The Patek Philippe Chronograph ref. 5170 in white gold is one of the most iconic and classic dressy chronograph timepieces out there. This year, Patek Philippe decided to give this watch a facelift and added a new ebony black opaline dial with white gold applied Breguet numerals and white minute track. Up until now, the Patek Philippe ref. 5170G was only available with silvery dial with pulsometer —graduation pour 15 pulsations. This new 517-G-010 is simply stunning and extremely comfortable with its 18K white gold case measuring short of 40 mm at 39.4 mm in diameter. Powered by the manual wound calibre CH 29-535 PS a column-wheel chronograph with center chronograph hand and 30-minute chrono register at 3 o'clock, this watch is pure perfection. Below you will find a few pictures of the previous iteration of this chronograph, the Patek Philippe ref. 5170G-001.
Insider: Patek Philippe Celestial ref. 6102R-001. Even More Beautiful than its Platinum Counterpart, If that is Even Possible.
he Patek Philippe Celestial ref. 6102R-001 was launched back in March at Baselworld 2015. This exceptional reference, was originally launched as reference 5102 in 2002 and discontinued in 2012 when it was replaced by ref. 6102P-001 in platinum with blue dial. One of the main differences between the ref. 6102 and its predecessor ref. 5102 besides the relatively different case construction is the addition of a date function. For those of you in love with gold, we have some great news, the legendary Patek Philippe Celestial ref. 6102 is now also available in 18K rose gold with a stunning black dial. Fitted with robust, yet elegant case measuring 44 mm in diameter and a dial featuring what is called a 'Sky Chart', this reference is one of the most fascinating horological complications ever developed by Patek Philippe. The 'Sky Chart' is composed of three different sapphire crystal disks.
News: Patek Phillipe Monopusher Chronograph ref. 130 in Stainless Steel from 1927 Sells for $4.6 Million Swiss Francs. How is this possible?
Last night May 10th, 2015 at the long awaited inaugural Phillips Watches Auction One held in Geneva, a new historical record was set by a stainless steel Patek Philippe Monopusher Chronograph ref. 130 Doctor's Watch selling for $4,645,00 Millions Swiss Francs —buyer's premium included. Yes ladies and gentleman, this is not a typo, this watch from 1927 sold short of $5 Million USD at today's exchange rate of $1.07 USD per CHF 1. Last night, this watch set many records including the most expensive chronograph ever sold at auction and a new high for any stainless steel wristwatch sold at auction. While many watch collectors feel that the sky is the limit when it comes to owning a piece of history or a rare vintage watch like this, we think that it's finally time for watch collectors to spend some time analyzing why this is happening.
News: The Inaugural Phillips Watches Auctions Sell $31.8 Million USD. Setting World Records with Four Watches Over One Million USD Each.
The inaugural watch auctions held by Phillips, in association with Aurel Bacs and Livia Russo, on May 9th and 10th, 2015 realized a combined total of $29,649,363 Swiss Francs —$31,834,734 USD— selling 97% by lot. The auctions sold four watches for over $1 million and established multiple records including for any stainless steel wristwatch, for any Rolex sold at auction and for any Rolex Day-Date. The top lot was an extremely rare Patek Philippe single button doctor’s chronograph in stainless steel with a superbly aged off-white silvered dial, highlighted by a pulsations scale and a sector design. At the auction on Sunday May 10th, after 21 minutes of bidding between clients from 4 continents, it eventually sold to an anonymous bidder on the telephone for $4,645,000 Swiss Francs —$4,987,383 USD— more than doubling its low estimate of $1-2 million Swiss Francs and setting a new record price for any stainless steel wristwatch sold at auction.
News: Presenting the Richard Mille RM 030 Automatic 'White Rush'. A 50-Piece Limited Edition for the Americas.
Richard Mille unveils the RM30 Automatic 'Whtie Rush' a 50-Piece limited edition watch available exclusively in the Americas. The new Richard Mille RM30 'White Rush' features a new white ceramic and black NTPT carbon case and an automatic with declutchable rotor movement. This new timepiece embodies Richard Mille’s most famous attributes with its tonneau-shaped tripartite case; boundary-pushing new materials; and a hand-finished innovative movement that achieves a new level of performance for haute horlogerie. The white ATZ sand-blasted ceramic forms the front and back bezels of the RM 030 White Rush limited edition. Along with its white rubber strap, the front and back bezels perfectly contrast against the black NTPT carbon caseband and crown, as well as a sapphire dial that features scarlet hands and winding indicator at 9 o'clock. Inside the case of the RM 030 beats an automatic caliber featuring a rotor that declutches automatically.
News: Presenting the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chonograph Limited Edition Tribute to Italy ref. 26326ST. 500 Pieces Right On Time for the Expo 2015 in Milan.
2015 will be a rich year for Italy and it will be even more so for Milan, the host city for the World's Exhibition Expo 2015 taking place from May 1st thru October 31st. As a Tribute to Italy, Audemars Piguet presents the Royal Oak Chronograph Limited Edition ref. 26326ST.OO.D027CA.01 in a 500-piece limited edition. An occasion not to be missed, has been seized by the manufacture from Le Brassus, creating this special limited edition of the Royal Oak Chronograph in stainless steel. The Italian touch is found in the details, such as the indices on the 30-minute counter; which borrow the iconic green, red and white of the Italian flag. Other special features not to be missed include the case back that bears the engraving “Swiss Made Limited Edition” and a rubber strap that is truly unique. In fact, in the past, a Royal Oak Chronograph —the City of Sails limited edition created in 2002— was the only watch to feature this material on its strap.
Insider: Introducing the HYT H4 Gotham. A Perfect Hybrid Between the H1 Dracula DLC and the Skull.
The new HYT H4 Gotham is a genuine composition of color on a theme of contrast, dazzling, profiled and suited to the twists of the H4 Gotham components, to bring out the finest details. The new HYT H4 Gotham ref. 151-CB-03-RF-RN is also equipped with a new sapphire case back. With a chromium-plated metalized finish, that has a double role: in contact with the skin, the metalized finish reproduces a smoky glass effect. On the movement side, inside the case, the chromium-plated finish gives the illusion of a mirror. So the H4 is adorned with a complex play of lights and mirrors, which provides, depending on the angle, a view of the light penetrating the movement, its areas of shadow or even your own reflection. On the dial side, red has been chosen to inhabit the capillary of the H4 Gotham. It marks the progress of the hours, with the retrograde display, signature of the brand. This 'bloody' tone is also adopted by the seconds wheel at 9 o'clock, as well as the power reserve at 3 o'clock and the strap's top stitching.
News: Presenting Three New Officine Panerai Radiomir Watches. Radiomir Black Seal 8 Days PAM 609, Radiomir 8 Days PAM 610 and Radiomir 1940 3 Days Automatic Titanium PAM 619.
Officine Panerai is pleased to introduce three new timepieces within the Radiomir family. As you all know, the Radiomir line features a 45 mm case across the board with the exception of the Radiomir 1940 3 Days which is fitted with a 47 mm case construction —powered by the in-house calibre P.3000 which also powers the 47 mm Radiomir 1940 Marina Militare 3 Days PAM 587 presented here and the Luminor 1950 3 Days PAM 372 reviewed here. The three new models are the Radiomir Black Seal 8 Days in stainless steel —PAM 609—, the Radiomir 8 Days in stainless steel —PAM 610— and the Radiomir 1940 3 Days Automatic in titanium —PAM 619. In the 1930s, the men in the Italian Royal Navy's Gamma Group, carried out their maneuvers astride human torpedoes a.k.a. "pigs" or indeed "black seals".
Insider: H. Moser & Cie. Endeavour Perpetual Calendar 'Funky Blue'. Breaking the Paradigm of What a Perpetual Calendar Should Look Like.
Just as if the launch of its non-conventional looking perpetual calendar in 2006 —winner of the Grand Prix at the GPHG— wasn't enough, H. Moser & Cie. continues to tear down preconceptions with the Endeavour Perpetual Calendar Funky Blue, a bold reinterpretation of this haute horlogerie model featuring a sky-blue dial and a kudu leather strap. As the discussion around smartwatches builds, the independent watchmaker H. Moser & Cie. takes a clear but distinctive position today. H. Moser & Cie. has produced smart watches for over 100 years by combining a clean interface, state-of-the-art ergonomics, ingenious functions and long power autonomy – without compromise. Today, they continue to nurture the next generation of watch lovers launching the Endeavour Perpetual Calendar Funky Blue, a watch that both looks smart and is in fact very clever. This is the original smart watch and as H. Moser & Cie. likes to say it, "very rare".
Insider: Introducing the Zenith El Primero Chronomaster Night Vision. Equipped with a Ceramicised Aluminum Case.
The new Zenith El Primero Chronomaster Night Vision is one of those watches that not only brings out the best in the DNA of a legendary brand, but it also features exceptional material advancements when it comes to its case construction. This new Zenith El Primero Chronomaster Night Vision ref. 24.2160.4068/21.R573 from our friends from Le Locle, is fitted with a beautiful 45 mm ceramicised aluminum case, that evokes the virtues of the ancient alchemists by constructing this watch's case from the transformation of aluminum into ceramic. Powered by the legendary automatic El Primero calibre 4068, the dial side reveals the silicon escape wheel as well as the balance wheel. Fitted with a black dial with gray border with black nickel plated faceted markers with black superluminova, the Zenith El Primero Chronomaster Night Vision is simply beautiful and extremely sporty. Is the type of watch that you would want to see on the wrists of a special ops commando.
Insider: Introducing the Bell & Ross BR-X1 Carbone Forgé Limited Edition. A Forged Carbon Case as Good as it Gets.
Always ahead of its time, Bell & Ross continues to innovate this time with the launch of the new Bell & Ross BR-X1 Carbone Forgé —Forged Carbon— limited edition ref. BRX1-CE-CF-BLACK. This new sporty chronograph in a limited edition of 250 pieces, follows the exciting launch of the BR-X1 Skeleton Chronograph last year. Fitted with a stunning 45 mm forged carbon case only comparable with the forged carbon used by Audemars Piguet but with slightly more marbling —we heard through the grapevine that the French aeronautics company that worked with AP is now involved with Bell & Ross—, the new BR-X1 Carbone Forgé is simply our favorite Bell & Ross watch to date. With its revolutionary design and directly inspired by on-board flight instruments the BR-X1 line is a tribute to the Bell X-1 —the first American experimental rocket plane to break the sound barrier in 1947. The square case of the BR-X1 is covered with a high-tech band made from ceramic and rubber. It is designed as a cover around the edges, acting as a defensive shield that protects it from possible impacts.
Experience: Alberto Moretti Arfango No. 1 Velvet Loafers. Perfect Match to the MCT Sequential Two S200.
Velvet loafers a.k.a. Albert Slippers —we'll explain the name in a little bit— have always been reserved for royalty, celebrities or for those watchlifestylers with enough panache to sport them outside their homes or their cigar smoking lounges. The history behind the velvet loafers a.k.a Albert Slippers tells us that they were originally created to be used as an indoor type of shoe with a velvet upper often embroidered with a royal crest and fitted with leather soles. Back during Victorian times in England, regal men would replace their shoes at the front entrance with Albert slippers to avoid dragging dirt, gravel or sand into the finely finished hardwood floors of their homes. The name Albert comes from Prince Albert —Queen Victoria's husband who made them popular.
In this day and age, velvet loafers had turned into a statement type of shoe, more than just being an elegant men's slipper destined to be worn indoors.
Insider: Blancpain Jour Nuit 'Day Night'. A Strikingly Beautiful and Refined Timepiece for Ladies.
We typically don't feature ladies watches on our website unless it's a piece that we really like. Therefore, we are featuring the new Blancpain 'Day Night' —Jour Nuit— released at Baselworld 2015 last month. Equipped with an exclusive movement incorporating two retrograde indications, the new Blancpain Day Night distinguishes itself with substantial technical innovations and by the fine craftsmanship of its disk. Once more Blancpain has reinforced its DNA and its tradition of innovation with this demonstration of savoir-faire in a new caliber created especially for its collection Women. Fitted with a generous case in 18K red gold with encrusted diamond bezel and a diameter of 40 mm, this timepiece offers an harmonious balance between its diameter and thickness at 11.35 mm. The dial is fashioned entirely in mother-of-pearl and is divided into three parts on four levels. The differences in height create an impression of great depth.
Insider: Blancpain Les Métiers d’Art Shakudō Unique Pieces. A Japanese Ancient Technique Applied to Timepieces for the First Time.
Renowned for its engraving and enamel painting workshops as well as its Damascene timepieces, Blancpain has added the Les Métiers d'Art Shakudō unique pieces to their collection. Of Japanese origin, shakudō is an alloy principally composed of copper and gold, which acquires a dark patina between blue and black, according to variations in its composition and texture. The black patina is obtained following a process called passivation, which calls for the application of a solution. This solution, which is composed of copper acetate —green gray—, has been traditionally fabricated in Japan where it is known as rokushō. According to the number of applications of the rokushō solution, the black becomes successively deeper and more intense. The shakudō was used historically among other things to create swords, decorative objects and jewelry.
Insider: De Bethune DB25T Zodiac. A Discreet Tourbillon for those in Love with Astrology.
If you are a regular to our website, De Bethune needs little to no introduction. Just in case you're not, let's give you some basic background. In 2002, when David Zanetta, a collector with a passion for art, history and timepieces, decided to join forces in founding De Bethune with Denis Flageollet, the son, grandson and great-grandson of watchmakers. Not doing more, but instead doing better has been the guiding principle for their creations. Almost four years ago in November of 2011, De Bethune received the GPHG 'Aiguille d’Or' —Grand Prize at the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève. David Zanetta and Denis Flageollet, are now masterfully accompanied at the head of the company by Pierre Jacques. Today, their vision and philosophy has given birth to some of the most fascinating and understated horological creations we've seen in the last ten years. Such is the case of the recently launched De Bethune DB25T Zodiac, a tourbillon tailored for those in love with astronomy and those who allow their destiny to be guided by the zodiac signs and the constellations these represent.
Insider: Introducing the Bremont ALT1-ZT Zulu Time. One of the Most Iconic Timepieces from Bremont Gets a Facelift.
This year at Baselworld 2015, we had the opportunity to review the new Bremont ALT1-ZT Zulu Time. The ALT1-Z Zulu has been been part of the launch collection since 2007 and since then it has been an iconic Bremont timepiece over the years. Well this time, this iconic Bremont watch gets a facelift. The ALT1-Z Zulu is a model which was designed with aviators and world travelers in mind and features direct aviation inspired design cues such as the artificial horizon indicator. ‘Z’ stands for Zulu Time and allows the wearer to display local time together with the official world time standard. Championed by one of TV’s most adventurous travelers, Charley Boorman, who certainly tested his ALT1-Z beyond endurance for the TV documentary series Long Way Round with Ewan McGregor, Bremont was thrilled to hear him remark, “That first watch I had was a grey ALT1-Z and it did its job perfectly”.
Insider: Introducing the New MB&F Legacy Machine 101 'Frost' LM101. Live Pictures and Pricing.
First presented in 2014, Legacy Machine 101 embodies and accentuates what is essential in a wristwatch: the balance wheel, which is responsible for regulating precision; how much power remains in the mainspring, which indicates when it needs to be next wound; and of course, the time. Inspired by the frosted finish on timepieces created in the old days, MB&F presents the new Legacy Machine 101 'Frost' LM101. While the word 'frost' refers to those uneven ice crystals that cover your lawn during the beginning of the cold season, when it comes to horology it conveys something different. Abraham-Louis Breguet is credited with inventing the 'frosted' finish —'finition grenée' in French— in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. At the time, the operation of frosting protected dials and movements from oxidation —more common in Breguet’s day— and added subdued vivacity to movement plates.
Insider: Introducing the New Patek Philippe Split Seconds Chronograph ref. 5370P-001. A Stunning Timepiece with Black Enamel Dial and Breguet Numerals.
Yet, here we bring you another amazing timepiece released by Patek Philippe last month at Baselworld 2015. Here are our live pictures and hands-on review of the new Patek Philippe Split Seconds Chronograph in platinum ref. 5370P-001. Almost a century later, Patek wows everyone with the most amazing chronograph of all chronographs. It was in 1920 when Patek Philippe presented its first wristwatch chronometer with a rattrapante function right from the start. In 2009, when Patek Philippe presented the caliber CH 29-535 PS, its then latest proprietary chronograph movement based on classic principles —manually wound, column wheel, horizontal clutch—, it was already clear that some day, it would be followed by a caliber with the acronym CHR, which stands for CHronographe à Rattrapante —the French term for split-seconds chronograph.
Baselworld 2015: Introducing the Breguet Tradition Automatic Retrograde Seconds ref. 7097. Live Pictures and Pricing.
In 2005, Breguet launched its iconic Tradition collection with the 7027 model, the first timepiece to showcase the mechanisms of the movement on top of the baseplate. Much imitated but never equalled, this collection has since filled out and this year welcomes an outstanding new model: the new Breguet Tradition Automatique Seconde Rétrograde ref. 7097 —Automatic Retrograde Seconds. This new watch, like the rest of the collection, is inspired by the 'subscription watches' and recalls the genius of Abraham-Louis Breguet who first produced these one-hand watches in 1796. They were fitted with a very simple movement and sold by subscription: a down payment of a quarter of the price on order and the balance on delivery. Abraham-Louis Breguet also used the movements of his 'subscription' watches for his first tact watches. The new Tradition ref. 7097 pays further tribute to the mechanisms of the 'subscription' and tact watches by revealing the bridges, wheels, escapement, barrel and other components of the movement, which are usually hidden beneath the baseplate.
Baselworld 2015: Introducing the Breguet B Crazy High Jewelry Watch. Live Pictures of a $1.8 Million USD Timepiece.
If technical developments are closely bound up with Breguet’s history, so are its decorative principles. The company’s signature aesthetic codes and the outstanding level of finish done by hand according to age-old techniques permeate all its collections. Breguet is one of the few watch manufacturers that does all its engine-turned engravings in the traditional way, and it has recently expanded its workshops to keep ancient craft skills alive and to unite its artistic crafts in one location. This respect for tradition, constantly reformulated, is expressed in every timepiece. Breguet’s distinguished past is thus frequently revived by its craftsmen and women, who constantly create new timepieces that pay tribute to the past in a contemporary way. A few years ago, Breguet demonstrated its skills in gem setting by revealing a technique that gave diamonds unprecedented movement. This is how the Crazy Flower and Petite Fleur collections enlivened watches and jewellery. Breguet today presents an even more outstanding model called the B Crazy ref. GJ25BB8989DDDD as a direct descendent of these exceptional watches.
