While the Zenith Pilot Type 20 requires no introduction, the Pilot Type 20 Annual Calendar Tribute to Russell Westbrook —designed in collaboration with the young basketball player— deserves a closer look. As its name implies, it is equipped with an annual calendar —an elegantly discreet complication that might almost go unnoticed if it were not mentioned on the dial. The annual calendar differs from the perpetual calendar in that it does not take into account the additional day that is added to the month of February in leap years —every four years.
This is a complication that calculates odd and even months and also factors in the 31st day of August. In a nutshell, it is a useful function that avoids the wearer having to adjust his watch every month. Visually speaking, the day of the week and the month are displayed on the blue dial at 3 o’clock in a rectangular aperture. Just above it are the name of Zenith’s new ambassador, Russell Westbrook, together with his silhouette in action on the court and his signature.
Continuing with their limited edition product strategy, this time Arnold & Son presents a trio of timepieces commemorating Charles Darwin’s voyage of discovery. The HMS Beagle Set is composed of eight limited edition sets of three timepieces each, honoring the HMS Beagle ship that was used by Charles Darwin to set foot at the Galapagos Island. While the HMS Beagle undertook three survey voyages in all, it was the second one, with naturalist Charles Darwin on board, that guaranteed its place in history. With this set of three watches, each featuring an exquisite hand-painted miniature of HMS Beagle, Arnold & Son pays tribute to one of the most celebrated ships in the history of exploration.
Christophe Claret is pleased to present X-TREM-1 Chocolate, featuring a red gold and grade 5 titanium case treated with chocolate-color PVD, plus an alligator-skin strap of the same brown hue. This timepiece is as visually striking as it is technically innovative. Christophe Claret has always focused on developing original timepieces incorporating the latest technological innovations. The brand is known for pushing the boundaries of mechanical watchmaking and straying away from the beaten horological path. First presented in 2012, X-TREM-1 is a testament to this endeavor and represents a totally new way of telling the time.
X-TREM-1 displays hour and minutes by means of two tiny hollowed steel spheres isolated within sapphire tubes on both sides of the caseband.
To Celebrate its 175th Anniversary, the renowned clock maker L’Epée 1839 —same company that collaborated with MB&F in the Starfleet Machine table clock reviewed here— celebrates this special year with a timepiece that will suggest many interrogations. The 'Two Hands Flying Tourbillon' table clock is limited to 2 unique pieces; one in massive Titanium Grade 5 and one in massive brass gold plated. These table clocks were developed in collaboration with renowned horologist Vincent Calabrese. This time, the manufacture established in 1839 comes back to its history and origins by redeveloping an extraordinary escapement; the tourbillon, the most noble escapement. A special tourbillon had to be made and what a better collaboration than with Vincent Calabrese, a well known figure of the Horology world.
The iconic Traveller WW.TC opts now for an intense black look. The new Titanium DLC version stands out with its strong character and a high degree of sophistication. Its highly technical case houses a manufactured mechanical movement offering world times and chronograph functions. With its deep black tones, the Traveller WW.TC Titanium DLC offers a combination of high performance and understatement. It presents itself as the ideal contemporary traveling companion, thanks to its world time function, which enables the wearer to instantly know the time anywhere in the world. Its chronograph function, with its coal black hue and its specially rubber treated alligator textured strap highlight its sporting and technical character.
The fully redesigned Marine Diver showcases all the qualities of a genuine diving watch, with its screw-locked crown, rotating bezel and case that is water-resistant to 300 meters.
The marine world holds no secrets from Ulysse Nardin. Having contributed to the conquest of the oceans through the development of its legendary marine chronometers, the watchmaker has now anchored its impressive know-how in the sub-aquatic depths. Fully redesigned, the popular Marine Diver is both a highly reliable diving instrument and a fine sports watch that can be worn on every occasion.
Everything about the Marine Diver evokes the marine world in which the Le Locle watchmaker is steeped, starting with Ulysse Nardin’s anchor emblem, proudly displayed at 2 o’clock. The same ornamentation can be seen on the bezel. The solid case-back reveals an engraving of a boat surrounded by the inscription: “Conquer the ocean.” This embellishes a new case designed for extreme conditions, extended by the lugs with their taut, sleek lines.
Christie’s Important Watches auction held on June 11, 2014 in New York City, offered over 366 rare timepieces that fetched a total of $8,775,750 USD even though several lots didn't sell. This vast selection featured some of the world’s leading names including Lot 366 with a rare Patek Philippe ref. 5033 that sold for $401,000 USD inclusive of buyer's fees. Additional highlights included a extremely sought-after Rolex ‘Daytona’ ref. 6262 with pulsometer scale —Doctor's watch—, two limited edition Rolex Submariners celebrating the 'Canal de Panamá' —Panama Canal—, a Peruvian Air Force Rolex Daytona 'Paul Newman' ref. 6262, a Rolex Submariner ref. 6538 that comes from the great-grandson of the original owner, William Bumpy Graham Bell —a distant relative of Alexandre Graham Bell and prominent underwater photographer— and even an Omega Speedmaster Co-Axial Chronograph "Dark Side of the Moon" that sold above its retail price amongst other very interesting timepieces.
Officine Panerai in partnership with the 'Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore' proudly presents the newly restored mechanism of the Paolo Uccello's clock located inside 'Il Duomo di Firenze'. This magnificent clock that everyone that has been to 'Il Duomo' cannot forget as it is located right above the main door inside the church, was exquisitely designed and hand painted by Renaissance master painter and mathematician Paolo Uccello in 1433. Uccello, is very well known for his paintings across multiple churches in Florence including the 'Life of Saint Francis' at the church of 'Santa Trinita', the 'Annunciation' at 'Santa Maria Maggiore' and the 'Lives of the Church Fathers' at the abbey of 'San Miniato Al Monte' which is located on a hill above the Piazzale Michelangelo overlooking Florence from which we took the picture of Florence right below Paolo Uccello's portrait.
Richard Mille introduces the new RM011 Automatic Flyback Chronograph 'Red Demon' in a 30-piece limited edition to be exclusively sold through the Americas. Fitted with a sizzling red inner flange, hands, strap and crown protector the red gold top and bottom bezels get amplified in this new strikingly beautiful Richard Mille. Following the success of the RM011 'White Demon', the 'Red Demon' is fitted with the usual Richard Mille tripartite case measuring 50.00 mm x 40.00 mm x 16.15 mm with the front and back made of 5N red gold, a middle case made of titanium and with a crown and pushers set in NTPT carbon. Fitted with a skeletonized black dial, the 'Red Demon' features scarlet numerals, hands, date aperture and inner flange. The crown also features a red rubber ring to match the red rubber strap on this watch.
Zenith, creator of the El Primero movement in 1969, is teaming up with the famous British rock stars the Rolling Stones, with the launch of a new El Primero Chronomaster 1969 Limited Edition watch. The announcement was made on June 1st, by Jean-Claude Biver, Director of the LVMH Group Watch Division and Tom Bennett, Chief Executive Officer for Bravado, Universal Music Group’s global music merchandising division. The watch will be the first in a series of limited edition watches by Zenith. This 250-piece limited edition is a smart blend of DNA from Zenith and the Rolling Stones. Hence the two chronograph counters, 30-minute at 3 o’clock and 12-hour at 6 o’clock, are bedecked in the same colors as the original El Primero model of 1969, namely midnight blue for the former and slate grey for the latter. The 12-hour chronograph is also overlaid with the famed Rolling Stones logo, the iconic red tongue and lip design.
During Baselworld 2014, Zenith presented to the press a significant number of novelties that included the Zenith El Primero Stratos Flyback Rainbow. However, this new watch was finally officially released two days ago. With our readers in mind, we took some pictures of this new watch during our meeting with Zenith in Baselworld that finally we are able to publish for your viewing pleasure. Nothing like looking at live pictures of new watches. Following the design of the Zenith El Primero Stratos Flyback Striking 10th Tribute to Felix Baumgartner, this time the El Primero Stratos Flyback Rainbow is presented with a black dial with white Arabic numerals, colorful accents —yellow, green, blue and fluorescent pinkish— on its 30-minute chrono register at 3 o'clock, red numerals for the first 20 minutes of its graduated rotating bezel and a bright fluorescent pinkish seconds hand that rounds out the design equation.
The 7th Le Mans Classic will take place on July 4, 5 and 6 of 2014. Richard Mille has been the Main Partner and Official Timekeeper of the race since the first event in 2002. This retrospective of the “24 Heures du Mans” is the chance for thousands of car enthusiasts to meet around the Bugatti track. Le Mans Classic revives more than 80 years of automobile sport history by bringing back the cars and the pilots who created the legend of the most famous race in the world on the great 13 kilometer Le Mans circuit.
Armin Strom is very pleased to announce its new sailing team. The team will compete this season in the Great Cup 32 Sailing Series across Europe. The Armin Strom Sailing Team's new state-of-the-art GC32 catamaran appears to defy gravity as it soars airborne across the water. Flavio Marazzi, one of Switzerland's most successful sailing competitors, leads the team as skipper and helmsman. Like Armin Strom, the Sailing Team relies on the ingenuous, flawless design of its craft. The GC32 catamaran harnesses power from its innovative L-shaped lifting foils and a T-shaped rudder that elevate the foils so the craft speeds above the water.
Panerai watches were created to face the darkness of the night and of the depths of the sea: these were the conditions under which the special underwater forces of the Royal Italian Navy operated, as they carried out missions which demanded extraordinary courage and heroism but also exceptionally durable and reliable equipment. It was in the 1930s and 1940s of the last century that the Italian Navy nominated Orologeria Panerai in Florence, with which it had already collaborated for many years, as its trusted partner for supplying underwater watches for the frogmen. To satisfy the strict requirements imposed by the Navy, the workshop of ideas created by the Panerai family developed a timepiece and other precision instruments embodying innovative technical solutions of genius and revolutionary simplicity, solutions which transformed those watches into an icon and which still today make every Panerai watch immediately recognizable.
In a perfectly suited partnership with the iconic Leica camera from Germany, Valbray presents the new EL1 Chronograph Limited Edition watch. This watch featuring a diaphragm system like that in cameras, decided to join forces with Leica to celebrate 100 Years of Leica Photography. To make this watch even more special, its name EL1 comes from the initials of Ernst Leitz, one of the founders of the Leica brand.
At the Christie’s auction in Geneva last week, Marc A. Hayek, President & CEO of Montres Breguet SA, acquired two emblematic lots: the Breguet No. 4039, an extremely fine half quarter repeating watch with eccentric hour dial and the indication of the date, and the extremely rare Breguet Tourbillon No. 1176 which belonged to Count Potocki. These two exceptional pieces were auctioned for a total amount of 750’000 Swiss Francs.
Four-time Golden Ball winner Leo Messi paid a visit to the Manufacture Audemars Piguet in Le Brassus. An ambassador of the Swiss brand since 2010, the Argentine born prodigy took the opportunity to enrich his knowledge of Haute Horlogerie.
Accompanied by François-Henry Bennahmias, CEO, Audemars Piguet, Leo Messi visited the workshops where his namesake limited-edition watch is made.
Today May 14, 2014 Sotheby's Important Watches Auction took place in Geneva. While this auction didn't bring as much attention and high bidders as the Christie's auction two days ago, some interesting selling activity took place.
We do have to say, that we are quite surprised that many very interesting lots did not sell and those lots that were expected to fetch very high amounts, ended up realizing mediocre amounts under the low estimate or right in the middle.
While Sotheby's Important Watches Sale in Geneva taking place tomorrow May 14, 2014 won't be as big as the Christie's sale, it for sure will have some wow factor coming from 23 lots that we will be following very closely. This upcoming sale taking place tomorrow in Geneva, includes 342 lots divided in two sessions:
Yesterday, May 12th, 2014, Christie's Important Watches Sale in Geneva brought in a total of $27,230,528 USD Inclusive of Buyer's Premiums. Once again and surpassing all expectations, this sale surpassed last year's Christie's Rolex Daytona "Lesson One" Auction —a prestigious single-themed evening auction featuring 50 exceptional examples of the world's most celebrated chronograph wristwatch, that totaled $13,248,167 USD while selling 100% by lot and by value.
