Monthly Archives: July 2014

JAQUET DROZ – Grande Seconde Quantième émail ivoire

Jaquet Droz

Following the success of the Grande Seconde Quantième three years ago, the Jaquet Droz brand has revamped its iconic piece in a model that is more classic, more Jaquet Droz. Ivory grand feu enamel dial, interlaced subdials forming a figure of eight, 43mm rose gold case, a single number engraved on the back: Pierre Jaquet-Droz’s signature features come together on the timepiece powered by a self-winding movement. The double enamelled dial gives the surface both smoothness and depth playing on the height of the large second and date display, both set in a single large counter at 6 o’ clock. A slim rose gold second hand points to the seconds whilst a hand with a red tip highlights the date. Off-centre at 12 o’ clock, the hours are in black Roman numerals in a dial surrounded by a black minute track. Price: 20,150 CHF

Royal Oak Offshore Diver

Audemars Piguet

We’ve got used to always seeing pitch black diving watches but the ever avant-garde Audemars Piguet has broken away from the pack and caught the ocean out with the bright white Royal Oak Offshore Diver. The 42mm case, crowns and screw-down bezel are made of white ceramic whose scratch-resistant and lightweight assets need no introduction. The applied indices and hour, minute and central second hands have a luminescent coating and touches of blue on the silver-tone dial featuring the collection’s “Méga Tapisserie” pattern. There’s a date display at 3 o’ clock. The dive time scale is engraved in silver and blue on the rotating inner bezel which is operated using the crown at 10 o’ clock on the case. All the functions are brought to life by the self-winding Manufacture 3120 calibre enclosed in an anti-magnetic internal cage. Price: 22,700 CHF

CHOPARD – Superfast Chrono Porsche 919

Chopard

2014 is the year that Porsche Motorsport LMP1 is making its comeback with the 919 Hybrid model. Chopard, the official timekeeper and team partner, pays tribute to the supercar with its Superfast Chrono Porsche 919. Superfast is a collection of sports watches bound to the world of car racing. It is driven by the self-winding COSC-certified Chopard 03.05M chronograph housed in a 45mm steel case. Along with the 60-hour power reserve, the movement brings to life the time functions (hours, minutes, small seconds at 6 o’ clock), chronograph (central seconds hand with flyback function, 30 minute counter at 3 o’ clock and 12 hour counter at 9 o’ clock) and date (window at 4.30). In terms of bodywork, the steel bezel is engraved with a tachymeter and held in place by 8 screws to frame a silver-tone dial featuring vertical grooves and three counters. The limited edition’s dynamic design (919 watches available) is enhanced by flashes of red. Price: 11,450 CHF

ZENITH – Captain Winsor Annual Calendar

Zenith

Following its foundation in 1865, the Le Locle brand (renamed Zenith in 1911) made a name for itself with its reliable, sturdy and accurate marine chronometers. The brand’s reputation is such that it paid tribute to its own watchmaking expertise and past by designing a marine collection in 1952: Captain. New versions of the Captain have been released and this year the model comes in the form of an annual calendar exclusively available from Zenith shops. Its 42mm rose gold case houses the legendary automatic El Primero calibre which brings to life a 50-hour power reserve and the time, chronograph and calendar functions. The dial has a matt white face rimmed by a black minute track which brings out the rose gold of the Arabic numerals, hands, double day/month display (at 3 o’ clock) and date display (at 6 o’ clock). The small seconds display at 9 o’ clock delicately overlaps the 60 minute chronograph counter at 6 o’ clock. Price: 20,200 CHF (pink gold) – 9,700 CHF (steel)

WW1 Guynemer

Bell&Ross

«Elite officer and combat pilot with as much talent as he had daring.» Born in 1894 and killed in combat in 1917, Georges Guynemer is still an iconic figure in the history of French aviation. A pilot in «the Stork Squadron,» the most victorious flying squad in the First World War, he won 53 recorded air combats and was beaten 7 times before being killed in pursuit of a German plane. Despite Guynemer’s youth and puny physique at the start of his aviation career, his legendary fearlessness was a source of inspiration to many including Bell&Ross who have made the WW1 Guynemer in his honour. The self-winding watch in a grey PVD-coated 45mm bead-blasted steel case has a crown on the side at 3 o’ clock typical of aviator watches. It has a white face with twelve large Arabic numerals coated in beige Super LumiNova, three blue phosphorescent hands including the hour and minute hands and a minute track. At 6 o’ clock, the red silhouette of a stork symbolises Guynemer’s squad in which he was «[the] most brilliant stork.» Price: 3,300 CHF

10 Year Anniversary Tourbillon

F.P Journe

Whether it’s the first or fourth time and no matter how brief, it’s always overwhelming to meet the singular watchmaker François-Paul Journe. We have nothing but admiration for this understated figure with thirty years of experience, several awards and world recognition. But what this enthusiast radiates above all is a unique watchmaking philosophy which goes into each piece that comes out of his Geneva workshops. 2014 pays tribute to this philosophy with the launch of the 10 Year Anniversary Tourbillon. François-Paul Journe’s watchmaking art is the beating heart of the 40mm platinum case: a rose gold manual wind tourbillon chronometer movement made in Geneva which brings to life the hours, minutes, seconds and 56-hour power reserve. The Roman and Arabic numerals with a white minute track on a dark silver display are showcased by a polished steel rim all on a silver grained dial. Price: 129’600CHF

Hommage Automatique

Roger Dubuis

Almost 20 years after its foundation, Roger Dubuis is paying tribute to its co-founder with a series of timepieces called “Hommage”! This collection actually first appeared in 1995 but the brand pushed it to the foreground in 2014. One of these pieces, the breathtaking Hommage Automatique, beautifully epitomises the Roger Dubuis paradox: simple yet complicated, traditional yet avant-garde. The 42mm rose gold case houses the self-winding RD620 calibre which brings to life the time functions and 52-hour power reserve. The hours and minutes are oversized rose gold Roman numerals and there’s a white minute track with two large rose gold hands all on a silver and anthracite sunburst dial. A matching counter at 9 o’ clock displays the small seconds. Roger Dubuis is true to its roots: the watch is 100% stamped with the Geneva seal. Price: 28’600 CHF