Malbon Golf, founded in 2017 by a couple passionate about the little white ball, Stephen and Erica Malbon, stands out on the greens with its golf- and urban culture-inspired gear. The quirky spirit of these items are now infused in the TAG Heuer Connected Calibre E4 x Malbon Golf Edition. This smartwatch, created specifically for this edition, boasts a highly-original animation on its dial, whilst its ceramic bezel takes on markings conjuring up the 18 holes of a standard golf course. The app developed on OS by GoogleTM for this model lets the wearer keep track of all their shots. The watch keeps the scores for five hours, recording them automatically. This real coach-on-the-wrist tells you the distance of your next shot and gives you tips on which clubs to choose to swing it in perfect style.
The electronics nestle inside a light yet sturdy, 45 mm-diameter grade 2 titanium case. And, to make sure it’s as comfortable as they come, the Connected Calibre E4 x Malbon Golf Edition‘s set off with a yellow and green leather and rubber strap. Like all TAG Heuer connected watches, this special edition features useful apps for everyday life, like a stopwatch, timer, alarm clock, and a host of other sensor-focused functions (heart rate, compass, accelerometer, gyroscope, barometer, and more). What’s more, its battery’s autonomy offers you a whole day’s wellness monitoring.
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]]>Memento Mori is a Latin phrase that can be translated as “remember you must die”. It is also an object of piety representing a human skull intended to encourage mediation about death. It is also the title of the latest album with melancholic overtones by Depeche Mode, unveiled in 2023. Hublot and the band have worked together for around 10 years. They joined forces to raise funds to support various charitable organizations. As a continuation of this partnership, the brand presented a new limited series, the Spirit of Big Bang Depeche Mode. This model has a monochrome design with a 42 mm-diameter case machined from microblasted and polished black ceramic. The dial of the same color features an applied skull and crossbones and a metal hourglass through which small beads flow according to the movement of the wrist. The tonneau-shaped case is enhanced with a bezel with pyramid-shaped studs. This motif adorns the rubber bracelet fastened with a folding clasp, giving the watch a resolutely rock look.
To keep in time with the beat, the hour and minute hands are orchestrated by the HUB1710 caliber, which is assembled with 166 components. This selfwinding movement ensures a power reserve of 50 hours. Each copy comes in a special box containing an exclusive vinyl single of the song Wagging Tongue, produced using green energy from recycled PVC. Definitely a collector!
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]]>With its 44-mm titanium case, waterproof to a depth of 80 meters, the Legacy Machine EVO Titanium combines resistance, lightness and biocompatibility. With these advantages, it can accompany you smoothly through your hectic daily life. For this variation, MB&F decorates the dial with a soft ice blue colour that highlights the counters displaying perpetual calendar data. This model keeps the original scenescape with three openworked discs adorned in black, in which a hand points to the date at 9 o’clock, the day at 3 o’clock and the month at 6 o’clock. The hours and minutes are read in the sub-dial offset at 12 o’clock. Two indicators, one for leap years and the other for the power reserve, complete the information. This highly contrasted whole also offers excellent readability. In the center, a large balance fitted with a 14 mm-diameter wheel supported by its arch is as mesmerizing as ever.
This esthetic development retains all the characteristics of the first reference. The bezel has made way for a redesigned sapphire-crystal dome directly welded to the body. For exemplary ergonomics, the pushers, with their slender, rectangular shape, are discretely integrated into the case. To protect the complicated caliber designed by watchmaker Stephen McDonnell and assembled with 581 components, the “FlexRing“ system, made from a single block of steel, absorbs shocks over several axes. The manual wind movement offers a power reserve of 72 hours. Ideal for getting the most out of this exceptional timepiece.
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]]>According to Muslim tradition, the day on which Mohammed left Mecca for Medina, in 622, marks the beginning of the Islamic calendar. This event, named Hijra, meaning exile, gives its name to the Hijri calendar, which is based on lunar cycles. Unlike its Gregorian counterpart, the Hijri calendar only has 354 days and is made up of 12 months of 29 or 30 days. Thanks to the complex PF009 caliber, Parmiginiani achieves the feat of orchestrating the main data of this time measurement system within the new Tonda PF Hijri Perpetual Calendar . Thus, on the viridian green dial decorated with a delicate barleycorn guilloché pattern, the counter at 12 o’clock displays the 30-year cycle (19 common years and 11 abundant years). The counter at 3 o’clock shows the current month. The last one, at 9 o’clock, displays the date. The whole is completed with a display of the moon phases at 6 o’clock on an aventurine disc.
All of this data is housed in a 42 mm-diameter steel case topped with a chiseled 950 platinum bezel. This slim,11.20 mm-thick case, waterproof to depths of 100 meters, offers ideal protection to the selfwinding movement, assembled with 310 components. This mechanism also provides a power reserve of 48 hours. The sapphire-crystal back of the case reveals the openwork oscillating weight and the traditional decorations that adorn the bridges and the mainplate. Practical for everyday use, the Tonda PF Hijri Perpetual Calendar has an integrated metal strap to create a perfect match.
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]]>With its 2024 PR516 models, Tissot recaptures the heyday of motor racing. This chronograph draws its style from the ever-so popular model unveiled back in 1968. The Peruvian race car driver, Henry Bradley (1940-2016), an avid Tissot fan and legendary rally figure, engraved its name on the bodywork of his Ferrari. These adornments from yesteryear and today aren’t easily ignored.
The counters and the small second on the intense black dial take on the same tri-compax position. And, just like in its older sibling, this time round, the watch jazzes up its sporty look with savvy dashes of orange and blue. This scenography, topped by a sapphire-crystal glassbox, is encircled by a functional bezel set off with a tachymetric scale and a pulsometer. And, to ensure optimal time reading whenever, wherever, the first quarter of the bezel is adorned with Super-LumiNova® just like the markers and the hands.
What’s more, not only is the design of the original PR516 perpetuated in this timepiece, but Tissot had the great idea of equipping its chronograph with a hand-wound movement just like in its models from the 70s. As such, a caliber specially developed for the occasion, beats inside the 41 mm-diameter case. Some of the components can be admired through the sapphire-crystal caseback. This movement, the Valjoux A05.291, a spin-off of the 7753, offers a dazzling performance. It delivers a comfortable power reserve of 68 hours that’s totally in tune with the times. Its timekeeping is brilliant, around +/- 5 seconds a day. Worth noting too is that Tissot also rolls out his chronograph in three variations complemented by a metal bracelet and driven by a quartz movement nestling inside a 40 mm-diameter case.
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]]>The highly-original design of the Arceau case created by Henri d’Origny in 1978 center stages a specific idea of time that’s inventive, playful and fascinating. The Arceau Mon Premier Galop watch shows, yet again, this ability to convey admiration. For this reference, Hermès drew its inspiration from a pattern of a silk scarf created by Tong Ren, a master in the art of drawing fanciful animals. “The Chinese-born artist, fascinated by traditional wickerwork, combines simple styles, blocks of color and fine trimming patterns” states the watch brand. As such, a composition created with some thirty pieces comes to life on the dial. A tottering horse, accompanied by a fluttering butterfly, reigns in this colorful, contrasting scenescape fashioned with marquetry using strands of leather just 0.5 mm thick and silk thread. The enameled sun and sky hues emphasize the delicacy of the work created through the exclusive artistry of métiers d’art master craftspeople.
The 24 pieces of this limited edition are driven by the H192 caliber. This automatic movement delivers a power reserve of 50 hours once fully wound. This mechanism and the meticulous composition nestle in a 38 mm-diameter white gold case fringed by a bezel set with 82 diamonds. A Zephyr blue Swift calfskin strap, on a par with the shades used for the décor and masterfully crafted by the Manufacture, embraces the lugs.
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]]>Like society and its evolution, the watchmaking landscape is constantly changing, although the essence of its syntax remains unchanged. The watch has thus moved from the pocket to the arm, from the status of an elitist product to that of an everyday companion, while retaining its primary function: to deliver, with precision, the display of time. In the 1970s, design made a major shift away from classic aesthetics, embracing boldness, robustness and technique. As the decade drew to a close, Piaget unveiled the Polo, a timepiece whose case, dial and bracelet merge in a firework display of gold, and today, as the company celebrates its 150th anniversary this year, it breathes new life into this watchmaking emblem: the Piaget Polo 79.
A harmonious, luminous composition in yellow gold that offers a soothing visual rhythm with its alternation of broad satin-brushed bands and fine polished bars, this new model comes in a 38mm-diameter case, dimensions consistent with the heritage from which it draws its inspiration and perfect for all types of wrists. It features the 1200P1 caliber, an extra-thin 3hz automatic Manufacture movement with a 44-hour power reserve, whose micro-rotor and part of its gear train are visible through the transparent caseback. The latter cadences the hours and minutes indicated by two central dauphine-style hands on the face delimited by a round of dots. As for its flowing bracelet, like a second golden skin, it delicately embraces the wrist and closes with a discreet, almost secret buckle, so as not to disturb the elegance of this Piaget ensemble.
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]]>“Street life, you can run away from time”. This extract from the chorus of the jazz-funk hit from the end of the 70s, sang by Randy Crawford on one of The Crusaders’ albums, rings out like a hymn in the ears of urban artists. Over the following decade, tags and miscellaneous styles of graffiti would take over public spaces for good. This art form now flourishes on our wrists with a quartet created by Hublot and produced in a 10-piece limited series. Forever true to its ability of dynamiting watch codes, the manufacture once again wows the world with its Big Bang Meca-10 Street Art. To achieve its goal, it uses a material rolled out for the first time in 2016 in a Classic Fusion, an alloy mixing concrete with epoxy resin and graphene. This time round, gray’s been cast aside and bright, fluorescent hues take pride of place. As such, the 44 mm-diameter case becomes an expressive channel for artist Saiff Vasarhelyi. In a nutshell, the graffiti virtuoso handcrafted a one-of-a-kind creation using a technique he masters so well, Airbrushing. And, for a perfectly-fitting finish, each piece is worn on a fabric strap adorned with a design identical to the one on its case.
The fact that there’s no dial means that the 223 components of the powerful HUB1201 caliber play a key role in the extraordinary look of the Big Bang Meca-10 Street Art. This hand-wound movement’s power reserve indicator (around 240 hours) also center stages a colorful tag. A pure masterpiece delivered in a wooden presentation box specially designed for the occasion.
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]]>The latest Grands Fonds collection has constantly turned on the charm since it was launched with its really savvy variations. With its GF 38 Heritage GF38213, ZRC succeeds once again, this time round with deliciously-vintage adornments. Ivory hues add a dash of dazzle to the deep black dial. They decorate the hour and minute hands, the Lollipop direct-drive, as well as the hour-chapter markers. This color also sets off the graduated scale of the unidirectional rotating bezel. In addition to the visual appeal of this staging, everything fulfills its wearer-practical role by delivering excellent time-data readability, even when it’s dark thanks to the use of powerful grade X1 Super-LumiNova®.
Time data is driven ever-so accurately by the Sellita SW-200-1 caliber, in its sophisticated version. This selfwinding movement offers a power reserve of 38 hours. It nestles inside the iconic 39 mm-diameter, hexagonal mono-block, satin-brushed steel case, with its screwed crown sitting at 6 o’clock. Like all the references in this range, the case, tested to depths of 1,000 meters and boasting waterproofness to 300 meters undersea, is topped by a sapphire-crystal glassbox enhanced with yesteryear’s plexiglas curves. What’s more, to emphasize the GF 38 Heritage GF38213‘s resolutely-vintage personality and to center stage its versatility, this model is worn on a supple Milanese mesh-style metal bracelet. ZRC reminds us that Life is Adventure, so best thing to do is travel our paths every day in elegant style.
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]]>Although the covid pandemic disrupted Zenith‘s 2020 schedule and forced it to postpone its launch by around a year, the Chronomaster Sport immediately found its audience and met with the success on which it has been riding for three years now. Now a full-fledged line in its own right, it welcomes a new recruit, unveiled as part of LVMH Watch Week last January: the Chronomaster Sport Green model, a version clad in the beautiful grass green borrowed from the Chronomaster Sport Aaron Rodgers edition presented by the Le Locle-based manufacture a few months earlier.
This invigorating hue is applied to the ceramic bezel, engraved with a precise 1/10th-second scale, and to the dial encircled by rectangular, faceted, luminescent hour-markers. The same goes for the white date window at 4:30. True to Zenith‘s aesthetic codes, the trio of azure counters features the brand’s traditional colors: silver, metallic and bluish. All indications relating to the measurement of short times – central second hand and small totalizer hands – are marked with a vermilion line.
Machined in steel, the 41mm-diameter, 13.60mm-thick case is water-resistant to 100m and incorporates two piston-type chronograph pushers on the right-hand side. It houses the high-frequency El Primero 3600 caliber (5hz, 36,000 vibrations per hour), a self-winding mechanical movement that provides an energy reserve of around two and a half days. This Chronomaster Sport Green is worn with a steel link bracelet or a strap with two green grooved rubber bands, which merge perfectly with the watch head to provide ideal comfort on the wrist.
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]]>There’s so much to say about the MP-10 Tourbillon Weight Energy System Titanium presented by Hublot at LVMH Watch Week, the first watchmaking event of the year held in Miami last January, that an entire book should be devoted to it! Indeed, this surprising timepiece, produced in a limited edition of 50, is packed with innovations. With no hands to indicate the time, and no dial to hide the mechanics, the watch frees itself from traditional codes to feature a vertical display on rollers.
Like a light yet solid armor, the bead-blasted titanium case measures 54.1×41.5mm, 22.4mm high, and houses two crowns, one at 12 o’clock for winding, the other retractable on the back for setting. It is topped by a curved sapphire crystal that stretches into three arms to better envelop the whole, and incorporates a magnifying glass to facilitate information gathering. Inscribed in white on a black background, the time can be read transparently from top to bottom, accompanied by triangular red markers: hours, minutes, power reserve indicator (48 hours) resting on a two-tone green and red disk, and seconds placed on the suspended, inclined cage of the openwork tourbillon.
In terms of motorization, this new Hublot with its complex architecture lives to the rhythm of the HUB9013 caliber, a 3hz automatic movement assembled with 592 components and wound by two linear, vertical, bidirectional white gold masses guided by shock absorbers. Ergonomic despite its impressive dimensions, the MP-10 Tourbillon Weight Energy System Titanium attaches to the wrist with two strands of checkerboard-textured black rubber, attached directly to the case with H-screws, and linked by a titanium folding clasp.
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]]>One hundred pieces. Not one more, not one less. This is the number of Mille Miglia Classic Chronograph “French Edition” watches that Chopard will create in 2024. Since 1998, the manufacture’s history has been linked to a classic sports car race, the 1000 Miglia, which weaves its way across Italian roads from Rome to Brescia. A watch imagined as a limited series celebrates this event every year. For this new opus, unveiled for the first time during the inauguration of the Rétromobile show in Paris, the timepiece has been designed around a 40.5 mm-diameter case crafted in Lucent SteelTM. This surgical-grade steel, made from 80% recycled materials, is still an incredible performer. It’s 50% harder than its conventional counterpart.
Time data takes advantage of the 2023 vintage’s ultra-visible scenescape but, here, the dial encircled by a midnight-blue tachymetric scale takes on a dazzling silvered hue. The chronograph and small seconds counters pursue with their tri-compax-positioned layout. The caseback’s sapphire crystal is adorned with two flags, a checkered one and a tri-colored one. The selfwinding caliber components can be admired below these pennants. This high-performing movement, boasting a power reserve of 54 hours, stands out with its accuracy. Its chronometry meets stringent COSC criteria. The Mille Miglia Classic Chronograph “French Edition” is worn on a dark blue calfskin strap. This wraparound’s perforations along with the piston-style pushers covered with an anti-slip pattern and the three-spoke steering wheel engraved on the crown conjure up yesteryear’s racers that breathe spirit and life into this timeless rally.
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]]>Even though, in Europe and the US, winged dragons are the stuff of fantasy where they unleash their reign of terror, in Eastern lands, the mythical creature takes on a totally different appearance and personality, bearing good fortune. Its presence is synonymous with harmony. The lunar cycle which begins on February 10th this year, gets the ball rolling for Chinese New Year where this friendly animal takes pride of place. To celebrate the event, an impressive gold-sculpted dragon takes center stage in openworked scenography driven by a duo of regulating devices. The Classique Double Tourbillon Dragon 5345 highlights Breguet‘s outstanding craftsmanship, in particular guilloché engraving. A disc in mother-of-pearl, symbol of wisdom to come for whoever holds it, completes this dreamlike work of art.
The 46 mm-diameter platinum case hosts the sophisticated 588N1 caliber, assembled using some 749 components. Finishes inherent to fine watchmaking set each of these off even more. This one-of-a-kind architecture enhances the timepiece’s style. The hand-wound movement also dazzles through its performance by delivering a power reserve of 60 hours to the traditional hour and minute hands which hover over a minute tracker set on a sapphire disc and Roman numerals nestling around the chapter ring. The translucent caseback unveils the bridges decorated with a stunning Clous de Paris pattern. What’s more, the manufacture invites each purchaser to have their own bespoke watch. They can choose the dragon’s color and shape. They can also customize the shade of the hands and the numerals as well as the hue of the alligator strap.
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]]>Zenith center staged the revamped design of its Pilot watch, inspired by the timepieces of aviation pioneers, during Watches & Wonders Geneva 2023. The newcomers are much more up-to-the-minute yet always stay true to their origins. For the Pilot Automatic Boutique Edition series, the ribbed dial takes on a mysterious blue hue, on a par with the indefinable tinge where the sky and the Earth merge as twilight comes around. On top, the hour chapter comprising large Arabic numerals adorned with white Super-LumiNova® SLN C1 provides a striking contrast. As such, time data reading is still optimal no matter the conditions of light. Everything is hosted in a 40 mm-diameter steel case topped with a bezel. Both of these items boast an elegant vertical satin-brushed finish. A discreet date sits at 6 o’clock under a white dash conjuring up the artificial horizon marker seen in aircraft cockpit instruments.
The large hands and direct-drive, featuring the same luminescent paint, are driven by the El Primero 3620 SC caliber. This selfwinding movement beats at a high frequency of 36,000 vibrations an hour. It’s incredibly-accurate and also a great performer. It delivers a comfortable power reserve of 60 hours. The manufacture has rolled out a duo if easily-interchangeable straps to accompany its Pilot Automatic Boutique Edition, a blue Cordura-effect rubber one and a calfskin one attached by a folding clasp. And, no matter which you choose, you can be sure it’ll be a perfect match.
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]]>Anyone who has had the good fortune of discovering the manufacture knows that a fascinating workshop devoted to restoring historic pieces is to be found within. The past is never cast aside at Parmigiani. Its rich heritage today enables the creation of exceptional watches like L’Armoriale Pocket Watch. This fine-watchmaking piece invites to admire down to the finest detail thanks to the precise, delicate work of craftspeople, experts in métiers d’art. The white gold case dazzles with its sumptuous handmade adornments. Its caseback center stages a striking composition imagined using Grand Feu enameling. The pattern fashioned by engraver Eddy Jaquet and the colors chosen take their inspiration from the floors of the prestigious Palazzo Te located in the city of Mantua in Lombardy.
Its dial takes on a russet-tinged brown hue, engraved with a “mezzo vibrato” theme. Above, a host of features come to life animated by a movement that reiterates the impressive architecture of an 1890 caliber. This sophisticated mechanism, equipped with a minute repeater, hasn’t just been restored, it’s been remarkably upgraded with a perpetual calendar, which governs the day, date, month, Moon phased and leap year displays. What’s more, this piece also boasts a chronograph complication with central small seconds. The traditional opening on the back of the pocket watch invites to admire the workings and the magnificent finishes on the components. Art and craftsmanship engage in an intricate dialog that is totally spellbinding in L’Armoriale Pocket Watch.
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]]>For the first time ever, Longines unveils a watch honoring the new zodiacal and lunar era, which kicks off on February 10th, 2024. The dawning of the cycle of the Dragon, a symbol of good omen, comes to life through the Flagship Heritage Year of the Dragon series. This collector piece stands out with its domed dial, dressed in intense gradient-hued red that veers to black. In this flamboyant scenescape, the golden hour and minute hands hover over an hour chapter comprising eleven fine markers set off with the same solar hue. At 6 o’clock, the Moon phases are coupled with a hand-pointed date display. All these stylistic details endow this timepiece with an elegant personality enhanced with resolutely oriental-vintage adornments.
Zinan Lam, showcased as an emerging artist on the Chinese stage, takes on a contemporary approach here by creating a mix of traditional painting and Western graffiti. Yet, when it comes to the mythical creature’s head on this piece, he chose to be deliciously understated. This artwork decorates the screwed back of the 38.5 mm-diameter steel case. The Flagship Heritage Year of the Dragon model is driven by the L899.5 caliber. The presence of a single-crystal silicon balance spring makes this selfwinding movement insensitive to the negative effects of magnetic fields. What’s more, its optimized design means it boasts a comfortable power reserve of around 72 hours. When tradition keeps company with modernity.
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]]>Chinese New Year kicks off on February 10th under the sign of the Wood Dragon. A spirit of power and good luck characterizes this period said to be highly-auspicious, up until January 28th, 2025. Will watchmaking enjoy this boon? Well, while we wait for the final verdict, a host of limited editions are rolled out to celebrate the event. Hublot‘s Spirit of Big Bang Titanium Dragon stands out among them all with the incredible illustration of the legendary creature decorating its dial. This creation was entrusted to the artist Chen Fenwan, a graduate of the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Art. This timepiece takes on her chromatic pink-dominated world and draws its inspiration from the paper sculpting technique she masters. The finished design breathes life into spectacular multi-level scenography.
The HUB1710 caliber beats inside the 42 mm-diameter, satin-brushed and polished titanium case, waterproof to depths of 100 meters. This selfwinding movement, assembled using some 166 components, delivers autonomy of 50 hours to the hour and minute hands, when the watch isn’t being worn. The Loong‘s body winds its way over a surprising strap clasped by a folding buckle. To obtain a dragon-skin pattern, Hublot used hand-crafted rubber marquetry for the first time ever. As such, the scales are infused with the hues of the dial, thanks to the nano-vulcanization technique. Perfect for molting in up-to-the-minute style.
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]]>Among the plethora of watch creations inaugurating the lunar New Year, Chopard stands out from the crowd by embracing métiers d’art. The 88-piece L.U.C XP Urushi Year of the Dragon limited series boasts a one-of-a-kind dial handcrafted in Japan. Minori Koizumi, a master craftsman known for his mastery of 100% eco-friendly lacquer, who works at Yamada Heiando, a firm founded in Tokyo in 1919, chose to use the traditional, delicate Maki-e technique. The lacquered surface is sprinkled with metal powder, in this instance, gold. An impressive gold-hued oriental dragon, reigning in this glittering scenescape, clasps a mother-of-pearl gem, symbolizing happiness, wisdom as well as knowledge for whomever holds it.
This harmonious composition, over which golden dauphine-type hour and minute hands hover, nestles in an extra-slim 39.50 mm-diameter, just 6.80 mm-high case, sculpted in 18-karat ethical rose gold. This precious container protects the L.U.C 96-17-L caliber, assembled using some 208 components, including an off-centered micro-rotor and Cotes de Genève-decorated bridges. Although this selfwinding movement is extremely fine, just 3.30 mm thick, it delivers a dazzling performance. The presence of two stacked barrels (Chopard Twin technology) ensures the device offers the watch a comfortable power reserve of 65 hours. As we enter the year of the Wood Dragon and the end of a full 12-year cycle, Chopard plans to showcase a set of its twelve L.U.C XP Urushi watches imagined since 2013.
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]]>To celebrate the dawning of the era of the Dragon (Loong in Chinese) as the lunar New Year comes around, TAG Heuer invites collectors to discover two exclusive Carrera Chronograph Year of the Dragon editions. Both are imagined around a 42 mm-diameter case, one in steel, the other in 18K 5N rose gold, respectively rolled out in 300 and 50 pieces.
The satin-brushed, silvered or golden dial, based on the version chosen, comprises a traditional composition with two bi-compax-positioned counters. This duo stands out, however, as it adorns a wine hue. This same red shade sets off the lacquered central hand as well as the alligator strap that completes the watches. In this scenography that places the emphasis on the color that symbolizes good fortune and happiness in the Middle Kingdom, another detail catches the eye. The name of the mythical animal written in calligraphic script at 6 o’clock. All these timepieces are delivered in a vermilion-hued presentation box imagined specifically for this creation. Time data on all models is driven by a selfwinding movement, equipped with a column wheel and vertical clutch. In these series, it boasts an openworked oscillating weight decorated with an oriental dragon, unveiled through the sapphire-crystal caseback. Yet, it’s not this friendly chimera’s fiery breath that breathes life into the Carrera Chronograph Year of the Dragon but the Heuer 02 caliber which delivers powerful 80-hour autonomy to the pieces.
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]]>Richard Mille and Louvre Abu Dhabi are delighted to present Nabla Yahya, the third winner of the Richard Mille Art Prize – whose work was celebrated under the Louvre Abu Dhabi dome in a ceremony on January 24th. Nabla Yahya (b. 1993, Abu Dhabi) is a multi-disciplinary artist whose work Soft Bank, was one of eight pieces shortlisted for the Art Here 2023 exhibition, which opened to public in November 2023. Soft Bank (2023), Nabla’s winning installation, offered an amalgamation of her extensive research into the obscure and neglected history pertaining to the initial construction of the Suez Canal. Using a three-dimensional cartographic representation of the 164km Suez Canal, her figurative approach to this year’s Art Here theme, ‘Transparencies’, challenged observers to contemplate the role of cultural hegemony at the cost of what is todays Suez Canal. Soft Bank expands on the disregarded details that were made inconsequential, thus conceptualizing her interpretation of ‘Transparencies’. This theme explored the dynamics of transparency as well as its material and perceptual significance. Presented for the first time under the museum’s symbolic dome, the exhibition delved into the interplay of shadows, liquid reflections, and flashes of permeating sunlight provided by this location. Nabla Yahya was selected by a distinguished six-member jury, led by H.H. Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, an Advisor to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), Chairman of UAE Unlimited, an art collector, and a patron of the Centre Pompidou, the British Museum and Sharjah Art Foundation. Joining him are Dr. Souraya Noujaim, Director of the Islamic Arts department at Musée du Louvre in France, and former Director for Scientific, Curatorial and Collections Management at Louvre Abu Dhabi; Maya El Khalil, independent curator and art advisor, former Founding Director of Athr Gallery in Jeddah, and curator of Louvre Abu Dhabi Art Here 2023; Clare Lilley, Director of Yorkshire Sculpture Park, the selector of the annual Frieze Sculpture in London’s Regent’s Park 2012- 22 and a trustee of Art UK, London, the George Rickey Foundation, New York, and the Jupiter Artland Foundation, Edinburgh; Dr. Guilhem André, Acting Director for Scientific, Curatorial and Collections Management at Louvre Abu Dhabi, seasoned museum professional, expert archaeologist and art historian; and Mohammed Kazem, a renowned Emirati artist previously shortlisted for the 2021 edition of Art Here. The Richard Mille Art Prize and Louvre Abu Dhabi Art Here serve as a platform to showcase contemporary artists from the region working with a diversity of mediums. Each year, the exhibition sees several artists selected through an open call for proposals, each presenting an artwork that responds to a unique thematic.
HE Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of Louvre Abu Dhabi, said: “Part of our driving mission is to ensure we support and empower artists in Abu Dhabi, the UAE and beyond, providing the conditions for creative innovation and artistic expression to flourish. The Louvre Abu Dhabi Art Here exhibition and accompanying Richard Mille Art Prize are an important platform for GCC-based contemporary artists to demonstrate the talent present in the region, further raising Abu Dhabi’s profile as a centre for culture and creativity.”
Maya El Khalil, curator of Louvre Abu Dhabi Art Here 2023, said: “Each artist in the exhibition provided a surprising and novel engagement with the theme. The multidimensionality of Nabla Yayha’s work ultimately made the award a unanimous decision. SoftBank approaches the idea of ‘Transparencies’ indirectly – interrogating difficult histories that are treated as unseen when they should be confronted. The details of the work shed light on the invisible currents of finance, trade, and labour that structure the region. It is both a brilliant response to the theme and a significant work with the astute complexity that is a hallmark of Nabla’s practice and thinking – we are all excited to see what she does in future.”
“I am deeply honored to receive the 2023 Richard Mille Art Prize. This recognition is a testament to the power of art to transcend boundaries and illuminate hidden histories. ‘SoftBank’ is not just an installation; it’s a dialogue between the past and the present, a reflection on the Suez Canal’s transformation. This award fuels my commitment to exploring untold stories and challenging perspectives through my work. Thank you to Louvre Abu Dhabi and Richard Mille Art Prize for championing creativity and providing a platform to contemporary artists like me.” Said Nabla Yahya, winner of the 2023 Richard Mille Art Prize.
For more details on the Art Prize please visit www.artprize.richardmille.com
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]]>Traveling the globe expands your mind, no matter the means of transport you choose. Since time immemorial, Longines has been on hand to accompany every journey with a reliable, elegant timepiece. The new 500-piece limited series enhancing The Longines Master Collection keep this desire alive. The GMT model, rolled out in yellow gold and rose gold, invites you to go first class. On the frosted-finished silvered dial, the traditional leaf-shaped hands hover over an hour chapter made up of Roman numerals. A fourth hand, dressed in black, completes its rotations in 24 hours. The scale running around the flange makes reading this easier. A date nestling at 6 o’clock completes this well-spaced composition.
All the time data is driven by the L844.5 caliber protected by the 40 mm-diameter, 10.40 mm-thick case. This selfwinding movement stands out through its ability to resist the negative effects of magnetic fields. And, thanks to the presence of a silicon balance spring, amongst other components, this mechanism boasts resistance that’s ten times greater than the ISO 764 benchmark standard. What’s more, it delivers 72 hours of autonomy to the watch when it’s not being worn. The sapphire-crystal caseback invites to delight in some of the components in action. To create perfect harmony, the Longines Master Collection GMT comes complete with anthracite-gray leather straps clasped by a pin buckle in a hue that matches the case.
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]]>Highly-colorful, hand-embroidered folk-style dresses twirl to the rhythm of traditional instrumental music played by mariachis on guitar. Movements flow seamlessly, brilliantly during the well-known Mexican hat dance, aka the Jarabe Tapatio. In 2017, Hermès froze this sumptuous choreography on a delicate silk scarf. Today, it literally comes to life in two limited, numbered Arceau Belles du Mexique series, each rolled out in just 12 pieces. On an orange or raspberry dial, based on the version chosen, applique-style miniature paintings create striking scenography. A bird’s eye view that zooms onto a ballet in motion, because among the dancers depicted, seven of them, poised on a free axis, start to rotate as soon as the wrist moves. They twirl and whirl around themselves on a central disc set with a ring of 23 diamonds. What’s more 82 of these precious stones also dazzle on the bezel.
This colorful composition reigns in a 38 mm-diameter white gold case that hosts the H1912 caliber. This selfwinding movement delivers a power reserve of 50 hours to the waltzing hour and minute hands whenever the timepiece isn’t being worn. And, to ensure the look is perfectly esthetic, each of the Arceau Belles du Mexique watches is complemented by an alligator strap in a matching color. Hermès is without any doubt the choreographer of time.
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]]>As 2024 dawns and Rafael Nadal’s back with a blast on courts looking for new feats, Richard Mille unveils a new variation of its RM 35-03 Automatic Rafael Nadal fashioned, this time round, with a Carbon TPT® case. This composite, the brand’s technical signature, endows the watch with its assets of lightness and sturdiness, and infuses it with a one-of-a-kind spirit. The black and gray tones, along with the random pattern inherent to this material heighten the sporty look and, at the same time, add a dash of mystery. Inside the layered, skeletonized dial, the original geometry of the bridges becomes the scenescape for the hours and minutes ticking by, as well as for the can’t-do-without winding indicator and the function selector display.
The existence of a sapphire-crystal caseback unveils one of the secrets that gift the RMAL2 caliber with its awesome performances. This automatic movement boasts an innovative rotor. A tap on the pusher set at 7 o’clock shifts the timepiece’s center of gravity. As such, the oscillating weight changes from a classical semi-circle look to a butterfly. This action halts the winding process and ensures that the rotor doesn’t spin around at top speed anytime the wearer’s doing an intensive sporting activity. Effort and comfort are but one.
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]]>Like the powerhouse four-wheel drives flying high Rebellion‘s colors as they kick off the 46th edition of the Dakar, two 15-piece limited series were showcased before the first stage. This duo conjures up the legendary rally-raid through its one-of-a-kind design. In a nutshell, a black monochrome scenography is set off with dashes of gold adorning the time data displays. What’s more, Super-Luminova® makes these features ever-so easy to read. This highly-contrasting composition reigns in the impressive 48 mm-diameter carbon-crafted case of the Predator 2.0 3 Hands and the Predator Chronograph Dakar 2024. This composite, the rebel watchmaker’s signature, boasts high-tech and stylistic assets. Basically, the fiber is endowed with remarkable mechanical properties. It’s 75% lighter than steel and 10 times more resistant. The random markings obtained make these timepieces even more unique.
Swiss Made calibers, nestling under the honeycomb-patterned dials drive the ballet of the hands accurately. Both models enjoy the same power reserve of 48 hours. A sapphire-crystal caseback invites to admire some of the components, in particular the honeycomb-forged oscillating weight. And, to enhance their sporty look even more, the Predator 2.0 3 Hands and Predator Chronograph Dakar 2024 are worn on sandy-colored straps, a hue that’s a tip of the hat to the Saudi scenescapes the racers speed through. The call of the desert forever on wrists.
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]]>Recently, Oris has adopted bronze in two of its emblematic collections, Divers Sixty-Five and Big Crown, ranges populated by modern models inspired by the Swiss brand’s heritage. The latter, in fact, takes up the codes established by its first watch for aviators, unveiled in 1938 and produced without interruption until the present day. It has been chosen to symbolize the partnership with the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) through the Big Crown Pointer Date Father Time Limited Edition. Part of its name comes from the cast-iron Father Time weathervane overlooking Lord’s, the MCC’s London stadium, depicting the silhouette of an old man observing the passage of time. As the work was donated to the club in 1926, the Hölstein watchmaker used this figure to set the availability of its new model at 1,926 pieces.
Punctuated by a fine bezel and screw-down crown, both covered with fluting, the bronze case measures 40mm in diameter and features Father Time engraved in relief on its steel back. The case houses the Oris caliber 754, a 4hz movement with automatic winding by bidirectional oscillating weight, based on a Sellita SW 200-1 and providing a 38-hour power reserve.
The white dial, protected by a domed sapphire crystal, hosts a quartet of golden hands: two cathedral-style luminescent hands point to the large Arabic numerals and hour-markers on the black railway track to indicate the hours and minutes, a baton-shaped one displays the seconds, while the last, ending in a fleshy, red-varnished three-pointed star, highlights the current date. The Big Crown Pointer Date Father Time Limited Edition is worn with a choice of a bronze link bracelet with folding clasp or two strands of café au lait-colored Cervo Volante deer leather, both of which are supplied as standard.
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]]>The personality of a watch, its instant identification when recognized on the wrist with a simple glance, is the first mission that every designer sets himself. This is typically the case for the Tambour watch, born in 2002 and the emblem of Louis Vuitton watchmaking, whose incomparable curves were redesigned after celebrating its 20th anniversary. Made more ergonomic thanks in particular to the absence of lugs allowing the metal bracelet to merge seamlessly with the case, its refined morphology nonetheless retains the physical assets and visual codes that have made it such a success and, after the two steel models unveiled in 2023, embraces the warm reflections of gold with three new pieces: Tambour Gold.
The generously curved sides of its 40mm-diameter, 8.3mm-thick case feature the capital letters of the Parisian Maison’s name, inscribed in polished relief. Available in rose or yellow gold, or in steel with a few golden touches here and there (fluted crown stamped with the initials LV, bezel as thin as a wedding band, central links of the bracelet, and triangular hour-markers, luminescent Arabic numerals and dauphine-style hands), the case houses the LFT023 caliber. This self-winding movement, designed by La Fabrique du Temps in collaboration with Le Cercle des Horlogers, is equipped with a micro-rotor, vibrates at the standard 4hz frequency and delivers a 50-hour power reserve. What’s more, its precision is guaranteed by the Geneva Chronometric Observatory. The colors of the faces, on which the hour and minute displays and the small seconds counter (at 6 o’clock) unfold in concentric circles, are harmoniously matched to the metal colors of these three Tambour Gold: chocolate brown, immaculate white or silver-gray.
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]]>From Burj Khalifa, Cayan Tower, Burj Al Arab, Atlantis to The Palm, to name but a few… steel, glass and concrete create architecture that knows no limit in Dubai. Here, inventiveness reigns supreme. The city with the highest population in the United Arab Emirates is also in a class of its own given its savvy ability to organize global events. In addition to the latest COP28, the city hosts the Dubai Watch Week. This watch show, which has become a must-of-musts, offers prestigious brands the opportunity to unveil new pieces for the first time. And, it was during this show that TAG Heuer center staged its Tourbillon H02T Dubai Skyline Limited Edition. This watch, issued in a limited series of just 12 pieces, and reiterating the key features of the original model, combines a 45 mm-diameter black PVD-coated titanium case with a spectacular openworked dial encircles by a bezel boasting a carbon tachymetric scale. On top, the markers and chronograph counters, dressed in deep blue, stand out from the anthracite-adorned features. The tourbillon in its carbon and titanium cage at 6 o’clock breathes life into the sculptural composition.
The regulating device houses the Heuer 02T caliber. This selfwinding movement excels as its chronometry is COSC-certified. What’s more, in this timepiece, the movement keeps all its secrets under wrap. In a nutshell, the traditional sapphire-crystal caseback is replaced by a closed alternative illustrating Dubai’s iconic skyline shot with a fisheye lens. Incredibly impressive.
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]]>Long before touchscreens invaded the world, Tissot had already innovated with its T-Touch in 1999. At the time, you could browse through its menus just by touching its sapphire crystal. Since then, this watch offering a host of possibilities has embraced a wide array of technological improvements. This time round, the brand unveils an impatiently-awaited upgrade with its T-Touch Connect Sport, the first-ever model equipped with sport and health functions. The different colored variations, imagined around a versatile 43.75 mm-diameter titanium, black PVD or rose gold PVD case, waterproof to depths of 50 meters, are equipped with a bright AMOLED screen that ensures excellent data readability under any condition of light.
Thanks to its operating system, monitoring activities like running and cycling becomes child’s play. All the data collected (speed, heart rate, calories, etc.) are transmitted to a smartphone once the dedicated app has been downloaded. As such, the wearer can check their progress over the long term at any time. What’s more, the interfacing with an iOS, Android or Harmony phone also integrates notifications. The T-Touch Connect Sport‘s battery is another of its strong points. It boasts solar cells which mean it has unlimited autonomy when used as a watch, 6 months when used in standard connected mode and 3 months in sport connected mode. In a nutshell, this model has everything it takes to become a can’t-do-without partner on a daily basis.
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]]>When the Arceau watch was born in 1978 under the stroke of his pencil, energized by his creative spirit, Henri d’Origny may have been unaware that he had just imagined both a watchmaking icon and a blank canvas ready to host all the mechanical and artistic fantasies of Hermès. 45 years later, his work has become the ambassador of a unique style, as demonstrated by the Arceau Costume de Fête duo unveiled at the end of this year, just in time to celebrate the transition to the next. Inspired by a silk square of the same name created towards the end of 2019 by Jan Bajtlik, a young Warsaw-born artist who has been collaborating with the Parisian Maison for around seven years, this pair reveals, in miniature format, the beauty of Polish traditions, typical Krakow costumes and the local art of paper-cutting.
The original fabric designed by Jan Bajtlik represents a corset richly decorated with meticulous multicolored details. Under the left shoulder of this sleeveless garment rises a horse, a scene chosen to be transposed onto the dials of these two models. With great dexterity, Hermès craftsmen affixed two parts to the base of a metal disc: a half-moon decoration representing a pearl motif, made from a succession of layers of micro-paint to add volume, and a fine leather marquetry to give life to the frame. On the harness and finery of the emblematic Hermès animal, front paws proudly erect, small sequins have been sewn with copper thread. At the heart of this thousand-tone tableau, two slender silvery or golden hands mark the hours and minutes in time with the automatic H1912 caliber. This Manufacture movement beats at the standard 4hz frequency and provides a 50-hour power reserve when fully wound. It is housed in a white or pink gold case, topped by a bezel lined with a ribbon of 82 diamonds, which is attached to the wrist by a strap in pink Sakura or electric blue Swift calfskin.
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]]>Far from the Swiss shores of Leman Lake, where its headquarters are located, Alpina has flown to New York to inaugurate a new boutique on the prestigious Fifth Avenue, which it shares with its sister brands belonging to the Citizen Watch America group. For the Geneva-based company, this latest step in CWA’s strategy represents the opportunity to present in “the city that never sleeps” a muscly version, or rather, two muscly versions of its sports watch successfully redesigned in 2022: Alpiner Extreme Chronograph Automatic.
A complication dear to dynamic souls who are always on the move, short-time measurement is a matter of course on the dial, which features Alpina‘s signature triangular motif and three azure counters at the bottom. Dressed in white for the midnight-blue model or black for the light-gray variant, these sub-dials feature dauphine-style hands highlighted by a line of Super-LumiNova®, as do the central hour and minute markers and the applied hour-markers curved by a matching flange. The second hand powering the two totalizers (minutes at 3 o’clock and hours at 6 o’clock) bears the famous red triangle as a counterweight. A small seconds hand at 9 o’clock and a date display in a metal-framed window at 4:30 complete the time information.
These functions are clocked by the automatic AL-730 caliber, which beats at the standard 4hz frequency and delivers more than two days of power reserve. Its blackened oscillating weight is visible through the transparent back of the steel case. Cushion shaped with generous dimensions (41×42.4mm and 14.30mm thick), the sturdy case naturally integrates the two elongated pushers that control the chronograph and echo the gently angular overall silhouette, including the reinforcement along its left flank. For added comfort on the wrist, the Alpiner Extreme Chronograph Automatic is worn with a steel link bracelet and folding clasp secured by a pair of buttons.
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]]>The vermilion hue is often associated with passionate love, and it’s precisely this vivid yet profound shade that Breguet has chosen to scatter a few notes here and there on its Reine de Naples 8925. Limited to just 28 pieces, this most elegant timepiece for women’s wrists, inspired by the special relationship between Caroline Murat (1782-1839) and her watchmaker Abraham-Louis Breguet (1747-1823), who created the first wristwatch for her between 1810 and 1812, not only celebrates this pure, noble and furiously exhilarating sentiment on Valentine’s Day, but also delivers a message of eternal emotion 365 days a year.
A fine band of 66 rubies affixed along the flange embraces with its flamboyance the oval of the diaphanous face made of natural white mother-of-pearl, a rounded silhouette followed by the long line of black-lacquered Breguet numerals. Off-centered at 6 o’clock, a circle of dark dotted lines intersected by small scarlet hearts placed every five minutes, hosts a pair of Breguet-style hands. Their short, red-varnished bodies end in a hollowed “apple“ and a point to indicate the hours and minutes.
The ovoid white gold case with fluted sides measures 33×24.95mm and is 8.5mm thick. 73 diamonds adorn the bezel like a sparkling ribbon and line the spherical attachment, while a cabochon ruby punctuates the crown at 4 o’clock. This precious case houses the calibre 586/1, an automatic movement with a silicon balance spring, indispensable for its precision and longevity, beating at a gentle 3hz frequency and providing 38 hours of power reserve. This exclusive Reine de Naples 8925 is worn on the wrist thanks to two strands of coral red alligator leather linked by a buckle covered with 28 brilliants.
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]]>Let’s go green. Much more than just a trend, it’s a must… Basically, the plant color has definitely bloomed this year on timepieces, infusing them with a dash of lightness and mildness. Speake Marin‘s new star-of-the-show in its collections, aka its Ripples model, enjoys the advantages of the chlorophyll hue in this Ripples Metallic Green version. Thanks to the presence of vertical waves on the dial, light and shade place the accent on the markers, the Big Ben hour and minute hands and the small seconds off-centered at 1:30. This delightful scenography poises in an elegant steel-crafted case that flaunts an iconic up-to-the-minute size of 40.30 mm in diameter and 9.20 mm in height.
Like all the references in the range, this edition limited to just 60 pieces is complemented by a bracelet fashioned with alternating polished and satin-brushed metal links. This wraparound fuses perfectly with the case and ensures the piece is ever-so comfortable to wear. Time data is still driven by the SMA03-T caliber, finalized using some 144 components. This selfwinding movement, developed and assembled in the Swiss workshops, delivers 52 hours of power reserve to the Ripples Metallic Green. The sapphire-crystal caseback invites to admire the traditional finishes, in particular the rhodium-plated Côtes de Genève patterns that decorate the hand-polished, beveled bridges. We also discover the existence of a tungsten micro-rotor, useful for supplying energy. Green, of course…
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]]>“Shooting star: a piece of rock from space that produces a bright light as it travels through the earth’s atmosphere“. If the Cambridge Dictionnary’s definition focuses on astronomy, it also applies to the Defy Extreme Mirror watch. Indeed, this new Zenith creation has the same brilliance as a star awake in the dead of night, with a case that reflects the day with the same fidelity as a mirror. This retranscription of reality, of the person who wears it on his or her wrist as he or she enquires about the passage of time, and of the immediate environment, makes it a unique object of its kind.
Although its appearance is somewhat reminiscent of the Defy Extreme Glacier model presented earlier this year, the designers at the Le Locle manufacture have taken the art of taming clarity one step further. With its famous round bezel supported by a dodecagonal ring, the 45mm-diameter case, to which the matching link bracelet is perfectly attached for enhanced ergonomics, is clothed in mirror-polished steel. It houses the El Primero 9004 caliber, part of whose gear train is visible from the front, while its sapphire-glassed back offers a full view of the silvered star-shaped oscillating weight. This self-winding movement has two independent escapements (5hz for the running time and 50hz for the 1/100th of a second chronograph function) powering two different power reserves (50 hours and 50 minutes).
Made of mirror-tinted synthetic glass, the dial features a graduated flange and luminescent hour-markers, with hours and minutes in the center and seconds in a counter at 9 o’clock. Chronograph totalizers, also encircled by azure rings, appear at 3 and 6 o’clock, while the large second hand with its star-shaped counterweight makes one revolution per second. At 12 o’clock, a pointer indicator measures the amount of energy remaining. Two additional black straps are supplied with this Zenith, one in rubber with a folding clasp, the other in Velcro®, which can be attached to the case in a jiffy thanks to the quick-change system, radically transforming the style of the whole.
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]]>“The quality of being graceful and stylish in appearance or manner.” The definition of elegance given by any good dictionary evokes appearance. Yet, should it not also mention acoustic adornments? To see for yourself, you just need to listen to and enjoy the notes diffused by Chopard‘s L.U.C Strike One watch. This timepiece, flaunting an hour-strike that chimes each passing hour on a mono-block sapphire-crystal gong, akin to the crystal that covers the case, sounds out soft melodies on demand. How on Earth could you not fall under the spell of the delicacy of these crystal-clear musical arrangements! They ring out through the model’s refined 40 mm-diameter, 9.86 mm-slim ethical white gold case.
This new variation boasts a verdigris-hued dial obtained by galvanic treatment. Its center features a hand-guilloché engraved honeycomb pattern. This graphic scenography is embraced by a snailed hour chapter with concentric circles. The ensemble infuses this 25-piece, numbered limited edition with a rather sophisticated personality. Each scale played is brought to life masterfully by the L.U.C 96.32-L caliber, assembled using some 275 components. This selfwinding movement also dazzles through its performance. In addition to its comfortable 65-hour power reserve, obtained thanks to twin barrels, its chronometry is COSC-certified. What’s more, the entire watch meets Poinçon de Genève (Geneva Seal) criteria. With this LU.C. Strike One version, rigor pursues its route hand-in-hand with excellence.
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]]>The exciting creative adventure between Takashi Murakami and Hublot takes the fusion of artistic beauty and mechanical prowess to a new level, as demonstrated by their latest joint creation. After the limited editions Classic Fusion Takashi Murakami All Black, Sapphire Rainbow and Black Ceramic, featuring a corolla lined with a range of colorful gems (black diamonds, rubies, blue, yellow, orange or pink sapphires, amethysts, tsavorites, among others), the famous radiant flower from the specialist in Superflat, a contemporary movement strongly influenced by the world of Japanese pop culture, “japanimation” and manga graphics, opts for limpid bliss. With the MP-15 Takashi Murakami Tourbillon Sapphire, a spectacular horological composition produced in 50 pieces, the crystalline material is magnified with the same force as the most precious metal.
“Up until now, my work has focused on color. It was a really exciting challenge to start a whole new chapter focussing on absolute transparency. The forms and volumes are perceived completely differently”, explains the Tokyo-born artist. The twelve delicately machined sapphire crystal petals shape the unique, curved silhouette of the 42mm-diameter, 13.40mm-thick case with an almost organic softness. This roundness echoes the hyaline fluted crown.
As a tubular finial, under the joyful gaze and blissful smile of the stylized daisy, the dial in diaphanous composite resin supports a central tourbillon on which are secured the two white hands trimmed with a dark border. These indicate the hours and minutes by pointing towards the luminescent hour-markers affixed to an anthracite ring towards the top. Assembled with 236 extremely openworked components to diffuse the light freely, the hand-wound HUB9015 caliber beats at the quiet frequency of 3hz and provides, via a pair of barrels, an energy reserve of close to 150 hours (more than six days), the average life of a lovely bouquet.
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]]>State-of-the-artness and stylistics interact fabulously in Armin Strom‘s Tribute 1 watch unveiled in 2021, thanks to the firm’s one-of-a-kind know-how. The four never-seen-before variations rolled out as the year comes to an end champion this distinctive character. They all boast a colored dial that displays hours, minutes and seconds. An ever-so subtle gradient-toned fumé hue, like the ones imagined back in the 70s, contrasts amazingly with the impressive traditional guilloché engraving that surrounds it. Each Tribute 1 Fumé version, be it the gray, red, light blue or dark blue dial, is available in just 10 pieces, and is worn on a gray Alcantara calfskin strap attached by a folding clasp.
Like the previous creations, these Tribute 1 Fumé timepieces are driven by the AMW21 caliber, equipped with a flat hairspring and a variable inertia balance wheel. This manual-winding movement, assembled using at least 135 components, delivers a substantial 100-hour power reserve. The barrel anchored by a stylized bridge set at 5 o’clock and decorated with the inscription “Manual winding – One hundred hours of power reserve” reflects the device’s performance. The crown, off-centered at 2 o’clock, ensures setting and winding actions are ever-so easy. The sapphire-crystal back of the 38 mm-diameter, 9.38 mm-high steel case invites to admire the handcrafted finishes on the baseplate and bridges, to name but two. In short, perfection’s not an option.
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]]>For Louis Moinet, luxury isn’t just a marketing buzzword. As such, with its Jules Verne Tourbillon model, the independent brand offers us much more than a simple limited series. Bespokeness is at the very heart of this watch and its dial. The future owner can actually choose a fragment of lapis lazuli, opal or even lunar meteorite as the centerpiece. And, for each material, eight alternatives are proposed.
Whichever option is chosen, it’s married with a special delicate hand-engraved guilloché design. Solar hues blend in the Mystery Island version, ocean blues come into play in the Under the Sea model, and enigmatic green variations jazz up To the Moon. The relief created under transparent lacquer comes to life with play on shade and light. And, whilst the hour and minute hands tick over their respective revolutions, a flying tourbillon whirls and twirls meticulously at 6 o’clock. This harmonious ensemble reigns in a 40.7 mm-diameter polished and satin-brushed 18-karat red gold case. Each Jules Verne Tourbillon is issued in just eight pieces. All are complemented by a black leather strap. A high-performing manual-winding movement nestles inside this elegant case. Two barrels arranged head-to-tail, one over the other ensure the piece stores a considerable amount of energy. Once fully wound, this device delivers 96 hours of power reserve. A perfect way to head off on a fascinating journey far from industrial standards.
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]]>In 1959, Longines unveiled a diver boasting outstanding assets. Its case middle stood out with its two crowns. One placed at 4 o’clock was used to set the time and wind the caliber, whilst the other at 2 o’clock let the wearer move the 60-minute graduated bidirectional internal bezel. The aim of this option was to offer underwater explorers a real high-performing tool. As upgrades were rolled out, the 42 mm-diameter case became increasingly waterproof, moving from a depth of 120 to 300 meters. What’s more, every version was absolutely in line with the trends of the times it had been imagined for. The novel Legend Diver 39 mm pursues this score. Given its slimmer size, the references showcased are more versatile, suit all wrists, yet never undermine the collection-specific technical and stylistic qualities.
In short, time data on the blue or black dial, topped with Super-LumiNova®, is still wonderfully-easy to read. The Legend Diver 39 mm is fully compliant with the ISO 6425 standard inherent to dive watches. Moreover, it hosts a high-performing, accurate L888.6 caliber. This selfwinding movement’s chronometry is certified by the COSC. It also delivers a comfortable power reserve of 72 hours. To ensure it goes amazingly well with every style and is perfectly at home on both land and under the oceans, these timepieces are worn on a metal bracelet or on a brown NATO-type leather strap.
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]]>Abraham-Louis Breguet’s invention, officially created on June 26, 1801, is forever wowing us with its ability to adapt. In short, Breguet‘s sportiest collection is joined by two new references boasting the famous tourbillon, completing its revolutions in 60 seconds, this time round. The regulating device reigns at 5 o’clock on a sunburst-finished slate or blue dial. The Marine Tourbillon 5577 models are, as such, rolled out in two versions, both utterly precious, one in rose gold, the other in platinum. Both are designed around a 42.5 mm-diameter, 9.35 mm-slim case, waterproof to depths of 100 meters. This sleekness is all down to the extra-thin 581 caliber that stands at just 3 mm high.
The selfwinding movement stands out through its performances. The presence of a silicon balance spring make it insensitive to the negative effects of magnetic fields, in other words, a sure pledge of accuracy. What’s more, it flaunts a comfortable power reserve of 80 hours. During this period, the device drives the “apple”-shaped hour and minute hands coated with luminescent material, which hover over an hour chapter comprising Roman numerals. Last but not least, the Marine Tourbillon 5577 reveals a host of its other features via the sapphire-crystal caseback. We discover the tourbillon’s hidden face, as well as the delicate decorations of the peripheral oscillating weight. To top everything off, a magnificent compass rose adorns the barrel drum. It goes without saying that Breguet is definitely pursuing the superlative fine watching path.
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]]>With its RM 21-02 Tourbillon Aerodyne watch, Richard Mille showcases its first-ever creation equipped with a baseplate crafted in Haynes® 214®. This nickel-chromium-aluminum-iron alloy stands out through its oxidation resistance which is much greater than practically all alternatives as it resists temperature of over 955°C. Although its mainly used for manufacturing special pieces in the aeronautical field, the watchmaker from Les Breuleux found a totally-different purpose for it by combining it with Carbon TPT®. When paired together, these two materials offer incredible rigidness and, among other things, excellent ability to take on torsion. In addition to its assets, this duo is also highly-stylistic with its charming honeycomb pattern. In a nutshell, this is what serves as a scenescape for the remarkable architecture of the RM21-02 caliber, a manual-winding tourbillon movement.
And, as in all Richard Mille‘s production, engineering and design are but one. For this variation issued in just 50 pieces, the brand went for a dynamic two-tone scenography. Light and shade adorning the skeletonized dial, center staging the time data, the power reserve and torque indicators, gifts this case-strap pair with incredible personality. For the great photographer Elliot Erwitt, “Color is descriptive. Black and white is interpretive”. The RM 21-02 Tourbillon Aerodyne shows the same holds true for fine watchmaking.
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]]>During the 6th Dubai Watch Week, held from November 16 to 20 this year, Hublot and its local distributor, Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons, showcased two exclusive editions imagined hand-in-hand with renowned calligrapher, Wissam Shawkat, who’s followed by over 87,000 subscribers on Instagram. The black dials of these timepieces are adorned with two words Al Zaman and Al Waqt, both expressing time in Arabic, penned with upstroke and downstroke subtlety. The vibrant, contrasting orange, blue, green and red colors used breathe life into harmonious artwork that diffuses a powerful visual impact just like the masterpieces created by the talented Iraq-born artist. This design takes centerstage in the 42 mm-diameter, 10.4 mm-thick ceramic case of the Classic Fusion Black Magic Dubai Watch Week.
This entirely-graphic illustration also features in the elegant 38 mm case of the Classic Fusion Black Magic Diamonds Dubai Watch Week watch, strewn with 36 black precious stones. Both pieces are worn on an alligator strap attached by a folding clasp. These two 50-piece limited series are driven by the HUB1110 caliber assembled using some 63 components. These models, which invite to admire their openworked oscillating weight via the sapphire-crystal caseback, are set off with a finish that matches the case. This selfwinding movement delivers 42 hours of power reserve. Perfect autonomy to let the wearer delight in the arabseques of time throughout the day.
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]]>After its Hölstein Edition 2020 boasting a bronze case, Oris rolled out a daring combination of dials in 2021 flaunting pastel shades with cases crafted in the same warm-hued alloy. As the end of the year comes around, the Divers Sixty-Five Cotton Candy is back, but with novel features. This model still takes on the 38 mm-diameter case, waterproof to depths of 100 meters, and still fashioned in this coppery metal yet, for this Sepia version, it twins up with a deep black dial. On top, the hour and minute hands, the lollipop-style direct-drive and the markers dressed in Super-Luminova® stand out wonderfully-well with their golden glint akin to the glimmer of the alloy used for the case. A discreet date nestles at 6 o’clock. And, to ensure there’s no risk of allergy from this metal, the caseback is made of steel.
This watch pursues its route with the Caliber 733. This selfwinding movement comes with a stop-seconds system, which ensures accurate time setting. What’s more, it delivers 38 hours’ autonomy to the watch. And, just like the other bronze pieces imagined by Oris, the Divers Sixty-Five Cotton Candy Sepia will develop a patina over time in line with its owner’s lifestyle. The manufacture has opted for unstable bronze. This reference can be worn on a rubber strap or, for a perfect match, on an alternative bracelet, comprised of links forged in the same metal as the case, and attached by a folding clasp.
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]]>The Stern family has been running Patek Philippe with great panache since 1932. Down through the decades, Philippe Stern’s savvy entrepreneurial vision led the brand to the forefront of the watchmaking industry. His son Thierry, current President, follows in his father’s footsteps and pays tribute to him as the end of the year comes around with a limited-edition watch infused with the firm’s unrivaled spirit. The Minute Repeater Alarm Ref. 1938P-001 embraces the philosophy of this manufacture driven by excellence. Its black Grand Feu enamel dial stands out with a miniature painting representing a portrait of Philippe Stern. Traditional Breguet-type hands hover over this handcrafted scenescape. This elegant composition is complemented by a small seconds set at 6 o’clock. All these elements are hosted in an elegant 41 mm-diameter, 14.2 mm-thick case.
A discreet aperture at 3 o’clock provides details of the current musical choice. In other words, thanks to the new R AL 27 PS caliber, the fortunate owner of this timepiece can find out what time it is through the minute repeater complication or by setting an alarm. The selfwinding movement (43 to 48 hours of power reserve) is equipped with a yellow gold off-centered mini-rotor, engraved with Philippe Stern’s signature. To admire this mechanism, you just need to open the hinged dust-cover of the sapphire-crystal caseback. The inside of this cover is decorated with the inscription “A mon père, 85 ans de passion horlogère” (To my father, 85 years of watchmaking passion). A birthday wouldn’t be a birthday without surprises!
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]]>After Shanghai, then Seoul, Dubai, Milan and Tokyo were the final stop-offs for the amazing Serpenti Factory exhibition honoring the 75th anniversary of one of Bulgari’s signature icons. Historic jewelry and watch models were showcased in settings that astutely mixed media from today and from yesteryear. For each stage, a host of visual artists imagined exclusive scenographies such as wavy installations with, of course, the snake as the central theme. In Italy, Fabrizio “Bixio” Braghieri painted watercolors center staging reptiles. In the Japanese capital, “Serpenti Metamorphosis” breathed life into multimedia artwork generated by artificial intelligence and produced by algorithms created using 200 million images of nature. In the United Arab Emirates, Azza Al Qubaisi, jewelry designer and sculptor, diffused her art through locally-sourced materials, sustainable practices and traditional techniques. She drew her inspiration from nature, capturing the movement and the environment rather than the snake itself. This approach boosted the narrative even more.
Alongside these dreamlike interpretations, a wide array of Serpenti Tubogas variations, outstandingly-elegant jewelry pieces and other secret watches from the collection highlighted the Rome-based brand’s incredible heritage. Each piece contributes to enriching the fascinating history which began in 1940. Each upgrade illustrates Bulgari’s ability to ensure the icon is in tune with the times and to meet the expectations of elegant wrists in search of something different. With its one-of-a-kind, timeless design and its exquisitely-glamorous personality, the Serpenti bewitches forever.
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]]>The must-not-miss Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève is an opportunity to honor outstanding creations which have made their mark over the course of the year. During the latest edition, Bulgari’s excellence was unanimously acclaimed by the jury, made up of sector professionals, and ensured it won the Jewellery Watch Prize category trophy. This achievement highlights the incredible work accomplished by the Rome-based brand’s craftspeople to finalize the Serpenti Misteriosi Cleopatra watch. This exceptional piece, imagined as a manchette (10.80 x 17.25 mm) boasts impressive rose gold cuff-style armature adorned with nearly 4,000 snow-set diamonds.
What’s more, thanks to the talent of the manufacture’s jewelers, nine other remarkable precious gems are showcased on this piece. In addition to a pair of topazes (~24 ct), a duo of rubellites (~13.4 ct), two tanzanites (~13 ct), and a couple of amethysts, with a total weight of over 50 carats, enhance this sumptuous creation with their vibrant colors. It took over 470 hours of meticulous work to set these stones. Each stone was custom cut to fit perfectly into the elegantly-graphic composition. Some even sacrificed up to two-thirds of their volume to achieve the clarity and dazzle desired. The diamond-set dial, reigning in the center of this sparkling rainbow, is topped with a hexagonal topaz of over 5 carats. The hour and minute hands tick by under this translucent gem. Every single facet works its magic. In other words, when virtuosity crafts the extraordinary.
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]]>Exalting time. Every detail counts to achieve this. Bulgari accomplishes it with great virtuosity. The new Divas’ Dream Peacock Mother-of-Pearl Marquetry illustrates this perfectly. A savvy choice of materials create a harmonious, dazzling scenography. On the dial, delicate mother-of-pearl marquetry breathes life into a majestic peacock fanning its feathers. Each fragile, arabesque-designed element is painted on its reverse before being assembled like a jigsaw puzzle to form a sublime mosaic sparkling with a myriad of azure hues. Discreet gold threads separate them, structure the dreamlike plumage and spotlight the iridescent glints. Rose gold plumes crown the beaked head.
The backdrop, with its white mother-of-pearl engraved with rays and six diamonds poised as markers, illuminates the creation finalized thanks to the expert know-how of the manufacture’s craftspeople. Identical precious brilliant-cut round stones, 82 in all totaling around 1.28 carats, gleam on the bezel and strap lugs. The warm glimmers of the 33 mm-diameter case rose gold marry with the deep blue ones of the large-scaled alligator strap clasped by a pin buckle. The duo of quartz movement-driven, faceted hour and minute hands whirl accurately around this exclusive, elegantly-elaborate scenescape. The crown, topped with a pink cabochon-cut rubellite ensures their setting. Everything emphasizes feminine glamour, forever reinvented.
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]]>How on Earth can you not be charmed when a peacock parades in full regalia and fans out its sublime colored plumage? How on Earth can you not be under the spell when you discover the dazzling dial of the Divas’ Dream Peacock Precious Marquetry with Jumping Hours and Retrograde Minutes? In both instances, emotion is the name of the game as both perform a subtle, bewitching choreography. Thanks to expert staging, precious materials breathe life into delicate marquetry inspired by the mosaics of the Roman Baths of antique Caracalla. The marriage between malachite, aventurine and astute snow-set diamonds plays on curvaceous lines and conjures up the gleaming plumage of great majestic birds. An emerald evokes the peacock’s eye. The composition illuminated by the sumptuous gems reigning on the bezel is showcased in an elegant 37 mm-diameter rose gold case.
What’s more, the creation finalized thanks to craftspeople’s mastery, center stages the talents of the manufacture’s watchmakers. No hands tick over in this exceptional piece. The BLV 262 caliber animates a one-of-a-kind display of time. The hour numerals slide by in an aperture. At the same time, a tip extending out of the mineral feathers points to the semi-circular minute scale set around the fringe of the aventurine dial. Once it has completed its tour, it returns instantly to the start. This selfwinding movement delivers 42 hours of power reserve. A ballet that will definitely astound you for days on end.
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]]>Questing elegance not appearance, refinement not fashion fads. As end-of-the-year celebrations come around, getting together with family and friends is synonymous with moments of shared pleasure. For Bulgari, this enchanting period rhymes with a desire to delight. The quest for magnificence comes to life this year during a campaign center staging the discreet charm of Anne Hathaway. The American actress and ambassador of the Rome-based brand, dazzles in timeless settings. Her fascinating beauty catches the light. A selection of feminine-looking watch and jewelry creations taken from the Serpenti Tubogas, Serpenti Seduttori, Bulgari Bulgari and Divas’ Dream collections play leading roles in scenescapes reminiscent of the Eternal City. The delicacy of jewels espousing design driven by effective stylistics. Charm reigns supreme in an ode to colors, to precious gems and to exclusive materials. Accessories are no longer just details. Their presence sets off a look, asserts an attitude. Elegance is likewise diffused with a masculine touch in Bulgari Aluminium chronographs and Octo Roma range watches.
Since November 7, 2023, Bulgari has been inviting us to celebrate this joyful journey around the globe. An innovative experience known as “Celebrating Magnificent Wonders”, powered by generative IA, offers lovers of the brand the opportunity to create and send one or more greeting cards, inspired by signature icons. The initiative, accessible online, is also available in specific Bulgari stores. Fantasy is enlivened by a festive touch, wherever you may be.
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]]>Time nurtures a close, delicate bond with nature. For decades, Bulgari has been elevating this through outstanding creations, in particular its Divas’ Dream Peacock collection. The expertise of craftspeople working to perpetuate the excellence of métiers d’art helps shape the roving imagination of the manufacture’s watchmakers. The Divas’ Dream Peacock Feather Marquetry watch is infused with this ability to enchant. Twelve exquisite peacock feathers are assembled on the dial using a technique conceived in Antique times to fashion a delicate mosaic featuring multiple hues of blue and green. All were selected from feathers these birds with their colored plumage had lost naturally. Incredible precision is then required in this meticulous craftsmanship to craft, to affix and to trim to the shape desired.
As well as being symbolically significant, they conjure a harmonious, mesmerizing composition, set off by the addition of 76 round diamonds totaling around 1.20 carats. These precious gems are strewn across the 33 mm-diameter case and the fan-shaped lugs. These rose gold-crafted elements enhance the piece’s sophisticated personality even more. The quartz movement-driven hour and minute hands are adjusted by the crown topped with a cabochon-cut sapphire. And, for a perfectly-fitting finish, this watch is accompanied by a silky-green alligator strap, clasped by a pin buckle, and sculpted in the same metal as the case. As proud and majestic as a peacock on the wrist. Bewitching. Why resist?
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]]>Imagining the future. Although today the concept appears to be doomed to deadlock, in the second half of the 20th century, the idea was booming in literature, in design and even in architecture. Among the creations of homes of the future, curved lines reigned over right angles, as seen in bubble houses. In a nutshell, practical gave way to visual harmony. MB&F embraces this philosophy with its surprising Horological Machine 11. And, if truth be told, the HM11 Architect is unlike any other watch. Its impressive, elaborate 42 mm-diameter, grade 5 titanium and sapphire-crystal case is split into four distinct curvilinear spaces boasting the same shapes. It took ninety-two pieces to finalize it.
Each ‘room’ separated by a 90° angle of offset flaunts its own identity. One displays the hours and minutes. The next one, the power reserve, which informs on the amount of energy left out of the 96 hours the caliber produces. The third stands out through the function it center stages: a thermometer, capable of measuring temperatures from -20°C to + 60°C. And, last but not least, the fourth room unveils a round badge engraved with the brand’s iconic battle-axe motif. A gentle pull on it, and this transparent module opens in a click. This enigmatic piece serves as such as the crown. Ten full rotations are all it takes to fill up on energy! The manual-winding movement’s reverse-rotation flying tourbillon reigns supreme in the center of the HM11 Architect. What an incredible show! Yet there’s more… when you discover you can turn the ‘house’ to access each ‘room’ to read the data desired. With MB&F, the future is here & now.
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]]>If The Great Wave of Kanagawa (1831) is his most famous work, often represented and reinterpreted today in various formats, the entire pictorial output of Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849) meticulously portrays the beauty of 19th-century Japanese landscapes. It includes the series A Tour of the Waterfalls of the Provinces produced between 1833 and 1834, to which belong two woodcuts, The Waterfall where Yoshitsune washed his horse at Yoshino in Yamato province and The Waterfall at Ono on the Kisokaidō Road, and which Jaeger-LeCoultre‘s Métiers RaresTM workshop has taken up to decorate the backs of two Reverso Tribute Enamel Hokusai watches. This pair, limited to 10 pieces per reference, join the models presented in 2021 and 2022, still inspired by the talent of the ukiyo-e artist.
To reproduce these paintings, which can be discovered by sliding the mobile part of the case, and to respect the blue, yellow, brown and green hues once used by the great Japanese master, the Manufacture’s craftsmen resorted to miniature enamel painting, applying around 14 layers, each fired at 800°C. As for the dial, which features faceted hour-markers and dauphine-style central hands, guilloché – a grain d’orge motif on one piece and a rhombus tapestry on the other – and translucent turquoise enamel were chosen to embody time. The hours and minutes are set by the hand-wound calibre 822, housed in a generously sized rectangular white gold case (45.6×27.4mm).
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]]>Aaron Rodgers, the star of American football, four-time winner of the Associated Press Most Valuable NFL Player Award (National Football League) and boasting a brilliant track record, recently became a Zenith ambassador. To celebrate this exclusive partnership, the manufacture imagined a watch hand-in-hand with the highly-talented, successful quarterback, who held this position with the Green Bay Packers for 18 seasons. As such, the Chronomaster Sport Aaron Rodgers showcases the lucky green color that adorns the champion’s jersey. This hue dresses the lacquered dial as well as the ceramic bezel set off with a tenth-of-a-second scale. In this lush scenescape, the chronograph counters and the small seconds stand out with their silvery glints. The hands and the hour chapter numerals, topped with Super-LumiNova® SLN C1, are ever-so easy to read under any conditions of light. All these elements are hosted in a 41 mm-diameter steel case complemented by a metal bracelet attached by a folding clasp.
The data, including the date at 4:30, is driven by the El Primero 3600 caliber with column wheel. This selfwinding movement delivers 60 hours’ autonomy to the watch. This movement, beating at a frequency of 36,000 vibrations an hour, can also measure time to 1/10th of a second. What’s more, a stop-seconds device ensures accuracy is as precise as Aaron Rodgers’ passes on the field.
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]]>In just two decades, the Le Locle collection has established itself as a can’t-do-without flagship of Tissot imagined creations with references boasting traditional yet elegant features. To celebrate this special event, the Swiss brand unveiled its Le Locle Powermatic 80 20th Anniversary model. This piece stands out with its delightfully horological blue touches. As such, this azure color dresses the Roman numerals making up the hour chapter, the two leaf-shaped hands, the direct drive and the logos. In the center of the dial and around the edge, a delicate guilloché-engraved Clous de Paris pattern emphasizes the watch’s classical personality. A date placed at 3 o’clock completes the time data. This harmonious scenography reigns in a 39.3 mm-diameter steel case. This edition is worn on a metal bracelet that matches perfectly with the ensemble. Thanks to the push-button release system, the wearer can opt for the alternative leather strap.
The data is driven by the high-performing Powermatic 80 caliber. This selfwinding movement delivers 80 hours of power reserve. Its oscillating weight can be admired through the sapphire-crystal caseback, which is adorned with decorations and technical specification wording. Worth mentioning, Tissot also showcases a more feminine 29 mm-diameter version equipped with a Powermatic 48 caliber. This model is set apart moreover with its redesigned hour chapter center staging eight discreet diamonds.
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]]>Born of the fertile soil of the imagination, resulting from a spectacular creative force, the RM S14 Talisman Origine is doubly unique. Firstly, for Richard Mille, this horological masterpiece represents a major first, as the brand accustomed to designing wristwatches as innovative as they are exclusive ventures into the realm of mechanical timepieces to be worn entwined around the neck. Secondly, to intensify its exceptional character, this model, equipped with a metal and rubber link adjustable thanks to a gold snap clasp, was produced in a single unit.
The wealth of detail and chiseled symbols on this time-displaying amulet is so extensive that it requires careful examination. Inspired by ancient, almost tribal origins, the choice of materials – rhodonites with a thousand shades, titanium, marble, red gold and heather wood – and the engraving work on stones and metal. Clamped by claws held in place by screws, the Richard Mille signature tonneau-shaped case is 46.77 x 77.27mm with a thickness of 13.10mm. On either side of the case middle, two crowns contribute to the symmetry of the whole: one, functional, represents the sun (at 3 o’clock), while the other, purely decorative, is akin to the moon (at 9 o’clock). The transparent dial features an openworked plate whose golden geometric structure evokes the branches of a stylized tree. Hours and minutes are displayed in the center, overlooking a variable-inertia tourbillon nestled at 6 o’clock. These functions are delivered by the CRMT5 caliber, a 4hz self-winding movement equipped with a fast-rotating barrel that provides a 50-hour power reserve.
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]]>Worth isn’t measured in years. The saying fits Marco Odermatt like a glove. This 25-year-old champion already boasts an impressive track record with two Crystal Globes won in 2022 and 2023. The skier, who’s totally at home in downhill, Super-G and giant slalom, has also wiped a 23-year-old record clean off the boards by totaling the highest number of points ever in a single season. Longines pays tribute to its ambassador’s results via a limited edition cut out for feats. The Conquest Marco Odermatt watch is, as such, imagined around a 42 mm-diameter steel case, waterproof to depths of 100 meters. The sapphire-crystal caseback stands out with a stylized depiction of the famous trophy won and the wording “Marco Odermatt Edition, one of 2042”. This series is worn on a textile strap attached by a folding clasp. It comes complete with a NATO-type alternative.
On the sunburst blue dial, the small seconds and the chronograph counters reign supreme with their silver hue. This contrasted composition is encircled by a bezel featuring a ceramic insert adorned with a tachymetric scale, which sets off the model’s sporty personality even more. This reference, in keeping with the spirit of the 1954-launched collection, is driven by a high-performing caliber, L898.5. This selfwinding movement with silicon balance spring, insensitive to magnetic fields, delivers a power reserve of 59 hours. Just what you need to time your best downhill runs on your favorite slopes, anytime, anywhere!
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]]>Innovation has been the driving force behind TAG Heuer‘s creativity from the origins of the company founded in 1860 to the 60th anniversary of its legendary Carrera watch in 2023, and will continue to be, as it is deeply ingrained in its genes. It is precisely this iconic sixty-year-old that the Le Locle-based brand has chosen to take on the role of ambassador for a know-how that is still relatively unknown in the watchmaking industry: the use of synthetic stones. However, the highly exclusive Carrera Plasma Diamant d’Avant-Garde Chronographe Tourbillon 44mm, successfully introduced at Watches and Wonders, doesn’t just follow the usual codes based on a classic setting of brilliants, but imposes its own by displaying a constellation of laboratory gems on its blackened aluminum carapace.
Randomly distributed on the case, cut in baguette shapes, they present different, unprecedented geometrical figures, also inviting themselves onto the first links of the bracelet. The crown itself is crafted entirely from a single 2.5-carat diamond, taking up the typical fluted silhouette of the winder, while the piston pushers that control the chronograph function are in DLC-coated steel. The dial, meanwhile, is composed of a polycrystalline diamond – a kaleidoscope of crystals grown together to form a single crystal – and hosts rectangular indexes designed in synthetic stone. The minute (at 3 o’clock) and hour (at 9 o’clock) counters, positioned in a bicompax position and delimited by two black circles, display short time measurements. At 6 o’clock, an aperture reveals the rhythmic round of a tourbillon that, like the other indications, is driven by the COSC-certified Heuer 02T Nanograph caliber, which delivers 65 hours of power reserve once fully wound by its openworked oscillating weight.
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]]>The One & Two Academic Rouge watch by Speake Marin, brought to life through watch designer Éric Giroud’s inspirational imagination, highlights the brand’s desire to offer much more than just a simple staging of time. Here, the judicious choice of a deep hue for the dial expands the realms of possibility. By going for the Pantone 188C color code to be precise, the composition conjures up delicate velvety nuances that enologists love so much. The resulting ruby robe is not unlike that of a renowned wine, one of the musts of French-style art of living. What’s more, the lacquered finish adds an undeniable dash of elegance. On top, four oversized Roman numerals, 12, 3, 6 and 9, topped with potent Billight Super-LumiNova®, enhance the piece’s outstanding personality. Their relief-style along with their streamlined font boosts this look even more. The matte red luminescent paint makes them stand out in the dark. And, the small seconds, off-centered at 1:30, adds a delightful touch of fantasy.
All the hands are driven by the SMA03 caliber. This selfwinding movement equipped with a micro-rotor delivers a power reserve of 52 hours to this charming reference. All these features are hosted in a slender Piccadilly case crafted in grade 5 titanium. And, to make sure the timepiece tailors to everyone’s wrist, it’s available in 38 mm and 42 mm diameters. A gray leather strap attached by a folding clasp sets off the sophisticated look of the One & Two Academic Rouge. To enjoy without moderation!
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]]>In just a few months, the Spirit collection has made its mark in the watch scene through charming variations boasting high-performing calibers. One of these is definitely the chronograph equipped with a flyback function. As the end of the year comes around, Longines offers this model a new look with a 42 mm-diameter case crafted in grade 5 titanium. As such, the Spirit Flyback Titanium watch is luxuriously light (93.5 g) and super sturdy. What’s more, this material gifts the watch with extra style. Its gray-hued color with satin-brushed and polished finishes adds a dash of freshness. On top, we discover a bidirectional bezel with its black ceramic insert.
Dial-side, anthracite this time round, the scenography pursues the original time data layout. As such, the small seconds set at 9 o’clock is symmetrically positioned with the 30-minute counter at 3. The hour chapter numerals and the hands are still topped with beige Super-LumiNova®. Short-cycle time measurement and hour and minute displays are driven by the selfwinding L791.4 movement. This device stands out for its performance, with its power reserve of 68 hours, as well as for its accuracy. Its chronometry is certified by the COSC.
The Spirit Flyback Titanium comes complete with two totally different wraparounds, a titanium bracelet attached by a folding clasp and a NATO-type textile strap with a pin buckle. Whichever you choose, you can be sure your timepiece flaunts a chic & sporty look.
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]]>In the northern hemisphere, chilly nature has just donned an autumn coat of warm yellows, oranges and reds, before the first snows fall in a few weeks’ time, while Vacheron Constantin is inviting spring into its most timeless collection. The Geneva-based manufacture has chosen a beautiful green, symbol of hope and luck, to dress a pair of Traditionnelle manual-winding timepieces.
Olive, khaki, sage, sometimes emerald: the color awakens, radiant, under the caress of rose gold, offering different tones according to the light. This precious metal with its coppery reflections makes up the cases of this Poinçon de Genève-approved pair, offered in two sizes, 38mm in diameter and 33mm, whose bezel is lined with a dazzling ribbon of 54 brilliant-cut diamonds. Each houses its own 4hz hand-wound movement: the caliber 4400 AS delivers 65 hours of power reserve for one, the caliber 1440 42 for the other. Delimited by a fine white minute track, the watch dials indicate time by means of dauphine-shaped gold hands hovering over applied hour-markers, with seconds displayed in a counter at 6 o’clock or in the center, depending on the model. Its intensely verdant hue spreads across the square-scaled alligator leather strands of the bracelets, which are finished off with rose gold pin buckles.
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]]>For lovers of motorsport, Tetsu Ikuzawa is no stranger. Amongst other things, he was the first Japanese driver to race in Le Mans 24 Hours in 1973. This former owner of a Formula 1 team passed his passion on to his daughter Mai. She shares her dad’s love of speed and bold-as-brass lifestyle. Today, as an independent creative director and consultant, she transmits this offbeat state of mind and pursues the legacy through Team Ikuzawa. Hand-in-hand with the Bamford personalization studio, TAG Heuer has imagined a 100-piece limited edition boasting the colors of the Japanese team. On the white opaline dial of this Carrera, the red-lacquered chronograph hour counter reigns supreme. The crimson hue also adorns the direct-drive, the hour and minute hands partially topped with Super-LumiNova®, the seconds scale set on the flange and the logos.
The Heuer 02 caliber nestles inside the 42 mm-diameter steel case. This selfwinding movement, equipped with a column wheel, measures short-cycle time accurately. This high-performing movement delivers a power reserve of 80 hours. The TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph x Team Ikuzawa by Bamford is issued with two wraparounds, a steel bracelet and a Velcro®-attached calfskin strap. What’s more, the presentation box contains a miniature Porsche, reiterating the design of the 906 with which Tetsu Ikuzawa made his name during the Japanese Grand Prix in 1967.
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]]>With its Starlit Night and Stunning Sight watches, Breguet whisks us off through an enchanting vision of time. These two models give pride of place to the invention of well-known watchmaker Abraham-Louis Breguet through a myriad of sparkling precious gems. These two Classique Tourbillon 3358 pieces feature a fine 35 mm-diameter, 9.43 mm-slim case, respectively crafted in white gold and rose gold. The first stands out with its azure-hued scenography boasting a mother-of-pearl dial sprinkled with diamond stars. Some more of these stones, 115 in total, adorn the bezel and the shooting star-shaped bar that crosses the regulating device. The crown is decorated with a rose-cut diamond.
The second timepiece flaunts a dial strewn with 281 diamonds. The arrangement of the stones between 3 and 9 o’clock forms suave curves. Whilst the ones nestling inside the white mother-of-pearl hour chapter are placed using the snow-setting technique. In addition to the 70 stones on the bezel, the lugs and the crown, 42 other gems dress the red-varnished alligator strap’s folding clasp. These two Classique Tourbillon 3358 pieces are driven by the 187D caliber. This hand-wound movement delivers a power reserve of 50 hours. An oval-shaped curved and polished opening frames the tourbillon that completes its gyrations in one minute. The sapphire-crystal caseback invites to discover the delicate hand-crafted finishes of many of the 168 components that make up the movement. A wonderful way to delight in these exquisite creations in all their glory.
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]]>To say that Louis Vuitton has been boosting its presence in the watchmaking scene in 2023 is an understatement. After a shrewd upgrade of its Tambour model, the brand with the famous monogram stands out majestically with a never-seen-before series finalized with an independent player. This first partnership showcases the talent of Rexhep Rexhepi. The Kosovo-born founder of the Akrivia atelier infuses the LVRR-001 Chronographe à Sonnerie with his expertise. This watch is literally totally one-of-a-kind with its precision chronometer caliber combined with a tourbillon regulating device. This elaborate mechanism, assembled using some 391 components also boasts an amazing complication.
To delight in the features of the high-performing manual-winding movement (72 hours of power reserve), a smoked sapphire-crystal dial invites to admire the leisurely 5-minute rotations of the tourbillon set at 6 o’clock. To trigger the short-cycle time measurements up to 60 minutes via the pusher at 2 o’clock, the back of the elegant 39.9 mm-diameter platinum case center stages somewhat different scenography. A white Grand Feu enamel dial is decorated with two scales, one red, the other blue. A single chime is struck as each minute passes by. The Louis Vuitton x Akrivia LVRR-001 Chronographe à Sonnerie is presented in a case reiterating the adornments of the manufacture’s well-known trunks and hand-engraved with the inscription “Louis cruises with Rexhep”. Given the extravaganza on show, we head off on this exclusive journey with pleasure. No matter where it takes us.
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]]>Even though the minute repeater, chiming the hour on demand, may address a need from another era, it has now become one of the most prestigious complications in fine watchmaking thanks to its complexity. With its 5178 G-012 Grandes Complications model, Patek Philippe center stages its know-how in this field. Two “cathedral” gongs ring out incomparably-rare, rich high and low tones when the pusher nestling in the caseband is gently tapped. This melody unfolds inside an elegant 40 mm-diameter, 10.53 mm-thick white gold case. To set off this outstanding mechanism in style, the watchmakers imagined an amazing flinqué blue Grand Feu enamel dial. As such, a delicately-wavy hand guilloché-engraved pattern exalts the dial. Light softly embraces the relief created. The scenography captivates with its incredible nuances.
The hour and minute hands, along with the small seconds set at 6 o’clock are precisely synchronized by the selfwinding R 27 PS caliber (48 hours of power reserve). The hammers striking the gongs, the micro-rotor and other components of this movement featuring outstanding finishes are unveiled through the sapphire-crystal caseback. Thanks to its quick strap change system, the 5178 G-012 Grandes Complications watch can be worn on a glossy peacock-blue alligator strap or on an alternative orange one, both attached by a folding clasp. Whatever you choose, you can be sure it will be a perfect match.
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]]>ZRC, in keeping with its motto “Life is Adventure”, supports expeditions initiated by enthusiasts around the globe. With its GF41208SO reference, the brand champions Back to Campana led by Frenchman Frédéric Presles. His goal? To follow the itinerary taken by La Delphine, a ship that sunk in 1840 on the desert island of Campana. To reach this hostile land, his crew set sail from Chiloé Island then pursued its route between the Furious Fifties and the Roaring Forties, along the Chilean Patagonia Coast, then navigated without any instruments, without seabed mapping to rediscover the fauna and flora of this geography that had been forgotten since 1840. The GF 300 1964 Spirit South Adventure stands out with its tropicalized dial boasting gradient-toned sepia hues reminiscent of those on a map of buried treasure.
To tackle the harshness of the weather conditions encountered, every detail was imagined to optimize the watch’s sturdiness. In a nutshell, its 41.5 mm mono-block case and its crown at 6 o’clock feature outstanding waterproofness to depths of 1,000 meters. Time data is driven by the Sellita SW-200-1 caliber, in its advanced version. This Swiss Made selfwinding mechanical movement, beating at a standard frequency of 28,800 vibrations an hour (4 Hz), delivers a power reserve of at least 38 hours. And, just like all the Grands Fonds, this model, rolled out in just 100 pieces, embraces the brand’s latest innovations.
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]]>The setting lies on a fusion of poetic art and mechanical mastery: the exceptional Blast Free Wheel Marquetry provokes a sensation of freedom and stimulates the imagination. Indeed, at first glance, this horological work signed Ulysse Nardin and presented at the end of the summer during Geneva Watch Days projects us towards the azure infinity of a crystalline sea cradled by the sun’s caress. It diffuses an intense, nuanced bluish light thanks to the presence of a material known for its unequalled technical properties, usually hidden at the heart of the movement, which is transformed for the occasion into an artistic expression: silicon.
Worked in geometric tesserae of different shapes, thicknesses and finishes to compose an original mosaic, silicon covers the watch face and settles on the barrel at 12 o’clock. Beneath the “ultra-glassbox” sapphire crystal, which offers an unrestricted view of the various elements from the front and sides, a flying tourbillon rotates at 6 o’clock. It is accompanied by an indicator at 4 o’clock that displays the power reserve delivered by the hand-wound UN-176 caliber, which amounts to one week. In the center, two luminescent gray hands indicate the hours and minutes. The Blast Free Wheel Marquetry‘s imposing white gold case measures 45mm in diameter and is attached to a velvety-smooth blue rubber strap fastened by a folding clasp machined from the same precious metal.
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]]>Subtly center stage a caliber… with its Openworked Sandblasted, Speake Marin passes the test brilliantly. On its dial, arabesque-style recesses offer an exclusive vista over the key components of the selfwinding SMA01 movement. The micro-rotor and the barrel decorated with an engraving on its cylinder of the brand’s eight cardinal values (Respect, Independence, Freedom, Uniqueness, Authenticity, Geneva, Creativity and Modernity) are revealed. This openworked composition as such gives pride of place to the caliber. This scenescape is set off with a charming finish obtained using a delicate sandblasting technique which gifts the piece with a mineral touch. In a nutshell, the surface is finely grained. The heart-shaped hour and the minute hands, dressed in black PVD or polished gold, stand out in contrast to the gray hue of the dial. The collection’s stylistic signature, the small seconds, features off-centered at 1:30.
Everything sits inside a 38 mm- or 42 mm-diameter, 10.5 mm-thick tubular Piccadilly case. It comes in two variations, a grade 5 titanium one and a red gold one. Thanks to their sapphire-crystal casebacks, both versions invite to admire other caliber workings from a different perspective. The Openworked Sandblasted is complemented by a slightly-grained black or gray leather strap, attached by a folding clasp. You can be sure that, with such adornments, every single detail plays a role in the offbeat yet sophisticated personality of this timepiece.
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]]>“I am creating an environment that is reflective of me, and to do that you need to look at everything from clothes and sneakers to fragrance and furniture”. Designer Samuel Ross’s inspiration is eclectic. Just like his creations. And, life was breathed into one of these in the shape of his first opus stemming from his partnership with Hublot. In a nutshell, the stylistic codes of the iconic Big Bang were totally revamped. The second chapter unveiled as this year comes to an end pursues this same route. The Big Bang Tourbillon SR_A by Samuel Ross takes on the same 44 mm-diameter titanium case. But, this time round, it’s given a shiny microblasted finish. The industrial-looking design now reigns in a monochrome scenescape. On the dial that still flaunts a honeycomb mesh, we can see the tourbillon at 6 o’clock and the micro-rotor at 12, set on a vertical axis of symmetry. The regulating device’s bridges in this model keep the tone pace as they’re dressed in gray. The hour and minute hands, as well as the indexes, in this stunning scenography stand out with their luminous coating.
Each watch in this 50-piece limited edition is driven by the HUB6035 caliber assembled using some 264 components. This selfwinding movement delivers a generous power reserve of 3 days, aka 72 hours. This autonomy gives the wearer plenty of time to enjoy swapping the three rubber straps included. A vivid green alternative, offered on top of the black and white ones, will definitely boost any style.
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]]>Between 1905 and 1953, Delage cars equated with power and elegance. The French brand also stood out from the crowd during prestigious speed and endurance races back in the day. In 2019, the “Les amis de Delage” (Delage Friends) association which keeps the firm’s memory alive, and the entrepreneur Laurent Tapie signed an agreement to relaunch it. This dream has become reality with the creation of a supercar, the D12, a vitamin-boosted racer boasting a hybrid engine of over 1,000 hp. Rebellion, deeply-committed to the world of motor racing since the word ‘go’, has made a name for itself with its own LMP2s. It now runs in the Dakar. So, it was only natural that the two brands should get together over this shared passion for racing. As a result, they’ve just concluded a partnership which is embodied in the shape of the official D12 watch. This one-of-a-kind piece, borrowing from the RE-VOLT model’s lines, is to be issued in a limited series of just 30 pieces. All will be offered as a priority to the future owners of the 30 first Delage D12s. The buyer will be able to choose the dominant color of their Rebellion RE-Volt 3 Hands Delage dial to match the shade of their automobile.
Whatever they choose, their timepiece, equipped with an in-house caliber will flaunt technical and stylistic features inherent to those of the collection. What’s more, Delage will roll out a 31st car, the Delage D12 Rebellion Edition 1/1. This vehicle will be made with a groundbreaking carbon fiber. And, a one-off Rebellion watch will accompany it.
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]]>Conceived in 1963 by Jack Heuer, then at the helm of the eponymous watchmaking company, to accompany racing drivers, the Carrera watch has become as legendary as the champions who have worn it since its birth. Now in its sixties, it has marked this very special year with numerous editions and collaborations, ending with a Carrera Chronograph version that shines as brightly as a summer sun. It draws its inspirational roots from TAG Heuer‘s past, and is based on one old timepiece in particular: the famous reference 1158 CHN produced in the 1970s.
Like its heritage predecessor, this new model features 18-carat yellow gold for its 39mm-diameter, less-than-14mm-thick case, including screw-down crown and chronograph pushers. Water-resistant to a depth of 100m, the metal case houses the TH20-00 caliber, a 4hz automatic movement which, when fully wound via its openworked oscillating weight, delivers a formidable 80-hour power reserve. Protected by a sapphire crystal glassbox and covered with yellow gold plating enhanced by vertical brushing, the dial indicates hours and minutes in the center by two baton-shaped hands, and seconds by a counter at 6 o’clock that encompasses the date on a white background. To create contrast and facilitate rapid information gathering, all chronograph-related displays are clad in black: the azure minute totalizers (3 o’clock) and hour totalizers (12 o’clock), fed by the large lacquered second hand.
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]]>Pure Resonance Ultimate Sapphire, the result of a collaboration between Armin Strom and an American watch collector known by his pseudonym Horomariobro on Instagram, center stages scenography that’s different from that of the original model. In a nutshell, the symmetrical composition stands out thanks to the never-seen-before decoration of its dial. The small seconds, usually set at 6 o’clock, has disappeared. The disc the hour and minute hands hover over is crafted in sapphire crystal. The brand’s logo has been removed. This translucent pared-down scenescape underscores the exquisite gear-train bridges, adorned with black PVD coating, enhanced with a barleycorn guilloché pattern engraved by talented Finnish watchmaker Kari Voutilainen. All the other decorative finishes on the timepiece were created in-house. Edges are hand-beveled and balance bridges are skeletonized and circular-grained; other bridges are frosted, mirror-polished or perlaged.
The ARF16 caliber reigns inside the 42 mm-diameter, 11 mm-thick steel case. This hand-wound movement is totally one-of-a-kind as it boasts two independent regulators linked by a resonance clutch spring. Twin barrels, visible through the sapphire-crystal caseback, provide the energy required for the watch to work (48 hours of power reserve). One balance wheel retrieves it and transmits it to the other by producing vibrations. The Pure Resonance Ultimate Sapphire definitely passes on only good ones!
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]]>As a collector of meteorites, Jean-Marie Schaller has a particular passion for these fragments that travel from the far reaches of space. And, as Louis Moinet’s Founder and Creative Director, he regularly infuses the watches he imagines with a dash of this passion. The new Cosmopolis keeps it alive. Better still, it takes it to the heights by flaunting an hour chapter devoid of numerals, but comprising eleven different stones. A larger one reigns in the center of this one-of-a-kind scenography. Each of these stones comes from a rock found on Planet Earth: Dhofar 461 – Moon (Oman), Dhofar 1674 – Mars (Oman), Allende – Meteorite shower (Mexico), Erg Chech – Asteroid (Algeria), Jbilet Winselwan – Asteroid (Morocco), Isheyevo – Asteroid (Russia), Aletai Armanty – Asteroid (China), Aguas Zarcas – Meteorite shower (Costa Rica), Gibeon – Asteroid (Namibia), Toluca – Asteroid (Mexico), Sahara 97093 – Asteroid (Sahara), and Black L5 Chondrite – Asteroid (Sahara). A backdrop as dark as space showcases these fragments whilst the hour and minute hand duo adorned with luminescent material hovers over them.
This composition, topped by a sapphire-crystal dome, features in a 40.70 mm-diameter polished and satin-brushed rose gold case, set off by an alligator strap. This precious holder protects the LM135 caliber with flying tourbillon, whose cage is visible at 6 o’clock. This hand-wound movement boasts two barrels arranged head-to-tail, one over the other. These double barrels deliver a substantial 96-hour power reserve. Enough time to delight in the subtle hues and textures of each cosmic fragment scrupulously.
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]]>In Wetzlar, time is a serious matter. The art of capturing fragments of time has been mastered for decades on end in Leica‘s historic headquarters. The brand’s founder Ernst Leitz I even drew his inspiration from the organization of Swiss manufactures to set up his own firm. He actually visited Neuchâtel to learn all about managing serial production. More recently, with its ZM 1 and ZM 2 watches, the famous red-dot brand illustrated its ability to finalize a watchmaking project boasting a real stylistic and technical personality, by adding Made-in-Germany components, in particular a hand-wound caliber. Today, with its new ZM 11, the firm wishes to enhance its offering by rolling out an automatic model.
For this timepiece, Leica turned to Switzerland and called on Chronade to develop the LA-3001 caliber (60 hours’ power reserve) that drives the ZM 11. This model is imagined around a 41 mm-diameter, titanium or steel case, waterproof to depths of 100 meters, which hosts a charming dual-layered dial. If you look at the dial head on, it seems to be dressed in black. But, if you view it from a different angle, another color appears. Bright red jazzes up the 250-piece limited Titanium Launch Edition. Whilst the Titanium Coffee Black flaunts warm tones and the Steel Midnight Blue, azure hues. To seal their chic & sporty look, these ZM 11 can be worn on a vulcanized rubber strap, a Cordura textile one, or a steel or titanium bracelet, depending on the version. An ingenious system, where you just need to press a button featuring Leica’s famous red-dot logo, lets you change straps as quick as a flash.
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]]>In 1953, following an underwater excursion in the waters off Cannes, Jean-Jacques Fiechter (1927-2022), then head of Blancpain, started the development of a timepiece specifically designed for diving. Two years later, and until 1959, the US Navy began a selection process for a watch to be incorporated into its divers’ equipment, testing several of the Swiss brand’s timepieces under extreme conditions. Once the evaluations and requests for modifications were complete, the North American Navy adopted the new version produced by Blancpain and strictly reserved for military use: the Fifty Fathoms MIL-SPEC. The spirit of this legendary watch, now highly sought-after by collectors, permeates the limited editions specially designed for the range’s anniversary in the shape of the Fifty Fathoms 70th Anniversary Act III.
Following the launch of Act I, which paid tribute to the rebirth of the watch in 2003 (Act I), and the Tech Gombessa designed with Laurent Ballesta (Act II), this 3rd edition features a case measuring 41.30mm in diameter and 13.30mm thick in Bronze GoldTM, a precious alloy that evokes the warm reflections of the original nickel silver piece. It is topped by a rotating bezel with a flattened surface and crenellated flanks, bearing a black ceramic graduated ring. Water-resistant to a depth of 300m, the metal case houses caliber 1154.P2, a self-winding movement that delivers a substantial 100-hour power reserve.
Beneath the sapphire glass box, the dial displays Blancpain‘s historic logo, which overhangs the central anchor point for the hour, minute and seconds hands at around 12 o’clock. Like the geometric hour-markers, these are coated in dark beige Super-LumiNova® to accentuate the vintage look. At 6 o’clock is the famous water-resistance pastille, added at the request of the US Navy in the 1950s to guarantee that the diver’s watch was in perfect working order before going into the water. This series, available in 555 pieces, is completed by a two-tone NATO strap made from recycled fishing nets.
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]]>“Not affected by the passage of time or changes in fashion”. The definition of the word ‘timeless’ found in any good dictionary fits the new watches unveiled by Tissot Heritage Gent COSC 1938 and Heritage Small Second Auto COSC 1938 like a glove. This pair, taking their inspiration from historic pieces, flaunts the same 39 mm-diameter, 11.10 mm-thick steel-crafted case. Yet, the models differ visually through their respective dials. One features a waffled anthracite dial encircled by a minute tracker. The hour chapter, comprising golden Arabic numerals, is hovered over by two slender hour and minute hands. A small seconds nestling at 6 o’clock and a date aperture at 3 o’clock complete the vintage-looking scenography. Time data is driven by the 2895-2 caliber. This selfwinding movement delivers 42 hours’ power reserve to the watch. What’s more, its chronometric accuracy is certified by the COSC.
Likewise, the automatic 2824-2 caliber that energizes the second version of the Heritage Gent COSC 1938 also meets the Swiss testing institute’s criteria for operating precision. This version stands out with its salmon- or black-hued sandblasted dial and through the absence of the date and small seconds. To boost their elegant personality even more, all these references are worn on an embossed leather strap that’s ever-so easy to change. Worth noting, an optional steel Milanese mesh bracelet is available for the Heritage 1938 Small Second Auto COSC 1938.
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]]>Following on from the Defy 21 Carl Cox Edition (2020), Zenith pursues its collaboration with the famous DJ, aficionado of hardcore sounds and rave parties. This time round, the manufacture rolls out a new 100-piece limited series, the Defy Extreme Carl Cox. What’s so special about it? Whilst the initial model mixed color and texture in an up-to-the-minute scenography, this watch is infused with the stylistic codes of the 80s. As such, its 45 mm-diameter case combines matte-finished steel and yellow gold, which features on the dodecagonal bezel and chronograph pusher protectors. Inside this two-tone adornment, the hour and minute hands along with the short-cycle time measurement ones hover over a skeletonized dial boasting a tinged sapphire crystal and vinyl-record-shaped counters. The data contrasts perfectly with this dusky backdrop, encircled by a tachymetric scale. As everything is topped with Super-LumiNova® paint, data readability is optimal under any conditions of light.
This edition is worn on an integrated metal bracelet. Two black options, a Velcro®-attached one and a rubber one are included in the watch box. Time data is driven by an El Primero caliber assembled using some 293 components. Some of these are unveiled through the sapphire-crystal caseback, in particular the star-shaped oscillating weight. This selfwinding movement delivers 50 hours of power reserve. Its 36,000 vibrations/hour high-frequency means it can measure time to 1/100th of a second. Just to keep the beat!
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]]>The Longines-imagined DolceVita collection, launched back in 1997, takes inspiration from the winged-hourglass brand’s historic rectangular pieces from the Roaring Twenties. The case, boasting a naturally-elegant shape, is enhanced with features that bring out its resolutely-feminine personality even more. The Mini DolceVita watches are endowed with this power to dress wrists with flair. To this end, all the references are created around a compact-sized steel case (21.50 x 29.00 mm) which may come stone-set with 38 IF-VVS Top Wesselton diamonds (or not), paired with three versions of dials. The silver one, known as Cosmo, comprises circles hovered over by blued hands. The hour chapter along with the small seconds at 6 o’clock gift the piece with harmonious Art Deco-style-inspired scenography. The two others, called Roman, play on lines. Here, the numerals reign in a geometric setting. What’s more, variations propose subtly-delicate colored adornments ranging from ivory white, blossoming rose, soothing blue to mint green. All these watches are driven by an accurate quartz L178 caliber.
And, to complete the look of these Mini DolceVita models, each piece is worn on a matching strap or bracelet. The “Cosmo” versions may be complemented by a 198-link metal bracelet or a black leather strap. The “Roman” decked dials come with matching leather alternatives. All these timeless-styled references in the collection go wonderfully-well with an understated or daring trendy outfit.
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]]>Multicolored neon lights, floodlit buildings, dim city street lights, eclectic nighthawks… As we journey through the night we’re immersed in an electrifying scenescape, a long sequence shot with a Kavinsky tune as our soundtrack. On our wrist, the new Monaco Chronograph Night Driver Limited Edition… what else would you expect? TAG Heuer‘s latest creation to date reiterates the original shape of the model imagined over 50 years ago. Undeniably timeless. Its 39 mm grade 5 titanium case coated with black DLC and boasting a polished finish, places the accent on stealth. Its dial, somewhere between anthracite gray and opaline gray, enhances this. The chronograph counter and the bi-compax-positioned small seconds are also part of the show. But, you have to wait until day disappears to discover its other face. The composition dazzles thanks to an omnipresent powerful bright blue Super-LumiNova® shrewdly dabbled on the watch’s features. It remains perfectly visible in the dark for 3 hours once fully charged. To boost the model’s sporty DNA even more, this Monaco is worn on a matching perforated leather strap, attached by a folding clasp.
The high-performing Heuer 02 caliber brings this piece’s time data to life. Its openworked oscillating weight and its chronograph’s blue column wheel are unveiled through the sapphire-crystal caseback. This selfwinding movement delivers a generous power reserve of some 80 hours. All you need to take advantage of nighttime and daytime light to the full…
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]]>Design’s a serious matter in Italy. As the 1980s came around, a group founded by Ettore Sottsass decided to turn it on its head. The members of Memphis intended to mix artistic movements from around the globe and fashion. This desire was embodied in a never-seen-before use of colors and shapes based on basic materials. In a nutshell, creativity cast aside functionality, set itself free. The RM 07-01 Coloured Ceramics imagined by Richard Mille take their identity from these principles. “The Memphis Group fascinates with its diversity and freedom. Its founders wanted to break free from the restrictive structures of modernist styles, and they were trailblazers by embracing all sorts of materials in their creations. The idea at the heart of this collection’s creative process was in the juxtaposition of colors which varied based on the materials. We then adorned the dial with guilloché engraving, a centuries-old decorative technique. There was perfect symbiosis between the ultra-modern and traditional watchmaking”, explains Cécile Guenat, the brand’s Director of Creation and Development. On their dial, this trio of watches showcases fun-filled scenographies concocted with a wide array of geometric patterns. All are highlighted through the use of blush pink, lavender pink and powder blue TZP ceramic.
Inside the case, the selfwinding CRMA2 caliber drives the hour and minute hands accurately. This movement stands out with its variable-inertia balance wheel, its fast-rotating barrel and its variable-geometry rotor. Thanks to these components, the 50-hour power reserve is always finely-tuned. To break free from conventional codes, you have to master them.
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]]>In June 2021, under its M.A.D. Editions label, MB&F sent social media into a frenzy by unveiling a model that was a pure icon of the brand’s disruptive identity. As well as being really original, this piece stood out with its pricetag that was considerably more accessible than a Legacy Machine or a Horological Machine. This initial blue-adorned M.A.D. 1 limited edition was remarkably successful and was sold out in record time. A second opus was launched in 2022. It was characterized by its key color, red. Once again, demand outstripped supply. This year, the M.A.D. 1 Green, rolled out in 1,500 pieces, gives you the opportunity to wear a watch imagined by Max Büsser and his super-creative mind. A lucky draw has been organized to ensure the hosts of potential purchasers are in with a fair chance.
This new series keeps the anatomy of the previous creations alive. The 42 mm-diameter, 18.8 mm-thick case hosts an upside-down flipped, unidirectional-winding Miyota 821A caliber. The hours and minutes are displayed on the case middle via revolving cylinders. This one-of-a-kind engineering design gives pride of place to the rotor crafted with titanium and tungsten. The three blades reiterate the brand’s beloved emblematic battle-axe shape which twirls and whirls on the dial. It may be eye-catching during the day but at night it’s definitely spellbinding. The omnipresent Super-LumiNova® paint on the oscillating weight and on the numerals illuminates the entertaining scenography. And, given its power reserve of 60 hours, the show keeps on going to our great delight.
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]]>As Europe’s most prestigious soccer competition kicks off, Hublot rolls out a 200-piece limited-issue of its connected watch. The Big Bang E UEFA Champions League Gen3 comes with all the can’t-do-without characteristics of the model showcased last season but is boosted by new features, in particular never-seen-before interfaces. This smartwatch, driven by the GoogleTM-developed Wear OS3 operating system, integrates the Hublot Loves Football UEFA Champions League app. Thanks to this app, watch owners will be on the ball as soon as the referee tosses the coin. They receive a notification fifteen minutes before the match starts. They can also keep track of the score with goal, penalty and additional time alerts. Team composition and half-time substitutes are also displayed. If ever two matches are played at the same time, a simple tap on the screen switches from one to the other.
Inside the now 44 mm-diameter microblasted and polished blue ceramic case (versus 42 mm before), the latest-generation Qualcomm® Snapdragon WearTM 4100+ processor manages all the functions. The large bright AMOLED-type display delivers excellent data readability under any condition of light. What’s more, this model boasts a heart rate monitor and a host of sensors that ensure the wearer can keep tabs on all the sporting action in optimal conditions. This Big Bang E UEFA Champions League Gen3 is totally compatible with all Android and iOS phones.
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]]>Its recent return to the watchmaking landscape marks the birth of the 4th generation: the Type 20 Chronographe 2067, presented by Breguet at the beginning of June, retraces the history of a time-measuring instrument originally designed to accompany aviators almost 70 years ago. Indeed, the first version of this watch was produced in 1,100 pieces between 1955 and 1959 at the request of the French Air Force, to be worn by pilots and technicians specializing in aviation, enabling them to, among other things, clock intermediate flight times and check fuel consumption. While this new military-style model, unveiled simultaneously with the Type XX Chronographe 2067, is based on the aesthetic vocabulary of the original, it is driven by a very contemporary mechanism.
The 42mm-diameter and 14.1mm-thick steel case, topped by a fluted rotating bezel engraved with a triangular marker, houses the 7281 caliber, a variation of the 728 developed exclusively for this collection. This automatic 5hz movement with flyback function is wound by a blackened gold oscillating weight, cut out to form the silhouette of an airplane. It comprises 339 components and delivers a 60-hour power reserve via a single barrel.
On the dark face of this Breguet, imposing Arabic numerals coated with soft green Super-LumiNova® bend two large white-lacquered hands displaying the current hours and minutes, a central second hand feeding the large minute totalizer at 3 o’clock, and a small seconds counter at 9 o’clock. To complete this information, a date appears discreetly in white on a black background at 4:30. Thanks to its ingenious interchangeability system, the Type 20 Chronographe 2057 can be worn on the wrist with two strands of calfskin leather or a NATO textile strap, both matching the dial color.
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]]>Two different worlds coming together in the fertile ground embodied by creativity to give birth to an object or even objects: this is the genesis of the collaboration between watchmaker Audemars Piguet and designer Matthew Williams. Founder in 2015 of the clothing and accessories brand 1017 Alyx 9SM – a complex name based on his date of birth, the first name of his eldest daughter and the abbreviation of the first address of his workshop in New York before relocating to Italy – the American has put his stamp on two watch collections to create the four pieces with the minimalist, muted, timeless allure that are the Royal Oak and Royal Oak Offshore x 1017 Alyx 9SM.
This small, limited-edition series comprises models in yellow gold (three of them) and white gold, powered by three movements with power reserve of between 60 and 70 hours: caliber 5909 for the 37mm Royal Oak Selfwinding, which displays hours, minutes and seconds in the center, caliber 4409 for the 41mm Royal Oak Selfwinding Chronograph and caliber 4404 for the 42mm Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Chronograph duo. Far from the often busy graphics of his clothes, which explore multiple trends, Matthew Williams has opted for the pure elegance of time. Gone are the Tapisserie motif so dear to Audemars Piguet, the hour markers, Arabic numerals and circled counters: the dial appears bare, clear and free. On the circular, vertically satin-brushed surface, the Royal Oak hands in gold underlined by a touch of luminescent material catch the eye, then, on models equipped with a chronograph with flyback function, attention is drawn to the totalizers, small seconds counter and, if applicable, the date.
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]]>Forever a step further. For some brands, this motto is an invitation to explore underwater worlds. 1904-founded Oris is one of these, which started imagining dive watches back in the 1960s that have constantly pushed back the limits. The new AquisPro 4000m capable, as its name suggests, of rubbing shoulders with the world’s abyss thanks to its waterproofness tried and tested to depths of 4,000 meters, has turned this desire into reality. And, just like the previous references, this model features the latest innovations which improve performance and safety, such as the Rotation Safety System integrated in the bezel, set off with an azure-hued ceramic insert.
The most important thing when diving is to be able to control and handle your timepiece easily. This Aquis, with its large, lightweight 49.50 mm-diameter titanium case, meets all these criteria in every way. Moreover, time data reading is impeccable. The omnipresent Super-LumiNova® boosts this facility. The white markers and hands contrast perfectly with the gradient-toned blue dial decorated with a wave pattern. To ensure excellent wearer comfort, the AquisPro 4000m is complemented by a rubber strap attached by a folding clasp that adjusts to fit the wrist securely. The watch actually goes just as well with casual gear as with a wetsuit. Performance is also the name of the game here when it comes to engineering as the model’s equipped with the Caliber 400. This selfwinding movement delivers 120 hours of autonomy to the watch, i.e. a power reserve that’s much greater than current standards. Although it’s not certified, it guarantees accuracy of -3/+5 seconds a day, totally in line with COSC requirements (-4/+6 seconds/day).
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]]>The minute repeater, one of the most exquisite complications in fine watchmaking, chimes the time down to the very minute and on demand. As its name suggests, the brand new Classique 7637 Répétition Minutes, an upgrade of the model unveiled back in 2008, is endowed with this captivating power. A discreet, slender pusher at 9 o’clock, perfectly embraced in the case middle of the 42 mm-diameter rose gold case, invites to trigger the mechanism. A crystal-clear melody rings out once the action is performed. A hammer strikes a gong-spring as many times as is required to chime the hours, another takes over for the quarters and a third one sounds out the minutes. This harmonious musical score is majestically driven by the 567.2 caliber equipped with a balance wheel boasting a frequency of 2.5 Hz. This hand-wound movement delivers a power reserve of 40 hours. This device, assembled using some 368 components, is a real masterpiece of micro-mechanics and also dazzles thanks to its finishes. Each of its elements is delicately hand-carved by Breguet watchmakers.
While these adornments center stage the engravers’ talents, the timepiece’s black dial highlights the expertise of other craftspeople who have become masters in “grand feu” enameling. This pared-down, streamlined dial contrasts with the caliber hosted below. An hour chapter comprising classy Arabic numerals confirms this artistic choice. The scenography gifts this piece with an extremely-sophisticated personality. The Classique 7637 Répétition Minutes is complemented by a matching alligator strap, attached by a folding clasp. Worth a mention, the manufacture also invites to discover a version imagined around a white gold case.
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]]>The end of high school crowned by a diploma, the end of student years certified with even more diplomas, the search for a professional internship in a company and then the big leap towards a new milestone for a young adult: the entry into working life. Nomos has designed the Club Campus collection to support these former students and future employees or entrepreneurs, and to celebrate ambition and motivation, because who better to understand young people than the 30-year-old brand born in the 1990s in the heart of Glashütte, the capital of German watchmaking. In addition to the “wise” shades (silvery white, light grey, slate blue and intense black) and the dynamic fuchsia, tonic orange and orange pink, the German company has added a new color: Club Campus “electric green”.
Like a future that unfolds its many paths, this Nomos range offers several options, in addition to the color palette of the dials, by proposing its steel case in a 36 or 38mm diameter, with a caseback – which always guarantees water-resistance to a depth of 100m – in solid metal or sapphire crystal. Whatever its size, the case houses the Alpha caliber, a hand-wound mechanical movement designed entirely in-house, with a power reserve of around 43 hours.
The “bilingual“ dial features Arabic and Roman numerals interspersed with hour-markers, all coated with white Super-LumiNova® with blue emission. Hours and minutes are displayed by a pair of rhodium-plated baton-shaped hands that emit a green luminescence in the dark. A counter at 6 o’clock with an small orange pointer scrolls the seconds. Ever faithful to its policy of choice, the Club Campus “electric green” is worn on the wrist with a pearl-gray velvet leather strap as soft as a silky fabric, with wide metal links perfect for all kinds of sporting activities, or thinner ones offering a more classic look.
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]]>With its RM 30-01 Automatic with Declutchable Rotor, Richard Mille rolls out a technical and esthetically-pleasing masterpiece boasting the most latest-to-date innovations and, above all, a signature model that epitomizes the brand’s identity. This fine watchmaking piece gives pride of place to optimizing energy transmission and production. And, to leverage its high-tech assets, the brand new RMAR2 caliber is the star of the show. This movement features a variable geometry rotor which is capable of disengaging once the 55 hours of autonomy have been reached. Whenever there’s only 40 hours of energy left, the rotor re-engages to recharge the barrel spring.
This particularity can be admired dial-side thanks to the winding indicator set at 11 o’clock along with the orange and blue one devoted to the power reserve. This duo is underscored in a scenography that’s been revamped in relation to that of the RM 030. In a nutshell, the curves have disappeared. A lozenge-shaped architecture takes over and jazzes up the time data displays. In this layered, skeletonized scenescape, we discover an oversized date and a function indicator. The selector positioned at 2 o’clock enables the wearer to choose between W for winding, D for adjusting the date and H for setting the time. Two variations of the iconic tonneau case are available, one in 5N red gold, the other in grade 5 titanium. The second also stands out through its weight, just 96 grams, strap included.
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]]>Although the devil may be in the details, Leonardo da Vinci reminded us however that “details make perfection, and perfection is not a detail”. Zenith‘s Defy 21 Chroma II watch epitomizes this concept. After having rolled out a 200-piece version where white reigned supreme, the star-logoed manufacture now invites us to discover a variation shrouded in black. And, just like the previous model, this chronograph stands out visually through its discreet adornments set off with dashes of color. Rainbow hues jazz up the markers as well as the movement components just waiting to be admired through the skeletonized dial. These features boost this sporty composition which boasts tri-compax-positioned counters embraced in a 44 mm-diameter mat ceramic case, waterproof down to depths of 100 meters. To create perfect harmony, this spectrum flaunting red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet and indigo also tricks out the stitching of the rubber strap attached by a titanium folding clasp.
The Defy 21 Chroma II meticulously drives the data and short-cycle times measured to 1/100th of a second with its El Primero 9400 caliber. This selfwinding movement delivers a power reserve of at least 50 hours. It’s also endowed with two escapements, one equipped with a frequency of 36,000 vib./h that displays the time, the other a 50 Hz one devoted to the chronograph function. In a nutshell, performance and design interact ingeniously in this exclusive timepiece.
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]]>The 70s were marked by the emergence of quartz movements and dials flaunting LCD and LED displays. We dreamed of flying cars and cities in space. The future took our wrists by storm. In 1972, Tissot unveiled its first-ever revolutionary-looking model to boast a digital dial. Other references were subsequently commercialized including a surprising Stratos designed by famous Italian stylist Bertone renowned for his coachbuilding creations. Later, the Quartz F1, TS-X, TwoTimer as well as the Viatech then on to the first T-Touch in 1999 illustrated Tissot’s ability to imagine other daring designs. The new PRX Digital pursues this trend.
The brand from Le Locle, boosted by the success of the reissue of its iconic collection launched in 1978, in a 40 mm followed by a 35 mm diameter, showcases an unexpected variation that’s, nonetheless, totally on a par with its history. The PRX Digital takes on a modern-day personality mixing a chic ‘n’ sporty spirit with the advantages offered by the DGT-2040 quartz caliber. In a nutshell, this watch comes with backlighting for reading the time under any conditions of light, as well as a dual time zone, the date, the results of measured time, a timer and an alarm. The PRX Digital is available in the same two diameters like its hand-hovered friend, features a case still waterproof to depths of 100 meters, is proposed in steel and in gold PVD, and is paired with black, mirrored-silver or dazzling gold crystal dial covering. When style and fun reign supreme.
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]]>Once it’s wrapped around the wrist, time fades and imagination takes over. On the skin, it appears like a lyrical cloud wrapping its cottony arms around a mountain peak. In this waking dream, the cloudiness is pierced by the rays of a summer sun bouncing off this opaline wall in a firework display. This is the magical power of the Ladybird Colors: to take you on a journey to wonderland, if only for a moment, to forget the dullness of everyday life, as your gaze settles to embrace the time. For Blancpain, time is displayed in color, in the hues of the rainbow, which, in addition to its beauty, is a call to reverie.
As a perfect ambassador for feminine watchmaking, the Ladybird Colors features a mother-of-pearl face curved with multicolored Roman numerals that seem to sway in the wind like reeds. The sunny silhouette evoked by the dial, with shades that seem to spread towards the flange, is accentuated by the presence of diamond-encrusted circles of different circumferences. The largest centralizes the hour and minute display, delivered by two silvered, openworked leaf-style hands. The smaller one, set at 6 o’clock, gently ticks off the seconds.
This time information is provided by caliber 1163, housed in a 34.9mm-diameter white gold case also lined with brilliant-cut diamonds. This self-winding movement, assembled from 195 components and equipped with a silicon balance-spring, offers a formidable 100-hour power reserve. To match your mood to your watch, the Ladybird Colors is equipped with an interchangeable system that allows you to choose from a range of alligator leather straps in no time at all: lemon yellow, candy pink, apple green, ocean blue or… cloud white!
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]]>Since its foundation in 1860, Heuer, which became TAG Heuer in the 1980s and joined LVMH nearly two decades after, has always had innovation in its genes. You only have to go back through its history and analyze its archives to realize this. Continuing its exploration into the world of research and development, the watch brand has focused on laboratory diamonds to magnify two pieces in the Carrera collection, which celebrates its 60th anniversary this year. One of them, the Carrera Plasma Diamant d’Avant-Garde 36mm watch, achieves a double feat with synthetic stones in unprecedented shapes and hues for incomparable brilliance.
Curved around a slender fixed bezel and bordered by a grooved-surface flange, the polycrystalline diamond dial – i.e., crystals grown into a granite-like, sparkling whole – features rectangular baguette-cut hour-markers swept by two openworked baton-type hour and minute hands and a thin second hand. To complete these time markers, a date appears in black on a white background in a window at 6 o’clock. Within this luminous composition, a touch of color culminates at 12 o’clock: a pale pink artificial diamond shaped like the TAG Heuer shield.
As a technological feat, this delicate translucent hue is repeated on the crown, also made of synthetic gemstone, which punctuates the side of the 36mm-diameter white gold case, a size that matches the dimensions of the original 1963 Carrera. The case of this exclusive model houses Calibre 7, an automatic movement that delivers 56 hours of power reserve when fully wound, and binds to the wrist with a black alligator leather strap and white gold pin buckle.
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]]>Through its Flagship Heritage model, Longines reminds us that its mantra Elegance is an attitude is not just a mere advertising slogan. Basically, every detail of this timepiece has a role to play in its seductiveness. The design of its satin-brushed-finished steel case as such place the accent on versatility with a diameter of just 38.5 mm. Its dial, available in silver or in sunburst blue, conjures up the past, whilst its hour chapter comprising eleven markers, its dauphine-style hands and the presence of a Moon phase display underscore a kind of esthetically-beautiful timelessness. The pared-down scenography enhances the elegant personality of this piece even more. On the caseback, the engraving of an exquisite sailing vessel reminds us that the Flagship Heritage is definitely one of the brand’s jewels. And, to ensure perfect harmony, this new reference is complemented by a gray, brown or blue strap, depending on the variation chosen.
The L899 (ETA A31.L91), one of the most efficient contemporary calibers, which equips, among others, The Longines 1832 watch, nestles inside the case. This selfwinding movement, beating at a frequency of 25,200 vibrations an hour, boasts a silicon monocrystal balance spring which means it’s insensitive to the negative effects of magnetic fields. What’s more, this cutting-edge device amazes with its autonomy. It delivers a wonderful power reserve of three days to the watch. Elegance to be delighted in throughout the week, and over the weekend too.
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]]>From Mykonos to Capri, the shades of blue the Mediterranean Sea and sky boast have always been an inspiration for Hublot watchmakers. With these hues in mind, the new 50-piece limited edition whisks us off to yet another well-loved destination, the South of France. The Big Bang Unico Azur as such takes on the colors of the French Riviera. The white bezel contrasts with the shade of the 42 mm-diameter, 14.5 mm-high microblasted ceramic case. This resolutely winning combination gifts the watch with a summertime personality. And, this model’s set off even more thanks to the duo of straps that comes with it. The first in rubber attached by a titanium folding clasp matches the primary azure hue, the second, an immaculate braided fabric one, center stages it even more. You can switch straps ever-so easily without using a tool thanks to the fast change system.
The dial displays the traditional time data scenography intrinsic to this chronograph from the brand. The 60-minute counter with integrated date aperture at 3 o’clock is symmetrically positioned with the small seconds nestling at 9 o’clock. The hour chapter comprises numerals and markers adorned with Super-LumiNova®. Measured time along with the hours and minutes are driven by the HUB1280 caliber that can be admired though the openworked scenescape. This selfwinding movement, assembled using some 374 components, delivers a substantial power reserve of 72 hours. Performance and style in harmony once again!
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]]>Since 2006, Vacheron Constantin has had a workshop specializing in made-to-measure instruments produced in unique editions: Les Cabinotiers, whose name is borrowed from the history of watchmaking and the tradition of this exclusive 18th-century craft. This year, Les Cabinotiers Armillary Tourbillon, a spectacular unique timepiece adapted to the interior of an also unique Rolls Royce Amethyst Droptail, was created in response to a challenge from a customer with a passion for both automobiles and timepieces.
The result of a collaboration with Rolls Royce Coachbuild designers, the object consists of a watch set in a base that blends harmoniously into the wood panels of the dashboard.
The first element of this duo features a steel case measuring 43.8mm in diameter and 19.9mm thick, housing the 1990 caliber, a Poinçon de Genève-approved manual-winding movement, clocked at the gentle frequency of 2.5hz and delivering 58 hours of energy. Modelled on the mauve hue of the saddlery, the dial takes up the spirit of a speedometer, with a biretrograde display of hours and minutes that spreads out in a double arc of a circle in the upper part, one inscribed in violet on a white ring and the other in silver printed on the sapphire dial. The lower part gives free rein to the tourbillon, allowing it to express itself freely by making this distinctive armillary structure dance. The second element is a slightly tonneau-shaped frame, also in steel, with polished edges, while the laser-textured, black PVD-coated interior houses the watch. It is completed by a cover with a lock in the shape of the Maltese cross, Vacheron Constantin‘s emblem.
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]]>Flashback! In 2010, Armin Strom unveiled its first-ever watch to be equipped with a movement created in its own workshops, the One Week. Stylistically-speaking, this piece stood out with its elaborate, totally-symmetrical scenography. This model also wowed with its performances. Its caliber delivered an impressive seven-day power reserve. This summer, the brand center staged a state-of-the-art upgrade, issued in just 25 pieces, the One Week First Edition. This 2023 vintage champions the model’s remarkable autonomy but it’s also been completely overhauled thanks in particular to a new movement. Dial-side, the architecture adorns a scenography on a par with current-day production where geometrics calls the tune inside the case, which is 41 mm in diameter, 10.6 mm high and crafted in steel this time round. Its ice-blue PVD mainplate and bridges add a touch of light to the relief-style structure.
The ARM21 caliber drives the hour and minute hands adorned with Super-LumiNova® as well as the second hand hovering over an off-centered black dial precisely. This hand-wound movement, assembled using some 194 components, beats at a frequency of 25,200 vibrations an hour versus 2.5 Hz in the previous version. This higher rate ensures better time-keeping performances. And, to manage the energy it develops optimally, it boasts a free-sprung balance and variable-inertia balance wheel. The One Week First Edition is worn on an integrated bracelet fashioned with satin-brushed and polished H-shaped metal links. This choice boosts the watch’s sporty-chic style, making it resolutely in tune with the times.
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]]>It’s no secret that color has a prodigious influence on our emotions. As a source of inspiration, it can be naturally energizing, reassuring, calming… Even more effective than any chemical molecule sold in pharmacies! Oris understands the importance of putting nuances into our lives and on our wrists to bring joy and stand out from the crowd. The Hölstein-based brand invites dynamic hues into its catalog, from the lime dial of the ProPilot X Kermit Edition unveiled last spring to the summery Divers Sixty-Five “Cotton Candy”. Building on the success of the 2022 bronze pieces, they are now available in a steel version, whose soft silvery reflections allow the colored dials to express themselves fully. A real treat!
Divers Sixty-Five is first and foremost an emblematic design that evokes the spirit of a 1960s diver’s watch, hence the name of the collection which recalls the date of the first diver produced by Oris. This Sixties silhouette blends perfectly with the available palette: pool blue, candy pink and Persian green. Protected by a delicately domed sapphire crystal, the dial features applied geometric hour-markers curved by a thin minute track, two central baton-style hour and minute hands, a polka-dot “lollipop” second hand, and a date display in black on a white background in a window at 6 o’clock. The presence of Super-LumiNova® facilitates information gathering in all light conditions. Carrying the “diver” gene inherited from the past, the Divers Sixty-Five “Cotton Candy” has a 38mm-diameter steel case, topped with a graduated bezel in relief, whose solid screw-down caseback and crown help guarantee water-resistance to a depth of 100m. The case houses the Oris 733 automatic caliber, based on a Sellita SW 200-1, which delivers 38 hours of power reserve.
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]]>If the mechanical genius of Abraham-Louis Breguet (1747-1823) resonates within modern watchmaking, the name of Louis Breguet (1880-1955), his great-great-grandson, is profoundly linked to the rise of aviation. These two chapters in the fascinating history of this famous last name, whose family tree is full of illustrious personalities, gave rise in the 1950s to the design of a chronograph intended for the air force and available in two versions, one military (Type 20) and one civilian (Type XX). With the arrival of the 4th generation of this collection in 2023, Breguet returns to the original binomial spirit and presents two watches, including the civilian model, the Type XX Chronographe 2067.
This reference is driven by a new exclusive motor resulting of 4 years of development, the caliber 728 with flyback function. Set to a frequency of 5hz and equipped with a single barrel, it provides 60 hours of power reserve when fully wound via its blackened gold oscillating weight that presents a shape similar to the silhouette an old monoplane.
True to Abraham-Louis Breguet‘s philosophy, the dial’s graphic design focuses above all on the legibility of the various displays. Inspired by the first Type XXs produced some 70 years ago for the French naval aeronautics, it features a dark, matte tint that contrasts with the ivory luminescence of the large Arabic numerals and alpha-type hands. The difference in the circumference of the counters reflects a certain hierarchical approach to time information: the 15′ totalizer, fueled by the central second hand, takes pride of place at around 3 o’clock, while the hour totalizer (at 6 o’clock) and small seconds (at 9 o’clock) seem to fade into the background. To provide an additional landmark, the date appears discreetly in an aperture at 4:30. The steel case of the Type XX Chronographe 2067 measures 42mm in diameter and 14.1mm thick, and supports a graduated rotating bezel. It attaches to the wrist with one of two easily interchangeable straps, either two strands of beige calf leather or a black NATO band.
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]]>Suggesting rather than revealing all. This option gives the design a new lease of life. You just need to run your eyes over the magnificent gradient-toned metallic blue sapphire-crystal dial that veers to black around the edges of reference 5316/50P-001 Grandes Complications imagined by Patek Philippe to see what we mean. In contrast to an entirely openworked scenescape, here, the caliber components are discreet yet play a subtle role in the timepiece’s classy personality. In short, the time data is wonderfully-easy to read inside the 40.2 mm-diameter platinum case. Alongside the hour and minute hands that hover over an hour chapter comprising markers, a perpetual calendar, epitomizing the manufacture’s time-honored tradition, reigns. Here, we discover a central date inspirited by a hand retrograde display. The day, month and leap year are unveiled in their respective apertures. The moon’s phases, combined with the small seconds set at 6 o’clock, unfold in a star-studded sky.
All the data is accurately driven by the complicated R TO 27 PS QR tourbillon caliber assembled using some 506 components. This hand-wound movement (38 hours’ power reserve) also powers a minute repeater boasting two classical gongs. A stylized pusher integrated in the caseband triggers the mechanism. Last but not least, the sapphire-crystal caseback invites to admire the regulating device’s exquisite finishes, workings and gyrations. When revealing can spark wonder.
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]]>The Mille Miglia, a flagship piece in Chopard collections, conjures up one of the most thrilling endurance races for lovers of classic motor cars that takes place every year between Rome and Brescia. Each model draws its inspiration from the finery of yesteryear’s racers. This time round, with the Mille Miglia GTS Power Control Bamford Edition “Desert Race”, the manufacture showcases an offbeat variation, imagined hand-in-hand with Bamford Watch Department. As such, the style of this 50-piece numbered limited edition was revisited by the watchmakers from the London-based independent customization studio. Its smoky frosty dial hosts two large numerals, 6 and 12, trimmed with orange and filled with black Super-LumiNova®. The same luminescent paint adorns the hands and markers. The date nestling at 3 o’clock is symmetrically positioned with the energy indicator featured at 9 o’clock. This display’s small hand, the date and the scale that decorates the bezel are also topped with this vibrant color. The entire highly-contrasting scenography ensures excellent data readability under any conditions of light. This exclusive piece is worn on a woven-effect rubber strap attached by a folding clasp.
The 01.08-C caliber reigns supreme inside the 43 mm-diameter titanium-crafted case, waterproof to depths of 100 meters. This automatic movement meets COSC requirements to a T. Once fully wound, it delivers a power reserve of some 60 hours. Style, performance and precision definitely guaranteed.
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]]>With its PRX model, a reinterpretation of a famous 1978 watch, Tissot has pulled off a masterstroke. This piece with its resolutely sporty-chic style, originally rolled out in 40 mm diameter, was then showcased with a more versatile 35 mm diameter variation. This size was perfect for any lady’s or gent’s wrist. All that remained was for the brand from Le Locle to come up with the right adornments to complete the winning combo. The first colored versions proposed met this expectation. And, they were a huge success. The recent releases continue in the same direction. The checkerboard-patterned dial dresses up in fashionable hues, as seen in the two novel PRX 35mm Powermatic 80 watches unveiled this summer.
The first PRX 35mm goes for a total warm-toned gold PVD look. The second reference combines steel with refreshing ice blue. This daringly-stylish duo is worn on a fully-coordinated bracelet integrated in the case and attached by a folding clasp. These pieces are still driven by the Powermatic 80 caliber. This selfwinding movement stands out through its performance. Thanks to its NivachronTM balance spring, it’s insensitive to the negative effects of magnetic fields. What’s more, it delivers a comfortable power reserve of 80 hours. All these characteristics are a nod to the collection’s name. PR means “Precise and Robust”. X highlights its ability to take on the seas and oceans in its stride to depths of 100 meters.
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]]>The Monaco timepiece, a watchmaking icon intrinsically linked to the history of motor racing and that of the Principality, made its mark both on and off the tracks with its one-of-a-kind design. The bi-compax counters that feature prominently in its square-shaped case enhance its sporty look. The small seconds at 3 o’clock is symmetrically set with the counter at 9 o’clock that ticks over the chronograph minutes. The original 1969 model stands out moreover given the unusual position of its crown, nestling on the left. And, this is exactly what’s waiting to be discovered in the 1,000-piece TAG Heuer Monaco Racing Blue Calibre 11 limited series.
To be perfectly in tune with the times, the 39 mm grade 2 titanium-crafted case flaunting a sandblasted finish offers a backdrop to a dynamic scenescape paying tribute to yesteryear’s French brands, Talbot-Lago and Delage, which excelled by creating elegant automobiles. The sunray-brushed silvered dial conjures up dashboards, and the blue counters curvaceous bodywork. A dash of lime adorns the direct-drive and adds a zest of freshness to the watch. The hour and minute hands are coated with blue Super-LumiNova® ensuring reading is easy under any conditions of light. The time data along with the date at 6 o’clock are driven by Caliber 11 (40 hours of power reserve). This movement is an upgrade of the first selfwinding mechanism developed at the end of the 1960s. And, in this edition, performance is on a par with style. This Monaco Racing Blue comes complete with a perforated azure-hued calfskin strap.
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