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Results for Rexhep Rexhepi (Watchmaker)

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Up Close: Citizen Promaster Mechanical Diver 200 m SJX Watches
Citizen Promaster Mechanical Diver 200 Aug 16, 2021

Up Close: Citizen Promaster Mechanical Diver 200 m

Historically best known for ultra-advanced quartz and solar-powered watches – including the most accurate watch ever – Citizen has been on a tear recently with good, old-fashioned mechanical watches. The Japanese watchmaker started the year the high-end with The Citizen Caliber 0200, and then moved onto something more accessible but still sporting an integrated bracelet. More recently it took the covers off the Promaster Mechanical Diver 200 m ref. NB6004-08E. Oversized and aggressively styled, the new Promaster is eminently affordable – retail is about US$1,000 – but kitted out with impressive features, including a hardened case as well as a magnetism-resistant in-house movement, which makes it excellent value. (And it has a cool, glow-in-the-dark buckle.) Initial thoughts In my early days as a watch enthusiast, I had a soft spot for Seiko dive watches, because they were diverse in style and budget friendly. Citizen, on the other hand, didn’t feature as much, because it only offered one or two notable mechanical dive watches as the company largely focused on solar-powered watches (and still does). But Citizen is expanding its repertoire at a measured pace, but making tremendous progress. The Promaster Mechanical Diver 200 m is a single model, but offered in several variants (though availability of each version varies throughout the world). Citizen lent me the base model – brushed titanium with a black dial – for a few days. On paper, the watch is high s...

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Rolex Grants for Entrepreneurs Working to Change the World SJX Watches
Rolex Grants Aug 13, 2021

Rolex Grants for Entrepreneurs Working to Change the World

Inaugurated in 1976 by André J. Heiniger, the chief of Rolex who succeeded founder Hans Wilsdorf, the Rolex Awards for Enterprise was originally conceived as a one-off event to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the watchmaker’s trademark waterproof Oyster case. Comprising a grant of CHF200,000 (about US$215,000), the awards recognised entrepreneurs working on solving pressing social and environmental issues. But the brand has since transformed the awards into a biennial tradition, bestowing grants to over 150 individuals in the last four decades. According to Rolex, the grants gave birth to over 50 unique inventions, over 20 million trees planted, and dozens of endangered species protected – and, of course, numerous scientific expeditions completed. This year’s Laureates of the Rolex Awards for Enterprise have just been announced – five individuals from different continents, each leading an ongoing, growing projects. Unlike the Nobel Prize, the Rolex awards are given out based on current instead of past works, making it a scholarships of sorts that fuels a wider impact for the prize winner. Bling for good Healthy diets A perfect example of an effective, ongoing project is Sanku, a non-profit organisation that tackles malnutrition with a simple but scalable solution to the age-old problem. By retrofitting flour mills in Tanzania with its patented “Dosifier”, Sanku ensures the population is provided with a complement of basic nutrients such as vitamins and met...

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Interview: Guido Terreni, CEO of Parmigiani Fleurier SJX Watches
Parmigiani Fleurier Parmigiani Fleurier Aug 12, 2021

Interview: Guido Terreni, CEO of Parmigiani Fleurier

Parmigiani Fleurier is one of the pioneering independent watch brands, having been established in 1996 by Michel Parmigiani, watchmaker and restorer extraordinaire. While Parmigiani is a company of relative youth, its founder is a legendary watchmaker universally acknowledged as one of the most talented restorers of vintage watches and clocks. Mr Parmigiani has repaired timepieces in the world’s most venerable watch collections, including the Patek Philippe Museum. Over 25 years of existence, Parmigiani has garnered respect for the quality of its timepieces, though commercial success has consistently eluded it. Being owned by Sandoz Family Foundation, Parmigiani has long enjoyed the largesse possible only with a multi-billion franc endowment funded by a Swiss pharmaceutical fortune. But now perhaps change is in the air. Just earlier this year, Parmigiani tapped Guido Terreni for the top job. Prior to Parmigiani, Mr Terreni spent two decades at Bulgari, the second half of which as head of its watch division. And it was during his tenure that Bulgari’s timepiece business enjoyed a revival of the sort that Parmigiani’s owners are no doubt hoping for. I caught up with Guido earlier in the year to discuss his plans for Parmigiani, including the product line up as well as Mr Parmigiani’s continued role at the company. The interview has been edited for clarity and length. SJX: Let’s start with an easy question.You joined Parmigiani in January 2021, at a difficult time ...

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Recommended Reading: Visiting with Remy Cools SJX Watches
Jul 29, 2021

Recommended Reading: Visiting with Remy Cools

A specialist retailer of independent watchmaking, Watch4moi recently published its first feature article – and it’s worth a look. Watch4moi founder Shawn Mehta paid a visit to Remy Cools, the 20-something French watchmaker who made his debut last year with a tourbillon of his own creation. Now based in Annecy, a town in France just an hour from Geneva by car, Mr Cools is in the process of finishing his first batch of wristwatches, with much of the work being done the old-fashioned way, with manual tools. The Remy Cools Tourbillon Souscription. Image – Remy Cools Mr Mehta took a look at the machines, processes, and craft that go into one of Mr Cools’ tourbillons, the first of which will reach clients later this year. He describes, for instance, the process of finishing the raw wheels Mr Cools obtains from a supplier: first the teeth are cut individually on a lathe, followed by a dozen or so hours of hand finishing. Read the story on Watch4moi.com.  

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Konstantin Chaykin Introduces the Wristmon Minotaur SJX Watches
Zodiac edition Jul 28, 2021

Konstantin Chaykin Introduces the Wristmon Minotaur

Four years after the debut of the Joker – and its myriad subsequent iterations – Russian independent watchmaker Konstantin Chaykin still manages to surprise and impress. The latest version of Chaykin’s googly-eyed wristwatch is the Wristmon Minotaur. The third instalment in the watchmaker’s annual Chinese zodiac edition, the Minotaur has a case and dial that mimics the head of a bull, since 2021 is the Year of the Ox. Although its hour and minute display are identical to the early versions of the Joker, the Minotaur has been upgraded in several ways, including with a dual-letter day display and a Vaucher base movement. Initial thoughts The Minotaur is another excellent design by Mr Chaykin, and one of his more amusing creations since the original Joker. Not only does the dial form a face, but the case has been reworked to resemble a bull’s head with asymmetric lugs where the upper pair resemble a pair of horns. More importantly, the Minotaur is not merely a tweak of colour or design. Its functionality has been revamped, namely with the nostril display that shows the first two letters of the day. In fact, the novel day display is another example of Mr Chaykin’s ingenious realisation of function following form, but done well enough that it feels just right. And the price of the Minotaur is in line with recent watches in the Wristmon collection, which is around US$22,000. While significantly pricier than the original Joker that cost around about US$7,500, the new ...

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Girard-Perregaux 230th Anniversary Exhibition in Singapore SJX Watches
Girard-Perregaux 230th Anniversary Exhibition Jul 28, 2021

Girard-Perregaux 230th Anniversary Exhibition in Singapore

In celebration of its 230th anniversary, Girard-Perregaux has extracted part of its museum collection and sent it across the world to Singapore, where they form an exhibition on the watchmaker’s history. Shaping The Know Since 1791 provides a peek into the company’s past milestones and timepieces, illustrated by a diversity of items on show, ranging from enamelled pocket watches from the late 18th century to an ultra-modern wristwatch with its case and bridges in sapphire crystal. Pocket watches Though the Tourbillon with Three Gold Bridges is Girard-Perregaux’s best known complication, the brand is instead focusing on its wider repertoire in the exhibition. Arranged in a chronological manner, the company’s history is explained with a series of displays that include notes as well as representative watches of each era, from the 18th to 21st centuries. Notable contemporary pieces include the original Laureato from 1975, as well as the avant-garde Quasar Light that reinterprets the brand’s iconic triple bridges in sapphire crystal. The original Laureato that was quartz the exhibition unfolds the brand’s unusual origins: while husband-and-wife Constant Girard and Marie Perregaux founded the brand in 1856, the company later acquired Jean-François Bautte, a brand that was established in 1791, explaining the 230th anniversary in 2021. A pioneer in ultra-thin timepieces, Bautte specialised in pocket watches decorated with enamel and gemstones, reflecting the prevail...

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David Candaux Introduces the Streamlined DC7 Genesis SJX Watches
Jul 16, 2021

David Candaux Introduces the Streamlined DC7 Genesis

David Candaux established his eponymous brand with the 1740 Half Hunter, a watch with several exotic features that made it decidedly unconventional, especially for a watchmaker located in the traditional heart of Swiss watchmaking, the village of Le Solliat in the Vallee de Joux. Now Mr Candaux is following up with something more concise, the DC7 Genesis. The DC7 still preserves many of the novel elements of the original model – like the inclined-balance tourbillon – but presents them in a streamlined manner. Initial thoughts For someone who appreciated the technical merits of David Candaux’s first wristwatch, but found it too fancy, the DC7 is ideal. The DC7 remains unusual in both design and construction, but inches closer to the conventional end of the scale. The cleaner and simpler design make the DC7 easier to digest. Though streamlined, the DC7 still retains the watchmaker’s signature features, including the vertically-symmetrical case, telescopic crown, and inclined-balance tourbillon. More broadly, the watch is composed of inclined surfaces – the dial and movement bridges are both inclined, making it instantly recognisable as a David Candaux creation. At the same time, the movement is finished differently from the original model, and slightly less intricate, but still appears to be done to a similarly high standard. Importantly, the simpler mechanics make it more affordable. At about US$150,000 in titanium, the DC7 is not quite a value buy, but it’...

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Bell & Ross Introduces the BR 03-94 Patrouille de France SJX Watches
Bell & Ross Introduces Jul 14, 2021

Bell & Ross Introduces the BR 03-94 Patrouille de France

Bell & Ross has long supplied timekeepers to various French military and police units, ranging from the bomb disposal team of the national civil defence agency to the tactical unit of the National Gendarmerie, GIGN. The brand was recently tapped to become the official watchmaker to the Patrouille de France, the famed aeronautics team of the Armée de l’Air et de l’Espace, the French Air and Space Force. To inaugurate the partnership, Bell & Ross has unveiled the BR 03-94 Patrouille de France, a limited edition designed in collaboration with the nine pilots of the aerobatics team. Cased in matte black ceramic, the chronograph has a dial in the colours of the French flag, along with the team logo at six o’clock. It is a 500-piece limited edition available to the public, while team members of the Patrouille de France will be issued with the same watch, but powered by a quartz movement. Initial thoughts Bell & Ross has made a variety of air force-unit watches in the past, as have other brands. Breitling, for instance, recently debuted an edition dedicated to the Red Arrows, the aerobatics team of the Royal Air Force. The Patrouille de France edition, however, stands apart in an important aspect: the members of the Patrouille de France – nine pilots and 35 engineers – are actually kitted out with an almost-identical watch. Produced in a run of 100 watches, the official-issue team watch is identical to the civilian version featured here, but it has a quartz movement ...

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Only Watch 2021: Charles Girardier 1809 Tribute to Jackson Pollock SJX Watches
Bulgari Jul 11, 2021

Only Watch 2021: Charles Girardier 1809 Tribute to Jackson Pollock

While named after a late-18th century Swiss watchmaker, Charles Girardier is a startup, having been established in 2018 by Patrick A. Ulm, a Swiss private banker with a passion for watches. The brand focuses on tourbillon wristwatches, but enhanced with elements inspired by vintage Charles Girardier pocket watches, such as paillonnee enamel dials and its whimsical “mysterious” complication. Its Tourbillon Signature Mystérieuse Fleur de Sel won the Ladies’ Complications Watch Prize at last year’s Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Geneve, beating out competition from big names like Bulgari and Piaget. For Only Watch 2021, Charles Girardier created the 1809 Tribute to Jackson Pollock, a wristwatch with a figure-of-eight dial layout in grand feu enamel and an unusual automatic movement with a peripheral rotor. Initial thoughts Being relatively young, Charles Girardier only has one model to its name so far, the Tourbillon Signature Mystérieuse. Still, it’s a technically interesting watch, making it a useful starting point for an Only Watch edition. The Tourbillon Signature Mystérieuse is symmetrical  – both on the front and the back. The dial is arranged in a figure-of-eight, with a flying tourbillon at six, and the “mysterious” complication at twelve. The “mysterious” complication is the brand emblem that spins freely, thanks to a weight on its back that’s hidden under the dial. It gives the dial dynamism, though the “mysterious” complication feels a b...

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MICRO MONDAYS: The Brellum Duobox LE.8 Chronometer artfully balances tradition and modernity Time+Tide
Jul 11, 2021

MICRO MONDAYS: The Brellum Duobox LE.8 Chronometer artfully balances tradition and modernity

This is not the first time we’ve shown you a watch from Switzerland’s Brellum, an independent brand created in 2016 by fourth generation watchmaker Sébastien Muller. And although this is our Micro Mondays feature, Brellum is really established enough as a small manufacturer to deserve to be called an atelìer, with an exclusive production of … ContinuedThe post MICRO MONDAYS: The Brellum Duobox LE.8 Chronometer artfully balances tradition and modernity appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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The Affordable Custom Watchmaking of Maxim Sushkov SJX Watches
Breguet numerals as well as Jul 7, 2021

The Affordable Custom Watchmaking of Maxim Sushkov

Russian independent watchmaker Maxim Sushkov specialises in affordable custom timepieces, and has just unveiled his latest. Created for an Austrian client, the Watch Creative is a dress watch with classical elements like teardrop lugs and Breguet numerals, as well as a few striking, original details, such as the unusual, droplet-shaped hands. Initial thoughts While still niche, independent watchmaking has gained increasing traction in recent years. Its rising popularity has been accompanied with rising prices, both in the secondary market and at retail. A few watchmakers, however, continue to offer accessibly priced, original work. One such example is Mr Sushkov, who provides a channel for enthusiasts to commission one-off timepieces, appealing to collectors who fancy something unique but affordable. The Watch Creative illustrates Mr Sushkov’s work well. From the case with soldered lugs to the guilloche dial, it’s made up of a mix of stock and custom parts – with a good deal of work done by hand – resulting in a simple watch with interesting details. In fact, the custom execution make it a good value proposition at around US$4,200. This has little competition at the US$4,000 mark in a similar vein of customised watches, except for fellow Russian watchmakers like HoD (though it occasionally works with Mr Sushkov). An alternative similar priced but the complete opposite in concept is the Ophion Velos, a watch that is more polished and refined, but made by machine i...

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Only Watch 2021: Bell & Ross BR 01 Cyber Skull Sapphire SJX Watches
Bell & Ross BR 01 Cyber Skull Jul 2, 2021

Only Watch 2021: Bell & Ross BR 01 Cyber Skull Sapphire

Bell & Ross has long featured the skull on its watches, a motif derived from its military-inspired designs. Modelled on the skull emblem often used by airborne units, the B&R; skull watch has been refined over the years, with the latest being an all-ceramic wristwatch incorporating an automaton. For Only Watch 2021, the watchmaker has created the BR 01 Cyber Skull Sapphire, a vivid, orange-tinted crystal skull encased in clear sapphire. It’s entirely incongruent with the brand’s typical no-no-nonsense aesthetic, but strikingly upbeat. Initial thoughts The original Cyber Skull is interesting for its materials and form movement featuring an automaton, making it a good base for the Only Watch edition, which departs from the all-black look in the direction of attractive and quirky. Bell & Ross didn’t disappoint in its Only Watch endeavour. Clean, contemporary, and clear, the sapphire version is completely different from its past skull watches. The watch has a bright feel, with the orange being bringing levity (and echoing the colours of Only Watch 2021). And it’s a big plus that the watch is technically unusual. While most B&R; watches are powered by off-the-shelf ETA or Sellita movements (which, to be fair are unfailingly reliable), the Cyber Skull Sapphire is equipped with a proprietary movement in the shape of a skull. It’s always the most valuable watches offered by high horology brands that get the most attention at Only Watch, so the more affordable watches in ...

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Only Watch 2021: Konstantin Chaykin Martian Tourbillon SJX Watches
Konstantin Chaykin Jul 1, 2021

Only Watch 2021: Konstantin Chaykin Martian Tourbillon

An inventive watchmaker based in Russia, Konstantin Chaykin has combined two of his most notable timepieces to create a unique wristwatch for Only Watch 2021. Bearing a face that resembles his signature Joker, the Martian Tourbillon tells the time on Mars, just like the Mars Conquerer he debuted last year. More intriguingly, the watch is equipped with a tourbillon regulator that makes one revolution every Martian minute – or 61.65 seconds. Initial thoughts Konstantin never fails to impress with his unorthodox approach to watchmaking. The Martian Tourbillon lives up to that reputation. It is quirky, odd, and thoroughly interesting. Given that it indicates time on Mars, its utility here on Earth will be limited, but the Martian Tourbillon encapsulates Konstantin’s versatile and comprehensive approach to a unique timepiece for Only Watch (which was very much the case for his 2019 creation). The Martian Tourbillon even incorporates a literal Martian tourbillon regulator, while having a case made of medieval Russian steel. The only images available of the watch for now are renderings, but I very much look forward to seeing this in person. Martian face The face of the watch indicates the hours on the left sub-dial, while minutes are within the right sub-dial. Just below the “nose” is a half-month indicator for the Darian calendar, invented by aerospace engineer Thomas Gangale for future human colonisers of the Red Planet. And the “smile” indicates sols, or Martian...

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Only Watch 2021: Atelier de Chronométrie AdC21 SJX Watches
Jul 1, 2021

Only Watch 2021: Atelier de Chronométrie AdC21

Founded to give new life to vintage chronometer movements and resurrect old-school designs, Atelier de Chronométrie (AdC) has completed only a few watches to date, but has quickly become known for wristwatches that are elegantly refined inside and out. In its inaugural outing at Only Watch, the watchmaker put together the AdC21, a time-only watch that is simple but executed with lavish detail, and dressed in a nostalgic, “pink on pink” livery. Like AdC’s other creations, the AdC21 is powered by a movement that started life as a vintage ébauche before being upgraded with parts fabricated by hand in-house. And the movement has been finished to level far beyond what the vintage calibre ever was. Initial thoughts AdC watches are intrinsically appealing to enthusiasts who favour old-school dress watches, which often have discreet, refined details that are uncommon in contemporary watches. One of the brand’s cofounders is a vintage watch dealer whose eye and experience explain the house style. At the same time, AdC elevates the design with the artisanal quality of the case and movement, most of which are made in house. The AdC21 is arguably the best time-only watch the brand has created to date. Entirely classical yet novel, the dial has a two-tone finish matched with an unusual interpretation of the “scientific” dial. And the case is also more elaborately constructed than those found on AdC’s earlier works. Beyond the design and craft, the shades of pink that d...

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Highlights: Patek Philippe Rare Handcrafts 2021 SJX Watches
Patek Philippe Rare Handcrafts 2021 Patek Jun 17, 2021

Highlights: Patek Philippe Rare Handcrafts 2021

Patek Philippe went big at its annual Rare Handcrafts Exhibition that just opened at its Geneva Salon. The watchmaker unveiled  the 75 timepieces of this year’s Rare Handcrafts collection, along with as many more from last year’s line up that is on show for the first time, since the 2020 exhibition was cancelled. The most accessible watches of the collection, relatively speaking, are the complicated watches that will join the regular catalogue, which include a trio of chiming watches, from the graceful minute repeater for ladies to the new Sky Moon Tourbillon in rose gold. The Sky Moon Tourbillon ref. 6002R But it is the rest of the Rare Handcrafts collection that capture the creativity and diversity the brand’s metiers d’art. Each unique, the watches and clocks are mechanically uncomplicated, and instead use the dial and case as a canvas to showcase exquisite, vivid depictions of animals, landscapes, and art with a variety of artisanal techniques. Here’s a selection of a few standouts from this year’s collection, all one-off creations that are expensive but usually sold in advance, so most will be dispatched to their owners after the exhibition. Dome clocks One of Patek Philippe’s most distinctive timepieces is not a watch, but the round-topped table clock. A fixture in its catalogue for decades, the Dome Clock is produced in small numbers every year, typically with its exterior panels decorated in enamel. This year’s Rare Handcrafts catalogue includes...

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Corum Marks 10 Years of the Golden Bridge Automatic SJX Watches
Girard-Perregaux  – Jun 13, 2021

Corum Marks 10 Years of the Golden Bridge Automatic

While known for unorthodox designs such as the Coin, Bubble and Admiral’s Cup, Corum’s piece de resistance is the Golden Bridge. Devised by independent watchmaker and ACHI co-founder Vincent Calabrese in 1980, the delicate, elongated movement remains a watchmaking feat. In 2011, Corum debuted the automatic Golden Bridge movement that was wound by an innovative weight that slid on rails. To celebrate the decade since that milestone, Corum has created the 10th Anniversary Golden Bridge Automatic, which puts the movement within a larger case with a wraparound sapphire crystal. Initial thoughts I’m not the biggest fan of Corum’s better known designs, which are often oversized and ostentatious. The exception is the Golden Bridge, which is to Corum what the Tourbillon with Three Gold Bridges is to Girard-Perregaux – a movement defined by its construction and aesthetics. I’ve always liked the Golden Bridge – the baguette shape is not only unique, but also a mechanical marvel. The automatic Golden Bridge further stands out for its vertical winding mass, instead of a traditional rotor. My pick of the collection Starting at about US$35,000 in titanium, the 10th Anniversary Golden Bridge Automatic is actually rather well-priced, considering the movement. In fact, the new anniversary models are priced lower than their 2011 counterparts. The watch is available in either titanium or titanium and rose gold, along with diamond-set variants Smoked Sapphire Like the original...

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5 Mido watches to buy in the T+T Shop right now Time+Tide
Mido Jun 4, 2021

5 Mido watches to buy in the T+T Shop right now

Founded more than a century ago, Mido is a brand that has some serious history behind it. From producing watches for the founder of Bugatti, to making some of the earliest functional dive watches, Mido still remains under the radar of some enthusiasts. In recent years, the Le Locle-founded watchmaker has carved out a niche … ContinuedThe post 5 Mido watches to buy in the T+T Shop right now appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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Up Close: Harry Winston Opus 1 Tourbillon by F.P. Journe SJX Watches
F.P. Journe Jun 3, 2021

Up Close: Harry Winston Opus 1 Tourbillon by F.P. Journe

A variant of the fourth-generation F.P. Journe Tourbillon Remontoir d’Egalite, the Opus 1 Tourbillon was part of the inaugural project of the Opus series, the annual independent-watchmaker collaboration invented by Max Büsser of MB&F; fame. Named after the Opus One vineyard that’s also a joint venture between Americans and Europeans, Opus established Harry Winston as a bona fide watchmaker. Though Harry Winston has now put more emphasis on its primary jewellery business, its past Opus projects are mostly interesting and important examples of contemporary watchmaking. Ironically, despite being the opening act, the Opus 1 models were amongst the least novel, because they were essentially F.P. Journe movements dressed in Harry Winston attire. But that also makes the Opus 1 interesting simply because they were F.P. Journe. The Opus 1 was made up of three models – the Tourbillon, Resonance, and Reserve de Marche – each based on the equivalent F.P. Journe model, meaning an identical movement but a platinum case in the trademark Harry Winston style. Phillip’s Hong Kong watch auction this weekend includes an Opus 1 Tourbillon, which is worth a closer look, if for no other reason than the fact that it’s one of the rarest variants of the early F.P. Journe tourbillon. Initial thoughts The Opus 1 – any one of the three versions – is a peculiar watch. It is fundamentally an F.P. Journe, yet feels nothing like an F.P. Journe. If you closed your eyes and compared the two...

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Girard-Perregaux Inaugurates Aston Martin Partnership with Skeleton Tourbillon SJX Watches
Girard-Perregaux Inaugurates Aston Martin Partnership Jun 1, 2021

Girard-Perregaux Inaugurates Aston Martin Partnership with Skeleton Tourbillon

Earlier this year, Girard-Perregaux announced a new partnership with Aston Martin, most famous for being the carmaker of choice for James Bond. The watchmaker also signed on as a sponsor of the Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One racing team, but a collaborative watch was absent, until now. Girard-Perregaux has just taken the covers off the inaugural watch of the partnership, the Tourbillon with Three Flying Bridges – Aston Martin Edition, a sleek, modern interpretation of the watchmaker’s signature complication. Initial thoughts When the partnership was first revealed, the first watch that came to mind was an auto-racing chronograph on an integrated bracelet, making the all-black tourbillon a bit of a surprise. But the integrated-bracelet sports watch is now commonplace, so I am glad Girard-Perregaux went with the Flying Bridges tourbillon, a complication unique to the brand. The tourbillon movement is, of course, an evolution of the brand’s iconic Tourbillon with Three Gold Bridges that was invented in the mid-19th century and found in Girard-Perregaux’s finest pocket watches, including one that was sold to the then President of Mexico, the famous “La Esmeralda”. A decidedly more classical version of Girard-Perregaux’s tourbillon That said, the Aston Martin edition isn’t entirely new – the watch is actually based on the Neo Tourbillon with Three Bridges launched in 2018, but the new movement has been skeletonised even further, hence the “Floating” b...

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VIDEO: The function forward Grand Seiko SBGX335 Time+Tide
Grand Seiko SBGX335 Grand Seiko don’t May 28, 2021

VIDEO: The function forward Grand Seiko SBGX335

Grand Seiko don’t make dainty dive watches. Instead, the Japanese watchmaker follows their design philosophy of blending form and function in a way that doesn’t compromise either, with large, legible underwater tool watches that can hold up against anything you’re likely to do with them. One great example is the Grand Seiko SBGX335, a quartz … ContinuedThe post VIDEO: The function forward Grand Seiko SBGX335 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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In-Depth: Recreating the Vacheron Constantin American 1921 One Hundred Years Later SJX Watches
Vacheron Constantin American 1921 One Hundred May 25, 2021

In-Depth: Recreating the Vacheron Constantin American 1921 One Hundred Years Later

As one of Vacheron Constantin’s most distinctive timepieces marks its 100th anniversary, the watchmaker rolled out a handful of jubilee models during Watches & Wonders 2021 for the occasion, most notably the extremely good looking American 1921 Collection Excellence Platine. But Vacheron Constantin had something else up its sleeve for the 1921’s century – something really special – a near-exact recreation of the vintage original from 1921. Christened the American 1921 Pièce Unique, the watch is a one-off created as a joint project by the brand’s Restoration Workshop and Heritage Department, overseen by Style & Heritage Director Christian Selmoni, whose long tenure at Vacheron Constantin means he is practically the brand’s institutional memory. The watch is more than just a visual replica – an identical case and movement is a given – but even the most minor of details have been reproduced faithfully, right down to the gold alloy of the case and period-correct vintage parts from its archives. Initial thoughts While the modern-day American 1921 is a fan-favourite, it necessarily omits some of the finer details of the vintage original, in order to cater to current tastes as well as production methods. As such, even the most-delicious Collection Excellence Platine edition can be critiqued, for the mismatch in hand colours or the seemingly misaligned seconds register. In contrast, the recreation is satisfyingly spot on, which give it an attractive, bona fi...

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What does ‘batshit crazy’ mean to you? To me, Wei, Frank and RJ, it means these new watches… Time+Tide
May 8, 2021

What does ‘batshit crazy’ mean to you? To me, Wei, Frank and RJ, it means these new watches…

“Batshit crazy”, it turns out, is a phrase that means different things to different people. To me in a watch context, it means technical craziness. Lots of complications. Unnecessary but deeply impressive flexing of watchmaker muscle. To Wei it’s a state of mind. What watch would you be batshit crazy to wear on the mean … ContinuedThe post What does ‘batshit crazy’ mean to you? To me, Wei, Frank and RJ, it means these new watches… appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

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