Monthly Archives: September 2018

jaeger lecoultre rendez vous tribute cinema closeup

RENDEZ-VOUS NIGHT DAY MEDIUM TRIBUTE TO CINEMA

Jaeger Lecoultre

A GOLD STAR ON THE RED CARPET

A new cinema star is born: the limited edition Rendez-Vous Night & Day by Jaeger-LeCoultre, taking inspiration from the 7th art for a harmonious blend of pink gold, fiery diamonds and a purple strap.

The love story between Jaeger-LeCoultre and cinema began over ten years ago, a passion embodied in particular by close links with two prestigious events, the Venice International Film Festival international and the Shanghai International Film Festival. In early summer, for the 21st Shanghai festival, the watchmakers launched a limited edition, the Rendez-Vous Night & Day Medium Tribute to Cinema. With just one hundred pieces available, the watch features the distinguishing marks of the world of cinema as we generally imagine them, especially at awards ceremonies: the gold of a statuette and the flamboyant colour of the famous red carpet for the actors, directors and producers, as well as diamonds and a star symbolising glamour and success.

jaeger lecoultre rendez vous tribute cinema closeup

This new watch by Jaeger-LeCoultre is driven by the automatic calibre 898A/1 providing 38 hours of power reserve, and is worn on the wrist with a purple alligator-leather strap.

Price: 24,200 CHF

By Sharmila Bertin

ulysse nardin marine torpilleur closeup black dial

MARINE TORPILLEUR

Ulysse Nardin

TWO NEW FACES

First launched in 2017, the Marine Torpilleur collection by Ulysse Nardin has now been expanded to include two new models, one with a classic style made of rose gold and the other, more contemporary , made of steel.

Torpilleur is French for torpedo boat, “a small high-speed warship designed to carry out torpedo attacks in coastal waters“ (Collins). Torpedo boats have now largely disappeared, replaced by patrol boats, among others, but were widely used in the 20th century. The boat’s job was to attack large warships and submarines on the water’s surface by launching motorised explosive devices. Ulysse Nardin has borrowed the name for its collection of timepieces created in 2017: Marine Torpilleur. Although the watch has nothing warlike about it, it does carry within it a long history linking the brand to the world of the sea, going all the way back to 1846, when the watchmaker Ulysse Nardin opened his own workshop specialised in designing accurate and reliable sea chronometers.

ulysse nardin marine torpilleur closeup black dialThe new Marine Torpilleur models that have just been added to the range have two faces that are quite different from their predecessors but every bit as elegant. While the layout on the sunburst dials is the same, the colours used give them a distinct identity: the black combined with the pink gold adds a classic touch to the wrist, while the steel version with its grey dial is better suited to a contemporary mood.

The hour rim consists of large, white and slender Arabic numerals encircled by a discreet minute track around the chapter ring. In the centre, a pair of pear-shaped hands with a copper-coloured body display the hours and minutes. The seconds have been moved to a large counter at 6 o’clock with the date shown in its lower half, against a white background for the steel Marine Torpilleur and tone-on-tone for the rose gold version. Small golden touches can be seen here and there – on the second hand and on the power-reserve indicator at 12 o’clock.

At the heart of the 42mm-wide case is the calibre UN-118, a self-winding movement providing 60 hours of power reserve.

Price: 6,900 CHF (steel) -17,900 CHF (rose gold)

By Sharmila Bertin

girard perregaux laureato summer edition collection

LAUREATO SUMMER EDITION

Girard-Perregaux

SUMMER RAINBOW

Alas, summer doesn’t last long, but its colours are eternal. You just need to wear one of the five limited edition Laureato Summer Edition watches to feel like you are on holiday all the year round.

More and more women are attracted by the gentle silhouette of the Laureato by Girard-Perregaux. Thanks to the classical spirt and “neutral” silver tone of the case, it can be made in an almost endless number of versions, especially because of the colours to be seen on the dial. And what could be sexier than to wear a dynamic and festive colour filled with light on your nicely tanned wrist, caressed by summer sunshine. Although the season only lasts for three months, this watch is as timeless as time itself.

The colour range in this Laureato Summer Edition mini-collection takes up most of the hues of the rainbow, including yellow, violet, blue, turquoise and pink, with each available in 75 pieces. They all have Italian names that sound like delicate poems: “Giallo Luce” (yellow light), “Viola Armonia” (violet harmony), “Blu Infinito” (infinite blue), “Turchese Purezza” (turquoise purity) and “Rosa Prezioso” (precious pink). The last two colours are featured on a watch with a slightly smaller diameter (34mm) and driven by a quartz movement, the calibre GP13100-0008, while the three others are 38mm wide and powered by the automatic calibre GP03300-0147, which provides a power reserve of 46 hours.

girard perregaux laureato summer edition collectionThe watch cases are made of steel and include an octagonal bezel crowned with 56 brilliant-cut diamonds (with a total of a little under one carat), with the largest ones set on the “tips” of this geometrical figure. The metal settings with solid lugs harmoniously embrace the straps, whether they are made of rubber in colours matching the dial or with steel links, for greater comfort on the wrist.

Each dial, with its dynamic colours, is dressed in a “Clou de Paris” pattern and equipped with central silvered, stick-shaped hands – three for the automatic version (hours, minutes, seconds) and two for the quartz model (hours, minutes). And for the ultimate touch of elegance? While the date on most watches is displayed against a black or white background, Girard-Perregaux has opted to match the dial colour with the date window so as to harmonise the effect and prolong the impact of the colour down to the smallest details.

Price: 9,300 CHF (34mm quartz on rubber) – 10,100 CHF (34mm quartz on steel) – 14,400 CHF (38mm automatic on rubber) – 15,200 CHF (38mm automatic on steel)

By Sharmila Bertin

tag heuer carrera formula 1 closeup

ASTON MARTIN EDITION

Tag Heuer

ENGLISH TIME

TAG Heuer, the new watchmaking partner for the famous carmaker dear to James Bond, has released two sports-oriented watches with an elegant design. Start them up!

TAG Heuer is now the official partner and official watch for Aston Martin Racing, and has brought out the first timepieces devoted to the alliance. Both models naturally have all the technical assets of the Swiss brand’s sports watches and can be customised with the help of aesthetic details taken from the world of the famous UK brand. The first is based on the chronograph Carrera Calibre Heuer 01 with the addition of luxury features from the car-racing world. The skeletonised dial features “hexagon“ patterns recalling the imposing radiator grill on the latest version of the Vantage sports car. At the top, the two companies’ logos sit side by side. The 45mm-wide case has been redesigned for the occasion and is encircled with a tachymetric bezel made of black ceramic. The lug design also takes inspiration from the curves of a sports car. All the time features are “driven” by an automatic movement.

tag heuer carrera formula 1 closeupThe two Aston Martin special editions are worn with a matt leather strap with special patterns, ideal for showing off your English style!

Price: 5,900 EUR (Carrera) – 1,400 EUR (Formula 1) tagheuer.com

By Dan Diaconu

jaquet droz petite heure minute smalta clara closeup both views

PETITE HEURE MINUTE SMALTA CLARA

Jaquet Droz

THE EYE OF THE TIGER

One of fine watchmaking’s vocations is to showcase expertise and the new limited edition from Jaquet Droz does just that with its fabulous plique-à-jour enamel dial.

The basic premise of a watch is to tell the time but its dial can be the perfect place to showcase an artisan technique. Jaquet Droz has the perfect tool to accomplish this mission: the Petite Heure Minute collection with its off-centre hour and minute disc. Myriad techniques such as engraving, painting, eggshell mosaic, Grand Feu and champlevé enamel have previously adorned this space which is free of time features so the artisans can unleash their imagination. This is the first time that plique-à jour enamel, smalta clara in Latin, has been used to finish a layout fragmented into slices of colour and different shapes all separated by gold partitions. The puzzle brings to life a roaring tiger once the pieces have been put together. It takes the artisan four days to finish a dial that shines as brightly as a stained-glass window with a hundred diamonds on the bezel that only enhance the glow.

jaquet droz petite heure minute smalta clara closeup both viewsThe hands gliding over the white mother-of-pearl dial on the 38mm Petite Heure Minute Smalta Clara are fuelled by a self-winding movement which provides a 38-hour power reserve. An unassuming crown at 2 enables you to wind the watch and set the time.

There are two limited edition models (28 available): a white gold one with a blue tiger and a red gold one with a yellow and brown big cat. Both come with a satin strap to match the dial colour.

Price on request jaquet-droz.com

By Dan Diaconu

richard mille rm 25-01 closeup

RM 25-01 TOURBILLON ADVENTURE SYLVESTER STALLONE

Richard Mille

RAMBO’S TOOL WATCH

The meeting between the watchmaker Richard Mille and the actor Sylvester Stallone has got results. Not only has it brought about a true friendship and mutual respect but it’s also produced a new product that’s pretty unusual for the watch sector: a highly technical tool watch carved out for adventure with a capital A.

Born in 1946, US actor Sylvester Stallone is world famous for having starred as two characters in two diametrically different worlds: boxer Rocky Balboa, a 1976 film turned cult saga with countless sequels and a spin-off (2015), and ex-commando in the military elite John Rambo, a 1982 masterpiece that’s also been spun out into several episodes with the last one scheduled for 2019. But Sylvester Stallone is more than a successful actor; he’s also a talented artist and watch enthusiast. His encounter with Richard Mille led to the creation of a limited edition (20 available) with a specific look and use as it’s made to survive in hostile environments: the RM 25-01 Tourbillon Adventure Sylvester Stallone.

richard mille rm 25-01 closeupThe piece is unique in the watch sector in terms of its aesthetics and techniques and reminiscent of Rambo’s spirit. Its solid TPT® carbon and titanium case is around 51mm in diameter and 23mm thick. The body features a waterproof compartment to contain water purification tablets to make water drinkable (at 2 o’clock) and a spirit level to get perfectly flat positions (at 4 o’clock). The latter is linked to the compass on one of the two interchangeable bezels and protected by a hood with a mirror. The second bezel bears the four cardinal points with a 360° graduated disc and 24 hr scale.

Other functions complete the RM 25-01 Tourbillon Adventure Sylvester Stallone such as hours and minutes with a 24 hr display, seconds in a counter at 6, chronograph seconds in the centre, function selector at 4 and the 72-hour power reserve indicator at 2. Everything is fuelled by a manual-wind mechanical movement: the RM 25-01 calibre.

Price: 934,000 CHF or 791,500 EUR  richardmille.com

By Sharmila Bertin

hublot aerofusion chrono orlinski closeup

CLASSIC FUSION AEROFUSION CHRONOGRAPH ORLINSKI

Hublot

SCULPTING TIME

At Hublot, the fusion of materials is exalted further through the marriage of styles. This new partnership sets itself apart through its structure cut like a diamond. Focus!

Richard Orlinski has conceived his artistic world around the concept Born Wild, focusing on the idea that violence existing in nature is vital and can be transformed into positive emotions. His XXL-sized creations converge around a staggering faceted bestiary enhanced by a mirror-polished finish and vibrant colours. Showcased in some 90 galleries around the world, the French artist also seduced Hublot. Classic Fusion Aerofusion Chronograph Orlinski is the fruit of their first collaboration. The model marries the features and finery of Hublot timepieces with the creator’s emblematic style. As such, we can admire the artist’s touch on the 45 mm-diameter cases, proposed in titanium and blue ceramic, as well as on the chronograph’s bezel, crown and push-pieces. The relief created is magnified even more by the absent dial. Bridges and geartrains help fashion this highly-graphical composition by offering an ever-so original scenescape of shadow and light.

hublot aerofusion chrono orlinski closeupTime data, embracing hours, minutes, seconds, date and short-cycle time measurement, is symphonized by a self-winding mechanical chronograph movement offering a power reserve of 45 hours. What’s more, the HUB1155 calibre reveals itself through the sapphire-crystal caseback.

Classic Fusion Aerofusion Chronograph Orlinski watches are proposed as a 200-piece limited series. To underline the material effects even more, these timepieces espouse a sleekly-smooth black rubber strap closed by a folding clasp.

Price: CHF16,900 (Titanium) – CHF17,900 (Ceramic) www.hublot.com

By Dan Diaconu

omega speedy tuesday ultraman lifestyle

SPEEDMASTER SPEEDY TUESDAY 2 ULTRAMAN LIMITED EDITION

Omega

HEROES NEVER DIE

The new Speedmaster Ultraman, the second collaboration between the “#SpeedyTuesday” movement launched by the Fratello Watches blog founder and Omega, is a nod to the famous kaiju of the same name from the late 1960s.

If there’s one hashtag that stands out in the Instagram watch community (professionals and amateurs), particularly among Omega aficionados, it’s the famous #SpeedyTuesday. It started by chance on a Tuesday in 2012 when Robert-Jan Broer, the founder of the Fratello Watches blog, published a photo of a Speedmaster with the words “speedy” and “Tuesday”. It sparked an entire movement that, over the years, grew to such an extent that it grabbed the Bienne brand’s attention and turned into a real object in 2017: the limited edition Speedmaster Speedy Tuesday. This year saw the 2nd limited edition (2012 available) piece launch in July called Speedmaster Speedy Tuesday 2 Ultraman or ST2 Ultraman to its friends.

omega speedy tuesday ultraman lifestyleThe famous mechanical self-winding 1861 calibre provides a 48-hour power reserve from inside the 42mm steel case. The watch wraps around the wrist on a black NATO strap with a single orange stripe in the middle or a black leather strap with bright stitching on the lugs.

Price: 6,350 CHF omegawatches.com

By Sharmila Bertin