INTRODUCING: The big bad Hublot Big Bang MP-11 14-Days 3D Carbon
Given how much Hublot unveiled in Geneva back in January, the volume of additional novelties the brand had ready to go for Baselworld 2018 came as a bit of a surprise. Though nearly faced with a little analysis paralysis, given the broad range of models to choose from, getting a closer look at the Big Bang MP-11 14-Days 3D Carbon was a real no-brainer. The melding of the classic Big Bang case with the clever engineering of the Hublot Masterpiece collection is a total win-win, and provided ample motivation to take a closer look. Vital statistics As it says in the name, the big selling feature of the MP-11 is its staggering 14-day power reserve. Cased in what Hublot are calling “3D Carbon”— a variant of carbon fibre woven in a more three-dimensional fashion than conventional carbon fibre — this casing helps offset the additional weight found in the MP-11’s seven series-coupled barrels. Effectively, this multi-barrel configuration is a scaled-down version of what is found in the MP-05 LaFerrari, which uses 11 barrels to achieve a power reserve of 50 days. The trade-off with things like the LaFerrari is you’re then left with a much larger and elaborate case, whereas…
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Editors Note: One of the more interesting Instagram accounts I’ve followed in recent times is @adpatina, dedicated to sourcing (and selling) vintage watch ads. Clearly, I wasn’t alone, as Ad Patina has graduated from Instagram and is now a fully fledged site and store. I thought I’d reach out and get the full story. So, a few DMs and emails later and Nick has given me the scoop (kind of) on collecting vintage watch ads, and his thoughts on the best possible examples … So, how did you get into vintage watch ads? Ah, it all started when I was a teenager in the mid ’90s … I remember taping Rolex ads to my bedroom wall. The ads weren’t vintage, and, oddly, most of the models advertised weren’t ones I wanted to own. They were just random Rolex ads (I even had Lady Datejust ads pinned up). It was less about the actual watch, more about the brand. You see, I aspired to own a Rolex, and having these ads greet me as I entered my room — looming over my head as I did homework, the last thing I saw before falling asleep — served as a reminder and motivation to get good grades, work hard, stay out…
Twenty-five years is a milestone worth celebrating, so Omega have pulled out all the stops with their latest upgrade of the Seamaster Professional 300M, AKA the Seamaster Professional, AKA the SMP. The SMP is a fairly iconic watch, largely down to its prominent placement on the wrist of Bond (James Bond). Omega have made a host of small but sweeping cosmetic changes, from the bezel, to the dial (hello wave pattern), to the bracelet (thinner) and the case (slightly larger). However, the real change is on the inside: it’s now powered by the Master Chronometer Calibre 8800, which, in another SMP first, is visible through a clear caseback. It’s also available in a range of flavours. Steel, two-tone, bracelet, rubber — you choose. And the best thing, the price. Steel only on rubber comes in at $6375, on bracelet $6525. 
One of the big surprises of Baselworld 2018 was Patek Philippe’s decision to add a grand complication model – specifically a perpetual calendar – to the Nautilus line. Or was it? Nautilus-with-complication is an old story (travel time, chronograph, annual calendar have all featured over the years) and the pre-Basel rumour mill was promoting the ‘perpetual’ idea pretty heavily. So when Patek unveiled the ref. 5740 there was a definite sense of “Surprise – what surprise?” Vital statistics The movement is one of Patek’s all-time greats: the ultra-thin self-winding calibre 240 Q – also found in the current collection in the Calatrava-cased ref. 5327. It’s essentially the same movement that was introduced in the landmark ref. 3940 in the mid-1980s and continually improved upon over the years. Those improvements include a Gyromax balance wheel and Spiromax (silicium) hairspring. The perpetual calendar display indicates the day, date, month and leap year by hands, as well as a moon phase and 24-hour display. The white gold case measures 40mm (diagonally, from 10–4 o’clock), has a screw-down crown, helping to ensure water-resistance to 60 metres, and comes on a white gold bracelet with a folding clasp. On the wrist Although, for a Nautilus, there’s…
Watch brands and sporting tie-ins. It’s a combo as old as time(keeping). We see it all the time. But you know what we don’t see all the time? Curling. Funnily enough, the sport of sliding large granite stones across sheets of ice hasn’t made too much of an impact on our sun-drenched shores, so when a curling-related press release pinged in my inbox, it’s fair to say my curiosity was piqued. Oak & Oscar is a small independent brand that has impressed with their consistently solid (and well thought through) product offering. And clearly they haven’t just impressed us, as the USA Curling team, fresh from their PyeongChang 2018 gold medal-winning performance, asked Chase Fancher from Oak & Oscar to make coach Phill Drobnick a one-of-a-kind commemorative watch. All the team wanted was a special engraving, but Chase did one better, not only engraving the date of the gold medal win on the caseback, but also doing a one-off dial, with a curling stone printed above the logo, and ‘Gold 2018’ below it. The Jackson is an attractive watch, and one with a strong American link, making it a strong choice for the USA Curling team. But more than that,…
Seiko have taken their affinity with the ocean to deeper depths, announcing new brand ambassador Fabien Cousteau at Baselworld 2018. The grandson of famed underwater explorer Jacques-Yves Cousteau, Fabien has dedicated his life to exploring and conserving the world’s oceans, and is founder of the Fabien Cousteau Ocean Learning Centre. As part of this new partnership, Seiko have introduced a series of Prospex ‘Save the Ocean’ special editions, with a portion of all proceeds donated to the Ocean Learning Centre. First up is my personal favourite, the Turtle. Vital statistics Essentially, it’s the same Turtle that we all know and love. A cushion-shaped 45mm wide and 13.42mm thick stainless-steel case that’s water resistant to 200m with the ever-reliable Seiko 4R36 movement inside – with manual winding, stop second function, and a 41-hour power reserve. What has changed, though, is a new bi-colour bezel in two shades of blue, and a wave-like dial that’s inspired by the blue whale and graduates from a vibrant shimmering blue at the top to an abyss-like pitch-black at the bottom. There’s also the addition of a black-coated crown. On the wrist I’m a fan of the iconic Turtle style case – so much so that…
Last year, Breguet gave us a first taste of their new design for the Marine collection. However, the new look didn’t get the massive attention you might expect for an update of a pillar collection. Not because it wasn’t noteworthy but because the new look was revealed in the form of the Marine Équation Marchante 5887 – and when you get a complication as mouth-watering as that, the aesthetics tend to play second fiddle. In contrast, the new Marine 5517, released at Baselworld 2018, places the emphasis firmly on the design. Vital Statistics Set in a 40mm case, the movement is Breguet’s self-winding in-house calibre 777A with a power reserve of 55 hours, a silicon balance spring and skeletonised winding rotor. As well as this white gold-blue dial version, the Breguet Marine 5517 comes in red gold with a silvery white dial, and in titanium – the latter with a sun-brushed dial, rather than the guilloché wave pattern of the gold models. The dial of each watch is individually numbered, below the Breguet logo. The hour chapter is marked out by applied Roman numerals, with luminescent dots for the minutes and a date window at 3 o’clock. There’s also lume…
When it comes to GMTs, you’d be hard pressed to find one as user friendly and as easily operable as the Hublot Unico GMT. As part of our mini-series, exploring some unique Hublot takes on complications, we asked the Head of the High Complication department Emmanuel Missillier how it works? The answer involves some intricate wiring, replacing one chronograph module with a GMT plate and a day / night indicator that makes this one of the most legible and simple-to-read examples of the complication on the market.
Last night, the provocatively titled Russell Crowe: The Art of Divorce auction took place in Sydney, an event which was, essentially, a rather high-brow garage sale. Unsurprisingly, it was the lots relating to his Oscar-winning role in Gladiator that saw the strong returns, a breastplate netting $152,500, an aluminium sword $85,400, and a a chariot $79,300 (all including buyer’s premium). The 19th century Leandro Bisiach violin played in Master and Commander, the lot with the highest estimate ($110,000 – $140,000) also performed well, coming in at $164,700 including premium. His art collection, including big-ticket Australian artist like Norman Lindsay, Brett Whiteley, Arthur Boyd and Charles Blackman, also performed well. But how about the watches? Broadly speaking, the watch lots, which came right at the end of the auction, performed solidly, exceeding high estimates. The lower priced lots performed well, perhaps because bidders saw these lots as an attainable way to get a piece of memorabilia. In particular, Lots 204, a smaller, stainless steel Tiffany & Co quartz watch, exceeded its $1200 high estimate, realising $4636, and a pretty, but unremarkable 34mm Longines hit $6710, far more than its $1000 high estimate. The Master and Commander Yacht-Master did well, realising $24,400,…