Two weeks ago, MB&F presented the HM3 Frog X 10th-anniversary edition. Today, the 10th-anniversary celebration continues but this time for the HM4 which also made its debut in 2010 when the HM3 Frog was released. A decade ago, MB&F also shocked the watchmaking world with what remains to be one of the most radical horological machines ever created by them. We are talking about the HM4 Thunderbolt.
News: Armin Strom Opens First Pop-Up Store in Zürich
Armin Strom is opening its first pop-up store in the middle of Zürich’s Old Town. An appealing space has been set up for watch collectors to come and experience the brand, function, and beauty of mechanical watches. The brand’s philosophy is simple: It shows what it does. Armin Strom is driven by the fascination for transparent mechanics and it enjoys exposing the watchmaking craft layer by layer. The brand ardently strives to improve and innovate, and this clearly resonates throughout its first pop-up store.
News: Bonhams 'Dive into the Blue' Hong Kong Watch Auction. Featuring Some of the Best Blue Dial Watches.
Colored dials in watches are taken for granted now, though, in fact, they are a relatively modern development —especially in blue. Because of that, In its December 2, 2020 auction, Bonhams Hong Kong will offer a series of blue-dial wristwatches, tracing the history of what is now the hottest style trend in horology. Colored dials have their origins in the 1970s, when chronographs and dive watches used bright orange and zesty yellow to accent details, allowing wearers —mostly pilots and divers— to read the time in a clearer and faster manner.
News: Girard-Perregaux Laureato Ghost in Partnership with Bamford Watch Department
Girard Perregaux is pleased to unveil the Laureato Ghost, created in collaboration with Bamford Watch Department, a company synonymous with personalized, exclusive luxury products. This limited edition of 45 pieces pays tribute to the inaugural version of the Laureato, launched in 1975 while embracing an ultra-modern and contemporary colorway. This year Girard-Perregaux is celebrating the 45th anniversary of the Laureato.
Insider: Zenith DEFY El Primero 21 Titanium. The Ultimate 1/100th of a Second In-House Chronograph.
The Zenith DEFY line is a collection that has been launched, discontinued, and resurrected several times by our friends at Le Locle through different periods of time. Originally released in 1969, the DEFY line has seen numerous facelifts and at one point it was responsible for almost killing Zenith taking the brand down an abyss from where it had to be later rescued by Mr. Biver's protégée Jean-Frederic Dufour —now CEO of Rolex.
News: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Self-winding Flying Tourbillon ref. 26530. Its First-Ever.
Audemars Piguet is delighted to introduce its first-ever Royal Oak Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon. For the occasion, the manufacture launches three 41 mm references in stainless steel, titanium, and 18K pink gold, all complemented with a refined dial design. The Royal Oak Tourbillon first made its debut in 1997 for the 25th anniversary of the Royal Oak. This latest evolution featuring the flying tourbillon and self-winding mechanism reintroduces this modern classic with updated aesthetics for the new decade.
News: Presenting the Hublot Big Bang Unico Berluti Cold Brown
Four years ago, the collaboration between the French men’s fashion house Berluti and the watchmaking manufacture Hublot has given life to a series of unforgettable watches. You can see some of the other Hublot Berluti watches here on our website including the Classic Fusion Chronograph Berluti Scritto Ocean Blue and Bordeaux or the Classic Fusion Berluti. Bringing together the former’s legendary Venezia leather and its patina with the latter’s art of fusion of materials, these different models have all had the Hublot Classic Fusion watch as their base.
Breaking News: Watches & Wonders 2021 In-Person Event Cancelled. Another All-Digital Edition Coming Up.
In view of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Watches and Wonders Geneva Exhibitor Committee has taken the decision not to hold the physical Salon that would have been held at the Palexpo, scheduled from April 7 to 13, 2021. An all-digital edition will be proposed on the same dates at watchesandwonders.com, where participating brands will be able to present their new watches for 2021 and interact directly with their audiences.
Insider: Laurent Ferrier Grand Sport Tourbillon
Released at Watches & Wonders this year, we were finally able to get our hands on the new Laurent Ferrier Grand Sport Tourbillon at the SIAR 2020 in Mexico City, and what a pleasant surprise. A watch that seemed gorgeous per the brand’s stock imagery has now become a big favorite in our book with a couple of caveats. Housed in a sporty 44 mm stainless steel case, this is the brand’s first model equipped with an integrated stainless steel bracelet. This new addition to Laurent Ferrier’s portfolio of models features a tourbillon, double balance spring, and the firm’s legendary finishing.
News: Vacheron Constantin Overseas Perpetual Ultra-thin Skeleton Wins the 'Calendar and Astronomy' Prize at the GPHG 2020
The Overseas perpetual calendar ultra-thin skeleton was awarded the ‘Calendar and Astronomy’ prize at the GPHG —Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève— 2020. This timepiece is the perfect illustration of Vacheron Constantin’s technical and aesthetic know-how: it stands out for its contemporary design as well as for the complexity and sophistication of its ultra-thin open-worked movement which also houses a perpetual calendar.
News: GPHG 2020 Prize Winners. The Piaget Altiplano Ultimate Concept Watch Takes the 'Aiguille d'Or'.
Yesterday November 12th, 2020, the GPHG —Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève— awards ceremony took place in Geneva, Switzerland unveiling the winners of this year’s competition in a poetic digital show masterfully hosted by actor Edouard Baer. Watchmaking excellence and vitality were saluted by the Jury and the new GPHG Academy, which handed out 19 prizes and awarded the ‘Aiguille d’Or’ Grand Prix to Piaget for the Altiplano Ultimate Concept watch.
News: Presenting the Urwerk UR-100V Iron Limited Edition
Urwerk has added a new watch to its UR-100 series. The new UR-100V Iron comes cased in steel and titanium, monochrome and unadorned, to highlight its most delicate finish — all done by hand. No extreme colors but subtle touches of blue and red. Form and finish together create an ever-changing chiaroscuro over polished, matte, sanded, and shot-blasted surfaces. In addition to Urwerk’s trademark satellite configuration of the wandering hours and minutes, the UR-100V Iron brings your spin through space into sharp focus.
News: Presenting the Patek Philippe Grande Sonnerie ref. 6301P
Patek Philippe reasserts its sovereign mastery of the music of time and enriches its current collection with a wristwatch that combines a grande sonnerie, with a petite sonnerie and a minute repeater. Fully rooted in Geneva’s watchmaking tradition, Patek Philippe began to produce striking watches from the outset. In September 1839, four months after it was founded, the manufacture entered the first timepiece of this kind in its journal, a pocket watch with a repeater. In 1850, entries of pocket watches with a grande sonnerie appeared in the same journals.
Rare Bird: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Platinum Salmon Dial 'The Time Place' Edition. Is this the Ultimate Grail or What?
Perhaps the most under the radar release at the end of last year or simply what will now be the ultimate Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual grail. Cased in platinum with a salmon-colored dial the ref. 26611PT.OO.1220PT.01 puts the Royal Oak Quantième Perpétuel back on the center stage with a very this very coveted dial and special oscillating weight. The new Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar exclusive for ‘The Time Place’ —Indonesia’s top authorized dealer— is available in a highly collectible 20-piece limited edition and cased in a 41 mm platinum case.
News: Presenting the MB&F HM3 Frog X 10th-Anniversary Edition
In 2009, MB&F was four years into its creative expression of mechanical art. Horological Machines No. 1 and No. 2 had established the guiding principles of the Maximilian Büsser & Friends collective: audacious design, transformative micromechanics, untrammeled imagination. Then came Horological Machine No. 3; HM3 had everything that HM1 and HM2 had before —the design, the micromechanics, the imagination— but its defiant three-dimensional construction shot MB&F into hyperspace.
Insider: Greubel Forsey GMT Sport. The Brand's First Sports Watch Remarkably Executed.
Building on the foundation of the Greubel Forsey GMT Black released in 2015, the brand decided to explore uncharted territory with their first sports watch, the new GMT Sport. This lightweight and ultra-strong watch with a profiled titanium case with an ovoid bezel and integrated lugs showcase the Greubel Forsey DNA in a remarkable way to become one of the most amazing sports watches out there. Featuring a GMT complication paired with a 24-seconds tourbillon, the rotating globe with universal time and day-and-night indicator takes the center stage to provide the wearer with 24 time zones with summer and winter time indications on the back of the case.
News: Vacheron Constantin Timepieces to be Delivered with Blockchain Technology by 2021
In 2019, Vacheron Constantin introduced digital certification of authenticity using Blockchain technology. Vacheron Constantin was among the first watchmakers to integrate Blockchain technology as part of an innovative service to clients and an increasingly environmentally friendly approach to certification involving less paper. The watches in Les Collectionneurs collection are thus accompanied by a digital certificate of authenticity that is perfectly forgery-proof. Initially reserved for that collection, now all Vacheron Constantin timepieces will be delivered by the end of 2021 with a blockchain-based digital passport, secured by the Arianee technology.
News: Presenting the Zenith DEFY Classic Carbon
Zenith has repeatedly demonstrated its mastery of innovative and exceptional materials in the DEFY collection, expressing its vision of the future of watchmaking with groundbreaking pieces. The DEFY Classic Carbon explores uncharted territory of innovation, with a full carbon fiber construction —including the integrated bracelet— in a 41 mm case. Carbon fiber is prized for its rare combination of lightness and durability as well as its unique and futuristic appearance. Yet its use in watchmaking has been fairly limited.
Experience: Vacheron Constantin Highlights from the SIAR Mexico 2020
The year 2020 has been a challenging year, especially when it comes to watch fairs and watch events. After Watches & Wonders 2020 had to be conducted digitally, we were almost certain that the SIAR 2020 —Salón Internacional de Alta Relojeríia— in Mexico City would not be taking place this year. However, to our surprise, the SIAR 2020 still took place last week and we didn’t hesitate for a single minute to book our tickets and get down there for the first in-person watch event of the year.
Breaking News: Phillips Watches to Auction Paul Newman's 'Big Red' Daytona ref. 6263
Just as if auctioning Paul Newman’s very own ‘Paul Newman’ Daytona ref. 6239 on October 26, 2017 wasn’t enough big of a deal —the watch fetched $17.7 Million USD including buyer’s fees—, Phillips Watches has just announced the sale of the Ultimate ‘Big Red’ Daytona ref. 6263 belonging to Paul Newman himself. Consigned by his Daughter, Clea Newman Soderlund, this incredible watch that will for sure set another world record, will be offered during the Racing Pulse Annual Flagship New York Watch Auction, on December 12th, 2020
