Monthly Archives: January 2020

hublot big bang integral titanium caseback

BIG BANG INTEGRAL

THE PERFECT LINK

To take the Big Bang’s sporty-chic spirit to new heights, the watchmakers from Nyon imagined a new bracelet which fuses completely with the case and forms its natural extension.

hublot big bang integral titanium casebackThe Big Bang Integral adorns three different materials. The first showcases polished titanium, the second, in King Gold, dazzles on the wrist, whilst the third is proposed as a 500-piece All Black limited edition fashioned in satin-brushed black ceramic.

Prices: CHF19,900 (titanium) – CHF21,900 (All Black) – CHF49,900 (King Gold) www.hublot.com

By Dan Diaconu

blancpain collection valentin 2020 closeup with caseback

WOMEN COLLECTION SAINT-VALENTIN 2020

OH THE JOYS OF LOVE!

As the ultimate celebration of love is about to dawn, the Joux Valley manufacture unveils a jewelry piece totally adorned with diamonds and inspired by a timepiece once owned by Marilyn Monroe.

A silhouette, a face, a voice, a style: Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962) has been the absolute embodiment of femininity and continues to weave her magic on the world. Throughout her life, the sublime American actress and singer wore a Blancpain-created 1930s cocktail watch on her wrist which was recently showcased in the watchmaker’s New York store. This art deco-styled timepiece inspired the creation of a 14-piece limited edition dedicated to this lovers’ celebration, the Saint-Valentin 2020 model, enshrined in the Women Collection.

blancpain collection valentin 2020 closeup with casebackLike its elder sibling, this new watch embraces a rectangular case decorated with a flat, fluted crown. This svelte white-gold silhouette, measuring 35×16 mm and just 6.50 mm thick, strewn with 84 diamonds including two marquise-cut ones caressing the lugs, hosts a hand-wound mechanical movement. The caliber 510 delivers a power reserve of 52 hours and drives the key time data, i.e. the hours and minutes.

The immaculate face of this piece made for celebrating love features white mother-of-pearl marquetry from which two half hearts emerge, each crowned with a diamond. Two precious butterflies, whose bodies are fashioned with golden thread and whose wings are set with rubies and diamonds, hover delicately over this iridescent scenescape whilst a pair of central sword-shaped hands displays the hours and minutes.

Blancpain’s Women Collection Saint-Valentin 2020 wraps around the wrist with a white calfskin strap attached by an ardillon buckle adorned with a brilliant-cut diamond totaling 1.477 carats.

Price: CHF35’000

By Sharmila Bertin

zenith a384 revival lupin third edition closeup

A384 REVIVAL LUPIN THE THIRD EDITION

FROM FICTION TO REALITY

Only available in Japan, this limited series bears the features of the first automatic chronograph and brings to life the watch of imaginary character Rupan Sansei.

A Japanese version of Arsène Lupin in a soap opera manga, Lupin the Third, takes up the myth of the French gentleman burglar from 1967 under the pen name Monkey Punch (1937-2019). An animated series that began to be broadcast in 1971 allowed the fictional character to meet an international audience. In the first episode of Rupan Sansei, Lupin’s partner Daisuke Jigen wears a Zenith watch. As the model did not exist, the Manufacture decided to mark the 50th anniversary of the El Primero caliber by bringing it to life in the form of a 50-piece limited edition called the A384 Revival Lupin the Third Edition. It is presented in a special case with a counter-box decorated with a mosaic of images from the series.

zenith a384 revival lupin third edition closeupThe time information and the date at 4:30 am are powered by the El Primero 400 caliber with a rate of 36,000 vibrations per hour. The self-winding movement ensures a 50-hour autonomy. Its oscillating weight with a Côtes de Genève finish is revealed through the sapphire crystal caseback on which the silhouette of Daisuke Jigen is drawn.

Price: EUR7,000 zenith.com

By Dan Diaconu

vacheron constantin cabinotiers armillary tourbillon closeup

LES CABINOTIERS TOURBILLON ARMILLAIRE

DOUBLE SHOCK

Always on a quest for excellence, the Manufacture combines two original Haute Horlogerie complications in a powerful, monochrome contemporary architecture.

In 2015, Vacheron Constantin presented the most complicated watch ever made. No less than 57 complications were integrated into its movement. Two of these are found in the Les Cabinotiers Tourbillon Armillaire model presented at the end of 2019. Omnipresent on a dial separated into two distinct spaces, they contribute to the esthetics of this reference. On the right-hand dial, the hour and minute hands move in a circular arc. Once the 60 minutes and 12 hours have been reached, they instantly return to their first unit. Faced with the retrograde display of temporal data, a mechanical complex is in perpetual animation. Positioned under a bubble formed by the sapphire crystal, this construction consists of two cages nested inside each other. They move on two different axes at a speed of 60 seconds per rotation. This armillary tourbillon is named after the French watchmaker Antide Janvier who, in the 18th century, made an astronomical clock with a globe composed of armatures, metal circles that model the celestial sphere.

vacheron constantin cabinotiers armillary tourbillon closeupThe 1990 caliber masterfully directs this feat of fine watchmaking. The hand-wound movement is housed in a 45mm-diameter titanium case. Once wound, it provides the watch with 65 hours of autonomy.

This timepiece, stamped with the Hallmark of Geneva, is worn on an alligator leather strap with a pin buckle.

Price upon request vacheron-constantin.com

By Dan Diaconu

richard mille rm 33 02 closeup

RM 33-02 AUTOMATIC

GRAPHIC AND EXTRA-FLAT

An esthetic evolution is granting the sporty chic model a new lease on life. It becomes the first automatic round model in TPT® carbon.

In 2011, the RM 033 was perfectly round. The evolution presented at the end of 2019, the RM 33-02 Automatic, still sports this geometric shape. However, the redesigned lines of the 42mm case are inspired by those of the tonneau shape found in the current production of Richard Mille timepieces. From this point forward, this esthetic signature is enhanced by the use of TPT® carbon for the bezel and red gold for the caseband. While the original model embodied delicate beauty with its 8.8mm thickness, the evolution is extra-flat, only 6.2mm high. Despite this marked difference, the watchmakers succeeded in the feat of integrating the same RMXPA1 caliber and its bidirectional off-center rotor (45 hours power reserve) that can be seen through the sapphire crystal caseback.

richard mille rm 33 02 closeupTo reinforce its character, both sporty and stylish at once, the 140-piece limited edition is worn on a black rubber strap.

Price: CHF151,000 all taxes included richardmille.com

By Dan Diaconu

h moser cie endeavour tourbillon concept vantablack lifestyle

ENDEAVOUR TOURBILLON CONCEPT VANTABLACK®

ULTRA NOIR

Esthetically, the production of the Manufacture is distinguished by hues of degraded smoke. The new technology used opens new esthetic perspectives.

“There is not one black, but many blacks,” said the couturier Yves Saint Laurent. Upon discovering the dial of the Endeavour Tourbillon Concept Vantablack,® one can only agree. Here, the technology developed by Surrey NanoSystems in 2014 finds a new outlet for expression. The coating, made up of carbon nanotubes 10,000 times thinner than a hair, absorbs 99.96% of the light. The result? A black of a density never before achieved. To enhance this technical feature, Moser is returning to the concept it launched in 2015, leaving the dial devoid of any brand or logo. This ultra-refined presentation showcases the one-minute flying tourbillon at 6 o’clock. The cage, its wheel, balance and exhaust bridges were machined from aerospace aluminum and coated with black PVD. This stiffer material optimizes the energy balance and guarantees better performance. A pair of leaf-shaped hour and minute hands flies over the whole assembly.

h moser cie endeavour tourbillon concept vantablack lifestyleThe 50 pieces of the Endeavour Tourbillon Concept Vantablack® are worn on a black alligator leather strap finished with a white gold folding clasp.

Price: 75,000 CHF

By Dan Diaconu

jaquet droz grande seconde dual time closeup

GRANDE SECONDE DUAL TIME

THE TRAVELING SOUL

An ideal travel companion for elegant globetrotters, the travel watch from the watchmaker from La Chaux-de-Fonds offers a new face that encourages people to never put down their suitcases again.

Traveling is a way of life. To preserve his temporal landmarks, Jaquet Droz revisits the esthetics of his Grande Seconde Dual Time without distorting its spirit. While the layout of the two time zones remains identical with the emblematic 8-shaped dial, the complication dedicated to the second time zone located in the lower part changes markedly. A representation of the continents in the form of a polar azimuthal projection now serves as a backdrop. A powdered finish helps the land stand out from the polished surface of the oceans. To make it easier to read the domestic time, a red triangle points to the 24-hour indication carried by a disc now segmented in two distinct colors, white for day and black for night. The local time can always be read at the top of the dial on an hour circle made up of Roman numerals. Its time jump setting ensures ease of use for the traveler upon arriving at the destination.

jaquet droz grande seconde dual time closeupAll versions are powered by the 2663H24 caliber. In addition to the hours and minutes, this self-winding movement with 65 hours of power reserve orchestrates a date with a fine hand recognizable by its red tip. The sapphire caseback also reveals the stylized oscillating weight. Each Grande Seconde Dual Time comes with a leather strap.

Price: 15,200 CHF (steel) – 25,500 CHF (red gold) jaquet-droz.com

By Dan Diaconu

zenith defy midnight lifestyle

DEFY MIDNIGHT

THE STARS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS

Seeking inspiration, appeasement and beauty by simply turning to the stars: this is the challenge launched by the new watch created by the Manufacture from Le Locle, recently unveiled in Dubai.

As part of the LVMH Watch Week, a new trade show organized by the group whose first edition took place in January in Dubai, Zenith presented a watch mainly aimed at women.

This new Defy Midnight, which comes in six variations, bears the typical curved silhouette of the collection, with its full, beveled shoulder straps. Whether it is intense blue like a summer evening, taupe gray with stormy accents or pearly white like an autumn mist, the dial undeniably evokes the immensity of the sky bursting with a multitude of stars.

zenith defy midnight lifestyleThese have different sizes and are sometimes luminescent, a brilliance enhanced by the 11 diamonds on the hour-markers and the 44 brilliants when the bezel is set. At the center of this starry night, two rhodium-plated baton-style hands and a second hand with a star-shaped counterweight indicate the hours, minutes and seconds. To optimize information, the date is displayed in black on a white background in an aperture at 3 o’clock.

The Defy Midnight is powered by the Elite 670 SK caliber, an automatic movement that delivers 48 hours of power reserve and is housed in a 36mm-diameter steel case. It is completed by a wide variety of straps (steel links, satin or rubber-lined leather) that are easily interchangeable.

Price: 8,900 CHF (steel) – 10,900 CHF (crimped steel) zenith.com

By Sharmila Bertin

omega seamaster diver 300m 007 lifestyle

SEAMASTER DIVER 300M EDITION 007

IT’S BACK!

Just a few weeks before the official release of the new adventures of the famous British spy, the Biel-based firm is adding a robust watch with a vintage look to its catalogue, developed in collaboration with Daniel Craig.

Inseparable since GoldenEye in 1995, the Omega Seamaster and James Bond continue their adventures on the big screen this year. Indeed, the famous British secret agent finds the iconic watchmaker cut out for the big screen in No Time to Die, the 25th opus in the saga, due for release in April 2020. The British actor Daniel Craig who plays the spy for the 5th and last time, took part in designing this new Seamaster Diver 300M Edition 007 which will join the firm’s catalogue in February.

omega seamaster diver 300m 007 lifestyleThe time elements—hours, minutes and seconds—are delivered by the Omega 8806, a self-winding mechanical movement which provides 55 hours of power reserve and has Master Chronometer certification, a guarantee of resistance and reliability.

This Seamaster Diver 300M Edition 007 can be worn either with a Milanese mesh bracelet made of titanium or a NATO with dark brown, sand beige and medium grey stripes.

Price: CHF9,200  omegawatches.com

By Sharmila Bertin