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Review: The Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 Tourbillon Openworked
We take a look at the Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 Tourbillon Openworked in rose gold and ponder upon what makes it so outstanding.
Tourbillon Watches · Page 67
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Hodinkee
Auctions: F.P. Journe Souscription Tourbillon, Chronomètre À Résonance Hammer For Over $2.5 Million At Phillips Geneva Watch Auction XI
It's a good day to be independent.
Hodinkee
Auctions: A Breguet Four-Minute Tourbillon Sold Secretly To King George III During The Napoleonic Wars
A very beautiful watch, sold during a very ugly war.
Revolution
Introducing the Omega De Ville Tourbillon Numbered Edition
Omega’s new central tourbillon is now Master Chronometer certified and anti-magnetic to 150,000 gauss.
SJX Watches
Rémy Cools Introduces the Tourbillon Souscription
A French watchmaker who is just 23 years old, Rémy Cools has just revealed the finished prototype of his debut watch, the Tourbillon Souscription. Mr Cools’ creation is a large watch with no visible crown, giving it a contemporary silhouette, but the look is still heavily classical in style, with the movement and dial strongly influenced by 19th century watchmaking, especially the work of Abraham-Louis Breguet and Jacques Frédéric Houriet according to Mr Cools. Initial thoughts I met Mr Cools at Baselworld 2019 and got to examine the unfinished prototype. It was complete and working, but had not yet been decorated. The prototype was an extremely striking watch, with a strong pocket watch aesthetic but still unique. While clearly modelled on the works of Breguet, it manages to avoid looking like a Breguet. Now that the watch is finished, it is no doubt more impressive; Mr Cools’ photos of the movement and its parts reveal an impressively high level of decoration. Two things go against the watch. One is the pair of crowns on the case back. They are easy enough to use, but feel unnecessarily complicated. The crowns, however, are probably something you get used to and forget about afterwards. The second drawback is the massive height of the watch, which is only 40 mm wide. It stands 15 mm high – including 7 mm of domed sapphire crystal – which gives it a really tall profile. And the thickness is accentuated by the relatively small diameter. That said, the height is ...
SJX Watches
Corum Introduces the Lab 02
While Corum’s high-end watchmaking is typically associated with the tiny Golden Bridge movement, the brand’s latest creation is a surprisingly intriguing calibre with a novel construction. The Lab 02 is a tourbillon with vertical power reserve and double-disc date – entirely constructed as a “flying”, or “floating”, movement. Almost all of the wheels are secured only on one side, leaving them seemingly suspended in midair. Initial thoughts The Lab 02 has a genuinely interesting movement inside. A “flying” construction is not new, but it is usually applied to a key parts, like the barrel or tourbillon, for aesthetic effect or to keep the movement as slim as possible. Here the whole movement is flying, which results in a strikingly airy mechanical landscape. In fact, the Lab 02 is essentially a more complex execution of the concept behind the Ulysse Nardin Executive Tourbillon Free Wheel. Because of its construction, the movement is large, which means the watch is huge – 45 mm wide and 13.4 mm high. But it is a necessity due to the mechanics and probably enhances the visual effect of the movement construction. Harder to swallow is the price of 180,00 Swiss francs that puts the Lab 02 in a price segment where many well-established haute horlogerie brands compete. That’s especially so given the movement finishing appears adequate (neat and clean but mostly done with mechanical means) rather than excellent. Admittedly, most other watches in the price segme...
Hodinkee
Introducing: The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept Flying Tourbillon GMT
Grey matter.
Hodinkee
Introducing: The Omega De Ville Central Tourbillon Numbered Edition, The First Master Chronometer Omega Tourbillon
One of modern watchmaking's most iconic tourbillons is now one of its toughest as well.
SJX Watches
Up Close: Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 Bolshoi Limited Edition
When Audemars Piguet launched the Code 11.59 last year, the best looking of the collection were the two watches with smoked enamel dials, which were the minute repeater and flying tourbillon. The base models, on the other hand, were plain and looked a bit flat. But as proof that dial colours and shading are as important as design, the Code 11.59 Bolshoi Limited Edition is the three-hand base model, but with a smoked blue enamel dial – and it is a good looking watch, with the downside of a substantial price premium for the enamel dial. Launched in November 2019 to mark the 10th anniversary of Audemars Piguet’s sponsorship of the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, the parent organisation of the world-famous Bolshoi Ballet, the Code 11.59 Bolshoi edition was a limited edition of 99 pieces. And it’s the only base-model Code 11.59 with an enamel (or smoked-finish) dial to date, though that might change in the future. Initial thoughts The Bolshoi edition is surprisingly attractive, even though only a single element has changed. Though it keeps the design exactly the same, the Bolshoi edition fixes the bland looks of the original simply but effectively with a fired enamel dial. While the smoked finish is not new – H. Moser & Cie. does it all the time and now MB&F does too – the dial of the Bolshoi edition is fired enamel, which is doubtlessly difficult to produce and tangibly impressive. Because everything else remains the same as the standard edition, the Bolshoi edition also...
Hodinkee
Hands-On: The Breguet Marine Tourbillon Équation Marchante 5887
The ultimate Breguet Marine adds a new colorway with unique details to match.
SJX Watches
Kees Engelbarts Introduces the Argentium Tourbillon Skeleton
Born in Holland but now based in Geneva, Kees Engelbarts is one of the most prominent and established engravers in Swiss watchmaking. He moved to Geneva in 1994, and began a career as an independent engraving not long after. Amongst the brands he has worked for are major names like Jaeger-LeCoultre and Hublot, but also independent watchmakers like Philippe Dufour and Svend Andersen. Mr Engelbarts also makes watches under his own name, focusing on elaborately engraved or open-worked movements. His latest creation is the Argentium Tourbillon, an incredibly airy yet organic tourbillon that’s been skeletonised entirely by hand. Initial thoughts Mr Engelbarts is one of the oldest names in movement skeletonisation, so whether or not you like the aesthetic, the work is always excellent. His engraved creations are mostly figurative, often depicting a mythological creature, while his skeletonisation is usually organic and extremely striking. Though the look of the Argentium Tourbillon is too alien for me, the work is impressive. The bridges are refined and organic, and looking almost soft, but they are metal. Going from a full bridge made of German silver to an extraterrestrial life form is tedious work made up of cutting and filing. The craft is both delicate and physical, and similar to the craft of a high-end jeweller. A reductive process The Argentium Tourbillon starts with a CH016 movement made by Le Cercle des Horlogers, a movement specialist in Neuchatel that specialise...
SJX Watches
In-Depth: The Definitive Guide to the A. Lange & Söhne Handwerkskunst
When Walter Lange celebrated his 90th birthday in 2014, A. Lange & Söhne marked the occasion with a short interview. Asked how he would define the brand, the great-grandson of Ferdinand Adolph Lange quoted the late Günter Blümlein: “A Lange watch is a fusion of the arts… [and] the unique technology and artisanship to which we are committed.” Lange has created many special watches since it was re-established in 1994, but one family of timepieces embodies Blümlein’s description – Handwerkskunst. A line of limited-edition watches, Handwerkskunst – which translates as “craftsmanship” – is defined by traditional artistic techniques of decoration and exemplary hand-finish, a combination that is truly a “fusion of the arts”. The goal of this article is to provide the context behind the creation of the Handwerkskunst series, and to detail the individual models. The focus will be on the details of each model, how they differ from their standard counterparts, and the realised prices at auction – livened up by my personal experience and opinion. Five of the eight Handwerkskunst models launched to date, without the Richard Lange Pour le Merite, Cabaret Tourbillon, and Datograph Why handwerkskunst? I am often asked why I love Lange watches. It’s a long answer, but one reason goes beyond the watch themselves – it is the brand’s determination to preserve and develop the artisanal crafts in Saxony. In fact, Lange is something of a hub for artisans in the ...
SJX Watches
MB&F; Introduces the LM101 MB&F; x H. Moser
Partners for more than a decade in the supply of hairsprings, H. Moser & Cie. and MB&F have recently announced their first watch collaboration. Both mark their 15th anniversaries with a pair of watches that each brand designed for the other, blending the defining traits of both. MB&F helped styled the Endeavour Cylindrical Tourbillon H. Moser x MB&F, while Moser added its signature aesthetic to the LM101 MB&F x H. Moser. A refreshing take on MB&F’s simplest Legacy Machine, the new LM101 has a steel case and the option of four dial colours in Moser’s signature smoked finish – Funky Blue fumé, Cosmic Green fumé, red fumé, and Aqua Blue fumé – each limited to 15 pieces. The watch incorporates the aesthetic sensibilities of H. Moser & Cie on the front, along with a slight redesign of the movement. Initial thoughts Based on the photos, the new LM101 is one of the most appealing recent watches from MB&F, though that isn’t really a surprise since it synthesises the elements that have made both brands successful – and the elements remain successful when combine together. The most apparent is the sunray-brushed, fumé dial that is very much Moser. Although the brand did not invent the look, the smoked finish has become synonymous with the brand – and the fumé effect also translates very well on the LM101. While the Moser fumé finish has been added, the traditional sub-dials (for the time and power reserve) of the LM101 have been removed. This streamlinin...
Quill & Pad
Hands On & Live Photos: MB&F; x H. Moser LM101 And H. Moser x MB&F; Endeavour Cylindrical Tourbillon
GaryG loves a surprise! And in the case of the newly-minted H. Moser x MB&F Endeavour Cylindrical Tourbillon and MB&F x H. Moser LM101, he is surprised not once, but twice: two distinctive watches that somehow manage the tricky task of maintaining the core brand identity of the lead brand for each, while successfully integrating identifiable cues from the other.
Revolution
Introducing the MB&F; × H. Moser Endeavour Cylindrical Tourbillon and LM101
H. Moser & Cie. and MB&F found an opportunity to collaborate, and the result is an astonishing duet of watches that shares the DNA of both.
Deployant
New and reviewed: H. Moser x MB&F; Endeavour Cylindrical Tourbillon
We go hands-on with the new H. Moser x MB&F Endeavour Cylindrical Tourbillon in funky blue fumé dial, and discussed technicalities with Edouard Meylan.
Hodinkee
Introducing: The H. Moser x MB&F; Endeavour Cylindrical Tourbillon And The MB&F; x H. Moser LM10
The chocolate and peanut butter of independent watch brand collaborations.
SJX Watches
Up Close: H. Moser × MB&F; Endeavour Cylindrical Tourbillon
Long rumoured and much anticipated, the tie-up between MB&F and H. Moser & Cie. is here. Moser applied its sensibilities to the MB&F LM101, while MB&F revamped its Moser Endeavour Tourbillon. The result is the H. Moser × MB&F Endeavour Cylindrical Tourbillon, which is more than a new, smoky paint job. It is indeed a Moser tourbillon enhanced with MB&F design, but the redesign goes beyond the styling. An indirect going train was added to reposition the time display, and more importantly, the tourbillon has been reconstructed to feature a cylindrical hairspring, which is surprisingly cool in action. Initial thoughts When I found out about the Moser and MB&F collaboration some months ago, I expected it to be a wristwatch with a fumé dial and MB&F-inspired detailing – and it is. At a distance, it is reminiscent of the recent MB&F LM Thunderdome Triple-Axis Tourbillon, which is substantially more complicated, but also substantially more expensive. Up close, the details reveal it is a Moser. Some details, like the fumé dial, are obvious, while others, like the curved hairspring stud holder and two-tone balance wheel, are more subtle. The watch is not as predictable as the MB&F x Moser formula might imply. Despite sticking to Moser’s minimalist leanings, the face manages to be thoroughly three-dimensional, though legibility is so-so. Most importantly, it boasts a compelling tourbillon – that is really impressive in motion – while being less expensive than the typical...
Deployant
Review: The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Tourbillon Chronograph Openworked Black Ceramic
Light in weight, heavy on featurues: We take a look at the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Tourbillon Chronograph Openworked Black Ceramic.
SJX Watches
Interview: IWC’s Head of R&D; on the New 2020 Complications
A watchmaker who also trained as an engineer, Stefan Ihnen has been leading IWC’s movement development since 2006, continuing the brand’s long-established tradition of concise and practical movements. This year Mr Ihnen and his team rolled out new movements in a trio of Portugieser models – the Yacht Club Moon and Tide, Tourbillon Retrograde Chronograph, and Monopusher Chronograph – all built according to a philosophy that mixes technical accompaniment with practicality. Since the 1980s, IWC’s movements have been characterised by a pragmatic approach, making a virtue of constructing the most complex mechanisms in a simple, robust manner. The philosophy gave birth to many of the brand’s hallmark complications such as the Da Vinci perpetual calendar and the Il Destriero Scafusia, both complicated but powered by the Valjoux 7750. The cal. 82835 in the new Portugieser Yacht Club Moon & Tide And in the year 2000, the brand debuted the cal. 5000, an extra-large automatic movement with a seven-day power reserve and Pellaton winding mechanism, marking the start IWC’s modern generation of in-house movements. Twenty years on, IWC boasts an extensive range of proprietary calibres of 10 movement families. Beyond the solid and impressive foundations, the movements sometimes incorporate esoteric complications, ranging from a constant force tourbillon, and the a newly-introduced tide complication. Mr Ihnen is the perfect person to shed light on these movements. Formal...
SJX Watches
Zelos Introduces the Mirage Tourbillon in Pattern-Welded Alloys
A Singapore-based “micro brand”, Zelos Watches has found success with affordable sports watches, mostly priced at about US$1,000 or less, but often incorporating unusual materials such as carbon fibre or meteorite. But in a significant departure from its usual fare, Zelos has just unveiled the Mirage, a flying tourbillon powered by a calibre made by a noted Swiss movement maker La Joux-Perret. With the case options including Timascus and mokume-gane, which are pattern-welded titanium and bronze respectively, the Mirage certainly sticks to the brand’s design ethos of exotic materials. Initial thoughts While it’s not surprising that the Mirage is substantially more expensive than Zelos’ past models, it is still good value for a watch featuring both a respectable tourbillon movement and an exotic-metal case. The case is sleek and modern, machined to create sharp, wide facets that give it an aggressive stance and complement the contemporary look of the movement. Of the three case materials on offer, the Timascus versions are the most intriguing. Typically found in high-end custom knives, Timascus is being used in a watch for the first time according to Zelos. Flying tourbillon In terms of complications, the Mirage is a radical departure from the brand’s previous offerings. Powered by a skeletonised flying tourbillon movement from La Joux-Perret, the Mirage enters the realm of technical horology. The movement is hand-wound, with its bridges and base plate coate...
Deployant
Review: hands-on with the Gruebel Forsey Quadruple Tourbillon Blue
We take an in-depth look at the Greubel Forsey Quadruple Tourbillon Blue - a magnificent grail watch, with many photographs and insights.
SJX Watches
Eight Collectors of Independent Watchmaking to Follow on Instagram
While the vast majority of watch content on Instagram is predictable and repetitive – hello Nautilus with baguette gemstone bezel and Submariner “Hulk” – there are a couple of collectors with interesting watches who share their collections on the picture-sharing app. The most interesting for me are the independent-watchmaking enthusiasts. Most own watches that well known and regarded as landmarks in the genre – Philippe Dufour Simplicity, F.P. Journe tourbillon, Akrivia Chronometre Contemporain, and the like – but many also have watches further off the beaten track, like Keaton Myrick’s 1 in 30 or the Bexei grande sonnerie. Here are a few independent-watchmaking collectors who are worth a follow. @igwatchlover – A collector based on Southeast Asia, Igwatchlover features his own watches, as well as occasionally watches owned by his friends – who are also accomplished collectors. Amongst the watches that can be found on his account is the unique and elaborate Voutilainen Starry Night Vine, and the Vox Vinum grande sonnerie by Aaron Becsei, and the one-off, regulator-dial minute repeater by Voutilainen. And he also features a good number of notable complicated watches from the 1990s, which are overlooked today but often just as interesting as the latest creations. @horoptimist – A longtime collector who only started his Instagram account recently, Horoptimist is based in Asia but has managed to visit several independent watchmakers in their home count...
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New: Roger Dubuis Excalibur Diabolus in Machina with Editorial Commentary
Roger Dubuis unveils a minute repeater with flying tourbillon - a piece unique with the full RD DNA - the Roger Dubuis Excalibur Diabolus in Machina.