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Introducing: The Grand Seiko SBGJ237 & SBGJ239
Two new high-beat GMTs with luminous bezels.
Results for Frequency / Beat Rate (vph, Hz)
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SJX Watches
Auction Watch: Singer Reimagined Track 1 Prototype at Phillips
Founded in 2017 as the watchmaking arm of Singer Vehicle Design, the critically-acclaimed rebuilder of early 1990s Porsche 911s, Singer Reimagined specialises in chronographs powered by an ingenious Agenhor movement. But before Singer Reimagined settled on its retro-inspired case design, it made a Track 1 prototype with an equally retro but more angular case that is going under the hammer at Phillips’ upcoming Geneva watch auction, the same that includes a pair of much-hyped F.P. Journe souscription watches. The production version of the Track 1 has cushion-shaped, titanium case with a radial brushed finish that is very much reminiscent of sports chronographs of the 1970s that were produced by host of brands, ranging from Omega to Heuer. It also has a “bullhead” pusher layout, with the chronograph buttons on the left and right sides of the case. More importantly, the standard Track 1 features short lugs with a narrow hood over the end of the strap, making the strap look almost integrated. The Track 1 in 18k gold (left) and titanium In contrast, the prototype has longer lugs with a pronounced opening for the strap. It’s still made of titanium, with a similar brushed case finish, and also evocative of the 1970s, but a different look altogether. Like the production watch, the prototype has wide, polished bevels separating the brushed tops and sides of the cases The prototype is fitted to a NATO-style leather strap – with matching, brushed titanium rings – that loo...
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In-Depth: The Definitive Guide to the A. Lange & Söhne Handwerkskunst
When Walter Lange celebrated his 90th birthday in 2014, A. Lange & Söhne marked the occasion with a short interview. Asked how he would define the brand, the great-grandson of Ferdinand Adolph Lange quoted the late Günter Blümlein: “A Lange watch is a fusion of the arts… [and] the unique technology and artisanship to which we are committed.” Lange has created many special watches since it was re-established in 1994, but one family of timepieces embodies Blümlein’s description – Handwerkskunst. A line of limited-edition watches, Handwerkskunst – which translates as “craftsmanship” – is defined by traditional artistic techniques of decoration and exemplary hand-finish, a combination that is truly a “fusion of the arts”. The goal of this article is to provide the context behind the creation of the Handwerkskunst series, and to detail the individual models. The focus will be on the details of each model, how they differ from their standard counterparts, and the realised prices at auction – livened up by my personal experience and opinion. Five of the eight Handwerkskunst models launched to date, without the Richard Lange Pour le Merite, Cabaret Tourbillon, and Datograph Why handwerkskunst? I am often asked why I love Lange watches. It’s a long answer, but one reason goes beyond the watch themselves – it is the brand’s determination to preserve and develop the artisanal crafts in Saxony. In fact, Lange is something of a hub for artisans in the ...
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Jaeger-LeCoultre Introduces the Master Control Memovox and Memovox Timer
Having revived the Master Control models of 1992 earlier this year, Jaeger-LeCoultre (JLC) was surely going to do the same for one of its longest-lived complications, the vibrating Memovox alarm. And so it has, with two new alarm watches in fact: the Master Control Memovox and the Master Control Memovox Timer. Both are powered by the same base movement, but the limited-edition Memovox Timer features an additional countdown function for the alarm. The cal. 956 with an open-worked, pink gold rotor Initial thoughts The base-model Master Control Memovox looks just like the Memovox of 20 years ago, and it is a good look. Now the case finishing has been upgraded, as has the movement – which is now visible through a display back – creating a tidy package that’s just right. And price-wise the new model is comparable to recent JLC alarm watches, which is fair, albeit still a bit pricey. A little bit more funky and countdown scale in relief, the Master Control Memovox Timer is a lot more expensive, almost 35% more expensive than the base model. It does have an added countdown function to go along with the fancier dial, but it is too expensive. Ringing since 1951 The Master Control Memovox is a moderate 40 mm in diameter, though fairly thick at 12.39 mm, a necessary consequence of the movement. Compared to its namesake watch of the 1990s, the case has grown slightly larger, but more importantly has an improve finish. It features contrasting polished and brushed finished on the ...
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Hands-On: Montblanc 1858 Automatic 24H
Now five years old, Montblanc’s 1858 collection has proven to be both on the nose and on the money – and the line-up now includes an unusual single-handed, 24-hour wristwatch that doubles as a solar compass. From the entry-level automatic to the top-of-the-line split-seconds chronograph, the 1858 watches offer respectable value in their respective price categories, while possessing a pleasing balance of retro details reliant on clever use of tone, font, and finish. At Watches & Wonders 2020, Montblanc continued the theme, but with a twist, when it introduced the 1858 Automatic 24H. Initial thoughts Mechanically simple but functionally and visually unusual, the Automatic 24H doesn’t cost very much more than the base-model, three-hand automatic. Admittedly it only tells the time approximately, but the look and feel is reminiscent of an oversized vintage instrument, rather than just a vintage-inspired wristwatch. In order words, it is probably the most interesting entry-level watch from Montblanc. In fact, it’s a compelling proposition in the broader sub-US$5,000 category, being more interesting than the usual fare in this price segment. 24 hours and uncommon While not new, watches with a 24-hour time display where hour hand makes one revolution a day are uncommon, especially outside of specialised timers for professionals who operate on a 24-hour time such as pilots and astronauts. As a result, 24-hour watches are often no-nonsense instruments. Such watches typic...
WatchAdvice
IWC Portugieser Chronograph (reference 371609) Review
Introduction Clipping shut the deployant buckle of the just-refreshed IWC Portugieser Chronograph; it’s easy to see why this is one of the brand’s most popular watches, in Australia at least. It’s dressy, but still offers a healthy dose of sports functionality. What makes this new reference, announced back in February, even better the movement beating away inside. For the first time, it’s an IWC-manufactured calibre, and while it can’t be seen on the wrist, or make much of a difference to daily wear, it still feels like a significant step up. The Dial and Hands The face of the Portugieser Chronograph is refreshingly familiar, thanks to that iconic combination of applied Arabic numerals and leaf (or feuille) shaped hands. The chronograph layout puts a minutes register at the top and a running seconds display at six. I’m more familiar with the white-dialled version of the Portugieser so was happy to give the black a try. And boy, is this dial black. The colour is incredibly deep and dynamic; if you catch it on the right angle, it takes on a blue-ish sheen around the edges. I must say that, because of the dark dial and the slender, highly polished hands and hour markers, legibility was a bit of an issue at times. Still, the overall beauty made me forget about that fact almost immediately. IWC Portugieser Chronograph Reference 371609 The Case and Strap At 41mm, this watch is sized just right. The steel case sits well on the wrist, flush and, even though it is...
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Business News: Richemont Pessimistic After Weak Results
Richemont’s fourth quarter was one of the victims of the COVID-19 pandemic, pulling down its results for the full year to end-March 2020. Even though the full year’s tally was not down substantially, Richemont chairman Johann Rupert was gloomy in his prediction for the coming year. China, the first country to recover from the pandemic, has “apparently returned to ‘business as usual’ remarkably quickly” and Richemont stores there are enjoying now “strong demand”. But because everywhere else is only partway through the crisis, the plain-speaking South African tycoon raised the possibility of “12, 24 or 36 months of grave economic consequences”, while halving the annual dividend to €1 a share to conserve cash. Johann Rupert. Photo – Richemont The Swiss luxury conglomerate, which owns brands like Cartier, IWC, and Panerai, enjoyed “good sales performance” until the fourth quarter, with its jewellery brands and online retail performing better than other divisions, including watchmaking, which has lagged for several quarters. At actual exchange rates, annual sales eked out a 2% rise to €14.2 billion, with most regions growing slightly, save for a 5% decline in Asia Pacific. Net profit fell 34%, excluding a one-off, non-cash gain due to a share revaluation the year prior. The declines were largely due to the fourth quarter, where Richemont took a massive hit. In the last quarter, sales fell by 18% globally, with Hong Kong crashing 67%. The group end...
Hodinkee
In-Depth: Why The Grand Seiko 60th Anniversary SLGH002 Is Some Of The Biggest Watch News Of 2020
The new Hi-Beat caliber offers the first new series-produced escapement in over two decades.
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Ming Introduces the 27.01
Ming is a “micro brand” that has gained tremendous recognition in a remarkably short period thanks to a well-cultivated design language and smart pricing. While the brand started out with the affordable 17 series, it then went upmarket with the 19 series. Now the brand has unveiled a new model that’s in-between the two, the Ming 27.01. In many ways it’s an evolution of the entry-level 17 series, with a more elaborately-conceived but notably thin case as well as a major upgrade in terms of mechanics, resulting in a slightly higher retail price of 3,950 Swiss francs. Initial thoughts The 27.01 is a good-looking derivative of the 17 series that launched the brand. But it’s not just a similar design, the watch has been upgraded in a useful way, mainly with slimmer proportions and a more interesting movement. Though the base movement is a pedestrian ETA Peseux, it’s been smartly modified to look different and attractive (though the revamped bridges look a bit skimpy leading to minor worries about shock resistance). While the 17 series was great value for money – and cost very little money – the 27.01 is pricey in comparison. It’s priced substantially higher, at about US$4,000, which is still reasonable value, but less easily compelling than the 17 series. An exercise in reductivism While the 27.01 retains the same 38 mm case diameter as the 17.01, its height of just 6.9 mm 27.01 makes it the slimmest Ming watch to date. Because of its svelte dimensions, the ca...
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Pandemic Truths - François-Henry Bennahmias
Audemars Piguet is one of the most recognised brands in haute horlogerie, but since François-Henry Bennahmias took over as chief executive in 2012, it has enjoyed turbocharged growth, with turnover more than doubling to over a billion francs in 2019. As the crisis hit, Audemars Piguet was still in the midst of executing some drastic strategic changes in the brand’s distribution and marketing – eliminating all third-party retail as well as pulling out from the SIHH trade fair. Has the crisis changed its plans? François-Henry Bennahmias answers our questions from his home in Nyon, a town 40 minutes to Audemars Piguet’s headquarters in Le Brassus (which just opens its new museum shaped like a glass spiral). Francois-Henri at home in Nyon How has this crisis impacted your business? All our manufacturing sites are closed; 85% of our stores worldwide are closed. So we are drastically impacted as you can imagine. 2020 will be affected in a substantial way. But with what our team have achieved in the past eight years, Audemars Piguet can weather the storm. Our financial health is good. We are able to keep every single employee around the world on the payroll. That is mainly what we have been working on: taking care of our people, of their health and of their jobs. In this regard, I would say that all is good! Obviously, the situation calls for a deep reflection on the “after”. Anyone who believes that we will go back to the normal we once knew is completely mistaken. ...
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Sinn Introduces the U50 Dive Watch
Sinn‘s signature dive watch is the near-indestructible U1 that’s a large 44 mm in diameter. Now Sinn has unveiled the mid-sized version of the same, the U50, which offers all of the goodness of its bigger brother but in a 41 mm case. Initial thoughts I am a fan of the original U1 because it is seriously minded in its functionality, encompassing design, material, and testing. And it is affordable, making it great value for money. The new U50 has almost all of the same features and similar pricing, so it is hard not to like it. But one caveat: though the U1 is a largish 44 mm, it never really felt that large, perhaps because of the short lugs and wide bezel (thus a small dial). So while the U50 may fit better on some wrists, it might look smaller than its 41 mm diameter suggests. U50 at 41 mm (left), and U1 at 44 mm Super steel Like the U1, the new U50 has a case made of submarine steel, the same alloy used for the German navy’s submarines. Highly resistant to seawater corrosion and also especially nonmagnetic, the steel alloy comes from ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems, a builder of naval vessels, and is the same material used for the hull of the stealthy U212 class of submarines. It’s rated to 500 m – hence the U50 moniker – and powered by the no-nonsense Sellita SW300-1, a clone of the ETA 2892. That’s less than the 1000 m of the U1, but 500 m is still plenty – and about the same depth rating as most navy submarines. And if the submarine steel alloy alone wasn...
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Up Close: IWC Portugieser Yacht Club Moon & Tide
The flagship of IWC’s new Portugieser watches unveiled at Watches & Wonders 2020 is not the most complicated, but it is certainly the most unusual. The Portugieser Yacht Club Moon & Tide is a first for IWC, introducing a brand-new complication to its line-up – a tide indication that tracks the ocean’s ebbs and flows. Initial thoughts The Yacht Club Moon & Tide is a big, heavy and shiny sports watch with twin sub-dials, but it is far more interesting than the typical watch in this category (which is almost always a chronograph). One of the very rare, comprehensive tide-display watches on the market, the Yacht Club Moon & Tide incorporates twin tidal displays, which are useless for most but fascinating, not just because they are rare but also because they are, in essence, an astronomical complication. And the tidal displays are combined with IWC’s trademark double moon phase, making it a bit more compelling. (But like all tide-indicator watches, the new Yacht Club has a caveat: IWC points out it “works reliably on all coasts with two equally strong high and low tides per day”. It is not a flaw, but just a nature of the complication. More that below.) At the same time, the watch overall is constructed to IWC’s usual levels of quality, which is to say excellent. The only downside is the rose-gold case, resulting in a steep price tag; hopefully a steel or titanium version comes along (and it probably will). The tidal watch, until now The tide-indicator complicatio...
Quill & Pad
3 Brand-New De Bethune DB28s To Celebrate 10 Years Of This Sensational, Now Ultra-Thin Watch With Floating Lugs
In 2020, De Bethune celebrates the tenth anniversary of its groundbreaking DB28 with three limited edition DB28XP versions taking the model from thin to ultra-thin and upping the power reserve from five to six days. And wait until you see what they look like!
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Panerai Introduces the Submersible EcoPangaea Tourbillon GMT PAM01108
With last year’s limited editions packaged with extreme adventures having sold well commercially, Panerai is once again offering a watch packaged with a once-in-a-lifetime experience, except that the timepiece is no longer merely a basic dive watch. Limited to just five pieces, the Submersible EcoPangaea Tourbillon GMT PAM01108 is equipped with a skeletonised movement featuring a second time zone and tourbillon. More unusually, the massive, 50 mm case of the PAM 1108 is fabricated from recycled steel. The EcoPangaea tourbillon has an unusual bezel milled to have its markings in relief Named EcoPangaea steel, the material is recycled from the discarded drive shaft of Pangaea, the 35 m sailboat owned by South African conservationist and explorer Mike Horn. The vessel has accompanied Mr Horn on various expeditions around the world, from Antarctica to the Amazon. Fittingly, the watch includes an Arctic adventure supervised by Mike Horn, which Panerai describes as “an opportunity to test your physical limits and witness the imperiled state of our ecosystem.” The perpendicular tourbillon The PAM 1108 is powered by the P.2005/T, a movement Panerai has used on several other skeleton-tourbillon watches. Hand-wound with a six-day power reserve, the P.2005/T incorporates a second time zone function with a central GMT hand, as well as the novel tourbillon at 10 o’clock. Unlike conventional tourbillons that rotate on the same plane as the dial, with the balance wheel oscilla...
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Panerai Introduces the Luminor Marina Titanio DMLS PAM01117
At a glance, Panerai’s latest Luminor unveiled at Watches & Wonders 2020 might look like, well, just another Luminor. But the Luminor Marina Titanio DMLS (PAM01117) is more than that. It incorporates a new type of luminous paint with an extra-bright glow, while boasting a titanium case produced via a process similar to 3D printing. And most crucially, the watch is covered by a 70-year warranty. Given that Panerai’s identity is inextricably linked with legible, glow-in-the-dark dials, the new “lume” found on the Luminor DMLS makes sense. The watch features Super-Luminova X – a lot of it. Beyond the usual dial and hands, the new Luminor also had luminous paint on the flange around the dial, crown locking bridge and lever, and the stitching of the fabric strap. The use of “lume” as a decorative element brings to mind the Lumen series of A. Lange & Söhne (which is a sister brand of Panerai within Swiss luxury group Richemont), but here the luminous paint is executed in clean lines for a geometric pattern. Though the Luminor DMLS is a large 44 mm in diameter, it is only 100 g, making it the lightest Panerai watch with a metal alloy case. The case is produced via direct metal laser sintering (DMLS), the same process to make the case of the Lo Scienzato Luminor 1950 Tourbillon GMT Titanio PAM00578 from 2016. DMLS is a form of 3D printing where a laser is used to melt titanium powder tiny amounts at a time, layer by layer as the case is built up. The nature of the p...
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A. Lange & Söhne Introduces the Zeitwerk Minute Repeater in White Gold
Five years ago, A. Lange & Söhne unveiled its first minute repeating wristwatch (setting aside the €2 million Grand Complication), but it was no ordinary repeater. Instead the it was a decimal repeater incorporated into the Zeitwerk and its signature digital time display. Originally introduced in platinum as part of the regular collection, the Zeitwerk Minute Repeater now returns in white gold as a 30-piece limited edition at Watches & Wonders 2020. Though the white gold case bestows little price advantage over the monochromatic platinum model, the watch does look more striking in blue. The idea of a decimal-repeating, digital watch is sensible – pairing the digital, jumping hours and minutes of the Zeitwerk with a decimal repeater means the chimes to match time display of hours, tens of minutes, and single minutes. In other words, the decimal repeater is as intuitive as the digital time-display. This is in contrast to typical minute repeaters that chime the time in 15-minute blocks, followed by the the remaining minutes. Visible at 12 o’clock is a power reserve indicator The only stylistic difference with this new edition is the dial colour. While the time display is still framed by the familiar rhodium-plated bridge, the rest of the dial is now dark blue, a first for the Zeitwerk (which has historically been available with either silver or black dials). And below the bridge are the symmetrically-arranged twin hammers and gongs, with the latter tracing the pe...
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Watches & Wonders to Debut Online Starting April 25
Cancelled because of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, Watches & Wonders (W&W;) was due to take place in Geneva but will now go online starting April 25, 2020 at 12:00 pm CET (or 6:00 am in New York, 6:00 pm in Hong Kong and Singapore), where most of the year’s new watches will be revealed. Once known as SIHH, W&W; was meant to take place in the Palexpo convention centre in Geneva. Now the 30 brands that would have taken part in the event will be presenting their wares on a brand-new W&W; website, a project that has been completed in barely a month. Amongst the exhibiting brands are A. Lange & Söhne, Cartier, Hermes, IWC and Panerai, as well as independent brands like Ressence and H. Moser & Cie. Three cheers for a long, long time ago, when W&W; was actually real The virtual fair will showcase most of the year’s new launches, accompanied by videos, articles and other content. And the April 25 opening is just part one of W&W;, with the second part slated to arrive in summer 2020, where additional products will be launch, along with “strategic e-commerce partnerships”. Ambitious as it is, being the first large-scale virtual “fair”, this may be the first and final instalment of W&W;, given that Rolex, Patek Philippe, Chopard and Chanel have withdrawn from Baselworld and will be joining the new, as-yet unnamed fair in Geneva in April next year that will substitute W&W;. The virtual W&W; will go live on April 25 at Watchesandwonders.com. You’ll find all of the new la...
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Emile Chouriet Introduces the Héritier à Guichet
A brand specialising in affordable watches priced under US$2,000, Emile Chouriet has a fairly generic line-up, but with one obvious exception, the Héritier à Guichets. Showing the time and calendar in windows, the watch is inspired by timepieces of the 1920s, while having a titanium case with fancy lugs. Named after a 17th century French watchmaker, the brand was founded in 1998 by a Swiss businessman but acquired a decade later by Fiyta, a Shenzhen-based watchmaker best known for producing the chronograph issued to Chinese astronauts. Consequently, Emile Chouriet now focuses its efforts on the Chinese market, but the Héritier à Guichet combines an Art Deco style and novel time display that doubtlessly has wider appeal. Digital time displays became fashionable during the Art Deco period, with pocket watches sporting jumping or wandering hours, or even full calendar displays in an elongated window. The Héritier à Guichet takes inspiration from that early 20th century style, reproducing it in an affordable manner. A pale metallic grey with a radial-brushed finish, the dial consists of four windows, with the two closest to the centre showing the hours and minutes, while the outer apertures with wider bevels displaying the day and date. The hours and minutes, however, are not instantaneously jumping displays, instead they are “dragging” indicators that continually move just as conventional hands would. Also unusual is the case: though it has a moderate 40 mm di...
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Business News: Swiss Watch Exports to Hong Kong Post Biggest Fall in 20 Years
Trade body Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry (FH) just released its monthly export figures for Swiss watches – a proxy for the broader luxury watch market since Swiss timepieces dominate – and the February numbers are bleak. The month’s statistics illustrate two obvious trends that have shaped in the industry recently: the COVID-19 coronavirus is having a massive impact, and low-cost Swiss watches are being trounced by low-cost smartwatches. An Asian crisis, for now Compared with February last year, the value of exports globally declined by 9.2% – with export volume plunging 22.2% – but as the report notes darkly, the drop “does not yet fully reflect the actual situation in certain markets.” Unsurprisingly, the steepest declines were in the biggest Asian markets – China and Hong Kong – which suffered the worst period of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic in the first two months of the year. The biggest fall was in Hong Kong, where exports fell 42% – the largest monthly decline in 20 years. The city imported just CHF143m of Swiss watches, compared to CHF246m for the same month last year. Exports to China fell 51.5% to CHF73m, from CHF151m for February 2019. February was merely an acceleration of a months-long decline. For the first three months of the year, exports to Hong Kong have fallen 33% compared to the same period last year, while exports to China are down 22%. Though exports to other large markets like the United States, Singapore, and Germa...
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Hands-On: Romain Gauthier Logical One Byzantine
The Romain Gauthier Logical One was launched in 2013 to critical acclaim, and clinched the year’s award for Best Men’s Complication at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG). While centred on the very old idea of a chain and fusée, the Logical One stood in contrast to contemporary wristwatches with the same complication. Other watchmakers sought, single-mindedly, to miniaturise the chain and fusée – doubtlessly a feat of micro-engineering – but Romain Gauthier took a step forward and developed a truly modern incarnation of the constant-force mechanism that originated in the 15th century. And contrary to well-known makers of the chain and fusée today, most notably A. Lange & Söhne, Romain Gauthier ensured the chain and fusée in the Logical One is entirely visible on the dial. Since its debut, the Logical One has been iterated multiple times, with variations covering the spectrum from traditional to ultra-contemporary. The attractiveness of the many versions vary – some are overdone – while others are a perfect fit for the impressive movement. One that works perfectly is the unique Logical One Byzantine that has the striking combination of a blue enamel dial and movement bridges bridges engraved with a motif inspired by Byzantine art. (Though this specific combination is unique, similar-looking examples have been produced, for instance with blue sub-dials but without engraving.) Case and architecture Due to the complex architecture of the movemen...
Quill & Pad
Geneva Watch Days 2020 Is On: Good News Or *Covid-19 Cough* Desperate, Short-Sighted, Money Grab?
Ian Skellern's feelings regarding the rapid series of announcements of watch events like the cancellation of Watches & Wonders and Baselworld as well as the full-steam-ahead project Geneva Watch Days have been equally quickly undulating: from initially being enthusiastically for, Ian ended feeling against Geneva Watch Days. Why put anyone’s health at risk, especially with perhaps little in return but a few photos and a persistent cough? But it is a tough call.
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In-Depth: The Unfinished George Daniels Watch
George Daniels’ contributions to horology, as a watchmaker, historian and educator, were multi-dimensional. Most are widely known, and his watches are now incredibly valuable. But one of his creations – the “Unfinished Daniels” – remains tantalisingly incomplete, residing in the Clockmakers’ Museum within London’s Science Museum (which is also now home to Daniels’ Space Traveller II pocket watch). Even though he completed only a small number of watches – 23 pocket watches and four wristwatches made by hand, along with the serially-produced Millennium watches – Daniels’ inventions, techniques and philosophy have been deeply influential. His successor Roger W. Smith now practices the Daniels method with his own hand-made watches, but other notable watchmakers, including Francois-Paul Journe, have cited Daniels as an inspiration. The unfinished Daniels movement in the George Daniels exhibit in the Clockmakers’ Museum. Photo – Science Museum Like many great watchmakers over the ages, Daniels’ pursued perfect chronometry throughout his career; inventing a novel, superior escapement was perhaps his greatest achievement. And he managed to do it twice. Having observed that the sliding friction in the conventional Swiss lever escapement affects the rate of a movement over time, he set about developing solutions. He invented two escapement types: one inspired by a 18th century Abraham-Louis Breguet idea, while the other was the entirely original and mo...
Quill & Pad
Breguet Classique Dame Ref. 9065 Features Tahitian Mother-Of-Pearl Dial And More Than A Touch Of Romance
Breguet launches the Classique Dame Reference 9065 in time to celebrate Valentine’s Day and the season of love, but rest assured this watch is the right choice any time. Martin Green thinks that's largely due to the Tahitian mother-of-pearl dial, but there's much more to this colorful delight as he explains here.
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Hands-On: Avantist La Majesté Tourbillon
Now four years old, Avantist was founded by Bruneian entrepreneur Keeran Janin and probably most famous for its tennis watches that incorporate string taken from the racquet used by Martina Navratilova when she won Wimbledon 1987. The brand has since diversified into other memorabilia timepieces, including one that contains strings from one of John Mayer’s guitars and another featuring threads from the national flag flown on the day of the Sultan of Brunei’s coronation. But Avantist’s most notable timepieces are the series of skeleton tourbillon watches that are entirely customisable, the La Majesté Tourbillon. These custom watches have so far been created for notable personalities, including sportsmen and heads of state; the first example – the model name translates as “His Majesty” – was conceived for the Sultan of Brunei. Powered by a hand-wound, skeleton movement from complications specialist Concepto, the La Majeste is customisable in its entirety, from the case and movement material to the design of the barrel ratchet wheel. Though the La Majeste is yet another watch in the sporty-skeleton-tourbillon genre, it manages to be a different take on a familiar look. At the same time, it combines an interesting movement with a surprisingly light and tactile feel in the hand. Thoughtfully detailed From design to production, the La Majeste Tourbillon is the work of leading names in Swiss watchmaking, most notably with Concepto supplying the movement. Best kno...
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Hands-On: De Bethune Dream Watch 5 in Rose Gold
De Bethune’s brand of watchmaking has spawned many avant-garde watches, ranging from the Urwerk collaboration for Only Watch to the East Asian-inspired Maestri Art. But its most outstanding sculptural creation is unquestionably the Dream Watch 5, an extraterrestrial seashell that tells the time. Originally launched in 2014 in mirror-polished titanium, the original Dream Watch 5 was extremely expensive, but also tiny, having the proportions of a lady’s watch. Fortunately, it was later enlarged to its current size of just under 60 mm at its widest, from crown to pointed tip, though it remains just as expensive. The Dream Watch was then iterated into several one-off examples, with the most incredible being the Dream Watch 5 in heat-blued meteorite; its extraordinary nature matched by the US$450,000 price tag. The Dream Watch 5 in meteorite More recently, a custom version of the Dream Watch 5 in 18k rose gold was delivered last year. Even though the design is exactly the same as the other variants, the rose gold specimen has a distinctly more classical look that dials back on the sci-fi feel. Like the other versions of the watch, the Dream Watch 5 in rose gold is entirely mirror polished, but also accented by an insert of polished, heat-blued titanium on the case back that extends to the crown, which is also made of the same material and then topped with a 1 carat ruby. Despite its aesthetics, the Dream Watch 5 is actually functionally simple: it indicates the hours and m...
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Konstantin Chaykin Introduces the Mouse King
Russian watchmaker Konstantin Chaykin had a hit on his hands when he unveiled the Joker at Baselworld 2017. Inspired by the “moving eye” clocks invented by German clockmaker J. Oswald in 1926, the Joker has since been iterated into several new versions, including the one-off Joker Selfie that sold for 75,000 Swiss francs at last year’s Only Watch charity auction. To mark the upcoming Chinese Year of the Rat, Konstantin has created a special variant of the Joker – the Mouse King – featuring the same “rolling eye” time display, but powered by a new base movement. According to Konstantin, the genesis of the watch came during the recent Christmas season, when he read the German fairytale The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, or Nussknacker und Mausekönig in its original language, to his daughter. A story about a nutcracker doll that comes to life and then defeats the evil Mouse King, the fairytale is the basis for Tchaikovsky’s ballet The Nutcracker. But most relevant to Konstantin is the fact that one of its main characters, Drosselmeyer, is a clockmaker. And in another coincidence, the Chinese Year of the Rat begins on January 25, 2020, which is also his daughter’s birthday. And so the Mouse King watch was created, as a limited edition of seven watches – because the evil Mouse King has seven heads, each wearing a golden crown. It indicates the hours and minutes regulator-style with a”moving eye” display, along with the moon phase at six o’clock ...
SJX Watches
Up Close: Breguet Marine 5517 in Titanium
Breguet today is highly regarded for its watches that classically designed but often powered by innovative, high-tech movements, like the Classique Chronométrie 7727 with magnetic balance pivots, or the recent, elaborately finished skeleton tourbillon 5395. The brand is not, however, known for its luxury-sports watches (its line of Type XX aviator’s chronographs are entry-level and not quite sports watches). But last year Breguet unveiled the latest – and best – version of its luxury-sports watch, the Marine 5517. An under-appreciated contender in the category, the new Marine more conservative in style than its competition, but built to an admirably high standard. The Marine 5517 in titanium with a matching bracelet Horloger de la Marine Unlike its competitors, Breguet was relatively late to the luxury-sports watch segment (though not as late as A. Lange & Söhne, which launched the Odysseus last year); the original Marine only made its debut in 1990. The model name was inspired by Breguet’s appointment in 1815 as Horloger de la Marine – clockmaker to the French navy, an appointment it held for over 150 years. Designed by Jorg Hysek, perhaps the most famous watch designers of the 1990s, the first-generation Marine was distinguished by its fluted, domed crown, but otherwise looked pretty much like any other Breguet. That was replaced in 2005 by the second generation, a major redesign that gave it a more distinctive style. The practical robustness of the Marine...
SJX Watches
Hublot Introduces the Big Bang Integral
Launched in 2005, the Big Bang was the watch that reestablished Hublot as a major watch brand. Fifteen years on, the model gets its most major revamp to date with the launch of the Big Bang Integral. While the basic concept is simple – it’s a Big Bang with an integrated bracelet – the new watch is a substantial upgrade in construction and finishing. The case was redesigned to fit the new bracelet, but also to accommodate a higher level of finishing. The Big Bang Integral King Gold Upgraded inside and out Most of the case edges, and also the pushers, have polished bevelling that contrasts with the brushed finishing on the top surfaces. The alternating surface finish continues onto the bracelet links, which are also facetted in profile. At the same time, the case construction has been improved in substance. Though the new case retains the traditional “sandwich” construction of the Big Bang, the filling of the “sandwich” is no longer resin, but is instead the same material as the front and back plates of the case. The only remaining resin bits are the resin lugs, or “ears”, on each side of the bezel at three and nine o’clock, the fundamental design feature of Hublot that was inspired by a ship’s porthole (hublot is porthole in French). The Big Bang Integral in titanium The All Black The new Big Bang is available in titanium or 18k King Gold as regular production models, and also the 500-piece limited edition Big Bang Integral All Black. Like its namesake...
SJX Watches
Bulgari Introduces the Octo Finissimo Black Sandblast-Polished Ceramic
Unveiled alongside the new variants of the Octo Finissimo in gold or steel, the Octo Finissimo Automatic Black Sandblast-Polished Ceramic is another take on the all-ceramic model launched last year. While last year’s watch had a uniformly matte finish on the case and bracelet, the new ceramic Octo Finissimo has alternating sandblasted and polished surfaces, giving it a little bit more life, with the polished bits catching the light just right. The all-black look is made a little bit more interesting with the varied surface finish, but retains the extreme sleekness of the original ceramic Octo. Like the case, the dial is monochromatic, but made legible, to a degree, with different surface finishes. The dial itself has a matte, frosted surface, while the markings and hands have a glossy finish. The dimensions of the new ceramic Octo remain unchanged from the earlier model, at 40 mm wide and 5.5 mm high. Inside is the BVL138 movement found across the Octo Finissimo Automatic model range. Key facts and price Octo Finissimo Automatic Black Sandblast-Polished Ceramic Ref. 103368 Case diameter: 40 mm Height: 5.5 mm Material: Black ceramic Water resistance: 30 m Movement: BVL138 Functions: Hours, minutes, and seconds Frequency: 21,600 beats per hour (3 Hz) Winding: Automatic Power reserve: 60 hours Strap: Black ceramic bracelet Availability: At both retailers and boutiques Price: US$15,600, or 22,000 Singapore dollars For more, visit Bulgari.com.
SJX Watches
Hands-On: Longines Heritage Classic Chronograph 1946
Longines’ determination to churn out affordable vintage remakes is going strong, despite having just unveiled the Heritage Classic Sector Dial and then the Heritage Military 1938 late last year. Previewed last year but only just officially launched, the Heritage Classic Chronograph 1946 sticks to the same formula – reproduce a desirable Longines wristwatch and price it modestly – but is unusual in being the first vintage-inspired chronograph since the Avigation BigEye of 2018. More unusually, it’s a good-looking remake of an odd-looking vintage watch, purportedly from 1946, in the Longines Museum that combines elements not usually found together. Whatever the case maybe with the historical inspiration, the design of the remake has been sleekly refined. Heritage Classic Chronograph 1946 Like other remakes, the 1946 won’t win any prizes for imagination, but it’s a good-looking remake that gets the details right. The basis for the remake is a watch from 1946 in the company’s museum, which was most probably powered by the famed cal. 13ZN flyback chronograph movement (which was succeeded by the equally famous cal. 30CH in 1947). Introduced in 1936, the cal. 13ZN represented the cutting edge of chronograph technology at the time, being the first serially produced chronograph movement to incorporate a flyback function. Catered for sportsmen and aviators, the flyback function allowed the wearer to reset the chronograph without having to stop it first. As a rather...