movement that’s amongst the thinnest split-seconds chronographs ever made. Initial thoughts The ref. 5373P is paradoxical. It’s not majorly different from its predecessor, in fact it’s just a rotated case and new dial, but the watch looks and feels entirely different from the ref. 5372P. The left-handed case sets it apart, as does the high-contrast livery. The black-and-red colour scheme seems mismatched to the elegant form of the watch – the case and movement are both impressively slim – but I can imagine this will have a strong appeal for someone seeking something different yet fundamentally classic Patek Philippe high horology. This clearly stands out in the catalogue, offering an alternative that is recognisably di...
Time+Tide
The IWC Portugieser is a staple in the Schaffhausen watchmaker’s collection, with its signature Arabics, feuille hands and railroad minute track designs originating in 1939, before its reinvention in the early ’90s. Andrew went hands-on with two of its latest iterations – the Portugieser Automatic 40 and Perpetual Calendar 42. Both of these represent their … ContinuedThe post This new IWC Portugieser duo are more wearable, more affordable and a lot more green appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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Continuing with the vintage-inspired aesthetic that has informed many of its recent models, Habring² is elaborating upon its single-button chronograph. Now the brand’s flagship model, the Chrono Felix Perpetual is self-explanatory – a hand-wind Felix chronograph with a perpetual calendar module. As is typical for Habring², the Chrono Felix Perpetual (CFP) approaches the double complication in a practical and affordable manner. It’s powered by the brand’s own A11 base movement, while the calendar is the familiar and reliable Dubois-Depraz module. The CFP is making its debut in two variants: a “salmon” dial with Breguet numerals as well as a striking black-and-silver version for Massena Lab. The “salmon” dial model available from Habring² Initial thoughts Although Habring² introduced a split-seconds chronograph with perpetual calendar three years ago, the CFP feels like an all-new product. And it is, in fact, new in most tangible respects. The case is smaller while the movement has been dressed up and even incorporates an in-house escapement and balance assembly. The CFP is a handsome watch with surprisingly compact proportions. In fact, the CFP will feel like the standard Habring² Felix chronograph, since they share the same case middle with the CFP having a thicker bezel. The Massena Lab edition While both versions of the CFP have the same dimensions, they are aesthetics opposites despite both being vintage inspired. Habring²’s edition is a warm,...
Hodinkee
Max Büsser and his cohorts at his horological think tank, MB&F;, have, without question, created a bewildering variety of watches over the years that have used horology as a jumping off point for the exploration of a highly idiosyncratic vocabulary of watchmaking, in which mechanics put themselves at the service of an aesthetics that freely mingles everything from pop culture to science fiction to sometimes alarming arachnomorphism, and beyond. However, what MB&F; thus far has largely not addressed itself to is the world of traditional complications – other than the tourbillon, used by MB&F; for its aesthetic impact, you will look in vain for anything beyond a simple calendar or a moonphase. Now, however, MB&F; and Büsser have gotten into the complications game in a big way: they’ve launched their own perpetual calendar, and, what’s more, they’ve done so with an in-house movement, with a variation on the perpetual calendar mechanism unlike anything we’ve seen so far.
Deployant
The GMT function is likely the most useful complication on mechanical timepieces, right after the date. While some may say the perpetual calendar is useful too, the effort to keep it running all the time or adjusting the date everytime to keep it updated is too much of a hassle. Chronographs on the other hand are not useful either for day to day tasks. The GMT however, is has many modern corporate slave applications, especially for those who travel or work with teams in different timezones. It is also the best multi timezone configuration that does not throw errors like the world timer, which becomes erroneous under daylight saving cycles and are also particularly hard to read.
SJX Watches
Having debuted the world’s first titanium wristwatch in 1970 – it was the X-8 Chronometer with a case of nearly pure titanium – Citizen now boasts some 50 years of experience with the lightweight metal. Now the brand has taken its materials expertise into outer space, literally. Citizen supplies its proprietary Super Titanium alloy to ispace, a Japanese company that specialises in robotic spacecraft technology for landers and rovers. Ispace utilises Super Titanium for the legs of the lunar lander slated to launch around the end of 2022. Known as Hakuto-R, the ispace lunar programme now as its own commemorative watch, the Citizen Hakuto-R Collaboration Satellite Wave GPS F950. Its case is naturally Super Titanium but some components are made of “Recrystallised Titanium”, a unique, textured alloy that evokes the Moon’s surface. Initial thoughts Like many high-end quartz watches, the Hakuto-R is an electronic grand complication – it features a perpetual calendar, world time, a 1/20th of a second chronograph, and then some. Though this isn’t the first Hakuto-R collaboration, it is the most appealing in terms of aesthetics. It looks the part for a high-end quartz watch – even without the GPS sync it will run within five seconds a month. It has busy, complex aesthetics entirely appropriate for a watch packed with various cutting-edge features. But like Citizen’s other high-end electronic watches, also excellent fit and finish on the external components suc...
Quill & Pad
As both a Marvel junkie and a big fan of Jaeger-LeCoultre, Elizabeth Doerr is excited that the JLC Master Ultra Thin Perpetual Calendar will feature again in the new Marvel film, 'Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness.'
Deployant
Here is our overview of thePatek Philip[pe in green dials Ref. 5025R-011 Annual Calendar and Ref. 5270P-014 Chronograph Perpetual Calendar.
Revolution
Three releases from Patek Philippe that set the web on fire - 5205R Annual Calendar, Moon Phases, 5270P Chronograph Perpetual Calendar and 5231G World Time.
Hodinkee
Are you a hardcore Patek collector suffering Nautilus fatigue? Then get a load of the new Perpetual Calendar 5320 and Chronograph 5172.
Revolution
Jaeger-LeCoultre brings a broad range of novelties to Watches & Wonders 2022, including the Polaris Perpetual Calendar and Master Grande Tradition Caliber 948.
SJX Watches
Continuing its evolution from military watchmaker to one with a broader and civilian repertoire, Panerai introduces the Luminor Goldtech Calendario Perpetuo PAM01269. A variant of the minimalist Luminor perpetual calendar first unveiled last year, the PAM1269 has a dial made of tinted sapphire that reveals the concentric calendar discs underneath. And like many recent Panerai limited editions, the PAM 1269 is accompanied by an “experience”, in this case a trip to Florence (plus an NFT). The reverse of the watch includes the year and month displays, along with the power reserve indicator Initial thoughts If I were to just skim through the new watch releases of the year, I would have missed this Panerai because at a distance, it looks like any other Panerai. But it is more than that. Apart from being just a smartly conceived perpetual calendar, the watch includes an all-expenses-paid trip to Florence curated by Panerai. Given Panerai’s historical connections to Florence and its status as a leading luxury watchmaker, I imagine the trip would be filled with experiences impossible to obtain otherwise. The dial is open-worked yet highly legible Putting the trip aside, the watch itself is a marvel of clarity – a lot of information is displayed on the front and back in a manner as minimal as possible. The comprehensive display includes a second time zone and four-digit year indicator. Notably, the indicators on the front are also linear – everything is contained on a h...
SJX Watches
Perhaps Bulgari’s signature men’s wristwatch, the Octo Finissimo is an ultra-thin wristwatch that has spawned a range of watches and variety of complications, including a perpetual calendar and minute repeater. Now the Italian jeweller marks a decade of its bestseller with a pair of limited editions that pay tribute to the original design – literally. The Bulgari Octo Finissimo Chronograph GMT Automatic 10th Anniversary and Bulgari Octo Finissimo Chronograph GMT Automatic 10th Anniversary both feature “pencil sketch” dials that essentially reproduce the initial drawings of both models penned by Fabrizio Buonamass Stigliani, the design chief at Bulgari’s watch division. Initial thoughts The twin anniversary editions are only modest tweaks on the standard design, but accompanied by equally modest price differences, which makes them appealing alternatives for someone who likes the monochromatic look of the standard models but wants a little extra. The “sketch” dials are clever and amusing, though not entirely new since similar drawing-inspired dials have been done in the past by Nomos and Fortis. Still, they have a whimsical appeal. Price-wise, the two anniversary editions aren’t much more than the standard models. The automatic is €800 extra, while the chronograph actually costs the same as the standard version. Being identical to the standard models in size and material, both anniversary editions will feel the same on the wrist, light and sleek. I fin...
Deployant
The histories of Patek Philippe and the perpetual calendar wristwatch are richly intertwined. Not only was the prestigious Genevan watch manufacturer the first to create the perpetual calendar wristwatch, it has since gone on to produce specimens that served and continue to serve as the industry standard. The prototypical Patek Philippe perpetual calendar wristwatch isRead More
Time+Tide
Back in 2019, Vacheron Constantin made horological headlines with a perpetual calendar Traditionnelle watch with a never before seen functionality. Perpetual calendars can be notoriously tricky for their owners. With such an intricate calendar mechanism, their owners’ lives are made much easier if the watch is kept wound – a perfect example of a watch … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: The Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Complete Calendar Openface appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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Open to watchmakers aged between 18 and 30 from anywhere in the world, the F.P. Journe Young Talent Competition (YTC) is an annual affair that seeks to identify the most promising watchmakers of the future. Interestingly, any candidate who has “must have independently designed and created a timepiece and/or technical construction” can participate, whether or not he or she has formal training. A candidate can enter any type of timepiece – last year’s winner was 29-year old Mario Scarpatetti, whose entry was a longcase clock with a patented secular perpetual calendar mechanism of his own invention. The Kalendar Perpeten clock made by last year’s winner, Mario Scarpatetti Mr Scarpatetti won a CHF20,000 grant sponsored by Singapore retailer The Hour Glass, which is once again the prize for the YTC 2022. The winner will the selected by a jury of industry notables that include Francois-Paul Journe himself, Philippe Dufour, and Giulio Papi, who will make their choice according to four criteria: originality, technical complexity, aesthetics and finishing, as well as quality of make. Candidates can submit their entries on fpjourne.com.
SJX Watches
Long available only to the Japanese domestic market, Citizen’s top-of-the-line quartz watches have been slowly making their way into foreign countries in recent years (although last year’s high-end mechanical Caliber 0200 was launched internationally). The latest high-end quartz model, however, is being launched globally. The Citizen Iconic Nature Collection is a quartet of lightweight titanium watches featuring dials made of traditional, translucent Japanese paper dyed in vivid, natural colours. But the mechanics are cutting edge in contrast – a solar-powered quartz movement accurate to within five seconds a year. Initial thoughts Citizen’s ultra-accurate quartz watches are largely unknown outside of Japan, but that is gradually changing with the global rollout of new models, which are crucially dressed in eye-catching colours instead of the muted dials historically found on these watches. Citizen has used washi for dials on The Citizen before, but usually in a low-key white. The new Iconic Nature quartet calls to mind high-end quartz watches from Citizen’s Japanese rival, though Citizen’s offering edges ahead, at least on paper. The solar-powered A060 inside the Iconic Nature is accurate to +/- 5 seconds per year, while the Grand Seiko 9F movement is rated to +/- 10 seconds per year. And the practicality of the A060 is boosted by a perpetual calendar as well as an “on-demand” power reserve indicator. The price tag of US$3,500 is might seem high for an...
SJX Watches
A grand old name in highly complicated movements, Louis-Elisée Piguet was active in the second half of the 19th century and most famous for his grande sonnerie and perpetual calendar calibres. Amongst his clients for ebauches, or movement blanks, were famous names like Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin – and his work was perhaps an inspiration for Philippe Dufour in the 20th century. A prime example of one such ebauche – featuring a grande sonnerie and minute repeater no less – was acquired by Michel Parmigiani in the late 1990s. A watchmaker and restorer extraordinaire, Mr Parmigiani and his daughter, Anne-Laure, recently led a project to finish and enhance the movement, resulting in La Rose Carrée, a spectacular pocket watch to mark his namesake brand’s 25th anniversary. Initial thoughts Like the recent Vacheron Constantin Tribute to Johannes Vermeer pocket watch, La Rose Carrée is a masterpiece catered to a narrow audience. There are few collectors of pocket watches nowadays, at least relative to wristwatches, especially pocket watches with seven figure price tags. But inaccessible as it may be, La Rose Carrée is certainly worthy of admiration. The quality of craft and decoration is par excellence – an all-star team of artisans was recruited to complete it – and the ebauche was a masterpiece even unfinished. Stylistically, La Rose Carrée is also unusual in being more contemporary than the average grand complication pocket watch. The geometric f...
SJX Watches
The award ceremony of 2021 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) just kicked off the biggest week in Geneva’s horological calendar. Widely regarded as the all-encompassing awards of watchmaking, the GPHG is made up of fourteen prizes for individual categories, plus a special prize for the watch of there year. And here are the year’s winners. Aiguille d’Or Grand Recognised for its aesthetic and technical qualities – it is the thinnest perpetual calendar wristwatch ever – the Bulgari Octo Finissimo Perpetual Calendar took home the top prize of the event. Audacity The winner certainly lives up to the name of the prize. The Louis Vuitton Tambour Carpe Diem is over the top but finely decorated in an artisanal manner, with an impressive movement that combines an automaton and minute repeater. Innovation Deserving of its prize, the Bernhard Lederer Central Impulse Chronometer is one of the most technically impressive watches of 2021. And that’s because it’s kitted out with a double-wheel escapement powered by twin going trains, each equipped with a remontoir d’egalité constant force mechanism. Men’s Watch Grand Seiko’s Elegance SLGH005 “White Birch” is equipped with an impressive, latest-generation calibre, the cal. 9SA5. It was a worthy winner, though it has to be said that the competition was not especially strong this year. Launched last year for Grand Seiko’s 60th anniversary, the cal. 9SA5 is the brand’s highest-end mechanical movement ...
Time+Tide
Today we are highway-ing into the danger zone, with two new complicated IWC Top Gun Ceratanium pilot’s watches that will take your breath away. OK, enough Top Gun puns. Focus Zach. IWC has brought forth two new stealth Ceratanium references: the IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Top Gun Ceratanium and the IWC Pilot’s Watch Timezoner Top Gun … ContinuedThe post VIDEO: IWC introduces two new stealth Top Gun Ceratanium Pilot’s watches appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Revolution
MB&F;’s landmark Legacy Machine Perpetual, the award-winning perpetual calendar created for MB&F; by Stephen McDonnell, takes on an ebullient new lease of life forged from lightweight and industrially resilient zirconium.
Deployant
Review of the new Patek Philippe Ref. 5204R-011 Split-seconds Chronograph Perpetual Calendar, and present our quick impressions and live photographs.
SJX Watches
With Sotheby’s Hong Kong sale just around the corner, we’re rounding up a half-dozen notable vintage watches from the auction, primarily big-ticket Patek Philippe complications. Amongst them a few oddities, one a Patek Philippe ref. 3448 “Senza Luna”, a perpetual calendar with the moon phase omitted, and the other the Rolex Day-Date with a “Submariner” dial. With the preview exhibition open daily from now till October 12, the auction will take place on October 13. The catalogue and registration for bidding are available on Sothebys.com. Lot 2265: Patek Philippe ref. 130 The oldest watch of the selection is a Patek Philippe ref. 130, the brand’s first serially-produced wristwatch chronograph that remained in the catalogue for over three decades. The model’s longevity makes it an inevitability that a good number of ref. 130 variants exist. Indeed, the model varies greatly in terms case material and dial design, with some combinations being rarer than others. One such rare combination is a steel case with “sector” dial, like the present example. Made by Wenger, the steel cases of the ref. 130 have shorter and wider-spaced lugs compared to the gold cases that made by Vichet, giving the 33 mm case a more imposing appearance Chronograph wristwatches from that era typically feature tiny counters that sit close to the edge of the dial, leaving the dial clean and distinctly vintage. But the “sector” dial here is an entirely different animal – the sect...
SJX Watches
A. Lange & Söhne introduced the Saxonia Thin 37 at SIHH 2016 as the entry-level model in its collection. But “entry level” is relative at Lange, a brand that famously applies the same rigorous standards of production and finishing to all its watches, from the Saxonia Thin to the Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar that retails for more than US$300,000. For the purpose of this review, I will put this reputation to the test by examining each element of the watch in detail, and share my impressions of the ownership experience. Glashüttenomics Though owned by Swiss luxury conglomerate Richemont – which owns over two dozen brands including Cartier, IWC, and Panerai – Lange remains a boutique outfit with an annual output of about 4,500 watches, and a maximum production capacity of about 5,500 watches. This is a fraction of competitors like Audemars Piguet at about 45,000 watches per year, and Patek Philippe, where the figure is over 60,000. While production volume is small, Lange is the largest employer in Glashütte, a small town with a population of about 8,000. Lange employs about 600 people at its Glashütte campus, though some commute in from the surrounding region, including the city of Dresden. This headcount is primarily devoted to watchmaking, since Lange relocated its marketing department to Berlin in 2017. For comparison, Glashütte Original has a similar number of employees in Glashütte, while producing about 13,000 watches per year, or about three ti...
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