Monthly Archives: September 2014

Transocean 38

In a world where fashions come and go and we share each other’s clothing, it’s not unusual to see a woman pinch her boyfriend’s watch and pair it with a girly outfit to play with the contrasts. That said, over the years the trend for wearing large watches has changed and watchmakers are gradually veering towards more “reasonable” diameters (38-40mm). This is the case, if you’ll excuse the pun, with the new Transocean whose perfect 38mm diameter suits both men and women. Its steel case houses the self-winding Breitling 16 calibre which brings to life the time and date functions. The dial features two central hands (hours and minutes), a small seconds indicator at 6 o’ clock and a double date display at 12 o’ clock beneath the brand’s golden initial which was once its logo. The dial is available in several colours: black, silver or pearlescent white (with or without diamond-set indices). Price: 4,840 CHF

Classico Amerigo Vespucci

Named after the famous Florentine explorer Amerigo Vespucci (1454-1512), the Italian navy’s training ship is still in service after launching in 1931 and its three rigs of square sails are sailing the high seas on the Classico’s enamelled dial. The artisans at Ulysse Nardin have recreated a miniature version of the military frigate, its black hull’s two white strips and 2800m² of hessian sails beneath a stormy blue sky. Captured in a 40mm rose or white gold case, the enamel Amerigo Vespucci dial decorated with colours and decadent detail lies beneath three hands which spring from the 26 sails. The hours, minutes and seconds are brought to life by a COSC-certified UN-815 chronometer calibre. The self-winding mechanical movement also provides a 42-hour power reserve. 30 of each gold model are available. Price: 39,800 CHF (red gold) – 42,900 CHF (white gold)

BLANCPAIN – Villeret Chronographe Pulsomètre

Long before the electronic blood pressure monitor or modern “heart rate” watches were invented, doctors and nurses measured their patients’ heart rate using their fingers and a watch equipped with a pulsometer ideally. The pulsometer scale along the dial usually went up to 30 to provide the number of beats per minute. The Villeret model’s domed white enamel dial features an old-fashioned pulsometer surrounding the enamelled Roman hour numerals, chronograph counters (30 minute indicator at 3 o’ clock and 12 hour indicator at 9 o’ clock) and date display (at 6 o’ clock). Two slim openwork hands point to the dial’s hours and minutes and the chronograph flyback function (pusher at 4 o’ clock) which are all brought to life by Blancpain’s very own self-winding calibre housed in a 43.6mm rose gold case. Price: 29,500 CHF

Traditionnelle Day-Date and Power Reserve

Little is known about the origins of platinum but it was used in the Pre-Columbian era and officially discovered by the Spanish in the 18th century who named it “little silver” (the literal translation of platina). We now know that it is almost 30 times rarer than gold, has countless qualities (density, malleability, ductility and resistance to corrosion) and symbolises strength and stability. Vacheron Constantin uses this raw material to forge the Traditionelle’s 39.5mm case limited to 100 pieces. Its sandblasted platinum dial has 2 dauphine hands and a slim seconds hand in the centre for the hours, minutes and seconds and displays three counters: the day at 9 o’ clock, the date at 3 o’ clock and power reserve (up to 40 hours) at 6 o’ clock. The figures and minute track are painted black. The functions are brought to life by the self-winding in-house 2475 SC calibre. Price: 85,300 CHF

BR03-94 Carbon Orange

“At the age of 20, experience hasn’t yet dampened one’s spirits”. This quote by Louis Veuillot, the 19th century French journalist and writer, epitomises Bell&Ross’ passion. This year the brand founded by Bruno Belamich (the “Bell”) and Carlos Rosillo (the “Ross”) is celebrating its 20th birthday. The French brand first presented its square frame with a round face inspired by military aviation in 1994 which is now embodied by the BR03-94 Carbon Orange. Its black PVD-coated steel case houses a self-winding movement which provides a 40-hour power reserve, time functions (hours and minutes in the middle, small seconds at 3 o’ clock), date display (at 4.30) and chronograph (central seconds and 30 minute counter at 9 o’ clock). It’s easy to see the displays as the white luminescent numerals, indices and hands and the chronograph’s hints of orange (hand and pusher) stand out on the black matt dial. Price: 5,800 CHF

MONTBLANC – “Homage to Nicolas Rieussec”

193 years ago, French watchmaker Nicolas Rieussec designed the ink chronograph which was used to measure horses’ times during races. Montblanc pays tribute to the creative icon with a monopusher chronograph inspired by the original 1821 model. The 2014 version has the same features as its ancestor with the chronograph’s two rotating discs (60 minute counter at 9 o’ clock and 30 minute counter at 4 o’ clock) linked by a blue rhombus. The silver dial has a white ceramic display off-centre at 12 o’ clock punctuated by Arabic numerals and a black minute track with 3 leaf hands for the hours, minutes and second time zone. The date is displayed in a 3 o’ clock window whilst the day/night indicator is at 9 o’ clock. These functions are brought to life by the self-winding calibre made by Montblanc nestled in the 43mm case. Price: 31,400 CHF (rose gold – 193 pieces) – 10,500 CHF (steel – 565 pieces)

T-Complication Chronometer

What’s the difference between a chronograph and chronometer? The former has counters to measure and display time intervals whilst the latter describes a high precision watch which has been tested and approved by an official report provided by organisations such as the COSC (Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres). The chronometer describes the T-Complication model whose 43mm steel case houses a manual-wind mechanical movement certified by the COSC. The aforementioned calibre provides a power reserve of up to 53 hours and brings to life the hour and minute functions in the middle and the small seconds in a sub-dial at 6 o’ clock. The smooth black dial is adorned with silver-tone indices and a minute track plus a guilloché centre with two dauphine silver-tone hour and minute hands. Price: 1,625 CHF