Category: Novelty

Unveiling the MB&F Legacy Machine Perpetual in White Gold (in both limited and non-limited editions)

Unless you have been in a coma for the past decade, you’re probably familiar with Max Büsser and Friends’ (MB&F) creations. Fueled by passion for the craft and unbridled creativity, the innovative horological lab played a pivotal role in the “indie” watchmaking rise. Out-of-the box thinking is the brand’s raison d’être. In 2011, when MB&F presented its first legacy machine (the LM1), a nod to watchmaking tradition, it had to be disruptive. And a few years later, when Irish watchmaker Stephen McDonnell and Max Büsser started to discuss about a perpetual calendar, the project brought to life another horological surprise transfiguring a century old complication into a sensational design. First launched in red gold and platinum, the MB&F Legacy Machine Perpetual is now available in white gold with purple or grey faces.

8 years ago

Hands-On – Rolex Yacht-Master 116621 Two-Tone Everose Gold / Steel with Chocolate Dial

The big novelty from Rolex at Baselworld 2016 was… you named it: the Daytona Ceramic Bezel 116500LN – a very nice watch but, after all, a simple cosmetic evolution of an existing model. However, there was some more watches to discover. One stayed a bit under the radar, an evolution of the Yacht-Master, a watch that has never been favorited by Rolex purists. On the other hand, since last year, this model has been revamped by the Crown, with the introduction of the Everose / Ceramic version. While we were expecting it to be introduced in steel, Rolex decided differently, with the new Rolex Yacht-Master 116621 Two-Tone Everose Gold / Steel and Chocolate Dial. And it has some arguments…

8 years ago

The Zoute Grand Prix Rally 2016 sponsored by Lebeau-Courally Part 2 – “master crafts fuse together again”

“Master crafts fuse together again”? What do hunting arms and watches have in common? Hunting arms are meant to kill or to keep wildlife growth under control. Watches may be used to kill time but usually it is to read time. Continue reading if you want to know what the similarities are? And why Lebeau-Courally, a sponsor of the Zoute Grand Prix event decided to acquire the IMH Manufacture in Le Locle? In part 2 of the Zoute Grand Prix coverage we will focus on Lebeau-Courally and its newest mechanical watch, the beautiful Phase de Lune with 18 layers of enamel. We talked with Laurens Peeters, Manager at Lebeau-Courally, about the company, its history, its products and especially the Phase de Lune during the Grand Prix event.

8 years ago

Blue is the New Black at Zenith – 5 Iconic Pieces now Dressed in Blue

Blue is the new black at Zenith. Over the past few months, the manufacture has released a series of hot blue dial watches that would lend themselves to both formal and casual occasions. Five iconic models are celebrated in a whole new light and provide a great alternative to the ubiquitous black or white-dialed watches.

8 years ago

Kickstarter – The LUMBR Troy, a unique Wood Watch with Visible Automatic Movement

The world is changing at a very fast pace, technology is becoming so advanced that sometimes the old classic way of doing things, along with it’s intricate details, gets lost along the way. But there are some entrepreneurs out there who have noticed this trend, and instead of taking a backseat and watching, they have become pro-active. And today, a watch called the LUMBR Troy might surprise you, with a highly unusual material.

8 years ago

Hands-On – TAG Heuer Carrera Caliber 5 Ring Master Muhammad Ali

I hated every minute of training, but I said: Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion. Could this be the silver-tongued boxing champion’s own version of “Don’t crack under pressure”? Muhammad Ali was not just one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time, he was also a vocal civil right activist with a legendary never-back-down attitude. Last month, at a charity boxing event hosted at Gleason’s Gym, Brooklyn’s legendary boxing club and Ali’s old stomping ground, TAG Heuer unveiled a collection of special edition steel watches to pay tribute to Muhammad Ali. Inspired by the brand’s 1950s Ring-Master watch – a stopwatch featuring interchangeable rings for timing different sports including boxing – we take a hands on look at the TAG Heuer Carrera Caliber 5 Ring Master Muhammad Ali.

8 years ago

Introducing – Chopard L.U.C Full Strike – The Minute Repeater Reinvented

With the L.U.C Full Strike, the high-end collection of Chopard Watches welcomes a minute repeater, a complication never explored by the brand, and launched as the crowning point of the celebrations marking the 20th anniversary of Chopard Manufacture. We’ve seen some tourbillons, some perpetual calendars with chronograph, super slim and eco-friendly watches, but never a striking watch. Well, you could easily imagine that it is just another minute repeater, and that, even if nicely-designed and superbly finished, it has nothing spectacular (in any case we can consider that a minute repeater is not spectacular…). However, this Chopard L.U.C Full Strike is featured with something brand new and innovative, and it makes it different from any other minute repeater we’ve seen before.

8 years ago

Pre-SIHH 2017 – Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Frosted Gold 37mm (and why, as a man, I really like it)

Yes, this watch is advertised as a ladies’ watch. Yes, it does celebrate 40 years of Royal Oak for ladies (as the first one was introduced in 1976 and designed by Jacqueline Dimier). But, on the other hand, this watch has everything of the iconic 1972 Jumbo and the current 41mm men’s version, just in a smaller 37mm case –  which isn’t that small in reality. It has the iconic Genta-look, it has the hand-guilloche dial, it has an in-house automatic movement and, that’s the novelty here, it comes with a superb surface finishing, named gold hammering or frosting, and that is really appealing to us. Overview of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Frosted Gold 37mm.

8 years ago

Introducing – Hublot Classic Fusion Aerofusion Chronograph Concrete Jungle made with Artist Tristan Eaton

Hublot is no stranger for doing the unorthodox thing, whether it being on the technical side or on the aesthetical side. Talk about innovative technical prowess and the Hublot LaFerrari pops up. Mention weird or wonderful materials and perhaps you think of the Hublot Classic Fusion Berluti, with its leather dials. Now though, Hublot incorporates a rough-and-tough material, not often used for watchmaking: concrete! Here is the Hublot Classic Fusion Aerofusion Chronograph Concrete Jungle made with Artist Tristan Eaton.

8 years ago

Announcement – “Patek Philippe: The Authorized Biography” by Nicholas Foulkes – Available now via Patek.com

Some manufactures grew to an almost mythical status and became legends, and not only among watch collectors. Their fame have simply crossed the circle of initiates to gain a worldwide aura. And as always with legends, there is a gray area. One of them is Patek Philippe. Many tried to bring light on the history of this Old Maison, we did try to bring light on some parts of the story (cf. Nautilus History) but today, you’ll have the opportunity to know everything about Patek, with an official book that can be seen as the definitive history of the legendary Swiss manufacture. Here is “Patek Philippe: The Authorized Biography” by Nicholas Foulkes – and it is available now via Patek.com.

8 years ago