The latest “experimental collection” unveiled by Ferdinand Berthoud during Baselworld 2019 unites the findings of two pivotal scientific minds of the Enlightenment. Closer in nature to an instrument than a watch, two limited editions of 10 pieces celebrate the genius of pioneers Ferdinand Berthoud and Jean-Charles de Borda, men whose discoveries and quest for chronometric […]
UNDONE is a true case study in bespoke. A microbrand to be sure, but one that’s continuing to offer intriguing, customizable mechanical watches at affordable prices. We recently reviewed its Aqua dive watch and customization for that piece was pretty impressive. Multiple case finishes, bezels, over two dozen dial options, with or without date, over […]
In 2014, with the launch of its first Octo Finissimo (hand-wound) models, Bulgari rewrote the rules of skinny. Until then, an ultra-thin watch was defined by discreet styling, a round case, precious metal – in short, the ultimate dress watch. Then along came Octo Finissimo, with its shape-shifting trick of looking both supermodel-skinny and swaggeringly muscular. Shamelessly modern! A sports-deluxe ultra-thin watch! Made of titanium! Jump to the 2017 version – the world’s thinnest automatic watch (until Piaget snatched the record back a year later). This time the entire thing was done in sandblasted titanium – case, dial, bracelet and clasp – the chromatic unity bringing even greater strength to the design. Then, last year, rhodium-plated and sandblasted steel, and sandblasted pink gold – the former with an almost icy-white tone, the latter smashing any prejudice we may have felt towards all-gold watches. Flashy? No sir. And this year, ceramic. Sandblasted. Deep, matt black. The Stealth Bomber Octo Finissimo. Black shrinks any object visually and the deep matt black of the Octo Finissimo’s sandblasted surface shrinks it even more. Except that it doesn’t. That shape-shifting trick again. The strong angles of its stepped bezel and lugs radiate confidence and swagger.…
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As you may already know, Seiko is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its Spring Drive technology this year. To mark what is in fact quite a momentous occasion, Grand Seiko debuted two new hand-wound Spring Drive movements and a total of four different watches at Baselworld. We recently spent some hands-on time with three of […]
Girard-Perregaux is using the Laureato collection as its battering ram to break into the kingdom of the “luxury sports watch”. Suffice it to say that there are only 25 different models in the Bridges family, 44 models in the 1966 collection… and nearly 75 Laureato watches. And let’s keep in mind that the modern version […]
A tourbillon inside a steel sports watch? On a rubber strap? It’s enough to bring a watch-purist out in a cold sweat. And when such a watch is launched by one of the most venerable companies in the business? Ohhh … But that’s exactly what makes the Vacheron Constantin Overseas Tourbillon so cool. Yes, cool. Here’s Vacheron Constantin, showing off its haute horlogerie chops in casual, sports-luxe mode. The tourbillon follows a chronograph, a perpetual calendar and a world timer into the Overseas line but its presence in the collection is both strange and wonderful in a way those other complications are not. It’s not the first time we’ve seen a tourbillon in a sports-luxe line (AP, Richard Mille et al.), but Vacheron usually surrounds its tourbillons with elegant refinement and/or high complications. This is by far the house’s most understated tourbillon watch to date – and here, the delicate and beautiful mechanism sits in splendid isolation, surrounded by an ocean of blue dial. And wrapped up in steel. The case Fasten the watch to your wrist and the case shows its star quality. The proportions are great: wide enough (42.5mm) and thin enough (10.39mm) to look and feel strongly present…
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In the past few years, Longines has been quite successful in re-editing some of its most glorious vintage watches. This includes, of course, the Legend Diver, but also the recently launched Skin Diver, the Avigation Big Eye or the Lindbergh watches. Altogether, this creates a solid, coherent “Heritage” collection. One of the latest additions is pushing the concept even further… Vintage-inspired and faux-ageing to the max is what you’ll get with the Longines Heritage Military, a re-edition of the RAF-issued 6B/159 watch.
The Defy is playing an increasingly important role in Zenith’s lineup — offering a modern alternative to the Pilot’s line that has dominated the discussion for so long. And there’s a lot to like about it — modern style with a hint of retro flavour. And while the Defy spans the spectrum from accessible to ultra high-end, the watch we’re looking at today — the Zenith Defy El Primero 21 — sits neatly in the middle, adding a quintessentially Zenith complication to the sporty 44mm package. That complication is, of course, the chronograph — and not just any chrono, but the mighty El Primero. Only here it’s the El Primero on steroids — the El Primero 21. The party trick here is the fact that the chronograph is packing two escapements, one for the timekeeping, and one for the chronograph. The real kicker is the beat rate for the chronograph escapement — 360,000 vph. This means that the central hand doesn’t make a full rotation every minute, but every second (that’s 1/100th of a second accuracy). It’s a whirling, mad thing to look at, and super cool. It’s also something of an energy hog, as you might expect, which leads…
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Like a good thriller, the Calatrava Weekly Calendar 5212A is packed with subtle clues that offer us a glimpse into the strategies of its maker. More complex than the élite and minimalist line-up of Calatrava watches, the Weekly Calendar also departs from its family heritage of precious metal cases and flaunts a stainless steel case. […]
Carl F. Bucherer dips into its archives and breathes new life into a 1956 bi-compax chronograph with the release of the Heritage BiCompax Annual. Produced in two limited editions of 888 pieces, the Heritage BiCompax Annual is the second member of the Heritage Line designed to showcase the brand’s technology housed in designs inspired by watches from the mid-20th century. Revisited in a 41mm format, the Heritage BiCompax Annual pays tribute to its forbear but pops an annual calendar into the mix. Two very desirable complications in an impeccably stylish package at a price that has nothing to do with other Maisons adept at these combinations, we were lucky enough to get some hands-on time with this exceptional retro revival.