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Lange 1 A. Lange & Söhne

The 1994 watch that relaunched A. Lange & Söhne. Golden-ratio dial and outsize date.

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Zeitwerk A. Lange & Söhne

The 2009 mechanical jumping-digital wristwatch from A. Lange & Söhne. Hours and minutes on three discs.

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Datograph A. Lange & Söhne

The 1999 flyback chronograph from A. Lange & Söhne with the in-house Cal. L951.1 movement.

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Saxonia A. Lange & Söhne

One of the four founding references of the 1994 A. Lange & Söhne relaunch. Time-only Saxon classic.

Watches & Wonders Will Return to Geneva in 2022 SJX Watches
Vacheron Constantin Oct 5, 2021

Watches & Wonders Will Return to Geneva in 2022

After two years of digital fairs – and several sold-out physical fairs in China – Watches & Wonders is finally happening in Geneva. First announced for 2020 as the successor to the long-running SIHH, which for two decades was the luxury-watch fair in Geneva, Watches & Wonders (W&W;) 2022 will take place from March 30 to April 5 at Palexpo, with 39 brands in attendance. All of the major names that spurred the demise of Baselworld will exhibit at W&W; 2022, namely Rolex, Patek Philippe, Chanel, Chopard and Tudor. They’ll be joined by most of the brands owned by Richemont, the Swiss luxury group that was historically the anchor of SIHH, the event that preceded W&W;. Amongst the Richemont brands are A. Lange & Söhne, Cartier, IWC, and Vacheron Constantin. Another luxury group represented at the fair is LVMH, which has all three of its watch brands – Hublot, TAG Heuer, and Zenith – taking part. Bulgari, however, is notably absent, perhaps because there are already two Richemont-owned jewellers present. One of the significant newcomers is Grand Seiko, which only just announced its participation in the fair. Seiko was a longtime mainstay of Baselworld, so it’s not surprising that its top-of-the-line brand is returning to Switzerland to exhibit its newest watches. The gang returns, except for the independents As was the case with SIHH in the past, W&W; 2022 will include the Carré des Horlogers, a square dedicated to independent watchmakers. In years past the carré co...

Kari Voutilainen Masterpiece 8 Decimal Repeater – Reprise Quill & Pad
Voutilainen Sep 5, 2021

Kari Voutilainen Masterpiece 8 Decimal Repeater – Reprise

One of the big introductions of 2015 in the collector’s world was A. Lange & Söhne’s Zeitwerk Minute Repeater: a watch that both shows and chimes off the time using a “decimal” format of hours, tens of minutes, and minutes rather than the more traditional hours, quarters (15 minutes), and minutes. But the first decimal repeating wristwatch to reach the market wasn’t the Zeitwerk Minute Repeater. It was by independent watchmaker Kari Voutilainen.

Highlights: Sotheby’s ‘Fine Watches and Rare Sneakers’ Online Auction SJX Watches
Patek Philippe Calatrava Jul 6, 2021

Highlights: Sotheby’s ‘Fine Watches and Rare Sneakers’ Online Auction

Sotheby’s latest online sale is in a quirky combination of luxury watches and high-end sneakers – some of which cost more than the watches. Fortunately the large majority of the 164 lots are horological, with a selection of watches that’s diverse and interesting, led by a couple of heavyweight top lots. The heavyweights are quite literal, both complicated watches in platinum from brands widely regarded as benchmarks in contemporary watchmaking: an F.P. Journe Tourbillon Souverain with a platinum case and bracelet, along with the A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk Luminous “Phantom”. The sale also includes more esoteric watches that might be overlooked, including as a retailer-edition Patek Philippe Calatrava with ruby markers, and a Grand Seiko “First” remake in platinum. The Fine Watches and Rare Sneakers auction is live online from now until June 8, 2021. The full catalogue and registration for bidding are available here. Lot 8201 – F.P. Journe Tourbillon Souverain Platinum Introduced in 2004, the F. P. Journe Tourbillon Souverain was the successor to the original Tourbillon Remontoir d’Egalite. Like the original, the Tourbillon Souverain combined both a tourbillon regulator and constant force mechanism in a quest for accuracy. Its most obvious distinction against its predecessor was the small seconds at six linked to the remontoir mechanism. The Tourbillon Souverain itself was replaced in 2019 by something bigger and vertical, making it increasingly uncomm...

Greubel Forsey Introduces the GMT Sport with an Integrated Bracelet SJX Watches
Greubel Forsey Introduces Apr 6, 2021

Greubel Forsey Introduces the GMT Sport with an Integrated Bracelet

Best known for its ultra-exotic tourbillons, Greubel Forsey builds movements with unique three-dimensionality and exemplary finishing. In 2019, it started applying its unusual brand of watchmaking to the sports watch for the first time with the GMT Sport – a world time with inclined tourbillon – and now follows up with the new GMT Sport that has the same movement but the addition of an integrated titanium bracelet, a first for the brand. Initial thoughts Although the integrated-bracelet sports watch may be new for Greubel Forsey, it’s now a familiar and fashionable concept. Greubel Forsey is relatively late to the party – beyond veterans like the Royal Oak and Nautilus, such sports watches are already found at almost every price point, from Citizen’s US$2,000 Series 8 to the Lange Odysseus. That said, the GMT Sport is noteworthy for one simple reason – it’s the most complicated, and perhaps best finished, integrated-bracelet sports watch money can buy, combining a world time, dual time, and an inclined tourbillon. So while Greubel Forsey took its time with the concept, the brand certainly executed it in style. I much prefer the new GMT Sport over the earlier version. For one, the bezel is now plain, devoid of the tiny, relief inscriptions that are something of a Greubel Forsey signature but don’t quite work on a sports watch. The dial is now entirely in blue, giving the new GMT Sport a more modern look (that admittedly is also fashionable given the popular...

How our 27-year-old US Editor traded his way to a spectacular watch collection on a budget Time+Tide
Grand Seiko s Apr 4, 2021

How our 27-year-old US Editor traded his way to a spectacular watch collection on a budget

For a 27-year-old who isn’t the son of an oligarch, Zach Blass has amassed a serious watch collection. Highlights in his watch box include an A. Lange & Söhne 1815 Up/Down, a Rolex Submariner, a Blancpain 1185F, two Grand Seikos (the Snowflake SBGA211 and Spring SBGA413), a Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight Navy Blue, three Kuronos … ContinuedThe post How our 27-year-old US Editor traded his way to a spectacular watch collection on a budget appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Grand Seiko Introduces the Heritage SLGH007 in Platinum SJX Watches
Grand Seiko Introduces Feb 26, 2021

Grand Seiko Introduces the Heritage SLGH007 in Platinum

Twenty twenty-one is a celebratory year for Seiko, which marks its 140th anniversary. Amongst the slew of watches launched for the occasion is the posh but stealth Grand Seiko Heritage Collection Seiko 140th Anniversary (SLGH007). Cased in platinum and equipped with new 9SA5 movement, this is one of two platinum watches commissioned for the occasion, but unlike the Masterpiece Spring Drive 8 Days that’s extravagantly set with diamonds and garnets, the SLGH007 is discreet, and even slightly intriguing with its tree ring-patterned dial. Initial thoughts Translating local flora and fauna into dial designs is a Grand Seiko specialty – which it named “The Nature of Time” – typically in the form of a stamped, patterned dial inspired by nature around its factories. But despite being one of many inspired by similar themes, the SLGH007 manages to stand out. The pronounced grain on the dial is not only new, but also diverges from the usual styling. Most patterned Grand Seiko dials rely on repeating patterns on a smaller scale, while the tree-ring dial has large, obvious figuring that forms a distinct landscape. And its charcoal-black finish makes it even more special – standing in contrast to the brighter colours Grand Seiko now favours – especially when matched with the platinum case. The result is a watch that’s low-key but stylish, and reminds me of the similarly-dressed Lange 1 “Darth”. The SLGH007 also has solid mechanics: it’s the fourth Grand Seiko to...

The new Swatch x MoMA releases offer fresh proof that watches can be a work of art Time+Tide
Patek Philippe World Time or Feb 19, 2021

The new Swatch x MoMA releases offer fresh proof that watches can be a work of art

When you think of art in watchmaking, your mind probably turns to the painstaking creation of a cloisonné enamel dial for a Patek Philippe World Time, or the engraving of an A.Lange & Söhne balance cock. But art in watchmaking suddenly got a whole lot more accessible thanks to the Swatch x MoMA collection that … ContinuedThe post The new Swatch x MoMA releases offer fresh proof that watches can be a work of art appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Business News: Watches & Wonders 2021 Will Happen Online – And in Shanghai SJX Watches
Vacheron Constantin as will Jan 29, 2021

Business News: Watches & Wonders 2021 Will Happen Online – And in Shanghai

Originally slated to be the ultimate watch fair that would also include the major brands that departed Baselworld, Watches & Wonders (W&W;) did not take place in 2020 due to the pandemic and instead became a virtual show online, before being transported to China as an actual, physical fair. The event is returning in 2021 in exactly the same format, but with a far larger number of brands taking part. W&W; will happen online from April 7-13, where 38 brands will introduce their latest watches. The participants include nearly all of watchmaking’s major brands and conglomerates. All of Richemont’s brands will be present, including A. Lange & Söhne, Cartier, and Vacheron Constantin, as will the brands owned by LVMH – TAG Heuer, Hublot, and Zenith. The list of exhibitors also includes a handful of independent brands, but few are significant, save for Greubel Forsey. Most crucially, the twin giants of Geneva watchmaking will be taking part, giving the event far greater influence and a wider audience – Rolex and its sister brand Tudor, as well as Patek Philippe. Much like the traditional watch fair in Geneva, the online version of W&W; will be open to retailers, journalists, and select clients of the participating brands. W&W; Shanghai in 2020. Photo – Watches & Wonders And a few days later… With strong demand for luxury watches in China – where social and economic life is largely back to normal – W&W; will then take place as a physical fair in Shanghai once again, b...

Auction Watch: Vacheron Constantin Tour de l’Ile Grand Complication SJX Watches
Vacheron Constantin Tour de l’Ile Grand Dec 29, 2020

Auction Watch: Vacheron Constantin Tour de l’Ile Grand Complication

Taking place at the end of the third week of January 2021, the first major international watch auction is Antiquorum’s Important Modern & Vintage Timepieces in Monaco. The 304-lot auction will be capped by an appropriately major watch – the very first Vacheron Constantin Tour de l’Île Grand Complication that was produced for the watchmaker’s 250th anniversary in 2005. First sold for 1.88 million Swiss francs at the Quarter Millennium of Vacheron Constantin thematic auction staged by Antiquorum and Vacheron Constantin in April 2005, the Tour de l’Ile was one of the first mega-complications of the modern era. When the Tour de l’Ile was launched, the Patek Philippe Sky Moon Tourbillon ref. 5002 was only three years old, the Lange Tourbograph had yet to be launched, and Greubel Forsey had only been founded a year earlier. At its launch, the Tour de l’Ile was billed as the world’s most complicated wristwatch – and also became the most expensive wristwatch sold at auction – thanks to its 16 complications displayed on two faces in a case 47 mm wide and almost 18 mm tall. Named after the location of Vacheron Constantin’s workshop in the 18th and 19th centuries – Tour de l’Ile literally translates as “tower on the island” – the wristwatch is powered by the 834-component cal. 2750. It features a minute repeater, perpetual calendar with moon phase, star chart, celestial annual calendar, tourbillon, sunrise and sunset times, equation of time, power...

Place your bets! Which Rolex Oyster Perpetual 2020 dial colour will sell for the highest price at the Hong Kong Watch Auction later today? Time+Tide
Patek Philippe Nov 28, 2020

Place your bets! Which Rolex Oyster Perpetual 2020 dial colour will sell for the highest price at the Hong Kong Watch Auction later today?

This year’s Melbourne Cup is over, but now there’s an exciting new race, with the runners and riders taking horological form. That’s because this Sunday, Phillips is hosting the Hong Kong Watch Auction: XI. There’s a drool-worthy collection of pieces up for grabs, including watches from Patek Philippe, A. Lange & Söhne and many more. … ContinuedThe post Place your bets! Which Rolex Oyster Perpetual 2020 dial colour will sell for the highest price at the Hong Kong Watch Auction later today? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Highlights: Complications at Phillips’ Hong Kong Watch Auction SJX Watches
Audemars Piguet MC12 one Nov 23, 2020

Highlights: Complications at Phillips’ Hong Kong Watch Auction

Taking place on Sunday, November 29, Phillips’ Hong Kong auction spans a wide range, including independent watchmaking, which includes the S.U.F Sarpaneva x Moomin prototype, as well as value buys (including a surprisingly well-priced Grand Lange 1 Luna Mundi). Here’s a look at a few standouts amongst the complicated watches on offer – particularly watches that might go under the radar. It includes the Patek Philippe ref. 5101R 10-Day Tourbillon powered by an under-appreciated but gorgeous movement inspired by the brand’s observatory chronometers, along with the Audemars Piguet MC12, one of the coolest complications in any shape but an octagon to leave Le Brassus. The auction happens on November 29  at the JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong, while the catalogue and online bidding are available on Phillips.com. Lot 850 – Audemars Piguet Millenary MC12 Despite being overwhelmingly famous for its octagonal luxury-sports watch, Audemars Piguet has produced highly-complicated watches in other case styles. Amongst the most interesting is the Millenary C12, a cutting-edge watch when it was launched in 2006 and inspired by the Maserati MC12 supercar (which was based on the Ferrari Enzo). Equipped with a hand-wind chronograph movement with a tourbillon, the MC12 is unusual both mechanically and aesthetically. Most obvious is the oval case with a “bullhead” chronograph layout, with the pushers at one and 11 o’clock, which is usually associated with auto-racing chrono...

Highlights: Value Buys at Phillips’ Hong Kong Watch Auction SJX Watches
Vacheron Constantin chronograph Nov 20, 2020

Highlights: Value Buys at Phillips’ Hong Kong Watch Auction

Happening at the end of the month, The Hong Kong Watch Auction: XI is a 250-lot auction with a diversity of offerings, including a good number of grand complications as well as a full complement of the recently-launched Rolex Oyster Perpetual with candy-coloured dials. But for the enthusiast with more esoteric tastes, the sale also includes a selection of affordable independent watchmaking, as well as value buys from more mainstream brands – here’s a look at a couple of highlights, ranging from a surprisingly well-priced Grand Lange 1 Luna Mundi to a white-and-rose-gold Vacheron Constantin chronograph. The auction happens on November 29  at the JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong, while the catalogue and online bidding are available on Phillips.com. Lot 803 – Seiko Prospex Marinemaster Professional 1000 m “Tuna” Gundam Zaku set An anime series about humans doing battle in giant robots, Mobile Suit Gundam is one of the most famed examples of Japanese pop culture, even having a Wikipedia page titled “Cultural impact of Gundam“. Seiko rolled out several limited editions for the 40th anniversary of the franchise last year, including this pair dedicated to the villains of the series, the dome-headed robots known as Zaku. Bulbous and vaguely military in form, the Prospex “Tuna” – arguably the most iconic of Seiko’s many dive watch designs – is surprisingly well matched to the Zaku robots. Resembling a tuna can, the watch case is actually double walled, made ...

Business News: Switzerland’s Most Important Watch Fair Cancelled for 2021 SJX Watches
Patek Philippe as well as privately-held Nov 17, 2020

Business News: Switzerland’s Most Important Watch Fair Cancelled for 2021

Originally scheduled for the first week of April next year, Watches & Wonders 2021 was to have taken place at Palexpo, the convention hall near Geneva’s airport that’s long been host to Geneva’s major trade fairs. And it would have been a massive event, with up to 50 brands taking part. With the demise of Baselworld earlier this year, Watches & Wonders (W&W;) was on track to become the most important watch fair in Switzerland. Formerly known as SIHH, Watches & Wonders would have counted most of the industry’s leading brands as exhibitors. Its participants would have included all of the brands owned by Swiss luxury group Richemont, including Cartier, A. Lange & Söhne, and IWC, industry giants Rolex and Patek Philippe, as well as privately-held brands like Chanel and Chopard. A scene from SIHH 2019, seeming like a lifetime ago But due to the ongoing pandemic, the physical fair will not take place, and the participating brands will (mostly) launch their new wares online. A significant number of new watches will be unveiled during the planned dates of the fair – April 7 to 13, 2021 – but most of the brands will no doubt be unveiling additional watches throughout the year, as they have done in 2020. The organisers of W&W; are optimistic about the year after, promising the “2022 edition will be the biggest watch event ever held in Geneva”, with even more brands coming on board. For more, visit Watchesandwonders.com.  

Business News: Singapore Retailer Cortina Watch Acquires Rival Sincere SJX Watches
Audemars Piguet Nov 17, 2020

Business News: Singapore Retailer Cortina Watch Acquires Rival Sincere

Singapore-based Cortina Holdings has just announced it is buying fellow retailer Sincere Watch for S$84.5 million in cash, confirming rumours that first surfaced in July. A retailer of both Patek Philippe and Rolex – the most important brands for any watch retailer of scale – Cortina is listed on the Singapore stock exchange and one of the largest players in the region, with stores in six countries, including Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Taiwan. With the acquisition of privately-held Sincere, Cortina will double its retail network, while clinching Sincere’s crown jewel, the rights to distribute Franck Muller in 12 Asian countries, which accounts for over half of Sincere’s sales. Besides Franck Muller – whose Master Banker Asia Edition is pictured above – Sincere is also a retailer of high-end watchmakers like A. Lange & Söhne, Audemars Piguet, and Greubel Forsey, all of which Cortina does not have in its stable of brands. That said, it is not uncommon for watch brands to end distribution or retail agreements upon a change in ownership. The expansive Patek Philippe boutique operated by Cortina in Singapore’s ION Orchard mall The deal excludes Sincere’s Hong Kong arm, which will remain with its current owner, Hong Kong businesswoman Pollyanna Chu, whose fortune comes from financial services and gaming. It will be the fourth time Sincere has changed hands since 2007 when it was sold for a record S$530 million to Hong Kong-based Peace Mark. A conglom...

Highlights: Phillips Geneva Watch Auction XII SJX Watches
Audemars Piguet perpetual calendar Nov 6, 2020

Highlights: Phillips Geneva Watch Auction XII

Taking place over two days – Friday, November 6 and Saturday, November 7 – The Geneva Watch Auction: XII at Phillips is the first sale of the fall auction season. A compact sale of under 180 lots, the auction comprises a diverse line up, ranging from the obviously notable – like a Cartier Crash in platinum and a unique Patek Philippe ref. 5020P – to the obscure but extremely interesting, like the postwar A. Lange & Söhne wristwatch made after the company had been nationalised by the Soviets, as well as a vintage Audemars Piguet perpetual calendar with a paradoxical brand-new but factory-original case. Here’s a look at handful of standouts from the sale. You’ll find the full catalogue, as well as online bidding, right here. Lot 31 – Patek Philippe Annual Calendar Regulator ref. 5235G Unlike many of the other watches in the auction, the ref. 5235G is neither rare nor complicated, or even especially valuable. But it is an under-appreciated gem in Patek Philippe’s line up. Lightly designed and full of unusual details – ranging from the brushed dial finish to the engraved logo at three – the ref. 5235 also boasts a distinctively-designed movement unique to this reference and found in no other model. This example of the ref. 5235 is in white gold, which was discontinued last year and replaced by the same in rose gold with a black dial. While the new version is far more striking, the almost monochromatic white gold version is deeply appealing in its simplici...

Highlights: Independent Watchmaking at Phillips’ ‘Retrospective: 2000 – 2020’ SJX Watches
Patek Philippe ref 5970. And Nov 5, 2020

Highlights: Independent Watchmaking at Phillips’ ‘Retrospective: 2000 – 2020’

Taking place this weekend as a live auction with only cameras, telephones, and online bidding, Retrospective: 2000 – 2020 is a thematic sale that happens the day after Phillips’ Geneva watch auction. The second sale curated with Blackbird, both the publisher of a watch magazine as well as the agent for Ferrari in Hong Kong, Retrospective: 2000 – 2020 is self explanatory: contemporary wristwatches produced in the past 20 years. The 95 lots that make up the sale are a selection of the important, interesting, and intriguing from the last two decades, including obvious candidates like the Rolex Daytona and Patek Philippe ref. 5970. And the sale also includes notable watches that usually go under the radar, like the Breguet Classique Chronometrie 7727 with magnetic balance pivots (which is possibly the most accurate Swiss-made mechanical watch of the 21st century). The Breguet Classique Chronometrie 7727 (lot 258) Importantly, the line up also encompasses a diverse selection of independent watchmaking, reflecting the rise of these niche watchmakers. Here’s a roundup of highlights from independent watchmakers, which include the Philippe Dufour Simplicity 20th Anniversary and the ultra-rare Opus Eleven. The selection includes the worthy Seiko Credor Eichi II and Lange 1 25th Anniversary. Neither comes from an independent watchmaker, but both are as close as it gets for establishment brands. Lot 206 – Philippe Dufour Simplicity 20th Anniversary No. 00/20 Philippe Dufour...

Auction Watch: Double F.P. Journe Pisa Orologeria Editions at Ineichen SJX Watches
Vacheron Constantin once created limited editions Oct 30, 2020

Auction Watch: Double F.P. Journe Pisa Orologeria Editions at Ineichen

Once a leading auctioneer for high-end pocket watches in the late 20th century, Zurich-based Ineichen is now also specialised in wristwatches. Its upcoming November auction includes an intriguing pair of F.P. Journe watches – a Resonance and tourbillon naturally – both from limited editions made for Pisa Orologeria. Located in Milan, Pisa is one of Italy’s more storied watch retailers. It is a family-run business and prominent enough that a good number of watch brands – ranging from A. Lange & Söhne to Vacheron Constantin – once created limited editions exclusively for Pisa, back when brands used to do such things. Both F.P. Journe watches going on the block at Ineichen were limited editions made for Pisa, and share the same uncommon silver-and-grey livery. The first watch is a Resonance made to mark the 60th anniversary of Pisa in 2000. It has standard 40 mm case and rose gold movement, with an extremely unusual dial. Made of white gold, the dial features dark grey, ruthenium-plated sub-dials with white markings, an unusual combination then and still today. Only five were made, and only one has been sold publicly before – another example sold for 106,250 Swiss francs at Christie’s Geneva in 2015, which was then a record price. The market for F.P. Journe watches has since taken a turbocharged ride upwards, which means the 2015 price will probably be left in the distance at next month’s auction. The next Pisa edition was a follow up to the Resonance. It’...

Business News: Watches & Wonders Shanghai to Happen September 2020 SJX Watches
Vacheron Constantin all owned Jul 23, 2020

Business News: Watches & Wonders Shanghai to Happen September 2020

With its Geneva debut in April 2020 cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the watch fair once known as SIHH is moving to Shanghai. Its organisers have just announced Watches & Wonders Shanghai will take place from September 9-13, 2020 at West Bund Art Center. W&W; Shanghai will see only 11 brands take part, down from 30 at the Geneva event. The exhibiting brands are A. Lange & Söhne, Baume & Mercier, Cartier, IWC Schaffhausen, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Panerai, Piaget, Roger Dubuis, and Vacheron Constantin – all owned by Swiss luxury group Richemont – as well as independently-owned brands Parmigiani Fleurier and Purnell. Like the original fair in Geneva, the Shanghai event will be invite-only, and will include new product launches, talks, as well as watchmaking classes. Alongside the physical exhibition in Shanghai, W&W; will also unveil the new products on its website. With the Chinese watch market now in the midst of a sharp upturn post-pandemic – evidenced in the results of both Richemont and the Swatch Group – China is likely the single largest national market for luxury watches that is operating close to normal, making the migration of the event from Geneva to Shanghai eminently logical.  

Highlights: Independents and the Esoteric at Phillips’ Hong Kong Auction SJX Watches
Girard-Perregaux Sea Hawk II Pro Jul 7, 2020

Highlights: Independents and the Esoteric at Phillips’ Hong Kong Auction

Taking place on July 10, The Hong Kong Watch Auction: X is the one of the first watch auctions in Hong Kong in 2020, a sign of the much-delayed auction calendar due to the pandemic. But the Phillips catalogue is still 269 lots strong, with a little bit of everything. We took a look at some of the notable complicated watches last week, including the magnificent A. Lange & Söhne Tourbograph that’s a strong value buy in uber-complications. Now, we’ll take a look at some of the timepieces by independent watchmakers as well as a handful of interesting, esoteric, and well-priced watches. You can find the rest of the catalogue here. Lot 806 – Girard-Perregaux Sea Hawk II Pro “Challenger of Record” This sits squarely in the category of weird-but-cool watches. Extremely large at 44 mm, with massive lugs and an even larger crown guard, the Girard-Perregaux Sea Hawk II Pro “Challenger of Record” is a dive watch rated to 3,000 m – three-thousand metres, or 9,800 feet – with a sharply finished, tourbillon-equipped movement. The combination is paradoxical, and slightly silly, but the watch has a peculiar charm, no doubt helped by its affordability (with a low estimate a little under US$20,000). Made in 2006, a time when diving tourbillons were fashionable and when Girard-Perregaux was still a family-run firm owned by the Macalusos – the certificate for the watch is signed by the late Luigi “Gino” Macaluso – the Sea Hawk tourbillon was a limited edition of 32 w...

Blancpain Introduces the Villeret Ultraplate in Steel SJX Watches
Patek Philippe Calatrava Jun 4, 2020

Blancpain Introduces the Villeret Ultraplate in Steel

A staple of Blancpain line-up since the brand was reestablished in the early 1980s, the extra-slim Villeret wristwatch is stripped to the bare essentials but classically-styled, and it’s now available in stainless steel, and also red gold. Understated and thin, the Villeret Ultraplate 6224 is an automatic three-hander with a date display, and just over 8 mm thick, hence the name – ultra plate translates as “ultra flat”. Initial thoughts Reminiscent of classic dress watches like the Patek Philippe Calatrava and the A. Lange & Söhne Saxonia Thin, the Villeret Ultraplate is a simple design that’s easy to replicate, which is why similar styles can be found in cheap as well as expensive watches. What differentiates such watches is the quality of execution, particularly in the details. The dial of the Villeret Ultraplate is unadorned, and almost plain, but the Roman numerals are solid gold appliqués affixed to the dial by hand, adding much-needed height and texture to an otherwise flat dial. The slender, open-worked leaf hands also complement the simplicity of the design. Such hands are not overly common, making them appealing. And then there’s the date. While it adds extra utility that is appreciated by some, I am not a fan. The date hampers the purity and symmetry of the dial. With a retail price of a bit over US$8,000 in steel, the Villeret Ultraplate is competitively priced for a dress watch powered by a high-end, automatic movement. Extra-thin The case is ...

Business News: Richemont Fortifies Balance Sheet with €2 Billion Bond Sale SJX Watches
Panerai which make up about May 19, 2020

Business News: Richemont Fortifies Balance Sheet with €2 Billion Bond Sale

Having just announced its full-year results while predicting a gloomy outlook for the business, Richemont has successful placed €2 billion of bonds, with coupon ranging from 0.75% for the 8-year note to 1.625% for the 20-year note. The bond placement boosts the Swiss luxury group’s robust balance sheet, which had a gross cash position of €6.34 billion and a net cash position of €2.40 billion at the end of March 31, 2020. The notes received an A+ rating from credit ratings agency S&P;, which also lowered its outlook for Richemont from stable to negative, “citing the possibility of a downgrade if the coronavirus pandemic causes the company’s credit metrics to worsen”. Widely regarded as a savvy investor who transformed his family’s tobaccco-and-banking empire into an even larger one focused the “hard” luxury of watches and jewellery, Mr Rupert’s belief in the severity of the pandemic-induced recession is obvious. That, in turn, does not bode well for the luxury watch business. Richemont’s biggest earner is Cartier – the jewellery division is half the group’s turnover – it also owns a host of luxury watch brands, including A. Lange & Söhne, IWC, and Panerai, which make up about 20% of its sales. During Richemont’s earning conference call on May 15, Mr Rupert explained the bond issue: “We have always believed in protecting our balance sheet… For years, a lot of investment banks questioned us about that it’s a lazy balance sheet. But h...

Up Close: IWC Da Vinci Tourbillon Four Seasons SJX Watches
IWC Da Vinci Tourbillon Four May 8, 2020

Up Close: IWC Da Vinci Tourbillon Four Seasons

The two decades or so after the end of the Quartz Crisis was a fruitful one for the mechanical watch industry as it revived itself. IWC was one of the stars of that revival, a highly technical yet niche brand that appealed to true watch nerds. Everything it did then became the foundations for its modern day success – literally, with the brand still relying on the complications invented then. One of the most interesting, yet little-known IWC watches from that era is the Da Vinci Tourbillon Four Seasons. A limited edition of 20 watches that debuted in 1999, the Four Seasons (or Quattro Stagioni as it was known at the launch) has a hand-engraved, solid-gold dial – the Da Vinci Tourbillon represents the only instance IWC has bestowed such elaborate dials on its watches. A year after the launch of the Four Seasons, IWC was acquired by Swiss luxury group Richemont, making it perhaps the major complication the brand unveiled before the change of ownership. Intriguingly, the combination of an engraved dial and complicated movement, as well as the style of engraving, brings to mind some of the Handwerkskunst watches by A. Lange & Söhne, then as now, a sister company of IWC. But perhaps more important is the movement, which is the only hand-wound calibre in this generation of Da Vinci. Not only is the manual-wind calibre better looking – by a massive margin – but the movement is descended from the Il Destriero Scafusia, the grand complication made for the brand’s 125th ...

All That’s New at Watches & Wonders 2020 SJX Watches
Vacheron Constantin Égérie collection Les Cabinotiers Apr 24, 2020

All That’s New at Watches & Wonders 2020

The virtual doors of Watches & Wonders 2020 are now open – here’s an overview of all notable new releases from the exhibiting brands. This page will be updated as additional watches are launched in the coming months, so bookmark this. A. Lange & Söhne Odysseus Datomatic in white gold Zeitwerk Minute Repeater in white gold Cartier Cartier Privé Tank Asymétrique Maillon de Cartier Pasha de Cartier Santos-Dumont XL Santos-Dumont Limited Editions Santos de Cartier ADLC Girard-Perregaux Laureato Absolute Light IWC Portugieser Automatic 40 Portugieser Chronograph 3716 Portugieser Monopusher Chronograph Edition “Laureus Sport for Good” Portugieser Perpetual Calendar 42 IWC Portugieser Yacht Club Moon & Tide Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Control Collection Master Control Memovox and Master Control Memovox Timer Montblanc 1858 Automatic 24H 1858 Split Second Chronograph Limited Edition 100 Heritage Manufacture Pulsograph Panerai Luminor Marina Carbotech PAM01661 Luminor Marina Titanio DMLS PAM01117 Luminor Marina Fibratech PAM01663 Submersible EcoPangaea Tourbillon GMT PAM01108 Parmigiani Toric Tourbillon Red Gold Slate Piaget Altiplano Ultimate Concept Vacheron Constantin Égérie collection Les Cabinotiers Grand Complication Split-Seconds Chronograph “Tempo” Les Cabinotiers Astronomical Grand Complication “Ode to Music” Les Cabinotiers “The Singing Birds” Overseas Ultra-Thin Perpetual Calendar Skeleton Traditionnelle Tourbillon Chronograph  

Panerai Introduces the Luminor Marina Titanio DMLS PAM01117 SJX Watches
Panerai Introduces Apr 24, 2020

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...

Watches & Wonders to Debut Online Starting April 25 SJX Watches
Patek Philippe Chopard Apr 20, 2020

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...

Omega, Patek Philippe, And Jaeger-LeCoultre: A Contemporary Watch Collector Goes Vintage – Reprise Quill & Pad
Jaeger-LeCoultre Apr 5, 2020

Omega, Patek Philippe, And Jaeger-LeCoultre: A Contemporary Watch Collector Goes Vintage – Reprise

To my longtime friends in the watch hobby, and perhaps to regular readers here as well, the mention of my name may conjure up a number of connotations: patron of the independents, fan of A. Lange & Söhne, admirer of Patek Philippe grand complications, and longtime customer of Jaeger-LeCoultre, among other characterizations more or less favorable. But vintage?