INTRODUCING: The Frederique Constant Highlife RedBar Limited Editions sure are nice, and if you ain't RedBar you can't buy 'em (for now)
Frederique Constant has updated and overhauled their Highlife line, which was originally created more than 20 years ago to bring a high-value horological offering to the consumer. Standard production models of this new lineup were recently launched in steel, gold-plated, and two-tone steel and gold-plated models — in both time and date only (Automatic COSC) and perpetual calendar versions. And now, something a little more spicy. The Frederique Constant Highlife RedBar Limited Editions bring a subtle, yet powerful punch of RedBar flavour to the new lineup of Highlife watches. The case(s): The two Frederique Constant Highlife RedBar Limited Editions are encased in a 3-part polished stainless steel case. They are both 41mm in diameter with a convex sapphire crystal covering the dial and anti-glare coatings on both the dial and exhibition crystals. The anti-glare coatings provide a subtle blue hue in the right light that plays well against the grey backdrop on each of the dials. The cases offer up to 5 ATM or 50 metres of water resistance. Where the Perpetual Calendar version differs is through its case-side pushers controlling the perpetual calendar complication. The pusher under the crown is for correction of the moon phase, the pusher at…
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If you’re a motoring enthusiast, you know that the glory is in the details. Few vehicle manufacturers latched onto this ethos as much as Italian companies did in the ’60s and ’70s, designing breathtaking, voluptuous bodywork, with the most luxurious interior touches. Whether it was seats, shift knobs, or the instrument cluster, everything had to be a visual feast. That way, when you put your foot to the floor, you were guaranteed a driving experience that was both beautiful and visceral. Try as they might, modern manufacturers can’t reproduce that same feeling, whether it be down to necessary safety features, ever-tightening budget restrictions, or simply just an evolution in tastes. Thankfully, this passion is alive and well in motor-themed watches, as the lust for detail-focused engineering synchronises perfectly with obsessive artistry. MAALS Watches takes notes from heritage car brands and integrates them into their own personality-driven designs. Where some brands take legendary racing liveries and use those colours on a rather standard-looking watch, MAALS’ newest Kickstarter campaign, the Giri Ventiquattro, imbues subtle automotive details within an already highly unique timepiece. The UK-based micro are doing things with off-the-shelf Miyota movements that aren’t really seen anywhere else, such as on their…
Undone are reaching a point of ubiquity in the microbrand world where it is probably prudent to have tried one on the wrist. With, of course, one prevailing question in mind – how could these watches deliver on their looks? We ordered a couple in. Because, somehow Undone seem able to keep up a huge variety in designs whilst giving each one the right amount of attention to detail, from jeans-and-tshirt divers to lavishly decorated dress pieces. Quality, intrigue, and customisability are all distinct traits of the eclectic brand, and none of that changes for their art deco-inspired chronograph, the Vintage Killy. As one of their most popular designs, it’s a great place to start. The dial There’s no denying that for the Vintage Killy, the dial is the star of the show. The cream tone is phenomenally warm and inviting, with the domed crystal softly distorting the perimeter an ideal amount. The blue tachymeter matches the blue leaf hands and frames them perfectly, while the red telemetre track provides just enough contrast of colour to enhance the charm of the watch. The art deco numerals are incredibly characterful, making you feel as though you’ve just stepped into the 1927…
Sometimes cinema prop masters get lucky. On certain rare occasions, instead of having to unearth pitch-perfect watches for a movie, brands will collaborate on brand-new timepieces that are purpose-built for the film. This often proves to be a win-win. The brands get some welcome publicity and a touch of big-screen glamour, the prop masters get watches that are tonally spot-on and unique. Here are five memorable examples. Tenet x Hamilton Tenet is Christopher Nolan’s new and, let’s face it, utterly baffling sci-fi thriller. It basically involves soldiers racing back and forth through time in a desperate bid to find a special algorithm to save the world (or something). Anyway, given the central nature of time in the film, our gallant hero’s watch plays a prominent role, particularly in the climactic stages. As a result, Nolan wanted a special watch. The film’s production designer subsequently approached Hamilton to create a military-style watch with an extra-bright digital screen housed within an otherwise analogue dial. The brand responded by customising their Khaki Navy BeLOWZERO model and integrating a digital screen as requested. The watch’s mechanical movement was replaced with a digital one and a powerful battery installed to illuminate the neon glow of…
Close to being at a loss for words … almost thankful that I haven’t got this on my wrist for a hands-on review as I would not leave the house. Email to Director: Self-imposed lockdown initiated, reason — the new Audemars Piguet CODE 11.59 Flying Tourbillon Chronograph needs a full 10 days of attention, all Wi-Fi and mobile communication hereby disconnected. Let’s start with the obvious. The CODE 11.59 range has been expanded this year with new references featuring more expressive colours. From the first image alone, it is clear that this is something completely different again. The Tourbillon Chronograph is clearly the halo model of the range, a masterpiece of horological complexity that beguiles you with its midnight blue details and top-tier symmetrical beauty. The dial Any description of this CODE 11.59, with its openworked design having a lack of a traditional dial, is seriously underselling this symmetrical feast of angles, curves and delicately shaped bridges in galvanic black titanium and nickel silver. They sit in a holy union, forming an almost gothic pattern of skeletonisation, being both intrinsically distracting yet calming in its symmetry. The breathtaking details of the flying tourbillon, with its lack of an upper bridge,…
Editor’s note: Earlier in the week, I wrote about ‘The Rolex that got away’ in reference to the rhodium dial OP ref. 114300. Turns out my tastes are not aligned with a huge majority of readers. We have since received more than 100 DMs, comments and emails decrying not the loss of this model, but the white dial OP at 39mm. “How could they discontinue the OP 39mm with the white dial,” asked @jonathonbrown24. @grayhayes joined in: “The white was so good.” “I was saving and looking for the 39 in white,” mourned @dnafty. “I have the white dial OP … only makes it more special now,” gloated @robflip23. “The white dial was probably going to be my next watch,” said @but_dear, ruing like me that he’d waited too long. The comments go on and on. In fact, there was such an overwhelming majority, that we thought it deserved a military funeral as well. So, straight back and stiff upper lip soldiers, let’s salute this glorious Goldilocks off in style. *Cue bugles* One of the real hits from Rolex’s 2015 collection was the Oyster Perpetual 39 (ref. 114300), a bare bones, simple steel timepiece that was still pure Rolex. Initially offered in…
Bubble wrap was originally devised as a form of three-dimensional wallpaper. The modern treadmill was invented to harness the muscle power of idle prisoners in order to mill grain. Frisbees were created by a Connecticut pie company as a dish for their wares. Fascinating facts aside, the point here is that many things are designed with noble intentions that are promptly subverted in unexpected ways. Inevitably, that’s also proved true with the Apple Watch which, according to consumer research firm Strategy Analytics, sold more than 50 million units in 2018 and 2019 combined. The smartwatch was released in 2015 to bold headlines that it could revolutionise the entire healthcare system. But while the Apple Watch does indeed offer a multitude of health features, human nature has ensured it has also been adopted for a host of unlikely purposes as this round-up of international stories reveals … Apple Watch as sex toy Sex toys offer boundless reassurance about the creativity of the human spirit. Cleopatra reportedly pleasured herself with a papyrus box full of live bees, while today you can even put your dead lover’s ashes into a dildo. People, in other words, get imaginative in this department. It’s therefore not…
Now that Rolex has released watches and ended that dreadful rumour that they were sitting 2020 out, the important work begins. Nicknaming them. The one that has perhaps caused the most contention, is this one, the Submariner ref. 126619LB in white gold. We’re going to tell you everything you need to know about it below. But first, some data. We asked Instagram what its nickname should be. Our favourites are as follows: Sonic. BMW (or Beemer). Blueberry. Sega. Add to these a decidedly not-catchy suggestion of “I wish the stupid nickname game would stop and availability happens.” The winner, however, was overwhelmingly clear. It’s the Cookie Monster. Settled. Now let’s talk about the size. The iconic Submariner will for many always be pitch perfect at 40mm. Is the size increase as vast as we are told, and is it the end of the enthusiasts’ embrace of the Crown? The most coveted watch today becomes too large by a gut-wrenching, teary-eyed millimetre? From the vast traffic on forums, Facebook groups and Instagram, the 1mm difference is seemingly best illustrated by this monster – of a gargantuan 1mm in size, sharing its underwater habitat with the Submariner. Meet the gargantuan 1…
Hublot is known around the world for their larger, bold designs. Some collections literally have the word bold in their nomenclature. While this reference does not, the Hublot Spirit of Big Bang Green Saxem is definitely one of their boldest designs yet – both technically and aesthetically. The case Hublot has made a huge investment in the industrialisation of sapphire – a notoriously difficult material to produce. This sapphire, or SAXEM, case is a deep green that can compete with the finest emeralds, with a brilliance that comes close to that of a diamond. SAXEM, an acronym for Sapphire Aluminium oXide and rare Earth Mineral, is a unique and proprietary blend of materials Hublot has developed that results in stunning and colourful luxury watch cases. Hublot explains, “In order to obtain this unparalleled shade of green, transparency and radiance, the Hublot manufacture – an expert in the concept of fusion – mixed aluminium oxide, the basic component of sapphire, with rare-earth elements like thulium and holmium as well as chromium.” Hublot claims the resulting material is both harder than emerald (which is too soft to be machined) and has a brilliance greater than a standard sapphire. SAXEM also ensures that…
Cometh the crisis, cometh the man. Jean-Christophe Babin, CEO of Bulgari, has grown in stature yet again over the last six months as Bulgari has taken a militant stance against COVID-19. Whether it’s delivering Bulgari hand sanitiser to hospitals to assist in their fight against this deadly virus, or delivering a fair with 16 of his friends in Geneva in the absence of Basel and SIHH (Geneva Watch Days, or GWD from here), the permanently tanned and uncannily youthful Babin has been even more active than usual. Which is why, when it was decided that we would attend GWD with a little help from our friends Mike Christensen and Marcus (the European-based videographer guru behind practically all of our best videos) we requested a sit down. But in the age of COVID-19, a sit down is a stand up. So Mike Christensen, our man in Europe (who you might know from his time as Editor of GQ Australia), stood up and put some tough questions to the man in charge. On the brands that didn’t join Geneva Watch Days, including Rolex “A lot of brands that decided not to participate saw we had 17 brands here, and strangely and conservatively…