Despite we are big Porsche fans here at WCL, a red Ferrari is always one of those cars that sparks our interest and one that we consider to be very special, much like an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph with blue dial. Just like a Ferrari stands out from the crowd, the same goes for an AP Royal Oak Chrono and no matter where in the world you are, both a Ferrari and a Royal Oak have a very unmistakable look. For the last 71 years, Ferrari has been the benchmark when it comes to legendary sports cars and for 46 years, AP changed the course of the watch industry with the release of the Royal Oak in 1972.
Insider: MB&F Horological Machine No. 9 'Flow'. Hands-on with a Crazy Awesome Looking Timepiece.
Released at the end of September 2018, the new MB&F HM9 Flow in two limited editions of 33 pieces each was conceptualized by Max Büsser and designed by mastermind Eric Giroud. With Guillaume Thévenin who developed the movement, Camile Fournet who worked on the strap and Jean-François Mojon who collaborated on the precision turning of wheels, pinions and axes, amongst others, the HM9 Flow is heavily influenced and inspired by the aerodynamic DNA of the late 40s and 50s automotive design as well as by mid-century aviation design.
Pre-SIHH 2019: New Range of IWC Pilot's Watches Just Unveiled. Four Very Good Looking New Watches.
A whole new range of IWC Pilot’s watches was just unveiled at the Goodwood Aerodome in the U.K. in preparation for the SIHH 2019 —Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie. Our friends from Schaffhausen will be presenting a new Spitfire line, a new Top Gun line and "Le Petit Prince" special editions. For the Spitfire line, all watches are fitted with IWC-manufactured calibres to celebrate the unique engineering of the British fighter aircraft. Within the Top Gun collection IWC will be featuring their new exclusive material named Ceratanium for their first ever completely jet black Pilot’s Watch. Among the products to be unveiled by IWC the ‘Le Petite Prince’ Editions will be the first Pilot's Watch to feature a constant-force tourbillon and the first case to be made from hard gold.
Insider: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Extra-Thin Tourbillon Platinum ref. 26516PT with Baguette-Cut Diamond Bezel. Hands-on Review.
Amongst other fifteen references of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Extra-Thin Tourbillon which include: stainless steel, 18K rose gold, the Westime Edition —with or without diamonds—, 18K yellow gold, imited edition openworked in platinum and in 18K yellow gold, platinum and titanium reference 26510PT in platinum, frosted gold and the new models with the ‘Evolutive’ tapisserie dials, comes the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Extra-Thin Tourbillon diamond-set platinum model ref. 26516PT.ZZ.1220PT.01 with a bezel featuring with 32 baguette-cut diamonds totaling 3.04 carats. Yet another one of those AP grails for those in love with diamonds.
Pre-SIHH 2019: Roger Dubuis Excalibur Huracàn Performante
In 2018, inspired by Lamborghini Squadra Corse and its unique automobile aesthetic showcased in the Huracán Performante the watchmakers at Roger Dubuis have developed a timepiece brimming with racing design codes. One of the most striking features of the new aggressive Roger Dubuis Excalibur Huracán Performante is its brand-new ‘engine’: the RD630 movement with its 12-degree inclined balance wheel representing the calibre signature associated with Lamborghini.
Watch Shopping: UK's Largest Luxury Timepieces Retailer Watches of Switzerland Opens New Flagship Boutiques in Vegas and SoHo
The UK’s largest retailer of luxury timepieces just opened two brand new flagships in New York City and Las Vegas as they’ve set foot in the U.S. On November 29th, Watches of Switzerland opened their first Watches of Switzerland showroom in New York City at 60 Greene Street, SoHo, followed by the Las Vegas store two days later. Additionally, they will also manage the new Omega and Breitling standalone boutiques at the Wynn Plaza Shops in Las Vegas. On display within the space is a collection of the world’s leading timepiece brands, including Blancpain, Breitling, Breguet, Franck Muller, Girard- Perregaux, Hublot, IWC, Jaeger LeCoultre, Omega, Panerai, Roger Dubuis, Tudor, Ulysse Nardin, Urwerk and Vacheron Constantin.
Insider: Patek Philippe Nautilus Perpetual Calendar ref. 5740/1G-001. A Flawless Execution of a Very Long Awaited Complication for the Nautilus Line.
The most awaited complication for the Patek Philippe Nautilus collection was for sure the new perpetual calendar ref. 5740 that was released earlier this year at Baselworld 2018 and we brought you the news here. While we already told you almost everything about this new watch at the time we published our Baselworld news, we had a second opportunity to peruse and admire the watch —while shooting the cover for the third issue of our print magazine— a couple of months ago and because of that we have some new things we would like to share with you.
Eye Candy: Ferdinand Berthoud Chronomètre FB 1R.6-1 Cement Steel. An Exquisite Timepiece that is Totally Scratch-Resistant.
With its original regulator-type display and its ultra-resistant cement steel case, the Ferdinand Berthoud Chronomètre FB 1R.6-1 takes its cues from the Marine Chronometer No. 7. and its FB-T.FC.R tourbillon calibre with fusee-and-chain transmission that can be admired through a sapphire crystal case-back and two lateral portholes offering a unique view inside this outstanding chronometer. The cement steel case is a carburized iron case where the molecular structure of the steel has been reinforced by a thermo-chemical process involving the diffusion of vapor-phase carbon guaranteeing a hardness of 1200 vickers and making it exceptionally corrosion-resistant and totally scratch-resistant.
Insider: Pricing Guide for the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore ref. 25721ST 'The Beast'. Commanding Higher Prices, After Emmanuel Gueit's Sold for CHF 102,500 Swiss Francs.
n the past month, we've been contacted by several collectors trying to get more information regarding the first series of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore a.k.a. 'The Beast' ref. 25721ST.OO.1000ST.01. with its iconic queen blue dial —more about this particular hue of blue here. Also, recently we've found more activity in places like Timezone, ThePurists and TRF, regarding this iconic watch.
Pre-SIHH 2019: Cartier Privé Collection. Two New Watches in Platinum or Pink Gold.
Pre-SIHH 2019 —which is less than two months away—, Cartier has just unveiled a brand new collection with a tonneau-shaped watch. With its shape both strong and pure, the dial is on the cusp between a rectangle and an oval just as the case curves slightly, tendering one of the first significant modifications aimed at fitting it better to the wrist. This year, Cartier celebrates this legendary watch shape with a redesigned hours and minutes model and a skeleton dual time zone model, taking watch aesthetics to another level.
Insider: Breguet Type XXII Flyback Chronograph ref. 3880. Equipped with a 10Hz High Frequency Movement and Just the Right Amount of Red.
The Breguet Type XXII Flyback Chronograph ref. 3880BR/Z2/9XV in 18K rose gold is perhaps our favorite sporty Breguet out there. As if the flyback chronograph and dual time zone features were not enough, this exceptional watch is also powered by a high frequency automatic movement beating at a frequency of 10 Hertz, yes 10 Hz. What makes this flyback chronograph even more special, is that the red chrono-seconds hand and red-tipped gold chrono-minutes hand, need to run twice around the dial to account for one elapsed minute when the chronograph is activated —in other words this watch features a 30-second/half-minute totalizer at the center— allowing for measurements of up to a 20th of a second.
News: NOMOS Glashütte Autobahn Awarded Gold at the 2019 German Design Awards
The NOMOS Glashütte Autobahn was released in 2018 and it is the most dynamic design from NOMOS Glashütte to date. This minimalist watch has officially joined the top echelons of the international design world by winning the Gold “Excellence in international design” at the 2019 German Design Awards —despite some less than stellar hands-on reviews by some of our competitors. The GDA is presided by the German Design Council, founded as an initiative of the German Federal Parliament in 1953. Since then, it is the leading authority on branding and design in Germany.
Insider: Bell & Ross BR V2-94 Garde-Côtes. A Gorgeous Watch That Won't Break the Bank.
Last time we talked here at WCL about Bell & Ross was back in 2017 when the brand had just released its BR-X1 Tourbillon Sapphire —you can read our review here. Disappointed by seeing the brand trying too hard to conquer uncharted territory in a price point that doesn’t match their brand essence and product offering, we decided to take a hiatus at reviewing any of their watches. However, with the release of the BR V2-94 Garde-Côtes, the brand picked our interest one more time by going back to their basics and what they’re well known for, making good looking watches that won’t break the bank and that give you a little bit more than a TAG Heuer, a Longines or a Baume & Mercier would give you just to name a few.
Insider: Armin Strom Skeleton Pure Chocolate Brown Ceramic Unique Piece. Hands-on with one of the Best Matte Ceramic Cases We've Ever Seen.
As you guys know, Armin Strom is an independent haute horlogerie brand known to master the art of skeletonization but also a brand that excels in making some unique pieces here and there, like the WatchCollectingLifestyle unique piece we shared with you at the end of September, here. Well, this time we are bringing you a hands-on review of a very unique Armin Strom Skeleton Pure featuring a middle case made of matte ceramic.
Experience: Audemars Piguet Private Dinner with Watch Collecting Lifestyle. Where Gold AP Watches Were the Common Denominator.
Yesterday November 13, 2018, we had the honor of hosting a private dinner with our friends from Audemars Piguet at one of Dallas’ best steakhouses. With Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steak House as our meeting point, the common denominator for the night, were the so many gold APs on the wrists of our watch collecting friends. From the massive 334-gram Royal Oak Offshore Chrono in 18K rose gold with ruthenium dial ref. 26470OR on our wrist, to the vintage-inspired champagne color dial Royal Oak Extra-Thin Jumbo in 18K yellow gold ref. 15202BA on the wrist of one of our friends, to the ultra-rare and exclusive 200-piece limited edition Royal Oak Frosted Gold in 18K white gold with a stunning 'grande tapisserie' blue dial ref. 15410BC, these were not the only gold AP watches on the wrists of our guests.
Eye Candy: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept Flying Tourbillon Ladies. Fire and Ice.
Like the snow blizzard that puts out the campfire, the ladies Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept Flying Tourbillon ref. 26227BC.ZZ.D011CR.01 with its diamond encrusted case is like ice on fire as the watch rests over a Feu de Bois Diptyque candle. With its perfectly sized 38.5 mm white gold case, the watch’s distinctive aesthetic brilliantly evokes winter in the Vallée de Joux where it takes its inspiration. The white gold dial sparkles with diamond-set, faceted pyramids and white lacquer finishing as the openwork ‘snowflake’ barrel echoes diamond ‘ice’ on the flying tourbillon escapement.
News: Phillips Watches Sells Over $21 Million USD at Their Geneva Watch Auction EIGHT. The Impressive Results of 16 Very Important Lots Are Here.
In another record-breaking sale this past weekend at the Hôtel La Réserve in Geneva, Switzerland, Phillips Watches, the leader in watch auctions achieved $21,250,815 USD after selling 99% of their 226 lots offered at auction. Just as usual, new records were set for Patek Philippe, Rolex, Audemars Piguet and independent brands like F.P. Journe. Even though most of the lots were very important from a horological standpoint, there are sixteen watches that broke records and that are considered highly important due to their rarity and history in the world of horology.
News: Rolex Becomes the Official Partner French Tennis Federation and the Official Timekeeper of the Roland-Garros Tournament
The French Tennis Federation —FFT— is proud to welcome Rolex as a Premium Partner and the Official Timekeeper of Roland-Garros. Within the framework of this new long-term partnership, the Swiss watchmaker also becomes an Official Partner of the FFT. Having been a loyal partner to the tennis world for the last forty years, Rolex will become a Premium Partner of Roland-Garros in 2019 and the Official Timekeeper for the Roland-Garros tournament in Paris. The bond between Rolex and tennis is built upon a shared passion for excellence, perfection, precision and elegance.
Insider: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon Chronograph Openworked. The Watch First Unveiled by Shanghai Watch Gang Founder @Horoloupe.
The latest and greatest from Audemars Piguet is the new Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon Chronograph Openworked ref. 26587TI.OO.D031CA.01. First unveiled on Instagram by one of the founders of the Shanghai Watch Gang, watch collector Chu a.k.a. @horoloupe —the first watch collector to own this watch and who told us he owns the actual prototype of this watch—, the Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon Chronograph Openworked is the first Royal Oak Concept selfwinding model since the collection's introduction in 2002.
Experience: Audemars Piguet Suite at the SIAR 2018. Bringing the Look and Feel of the AP House to Mexico City.
Following the ‘Le Brassus’ theme but with an edgier and even more modern look, Audemars Piguet presented a new setup at the SIAR 2018 in Mexico City. Somewhat mirroring the look of their recently unveiled Audemars Piguet Houses throughout the world, the AP Suite was not only very inviting but also a cozy place where one could just hang out for hours. Just like every year, AP found the perfect balance between highlighting its horological prowess, the display of the timepieces in their collection, the watches from their museum and their passion for art with the Audemars Piguet Art Commission.
