Monthly Archives: August 2017

zenith el-primero sport land-rover bar team closeup

ZENITH – CHRONOMASTER EL PRIMERO RANGE ROVER BAR TEAM EDITION

TIME FOR ACTION

At ease on both land and sea, this Zenith chronograph combines high-tech and top performance in the style of the Team Land Rover BAR boat.

The fruit of a partnership between Zenith and Land Rover BAR, a challenger in the 35th America’s Cup, the Chronomaster El Primero Range Rover Bar Team Edition echoes the colour codes of the UK boat skilfully captained by Sir Ben Ainslie, the quadruple Olympic gold medallist. The slate grey dial, like the colour of the boat’s hull, houses the chronograph counters in bicompax position. A second hand at 6 o’clock provides balance to the overall composition. The time data are easy to read thanks to the contrast provided by the Super-LumiNova® on the indices, as well as on the hour and minute hands.

zenith el-primero sport land-rover bar team closeup

Performance-wise, the 45mm steel case is every bit as good as the UK AC50. Precision and cutting-edge technology are features of the high-frequency El Primero 400 B automatic movement (5Hz) with 50 hours of power reserve. A descendant of the movement launched by Zenith in 1969, it measures time in tenths of a second. So it will have no trouble timing the sea racer between two buoys at speeds that can get up to 45 knots. You just need to activate the red central hand tipped with the famous Zenith star using the screwed crowns. Even though the case back is equipped with a sapphire glass, revealing the rotor with the Côtes de Genève pattern, let’s not forget that the watch is perfectly waterproof down to a depth of 200m.

The Chronomaster El Primero Range Rover Bar Team Edition is worn with a black strap made of rubber with a carbon-fibre coating, a material that can be found in some elements on the boat. Collectors should be aware that Zenith has put just 250 pieces on sale!

Price: €8,300 zenith.com

By Dan Diaconu

hermes heure h black and white

HERMÈS – HEURE H

IT’S HEURE H TIME

The Heure H watch was designed for Hermès in 1996 by designer Philippe Mouquet and is a star in the Parisian brand’s collections. It has now been given a dash of lacquer to grab the limelight.

The agenda is pretty simple at Hermès: every design in the collections, be it leather goods, silk or watches, must have playful shapes and/or colours. We could have given “playful” a capital P just like the H for Hermès. The initial is very much part of the Parisian brand’s designs. It can be subtle like a secret signature on the bags or notebooks, obsessive when endlessly multiplied to turn into a tapestry covering silk ties or, sometimes, it becomes a piece in itself with its straight and sharp edges. The latter is how it is for the two new models in the Heure H collection.

hermes heure h black and white

The square dial with soft corners is also in black or white lacquer but this time translucent like opaque glass. The curvy Arabic hour numerals lie beneath a pair of silver spear-shape hands in the centre fuelled by a quartz movement.

The array of interchangeable single or double strap colours available in smooth or grained Barenia calfskin injects a dash of playful fun to the Heure H. As well as classic black or white, you can go for a cool (Maltese, electric or denim blue), warm (capucine red or orange) or vibrant colour (lime yellow).

Price: 2,650 CHF (PM single strap) – 2,950 CHF (MM double strap) hermes.com

By Sharmila Bertin

longines heritage legend diver closeup

LONGINES – HERITAGE LEGEND DIVER WATCH

PLUNGING INTO THE PAST

Longines has made its re-releases of classic models a genuine collection, rich and varied. A nod to the past that has delighted numerous customers.

The archives of a brand as old as Longines, which is celebrating its 185th anniversary this year, is a little like a treasure trove. Here you can find plenty of forgotten items, and while some turn out to be of little use, since it is hard to update them to match current tastes, others can be literally presented intact to customers. This is the case of the Heritage Legend Diver Watch model, which has joined the Heritage by Longines collection, specialised in the re-release of cult timepieces.

Borrowing from the aesthetic codes of its 1960s ancestor, the Heritage Legend Diver Watch has a 42mm case. Two screw-down crowns adorn the sides of this steel setting; the first, at 4 o’clock, is used to set and wind the watch, while the other, at 2 o’clock, works the internal revolving bezel. The bezel itself is dressed in black and decorated with a diving scale inscribed in beige with a luminous triangular marker.

longines heritage legend diver closeup

The dial on this Longines watch also has a black finish and is protected by convex sapphire glass, with an hour rim made up of stick-shaped indices and Arabic numerals highlighted in Super-LumiNova®. Two central hands, with phosphorescent bodies and tips display the hours and minutes, while a small silver hand shows the seconds. At 3 o’clock, a counter edged with sand-coloured trim discreetly displays the date.

All these features are powered by the calibre L.633, an automatic movement based on the ETA 2824, and running at 28,800 vibrations per hour (4Hz), while providing 39 hours of power reserve.

The vintage shape of the Heritage Legend Diver Watch is highlighted by a Milanese mesh metal strap with a folding clasp.

Price: 2,010 CHF (on leather)

By Sharmila Bertin

jaeger lecoultre reverso tribute duoface closeup

JAEGER-LECOULTRE – REVERSO TRIBUTE DUOFACE ROSE GOLD

FOR THE SEASONED TRAVELLER

Two dials for two time zones… All the unique expertise of Jaeger-LeCoultre can be found in this new version of the Reverso, a truly evergreen watch.

In 1994, Jaeger-LeCoultre released the first Reverso watch with a movement able to display time information on two dials. Since then, these watches have provided their lucky owners with some very practical features via the two distinct dials. With the Reverso Tribute Duoface collection, the watchmakers are perpetuating this expertise with a timepiece characterised by discreet elegance and a distinctive, now timeless Art Deco style. Inside the rectangular case with its very contemporary size (42.9 x 25.5mm) is the calibre 854A a hand-wound movement providing 42 hours of power reserve. The time can be set very easily on either dial with the help of a crown and a slider hidden in one of the edges of the case, allowing the user to select the dial they want to change.

jaeger lecoultre reverso tribute duoface closeup

For this new, rose gold version, the front displays hours, minutes and seconds on a dial with a grained silver finish. Like all the Reverso watches since the 1930s, a press on the case results in it pivoting to reveal the back. On the Reverso Tribute Duoface there is a second time zone with a day/night indicator over 24 hours instead of a second hand. The anthracite grey dial features two finishes, a guilloché “Clous de Paris” pattern on the outside and an opaline finish in the centre. The two dials share dauphine-style hands and golden hand-applied indices.

This classic watch made by Jaeger-LeCoultre comes with a black leather strap with a rose gold folding clasp.

Price: €20,000 www.jaeger-lecoultre.com

By Dan Diaconu

richard mille rm 67-02 mutaz essa barshim closeup with caseback

RICHARD MILLE – RM 67-02 HIGH JUMP

HIGHER, FURTHER, STRONGER

Richard Mille hopes to smash the high jump world record with new partner Mutaz Essa Barshim. In the meantime, the brand has brought out the lightest self-winding watch in its collections!

richard mille rm 67-02 mutaz essa barshim closeup with caseback

The skeleton self-winding movement in the RM 67-02 High Jump fuels the hours and minutes with a 50-hour power reserve when it’s wound up. The calibre has the same architecture as Richard Mille’s most recent pieces such as the rotor with variable inertia for improved reliability in the event of shocks.

The RM 67-02 High Jump is the lightest self-winding watch in Richard Mille’s collections. It has a new strap made in one piece whose flexibility enables it to hug the wrist no matter its shape.

Price: 127,500 CHF richardmille.com

By Dan Diaconu

breguet only watch 2017 7715 closeup

BREGUET CLASSIQUE IN-LINE PERPETUAL CALENDAR – ONLY WATCH 2017

THE HEART AT WORK

For the annual charity event organised by watchmakers in support of research into myopathies, Breguet has unveiled a single piece to be sold at auction.

Since 2005, Breguet has been participating in Only Watch. During this event, taking place this year on 11 November in Geneva, 50 unique watches, specially created for the occasion by 50 watchmaking brands, are put on sale. All revenues go to the Association Monégasque contre les Myopathies (Monaco Assocation Against Myopathies). This year, Breguet is offering the elegant and original Classique In-Line Perpetual Calendar (ref. 7715). Why ‘original’? As the name implies, this timepiece displays the information on the perpetual calendar in a linear and simple way, providing optimum readability. The day is displayed in a counter at 12 o’clock. At the centre of the dial, a discreet hand indicates the current month. At 6 o’clock, another disc shows both the date and the leap-year cycle.

breguet only watch 2017 7715 closeup


As for the watch’s aesthetics, we find all the traditional array of the Classique collection. The blued hour and minute hands move across a hand-made “Clous de Paris”, silver guilloché gold dial, with an hour rim featuring Roman numerals.


The Classique In-Line Perpetual Calendar is driven by an entirely hand-engraved self-winding mechanical movement. The workings and the offset rotor in the calibre 502Q PLT, equipped with a silicon spiral, are revealed through a 39mm sapphire glass on the yellow gold case. Once wound, the mechanism guarantees a power reserve of 45 hours for a piece that is exclusively reserved for philanthropic collectors. onlywatch.com

Price: Estimation 80,000 CHF – 100,000 CHF breguet.com

By Dan Diaconu

baume et mercier classima un violon sur le sable 2017 closup et caseback

BAUME MERCIER – CLASSIMA “UN VIOLON SUR LE SABLE”

THE SYMPHONY OF TIME AT THE SEASIDE

In tribute to the 30th “Un violon sur le sable” festival, Baume & Mercier has unveiled a limited edition whose dial comes to life with the curves of a string instrument.

The annual “Un violon sur le sable” symphony music festival has been held on Plage de la Grande Conche de Royan beach in the Charente-Maritime, South West France, in late July since 1987. The event lasts a good week and attracts around 50,000 people every night whether they love classical music or just want to see what’s happening. As night falls they come to listen to soloists accompanied by an orchestra of 80 musicians on the fine sand beach stretching 2600m by the Atlantic. Baume & Mercier has sponsored the festival for the last 7 years in a row and has brought out a piece especially designed for the 30th event of its kind: Classima “Un violon sur le sable”.

baume et mercier classima un violon sur le sable 2017 closup et caseback

The new watch (330 available) is the third one to have festival ties as Baume & Mercier brought out the first in 2012 for the 25th anniversary of “Un violon sur le sable” and the second in 2014 for the young talent contest. 2017’s Classima “Un violon sur le sable” has a polished steel 40mm case surrounded by a slim bezel. The back is covered in a spruce disc, a type of wood popular in instrument making, bearing the festival logo and the 30th anniversary slogan. The metal case houses a quartz movement that brings to life the hours and minutes (in the centre) and the date (at 3).

The dial is adorned by a silhouette of a violin whose sound boards feature two Roman numerals (12 and 6). Two slim silver leaf-shape hands in the centre track the hours and minutes.

Price: 1430 EUR

Par Sharmila Bertin

fp journe tourbillon souverain closeup with caseback

F.P. JOURNE – TOURBILLON SOUVERAIN CALIBRE 1403

THE EXCEPTION THAT PROVES THE RULE

François-Paul Journe pays tribute to the history of watchmaking. The Tourbillon Souverain brings together tradition and innovation to the delight of collectors.

Until the 16th century, pocket watches told the time with a single hand that went around the dial in 12 hours. This lack of precision that couldn’t measure minutes ended when the watchmaker Jobst Bürgi invented the “remontoir d’égalité”. The balance wheel could beat regularly with the help of an ad hoc mechanism taking the required energy from the main spring. Countless watchmakers designed their own complex and tedious mechanisms for clocks and table clocks. F.P.Journe has designed a contemporary take on it to bring amazing timekeeping performance to the Tourbillon Souverain Calibre 1403. A dead-beat seconds has been added to the system for an even more accurate display. Basically, the hand doesn’t move until the second has passed. So instead of sliding, the seconds hand jumps on the dial.

fp journe tourbillon souverain closeup with caseback

The manual-wind movement is made of rose gold. The dial’s display of the functions plays with the rules of geometry. The tourbillon at 9 visually echoes the hour and minute disc off-centre at 3. The 40-hour power reserve at 12 and small seconds at 6 create a perfectly symmetrical axis.

The Tourbillon Souverain Calibre 1403 comes in rose gold and platinum in two case sizes: 38 and 40mm. The timepieces bear F.P.Journe’s signature “Invenit et Fecit” and come on two stylish leather straps.

Price: 173,300 € (rose gold version) 177,400 € (platinum version)

By Dan Diaconu

glashutte chrono panorama date closeup

GLASHÜTTE ORIGINAL – SENATOR CHRONOGRAPH DATE PANORAMA

CASUAL SPORTY STYLE

The flyback chronograph is making a comeback in the Senator collection. New style, new substance…The German brand has brought us a seriously elegant evolution.

Glashütte Original treated its collections to a stylish chronograph with a new in-house calibre in 2014. Its platinum or red gold case gave it its very own personality. This year the German brand has brought us an evolution in the Senator Chronograph Date Panorama with a more “democratic” steel case. The first models may have stood out for their classic design but the new one is more modern and its exemplary use of colour sets it apart. Inscriptions printed in white clearly stand out from the black dial. These are the chronograph and date counters. The contrast is heightened by the generous use of blue SuperLuminova coating the hour, minute and seconds hands, markers and Roman numerals at 6 and 12. Perfect timekeeping even in the dark!

glashutte chrono panorama date closeup

The 42mm steel case switches between polished and satin finishes and houses the same 37-01 chronograph movement as the first models. It provides the watch wearer with a comfortable 70-hour power reserve. The movement designed by Glashütte measures short time with ease using a flyback mechanism and chronograph counter at 12.

There’s a choice of three straps for the Senator Chronograph Date Panorama. The black calfskin one has blue stitching to match the hands whilst the rubber and steel straps ramp up the watch’s sporty style.

Price: 13,700 € (calfskin strap) – 14,900 € (steel strap)

By Dan Diaconu

chopard superfast power control porsche 919 caseback

CHOPARD – SUPERFAST POWER CONTROL PORSCHE 919 HF EDITION SUPERFAST CHRONO PORSCHE 919 EDITION

A TITANIC ALLIANCE

Partnering with Porsche Motorsport since 2014, Chopard turns this unprecedented alliance to its advantage, presenting two limited edition Superfast muscle models mirroring the world of motorsports.

Modern and vintage race cars are closely tied with watchmaker Chopard, as it has been the official timekeeper of Porsche Motorsport for some three years, a partnership inked in 2014 that drove the brand’s participation in the 24 Hours of Le Mans this year. Spurred on by the endurance race, Chopard has produced two limited edition timepieces in tribute to the Porsche model 919 Hybrid. And only 100 of the Superfast Power Control Porsche 919 HF Edition and 919 of the Superfast Chrono Porsche 919 Edition are available.

chopard superfast power control porsche 919 caseback

The Superfast Chrono Porsche 919 Edition boasts a souped-up 45mm steel case and silver grey face, featuring engraved tachometer hash marks on the bezel and large vertical banding on the watch face. Colour-coded features make it easy to read, with black metallic hands in the middle and second hand at 6 o’clock for time, as well as bright red hands for chronograph mode (second counter in the centre, minute counter at 3 o’clock and hour counter at 9 o’clock). Powered by the Chopard calibre 03.05-M and a COSC-certified automatic movement, this block-busting timepiece proves its muscle with a 60-hour power reserve.

Prices available upon request chopard.com

By Sharmila Bertin