The nickname “watch of all extremes” says it all. Jacob & Co. continues to impress with the uber-complex and visually spectacular (to say the least) Twin Turbo Furious. This beast of a watch features an insane, staggering combination of complications: a double triple axis tourbillon, a decimal minute repeater, a chronograph… and more!
A new edition of Baselworld means a new Omega Speedmaster Special Edition. This has become a tradition – think Snoopy Award, Apollo 11 45th Anniversary, CK2998 or Apollo 17 45th Anniversary. This year, the space theme is still the main ingredient of the recipe, as Omega celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the Apollo 8 Mission. In that perspective, the brand chose to use the popular “Dark Side of the Moon” theme. But you’ll see in details that the Speedmaster Apollo 8 really is quite special – visually and mechanically.
Patek continues to surprise us for this 2018 edition of Baselworld. After a rather unexpected perpetual calendar of the Nautilus, the brand now has a chronograph version of the Aquanaut – a first since the introduction of the model in 1997. And there’s more as the Aquanaut Chronograph 5968A comes with quite some colors on the dial and the strap too. Like or not, but Patek is moving forward.
One of the cool concepts that Bell & Ross introduced a few years ago is to link the launch of a watch collection to the creation of a concept machine. Think rocket-bike for the B-Rocket collection, think super-car for the Aero-GT pieces and think vintage speed-record hot rodders for the Bellytanker models. For Baselworld 2018, the Bell & Ross does it again, and this time they look at the roots of the brand, with a new concept plane and two watches with racing jet-plane inspiration. Meet the new Bell & Ross Vintage BRV1-92 & BRV2-94 Racing Bird.
The Carrera is celebrating its 55th anniversary this year. To celebrate, TAG Heuer isn’t looking at the past but instead remains true to its “avant-garde” identity. They could have chosen to go vintage. Instead, they gold bold and modern. After the presentation a few weeks ago of the new Carrera Heuer 02 Chronograph with an updated movement, Baselworld 2018 brings us the traveller’s version, the TAG Heuer Carrera Heuer 02 GMT Chronograph.
Last week, at the Geneva International Motor Show (where TAG also announced the Monaco Gulf Special Edition), Jean-Claude Biver (CEO of TAG Heuer and President of the LVMH Group Watches Division) and Andy Palmer (President and CEO of Aston Martin) announced that TAG Heuer has been chosen as Official Partner, Official Watch Partner and Official Connected Watch Partner of Aston Martin and Aston Martin Racing. That’s a mouthful… so let’s have a look at what interests us most: the new TAG Heuer Carrera Heuer 01 Aston Martin
For once, this won’t a product-related news – understand here, the launch of a new watch – that we will share with you. Instead, we’ll look at the other side of the industry: suppliers. Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier, one of the most respected movement constructors of the Swiss industry, indeed unveils an integrated high-frequency column-wheel chronograph, the calibre Seed VMF 6710. And it truly is quite an interesting movement, to say the least.
Parmigiani Fleurier’s Kalpa collection was given the red-carpet treatment in 2018 and fitted with in-house movements customised to match the shape of its distinctive, tonneau cases. As part of the brand’s mission to obtain “consistency between the contents and the container,” shaped movements will be animating the hearts of all future Kalpa watches.
Richard Mille and McLaren have been partners for over a year now, even if this partnership was mainly focused on Formula 1 – with, for instance, the creation of the mighty Richard Mille RM 50-03 McLaren F1. Today, at the 88th Geneva International Motor Show, both brands are announcing the extension of this venture to road cars marking the official launch of the first McLaren automotive-inspired timepiece, the new Richard Mille RM 11-03 McLaren Automatic Flyback Chronograph. And here is an early hands-on with it.
Right in the middle of the Geneva car-show, TAG Heuer just announced that a global partnership has been signed with Gulf Oil International, one of the most legendary motorsports’ sponsors. So, what happens when a brand known for its racing-car roots teams up with one of the best-known players in the automotive industry? Well, the result is the immediately recognisable famous blue and orange stripes applied to one of the most iconic motorsports chronographs, the square-shaped Monaco. Please meet the TAG Heuer Monaco Gulf 2018 Special Edition.