While Tudor was onto something with the release of the new Black Bay Pro and I told you already how much I liked it and how much I want one, I don’t feel the same way about the Tudor Black Bay GMT S&G 'Root Beer'. In my humble opinion, this was a weak release that didn’t really capture what Tudor was trying to do here. The new Black Bay GMT S&G ‘Root Beer’ was somewhat inspired by the Rolex GMT-Master 16753 ‘Root Beer’ but not necessarily by the Rolex GMT Master II Everose Gold ref. 126715CHNR as many would think.
Posts filed under Watches & Wonders
Insider: Cartier Masse Mystérieuse. The Most Impressive Watch from Cartier with Mysterious Hours.
Continuing with their mysterious hours’ concept, Cartier continues to explore mysterious complications to play with illusion and the perception of time and the Cartier Masse Mystérieuse is the result of that. Mystery clocks make up their own chapter in Cartier’s history because their hands appear to float over the transparent body of the clock, with no connection to the movement.
From the Editor: Rolex Yacht-Master 40 ref. 126679SABR aka 'The Cotton Candy'. Is this @ILikeRolexes Next Watch?
Where the sky meets the ocean and the sun comes up over the water, the new Rolex Yacht-Master 40 ref. 126679SABR creates a powerful combo already nicknamed ‘The Cotton Candy’ by my close friend @ILikeRolexes. If you follow him on Instagram, you then know he’s the king of modern Rolex watch collecting and a watch collector that loves gem-set Rolexes like no one else I’ve ever met.
Insider: Vacheron Constantin Overseas Perpetual Ultra-Thin Skeleton Blue
The Vacheron Constantin Overseas Perpetual Ultra-Thin Skeleton was first presented in 2020 with a white minute track ring and white rings around the perpetual calendar indications. Now for Watches & Wonders 2022, Vacheron Constantin brings a new iteration also cased in pink gold but with blue rings that add amazing contrast to an already very good-looking watch.
Insider: Vacheron Constantin Overseas Tourbillon Skeleton. The Star of Watches & Wonders 2022.
Without a doubt, our favorite watch at Watches & Wonders 2022 is the new Vacheron Constantin Overseas Tourbillon Skeleton. Beautifully streamlined with its entirely open-worked movement, this new watch comes in two versions, one in 18K 5N pink gold and the other in Grade 5 titanium. The titanium model marks the first time that the brand has entirely made a watch in titanium from crown to bezel and from bracelet to the case.
Insider: Rolex Yacht-Master 42 Yellow Gold ref. 226658
For Watches & Wonders 2022, Rolex brings a third iteration —now in yellow gold—of the Yacht-Master with an Oysterflex. The first iteration of the Yacht-Master with Oysterflex bracelet was released at Baselworld 2015 sporting an Everose Gold case and in two different sizes that included a 37 mm —perfectly sized for ladies or for men with smaller wrists— and a 40 mm one. Then for at Baselworld 2019 Rolex presented a Yacht-Master in 18K white gold with a 42 mm case. The new Rolex Yacht-Master 42 ref. 226658 in 18K yellow gold marks a new step in the Oysterflex saga and the Yacht-Master.
Introducing: Hublot Big Bang Integral Ceramic
Hublot’s prowess in the field of ceramics is indisputable. Since the release of the Bing Bang in different colors of ceramic, we have witnessed that Hublot definitely knows what they are doing when it comes to this material. After the release of their Big Bang Integral with an integrated bracelet, Hublot decide to now add full ceramic watches —case and integrated bracelet— to the lineup.
Introducing: Hublot Square Bang. Five New Watches Reminiscent of the Santos de Cartier.
The new Hublot Square Bang is the first square-shaped watch for the brand. Reminiscent of the Santos de Cartier —without calling it an absolute copycat— is it almost impossible not to think of the Santos 100 when looking at this new watch from Hublot. Five new watches compose the new Hublot Square Bang collection and all are equipped with the new Unico 2 calibre designed to equip smaller chronographs and also open the world of Hublot to new enthusiasts.
Introducing: Montblanc 1858 Iced Sea Automatic Date. A True Diving Watch that Meets the ISO 6425 Norm.
When it came to imagining a new sports diving watch, Montblanc didn’t go to the world’s tropical waters for inspiration, but rather climbed up to the glacial lakes of the Mont Blanc Massif. Ascending via the Chamonix Valley to the Mer de Glace —Sea of Ice—, the Maison’s designers were captivated by the texture of the glacial ice with its interlocking network of crystals that have been frozen in time for millennia.
Introducing: Jaeger-LeCoultre Rendez-Vous Dazzling Star. A Shooting Star Graces its Dial Randomly or On Demand.
In 2022, the new Jaeger-LeCoultre Rendez-Vous Dazzling Star recreates this enchanting celestial phenomenon on the wrist, thanks to an entirely new mechanism conceived and developed within the Manufacture. Activated by the movement of the wrist, the shooting star appears on the dial at random moments —usually four to six times per hour— its unpredictability makes it even more special.
Introducing: Jaeger-LeCoultre Atmos Hybris Mechanica Calibre 590. The Half a Million Dollar Sublime Objet d'Art.
A sublime objet d’art is the new Jaeger-LeCoultre Atmos Hybris Mechanica Calibre 590. In keeping with Jaeger-LeCoultre’s eternal quest for precision, the Manufacture’s engineers and watchmakers have created a new complication that reproduces the true cycles of the Earth, Sun, and Moon more closely than ever before, developing it specifically for the Atmos Hybris Mechanica Calibre 590.
Introducing: Grand Seiko 200m Diver SLGA015 'Black Stream'
The new Grand Seiko 200m Diver SLGA015 is inspired by the Black Stream —Kuroshio Current. The Kuroshio Current also known as the Black or Japan Current —Nihon Kairyū— flows northwards past Japan towards the North Pacific and is one of the largest ocean streams in the world. The dynamic and sometimes violent tides caused by the Black Stream inspire the deep black color and richly textured surface of the dial of this new 200m diver’s watch.
Insider: Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin. The Most Beautiful Complicated Watch for the Ladies.
In our opinion this is the most beautiful complicated watch for the ladies and a favorite from Vacheron Constantin’s releases this year. The Ladies Traditionnelle Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin is available in 18K white gold and 18K 5N pink gold versions with a 36.5 mm case. This is the brand’s response to women wanting more complicated timepieces besides those that only tell time. It is inspired by Vacheron Constantin models from the first half of the last century.
Introducing: Grand Seiko Spring Drive GMT Titanium SBGE285 and SBGE283
While the pedigree of the Grand Seiko Style is unmistakably evident in every watch, the refinements of the Evolution 9 Style are also clear to see. With its unique glide motion seconds hand, Spring Drive mirrors the continuous, silent and smooth passage of time. To watch the seconds hand move serenely and with no ‘tick’ across the dial is to be brought as close as is possible to the nature of time itself. The two new watches are the Grand Seiko Spring Drive GMT Titanium SBGE285 and the Grand Seiko Spring Drive GMT Titanium SBGE283.
From the Editor: Why the new Left-Handed Rolex GMT-Master II ref. 126720VTNR Touched my Heart
I don’t talk much about my personal life here on WCL and what makes me tick, no pun intended. However, the reason why I really liked the new Left-Handed Rolex GMT-Master II ref. 126720VTNR has to do with why I fell in love with Rolexes in the first place. Let’s go back to Mexico City in the late 1970s when I was not even a tween yet. At that time, a distant cousin of mine who’s nickname was ‘El Chico’ would come for dinner at my parent’s house and he would always be wearing a different Rolex or Tudor watch.
From the Editor: The Revamped Rolex Air-King ref. 126900 is a True Winner
When the Rolex Air-King ref. 116900 came out in 2016, it was love at first sight for me and I was one of the first ones to buy one. While I loved the watch back then and even took it with me on a trip through Japan and Hong Kong, I feel there was something missing about this watch that didn’t make me fall in love with it forever. Now that the Air-King has been revamped and the new reference 126900 was presented a week ago at Watches & Wonders 2022, my love for this watch is back.
Introducing: Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar ref. 5320G-011
First presented in 2017, the Patek Philippe ref. 5320G was a new perpetual calendar that had been inspired by many predecessor models that attracted global attention in the 1940s and 1950s. For Watches & Wonders 2022, Patek Philippe presents this vintage style Perpetual Calendar reinterpreted in a new 18K white gold version fitted with a gilded opaline rose gold dial —salmon-colored in reality. With the release of this new watch, the cream-colored dial has been discontinued. In with the new, out with the old. Below is the previous iteration of the 5320G.
Introducing: Patek Philippe Chronograph ref. 5172G-010. Stunning is an Understatement.
Along with all the other amazing releases for Watches & Wonders 2022, Patek Philippe brings a salmon dial chronograph like no other. Equipped with a 41 mm 18K white gold case, this new chronograph accentuates the vintage spirit of this model much appreciated by devotees of fine mechanical horology by equipping it with an opaline rose-gilded dial —salmon-colored looking. The legibility of the dial by day or night is ensured by applied Arabic numerals and syringe-type hours/minutes hands made of gold with an anthracite treatment and white luminescent coating, complemented by a small seconds display at 9 o’clock.
Introducing: Patek Philippe Calatrava 5226G-001
Following the design of the new Patek Philippe Calatrava Annual Calendar Travel Time ref. 5326G-001, the brand created a time and date watch without any further complications under reference 5226G-001. It features the same case construction with its flanks guilloched with the inimitable hobnail pattern and its dial is framed in the vintage genre inspired by old photo cameras. Powered by the automatic calibre 26-330 S C movement, the new Calatrava reference 5226 is a real stunner.
Introducing: Patek Philippe Calatrava Annual Calendar Travel Time ref. 5326G-001. First Time These Two Complications Come Together.
Two useful complications come together for the first time. Patek Philippe combines two of its outstanding patented complications for the first time in one watch: the Annual Calendar —which requires a manual correction only once a year— and the Travel Time system for the display of a second-time zone. The outcome is a travel watch whose date display is synchronized with the respective local time. It simultaneously adjusts the date when the time zone is corrected.
