Anyone truly familiar with German watch brand A. Lange & Sohne can be considered an insider. Established in 1845 in the Saxony region of Germany, this Dresden brand was expropriated after World War II and nearly experienced extinction. However, after the Wall came down and Germany was reunified, Walter Lange, great-grandson of founder Ferdinand Adolph Lange had the vision to start the brand new in the early 1990’s.
There is something special about the Bovet Monsieur… This subtly sophisticated watch is imbued with a sense of nostalgia for a bygone elegance. Its classical lines are clearly inspired by pocket watches. And it is no coincidence that this versatile watch incorporates Bovet’s patented Amadeo convertible case concept. Not one watch, but four watches at once. Here is our take on the new Bovet “Monsieur Bovet”
On the contrary of most of the other buying guides we’ve published, the present one is more of a “wish list” or a “dream list” rather than a proper guide – or consider it a guide for those who already have everything they need and more. Nothing here is rational, it’s all about passion, ingenuity, creativity and impressive mechanics. From the thinnest automatic watch ever created to a signing automaton or an atomic sympathique clock, here the 5 most impressive mechanical creations we’ve seen at Baselworld 2018.
For the last few years, German watch manufacturer, Glashütte Original, has been on a mission to appeal to a younger, hipper audience, and it seems to be working. Best known for its restrained, classic aesthetic (very stereotypical German, in other words), the brand has made a concerted effort to inject some colour and personality into its various line-ups. Some of my recent favourites include the Sixties Iconic Square collection, with five distinctively colourful dials, the sporty-looking Senator Chronograph Panorama Date in steel and the recent modern, yet classic, additions to the Senator Excellence collection. Now, there’s another new model to add to that list; the Glashütte Original Senator Excellence Perpetual Calendar Limited Edition.
While usually rather conservative in the design, A. Lange & Söhne can sometimes go a little bit more creative when it comes to limited editions or boutique exclusive watches – think, for instance, about the 1815 Chrono Boutique Edition or the Terra-Brown Saxonia. Today, the brand is unveiling a new version of the Saxonia Annual Calendar, a watch usually very discreet, which for the occasion gains in style with a new dial and a surprising strap. Meet the new A. Lange & Söhne Saxonia Annual Calendar U.S. Boutique Edition.
Bvlgari is on a roll setting record after horological record in the ultra-thin category. Who can forget the succession of impressive victories obtained by the 2014 Octo Finissmo Tourbillon, the 2016 Octo Finissimo Minute Repeater, the 2017 Octo Finissimo Automatic and this year’s Octo Finisimmo Automatic Tourbillon? Just when you thought that the brand might be running out of steam in the ultra-lean complication department, Bvlgari pulls another rabbit out of the hat with its beautiful chiming masterpiece for women: the Diva Finissima Minute Repeater. As the world slimmest women’s minute repeater watch, the Diva Finissima incarnates Bvlgari’s passion for Swiss mechanical pyrotechnics and its irresistible Italian design flair.
When first launched in 2017, the MB&F HM7 Aquapod was quite a surprise… Imagine a jellyfish-inspired timepiece, with diving bezel, vertical movement with tourbillon, a decent water resistance and a design without a single angle, all in curves. Disruptive, provocative, unusual… A true talking piece. After the inaugural versions – red gold with black ceramic bezel and titanium with blue ceramic bezel – HM7 is back in a titanium case with a green sapphire crystal bezel, limited to 50 pieces (which makes a good occasion to look back at this very special watch).
Patek Philippe unveiled several extremely impressive – and complicated – timepieces this year at Baselworld. The 5270P Perpetual Calendar Chronograph with a head-turning salmon dial was a personal favourite, as was the unexpected, but not unwelcome, Nautilus Perpetual Calendar 5740G. Surprisingly though, it was one of the brand’s non-complicated models that really caught my eye. Artistic yet elegant and flawlessly executed, it celebrates a significant milestone of one of the Geneva-based Manufacture’s more understated collections. Introducing the Patek Philippe 5738/50P-001, commemorating 50 years of the Ellipse d’Or (or Golden Ellipse, in English).
If Patek Philippe is known for its super-complicated watches and its iconic luxury sports timepieces, we often forget that there something else, something simply exquisite, that the brand masters: métiers d’art or rare handcrafts. Enamelling, micro-painting, micro-wood-marquetry, hand-guilloche… Few manufactures can compete with Patek in terms of such artistic work. From April 19 to April 21, the entire 2018 Rare Handcrafts collection, something that you don’t have the opportunity to see anywhere than at Baselworld, will be showcased to the public in the Salons on Rue du Rhône, Geneva.
De Bethune’s DB25 Starry Varius is a beautiful tribute to the firmament housed in a smaller, 42mm titanium case with an interesting customisation proposal. Every watch is a unique, one-off model offering you the possibility of customising the night sky to your heart’s desire. After a somewhat unsettled period for the brand, Pierre Jacques is back as CEO, there is a new private equity investor on board, and master watchmaker and co-founder Denis Flageollet can exercise his creativity in the integrated manufacturing facility the brand has in L’Auberson. And if the DB27 Titan Hawk V2 and the DB25 Starry Varius are any indication of the shape of things to come, De Bethune is well on its way to writing the next successful chapter in its watchmaking saga.