Inspired by the Aston Martin Vanquish, the design of the Jaeger-LeCoultre AMVOX7 Chronograph ref. 194T470 is the ultimate in refinement and a timepiece that pushes the limits of horological advancement like no other, fitted with the world's only pusher-free vertical-trigger chronograph mechanism. While the partnership between Jaeger-LeCoultre and Aston Martin is now long gone, the AMVOX series was born from a rich shared history whose beginnings lie in Jaeger car dials and a reciprocal passion for high watchmaking and beautiful mechanics.
Insider: Breguet Marine Alarme Musicale ref. 5547. Two Complications in a Gorgeous Looking Timepiece.
On this day, June 26th in 1801, Abraham-Louis Breguet received the patent for his incredible horological creation, the tourbillon. While we could've brought you one of Breguet's tourbillons to remember him on this day, instead, we decided to bring you our hands-on of one of the latest watches released by Breguet. After holding the official title of chronometer maker to the French Royal Navy, Abraham-Louis Breguet tirelessly conceived and developed impressive timepieces that would leave an indelible imprint on watchmaking history and the Marine line pays homage to that spirit.
Rare Bird: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Tourbillon Extra-Thin Westime Special Edition ref. 26515OR. One of the Nicest Dials Ever Done by AP.
Released without much fanfare and as understated as it gets, comes the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Tourbillon Extra-Thin Westime Special Edition. This rare bird in a limited edition of only 25 pieces is dedicated to U.S. watch retailer Westime, a longtime AP partner. Featuring an 18K pink gold case that is fully harmonized by the salmon pink gold-toned dial this watch is sublime, exceptional and elegant. The Royal Oak Tourbillon Extra-Thin Westime Special Edition we have here is as special as all other Royal Oak tourbillons and almost as rare as the Royal Oak Automatique Tourbillon 25th Anniversary ref. 25831 because of its limitation.
Experience: Visiting the Audemars Piguet Manufacture in Le Brassus. A Longtime Dream Becomes a Reality.
Back in 1998, I purchased my first Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, it was a stainless steel ref. 5402ST A-series that I should've never sold. After buying that first AP, the two-tone Royal Oak ref. 5402SA you see in the picture above was the one that followed. For 20 years as an AP collector and 28 years as a watch collector, I've longed to visit the Audemars Piguet manufacture in Le Brassus, Switzerland. In 2013, right around the launch of Watch Collecting Lifestyle, I was able to visit the Audemars Piguet Museum —which you can read about it here— but couldn’t visit the manufacture at that time.
Experience: WCL Collectors' Cocktail with Phillips Watches in Mexico City. Taking Over the 'Club de Industriales'.
Two days ago on June 19th, 2018, Watch Collecting Lifestyle gathered with an elite group of Mexican watch collectors for a very exclusive event we hosted with Phillips Watches at the Club de Industriales in Mexico City. This members only club adjacent to the JW Marriott Hotel and Brasserie Lipp Mexico City, was founded in 1956 by an elite group of Mexican business owners that were looking for a place outside their company's headquarters to hold business luncheons, board meetings and/or private events.
Insider: Bulgari Octo Finissimo Minute Repeater Carbon. The World's Thinnest Minute Repeater that it's Also Ultra Light.
he Bulgari Octo Finissimo Repetition Minutes —Minute Repeater— was first launched in 2016 following the huge success of the Octo Tourbillon Finissimo from 2014 and last year’s Octo Finissimo Automatic. Bvlgari’s mastery of the art of watchmaking was duly acknowledged at last year’s Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève which rewarded both the Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Skeleton and the Octo Finissimo Automatic.
News: Audemars Piguet Unveils 4th Art Commission HALO by Semiconductor for Art Basel 2018
On June 14th, 2018, Audemars Piguet celebrated the debut of the 4th Audemars Piguet Art Commission with a press conference and cocktail party that we were invited to and with a recap to follow in the next couple of days. At the special exhibition named HALO, guests experienced first-hand the immersive installation, presented as a ten meter wide and four meter tall cylinder-shaped structure, made up of vertical piano wires and a 360-degree screen. This year, the Audemars Piguet Art Commission was conceived and realised by British artist-duo Semiconductor, Ruth Jarman and Joe Gerhardt, in collaboration with guest curator Mónica Bello, head of Arts and curator at CERN, the European Laboratory for Particle Physics in Geneva.
Insider: Hublot Big Bang Referee FIFA World Cup Russia 2018. The Official Timekeeper.
Today is the day when the FIFA World Cup Russia 2018 kicks-off and hopefully by now you have already filled your quiniela guessing who will take the cup home. Soccer is not only revered as the king of all sports and the most played sport in the world, but it is also one of the sports for which Hublot has released the largest number of limited editions. As the official timekeeper for the world cup, Hublot has released the new Big Bang Referee FIFA World Cup Russia 2018 in a limited edition of 2,018 pieces.
Experience: Céline Radical Sunglasses. Timeless and Classic Looking Like a Stainless Steel Royal Oak.
Don't be fooled by the word radical in their name, this royal blue Céline unisex shades look as classic and timeless as a stainless steel AP Royal Oak on the wrist. The late 60s inspired blue frames along with the smoky brown perfectly flat lenses and the triple-dot golden accents will make you like like Marcello Mastroianni hanging out around Lake Como. While black or brown —tortoise— frames are typically the most popular and common way to go when looking for sunglasses that match every outfit and every occasion, the same could be said about the king of all colors.
Insider: Chopard L.U.C Quattro Rose Gold Limited Edition. A Beautiful Watch with a Vertical Satin-Brushed Finished Dial.
With a silver vertical satin-brushed finished dial reminiscent of the incredible dial on the Patek Philippe Regulator ref. 5235 we reviewed here, the new Chopard L.U.C Quattro Rose Gold Limited Edition ref. 161926-5004 is an exceptional timepiece made of 18K fairmined rose gold —this type of gold originates from community-based artisanal and small-scale mining organizations developed under the Alliance for Responsible Mining. Featuring an exquisitely finished case measuring 43 mm in diameter, the new Chopard L.U.C Quattro ref. 161926-5004 is by far one of the best looking watches from this manufacture.
Eye Candy: Greubel Forsey Quadruple Tourbillon à Différentiel Black ADLC Titanium. One of the Most Fascinating Complications Ever Created.
The Greubel Forsey Quadruple Tourbillon à Différentiel is a blend of art and technical innovation that encapsulates the very soul of its two creators with its fascinating four tourbillons. This watch is fitted with an asymmetrical case in black ADLC titanium measuring 43.50mm in diameter and 16.11mm in thickness. This fascinating timepiece is fitted with a lateral window on the case band at 8 o'clock that allows for full view of one of the double tourbillon cages.
Insider: Patek Philippe Annual Calendar Regulator ref. 5235. Pure Perfection at its Best.
The Patek Philippe Annual Calendar Regulator ref. 5235G-001 is the first Patek Philippe regulator watch from this manufacture. This exceptional timepiece fitted with a 40.5 mm white gold case and an in-house movement, is pure perfection at its best. Released six years ago at Baselworld 2012, surprisingly this timepiece is not one of the most popular references from Patek and nowadays is not even commanding a price premium but the complete opposite. As most of you know, a 'régulateur' a.k.a 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.
Insider: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept Flying Tourbillon GMT. The Redesigned Version of One of the Most Advanced Royal Oaks.
With a second time zone indication and a flying tourbillon comes the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept Flying Tourbillon GMT ref. 26589IO.OO.D002CA.01 with its asymmetric look and contemporary architecture with redesigned bridges. In a first for the brand comes the fully revealed flying tourbillon at 9 o'clock enhanced by the powerful mix of a sandblasted titanium case and a black ceramic bezel. The first AP Royal Oak Concept was launched in 2002 as ref. 25980AI.OO.0003SU.01 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the launch of the iconic Royal Oak in a limited edition of 150 pieces.
Experience: Salvatore Ferragamo Groove 2 Double Gancini Slide Sandals. Gearing up in Style for the Summer.
When it comes to blue shoes or beach sandals, no one does it better than Salvatore Ferragamo. This quintessential brand was launched in the early 1900s by its founder Salvatore Ferragamo. Having made his first pair of shoes at age nine for his sisters to wear at their church confirmation, Ferragamo studied the art of shoemaking in Napoli where he opened a small shoe store at his parent's home. After moving to Boston in 1914—where one of his brothers worked at a cowboy boot factory— and then to Santa Barbara, California in 1919, he opened his his own boot shop to quickly become the 'Shoemaker to the Stars'.
Insider: Hysek Design La Colonne du Temps Mechanical Clock. A 55-Piece Limited Edition with an Incredible Mechanism.
After decades designing some of the most iconic watches including the Breguet Marine, the Vacheron Constantin 222, the TAG Heuer Kirium and the Seiko Kinetic Actura, Jorg Hisek decided to launch his own agency named Hysek Design in the late 1990s, after four years working at the Rolex design department. After launching his own watch brand and selling it years later, Jorg Hysek marks his comeback to the watch industry with the release of a very special 50-piece limited edition clock called 'La Colonne du Temps' —the column of time.
News: Phillips Watches to Auction Steve McQueen's Own Rolex Submariner ref. 5513
After several record breaking sales in the last three years and the sale of Paul Newman's very own Rolex 'Paul Newman' Daytona ref. 6239 for $17.7 Million USD —including buyer's premium—, the team at Phillips Watches will be selling on October 25th, 2018, Steve McQueen’s own Rolex Submariner ref. 5513. This watch is the most important Steve McQueen-owned watch to appear in the market and the only one known to bear a special engraving on its case back. Presented as a gift to his top stuntman Loren Janes, this Submariner ref. 5513 reads on the back: “TO LOREN, THE BEST DAMN STUNTMAN IN THE WORLD. STEVE”.
News: IWC Presents Two New Portugieser Watches. A Perpetual Calendar and an Automatic Model.
Today June 1, 2018, IWC has released two new watches to expand its Portugieser collection. A new Portugieser Perpetual Calendar in platinum and a new Portugieser Automatic Time/Date in stainless steel. Both watches are fitted with silver-plated dials, rhodium-plated hands and equipped with Santoni black alligator straps. The reference numbers are IW503406 for the perpetual calendar and IW500712 for the automatic. Both watches are already available for sale as of today via the IWC website or their ADs.
Experience: The 2018 Rally Maya with Franck Muller. When You Load a Ferry with 110 Classic Cars Worth Millions.
For a second year in a row, WCL joined the Rally Maya in its 5th edition this past weekend. This exceptionally orchestrated rally with a route that reaches the confines of the most remote roads through the Yucatán Peninsula kicked-off this year from Cozumel. Despite the bad weather in Cozumel during the first days of the rally and the day before our departure, the organizers were able to successfully load 110 classic cars —worth millions of dollars— plus a dozen support vehicles on a ferry that took off from Cozumel towards Punta Venado —near Playa del Carmen— from where we would be heading towards Tulum.
Experience: Hermès Eau de Pamplemousse Rose. A Fresh Fragrance Like the Sea.
As you probably have figured it out by now, we love everything that comes packed in orange boxes with brown markings. Therefore, we just added the Hermès Eau de pamplemousse rose 'cologne' to the fragrances that suit watchlifestylers very well. Especially because this 'cologne' can be shared by men and women as it is a unisex fragrance. The Eau de pamplemousse rose —pink grapefruit— follows the same notes and aromas as the iconic Eau d'Orange Verte —green orange— but with a fresher scent infused with floral notes of roses.
Eye Candy: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph 'The Brick'. The Grey Ruthenium Dial reference 26470OR.OO.1000OR.02
Released back in January at the SIHH 2018, the latest iteration of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph in 18K pink gold a.k.a. 'The Brick' is now sporting a gorgeous 'Méga Tapisserie' grey ruthenium-toned dial with contrasting ivory-toned counters. The new watch is exactly like the previous iteration of the Royal Oak Offshore ref. 26470OR but with a much more appealing dial. The 18K pink gold case and bracelet harmonize flawlessly against the unique tone of the dial and the inner bezel.
