Baselworld: Glashütte Original. Eight Novelties Handmade in Germany.

The Glashütte pavilion located right across from Jaquet Droz and some of the other Swatch Group pavilions presented a nice display of timepieces across their collections and the unveiling of eight spectacular new pieces of 20th century vintage looking watches including: the Sixties Panorama with date and without date, the PanoLunar Tourbillon, the Pavonina and four new Senators—Tourbillon, Chronometer Regulator, Panorama Date Moonphase and Panorama Date. Pictures below are in the same order.

For more info click here.  

News: New Audemars Piguet Boutique Opening. Miami Bal Harbour on May 15, 2013.

Audemars Piguet is pleased to announce its new boutique at the Bal Harbour Shops in South Florida. Scheduled to open on May 15th, the 990 sq. ft. boutique—which is located on the first floor near the Chanel boutique— is a revolutionary design that captures the 138-year old watchmaker's core values: its origins, artistry and extraordinary relationships.

 “By bringing the ‘manufacture to the boutique’, Audemars Piguet tells the story of its history, craftsmanship and exclusive relationships in the new Bal Harbour boutique,” says Xavier Nolot, CEO of Audemars Piguet North America.  “We’ve created a warm and inviting environment to satisfy our discerning clients’ every need.”

The boutique, crafted with wood and metallic landscapes evokes the Vallée de Joux region in Switzerland, where Audemars Piguet was born. The revolutionary design by the Creative Circle International Corporation of Switzerland in collaboration with Audemars Piguet's Creative Director Octavio Garcia is divided into two spaces: 'The Manufacture' and 'The House'.  

'The Manufacture' includes detailed product displays; a watchmaker corner; a virtual Manufacture depicting the manufacture’s activities; and educational content about how the singular watches and museum quality pieces are created.
 
'The House' incorporates a full service bar and lounge with a state-of-the-art sound system that invites clients to relax with an espresso or a cocktail.  One wall in 'The House' displays photographs and reminiscences of the many friends of the brand as well as Audemars Piguet’s commitment to environmental initiatives and corporate philanthropy.
 
The Audemars Piguet Bal Harbour Shops boutique will display over 100 timepieces from its vast collection reinforcing the watchmaker’s superb artistry and design by a number of contemporary craftsmen.
 
The Audemars Piguet Miami Bal Harbour Boutique is located at the Bal Harbour Shops on 9700 Collins Avenue, Space #159, Bal Harbour, FL 33154.
Phone number:  (305)864-6776
Toll Free:  (866)595-9700
 
Store Hours:
Monday – Saturday 10AM – 8:45PM
Sunday -   12noon – 5:45PM

For more info click here.

Baselworld: Alpina. Three Novelties with 130 Years of History.

In 1883, Gottlieb Hauser founds the “Alpina Union Horlogère S.A. (UH) / Schweizerische Uhrmacher-Genossenschaft (SUG)”—Corporation of Swiss Watchmakers. His vision was the “Alpinist Principle”: uniting Swiss watchmaking industry forces to achieve the highest quality and technical innovation in manufacturing. Soon the Union was making its own calibers. In 1890, the Union moves its headquarters to Biel/Bienne where Jacob Straub, an important member, had his caliber manufactory—J. Straub & Co. The ébauches at that time were made by the Alpina Ebauches factory, owned by Duret & Colonnaz, in Geneva. After seventeen successful years, Alpina Union Horlogère participates in the 1900 Universal Exposition in Paris and displays its calibers and creations to a cosmopolitan and distinguished public. In 2002, Alpina is bought by Aletta and Peter Stas, the owners of Frédérique Constant and in 2003 they unveil their first sports collection with huge success. Today, Alpina is the official watch of the Cessna Aircraft Corporation. 

At their pavilion, Alpina presented a nice variety of historical timepieces from their museum, in addition to the unveiling of three new models, all inspired by Aviation, Diving and Sailing.

The three new models include the 130 Heritage Pilot Chronograph, the Extreme Diver 300 Chronograph and the Startimer Pilot Chronograph Big Date collection. All these models inspired either by aviation, diving or sailing. The first two models fitted with automatic calibres while the third one is fitted with quartz movements.

While the Startimer Pilot Chronograph Big Date collection is one of our favorites due to its vintage rugged designs, versatility of colors and strap options, we feel that the quartz movement is a major downside and not very appealing to demanding watch collectors in the upper tiers.

Here are the new pieces that were unveiled. For more info click here.  

Baselworld: Breitling for Bentley. 10 Years on the Road.

Breitling for Bentley celebrates ten years on the road with three new chronographs equipped with calibers entirely developed and produced in-house. For the launch of these three new timepieces at Baselworld, we received one of the most unique press kits featuring a USB designed to look like the keyless entry remote on a Bentley automobile. We really think this was a fantastic marketing idea from Breitling.

The three new timepieces include the Bentley B06 distinguished by its exclusive '30-second chronograph' system; the Bentley B04 GMT and Bentley B05 Unitime models will appeal to world travelers thanks to their ultra-practical dual timezone and worldtime mechanisms. Three new expressions of a world apart combining luxury,  accomplishment, performance and prestige. For more info on the Bentley collection click here.

Experience: Rolls-Royce Phantom EWB in Beijing

It is 3:13pm in Beijing and we are beyond exhausted from an almost 14-hour flight all the way from Chicago. Lucky enough, we have a Rolls-Royce Phantom Extended Wheel Base waiting for us at the airport. After such a long flight, nothing like the comfort of the best car in the world. As we get in the car, the legroom is hard to miss, the smell of the leather and wood inside the car are captivating and we are now inside the quietest ride in the world. Mr. Ogilvy's advertising campaign for Rolls-Royce delivers on its promise with the tagline that reads: "At 60 miles an hour the loudest noise in this new Rolls-Royce comes from the electric clock". So true!

As we head into the heart of Beijing in such a quite ride, it almost feels like we are inside an audio recording studio and not in a car. The attention to detail that comes with a vehicle of this caliber, is just above the rest. The wood trim, the clock, the windows, passenger controls and comfort of the seats are just some of the things that makes a Rolls-Royce the most elegant car in the world. Our final destination in Beijing, The Peninsula Hotel —located just a few blocks away from where watch shopping paradise is located in the Wangfujing area. 

Sticker price on this car approximately $475,000 USD. For more info on Rolls-Royce click here.  

Baselworld: Breguet Museum's Special Exhibit. Tourbillons and Grande Complications.

In addition to Breguet's beautiful pavilion, this manufacture also featured a special exhibit where they showcased fantastic museum pieces to portray the innovations and inventions of Breguet since 1775 to date.

The small exhibit located right in between Glashütte and Jaquet Droz took us on a beautiful journey through Breguet's history and wowed us with some of their most amazing historical pieces, mainly tourbillons and grande complications.  

See for yourself and live vicariously.  

Baselworld: Blancpain's Hand Painted Dials. Just a Superb Work of Art.

While visiting Blancpain's pavilion at Baselworld we admired one of their horologists hand painting dials through a microscope. We were impressed by his skills and talented hands. Now you can see the dials he was working on and what a superb work of art they are.

Enjoy!

Posted on May 3, 2013 and filed under Baselworld, Other Brands.

Baselworld: Concord. The C1 Chronograph Gets a Facelift.

Concord, Movado's higher end brand presented three new models including a new revamped and upgraded C1 Chronograph, a new Saratoga Chrono and also a Saratoga Lady.

Six years after the successful launch of its rugged C1 Chronograph, Concord has taken the new C1 into a whole other dimension. Slimmer and sexier, larger and leaner, the C1 has undergone a radical makeover in both look and constitution, while retaining the unmistakable DNA of the brand and its heritage.

Pared down to a svelte 15.10mm from the original 16.7 mm thickness, the C1’s case size has been expanded from 44mm to 47mm, in light-as-air grade 5 Titanium. To provide enhanced durability and heightened elegance, the original C1’s more rugged-looking rubber-coated metal bezel has been swapped for a hard wearing, up-to-the-minute ceramic version. Definitely nice upgrades to this fantastic looking watch.

For more info click here.  

Baselworld: Tissot. 160 Years of History.

The Tissot Pavilion is located across from Omega and Ebel. This year, Tissot celebrates its 160th anniversary with the Tissot Heritage Navigator, a watch created for their 100th anniversary in 1953 and which reflects all the achievements of the brand since 1853. Today, Tissot is the biggest Swiss watch brand in volume sales, after Swatch.

The Tissot Heritage Navigator 160th Anniversary is a world timer watch indicating multiple time zones. Once you've set the watch to the capital of your choice, the corresponding time zone is shown on the numbers on the bezel. This watch is a perfect example of what Tissot stands for: tradition and a touch of innovation. After the first two pictures, you'll find Tissot's video for this watch.

Additionally, Tissot also presented their quartet of pocket watches named Musical Seasons, a collection that includes four different pocket watches. Every one of the four pocket watches captures the atmosphere of a season through a different colored cameo on the dial and its own excerpt of seasonal musical tones and their own visual interpretation of the passage of time. It may be 333 years since the birth of Antonio Vivaldi, but the inspiration of the four seasons expressed in his famous violin concerto has withstood the test of time.

For more info on their collections click here. 

Baselworld: U-Boat. The Venenum Motorcycle Takes the Attention.

This year the U-Boat pavilion draw a lot of attention thanks to the Venenum motorcycle that was on display. The Venenum motorcycle is one of a hundred bikes that will be created exclusively for U-Boat by Dino Romano from Moto Dal Cuore—which translates to 'Bike from the Heart'.

Dino Romano's shop is located in Grosseto, Italy just 50 miles south of Siena. During the show we had a chance to talk to Dino for a little while and he explained to us how every component on this customization is fully handmade without the usage of any heavy machinery. Yes, all done by hand from cutting metal sheets to giving shape to  the handle bar and even creating the clutch and brake grips.

Dino mentions that the bike took approximately four months to create and it's a customization of a Triumph Rocket III bike with three cylinders and an engine of 140 cubic inches. The Venenum boasts 160 hp with a total weight of 595 lbs. 

As you will be able to appreciate in the pictures, every single detail on the bike was done in a way where U-Boat's iconic elements—i.e. the crown guard—where incorporated to the motorcycle in a functional yet very stylish way.

If you like watches and motorcycles, this could be your next dream bike.

For more info on this amazing bike click here. To browse the whole U-Boat collection click here.

Baselworld: A Typical Day in Pictures. Commuting From Zürich to Basel.

These pictures will show you what our typical day attending Baselworld looked like. Since we were staying at the fabulous Park Hyatt Hotel in Zürich, we had to commute to Basel everyday. We did this daily for almost a whole week.

Now, it's your turn to experience the journey and pretend you were there with us. 

Getting ready to leave our hotel on Press Day, April 24th, 2013. ​

Getting ready to leave our hotel on Press Day, April 24th, 2013. ​

Our companion for the day. Discontinued Audemars Piguet Royal Oak ref. 15300 with blue dial. ​

Our companion for the day. Discontinued Audemars Piguet Royal Oak ref. 15300 with blue dial. ​

Taking the ZVV Tram at the Stockerstrasse stop. ​

Taking the ZVV Tram at the Stockerstrasse stop. ​

Street view on Banhofstrasse and Paradeplatz from the tram. Heading to the Banhofplatz to take our train to Basel.​

Street view on Banhofstrasse and Paradeplatz from the tram. Heading to the Banhofplatz to take our train to Basel.​

Watch stores on the way to the train station on Banhofstrasse. ​

Watch stores on the way to the train station on Banhofstrasse. ​

Türler, one of the biggest authorized watch dealers in Switzerland. ​

Türler, one of the biggest authorized watch dealers in Switzerland. ​

Banhofplatz, the train station. ​

Banhofplatz, the train station. ​

Checking the timetable for the next train to Basel. ​14:34 Departure. We are right on time.

Checking the timetable for the next train to Basel. ​14:34 Departure. We are right on time.

One of the famous Mondaine clocks at the train station. All train stations in Switzerland are stocked with Mondaine clocks. ​

One of the famous Mondaine clocks at the train station. All train stations in Switzerland are stocked with Mondaine clocks. ​

Time for some caffeine. We are slightly jet lagged ​but excited about Baselworld. Segafredo, one of our favorite coffees.

Time for some caffeine. We are slightly jet lagged ​but excited about Baselworld. Segafredo, one of our favorite coffees.

We have boarded our train and getting ready to leave. We will be in Basel in 51 minutes. ​

We have boarded our train and getting ready to leave. We will be in Basel in 51 minutes. ​

The Swiss landscapes. Relaxing and comforting. ​

The Swiss landscapes. Relaxing and comforting. ​

We have arrived at Basel's train station. ​

We have arrived at Basel's train station. ​

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak ref. 15300. Time check, 15:30.​

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak ref. 15300. Time check, 15:30.​

Basel's train station. We were greeted by a Hamilton small airplane hanging from the roof, heavy watch advertising and the blue colors of Baselworld. ​

Basel's train station. We were greeted by a Hamilton small airplane hanging from the roof, heavy watch advertising and the blue colors of Baselworld. ​

Time to get on the tram to the Messeplatz/Exhibition Square. We are 10 minutes away. ​

Time to get on the tram to the Messeplatz/Exhibition Square. We are 10 minutes away. ​

The street view from the tram. We are one stop away.  ​

The street view from the tram. We are one stop away.  ​

We have arrived at our destination.​ Baselworld 2013, here we come.

We have arrived at our destination.​ Baselworld 2013, here we come.

Baselworld's Exhibition Hall. ​

Baselworld's Exhibition Hall. ​

The entrance. Quite empty as it is Press day. The next day was very crowded as expected.

The entrance. Quite empty as it is Press day. The next day was very crowded as expected.

Baselworld: JEANRICHARD. Its First Time at Baselworld.

JEANRICHARD—sister company to Girard-Perregaux— featured a small pavilion at Baselworld 2013, marking its first appearance. As you all know, both companies departed the SIHH last year and are now at Baselworld. For Girard-Perregaux it's a comeback, for JEANRICHARD a first time.

JEANRICHARD takes its name from a legendary name in watchmaking, Daniel Jeanrichard. This genius pioneered the development of the watchmaking industry in the Neuchâtel mountains in the late 17th century. Daniel Jeanrichard was born in the hamlet of Les Bressels, midway between La Chaux-de-Fonds and Le Locle. In 1681, he created his first watch, then set up his watchmaking workshop.

This brand includes four collections that pay tribute to the elements of our universe: Aquascope, Aeroscope, Terrascope and 1681. The novelties for this year include the new Aquascope and the Aeroscope chronograph.

The Aquascope, an accurate, robust and resolutely masculine timepiece, has found the perfect ambassador in Franck Cammas. The French yachtsman was named “Sailor of the Year” in 2012.

The Aeroscope chronograph with its cushion-shaped case in titanium is both light and robust at the same time. A large, round bezel with vertical satin finishing sits on the case, which is built of several parts, allowing for various satin or polished finishes and for a play with colours on the metal, natural grey or black with DLC coating. To accompany the take-off of this practical and exciting chronograph, JEANRICHARD chose an exceptional ambassador, a man known for his levelheadedness, his self-mastery and his passion for flying. An experienced pilot, captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger made history on January 15, 2009, when he ditched the Airbus A320 he was piloting in the Hudson River in New York City, saving the lives of all 155 people on board.

For more info click here.  

Baselworld: Girard-Perregaux. The Return to Baselworld.

After leaving the SIHH—Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie—, Girard-Perregaux is kicking-off its return to Baselworld, with a small but tasteful pavilion located towards the back of the exhibition hall 1.0 next to its sister company Jeanrichard—both companies part of the Sowind Group. This beautiful pavilion includes a wide display of historical pieces from their museum, as well as two horologists on duty, one working on movements and the other on dials and designs. Additionally, there was a special screening of the documentary 'Mission of Mermaids' funded by Susan and David Rockefeller. This 15-minute call to action documentary explores the issues of ocean acidification, overfishing and pollution and advocates for the need for ocean protection and environment preservation, all seen through the eyes of the mythical mermaid.

This year, Girard-Perregaux unveiled eight new models: the Constant Escapement—a true technical revolution that stunned connoisseurs when prototypes of the innovative mechanism were first presented, the Constant Escapement is now integrated into the movements driving the new models of Girard-Perregaux’s Haute Horlogerie collection—, the 1966 Integrated Chrono, the 1966 Lady 38mm, the Chrono Hawk Ceramic, the Sea Hawk Ceramic, the Traveller Moonphases, the Traveller WW.TC and the Vintage 1945 Lady. For more info on these models click here. Please check the video under the images for the new pieces to see how the Constant Escapement works.  

Some of the historical pieces displayed at the pavilion include a Hunter pocket watch from 1860 and a Sea Hawk from 1965 amongst other rare vintage pieces from the mid-1900s. For sure Girard-Perregaux's return to Baselworld was a nice surprise full of horological innovation, rich history and very interesting new product launches.  

Baselworld: Shinola. A Beautiful Story Made in Detroit.

One of our favorite discoveries this year is Shinola. A fairly inexpensive brand that launched in 2011 after adopting the name of the extinct Shinola-Bixby corporation founded in 1907—a manufacturer of small-scale shoeshine. Today, Shinola manufactures handmade bicycles, leather goods, journals and watches; all of them, proudly American made and part of a growing movement that celebrates the beauty of manufacturing and investing in the American workforce.

To build the first handmade watches in Detroit, they had to build the first watch factory in the city. A brand with great marketing, back-to-basics craftsmanship, high quality materials and superb branding make Shinola a brand to follow closely in the upcoming years. Made of U.S. and Swiss components and assembled in Detroit, this bright concept started with a partnership with a world-class watchmaker based in Switzerland to help them build a state-of-the-art watchmaking factory in 30,000 sq. ft. of the College for Creative Studies—CCS— in midtown, Detroit. Then, they began training Detroit locals on the delicate process of movement and watch assembly. The quality, designs and finished product are up to par with that of Swiss made timepieces in the same price range and category.

Shinola's pavilion is located on the third level of exhibition hall 1 across from Festina and Doxa. The modern design of this pavilion—evoking the modern architecture lines of Philip Johnson, Frank Lloyd Wright and Mies van der Rohe—, the custom bicycles, leather straps, journals, footballs, unique looking watches and the Shinola cola we received upon departure, make this exhibit one of the most unique displays at Baselworld.

 ​The calibre inside the Shinola watches is named Argonite and it is made of Swiss components in its majority. The calibre was named after the building that houses
their manufacture—the Argonaut, where GM’s legendary design teams produced countless industrial innovations, from the first fully automatic transmission to the first heart-lung machine.​

All watches come with a unique manufacturing code, composed by a category number, a series number and a case number. All of these, engraved on the case back in a style that evokes the old black metal plaques that used to be used for VIN and engine serial numbers on cars, decades ago. ​For more info click here.

Baselworld: Rolex Yacht-Master II in Stainless Steel. The Only One that was Missing.

Here's another one of the Rolex Baselworld 2013 novelties. The Yacht Master II in stainless steel has been a piece that many have been wishing to have for years and now, it's finally here. Thank you Rolex.

This particular reference 116680 —up until now only available in yellow gold, white gold or in a combination of stainless steel and everose gold— is fitted with a programmable regatta countdown and a ring command bezel that can be programmed from one to ten minutes. It incorporates a mechanical memory that can be adjusted to match the official regatta countdown. Once launched, it can also be synchronized on the fly and adjusted accordingly. This timepiece comes with a matte white lacquered dial, blue lacquered small seconds register, hands/markers in blued 18K gold and a red seconds hand. The beating heart inside this reference is calibre 4161 with a 72-hour power reserve. For more info click here. 

Baselworld: Oris. More Focus on Diving Watches.

Oris, the brand with the iconic red rotor has definitely come a long way since the launch of the Big Crown watch in the late 90s. At Baselworld, an updated Big Crown watch was unveiled as well as the Depth Gauge Aquis diving watch. Based on what we saw at their pavilion, Oris will continue to position their core brand essence within the confines of precise mechanical diving watches, with additional interest on their aviation timepieces and lesser on their racing line.

Their pavilion includes a wide range of pieces on display as well as some historical museum pieces that are eye-catching. Enjoy the video at the bottom with the Depth Gauge Aquis in action.

For more info click here.

Posted on May 1, 2013 .

Baselworld: Harry Winston. Ocean Sport, Project Z6 and Zalium.

Exclusive watchmaker Harry Winston—with a pavilion located across from Hermès and next to Oris— presented their Ocean Sport line, Project Z6 Black Limited Edition and the Zalium collection.

Zalium is a zirconium alloy exclusive to Harry Winston that is also utilized in the aerospace industry, extremely resistant to corrosion, very light and scarcer and harder than titanium. A true revolutionary material. The collection comprised of different pieces ranging from simple chronographs to skeletonized watches and grande complications, is definitely pleasant to the eye, however, not so much to the pocket unless you have extra cash to spare.

For more info click here. 

Baselworld: Raymond Weil. More Musical Inspiration.

Behind Breitling and across from Tissot, Movado and Concord, the massive Raymond Weil pavilion catches everyone's attention. This three story music box with a living tree that stands up in its courtyard, also includes a 27 feet high violin, made up of 59 components—its assembly required over 2000 hours of manual work— that is more than a musical instrument; it symbolizes Raymond Weil's passion for music that has always been the source of its inspiration.  

This year's novelties included pieces across the Maestro, Nabucco, Freelancer and Tango Collections, all of them inspired by musical notes, precision and classic designs.  

For more info click here.

Posted on May 1, 2013 and filed under Baselworld.

Baselworld: Breitling. The Massive Fish Tank.

Located right behind the Omega pavilion, you just can't miss the Breitling display with a massive fish tank containing a variety of tropical fish and small sharks. The fish tank glows in the center of the exhibition hall just like the luminosity on a beach with bio-luminescence.

Simulating the port holes and cabins inside a ship, this massive display is one of our favorites this year. The pavilion is mainly focused on the Emergency revamped line, the Superocean line-up and the Breitling for Bentley pieces. Please enjoy a short video of the fish tank at the bottom of the post.  For more info click here.  

Posted on April 30, 2013 and filed under Baselworld, Breitling.