Transparent, black, yellow, blue, red —Hublot has mastered the creation and machining of sapphires with exclusive shades for its watch cases. With the new Big Bang Tourbillon Automatic Orange Sapphire, the brand has once again achieved a world first by adding a completely new color to its palette of through-tinted sapphires. This unprecedented technical and aesthetic feat is combined with an entirely new tourbillon movement not only equipped with self-winding —a rarity for a tourbillon—, but also with a reinvented architecture with its micro-rotor visible on the dial side and three sapphire bridges.
From the Editor: Initial Thoughts on the new Zenith Chronomaster Sport. Better than the Rolex Daytona?
Yesterday afternoon Zenith unveiled the new Chronomaster Sport ‘breaking the internet’ of watches. While I’ve never dared to give my opinion on a watch before seeing it in the metal, I think this is one of those instances where I feel I can and I have to. Equipped with an improved El Primero calibre and a black ceramic bezel, watch collectors around the globe immediately made the expected comparisons against the Rolex Cosmograph Daytona. Capable of measurements with an accuracy of 1/10th of a second, the new Zenith Chronomaster Sport marks the rebirth of a legend.
News: Presenting the MB&F Horological Machine No. 9 HM9 Sapphire Vision
First presented in 2018, Horological Machine N°9 —nicknamed HM9 ‘Flow’— was a tribute to the extraordinary automotive and aeronautic designs of the 1940s and 50s. The result was a case like no other that echoed the epoch’s flowing, aerodynamic lines. Despite its striking external appearance, MB&F founder Maximilian Büsser described the engine inside HM9 as “the most beautiful movement we’ve created to date”. What other logical step was there to take, if not to encase the HM9 engine in a transparent sapphire crystal shell?
News: Presenting the Urwerk UR-100V T-Rex. A 22-Piece Limited Edition.
T-Rex is the name given to the latest iteration of Urwerk’s UR-100 collection. It carries both Urwerk’s genome in its satellite hours and that of its namesake in the primal texture of its reinforced hide of bronze. The UR-100V T-Rex is decidedly a creature you’ll want to tame. But wouldn’t want to stroke the eight-ton, 12-foot high Tyrannosaurus rex. In addition to its massive jaws equipped with 60 dagger-like teeth, it has a hide like a rasp. Best leave the creature to your imagination.
News: Panerai Luminor Marina 44 Guillaume Néry Edition PAM 1122. A 70-Piece Limited Edition.
Following the success of the other Panerai Luminor Submersible watches released in partnership with freediver Guillaume Néry, the brand presents a new performance watch inspired by him to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the birth of the iconic Panerai Luminor with its signature crown-protecting device. The new Panerai Luminor Marina 44 Guillaume Néry Edition PAM 1122 is available in a limited edition of 70 pieces and comes with a 70-year warranty. Yes, this is not a typo.
Rare Bird: Tudor Chronograph Tiger Oxblood ref. 79280. The Rarest of them All.
Tudor has been around for over half a century making chronographs and has always been considered as the affordable sibling to Rolex. Up until the early 2000s, Tudor watches were available everywhere in the world —including the U.S.—; however, at that time Rolex decided to pull them out of the U.S. as they were cannibalizing Rolex sales. In theory, a Tudor is a Rolex watch but less expensive. Back in the day, Tudor Chronographs were fitted with Rolex crowns and Rolex case backs up until the late 90's when transitional Tudor watches appeared with either a Rolex case back or a Rolex crown only.
Breaking News: Patrick Ottomani Leaves and Ginny Wright is Appointed CEO of Audemars Piguet North America
Ms. Ginny Wright is joining Audemars Piguet North America, Inc. as CEO, effective January 18, 2021. Based in the company’s New York City office, Ms. Wright will oversee all of the business activities in North America as well as Latin America and report directly to Mr. Yves Meylan, Chief Commercial Officer, and Mr. Francois-Henry Bennahmias, Global Chief Executive Officer, both based at the company’s headquarters in Switzerland.
News: Richard Mille RM 037 All-White Ceramic Edition
A symbol of purity. A perpetual pleasure to wear. The suave successor in the RM 037 collection, this new interpretation in white ceramic is the latest addition to the Richard Mille women’s collection. This model combines white ceramic, mother-of-pearl, and white gold for the very first time in a gently voluptuous combination. A lengthy, delicate machining and diamond grinding process is required to create the complex shapes of the white ATZ ceramic bezel and case back showcased by a matte finish.
News: Presenting the H. Moser & Cie. Endeavour Concept Minute Repeater Tourbillon
H. Moser & Cie. is orchestrating a dazzling ballet beneath a framework of titanium: hammers, gongs, and a flying tourbillon spin in harmony on the dial of the new Endeavour Concept Minute Repeater Tourbillon. To allow the passage of time to be both heard and admired, the Schaffhausen-based Manufacture is displaying this complex mechanism which sounds the hours on the dial side, choreographed against a brand-new shade, Electric Blue, and stripped of logo and indices. A welcome return back to basics, this purist approach allows all the beauty of the complication to be expressed without any unnecessary elements.
Insider: Girard-Perregaux Laureato Absolute Rock Limited Edition
While respecting the legacy of the iconic Laureato from 1975, the Girard-Perregaux Laureato Absolute Rock draws upon the company’s vast experience, amassed since its inception in 1791. Employing high-tech know-how this Chronograph is cased in a strong and light, 44 mm blue Carbon Glass case referred to as Absolute Rock by the brand. The Laureato Absolute Rock models are an evolution of the classical Laureato. The dial features a sandwich-type construction, masterfully playing with depths and, in so doing, creating a fascinating and highly legible display.
From the Editor: Watch Collecting Lifestyle Photography Now Available for Purchase at the Ferrari Art Gallery
I am happy to announce that some of our photographic works are now available for purchase at the Ferrari Art Gallery in Dallas, Texas. Back in 2018, I stumbled upon the Ferrari Gallery in the Dallas Design District and I was blown away by what I had just discovered. Here’s the article we published about the gallery and the works of James Ferrari that includes incredible sculptures that are created out of salvage Ferrari parts from modern Ferraris. The Ferrari Gallery is located in Dallas’ Design District and is led by husband and wife James and Debra Ferrari —both renowned artists.
News: Presenting the Zenith Chronomaster Revival A385
Zenith brings back the first El Primero watch with a gradient dial from 1969, we are talking the Chronomaster Revival A385. Zenith is bringing back one of the earliest and most emblematic El Primero-equipped chronographs from the earliest days of the revolutionary calibre in the form of a Chronomaster Revival model. 1969 was certainly a year to remember for Zenith and would go down in the annals of watchmaking history as the year that forever changed the chronograph. It was the year that the Zenith El Primero, the world’s first automatic high-frequency chronograph, was unveiled to the world.
News: Presenting the Blancpain Villeret Women Date 21st Valentine's Day
Just as it has been each year since 2001, February 14th is the perfect occasion for a special encounter between Blancpain and women. For its 21st Valentine's Day special series, the Manufacture thus offers a heavenly interpretation of its Villeret Women Date model in a 28-piece limited edition.
Rare Bird: F.P. Journe Society Chronometer. The Only Way to Get One is by Being Part of the Club.
There are secret societies and then there is the Journe Society. The one and only watch ‘lunatic’ secret club that we know about. So secret and so exclusive that the only way to join is by buying an insane number of timepieces from the man himself, monsieur François-Paul Journe. You can join many private clubs and societies by filing an application, getting approved, and paying the dues, but when it comes to the Journe Society, you will be vetted by François-Paul Journe and other existing founding members before you can even aspire to be part of it.
Experience: Porsche 911 GT2RS Clubsport. Limited Like an AP Royal Oak Offshore Rubens Barrichello 1.
It’s been a while since we last talked about automobiles here on WCL, and as we begin delivering the content for the new year 2021, we said to ourselves, why not talk about the most impressive Porsche ever to start the year with a bang. Very much like an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Rubens Barrichello 1 ref. 26071IK.OO.D002CA.01, the Porsche 911 GT2RS Clubsport comes in a limited edition of only 200 units.
Experience: Happy New Year. Best Wishes in Style with the Art of Sabrage.
Wishing all of you the best wishes for the year that is about to start. We couldn’t be more grateful for your readership and loyalty. Because of you, our readers, we strive to do better every day. How about a little feature on Sabrage to welcome the new year in style. The act of Sabrage refers to the act of opening a bottle of champagne by sliding a saber over its neck. Now, while many believe that the saber slices the neck of the bottle or pushes the cork out, what in reality happens is that the slight impact of the saber on the seam of the bottle creates a chain reaction that makes the bottle release its pressure by breaking its top cork included.
From the Editor: Twelve Blue Watches to Wrap Up the Year 2020
Without a doubt, the year 2020 has been a rough year. It’s been a year of changes with a global pandemic in full and a year where we’ve learned to live differently. As we wrap up a very intense year, how about we focus on some incredible blue watches for those experiencing the blues during this holiday season or just because here at WCL we are absolute lovers of everything blue.
From the holy trinity of watchmaking to the independent brands, these are timepieces that are hard not to think of as we start making our wish list for the year to come. Let’s welcome the new year with a bang and with these gorgeous watches that have taken our breath away at least once.
Health, fortune and happiness to all of you that are avid readers of WCL. Without you, we wouldn’t be here today.
Rare Bird: De Bethune DB27 Digitale International Polo Watch
The De Bethune DB27 Digitale International Polo Watch is for sure one of those very under the radar De Bethune watches that not everyone knows about. Released in 2015 as another option for Polo players, De Bethune rendered a hardened steel iteration of the Digitale to celebrate the first time the brand sponsored Liechtenstein’s Polo Club and created the ‘De Bethune Princely Polo Cup’. This international tournament has seen polo players and teams come from all over Europe to participate in one of the most elitist tournaments in the world.
Experience: Merry Christmas with an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak ref. 15300
Most people outside of the U.S. in Europe and Latin America celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve. Since we also share the tradition of celebrating on Christmas Eve, we decided to prepare a small collection of Christmas-inspired images to wish each and every one of you a very Merry Christmas. May you and your families be blessed with health and may all your dreams come true. Hopefully, your Christmas tree is keeping one of these Royal Oaks nice and warm inside a gift box for tomorrow morning.
Experience: Frédéric Malle Musc Ravageur 20-Year Limited Edition. Memorable like a Royal Oak QP.
A while back we brought you a feature on Frédéric Malle, one of our favorite perfumiers, and today we bring you Frédéric Malle’s latest release. An underrated name in the world of fragrances that was introduced in 2000 as Editions de Parfums, it was presented as a completely new concept whereby the world’s greatest noses composed exclusive fragrances to be sold under their names. Founded by the grandson of the founder of Christian Dior Parfums, Frédéric Malle himself started his career in 1988 at the prestigious perfume laboratory Roure Bertrand Dupont.
