Tourbillon Watches · Page 42

Tiffany & Co. and Richard Mille Debut Unique Pendant Watches for Only Watch 2023

The upcoming instalment of Only Watch sees both Tiffany & Co. and Richard Mille unveiling one-of-a-kind pendant watches for the charity auction. Despite having having the same basic form, both watches are drastically different. The American jeweller reimagines its trademark Bird on a Rock brooch, transforming it into a watch that features a front-facing bird perched on an aquamarine crystal set on an 18k yellow gold watch case, showcasing the artful fusion of jewellery artistry and functional timekeeping. Richard Mille’s offering, on the other hand, is the RM S14 Talisman Origine that combines ancient shamanic motifs with the brand’s avant-garde, open-worked mechanics. And like many Richard Mille watches, the movement boasts a tourbillon. Initial thoughts By opting for a pendant watch, Tiffany & Co. and Richard Mille demonstrate their creativity and willingness to explore fresh avenues. Of the two timepieces, the offering from Tiffany is arguably more compelling because it is more sculptural. In fact, it is not apparent that the Bird on a Rock is a watch at all from a distance. And the “Bird” is not mere jewellery, it is a proper mechanic watch with a manually wound calibre, albeit a basic one. Richard Mille, usually a watchmaker through and through, shows its remarkable ability to transcend expectations by transforming its distinctive, tonneau watch case into jewellery that doubles as a work of art. Despite its unusual form, Talisman is still typical Richard Mill...

Hublot Introduces the MP-15 Takashi Murakami Only Watch Sapphire

Hublot has once again partnered with its favourite contemporary artist for Only Watch 2023: the MP-15 Takashi Murakami Only Watch Sapphire is a one-of-a-kind creation for the biennial charity auction that is entirely unique from case to movement. Not only it is the brand’s first-ever central tourbillon, the watch has a sapphire crystal case in the shape of a flower with a bezel set with rainbow gemstones. Initial thoughts While Hublot is sometimes made fun of for its often repetitive limited editions that are colour facelifts, the creation for Only Watch is entirely new and entirely unique. Hublot and the Japanese artist have collaborated in the past, but on watches that were variants of standard models. In contrast, the Murakami Only Watch  pushes boundaries even by Hublot’s extravagant standards with a case entirely in sapphire, and flower-shaped no less. The Murakami Only Watch is also interesting mechanically. The calibre inside has a 150-hour power reserve along with a large, central tourbillon on the front. And the movement is unique to the Murakami Only Watch, at least for now. The aesthetic and mechanical novelty of the Murakami Only Watch are impressive and certainly makes this one of the highlights of Only Watch 2023. While Hublot will almost certainly create variations of this in the future, the effort expended in creating Murakami Only Watch is commendable. The Murakami Only Watch has an estimate of CHF350,000 to CHF400,000, with the high estimate being a ...

Highlights: Sotheby’s Hong Kong Fine Watches Online

The summer tends to be a quiet period in the watch world since most of Switzerland goes on holiday. However, Sotheby’s Hong Kong is staging one major event before the summer lull with an online sale running for just over a week. Fine Watches opens on July 5th and runs until the 14th featuring 272 lots ranging from Patek Philippe complications to simple time-only Cartier. We cover highlights from the sale below – the catalogue can be seen here – but before that we look at something special. Happening alongside the online auction is a sealed auction for an Patek Philippe Sky Moon Tourbillon ref. 5002P-013 with a custom-order black dial that runs online from July 13-21. The ref. 5002P once held the title of most complicated wristwatch Patek Philippe ever produced and remains a landmark in Patek Philippe watchmaking. Not only is this ref. 5002P possibly unique thanks to the striking black dial, it is also double sealed – in other words brand new. Since 2017 Patek Philippe has banned its retailers from selling sealed watches and so an double-sealed example of a special-order grand complication on the secondary market is rare. This double-dial complication offers an incredible opportunity to collectors, since the last time we saw this a sealed example of this reference at auction was back in 2018 at Antiquorum where it sold for just under US$1.2 million, and that was just single sealed. Prices have naturally climbed since then. In fact, this example mirrors the one that ...

Unveiling Bvlgari’s Only Watch 2023, The Marvelous Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Tourbillon in Marble!

Wei has the pleasure of sitting down with Antoine Pin, the Managing Director of Bvlgari, in an exclusive interview as we enter into the enchanting world of the Bvlgari’s Only Watch 2023 entrant. The watch in question is the Octo Finissimo Tourbillon watch in marble is a testament to the extraordinary craftsmanship achieved by Bvlgari. The […]

Audemars Piguet Introduces the Royal Oak Flying Tourbillon Openworked “Only Watch”

Audemars Piguet (AP) is taking part in Only Watch for the fourth time with the Royal Oak Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon Openworked 41 mm “Only Watch”. In contrast to the low-key Royal Oak “Jumbo” made for the 2021 instalment of the charity auction, this year’s one-off creation is exceptionally striking in blue and white. The latest Royal Oak “Only Watch” is based on the regular-production Royal Oak skeleton tourbillon but made unique with a white ceramic case and bracelet along with a movement featuring blued titanium bridges and plates. The case and bracelet material is notably uncommon for AP. While the brand has a fair number of Royal Oak models in black ceramic, there are fewer in white ceramic. In fact, there is only one regular production model in white ceramic, the perpetual calendar. In the past, there were also a handful of Royal Oak Offshore models in white ceramic, including a chronograph and Diver. According to AP, one of the notable features of the bracelet is not only the material, but also that fact that is secured with “invisible pins”. This presumably means the pins holding the bracelet together are concealed with ceramic caps. The cal. 2972 inside is open worked in an angular, stylised manner that is very much AP’s house style. The bridges and base plate are blued titanium, while the bevels of the movement retain the natural grey colour of titanium for contrast, giving each of the bridges a pronounced outline. The rotor is 22k gold but ...

A Guide to F.P. Journe Part I: Tourbillon Souverain

Hublot’s Big Bang Integrated Tourbillon Full Carbon is ultra-light thanks to cutting-edge tech

Hublot’s Art of Fusion is mostly famous for their scratch-resistant King Gold, brightly-coloured ceramics and statuesque sapphire cases. It’s through this material experimentation that they earn their name as boundary pushers in high watchmaking. While it’s not exactly an invention that Hublot can claim, their utilisation of carbon fibre and the innovative Texalium is definitely … ContinuedThe post Hublot’s Big Bang Integrated Tourbillon Full Carbon is ultra-light thanks to cutting-edge tech appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

New: Kross Studio KS 05 Central Floating Tourbillon

Relatively new independent watchmaker Kross Studio releases their latest creation - theKross Studio KS 05 Central Floating Tourbillon.

24 Perpetual Calendar Watches from The World's Leading Luxury Watchmak

The most sophisticated type of calendar watch, a perpetual calendar is endowed with a mechanical “memory” that enables it to record and display the time, day, date, month, and often the moon-phase, accurately for many years. The complex movement in a perpetual calendar compensates for the length of every month, including February in both leap years and non-leap-years, meaning that it should not need adjusting until the year 2100, which is the next annum in which the Gregorian calendar’s leap-year cycle is disrupted (it will be the first year since 1900 that is exactly divisible by 100 but not by 400, and thus not a leap year). As you'd expect, perpetual calendar watches (called "quantième perpétuel" in French) are extremely complicated in their mechanics and design, representing one of the highest pinnacles of high horology and priced accordingly. Throughout the modern wristwatch industry, only a relative handful of brands have mastered the art of the perpetual calendar: we showcase some of them, and their most impressive perpetual calendar timepieces, here.  A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Perpetual Calendar Introduced in 2021, the Lange 1 Perpetual Calendar adopts the new approach taken to perpetual calendar design that the Saxon maison established in 2012 with the Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar. In typical Lange fashion, the technical approach taken is complex in the service of user-friendly practicality. Its in-house, self-winding movement, Caliber L021.3, ...

Review: The New Reverso Tribute Duoface Tourbillon in Rose Gold

You’ve heard the story before; the story of a wristwatch designed in 1931 that could survive a game of polo. That wristwatch was the original Reverso. For the longest time, the Reverso was time-only – no complications. In fact, it wasn’t until 1990 – as the 60th anniversary coincided with a renewed interest in mechanicalRead More

Hands-On: The Richard Mille RM 66 Flying Tourbillon Is A Handsome Devil (Video)

This million-dollar watch is a rockstar's dream.

Grand Seiko Kodo Constant Force Tourbillon: Grand Seiko Unleashed

The Kodo Constant Force Tourbillon is a full manifestation of the precision excellence one finds at Grand Seiko. It is also a tacit indication that there should be no doubt in any aficionado’s mind whether Grand Seiko belongs in the top tier of haute horology.

New: Franck Muller Grand Central Tourbillon Flash CX 36

Franck Muller goes even more audacious with their new extension to the Grand Central Tourbillon lineup with the latest Flash CX 36.

New: Patria Brigadier Tourbillon Subscription Edition

A brand first started by Louis Brandt (who also founded Omega) revived in 2019, releases their second model - the Brigadier Tourbillon Subscription.

Review: The New Vacheron Constantin Overseas Moon Phase Retrograde Date

‘Tis the year for the retrograde display here at Vacheron Constantin. The grand dame of watchmaking has released no fewer than three models with the mechanism at Watches & Wonders 2023. The first model is the Traditionnelle Tourbillon Retrograde Date Openface, the most complicated of the lot. The next one is the Patrimony Retrograde Day-DateRead More

Recommended: Watchbox Interviews Indie Watchmaking Aficionado Mike “Shani”

A prominent figure thanks to his Instagram account documenting his impressive collection of independent watchmaking, Mike “Shani” Shanlikian is an American collector who watches that are widely regarded as the most important in the genre, including the Philippe Dufour Simplicity, F.P. Journe Tourbillon Remontoir d’Egalite, and Rexhep Rexhepi Chronometre Contemporain. Mr Shanlikian was recently interviewed by George Mayer, the head of sales at pre-owned watch retailer Watchbox. Himself a watch aficionado (and sporting an F.P. Journe Octa Perpetuelle with matching bracelet), Mr Mayer quizzed Mr Shanlikian on his collection and delved into his motivations for collecting independent watchmaking in the 23-minute video interview. An F.P. Journe tourbillon duo. Image – Mike Shanlikian The Akrivia AK-06 and RRCC I. Image – Mike Shanlikian A few watches from the collection. Image – Mike Shanlikian Watchmaking is a fusion of science and art, according to Mr Shanlikian, who notes in the increasing interest in independent watchmaking was driven by F.P. Journe and comparable brands that rely on traditional methods to create watches. He showcases some favourites from his collection in the video, including the “1 in 30” Chronometer by American watchmaker Keaton Myrick. But the most significant watches are documented in the video are the George Daniels Millennium and Dufour Simplicity, matched by their contemporary counterparts, the Rexhep Rexhepi’s Akrivia AK-06 and Gre...

The light-hearted magic of the Hublot Big Bang Tourbillon Full Blue Sapphire

Hublot dominate the sapphire-case game to the extent that other brands barely even attempt to match them. Previous years have seen the Big Bang in orange, pink, yellow, green, and even wine red, with no signs of the momentum slowing down. It has proven Hublot’s humility in approaching something as high-end as a tourbillon watch … ContinuedThe post The light-hearted magic of the Hublot Big Bang Tourbillon Full Blue Sapphire appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

The Franck Muller Grand Central Tourbillon Flash brings a sporty attitude to a complex movement

It can sometimes be difficult to know what to make of Franck Muller. Whether it’s because of the brand’s relative youth or general whimsical approach to design, it seems that a lot of collectors don’t take them particularly seriously. However, Franck Muller is built on a bedrock of technical excellence and that has earned them … ContinuedThe post The Franck Muller Grand Central Tourbillon Flash brings a sporty attitude to a complex movement appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Introducing: Audemars Piguet Surprises Us All With The Newest Marvel Comics Collaboration: The Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon 'Spider-Man'

This is your luxurious neighborhood Spider-Man.

Audemars Piguet unveils new Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon “Spider-Man” 42mm

New Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon “Spider-Man” marks second Marvel collaboration after “Black Panther” Continues tradition of a limited edition of 250 pieces, with a piece unique “Black-suit Spider-Man” to be auctioned for charity The solid white-gold, hand-painted and engraved Spider-Man figure requires no less than 50 hours of work When Audemars Piguet debuted … ContinuedThe post Audemars Piguet unveils new Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon “Spider-Man” 42mm appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Introducing the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon “Spider-Man”

Audemars Piguet Introduces the Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon “Spider-Man”

Two years ago, Audemars Piguet (AP) introduced the Royal Oak Concept “Black Panther”, a watch that caused a stir, to put it mildly. While the comics-and-complications combination was unorthodox, the watch was a commercial success. Now AP is following up – as promised – with its second Marvel collaboration, the Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon “Spider-Man”. Like its predecessor, it has a miniature sculpture of the superhero as the dial and it is once again again a Royal Oak Concept, but now powered by a new calibre.  And the Royal Oak Spider-Man watch also continues the charitable tradition started by its predecessor. A unique version of the new watch, the Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon “Black Suit Spider-Man” that depicts a black-and-silver superhero, will be sold at auction to benefit First Book and Ashoka, a pair of charities that bring education to disadvantaged youth. Initial thoughts In some ways, the Royal Oak Black Panther did not look serious enough for such an expensive watch; it was perhaps too purple. While its aesthetics were subjective, it was certainly well executed. The miniature sculpture was done well in both detail, colour, and form. The same holds true for the Royal Oak Spider-Man, but it is an altogether more attractive watch. For one, it is less purple and more monochromatic, with much of the watch being black and white, leaving only the superhero figure to convey colour. And the figure itself is better positioned in that it allows more of t...

Introducing: The Frederique Constant Classic Tourbillon Manufacture

The brand came into their first Watches & Wonders with a classic, subtly beautiful rose gold tourbillon.

Introducing the Franck Muller Grand Central Tourbillon Flash CX 36