Released in 2017, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph 44 ref. 26400IO.OO.A004CA.01 in titanium quickly became one of the hottest watches amongst AP lovers and without a doubt our favorite iteration of the Royal Oak Offshore 44 line. Fitted with a larger and more robust case than the original Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph line, the AP ROO Chrono ref. 26400IO measures 44 mm in diameter and 14.12 mm in thickness. Fitted with a titanium case and black ceramic bezel, this relatively newish reference brings to the 44 mm collection the only metal that was missing.
Eye Candy: Blancpain Villeret Complete Calendar GMT. Understated Elegance with two Noble Complications.
Blancpain’s complete calendar GMT complication established itself as a mainstay with its original debut in 2002. For Baselworld 2018, the Manufacture reinterprets this practical complication and brings it back with the new Quantième Complet GMT —Complete Calendar GMT— enhanced with Blancpain’s patented under lug correctors. Since the early 1980’s, Blancpain’s complete calendar moonphase timepieces have been a signature of the house. Blancpain’s design that displays the day of the week and month in windows and the date with a supplemental blued serpentine shaped hand reading upon scale positioned around the chapter ring and placement of a moon phase window at six o'clock has firmly established itself as a classic arrangement.
Insider: Patek Philippe Ladies Aquanaut Luce Misty Blue ref. 5067A-025. A Blue Greyish Dial and Strap Like No Other.
The Patek Philippe Ladies Aquanaut Luce ref. 5067 was launched in 2004 and since then, it has been a very successful watch for Patek Philippe. Named 'luce' —Italian word for light— after its 46-diamond encrusted bezel that seems to light up like a light, the 35.6 mm case available in stainless steel or gold is perfectly sized to adorned the wrist of most ladies. With a sporty yet elegant look and the iconic embossed Aquanaut dial, the new Aquanaut Luce Misty Blue ref. 5067A-025 features one of the most unique colors as a perfect addition to the already diverse variety of dials and straps available for this model.
Insider: Urwerk UR-105 CT Kryptonite. Mint Green Accents that Make the Watch Light Up.
o celebrate 20 years of their existence, Urwerk released the UR-105 CT Streamliner towards the end of 2017. Masters of horological disruption and the first independent brand to break the mold of watchmaking, Urwerk has continuously released irreverent and unique looking timepieces designed by Felix Baumgartner and Martin Frei. While the new UR-105 CT Kryptonite is not necessarily a totally new watch but a watch based off of the CT Streamliner with mint green accents and a gorgeous titanium case, this Baselworld 2018 release is even better than its predecessor.
Insider: Rolex GMT Master II Everose Gold ref. 126715CHNR a.k.a 'Rootbeer'. One of the Hottest Watches for the Summer and the Fall.
The Rolex GMT Master II Everose Gold ref. 126715CHNR a.k.a 'Rootbeer' —nicknamed as such because of its resemblance to the vintage Rolex GMT Master ref. 16753 with the same nickname and which you can see here— was released a few months ago at Baselworld 2018 and today, it is already commanding prices in the secondary market that are way above its retail price. This new watch along with the new GMT Master II Pepsi ref. 126710BLRO had already lined up as two of the hottest Rolexes for this summer.
Experience: Art Basel 2018 with the 4th Audemars Piguet Art Commission. When Baselworld is not at the Messeplatz and the Magic from Le Brassus Fills the Air and the Halls.
Two weeks ago, we had the pleasure of joining Audemars Piguet on a once in a lifetime trip that included a visit to the AP Manufacture in Le Brassus —which you can read about it here— and Art Basel 2018 in Switzerland. For those of you not quite familiar with Art Basel, this is one of the most renowned art fairs in the world with three shows staged annually in Basel, Switzerland; Miami Beach, Florida; and Hong Kong. Even as excited as we were about visiting Art Basel in its home city, there was a strange eerie feeling about being there when Baselworld wasn't taking place. It was almost like a 'déjà vu' without the usual crowds, the watch brands and the media people.
Insider: Jaeger-LeCoultre AMVOX7 Chronograph in Titanium. Pushing the Limits of Horological Advancements.
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'.
