On October 9, 2014 Blancpain President & CEO Marc A. Hayek, unveiled a special Ocean Commitment limited edition which will be part of a series of limited editions. Each purchaser will join the Ocean Commitment Circle and will contribute and reinforce Blancpain's support for oceanic environmental causes through an additional donation which will be made for each watch. First of this series, the new Ocean Commitment Bathyscaphe Chronographe Flyback is limited to 250 pieces. Blancpain commits to donate 1'000 Euros of the revenues from the sales of this piece to various initiatives.
The Bathyscaphe is a legendary name at Blancpain. Three years after the 1953 debut of the original Fifty Fathoms, Blancpain introduced the Bathyscaphe as a smaller diameter diving watch alternative adapted to daily wear. Over the years, the Bathyscaphe evolved in parallel with the Fifty Fathoms and became a part of the Fifty Fathoms legend.
During Baselworld 2013, Bell & Ross unveiled several novelties and this coveted Vintage WW1 Régulateur in Pink Gold is one of them. The Vintage WW1 Régulateur is a limited edition watch comprised of only 99 pieces in pink gold —extremely difficult to find, but we were lucky enough to find one.
A 'régulateur' a.k.a. regulator, is a watch with non-coaxial hour and minute hands, which means, that the hour and minute hands do not share the central pinion position on the dial but are independently placed. On regulators, the minute hand is traditionally the most important hand and it is typically placed on the central pinion at the center of the dial.
Just like an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Jumbo 5402SA, when it comes to cigars, Cohiba is a name that needs very little introduction. Savvy watchlifestylers already know that Cohiba stands for the highest quality in fine cigar making and the flagship brand of Habanos from Cuba.
Created in 1966 for Fidel Castro and handmade at the world famous 'El Laguito' factory, these cigars were originally only seen outside of the island when presented as gifts to heads of state or dignitaries throughout the world. Additionally, Cohiba is a brand with a very limited production of cigars per year making it even more exclusive.
The Cohiba name has its origins from the the ancient 'Taino' language word that was used to refer to bunches of tobacco leaves. 'Taino' is the language used by the Taino Indians that populated the islands of the Caribbean before the Spanish Conquest in the 1500s.
We just returned from the Cayman Islands after a wonderful week at the Ritz-Carlton. We did plenty of water activities including interacting with stingrays, smoking a handful of Habanos —Montecristo #4— and trying on several Audemars Piguet watches at Grand Cayman's authorized dealer Magnum Jewelers. At Magnum, we perused the new Royal Oak Offshore line in 44mm, the Offshore Legacy, a Jumbo ref. 15202 and a ref. 15400, amongst others. Great friendly service by the way.
Always ahead of its time, Bell & Ross continues to innovate with the launch of the BR-X1 Skeleton Chronograph, a high-tech chronograph with a sporty design, which is as robust as it is sophisticated. Revolutionary in its design, the BR-X1 is the first watch of a new collection from Bell & Ross and the beginning of a whole new chapter in the saga of the brand. An extreme version of the BR-01, whose iconic square shape is directly inspired by aeronautical flight instruments, the BR-X1 is much more than a top-of-the-range contemporary sports watch.
Nearly ten years ago, Bell & Ross launched the BR-01, a distinctive, high-performance watch directly inspired by on-board flight instruments. It has become an iconic watch thanks to its square shape, its round dial with perfect legibility, its broad dimensions and the efficiency of its functional design. Since then, the BR-01 has continued to evolve without losing its original identity. As a guiding principle, from vintage pocket watches to the grand complication watches, each Bell & Ross signed model pays homage to a great era in military history.
Fall is here and its time to pull those Barbours out of the closet and pair them with your vintage Rolexes. Even better if its with a nicely aged Rolex GMT Master ref. 1675 with faded super fat font bezel and creamy patina. Barbour jackets are to outerwear what Hermès is to ties and what Rolex is to watches.
A Barbour jacket is indispensable, handcrafted, durable and a true symbol of a real watchlifestyler. Barbour's iconic classic wax jackets have been protecting generations of families from the cold and rain for over a hundred years. The Barbour story began in 1894 in the Market Place in South Shields. Today, the 5th generation family owned business remains in their Barbour's headquarters located in Simonside, South Shields. Barbour's classic wax jackets are still manufactured by hand in the factory in Simonside. Barbour now has 11 of its own retail shops in the UK and a presence in over 40 countries worldwide including the United States, Germany, Holland, Austria, France, Italy, Spain, Argentina, New Zealand and Japan.
Barbour jackets are made of 100% cotton — of different weights, thickness and texture calibers— that is fully waxed to become thornproof and waterproof. These jackets are fitted with a soft yet hard-wearing corduroy collar that will always be the unmistakable detail of a true Barbour jacket. The collar is purposefully made of corduroy to provide warmth around the neck and underneath it is fitted with a chin-guard that can be secured when rolling the collar up in order to guarantee extra warmth.
To pay tribute to its 175th anniversary, Patek Philippe created a collection of 25 limited-edition commemorative timepieces that include the Grandmaster Chime ref. 5175R, the Chiming Jump Hour ref. 5275P, the World Time Moon ref. 5575 and ref. 7175, six Multi-Scale Chronographs under ref. 5975 and ref. 4675, three different sets of four Calatrava watches —a set with cloissoné enamel dials, a set with hand-engraved dials and a set with wood marquetry dials— ref. 5089 featuring motifs of the Lake Geneva Barques and lastly three different pocket watches. One of the celebratory pieces that stands out from the rest is the Grandmaster Chime ref. 5175R which is so far the most complicated wristwatch of the eminent family-owned watchmaking companies and decidedly one of the world's most elaborate wristwatches. This is due not only to the number of complications involved but also to the horological degrees of complexity, two of which have been added to the annals of watchmaking for the first time.
Consistently cultivating a distinctive and special relationship with challenges, the brand with the guiding star has always accompanied human adventure at its most daring and creative. Witness this new Academy Christophe Colomb, which pays tributes to one of the great early 21st century explorers of human nature, a champion of surpassing personal limits. An experienced parachutist and base jumper, he achieved three feats in 2012 by jumping from a stratospheric capsule. A personality echoing the creative daring and the enterprising spirit of Zenith, expressed through one of the greatest horological discoveries of recent years equipping this spectacular model: the Gravity Control module.
The Armin Strom Gravity was the first watch from the Biel-based manufacture to feature an automatic winding mechanism with micro rotor. With this first series of automatic watches driven by the manufacture’s new AMR13 calibre, Armin Strom wanted to express the essence of a fundamental law of physics —that of gravity. Thus, the laws of gravity are used in an automatic watch to transform movements into a mode of indicating the time. However, the Armin Strom Gravity Date Fire ref. RG14-DF.90 is not necessarily powered by the same AMR13 calibre but by the ADD14 automatic calibre with a power reserve of 5 days. The Armin Strom Gravity Date —just like the Gravity collection— is designed to proudly display the micro rotor while also providing the wearer with date information as well as a useful night/day indicator. The visibility of this mechanism is made possible thanks to an innovative concept of transmission for the rotor, which remains smaller in size than the diameter of the going barrel.
To commemorate the 25th anniversary of the death of Enzo Ferrari —August 14th, 1988— we decided to pull these pictures from our archives and present you a short overview of the magnificent Galleria Ferrari.
Ferrari was founded in 1929 by Enzo Ferrari but it was not until 1947 that the first street legal Ferraris where launched. The first Ferrari to hit the streets was the 125 Sport fitted with a V12 engine. Today, Ferrari automobiles are generally seen as a symbol of speed, luxury and wealth. A visit to the Galleria Ferrari is a must for any watchlifestyler that appreciates the fine making of Ferrari. Located at Dino Ferrari 43 in Maranello, just a stone’s throw away from the Ferrari factory, this place is true treat to the eyes and a place where history is well showcased
The details of a special edition of strong vintage appeal recall the historic links between the Italian Navy and Officine Panerai. The story of the Radiomir 1940 is the story of the development of the design of Officine Panerai watches. Its essential lines recall the intermediate stage in the transformation of the cushion case of the first Panerai watches, created in 1936, to the more robust shape of the Luminor 1950. The new Radiomir 1940 Marina Militare presents the pure design of this case, combined with a series of historic details demonstrating the fidelity of the new model to those created for the Italian Navy. The case is 47 mm in diameter, the standard size for watches made for the commandos of the Navy, because they had to be worn over a wet suit. It is made of 316L stainless steel, an alloy particularly resistant to corrosion that is perfect for a watch water resistant to 100 meters.
The Radiomir 1940 is presented for the first time with an automatic movement and the brand new in-house Panerai calibre P.4000 calibre which was fully designed and assembled by Officine Panerai in Neuchâtel. The distinctive feature of the new calibre is it off-centered oscillating weight, winding in both directions, just like the distinctive micro-rotor inside many of the Patek Philippe automatic movements. With a diameter of 13¾ lignes and just 3.95 mm thick, it has been developed to integrate perfectly with the proportions of the Radiomir 1940 case. The new P.4000 calibre is the first Panerai automatic movement with an off-centered micro-rotor. This means that the rotor is smaller in diameter than the calibre itself: a sophisticated technical solution which enables the movement —and therefore the watch itself— to be much thinner.
This year at Baselworld 2014, Breguet introduced eight new timepieces including the new ref. 5377 Extra-Thin Tourbillon Automatique available in either 18K rose gold ref. 5377BR/12/9WU or in platinum ref. 5377PT/12/9WU. Today, we bring you our hands-on review of this exceptional timepiece with these incredible images under natural light that we captured just for you. This new extra-thin tourbillon has already been included in the pre-selection for the 2014 Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève here and is now regarded as the world's thinnest automatic tourbillon movement. This new watch featuring all the traditional Breguet elements, seems to be one of the top contenders for one of the prizes to be awarded on October 31st at the Grand Théâtre de Genève. As you all know, Abraham-Louis Breguet was the father of the tourbillon in 1795, and this watch honors his groundbreaking creation in a flawless manner.
Continuing the saga of the iconic Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch in Zirconium Oxide Ceramic, the Speedmaster 'Lunar Dust' or 'Grey Side of the Moon' was released at Baselworld 2014 as a successor to the highly coveted Speedmaster 'Dark Side of the Moon' released the previous year. The 'Grey Side of the Moon' just like the 'Dark Side of the Moon' is fitted with a Zirconium Oxide and Zirconium Carbide — ZrO2/ZrC— ceramic case measuring 44.25 mm in diameter and fitted with a gorgeous grey alligator strap with grey rubber applique on the perforated section, red contrast stitching on the back lining and a matching ceramic pin buckle.
Last night September 25th, 2014 at the opening of the new A. Lange & Söhne boutique in New York City, the brand presented the boutique edition Richard Lange Tourbillon 'Pour le Mérite' in 18K white gold with blued hands and blue hour markers. With its regulator style that expresses the ultimate in precision, the Richard Lange Tourbillon 'Pour le Mérite' is a complication that unites A. Lange & Söhne’s unique fusée-and-chain transmission and a one-minute tourbillon with a patented stop-seconds mechanism. This timepiece whose name pays tribute to what is probably the most inventive mind in the Lange watchmaking dynasty will only be available only at A. Lange & Söhne boutiques.
The Omega Speedmaster is one of the most iconic watches in the world and one that has helped Omega be who they are today. The Omega Speedmaster was originally launched in 1957 and since its landing on the moon it has been awarded the title of moonwatch. The Omega Speedmaster Split Seconds Co-Axial Chronograph ref. 311.30.44.51.01.001 —now a discontinued reference— features a black ceramic dial covered by a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal and graced by a small seconds sub-dial, 30-minute register and 12-hour register along with central chronograph and split-seconds mechanism. This exceptional timepiece was produced in a limited edition of only 357 pieces and here we have one of them for your enjoyment.
The Carl F. Bucherer Manero Tourbillon ref. 00.10918.03.33.01 is definitely one of the most beautiful and well balanced point of entry level tourbillons in the market. While this watch is not fitted with a fully in-house calibre, its 35 jewel manual wound movement with tourbillon —calibre CFB T1001— is exceptionally finished and equipped with a nice 70-hour power reserve indicator, 24-hour indicator and peripheral date indicator. Fitted with a nicely finished 18K rose gold case and with a black sunburst or silvery white dial, this limited edition timepiece delivers in terms of design, craftsmanship and looks.
Armin Strom is a brand very well known for mastering the art of skeletonizing and the One Week Skeleton watch we are reviewing here, is one of the best examples from this relatively young manufacture founded in 1967 by Armin Strom in the picturesque town of Burgdorf located northwest of Bern the capital of Switzerland. Armin Strom's first masterpiece was a gold pocket watch, with a hand-engraved dial in polished blue lapis lazuli. Armin's mature manual dexterity and incredible attention to detail soon made the him aware of where to specialize in his valuable items: the art of skeletonizing.
In 2009, Armin Strom presented their first in-house movement the manual wound calibre ARM09, which happens to be the same base calibre powering the exceptional One Week Skeleton. The One Week Skeleton ref. RG14-WS.5N is fitted with a satin brushed 18K rose gold case measuring 43.4 mm in diameter and 13.00 mm in thickness. Fitted with a highly polished bezel and an anti-reflective treated sapphire crystal, the view of the skeletonized dial is uncompromised.
Earlier this year at Baselworld 2014, Linde Werdelin released three novelties —we have already reviewed the SpidoSpeed RoseGold Black here and the Oktopus MoonLite here. This time we are presenting you our in-depth review of the third novelty presented by Linde Werdelin. We are talking about the SpidoSpeed Green that showcases skeletonization not only throughout the outer case as with previous iterations in the Spido family, but also into the dial and movement.
The new Linde Werdelin SpidoSpeed Green is fitted with a stylish black forged carbon outer case measuring 44 mm x 46 mm x 15mm that is complimented by other smaller details making this timepiece truly unique. Frankly, after perusing this watch, we can say that the quality of the forged carbon outer case is almost at the level of forged carbon cases from Audemars Piguet which is known as the pioneer and master of forged carbon application in the watch industry.
On the occasion of the 5th Anniversary of the launch of the Chapter Two Original, Maîtres du Temps - Atelier d’Horlogerie is proud to present the new Chapter Two Classique in red gold and white gold. This new model underlines even stronger the architectural aspect of the collection through its Art Deco inspired dial on which the bold indices majestically indicate the hours. The Chapter Two collection features an instantaneous triple calendar displayed in large format thanks to the innovative high precision cylinders that in fact makes it the most legible mechanical calendar wristwatch in the world. Its outstanding movement is imbedded in a shaped case that expresses the strength and character of this collection.
