Hodinkee
Weekend Rewind: Jason Heaton Explores a Shipwrecked Drug Boat While Wearing An AP Royal Oak Offshore Diver
Oh the places the ROO will go!
Hodinkee
Oh the places the ROO will go!
Quill & Pad
Martin Green is no Gérald Genta groupie charmed by everything the designer created, but he appreciates greatness. While some may favor the Genta Gefica or Grande Sonnerie as the master's definitive design, Martin makes a case for the Retro. Find out why here.
Time+Tide
The Bulgari Octo was famously designed by the legendary Gerald Genta. I see the Octo Roma as maintaining the essence of Genta’s spiritual work without its square-edged temple case sides, as the octagonal shape is, of course, the heart of the Octo. The range is a smaller wearing, rounder feeling Octo, but the Bulgari Octo … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: The Bulgari Octo Roma Central Tourbillon Papillon appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Hodinkee
Most view the Diver as a luxury sport watch, and it is, but we wanted to test the Diver in the conditions that it was engineered for.
Hodinkee
A wide-ranging conversation with Jean-Christophe Babin.
Deployant
AP presents 5 new Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Chronograph models in 42 mm equipped with the latest integrated flyback chronograph movement, Calibre 4404.
Revolution
Introducing the world’s first Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Chronograph GMT in Black Ceramic. The “Nuclear Option” for Revolutionand The Rake is a limited edition of 30 pieces, priced at USD $19,550. Available to purchase now on RevolutionWatch.com.
Revolution
In the follow-up to “White Light,” the fully luminous Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Chronograph GMT created for us last year, we’ve gone nuclear with a case in black sandblasted ceramic and a dial so luminous it can be seen from space.
Built to last.
SJX Watches
One of the biggest watches on the market when it was introduced in 1993, the Royal Oak Offshore is a landmark in the oversized-sports watch genre. Since then the model has been iterated into numerous variants and several sizes, while the first-generation originals have occasionally returned as limited editions. Now they are back for good as part of the regular collection at Audemars Piguet – but upgraded with the in-house cal. 4404 as well as quick-release bracelets and straps. Nicknamed “evolution” by Audemars Piguet (AP), the new Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph 42 mm ref. 26238TI is being launched with a trio of watches that are a faithful take on the 1993 original, along with two new “Mega Tapisserie” dials in the same size. The Offshore 42 mm with “Mega Tapisserie” dials Initial thoughts The last major revamp of the Offshore Chronograph 42 mm was in 2014, when it received a movement upgrade in the form of an in-house base movement, though retaining the modular chronograph. And then two years ago Audemars Piguet unveiled a model equipped with the Frederic Piguet cal. 1185. The new Offshore is arguably better than all its recent counterparts, because it combines the original design – which is a classic – while improving what needed to be improved, namely the movement. In the release announcement, AP describes the movement as “a new selfwinding integrated chronograph, Calibre 4404, equipped with column wheel and flyback function”, which pretty much ...
Hodinkee
AP went big.
Time+Tide
In 1989, designer Emmanuel Gueit, who, at the time, worked for Audemars Piguet, presented a conceptual sketch that introduced a more robust take on the classic Genta designed Royal Oak. Its design, later realised for commercial release in 1993, came at a time where bigger and bulkier watches really spoke to a younger generation and … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: The 2021 Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore reinvigorates the original design appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Czapek & Cie unveiled the Antarctique a year ago, its first foray into the popular category of luxury-sports watches. While the Antarctique had many of the elements synonymous with a luxury-sports watch, namely a steel case, blue dial, and integrated bracelet, it lacked what is arguably the signature element of Czapek’s design DNA – a pair of sub-dials at five and seven. Just unveiled at Geneva Watch Days, the followup to the original model combines a light touch of high horology with styling more faithful to the brand’s origins – the Antarctique Rattrapante, which is also the brand’s first split-seconds chronograph. Initial thoughts At a glance, the Antarctique Rattrapante is a noble effort in fusing the brand’s signature look with a modern, open-worked dial. Aesthetically, the design works well. The concept of having the entire split-seconds chronograph module visible on the dial creates an intricate view of the mechanics that would normally be hidden. And the mechanics are interesting, as the look is the result of substantial contortions to lower the sub-dials while ensuring they do not run into the gear train for the central hands. Notably, the repositioning was done with extra wheels – the chronograph mechanism actually has the registers in their traditional three and nine positions. At its core however, the chronograph remains a traditional, mono-pusher mechanism, albeit one that’s modular. The split-seconds mechanism does lack a key feature found ...
Time+Tide
You may be aware that Gérald Genta sold his company to Bulgari in 2000. But relatively little has been made of the hook-up since then. However, there was always one particular option in the Genta catalogue whose cycle back into fashion has been slowly, but steadily happening as each month passes. With an ever-increasing number … ContinuedThe post Bulgari are taking the Mickey, with the return of this Gerald Genta classic appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Hodinkee
Guido Terreni's first collection at Parmigiani Fleurier charts a new course for the Swiss company.
Time+Tide
I’ll be blunt and admit the Czapek Antarctique became a strong personal favourite in the integrated bracelet game when it smashed onto the scene last year. This time Czapek throws us a curveball with a complex skeletonized version featuring a new, fascinating movement bringing the best of vintage haute horlogerie back to the future of … ContinuedThe post The Czapek Antarctique Rattrapante brings skeletonized wonder to the integrated bracelet scene appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
When I spoke with Parmigiani chief executive Guido Terreni earlier this year, he described his plans for the brand’s product as having a “new direction for design, which is less ostentatious”, adding that Parmigiani will ” go back to the craft and excellence of the early days… with an eye on the world of today.” With the new Tonda PF collection launched to mark Parmigiani’s 25th anniversary, Mr Terreni appears to have pulled it off. Made up of four watches – ranging from a time-only to a pricey split-seconds – the Tonda PF is a synthesis of Parmigiani’s recent integrated-bracelet sports watch and its earlier Toric timepieces that were classical and Breguet inspired. The result is a sleek case and integrated bracelet matched with a refined yet minimalist guilloche dial featuring solid-gold hands and indices. Initial thoughts In a review two months ago, I wrote that liked the Tonda GT sports watch, though I thought the dial could be done better in several ways. The new Tonda PF does exactly that. It keeps everything that was good with the Tonda GT and enhances the rest. The dial has been stripped of superfluous elements while gaining a barleycorn engine turning. In fact, the dial is almost Moser-ish in its restraint, with the only marking being a small “PF” logo, which is made of solid 18k gold. And the upgrades in materials continue with the case, with all the steel model getting a knurled platinum bezel. And the movements have been enhanced. The...
SJX Watches
Having tested the market with a handful of Gerald Genta-branded limited editions, Bulgari has just revealed during Geneva Watch Days 2021 that the Genta name will be revived. And the inaugural model for that venture is the Gerald Genta Arena Retrograde Mickey Mouse, a Disney-themed watch that harks back to the 1990s Fantasy watches of Gerald Genta. Initial thoughts The commercial opportunity with the Gerald Genta name has been obvious for several years, given the enduring popularity of a narrow set of his designs, namely the 1970s sports watches like the Royal Oak and the later Fantasy watches with Disney characters, all of which sell for handsome sums on the secondary market. While all the 1970s sports watch belong to the brands that Genta designed them for, Bulgari does have the Octo, which was created long after Genta himself left the brand. And now Bulgari has resurrected the Arena Retro Mickey Mouse. Like the Octo, the Arena case was created after Genta departed the namesake company when Bulgari acquired it, but the new Mickey Mouse Retro successfully channels the spirit of the 1990s originals in style and complication. And in terms of mechanics, it’s also more sophisticated than the originals, in that it is powered by a variant of the in-house Bulgari BVL 191 “Solotempo” calibre, instead of the ETA movements found in the originals. The Mickey Mouse reissue, however, does come at a steepish price of about US$17,500. That’s slightly more than the most desirab...
Revolution
Bvlgari reprises a version of the beloved Gerald Genta Mickey Mouse watch and announces four new additions to the Octo Roma line for Geneva Watch Days 2021.
Quill & Pad
Since its launch in April 2021, the watch world has been at odds with the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept Marvel Black Panther Flying Tourbillon. And while it has polarized opinions, that didn't stop it from selling out quickly. Now Christie's has the first Black Panther up for auction at its online "The Marvelous Sale."
Revolution
Piaget adds an all new elegant 36mm variation to their line of integrated bracelet, sport chic watch with the Polo Date 36mm
Hodinkee
Gérald Genta's affinity for a certain cartoon mouse (and a few of his friends) is preserved in watches bearing the late designer's name.
SJX Watches
The most extravagant watch to date in 2021 has arrived courtesy of Hublot – the Big Bang Integral Tourbillon Rainbow. Combining Hublot’s signature porthole face with the integrated bracelet introduced last year, the Big Bang Integral Tourbillon Rainbow has almost every surface set with coloured gemstones. And ticking away inside is an in-house movement with a tourbillon and clear sapphire bridges. Initial thoughts Rainbow watches are the “it” watches of our era, with the Rolex Daytona “Rainbow” being the most famous of the multi-coloured, gem-set timepieces. But now Hublot has taken it to the outlandish next level. The Big Bang Integral Tourbillon Rainbow is a lot, probably too much, but it’s also a stunning example of gem setting – proof comes in the form of 36 carats of stones – with an unusually interesting movement. The movement will probably be overlooked by whoever buys either of the two unique examples, but it is quite accomplished in a technical sense: an automatic tourbillon wound by a micro-rotor, with everything held in place by clear sapphire bridges. Contrasting starkly with the densely saturated case, the movement is light and airy in its layout, with its wheels appearing to be floating within the case thanks to the transparent bridges. The only glaring shortcoming in its technical features is the Etachron regulator index for the tourbillon. It’s entirely functional, but typically found in less expensive watches. Even though I would not ...
Hodinkee
Watches we love, the second time around.
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