Tourbillon Watches · Page 66

Introducing: The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept Frosted Gold Flying Tourbillon

Sometimes more is more.

Piaget Introduces the Altiplano Tourbillon Infinite Blue

To commemorate the 60th anniversary of its first extra-thin wristwatch that was launched in 1957, Piaget launched a series of anniversary watches in 2017, including the flagship Altiplano Tourbillon High Jewelry watch, powered by the cal. 670P caliber that’s a mere 4.6mm tall. Piaget has since continued the series with additional variants featuring exotic dial materials, such as last year’s Altiplano Thin Meteorite. And now Piaget unveils the Altiplano Tourbillon Infinite Blue, a trio of limited-edition, high jewellery tourbillon wristwatches decorated with the infinity symbol rendered in diamonds. Initial Thoughts The race to produce the thinnest wristwatch ever reached its zenith in the 1970s and 1980s, after which tastes shifted in the new century towards ever-larger watches, particularly with the rise of luxury-sports watches. But some watchmakers, notably Bulgari and Piaget, have continued to slim their watches. In that context, the Tourbillon Infinite Blue does not do anything revolutionary, but take takes a tried-and-true formula and elaborates on it with a high level of execution. Baguette diamonds on the bezel and dial, brilliant-cut diamonds on the case band and lugs of the Ref. G0A45044 Like many other modern-day extra-thin watches, the largish diameter of 41 mm is necessitated by the movement’s architecture, which sees the components are spread out, instead of stacked up as in a conventional movement. The size and thinness of the bezel means that the w...

Audemars Piguet Introduces the Royal Oak Concept Frosted Gold Flying Tourbillon

Originally a series of highly-complicated, extra-large watches for men, the Royal Oak Concept line up has grown to include a handful of women’s watches, including the brand-new and extremely striking Royal Oak Concept Frosted Gold Flying Tourbillon. Powered by a hand-wound tourbillon movement, the Royal Oak Concept for women combines the traditional, faceted Concept with the granular Frosted Gold finish conceived by an Italian jeweller for Audemars Piguet, along with a distinctive new dial style of stacked, concentric rings. Initial thoughts When this arrived in my inbox I was quite taken by the styling. Thanks to the shapes and simple finishes, the dial and hands have a clean geometric style that works surprisingly well with the angular Concept case. And the tourbillon serves a higher, aesthetic purpose, with the cage continuing the concentric-ring motif of the dial. With the men’s Concept watches being so large they don’t really fit well on most wrists (especially due to the integrated strap), the women’s Concept at 38.5 mm in diameter probably sits well on most wrists, male or female. Given AP’s mastery of case finishing and the typically high quality of its dials, I expect the watch will be gorgeous in real life. But also given AP’s aggressively high pricing for its watches, I expect this watch to be extremely expensive (prices were not available at press time). Stepped rings The most unusual feature of the new watch is the dial design, a first for the Roy...

INTRODUCING: The Octo Roma Tourbillon Sapphire Malachite Ref. 103231 is where Bulgari’s two worlds meet

Bulgari has, for more than a century, been regarded as one of the finest luxury jewellery makers on this blue marble we call earth. Their expertise, attention to detail, passion and visionary design has resulted in some of the most stunning pieces of jewellery and objet d’art imaginable. As such, throughout the 20th century, the … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: The Octo Roma Tourbillon Sapphire Malachite Ref. 103231 is where Bulgari’s two worlds meet appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Purnell Escape II Double Tourbillon: Double Triple-Axis Spherical Tourbillons At That!

Complicated haute horlogerie doesn’t get much better than twin triple-axis spherical tourbillons as found in the Purnell Escape II Double Tourbillon. And while in some cases less is more, here more is definitely more. The tourbillons are mesmerizing in part thanks to their high rotation velocity; they make full revolutions in respectively 8, 16, and 30 seconds. What is behind this masterful piece of high watchmaking?

5 watch releases that you might have missed in 2020, including a $200k+ Omega tourbillon

You’d be forgiven for not really caring about whether or not there’s been any new watches released this year – there are definitely more serious matters at hand. But, nevertheless, watchmakers have continued doing what they do best and there have been a plethora of great timepieces unveiled. Now, we’re not going to attempt to … ContinuedThe post 5 watch releases that you might have missed in 2020, including a $200k+ Omega tourbillon appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

PanoLunarTourbillon by Glashütte Original

The new PanoLunarTourbillon by Glashütte Original is an elegant limited edition of 25 pieces featuring a hand-engraved dial, a flying tourbillon, and skeleton hands.

New: Arnold & Son Ultrathin Tourbillon Koi with Editorial Commentary

Arnold & Son Ultrathin Tourbillon Koi is the new piece to showcase the brand's bespoke service. With a Métiers d'art dial featuring miniature painting.

Glashütte Original Introduces the PanoLunarTourbillon Limited Edition

Contemporary yet traditional, the Pano collection has been a staple of Glashütte Original’s offerings. The latest Pano wristwatch is a departure from the line’s typically clean styling – the PanoLunarTourbillon Limited Edition. Limited to 25 watches with a platinum case, the new watch is a variant the standard tourbillon model, dressed up with impeccable engraving on the dial and movement. Initial thoughts With hand-engraved filigree decoration across the dial (and movement, this is easily one of the most attractive in the Pano collection, more so than the standard PanoLunarTourbillon. Similar to the decoration usually found only on the balance cock of Glashütte Original movements, the engraving is made up of pronounced lines and a complex pattern, giving the watch a markedly different character from the standard model. The hand engraving was executed in Glashütte Original’s dial factory in Pforzheim And the look is further enhanced by the metallic blue of panorama date, hands, indices and moon phase, a blue-on-silver livery that provides a sharp and elegant contrast. While the look is elegantly ornate, it’s a big watch, clocking in at 40 mm wide and 13.10 mm tall, probably a bit too big for a watch of this style. The case size suits contemporary tastes, but something thinner and perhaps 38 mm in diameter would work better with the design. German aesthetic Underneath the decoration, the watch is identical to the standard PanoLunarTourbillon. It retains the a...

Patek Philippe Introduces the Minute Repeater Tourbillon Ref. 5303R-001

Originally introduced as the 12-piece limited edition ref. 5303R-010 for the Patek Philippe Watch Art Grand Exhibition Singapore 2019, the Minute Repeater Tourbillon was a unique watch amongst the brand’s grand complications. It combined an open dial, partially-skeletonised movement equipped with a minute repeater and tourbillon, within a case with contrast-colour gold inlays. Now the reference has entered the catalogue as a regular-production model with the Minute Repeater Tourbillon Ref. 5303R-001. Initial thoughts When first debuted during the Grand Exhibition in Singapore, the ref. 5303R was polarising but popular. Traditionalists who favour the old-school Patek Philippe style (think Breguet numerals and leaf hands) didn’t appreciate it, but those who wanted something more contemporary or unusual loved it. Initially I though the look was too much, but came to appreciate it, especially in the context of a Patek Philippe collector who already has several watches. This looks different, while still having all of the key features that make it appealing, namely the excellent minute repeater sound and the “octopus” wheel on the back. Skeletonised and inlaid The key features of the new watch are identical to the Singapore edition. The movement is the Cal. R TO 27 PS, featuring both a minute repeater with cathedral gongs and tourbillon. Both the complications are visible on the dial, with the hammers and racks exposed at 11 o’clock, and the gongs circling the dial. Th...

Introducing the Production Version of Patek Philippe’s 5303R Minute Repeater Tourbillon

Introducing: The Patek Philippe Ref. 5303R-001 Minute Repeater Tourbillon

A classic Patek caliber is reworked to become a museum on the wrist.

Bovet Introduces the Récital 26 Brainstorm Chapter Two

Helmed by Pascal Raffy, Bovet is a small and independent brand that excels in timepieces that are ornate, original and eccentric – and often highly complicated. The modern-day philosophy of the brand echoes the brand’s origins in the 19th century when it was a leading purveyor of pocket watches to the Chinese market. This year, Bovet furthers its distinctive expression of watchmaking with the Récital 26 Brainstorm Chapter Two. Features an imposing but transparent sapphire case with a sloped, “writing desk” profile, the watch is equipped with a host of complications, from a flying tourbillon to a three-dimensional moon phase. And despite the name, Brainstorm Chapter Two is not just a sequel to the Brainstorm Chapter One, but is more like a newly-conceived watch. Initial thoughts Immediately eye-catching, the sapphire case has a very unconventional inclined shape. Introduced in 2016, the form takes after the traditional sloped-top writing desk and is now a signature Bovet design. While transparent sapphire cases are not new – they are in fact commonplace today with watches with several launched this year, including the Hublot Big Bang Unico Sapphire and the Chanel J12 X-Ray – the Bovet case is unusual in form. It is not entirely sapphire, however, and instead made up of a titanium frame of the case back and lugs, with the sapphire case middle and front mounted on the frame. The titanium case back and its pins that secure the sapphire case middle Though fashi...

Rémy Cools Tourbillon Souscription

Featuring a new Tourbillon Souscription as the first commercial watch made by 23 year old watchmaker Rémy Cools - his background & details of the new watch.

In-Depth: The Tourbillon Pocket Watches of Urban Jürgensen and Derek Pratt

Originally an 18th century Danish brand, Urban Jürgensen & Sønner (UJS) was resurrected in 1981 by Peter Baumberger (1939-2010), an antique watch dealer turned watchmaker. While the brand’s best-known timepieces were elegantly-styled wristwatches with teardrop lugs, its greatest technical achievements were pocket watches, all of which were built by Derek Pratt (1938-2009), a deeply talented English watchmaker who was a contemporary of George Daniels. As was typical of the era when pocket watches were the preeminent genre of watch collecting – and the tourbillon was the ultimate complication – Pratt’s best work for UJS were his tourbillon pocket watches. Pratt not only built the movements, but also fabricated some of the dials that were decorated in exceptional guilloche. Peter Baumberger. Photo – Dr Helmut Crott The oval pocket watch The pièce de résistance in Pratt’s series of tourbillon pocket watches is no doubt the Ref. 1 “Hommage”, an oval pocket watch featuring a tourbillon with an integrated remontoir d’egalite. Writing in Derek Pratt – Watchmaker, a book dedicated to the watchmaker’s life and works, watch expert and auctioneer Dr Helmut Crott explained the Ref. 1 was originally conceived as a series of five watches for an Asian collector in the late 1980s. But after the first watch was complete, the client cancelled the rest of the order, making it a “financial disaster for Peter [Baumberger]” according to Dr Crott, , a longtime f...

Parmigiani Introduces the Tonda GT Collection

Following up the more complex Toric Tourbillon Slate, Parmigiani is launching its first ever luxury-sports watch, the Tonda GT. Founded in 1996 by highly-regarded independent watchmaker Michel Parmigiani, the brand specialises in complicated watches like the tubular, Bugatti-inspired Type 390. A departure from the brand’s usual far in both form and price, the Tonda GT line comprises a time-and-date base model, the Tonda GT, as well as the star of the show: the Tondagraph GT chronograph with annual calendar. Tondagraph GT Both are sports watches, with screw-down crowns and water resistance of 100 m. But they takes they cues from past Parmigiani designs, but translated into a more angular, modern shape. The knurled bezel, for instance, takes inspiration from the Toric, the brand’s very first wristwatch. And the dials are decorated with traditional clous triangulaire guilloché. Initial thoughts The new watches add a more casual, sporty offering to the Tonda collection. With distinct designs that don’t ride on the styling of Audemars Piguet or Patek Philippe, Parmigiani is offering a unique and well-priced line that’s suited to both the great outdoors and more formal occasions. Importantly, the Tonda GT is attractively priced, given the high quality of execution and in-house movements. Parmigiani makes almost all components in-house or at its sister companies, and if its current watches are anything to go by, the fit and finish on the Tonda GT will be as good a...

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...

Bovet Récital 26 Brainstorm Chapter Two: It’s Mind Blowing! (Live Photos)

Bovet Récital 26 Brainstorm Chapter Two: the story continues. Indications include hours, minutes, seconds, power reserve, moon phase, and a world time/second time zone display. All of which is powered by an entirely new double-sided flying tourbillon movement with totally new architecture. Warning: it may blow your mind!

Sunday Rewind: The History Of FPJ Tourbillons (By FPJ Himself)

Francois-Paul Journe tells the story of his tourbillons.

Audemars Piguet Introduces the Code 11.59 with Smoked Dials

When it was launched in 2019, the Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet became the most-talked-about new releases of the year, and also of the most panned, largely for the way it was hyped before launch and the perceived plainness of the design. But Audemars Piguet is undeterred and affirmed its commitment to the new collection with the launch of a face-lifted Code 11.59 Selfwinding and Chronograph, featuring new dials with a smoked, graduated-colour finish, along with a variant in a two-colour gold case. The new Code 11.59 Selfwinding Initial thoughts The most frequent criticism against the Code 11.59 had to do with the rather bland dials of the base models. In contrast, the pricey, complicated models were the standouts of the collection, having fired enamel dials with a smoked finish (for the minute repeater and the flying tourbillon) or aventurine glass (for the perpetual calendar). Audemars Piguet doubtlessly realised the appeal of the smoked enamel dial, and followed up with the Code 11.59 Bolshoi Limited Edition, which featured the same graduated, dark blue dial in enamel, but on a time-only watch. The downside of the enamel dial on the base model is a massive price premium of over 55%, or a bit over US$14,000. Evidence that Audemars Piguet is receptive to feedback, the new dials for the Code 11.59 show how a slight tweak can completely change the visual impact of a watch. It’s highly probable that if the Code 11.59 had been launched with smoked dials in the first plac...

The Purnell Escape II Double Tourbillon Comes To Life

Purnell’s latest model, Escape II, features two spherical tourbillons developed by Eric Coudray, the definitive expert in the field of three-dimensional multi-axis tourbillons. This is just one example of how the independent brand works with the best of the best in the watch industry to achieve such monumental timepieces. Martin Green reports after visiting the Swiss workshops.

Laurent Ferrier Introduces the Classic Origin Opaline

Laurent Ferrier is 10 years old, and to make the occasion the brand is launching the Classic Origin Opaline, a time-only, hand-wound watch with a slim, titanium case. In many ways, the new watch is a minimalist take on the standard Laurent Ferrier time-only watch – the style is beautiful, restrained, and typical of the brand, with a new(ish) and significantly simpler movement inside, allowing for a fairly affordable price. Initial thoughts The Classic Origin Opaline has the much-loved Laurent Ferrier look – fluid lines and elegant forms on the case and dial. And in the usual manner of the brand, the dial is unadorned but executed with fine materials – the hands and hour indices are solid white gold. The movement, however, falls a bit short. Laurent Ferrier’s earliest movements – the LF229.01 of the Galet Micro-Rotor and the LF619.01 of the Galet Tourbillon – were best-in-class calibres that excelled in construction, finishing, and details, which unfortunately set a very high bar. But since the company entered a prolonged period of management turmoil, its movements have lost the magic. The quality is still good, but they are no longer outstanding. The LF116.01 in the new Classic Origin Opaline is essentially a variant of the movement in the annual calendar and also found in the Bridge One with a reshaped base plate and bridges. It has large bridges with simple silhouettes, as well as solid, clean finishing. Granted, a handful of the traditional Laurent Ferrier f...

Review: The Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 Tourbillon Openworked

We take a look at the Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 Tourbillon Openworked in rose gold and ponder upon what makes it so outstanding.

Auctions: F.P. Journe Souscription Tourbillon, Chronomètre À Résonance Hammer For Over $2.5 Million At Phillips Geneva Watch Auction XI

It's a good day to be independent.