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New: Chopard 2020 Novelties with Editorial Commentary
Though nor participating in Watches & Wonders 2020, Chopard releases two horology novelties for 2020: the L.U.C Perpetual Twin and two Mille Miglia watches.
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Deployant
Though nor participating in Watches & Wonders 2020, Chopard releases two horology novelties for 2020: the L.U.C Perpetual Twin and two Mille Miglia watches.
SJX Watches
Noted watch designers are usually prolific, but often famous for a handful, or even just one or two, creations. The obvious example is the late Gerald Genta, who conceived tens of thousands of designs, but is best known for his twin luxury-sports watches of 1972 and 1976. And so it is for Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani, the chief watch designer at Bulgari. Born in Naples but having moved to Rome as a child, the 49-year old joined Bulgari in 2001, after a short stint at Fiat in Turin straight out of design school. Over the 19 years designing watches for Bulgari, with several spent as a freelancer in the mid 2000s, he has created numerous and diverse timepieces, but the Octo Finissimo is his definitive work to date. The sleek and exceptionally thin watch has won critical acclaim, as well as many awards, since its launch in 2014. While it is probably too early to elevate the design to iconic status – something he admits below – the Octo Finissimo certainly has a good chance of getting there. The new Octo Finissimo in steel Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani I admire Mr Buonamassa Stigliani’s work with the Octo Finissimo, and though I managed to speak with him on several occasions over the years, they were brief conversations. But at last week’s LVMH Watch Week in Dubai – where Bulgari, Hublot, and Zenith presented their latest timepieces – I spoke with him at length. In an enlightening interview, he discussed the conception and construction of the Octo Finissimo, watch ...
SJX Watches
Though extremely rare, the George Daniels Anniversary Watch is a familiar timepiece because it has been widely covered and is arguably the signature George Daniels wristwatch. Though the Daniels Millennium was made in larger numbers, it was powered by a modified Omega (and by extension, ETA) movement. In contrast, the Anniversary relies on a proprietary movement designed by Daniels and his protege Roger W. Smith – and it’s almost a visual twin of the one-off Daniels chronograph wristwatch. But the basic architecture of the Anniversary movement comes from the movement in Series 2, the trademark Roger W. Smith timepiece, which was launched in 2006, three years before the Anniversary. The white gold Anniversary next to the owner’s other example in yellow gold The quintessential Daniels Anniversary is in yellow gold, of which 35 were made. But when first launched in 2009, the Anniversary series was also meant to encompass four box sets of four watches each, made up of one watch in each colour of gold and another in platinum. The sets were never produced, however, individual watches originally destined to be part of the sets were. Owned by a noted collector who acquired it direct from the George Daniels trust, this Anniversary in white gold is one of them. And it is the only Anniversary ever made in white gold so far. On the wrist of the owner Though identical in design to the yellow gold Anniversary, the white gold watch looks more contemporary by virtue of its colour. ...
SJX Watches
Even amongst avant-garde watchmakers, De Bethune stands out for its substance – aesthetic and material innovation matched by technical ingenuity. At its core, the brand has reimagined the most fundamental aspects of mechanical timekeeping, from the barrel to the hairspring, while pushing the boundaries of traditional complications, be it the moon phase, tourbillon or chronograph. But arguably its most distinctive innovation is an aesthetic one, which has come to define the brand no less – heat-blued titanium. The brand has used the alloy for more than 15 years across various parts of the watch, even making almost a whole watch out of it. But now De Bethune has a twist on the theme, resulting in the DB28 Yellow Tones in brilliant golden titanium. Fiery yellow Though the colour of the new DB28 is striking, it is by no means loud, as the amber shade of yellow isn’t the same as yellow gold and doesn’t pass off as such. In fact, it looks more like fresh brass than gold. The colour was achieved through thermal oxidisation of the surface, essentially the same process as that used for blued titanium (and also the same for blued steel). The yellow surface, just like the blue, is the result of an oxide that forms on the surface of titanium when it is heated to a certain temperature. But amber yellow tone in this case was created by heating it at a lower temperature than used for blued titanium. Titanium undergoes different stages of oxidation when heated, and yellow is o...
WatchAdvice
Casio’s G-Shock (gravitational shock) watches have earnt a reputation for being one of the most robust and durable watches available on the market today. The concept of the sturdy G-Shock goes back to 1981, where a Casio Engineer named Kikuo Ibe was in charge of designing the G-shock prototypes. Kikuo Ibe wanted a watch that would have water-resistance of 10 bar (100 meters), triple 10 resistance (10-year battery life) and to be able to survive a 10 feet fall. Kikuo Ibe put together a team of 3 individuals to test 200 different prototypes, to be able to meet all three criteria as set out by the engineer. Unfortunately, the team after vigorous testing were not able to meet these requirements. The idea for the final design of the G-shock watch came when Kikuo Ibe observed a rubber ball in motion. He discovered that in a rubber ball, its centre is unaffected when the ball is moving and doesn’t suffer any shocks when it’s bouncing. Kikuo Ibe implemented this idea and was finally able to achieve all three criteria in the first G-shock model released in 1983; The G-shock DW5000C. There have been many different designs of G-shock watches over the years with nearly all of them sharing the core principles that originated from the very first model; toughness, durability and reliability. In 2018, Casio released a set of GMW-B5000 watches which came with a solid stainless steel face and bracelet or rubber strap to suit. The GMW-B5000 models have the iconic square face desi...
SJX Watches
When Zenith unveiled the El Primero Defy 21 two years ago, it was a breakthrough for the brand, offering a 1/100th of a second chronograph with twin regulators for an affordable US$10,000 or so. This year the brand has kicked things up a notch with the El Primero Defy Double tourbillon, which essentially replaces the regular escapements with two tourbillons – one conventional and the other ultra-fast. The high-frequency evolution The new double tourbillon chronograph is a logical evolution of the classic El Primero – albeit accomplished with some help from TAG Heuer – that remained unchanged for decades. Unveiled 50 years ago, the El Primero was the first integrated automatic chronograph, and crucially, the first serially-produced, high-frequency chronograph running at 36,000 beats per hour (bph), allowing it to measure time down to the nearest tenth of a second. It would take 48 years for it to evolve into its first major iteration, the El Primero Defy 21 of 2017, which took the high-precision chronograph to its extreme with a monstrously high frequency of 50Hz, capable of measuring time down to a hundredth of a second. The Defy El Primero 21 launched in 2017 – an exotic chronograph for a basic price While it is true that a higher frequency regulator results in a higher resolution chronograph, it comes at a cost. An ultra-high frequency escapement requires tremendous energy, and the friction generated by the rapid motion of its components in turn mean more f...
SJX Watches
Longines rolled out a smaller version of its popular Legend Diver last year, one that is just 36mm in diameter and catered to ladies. Now it’s added a “tropical” dial model to the line-up, creating a dive watch for ladies with serious retro style. The first Legend Diver, which was made for men, was based on the twin-crown dive watches of the 1960s, specifically the refs. 7042, 7150 and 7594. The lower crown was for winding and setting, while the upper crown rotated the elapsed time bezel, a feature that has been reproduced in the modern day remake. Sometimes nicknamed “Super Compressor” after the type of water-resistant case made by case maker E. Piquerez (which also supplied other brands), the originals were notably large for watches of the era, measuring 42mm in diameter. The men’s Legend Diver is exactly the same size, but the mini Legend Diver is substantially smaller, just 36mm in diameter. Despite its reduced size, the Legend Diver 36mm manages to retain the look and proportions of its bigger brother. And with the new “tropical” dial, it also replicates the highly desirable discoloured dials of some vintage “Super Compressor” divers. The original watches all had glossy black dials, but exposure to sunlight over the decades caused some dials to fade, resulting in varied shades of brown. The new Legend Diver “tropical” replicates the aged dials found on some vintage examples, with a tobacco coloured centre that darkens towards the edges. T...
Deployant
We are at the Seiko booth. And begin with the 20th Anniversary of the Spring Drive with four new watches with two new calibers. All are handwound featuring double mainspring in a single barrel. The two new movements are 9R02 and 9R31. The 9R02 is equipped with the torque return system to give a powerRead More
Deployant
Zenith focus the 50th Anniversary of the El Primero. We begin with the Zenith Defy Inventor – the commercial edition of the Defy Lab launched in 2017 which we have covered in detail. Case size 44mm in titanium case and aeronity bezel. The frequency is increased from 15Hz to 18Hz. Now triple certified: Chronometer CertifiedRead More
Deployant
Focus of this year from Casio is the carbon series. Now available throughout the range. Evolving from resin to metal and now carbon. First the Gravitymaster GWR-B1000. Triple shock resist, radio controlled, solar powered. Flyback Chrono, dial dial world time. Bezel is made of 52 layers of carbon sheeting. A carbon monocoque case made byRead More
Deployant
A new independent joins the top echelon of watchmaking with a watch in a new material – cuprum 479. Cuprum is an alloy being patented by Alchemist made of 80% copper, silver and gold. Copper is know from Egyptian times to have curative properties. The new watch is called Cu29. Complications: cylindrical balance, Twin barrelsRead More
Time+Tide
Hublot has built its brand on the twin pillars of big and bold - I mean, they don’t call it a Big Bang for nothing. This year the brand changed tack with the announcement of a scaled-down Big Bang, clocking in at a much more wrist-friendly 42mm. Just quietly, I think this is an awesome … ContinuedThe post VIDEO: Small but powerful, the Hublot Big Bang Unico Titanium Chronograph 42mm appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
The Triple Bridges holds a special place in the history of Girard-Perregaux, as does the tourbillon. In 1867, a watch with three bridges and one tourbillon won a prize for chronometry at Neuchâtel Observatory, and the distinctive design became a de facto logo for the brand. The striking design of the triple arrow-headed bridges is … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: 150 years of greatness, the Girard-Perregaux Tourbillon with Three Gold Bridges 40mm appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
For Seiko, the turtle power is real. Their recent reinterpretation of the classic dive watch has earned near-universal acclaim, thanks to the triple threat of strong design, stronger build quality and a value offering that’s hard to beat. And while the core collection is outstanding, Seiko like to drop something a little bit extra special … ContinuedThe post VIDEO: This Seiko Turtle is set to Save The Ocean – the SRPC91K appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Deployant
The Chief Editor to make his selection for the top watches from Geneva this year. The top 5 marques: Audemars Piguet RD#2, Greubel Forsey Différentiel d'Égalité, Ressence e-Crown, A. Lange & Söhne Triple Split and (surprise!) Cartier.
Revolution
Louis Ferla tells Revolution about the new Historiques Triple Calendrier 1942 & 1948 watches and Vacheron Constantin’s trajectory under his care.
Deployant
Vacheron Constantin adds to the Historiques collection: the American 1921 Small Model, the Triple Calendrier 1942 and the Triple Calendrier 1948.
Time+Tide
I don’t know about you, but we’ve had to drag ourselves away our screens and from the unholy timesucking triumvirate known as Twin Peaks, Master of None and Better Call Saul to find out what’s been happening in watchland. So, settle into your booth at the Double R diner, order some cherry pie and a cup … ContinuedThe post FRIDAY WIND DOWN: 26th May, 2017 – the auction edition appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Revolution
Keith Strandberg takes a Honda Africa Twin, a Triumph Tiger Explorer XCx ABS, a Bell & Ross Burning Skull, a Hamilton Frogman and a friend for a glorious ride to the Interlaken area of Switzerland.
Time+Tide
When Gaëtan Gaye moved from Richemont’s Amsterdam office to Ressence in 2015, he doubled the size of the Antwerp-based team, which was quite the change in scale. What hasn’t changed, is his twin passions for watches and cars, as evidenced by his Instagram feed. NAME: Gaëtan Gaye OCCUPATION: International Brand Director for Ressence HANDLE: @alpagota FOLLOWERS: … ContinuedThe post WHO TO FOLLOW: @alpagota appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Revolution
Roger Dubuis, the brand known for its dramatic and sensual timepieces brings us a triple rhapsody in blue.
Time+Tide
One of the most surprising watches I’ve seen this year is the Tissot PRS 516 Triple Seconds. Tissot has taken their stalwart, sporty PRS and given it a smart makeover, and it does it at a very competitive price. At first glance you’d be forgiven for thinking that this watch is a chronograph, after all … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: The smartly-designed, value-packed Tissot PRS 516 Automatic Small Second appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Revolution
Jacob & Co.’s Astronomia Sky takes the triple axis tourbillon even farther. For Jacob & Co, which has a history of creating amazing complications that the watch industry has never seen before (think of the Epic SF24, the Quentin Tourbillon and the Palatial Flying Tourbillon Jumping Hours and Minute Repeater), the Astronomia Triple Axis Gravitational Tourbillon, introduced in […]
Deployant
Highlights of Horological Events for the week ending July 12: NUS Horological Club watchmaking class at Claude Bernard, Lange Durian dinner and Cabestan Triple Axis Tourbillon collector launch in Jakarta and Singapore.
Deployant
Continuing on the series on Watchmaking Grandmasters, today I feature the enigmatic Kari Voutilainen. Kari has a keen eye and a wicked, wry sense of humour. In other words, a barrel of fun. Seen here enjoying a joke with Philippe Dufour. Seconds later…posing for the camera A formal portrait pose… For Tues, I will featureRead More
Deployant
Vianney Halter is one master watchmaker whom I have the greatest respect. His mind works like no other…and his products reflect that incredible creativity. His latest project takes the form of the Deep Space Triple Tourbillon…a product of 5 years of work, which came to him in a dream. I do have a number ofRead More
Revolution
Something old, something new –that’s the theme that runs through much of watchmaking. Lest we forget, the basic technology of watchmaking consists of a mainspring barrel, gears, a lever escapement, and a temperature compensated balance controlled by a balance spring. All of those elements –every one –were in place by 1750, boys and girls, when […]
Revolution
The Logical One features a triple patent-pending flat chain-and-fusee style constant force system developed by Romain Gauthier. He was in Singapore last week to present this amazing watch to collectors and members of the media. The Constant force system ensures more reliable and accurate timing for this timepiece. A standard fusse chain design uses muti-layer […]
Revolution
“I’ve heard tell what you imagine sometimes comes true” – Roald Dahl, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Of all the complicated watches I’ve owned or worn - despite the varying claims of their makers that their dual oscillators, tourbillons, double tourbillons, resonance, triple tourbillons, constant-force mechanism, chain and fusée, ultra-light honeycomb baseplates and so on, […]
Teddy Baldassarre
The brand's signature military style settles nicely into a more compact package.More
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