By now, we are used to seeing some of the most spectacular space inspired creations coming from MB&F. The new MB&F Horological Machine N°6 —HM6— ‘Space Pirate’ has been designed with space in mind and its inspiration came from a Japanese anime TV series from Maximilian Büsser's childhood called "Capitaine Flam" —Captain Future in English. "Capitaine Flam" had a spaceship called the Comet that consisted of two spheres joined by a connecting tube. The curved lines of Horological Machine N°6 make it a softer, more organically shaped Machine than its predecessors. The inspiration for this came from the biomorphism art movement, which takes its cues from design elements based on the shapes of living organisms. In each of the four corners of HM6's biomorphic case there is a 360° sphere, capped top and bottom by transparent sapphire crystal domes.
Insider: IWC Ingenieur Double Chronograph Titanium ref. IW376503. Just the Right Amount of Blue.
The Ingenieur Double Chronograph —Doppelchronograph in German— in titanium is a state-of-the-art timepiece. With a very rugged sporty look, but a very comfortable lightweight titanium case, this 45mm watch offers the perfect balance between functionality and design. The watch on review, has now been replaced by the newly launched ref. IW386503 fitted with the new calibre 79420, a redesigned rubber strap and a black calendar wheel.
The rattrapante or split-seconds function in the Double Chronograph allows the user to record multiple time elapsed events. The word 'rattrapante' describes the split-seconds mechanism on a chronograph, which catches up with the primary chronograph hand. A watch featuring a double chronograph, always comes with two chrono seconds hands set at the center pinion. One hand is superimposed over the other, and while one hand moves continuously, the other one can be either stopped, started or reset to zero as necessary.
Insider: Bell & Ross Grande Date WW1-96. Vintage Looking, Superb Sunburst Dial and a Big Date.
Bruno Belamich—Bell— and Carlos A. Rosillo—Ross—, two boyhood friends, formed the Bell & Ross brand in 1993. Known for its iconic aesthetics with their oversized watches and distinctive easy-to-read dials, Bell & Ross continues to position itself as a strong player in the watch collecting arena.
Their BR01 instrument series, perhaps the most popular within the brand collection, was based on airplane cockpit instruments. The BR WW1-96 is part of the Vintage series and is reminiscent of the first pilot watches of the 1920s and designed to resemble the look of a pocket watch but on a strap.
This beautiful watch comes fitted with a black alligator strap and a massive 45mm stainless steel case that wears nicely and comfortably for a watch of this size. The sunburst dial on this timepiece is just magnificent. At first glance, it appears to be jet black; however, upon closer inspection and while exposing the watch to a bright source of light—especially natural light— you get the mesmerizing effect of its sunburst finished dial in charcoal gray.
Panerai Luminor 1950 3 Days PAM 372. A Flawless Modern Execution with Unparalleled Vintage Look and Feel.
In the 1930s and 1940s, the Radiomir and Luminor names identified the luminescent material used by Officine Panerai to increase the night-time and underwater visibility of watch dials intended for use by Italian Navy commandos. Over the years, the two terms have come to identify the shape of the cases of Officine Panerai's two iconic watches, one case representing the evolution of the other. The Luminor case was in fact born out of the need to make the Radiomir case even more resistant and watertight. This is why the crown-protecting device was added, shielding the crown and making it more watertight, with the strap attachments made from the same block of steel as the case replacing the welded wire lugs.
Insider: Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Eight Days Perpetual 40 in Stainless Steel. The Only Perpetual Calendar with 8-Day Power Reserve.
The Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Eight Days Perpetual 40 ref. 1618420 in stainless steel brings you the best perpetual calendar that money can buy at a fraction of the price with other brands. This fascinating complication is fitted with a case measuring 40mm in diameter that houses a manual wound caliber that provides a power reserve of 8 days —when fully wound— thanks to its two winding barrels. As you can appreciate in the pictures, the dial is very clean and perfectly balanced with the same indicators as the previous model but all of them placed in a more appealing way. This is the only perpetual calendar with an 8-day power reserve fitted with a manual winding movement and mechanically programmed until the year 2100. To make this watch even more interesting, Jaeger-LeCoultre continues to fit this complication with one single corrector to set all the functions of the perpetual calendar.
Experience: Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupé. Riding Along with a Hublot King Power Unico King Gold.
The Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupé is one of the most technologically advanced and potent Rolls-Royce automobiles. The Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupé just like the Hublot King Power Unico King Gold, is one of those luxury items designed for those that are remarkably bold. Sir Henry Royce —co-founder of the company— once said: "Take the best that exists and make it better", well, Rolls-Royce is always at the forefront pushing the boundaries of design and engineering. With its power, style and class, the Phantom Coupé paired with the striking look of the Hublot King Power Unico King Gold white makes a statement wherever you go.
Inspired by the Phantom II Continental of the 1930s, the Phantom Coupé is a celebration of sporting style and glamour. Fitted with coach doors a.k.a 'suicide doors', the first thing you notice as you open them up is the captivating smell of its fine leather interior and the strikingly glamorous 1,600 individual fiber optics sewn into the headliner to create your very own star-filled sky.
Rare Bird: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore 'Pride of Mexico' in 18K Rose Gold. A 100-Piece Limited Edition Impossible to Find.
The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore 'Pride of Mexico' in 18K rose gold, is one of those watches that if you are a fan of AP and you are Mexican, you need to own. However, this very special watch was released in 2010 by Audemars Piguet in a limited edition of 200 pieces in titanium with stainless steel bezel ref. 26297IS.OO.D101CR.01 —reviewed by us here— and in a 100 pieces in 18K rose gold ref. 26297OR.OO.D101CR.01. In our opinion, this is the most beautiful 'Pride' Offshore out there. Therefore, is no surprise that soon after its release, the watch was completely sold out. While many gray watch dealers claim to have these watches in stock, they don't and finding a brand new one or even a mint one like the rare bird we have here, is as hard as finding 'El Chapo' roaming around the streets of Mexico City.
While today there is no Mexican holiday to celebrate, why pass on the opportunity of featuring this rare bird as we were very lucky to find this one.
Insider: Carl F. Bucherer Manero Power Reserve Rose Gold. Elegant, Classic and Very Well Crafted for the Price.
Carl F. Bucherer founded in Lucerne since 1888, as a modest Swiss family business has grown into the internationally renowned Bucherer brand with its own worldwide chain of stores and it remains a family-owned business since then. Their watches and their movements are developed and manufactured in the company’s own workshops in Switzerland and all very reasonably priced for the caliber of watch that you get. This time we are talking about the elegant Manero Power Reserve in 18K rose gold ref. 10912.08. This elegant timepiece also available in stainless steel is exquisitely finished with a 42.5 mm 18K rose gold case and a beautiful sunburst silvered dial featuring a recessed power reserve indicator at 3, a big double date aperture at 11, day of the week at 9 and subsidiary seconds at 6 o'clock.
Insider: Richard Mille RM055 Bubba Watson Americas Limited Edition White Drive. Only 30 Pieces Available.
Nothing beats doing hands-on reviews on Richard Mille timepieces. There's something about holding a Richard Mille watch and feeling that special vibe from it. This time, we bring you our hands-on review of this amazing timepiece with live images and the mandatory wristshots. The Richard Mille RM055 White Drive —exclusively available in North and South America— comes fitted with a fully black rubberized grade-5 titanium case, a black ceramic bezel and a very distinctive white flange. As a side note, all of the previous watches created with Bubba Watson feature stark white cases, bezels and straps. This watch, just like the Rafael Nadal RM27-01 lacks of a dial and the time can be easily read with its skeletonized hands with white tips and seconds hand with red tip — a very delicate and well-thought element that adds the right amount of contrast without being distracting.
Insider: H. Moser & Cie. Venturer Small Seconds. Where Simplicity and Clean Lines are the Name of the Game.
Not too long ago we brought you our hands-on review of the Endeavour Perpetual Calendar 'Funky Blue' here. Well, now is the time we talk about another one of those understated pieces from H. Moser & Cie. This time, we are talking about the Venturer Small Seconds in 18K white gold. This exceptional timepiece where simplicity and clean lines are the name of the game, is not only a watch with superb craftsmanship but one of those watches where 'less is more and less translates into more rare'. But what makes H. Moser & Cie. so rare? Well, not only the fact that they make a 1,000 watches a year, but also their rich history. This company now under the reigns of former legendary Audemars Piguet CEO Georges Henri-Meylan, was originally founded in 1828 by Heinrich Moser in Russia. A year later, Heinrich Moser opened up a factory in Le Locle, twenty years later he moved to Schaffhausen —his birthplace— and in 1979 the company disappeared only to be brought back to life in 2005 when a new manufacture was built in Schaffhausen.
Experience: Ferrari F430 Scuderia and the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph ref. 26470OR Rose Gold. Absolute Perfect Pairing.
What best way to showcase the new Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore ref. 26470OR.OO.A002CR.01 than to feature it along with one of the most amazing supercars out there. We are talking about the Ferrari F430 Scuderia. The new Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore line in 42 mm unveiled at the SIHH 2014 as we presented it to you here, was slightly redesigned 20 years after its launch in 1993. Today, the new Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore features beefier crown guards, ceramic crown and pushers, new dial options, straps with pin buckles and display case backs. Thankfully, the watch didn't lose much of its original essence and Audemars Piguet needs to be congratulated for that. We all know how bad it is when iconic watches get redesigned and they end up being so far from their original designs that they become a completely different timepiece.
Insider: Bovet Amadeo Fleurier Orbis Mundi Moonphase. A Three in One Worldtimer.
A few weeks ago we met with our friends from Bovet to review some of their timepieces. Bovet was formally established in Fleurier in the canton of Neuchâtel in 1822 by Edouard Bovet and his three brothers Alphonse, Frédéric and Gustave. Rapidly, Bovet became one of the most prominent watch companies supplying the Chinese Empire with refined and sophisticated timepieces in the nineteenth century. In 2001, 179 years after being found, Mr. Pascal Raffy became the sole proprietor at Bovet Fleurier SA and took the brand to the next level.
The Bovet Amadeo Fleurier Orbis Mundi Moonphase is by far one of our favorite timepieces from this brand. Fitted with an 18K red gold case measuring 46 mm in diameter, this timepiece is what we like to refer to as a three in one worldtimer with moon phase.
News: Presenting the Linde Werdelin Oktopus Frogman. Expressely Made and Exclusively Available for the Frømandskorpset Danish Frogman Corps.
Shrouded in secrecy, Frømandskorpset —Frogman Corps— is the Naval Special Operations Force in the Danish Military. This collaboration is a rare opportunity to lift the veil and explore the uncharted waters of the Frogman Corps. Typical missions will see the fraternal unit drop into the most hostile environments to rescue hostages from pirates off the coast of Somalia, often under the cover of darkness. They have been deployed directly into the heart of the most heated conflicts. In a rare instance of surfacing publicly, the Frogmen, through Conventus Ranae, have joined forces with Linde Werdelin to create a wholly unique timepiece commemorative of their brotherhood. Conventus Ranae is the formal association of past and present members of the Frogman Corps. A fraternal bond is naturally formed between active Frogmen, and Conventus Ranae exists to strengthen that bond between active and retired Frogmen.
Insider: MCT Manufacture Contemporaine du Temps Sequential One S100 and S110. Changing the Face of Time with Prisms.
The workshop of MCT —Manufacture Contemporaine du Temps— is located in the heart of the Swiss watchmaking region of Lake Neuchâtel. Each watch is made by hand and a single watchmaker follows its assembly from the beginning to the end to ensure the ultimate quality and traceability. The Sequential One is product of a collaboration between designer Eric Giroud and concept engineer Jean-Francois Mojon. This fascinating timepiece is very unique because of its monumental hour numerals, ingenious for its in-house movement and pioneering for its mechanism of sequential display. This manufacture lead by François Candolfi is living example of the level of innovation and the creative spirit of independent watchmaking companies. In order to ease the review of this timepiece, let's start with a video produced by MCT that clearly explains the complexity of this mesmerizing timepiece.
Breaking News: Audemars Piguet Appoints Claude Emmenegger as New Creative Director After Octavio Garcia's Departure.
Audemars Piguet is proud to announce Claude Emmenegger as new Creative Director after the sudden departure of Octavio Garcia after the SIHH 2015. Octavio had been the Chief Artistic Officer —Creative Director— at the manufacture from Le Brassus for more than a decade. Claude Emmenegger started his career with an interesting start at Longines followed by Gucci —where he created 23 collections including the G Watch—, to later join Audemars Piguet in 1999 and then leave in 2003 to launch his own horological consulting firm and work with more than 40 brands during 12 years. Passionate about complicated movements, horology and in constant pursuit of innovation and creativity, his main creations include the Tradition of Excellence models 2, 3 and 4. Not only do they combine design and technique, they also represent a new milestone for Claude in terms of approach, as case and movement are addressed simultaneously for a perfect fit.
Insider: Omega Speedmaster Professional Apollo 11 45th Anniversary Limited Edition. Even Better on an OEM Titanium Bracelet.
Back in April of last year we brought you the news straight from Baselworld 2014 about the release of the new Omega Speedmaster Professional Apollo 11 45th Anniversary Limited Edition here. This time, we are bringing you a full review of this new watch the way we like to do it, under natural light and with plenty of macros that we know you'll love. Furthermore, we have a surprise at the end of the post with the watch fitted with a 'Speedy' X-33 OEM titanium bracelet. These images are a world premiere and the result of a crazy idea from a watch collector that wanted to see what the watch would look like on a matching titanium bracelet. Frankly, the watch looks even more amazing on the bracelet. Considering that our previous images from Baselworld 2014 were not taken under natural light, these new images we have prepared for you depict the watch more accurately. This is a watch that one needs to see in person to truly appreciate it and understand the color variations coming from its PVD blackened dial.
Video: Hublot Big Bang Unico Bi-Retrograde Chrono King Gold Ceramic.
Hublot Big Bang Unico Bi-Retrograde Chrono King Gold Ceramic in action. See the retrograde seconds hand jump back to 0 in 30 seconds. On the occasion of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, Hublot released the Big Bang Unico Bi-Retrograde Chronograph in black ceramic and carbon fiber as presented by us here.
Insider: Hublot Big Bang Unico Bi-Retrograde Chrono King Gold Ceramic. Expressely Made for the World of Soccer.
Last year on the occasion of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, Hublot released the Big Bang Unico Bi-Retrograde Chronograph in black ceramic and carbon fiber as presented by us here. A year later, Hublot presents the new Hublot Big Bang Unico Bi-Retrograde Chrono King Gold Ceramic ref. 413.OM.1128.RX —this watch is also available in Titanium and Ceramic under ref. 413.NM.1127.RX. This Bi-Retrograde chronograph is not your average flyback chronograph as it is fitted with a different type of display. It's a watch specially designed for the world of soccer —fútbol. The Hublot Big Bang Unico Bi-Retrograde Chrono King Gold Ceramic is a first for Hublot, who has never before produced a bi-retrograde function until the release of its predecessor in 2014. The Big Bang Unico Bi-Retrograde Chrono King Gold Ceramic features a 45 mm 18K King Gold satin brushed finished case with a strikingly beautiful black ceramic bezel, black composite resin lower bezel with 6 H-shaped black PVD titanium screws and a black dial featuring gold accents, a bi-retrograde chrono display at 12 o'clock, subsidiary time display dial at 6 o'clock and running seconds at 9 o'clock.
News: Presenting the MusicMachine 3 Reuge by MB&F. Inspired by the TIE fighters from Star Wars.
Nearly 150 years on, and still in Sainte-Croix, Reuge is the only remaining manufacturer of high-end music boxes in the world. Reuge's collection has grown to offer both quintessentially classical pieces and contemporary designs —including a service for specially commissioned bespoke pieces. With the MB&F MusicMachines, Reuge has pushed the frontiers of music box design: MusicMachines belong more to the 25th century than the 21st. Designed by MB&F and made by Reuge, the first MusicMachine was launched at Baselworld 2013. Building on the success of this initial collaboration, Reuge and MB&F joined forces in 2014 for MusicMachine 2 and again in 2015 for MusicMachine 3, which completes the trilogy.
The TIE fighter-inspired MB&F MusicMachine 3 Reuge is positive proof that both the child and the Force are still going strong within MB&F founder Maximilian Büsser —who was 10 years old when he first saw Star Wars in 1977.
Insider: Glashütte Original Senator Chronograph Panorama Date. Live Pictures and Pricing.
Glashütte Original reveals the fascinating art of fine mechanical watchmaking with a new chronograph movement designed and hand-crafted entirely in its own manufacture in Glashütte, Germany. The new Senator Chronograph Panorama Date is powered by the new in-house automatic calibre 37-01 column wheel chronograph and available in two different metals with a case measuring 42 mm in diameter and 14 mm in thickness. These two watches are available in either platinum or 18K red gold. While the ref. 1-37-01-02-03-30 features a platinum case and a hand-finished silver dial with Roman numerals and tachymeter scale, the ref. 1-37-01-01-05-30 is fitted with an 18K red gold case and a lacquered silver grained dial with Roman numerals. Both watches are fitted with an elegant alligator strap —black on the 18K red gold model and dark blue on the platinum one— with folding buckle and equipped with display case backs that allow for uncompromised view of this new and nicely decorated movement.
