Back in 2017, Audemars Piguet showed an innovative spirit by presenting its first full ceramic watch (bracelet included), the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar in black. Needless to say, this watch is one of the hottest editions in the collection, with its unique stealth look and its complex movement. Based on this concept, Audemars […]
In 2016, when IWC decided to revamp its iconic Ingenieur collection, this came as a surprise. Gone was the robust “Genta-esque” case, the brand came back to the original design of the 1960s models. Among the inaugural models were some 3-hands watches and mostly some chronographs. And on top of the range was the complex Ingenieur Perpetual Calendar Digital Date-Month, combining a QP and a flyback chronograph. This watch, available until now only in gold with a white dial, comes today in a new, lighter, more casual version with a grey dial and titanium case under ref. IW381802.
Jaeger-LeCoultre certainly is famous for its minimalistic and Art-Deco watch, the Reverso, or for its elegant Master collection. However, this would be reductive considering everything else the Grande Maison can achieve: métiers d’art, complex movements, superb designs. This year, at the SIHH, the brand introduced both an incredible masterpiece, the Master Grande Tradition Gyrotourbillon Westminster, as well as a new design for its high-end Master watches. Combining these two is another impressive piece, with innovative chiming mechanism (and more). Here’s the Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Grande Tradition Repetition Minutes Perpetuelle.
As most of you might know, the perpetual calendar is among the most complex mechanism that can be implemented in a watch. It is the most advanced type of calendar available, the one that needs no adjustments, even during leap years… Having one in collection is sort of a must for any brand that wants to be qualified as “Haute Horlogerie”. But then again, among these watches, all were not born equal. And when it comes to Glashütte Original, and perpetual calendar that celebrates its 20th anniversary, it is indeed special.
For over five years now, blue has been the predominant colour for watchmakers when it comes to the dress watch. Blue is elegant, dressy and has this small “je ne sais quoi” about it that a black or silver dial doesn’t deliver… But not all blue watches are born equal. Some have a special pedigree, and Vacheron Constantin‘s models play in a different league (see the new Blue FIFTYSIX for instance). Today, an emblematic model from the Patrimony collection dons a midnight blue shade especially created for the line.
Three of the most revered complications in Haute Horlogerie – minute repeater, tourbillon and perpetual calendar – are united in this exceptional timepiece, a unique Parmigiani Fleurier piece that retails for just under half a million Swiss Francs. The Tecnica Ombre Noire comes in a 45mm rose gold case with a splendid hand-guilloché dial. The combination of the gleaming rose gold case and the dark handsome dial is stunning, but the watch is not entirely new. In 2014, Parmigiani Fleurier launched a limited edition of five Tecnica Ombre Blanche watches – without the sumptuous guilloché dial. The perpetual calendar functions are neatly arranged in three interconnected sub-dials with a fourth dial devoted to the one-minute tourbillon. But wait a minute, where is the slider to activate the minute repeater? Read on to find out more about this exceptional masterpiece.
The Lange 1 “25th Anniversary”, introduced prior to the SIHH 2019, was the first of a commemorative series of ten watches. Two other limited edition pieces followed, with the Grand Lange 1 Moon Phase and the Little Lange 1. For the fourth model in the collection, A. Lange & Söhne introduces the most complicated and exclusive […]
A.Lange & Söhne’s classic Langematik Perpetual comes of age and is regaled with a refined honey gold suit and some decorative touches on the dial. When it was introduced in 2001, the Langematik Perpetual was the first watch with a self-winding movement to combine a perpetual calendar with an outsize Lange date. Eighteen years down […]
Classicism, elegance and traditional design are the keywords when it comes to Blancpain’s Villeret collection. Mostly available with gold cases (white or red) and featuring white dials, these watches are the best example of the understated dress watch. However, for some, it might lack a certain audacity in its design. Without going to extremes, Blancpain […]
One of the big surprises of the 2018 edition of the SIHH came from Baume & Mercier with its new Baumatic collection. In case you need to refresh your memory, the Baumatics were equipped with a new calibre – called BM12-1975A – made by ValFleurier, a factory that also belongs to the Richemont Group. We […]