SJX Watches · Page 87

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A. Lange & Sohne Apr 24, 2020

A. Lange & Söhne Introduces the Odysseus Datomatic in White Gold

There was much anticipation in the lead up to A. Lange & Söhne’s launch of the Odysseus last year, which met with mixed receptions. The luxury-sports watch represented a few firsts for Lange – a first foray into sports watches, the brand’s first regular-production steel watch, and for the nerds, subtle technical features not seen before in other movements. Unsurprisingly, the inaugural steel model is now been joined by a precious metal version, the Odysseus in white gold. While the new watch is functionally similar to the steel model, the gold version is set apart with a handful of dial details, and the more obvious strap choices. Nips and tucks The dial gets a couple of tweaks to distinguish it, going with a muted, monotone grey instead of dark blue. More subtle are the differences in the dial finishing, with a stamped radial pattern reminiscent of the Langematik Perpetual Honey Gold, replacing the concentric rings found on the steel model. And the central portion of the dial is finished with a more conventional fine frosting, rather than the pronounced, granular surface found on the steel model. While the debut Odysseus was offered only with a steel bracelet, the white gold version is offered only with leather or rubber straps that connect to the watch via proprietary end-links incorporating a quick-release mechanism. While the leather strap is ordinary brown calfskin, the rubber is more than run-of-the-mill rubber strap and features raised vents on the reverse ...

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Piaget Introduces Apr 24, 2020

Piaget Introduces the Thinnest Mechanical Watch Ever

Piaget first introduced the Altiplano Ultimate Concept in 2018 as an exercise in pushing the limits of mechanical watchmaking – the thinnest mechanical wristwatch ever, at 2 mm in its entirety. Now the experimental creation has become reality at Watches & Wonders 2020, available as a wholly-customisable, special-order timepiece that’s still just 2 mm high – but accompanied by a staggering retail price. No stranger to ultra-thin watches – the brand debuted its first extra-thin movement, the 9P, in 1957 – Piaget already claimed the title of thinnest-mechanical-watch-on-the-market in 2013 with the 3.65 mm-high Altiplano 900P. Most of the tricks relied on to create that record-setting movement have been repeated in the new Altiplano Ultimate Concept and its cal. 900P-UC, but in more extreme form, with the new watch boasting five additional patents for features relating to the extra thinness. A sliver of cobalt alloy Notably, the case and main plate of the Altiplano Ultimate Concept are one and the same, a single piece machined out of cobalt-based alloy for strength – gold is too soft and might bend if strapped too tightly on the wrist. As in the 900P, the case functions as the main plate of the 900P-UC, revamping a layer from the movement and reducing the overall thickness of the watch. But despite being a single piece, the case and main plate can be specified with different finishes for contrast. For instance, the cobalt-alloy case can retain its natural colour wi...

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Vacheron Constantin Introduces Les Cabinotiers “The Apr 24, 2020

Vacheron Constantin Introduces Les Cabinotiers “The Singing Birds”

Continuing with the musical theme that begun last year with Les Cabinotiers ‘”La Musique Du Temps”, an assortment of one-off, chiming watches, Vacheron Constantin unveils Les Cabinotiers “The Singing Birds” at Watches & Wonders 2020, the first time-only watches of the line that showcase the brand’s dexterity in traditional decorative crafts. The “Singing Birds” watches interpret the overmatching musical motif artistically with songbirds, rather than literally with striking watches as most of last year’s watches were. Available in four different unique executions, the watches feature dials that combine an engine-turned time display with champleve enamelling, each depicting a different bird – hummingbird, blue jay, blue tit, and robin. From left: Blue Tit, Blue Jay, Hummingbird, and Robin But the watch is more than brightly-feathered aesthetics, it also features a wandering hours display. Though the complication originated 17th century clocks, it remains relatively rare, with the most famous modern-day examples being the Audemars Piguet Star Wheel and Urwerk. Vacheron Constantin has only ever utilised the wandering hours on limited edition or unique timepieces, like the Métiers d’Art Savoirs Enluminés of 2016. The current hour is displayed across an arc marked out in minutes – as the hour “wanders”, it simultaneously indicates the minutes. It takes an hour for the number to cover the arc, and as it disappears on the far right, the next hour...

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Panerai Introduces Apr 24, 2020

Panerai Introduces the Luminor Marina Titanio DMLS PAM01117

At a glance, Panerai’s latest Luminor unveiled at Watches & Wonders 2020 might look like, well, just another Luminor. But the Luminor Marina Titanio DMLS (PAM01117) is more than that. It incorporates a new type of luminous paint with an extra-bright glow, while boasting a titanium case produced via a process similar to 3D printing. And most crucially, the watch is covered by a 70-year warranty. Given that Panerai’s identity is inextricably linked with legible, glow-in-the-dark dials, the new “lume” found on the Luminor DMLS makes sense. The watch features Super-Luminova X – a lot of it. Beyond the usual dial and hands, the new Luminor also had luminous paint on the flange around the dial, crown locking bridge and lever, and the stitching of the fabric strap. The use of “lume” as a decorative element brings to mind the Lumen series of A. Lange & Söhne (which is a sister brand of Panerai within Swiss luxury group Richemont), but here the luminous paint is executed in clean lines for a geometric pattern. Though the Luminor DMLS is a large 44 mm in diameter, it is only 100 g, making it the lightest Panerai watch with a metal alloy case. The case is produced via direct metal laser sintering (DMLS), the same process to make the case of the Lo Scienzato Luminor 1950 Tourbillon GMT Titanio PAM00578 from 2016. DMLS is a form of 3D printing where a laser is used to melt titanium powder tiny amounts at a time, layer by layer as the case is built up. The nature of the p...

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A. Lange & Sohne Apr 24, 2020

A. Lange & Söhne Introduces the Zeitwerk Minute Repeater in White Gold

Five years ago, A. Lange & Söhne unveiled its first minute repeating wristwatch (setting aside the €2 million Grand Complication), but it was no ordinary repeater. Instead the it was a decimal repeater incorporated into the Zeitwerk and its signature digital time display. Originally introduced in platinum as part of the regular collection, the Zeitwerk Minute Repeater now returns in white gold as a 30-piece limited edition at Watches & Wonders 2020. Though the white gold case bestows little price advantage over the monochromatic platinum model, the watch does look more striking in blue. The idea of a decimal-repeating, digital watch is sensible – pairing the digital, jumping hours and minutes of the Zeitwerk with a decimal repeater means the chimes to match time display of hours, tens of minutes, and single minutes. In other words, the decimal repeater is as intuitive as the digital time-display. This is in contrast to typical minute repeaters that chime the time in 15-minute blocks, followed by the the remaining minutes. Visible at 12 o’clock is a power reserve indicator The only stylistic difference with this new edition is the dial colour. While the time display is still framed by the familiar rhodium-plated bridge, the rest of the dial is now dark blue, a first for the Zeitwerk (which has historically been available with either silver or black dials). And below the bridge are the symmetrically-arranged twin hammers and gongs, with the latter tracing the pe...

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Cartier Introduces Apr 24, 2020

Cartier Introduces the Santos de Cartier ADLC

After unveiling the glow-in-the-dark Santos Skeleton ADLC “Noctambule” last year, Cartier debuts the similar, but simpler, Santos de Cartier ADLC at Watches & Wonders 2020. The new Santos actually revives a look the brand first rolled out in 2009 with the Santos 100 ADLC, which was the brand’s first use of amorphous diamond-like carbon (ADLC) as a case coating. A nano-composite coating, ADLC possesses diamond-like properties, including high corrosion and scratch resistance, improving the robustness of the watch case. But like all coatings it can detach if the material below is dented or scratched deeply. All-black (left), or a combination of natural-finish steel and ADLC-coating Shades of black Like the Skeleton ADLC “Noctambule”, the Santos ADLC is available only in the largest LM case that’s 47.5 mm by 39.8 mm on the face and a height of 9.38 mm, making it a big but relatively slim watch. It is available in two iterations: all-black ADLC-coated steel, or two-tone steel with an ADLC bezel. While the case dimensions are identical to the standard Santos, the new models have a low-key matte finish. The bezel is brushed, instead of the mirror polish found on the standard model, with only the bevels along the edge of the case being polished. The steel model features a dark grey dial which matches the shade of the ADLC coating on the bezel. Though the dial is a single colour, it appears two-tone due to the surface finishing – vertical brushing on the inner dia...

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Cartier Introduces Apr 24, 2020

Cartier Introduces the Cartier Privé Tank Asymétrique

Cartier has made it an annual tradition to revive one of its iconic case shapes as part of the compact and focused Cartier Privé line, having started with the Tank Cintrée in 2018, followed by the Tonneau last year. Now at Watches & Wonders 2020, the jeweller has recreated one of its most divergent Tank models with the Cartier Privé Tank Asymétrique, in the classic time-only format as well as a contemporary skeleton version. The Tank Asymetrique Skeleton Introduced in 1936, the Asymétrique was not conceived as a Tank wristwatch at the time of its launch, and was known as the Parallélogramme or Losange after its case shape. It deviated from a conventional rectangular case literally, with the case brancards offset in opposite directions, transforming the rectangle into a diamond, while the dial was rotated by 30 degrees to the right. A distinctive feature of the dial on the vintage Parallélogramme watches were the alternating Arabic numeral and baton hour markers, probably conceived to improve legibility of the skewed dial. In the modern day, the Asymétrique was incorporated into the Tank wristwatch line-up when it was reproduced as a limited edition. That happened first in 1996 with a limited edition with a small case size, with 300 examples in yellow gold and another 100 in platinum, both having the same dial style as the vintage originals. (And in 1999 a tiny run of watches was made to commemorate the handover of Macau to China.) The CPCP Tank Asymetrique of ...

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Cartier Introduces Apr 24, 2020

Cartier Introduces the Santos-Dumont Limited Editions

Hot on the heels of the Santos-Dumont XL hand-wind, Cartier has dropped four limited edition variants of the same at Watches & Wonders 2020, each dedicated to one of Alberto Santos-Dumont’s most significant aircraft. Within just a decade, the pioneering Franco-Brazilian aviator designed and piloted diverse methods of conquering the skies, from balloons and dirigibles to heavier-than-air aircraft. The four flying machines commemorated by the new limited edition Santos-Dumont watches each represent a different milestone in his career, starting with his first balloon, the Brésil of 1898, to his greatest feat, the La Demoiselle plane of 1908.   Increasing in edition size as the price decreases with the preciousness of the case, all four editions are mechanical, powered by the ultra-thin 430 MC found in the Santos-Dumont XL, which is actually a Piaget 430P. Though they share the same movement, the editions are not all the same size. The first three are in the large Santos-Dumont case, with dimensions of 43.5 mm by 31.4 mm, perfectly appropriate for a modern-day dress watch, offering just the right balance between elegance and presence. The last and most expensive edition, on the other hand, is platinum and XL size, meaning it is 46.6 mm by 33.9 mm. Santos-Dumont XL in platinum (extreme left), and the trio of large-size editions Santos-Dumont “Le Brésil” Limited to 100 pieces, “Le Bresil” is named after Santos-Dumont’s first flying machine, a hot-air balloon not...

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Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Apr 24, 2020

Cartier Introduces the Pasha de Cartier

As it does every couple of years, or decades, Cartier reintroduces one of its iconic wristwatches, this time the Pasha de Cartier. Launched in 1985 and a big hit in the decade after, the Pasha was Cartier’s original round-case bestseller, long before the Ballon Bleu. Three decades on, the new Pasha makes its debut once again at Watches & Wonders 2020 as a full-fledged collection with models for both men and women, from time-only to skeleton tourbillon, as well as diamond-set versions. Variants of the new Pasha 41 mm for men Mysterious origins Despite having a round case – Cartier is most famous for its shaped watches like the Tank and Santos – the Pasha is amongst the most historically-important Cartier timepieces, apparently. Legend has it that Cartier first created a water-resistant watch in 1934 for the fabulously wealthy Pasha of Marrakesh, Thami El Glaoui, who wanted a watch he could wear while swimming. The result was one of the first-ever luxury-sports watches. While the Parisian jeweller no doubt made a watch to fulfil the Pasha’s request, it was most likely a rectangular Tank Etanche, rather than anything resembling today’s Pasha watch. Inspired by that tale, the modern-day Pasha was born in 1985, penned by the hand of Gerald Genta, the prolific designer whose heyday in the 1970s and 1980s saw him create a string of hits, ranging from the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak to the Bulgari Bulgari. Genta’s creations were often avant-garde in their day, and his...

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Rexhep Rexhepi Apr 23, 2020

Pandemic Truths – Rexhep Rexhepi

Amongst independent watchmakers, Rexhep Rexhepi has found swift and significant success since he founded Akrivia, now one of the hottest niche brands. After his Chronomètre Contemporain took the prize of best men’s watch at the 2018 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG), collectors have been eagerly anticipating his next creation – which is on track despite the pandemic-induced disruptions. How has the COVID-19 coronavirus affected Akrivia? Now still crafting watches in his workshop at the heart of Geneva’s Old Town, Rexhep answers. Rexhep, still at the workshop in Geneva’s Old Town. Photo – Rexhep Rexhepi What impact has the crisis has on your business? The first impact was human. A month ago, when social distancing was first implemented in Switzerland, the atmosphere was grim. I could feel employees’ morale was affected; their motivation was low. I offered them the choice to stay home with partial unemployment or keep coming to the atelier, while respecting all health and hygiene measures, of course. Most of them opted to keep working, so we are still open at the moment and working almost normally. Even my partner [Jean-Pierre] Hagmann is back now. Production-wise, we feared for some of our subcontractors, like the [specialist that does] rhodium plating for example, but they are also working, even if only part time, for one week out of every two. But since we have [vertically] integrated a lot of our production, like making our own cases, and we have...

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Glashütte Original Senator Chronometer Tourbillon One Apr 22, 2020

Up Close: Glashütte Original Senator Chronometer Tourbillon

One of the more interesting complicated watches launched in 2019 was a surprising one, the Glashütte Original Senator Chronometer Tourbillon. While “Chronometer Tourbillon” might seem to be a pair of impressive words meaninglessly strung together as is often done for high-end watches, the Chronometer Tourbillon actually takes them seriously. Though the new watch doesn’t look particularly interesting – the design is handsome but conventional – it combines a particularly logical set of complications that were conceived for exact setting of the time, namely a hacking tourbillon with zero-reset carriage (and not just the seconds hand), and a minute hand that is set in discrete, one-minute steps. In fact, the Chronometer Tourbillon derived from the already sensible, but less fancy, Senator Chronometer that has many of the same time-setting functions. Though the Chronometer Tourbillon is an expensive watch by the standards of Glashütte Original, it is eminently sensible and smart from a technical perspective. And to prove that chronometric competence, Glashütte Original also tests the Chronometer Tourbillon to the German chronometer standard, DIN 8319, laid out by the country’s all-encompassing federal standards body. Testing takes place at the Sternwarte Glashütte, the town’s astronomical observatory, which was given a new lease of life by German watch retailer Wempe, which also has its own line of chronometer wristwatches. The process, however, is conduc...

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Audemars Piguet Museum Apr 22, 2020

The Audemars Piguet Museum is Complete (and Open)

Announced in 2014 as part of a massive expansion of headquarters in Le Brassus, the Audemars Piguet museum is now complete, although the public will have to wait end-June 2020 to visit. The vintage-inspired Remaster01 Chronograph limited edition was launched last month to commemorate this very occasion. [Update June 25, 2020: The museum is now open to the public, with tickets required for admission.] Designed by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), the Danish architects responsible for Google’s new North Bayshore headquarters, the Musée Atelier Audemars Piguet is a low-slung spiral that gently rises out of the fields right behind the building Audemars Piguet has occupied since 1875. Inspired by a balance spring, the museum is almost entirely curved glass. A hundred and eight panels of structural glass support the steel roof that’s covered with a garden, blending into the pastoral landscape of the Vallee de Joux, the homely heart of Swiss watchmaking. The glass exterior is covered by a brass mesh to regulate temperature and light A spiral into the past and future Visitors to the museum will follow the spiral through the building – first clockwise towards the centre and then in the other direction to the conclusion – accompanied by some 300 timepieces dating from the 19th century to the present. At the centre of the spiral sit a selection of the brand’s grand complication watches, including the massive Universelle pocket watch from 1899. And appropriately, at the end of the...

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Apr 21, 2020

Pandemic Truths – Jean-Claude Biver

Who better than Jean-Claude Biver to reflect on the current crisis? He is an emblematic figure in watchmaking, with a career that’s spanned half a century, one that started in another, long-ago crisis caused by quartz watches. Always passionate and frank, Jean-Claude played a major role in the rise of mechanical watchmaking, contributing a large part to the boom of the 1990s. Working from his chalet in the ski town of Crans-Montana in Switzerland, Jean-Claude spoke to me over the phone. Here is our conversation. Jean-Claude’s selfie from his study This crisis sheds light on the weaknesses of our current economic systems. How has it impacted your business? Obviously it impacts us like everyone else, because no matter how good your sales team is, or how many stores you have, or how well situated they are – if there is nobody out there, it hurts your business. But we have developed a few ideas to keep business going. We are always trying to implement strategies to combat the situation. And all crisis create opportunities as well. When China was closed, we organised limousine services to bring one customer at a time to our boutiques that were open just for them. It created a sense of security, ease and comfort, so we actually managed to do some business, even during that time. This is going to be a long [crisis]. By the time it gets back to normal, we will have to be ready. Now is the time to bring in innovation again, in distribution and equally, in sales. How do you e...

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Richard Mille Apr 20, 2020

Up Close: Louis Vuitton Tambour Curve Flying Tourbillon

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

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Apr 20, 2020

In-Depth: Cambodia’s First Watchmaking School

When I first got wind of the newly-opened watchmaking school in Cambodia, I was surprised. And when I found out the school was a world-class institution fully equipped with brand-new, top-of-the-line equipment and staffed by veteran instructors from Switzerland, with local students studying for free – I was sceptical. I am ashamed to admit, I was wrong. There is a world-class watchmaking school in Phnom Penh, one with ambitions that go well beyond merely training technicians to overhaul watches. Freshly set up and filled with the very best equipment – including brand-new, full-spec Schaublin lathes and the latest Leica microscopes – the Prince Horology Vocational Training Center is a no-expense-spared project that’s likely the most impressive watchmaking academy outside of Switzerland. And another classroom, with the micro-mechanics machine shop at the back Backed by a local real estate conglomerate, the school will conduct a two-year programme similar to the de facto industry standard, the 3,000-hour course offered by Swiss academy WOSTEP (short for Watchmakers of Switzerland Training and Educational Program). Both theoretical and practical, the school’s syllabus encompasses the theoretical, for instance lessons on the history and culture of watchmaking, as well as benchwork, including machining, micro-mechanics, and production of components like the winding stem and balance staff. At the same time, because the school is the brainchild of timepiece co...

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Patek Philippe Chopard Apr 20, 2020

Watches & Wonders to Debut Online Starting April 25

Cancelled because of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, Watches & Wonders (W&W;) was due to take place in Geneva but will now go online starting April 25, 2020 at 12:00 pm CET (or 6:00 am in New York, 6:00 pm in Hong Kong and Singapore), where most of the year’s new watches will be revealed. Once known as SIHH, W&W; was meant to take place in the Palexpo convention centre in Geneva. Now the 30 brands that would have taken part in the event will be presenting their wares on a brand-new W&W; website, a project that has been completed in barely a month. Amongst the exhibiting brands are A. Lange & Söhne, Cartier, Hermes, IWC and Panerai, as well as independent brands like Ressence and H. Moser & Cie. Three cheers for a long, long time ago, when W&W; was actually real The virtual fair will showcase most of the year’s new launches, accompanied by videos, articles and other content. And the April 25 opening is just part one of W&W;, with the second part slated to arrive in summer 2020, where additional products will be launch, along with “strategic e-commerce partnerships”. Ambitious as it is, being the first large-scale virtual “fair”, this may be the first and final instalment of W&W;, given that Rolex, Patek Philippe, Chopard and Chanel have withdrawn from Baselworld and will be joining the new, as-yet unnamed fair in Geneva in April next year that will substitute W&W;. The virtual W&W; will go live on April 25 at Watchesandwonders.com. You’ll find all of the new la...

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Apr 18, 2020

Recommended Reading: John Goldberger on Life, Collecting, and Home

A tall man with a grave face who is always stylishly dressed, Auro Montanari is better known as John Goldberger, the pseudonym under which he has published over a dozen scholarly books dedicated to watches. Auro is best characterised as someone with diverse and deep interests, making him a truly interesting individual. So speaking with Auro is always a pleasure, which is something Phillips specialist Tiffany To recently managed to do. At home, stylishly. Photo – Auro Montanari Now at home in Bologna, a wealthy industrial hub that’s home to Lamborghini, Auro is putting the finishing touches to Time to Race, a near-500 page tome covering the watches worn by auto-racing champions of the mid-20th century, an era when drivers wore watches as a necessity, and not because they were brand ambassadors. Auro’s desktop with Time to Race in progress. Photo – Auro Montanari Highlights from Time to Race. Photo – Auro Montanari In a three-part interview, Auro discusses the upcoming book – “I love cars, I love watches, and I put them together and blend everything” – as well as his varied life. Though Auro is a industrial-control software entrepreneur by profession, his interests have taken him around the world in a hunt for watches, and he also lived the Californian dream for a spell in the 1980s. Auro, circa 1982. Photo – Auro Montanari The white gold ref. 3450. Photo – Auro Montanari He describes the years spent in Venice Beach, during which he chanced upon a whi...

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Patek Philippe Chanel Chopard Apr 17, 2020

Business News: Bulgari, Hublot, TAG Heuer, and Zenith Ditch Baselworld

In a widely expected move, the watch and jewellery brands owned by LVMH – Bulgari, Hublot, TAG Heuer, and Zenith – have just announced their pullout from Baselworld. Once the world’s largest watch fair, Baselworld suffered a mortal blow when its largest individual exhibitors, Rolex, Patek Philippe, Chanel, Chopard and Tudor, announced their withdrawal a few days ago, opting instead to move to a new fair in Geneva. And surprisingly the fair issued a swift, and clearly miffed, response to the mass exodus. But the die has been cast, with the centre of gravity having shifted decisively to Geneva, making it inevitable that the French luxury conglomerate would follow suit – especially after having made known its wavering commitment to Baselworld – and now it’s official. With the LVMH announcement, Baselworld has lost all the major exhibiting brands in Messe Basel hall 1, the fair’s flagship space. The chiefs of the LVMH watch and jewellery brands at LVMH Watch Week that took place in Dubai in January 2020, a stopgap measure due to the uncertain trade show schedule. Photo – LVMH In a statement fresh off the press, the LVMH Watch Division and Bulgari explain their move with the “clearly weakened representation of the Swiss watch industry and hence inevitably lower participation… [leading us to] withdraw in order to preserve [our] image and relations with clients as well with the media.” What the four brands will do in Geneva has not yet been decided, conti...

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H. Moser & Cie Apr 17, 2020

Pandemic Truths – Edouard Meylan of H. Moser & Cie.

A time of crisis is always a good moment to reflect – especially when confined to the home – so we spoke with key personalities in watchmaking to see what they’re doing. As the pandemic-inflected reality faced by major brands and independents are necessarily different, here are the views from one of the big “small” brands, H. Moser & Cie. Its young and straight-forward chief executive, Edouard Meylan, answers our questions, in part one of Pandemic Truths. Like almost everyone at the moment, Edouard is working from home, which is just a few minutes away from the H. Moser & Cie. factory in Schaffhausen. Edouard’s work-from-home desk. Photo – Edouard Meylan How does this crisis impacted your business, in productions, distribution, or people? Obviously, this crisis has a global impact as it creates uncertainty in both supply and demand. How can I produce watches when my suppliers are closed and I want to make sure my employees are safe? And even if I were able to produce, where do I sell when all my stores and distributors are closed? Today only four of my retailers are still open. But it is probably easier for us as we can easily ship directly to consumers. We have been very lucky to exhibit during the Dubai watch exhibitions [primarily LVMH Watch Week] early in January. We were able to introduce our novelties and get pre-orders. We are delivering them today, so business is almost as usual for the moment. We have launched our certified pre-owned platform last m...

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Breitling Introduces Apr 16, 2020

Breitling Introduces the Superocean Heritage ’57 Capsule Collection

Following the Navitimer 1 Airline Editions and the Aviator 8 Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, Breitling has now introduced its next limited-production capsule collection, the Superocean Heritage ’57. Modelled on the brand’s first dive watch, the SuperOcean ref. 1004, the new range also includes a lively rainbow limited edition with multi-coloured hour markers. As scuba diving and other aquatic sports became popular in the early 1950s, dive watches being a thing, with the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms, Rolex Submariner and Omega Seamaster 300 all making their debut that decade. Breitling’s entry into the dive watch stakes as the SuperOcean. While the watch is now less known than its contemporaries, the SuperOcean had a strikingly bold and unusual design despite being some six decades old. It was characterised by a wide bezel with a concave surface intended to protect the domed acrylic crystal, and a dial featuring dagger-shaped indices with additional oversized spheres at the quarters. The quirky, retro style has been reintroduced in full with the Superocean Heritage ’57. Superocean Heritage ’57 Capsule Collection The capsule collection consists of three iterations: in stainless steel with a blue or black dial, and a steel case with a rose-gold bezel paired with a black dial. All are powered by the COSC-certified Breitling Caliber 10, which is an ETA 2892-A2. Entirely polished, the case measures 42 mm wide and 9.99 mm high, making it 4 mm thinner than the standard Superocean He...

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Breitling Re)Introduces Apr 16, 2020

Breitling (Re)Introduces the Chronomat with Rouleaux Bracelet

One of the most fashionable watches of the late 1980s and 1990s was the Breitling Chronomat with the distinctive Rouleaux bracelet, specifically the two-tone, steel-and-yellow-gold model with a dark blue dial. The watch of choice for assorted air force squadrons, the Chronomat was also spotted on major Hollywood stars of the era, most prominently Jerry Seinfeld and Bruce Willis. Breitling’s supercharged success after the Quartz Crisis – having been rescued by Swiss entrepreneur Ernest Schneider – was largely down to the Chronomat. Now the Chronomat on the Rouleaux bracelet is making its comeback, after having been discontinued several years ago. Abandoning the styling of recent, unsuccessful facelifts, the new Chronomat B01 42 returns with a tightly-executed design that incorporates several elements of the 1990s classic. A historic hit Launched to mark the 100th anniversary of Breitling in 1984, the Chronomat marked the brand’s return to mechanical watches. In 1979, the late Ernest Schneider took over an ailing Breitling, which until was then making mostly quartz watches with a military flavour. Having delivered the inaugural version of the Chronomat to members of Frecce Tricolori, the aerobatic team of the Italian air force, Schneider had a hit on his hands once the Chronomat was sold to the public. A page from the 1987 Breitling catalogue showing several versions of the Chronomat Though it had the same name as a vintage Breitling chronograph, the Chronomat l...

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Montblanc Introduces Apr 16, 2020

Montblanc Introduces the 1858 Split Second Chronograph Enamel Dial

Just last year Montblanc unveiled the 1858 Split Second Chronograph, a Minerva-powered watch that was warmly received for being well-finished and complex, yet reasonably-priced. A retro-inspired, rattrapante mono-pusher chronograph, the watch cost US$30,000 – a solid deal as such things go. A few months after, Montblanc debuted the one-off Only Watch edition with titanium case and blue-agate dial that sold for a whopping 100,000 Swiss francs, with proceeds going to charity. The brand has now stepped things up a notch with the 1858 Split Second Chronograph Limited Edition 100 that channels the spirit of the Only Watch edition, featuring the same titanium case and paired with a fired enamel dial in graduated blue. Despite the similar styling, the new watch costs a lot less than the record-setting Only Watch Edition – but isn’t quite as good value as last year’s model. Smoky blue And that’s because while the bronze model had an ordinary dial of brass, this has been upgraded with a grand feu enamel dial, leading to a jump in the retail price of about US$7,000, which is about the typical premium for such a dial. The enamel dial starts off as a solid-gold disc, which is painted with a mixture of enamel powder, water and oil. It is then fired in an oven at over 800℃, melting the enamel powder and fusing it to the gold base. The process of adding enamel powder and firing is repeated multiple times so as to achieve the desired depth of colour. But unusually, the di...

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Casio s best selling G-Shock Apr 16, 2020

G-Shock Introduces the Full Metal ‘Grid’

Casio’s best selling G-Shock Full Metal – essentially the original G-Shock design of 1983 executed entirely in steel (or titanium) – is now available in yet another iteration. The G-Shock Full Metal ‘Grid’ (ref. GMW-B5000CS) is covered in a square-lattice motif that represents the “time tunnel that connects the past with the future”, a nod to the vintage inspiration of the Full Metal model. The case and bracelet are stainless steel that’s first finished with a black ion plating, and then laser engraved with the grid pattern, bringing to mind the laser-engraved pixel pattern on last year’s camouflage model. The laser not only light etches the surface, but also removes the black coating, revealing the steel substrate beneath. Both the case and bracelet are covered in the etched grid, with the motif continuing onto the crystal as a printed pattern, Aesthetics aside, the Full Metal ‘Grid’ is identical to the standard steel model. The case is the same size as well as weight, and contains the same electronic module that has the usual functions as well as smartphone connectivity via Bluetooth. It’s solar powered and charged via solar cells on the face; at full charge it’ll run almost two years with the power-saving function turned on. The screw-down case back also features the laser-engraved motif The Grid is priced at US$800, which is a step up compared to the US$550 for the entry-level black-coated model. That’s because it’s a limited-production s...

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Apr 15, 2020

Emile Chouriet Introduces the Héritier à Guichet

A brand specialising in affordable watches priced under US$2,000, Emile Chouriet has a fairly generic line-up, but with one obvious exception, the Héritier à Guichets. Showing the time and calendar in windows, the watch is inspired by timepieces of the 1920s, while having a titanium case with fancy lugs. Named after a 17th century French watchmaker, the brand was founded in 1998 by a Swiss businessman but acquired a decade later by Fiyta, a Shenzhen-based watchmaker best known for producing the chronograph issued to Chinese astronauts. Consequently, Emile Chouriet now focuses its efforts on the Chinese market, but the Héritier à Guichet combines an Art Deco style and novel time display that doubtlessly has wider appeal. Digital time displays became fashionable during the Art Deco period, with pocket watches sporting jumping or wandering hours, or even full calendar displays in an elongated window. The Héritier à Guichet takes inspiration from that early 20th century style, reproducing it in an affordable manner. A pale metallic grey with a radial-brushed finish, the dial consists of four windows, with the two closest to the centre showing the hours and minutes, while the outer apertures with wider bevels displaying the day and date. The hours and minutes, however, are not instantaneously jumping displays, instead they are “dragging” indicators that continually move just as conventional hands would. Also unusual is the case: though it has a moderate 40 mm di...

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Patek Philippe Chanel Chopard Apr 15, 2020

The Baselworld Saga: MCH Group Responds, and a Bit of Background

Hours after the momentous but unsurprising exit from Baselworld by Rolex, Patek Philippe, Chanel, Chopard, and Tudor, the fair’s organiser, MCH Group, issued a strident response expressing “great surprise and equally great regret” at the brands’ departure, while noting that all the brands were privy to the discussions about “postponing” Baselworld 2020 to January next year. And MCH Group then took a swing at its former exhibitors, implying a long-planned conspiracy to depart Baselworld: “[We] must therefore conclude that the relevant plans [to leave Baselworld] have been in preparation for some time and that the discussions concerning the financial arrangements for the cancellation of Baselworld 2020 are now being put forward as an argument.” Memories of days past – the main hall of Baselworld 2019. Photo – Baselworld Unilateral decisions, and more According to insiders, however, the MCH Group statement is only half the story. Most crucial were the circumstances surrounding the negotiations for changing the date of Baselworld, once the world’s largest watch and jewellery fair, a status that likely buoyed MCH Group’s confidence to unsustainable levels. The major brands, led by exhibitors’ committee head Hubert J. du Plessix – who is also the chief of investments and logistics at Rolex – were amenable to postponing Baselworld to January 2021. Amongst the most vocal proponents for the move were the LVMH-owned brands, namely Bulgari, Hublot, TAG...

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Patek Philippe Chanel Chopard Apr 14, 2020

Breaking News: Rolex, Patek Philippe, Chanel, Chopard and Tudor Pull Out of Baselworld

The unravelling of what was once the world’s largest watch and jewellery show has finally reached its unsurprising climax as the biggest exhibitors at Baselworld – Rolex, Patek Philippe, Chanel, Chopard, and Tudor – have just announced their withdrawal from the event. Instead the all-important brands – Rolex is the world’s largest luxury watch brand by turnover – will decamp to Geneva to show their new products at a new, as-yet unnamed watch fair that will merge with Watches & Wonders (W&W;). In the announcement signed by representatives of all five brands, the departing brands cited the “unilateral decisions taken by the management of Baselworld, including the postponement of the Fair in January 2021, as well as its inability to meet the expectations and needs of brands” as reasons for their withdrawal. With that, the centre of gravity for watch trade shows will shift definitely to Geneva, and marking the end of Baselworld as a crucial event on the industry’s calendar. Not only does it call into question the viability of Baselworld, it might even be a mortal blow for the watch fair’s parent company, MCH Group, which also owns Art Basel. Hello Geneva What started with the Swatch Group’s shock exit from Baselworld in 2018 accelerated this year, with the show’s exhibitor’s committee, led by a senior Rolex executive, politely demanding a refund of fees paid for the cancelled 2020 show. The negotiations between exhibitors and fair organisers have ob...

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Breguet s invention Apr 14, 2020

Up Close: Purnell Escape II Double Tourbillon

Given that the tourbillon was invented for the pocket watch, adapting Abraham-Louis Breguet’s invention for the wristwatch opened the floodgate for tourbillon innovations in the beginning of the 21st century – the golden age of the tourbillon, perhaps technically but surely commercially. In fact, many watchmakers have gone far beyond the traditional concept of a tourbillon since English watchmaker Anthony G. Randall invented the double-axis tourbillon in 1978. But as the years passed, tourbillons evolved into elaborate constructions seemingly just for the sake of visual complexity. And there have been so many of them. For this reason, exotic tourbillons now seem dated, with sophisticated or truly interesting technical solutions being hard to come by. Potter and Purnell But the latest development in tourbillons is one of the most intriguing of recent times: maximising the visual effect of a tourbillon regulator not just by multiplying the axes of rotation, but speeding them up with the use of a specialised escapement invented two centuries ago by Albert H. Potter, a highly regarded American watchmaker based Geneva. The full potential of the Potter escapement was recently realised when it was combined with a carrousel outer cage in the MB&F; LM Thunderdome, the world’s fastest rotating triple-axis tourbillon. But the concept was first applied, arguably in a more elaborate manner, in the Spherion tourbillon of Purnell – which was developed by the same watchmaker behin...

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Apr 10, 2020

John-Mikaël Flaux Introduces the Le Guépard Sonnerie-Automaton Clock

A young French horologist who specialises in automaton clocks – his most recent work was a retro-automobile that tells time – John-Mikaël Flaux has just unveiled his most elaborate work to date, Le Guépard. Translating as “The Cheetah”, Le Guépard is an elegantly-conceived, hour-striking clock with its movement forming an automaton of a big cat. Made of brass and steel, Le Guépard tells the time on an open-worked dial on its right, but it is also a sonnerie en passant, chiming out the time as it passes. Mr Flaux, who attended the same watchmaking school as independent watchmakers Cyril Brivet-Naudot and Theo Auffret, describes Le Guépard as a “poetic take” on the hour-striking clock. At the top of every hour, the clock chimes the number of hours via a hammer striking the large bell on its rear. Triggered by a snail cam and front paw of the cheetah, the strike work propels the limbs of the cheetah, which moves in slow motion as the rack of the strike work “counts” the number of hours being struck. The clock can also strikes the hours on demand – a feature activated by pressing on the tail of the cheetah. Located behind the decorative panel are the hammer and bell that sound the hours Made up of 205 parts, most of the clock is produced by Mr Flaux using traditional methods, like turning wheels on a manual lathe. The movement is mounted on a steel platform, but sits against a background of an abstract starry night on the African plains. Executed in a...

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Casio describes them as clad Apr 9, 2020

G-Shock Introduces the Street Utility Collection

Though Casio describes them as clad in “the colours of streetwear”, the new G-Shock Street Utility collection feels very much like a military-inspired line-up, varying from olive green to desert camouflage. The collection includes both of G-Shock’s bestselling models, starting with the classic DW-5600 that has the same form as the first-ever G-Shock, the DW-5000 of 1983 (which was revived in solid 18k gold as the Dream Project). The G-Shock Street Utility DW-5610SU retains the signature oblong case and bezel, but is now constructed of two parts, instead of being one-piece as on the original. As a result, the Street Utility DW-5610 has a two-tone case the bezel in black resin while the case band is in another colour. It’s available in three styles, including a khaki version with a desert camouflage face as well as an additional fabric strap; the other two are sold only with the standard resin band. Street Utility DW-5610SU And the other variant of the collection is the G-Shock Street Utility GA-2100 series, based the popular Royal Oak-esque watch launched last year. The thinnest G-Shock to date, the GA-2100 has a case made of a carbon-fibre composite that’s now also offered in a two-colour finish. The olive green and yellow models have two-layer cases fitted with black bezels, but the black version is one piece, with the jungle camouflage motif printed on the bezel. Street Utility GA-2100 Key facts and price G-Shock Street Utility DW-5600 series Ref. DW-5610SU-...

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Zenith El Primero A384 Revival Apr 8, 2020

Hands-On: Zenith El Primero A384 Revival with “Ladder” Bracelet

There are few brands that can make modern-day reissues of historical watches powered by the same movement as the vintage original. Zenith, as it happens, is easily able to, thanks to its long-lived El Primero. The chronograph movement celebrated its 50th anniversary last year with several commemorative A386 limited editions, including a one-off in platinum for charity, but most were in gold and thus pricey. On the other hand, the El Primero A384 Revival is a faithful remake – including a “ladder” bracelet – that’s part of the regular collection, and also affordable. Since 1969 While the A386 is the iconic El Primero chronograph – and today the most valuable – the A384 was introduced at the same time (along with the A385), making it part of the debut range of El Primero watches. One reason the A384 doesn’t quite have the stature of the round and relatively-ageless A386 is also one of its most distinctive qualities: a tonneau- or cushion-shaped case that instantly identifies it as a watch of the late 1960s and 1970s. The easily recognisable design has made the tonneau-shaped A384 a popular base for a variety of limited editions, including one based on a fictitious watch featured in the Japanese manga Lupin III. Romain Marietta, the brand’s chief of products, also indicated during a recent conversation that the A384 will continue to be the base for limited editions, while the A386 will not be reproduced again except in exceptional instances since it is syno...

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