If you find yourself on the seas—perhaps in a regatta—while celebrating this holiday weekend, known as the unofficial start of summer, don’t forget to take an appropriate timepiece. There is a plethora from which to choose and here’s a smattering of water-worthy watches that will keep you on time.
Corum Admiral’s Cup Legend 47 Worldtimer
Since 1960, Corum's symbolic Admiral's Cup collection has marked the historic link between the Swiss watch brand and sailing. This year, the collection includes a complication designed for the wrist of the long distance traveler: world time. The new Admiral's Cup Legend 47 Worldtimer is equipped with the automatic caliber CO376 that, in addition to hours, minutes and seconds, displays a second time zone and its corresponding city.
The 47 mm case features the distinctive twelve-sided bezel and is available in titanium or titanium and rose gold. The dial comes to life with large luminescent hands and the famous nautical pennants. A black vulcanized rubber strap with a tri-fold clasp adds the finishing touch.
Omega Seamaster Diver 300M ETNZ
Omega has long supported the yachtsmen of Emirates Team New Zealand and the Seamaster Diver 300M ETNZ celebrates the special relationship between the watch brand and this renowned sailing team. The timepiece has a black ceramic unidirectional rotating bezel with a polished diving scale. The ETNZ logo is embossed on the screw-in caseback, while inside is the Co-Axial caliber 3330, a chronograph movement complete with a Si14 silicon balance spring.
OMEGA is proud of the partnership with Emirates Team New Zealand, which started with Sir Peter Blake's American's Cup campaign in 1995. The team won the Cup—a feat it would repeat in 2000. When Sir Peter retired from professional sailing after that campaign, OMEGA continued to support him as one of the main sponsors of his “Blakexpeditions” project until his untimely death in 2001. Since then, OMEGA has continued its support for ETNZ and looks forward to cheering it on in its next challenge for the America’s Cup in 2017 and the preceding races in the America’s Cup World Series.
Rolex Yacht-Master II
The Rolex Yacht-Master II is equipped with caliber 4161, a self-winding mechanical regatta chronograph movement entirely developed and manufactured by Rolex. The watch introduced a new regatta countdown with a unique and patented mechanical memory created by Rolex, and like all Rolex Perpetual movements, the 4161 is a certified Swiss chronometer.
The 44mm steel and Everose gold watch features a Ring Command bezel that operates in conjunction with the movement and acts as the key to the programmable countdown, allowing it to be set and synchronized to the sequence of race start times. The red-contoured countdown arrow and the seconds hand are readable at a glance against the dedicated 10‑minute countdown graduation on the dial and the graduations on the bezel. The Oyster bracelet is equipped with an Oysterlock folding clasp and an Easylink comfort extension link that allows the wearer to increase the bracelet length by about 5mm.
TAG Heuer Aquaracer 500m Caliber 72
As its name suggest, the TAG Heuer Aquaracer 500m Caliber 72 is water resistant to 500m and the chronograph automatic caliber 72 powers the functions, which include hours, minutes, small seconds and countdown chronograph, with a power reserve of about 40 hours. The brushed and polished steel watch has a black ceramic unidirectional bezel and an automatic helium valve at 10 o’clock. The dial features running seconds at 9 o’clock, chronograph minutes at 3 o’clock and an angled date window with magnifying lens at 12 o’clock. The luminescent hands and indexes are hand-applied; the hour and minute hands are skeletonized.
And don’t miss Mike Thompson’s “Regatta Specialist,” about Panerai’s regatta watches here.
The Graham Chronofighter provides a new take on the watchmaker’s signature bold style. Looking at the watch’s dial, the wearer can instantly see parts of the movement underneath the green-tinted smoked dial.
The minutes and seconds counters with white Super-LumiNova graduation. The white Super-LumiNova numerals, central hands, chrono and counters’ hands. Included on the dial is a readable white telemeter scale. The watch is powered by the G1747, which includes an Incabloc shock absorber to maintain precision and accuracy.
The watch has a water resistance of 330 feet and is placed on a green canvas strap with a steel pin buckle.
About Graham Graham is an unrepentantly English name for an exquisitely English watch. If you're interested in the minutiae of watch making, Graham was the surname of George Graham, born in 1673, master watchmaker who lived in Fleet Street in London.
There’s no denying the legacy and pedigree that comes with all things F.P. Journe. I mean, the man managed to win seven awards from the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève over a nine-year period, and anyone who has had the chance to see his work up close will be quick to add them to their short or long-term wish lists. The man is painfully outspoken (in a good way), but above all else he continues to push his boundaries for the sake of his craft rather than the sake of revenue, which is the pitfall of countless watch brands both big and small.
This obsession with innovations brings us to what we have in front of us — the Elegante 48. Initially launched as a women’s model in very early 2014, the Elegante led watch enthusiasts from every corner of the industry to stop and ask, “what’s up with that?” Early reviews of the Elegante addressed the concerns of why? and really? Once upsized to a size wearable for men I had to wonder how well it would translate. The sticker shock of a $12,000 quartz-powered dress watch isn’t the kind of thing to take lightly, so a week on the wrist was in order to see how the piece stacks up.
Design
Coming to the table at over $10,000 without the use of precious metals, there’s a pretty high level of expectation when it comes to design and finishing. Thankfully, and as expected, F.P. Journe delivers on all counts in the design department. The tonneau style case, measuring a very comfortable 40mm x 48mm, sports a great mix of mirror-polished and brushed finishing. The classic flat crown (of all things Journe) remains present, as does the use of a case-fitted strap.
However, the remainder of the Elegante’s case if very different from his usual designs. This tonneau-style case first saw the light of day the F.P.Journe $47k+ Vagabondage jumping hours and minutes complication in 2009, but history lessons aside, it’s a well-executed case design that’s dressy enough for a day at the office, yet just different enough to stand out when worn more casually.
Focusing in on dial design, the Elegante 48 speaks a very similar design language to the Chronometre Bleu in many ways. Simple numerals indicating both hours and minutes (rather than just hours, as is the case with the ladies Elegante) surround its off-white SuperLuminova-clad dial, which is in turn blocked in by four metal plates. This is one of the few details that I’m still trying to wrap my head around. In examining the piece I wore during the course of the week, as well as imagery of other Elegante models, it seems these metal details never line up evenly. Knowing F.P. Journe and the work he stands for the design is clearly purposeful, however it is a bit peculiar considering the symmetry seen elsewhere throughout the piece’s design.
On the plus side I’ve always been weirdly obsessed with full-lume dials and the Elegante 48 certainly doesn’t disappoint.
The last bit of design that has to be noted on the Elegante 48 is the business end of things. Of course, F.P. Journe would be the guy to figure out a way to make a built-from-scratch quartz movement look damn sexy — that’s pretty much a given. If he hadn’t, it’s safe to say the unveiling of the Elegante would have led to the man being laughed out of the room.
With attention to the display caseback, it’s the little things like his initials patterned into the inside of his rubber straps, and the great logo execution on the inner face of the deployant clasp that grab my attention. Yes, these are the same tactics that have appeared on other timepieces of his over the years, but far too frequently people get wrapped up in the great execution of something that needed to be executed greatly, and they begin to forget all the other little details that make a timepiece like this special.
In the Field
Wearing the Elegante 48 over the course of a week was interesting for a multitude of reasons. Its supple rubber strap ensured that it was a comfortable choice, and though I occasionally felt it was a little too plain and conservative for some of my wardrobe choices, it wasn’t that far out of place.
What proved most interesting was less about the wardrobe pairings and more about the sometimes-heated dialogue it would incite among a varied level of enthusiasts and collectors with whom I crossed paths.
First came a colleague and tech writer with a moderate interest in watches, and whose daily go-to is a Planet Ocean Chrono. He was somewhat familiar with the work of F.P. Journe, however immediately after hearing the words quartz and over $10k in close proximity that was pretty much where he checked out of the conversation. Phrases like “is he crazy” and other expletives ensued, making it quite clear that he wasn’t drinking the F.P. Journe Kool-Aid.
From there of course there were the few deeply geeky (or simply like-minded folks) that truly appreciated Journe’s innovative approach to power-saving, the dual-driver/processor design of his movement, and the fact that — quartz or not — it was still one of his creations and worthy of a place in any self-respecting collector’s collection. I’ll absolutely agree that the sleep-mode setup with a motion-detecting micro rotor is properly clever, and when we’re talking about design, finishing, engineering, and construction the Elegante is very impressive. I’m not convinced it would be the first Journe that most would buy, but I also don’t doubt that they’ll sell quite a few to brand-faithful who already have an F.P. Journe or three in their collection already.
Final Notes
Here’s where things start to get a bit tricky. Getting really personal for a moment, I enjoyed it, appreciated it, and admired it, however I don’t see it finding a spot in my watch drawer. For starters my collection has a number of different directions to grow before something like this would see regular rotation. Personal tastes aside, I’m still struggling to wrap my brain around the sticker price for anything quartz-powered. As much as I try to rationalize and look at things from a different perspective, that remains the hang-up that I have a real tough time shaking. If anything managed to foster a different outlook on the positioning of the Elegante 48, it was my recent interview with the man himself.
The thing to remember is that the Elegante is by no means the end of Journe’s work with bringing quartz to the world of Haute Horlogerie. He recently mentioned to us that he is putting efforts into building a quartz-powered perpetual calendar using the same clever battery-saving sleep mode and multiple driver/processors that power the Elegante 48, which would bring a $100k complication well within reach of a much broader collector base.
While I might not be an Elegante 48 buyer, you bet your ass I’d consider being an F.P. Journe Perpetual buyer in his target $20k-ish price range. Drawing on my automotive background, the Elegante is in many ways Journe’s Tesla Roadster. Production volume is low, there will be plenty of early adopters, but when the curtain drops on his Model S, Model X and Model 3 there will be plenty more of us that will be willing to part with our money.
At this past Baselworld, Alpina declared that their focus for 2016 was “The Year of the Dive Watch.” The watchmaker has made diving history since the 1960s when the Seastrong “10” was capable of reach 200-meter depths.
The Alpina Seastrong Diver 300 Black Chronograph Big Date is designed to cope with the most extreme conditions any professional diver could encounter. The watch has been designed with all the necessary features that allow owners to get the information they need, when they need it, for a safe dive. The aluminum, unidirectional, turning bezel turns in just one direction: anti-clockwise. With this fail-safe feature the number of elapsed minutes can never be accidentally decreased, only increased.
The watch is powered by the AL-372 quartz chronograph movement. This high precision and extremely reliable 1/10th of a second. Swiss quartz chronograph movement features 30 minutes and 10 hours chronograph counters, add and split functions, big date and provides battery life of 48 months.
About Alpina An independent, family-owned fine watchmaking manufacture based in Geneva,Switzerland, Alpina was founded in 1883. For 132 years, Alpina has acted as a pioneer of theSwiss watchmaking industry with a multitude of innovations and patents. As the inventor of the modern sport watch, the brand continues its adventurous spirit through special initiatives incorporating both the professional explorer community and the adventurous watch enthusiast.
The watch industry was impressed in 1996 when Chopard first debuted its L.U.C caliber, followed a year later by L.U.C 1860, Chopard’s first L.U.C watch. Well known for its jeweled timepieces, nice dress watches for men and its Mille Miglia sports models, Chopard at that time was not yet known for watch movement manufacturing. Because very few watch firms made in-house movements, Chopard’s reliance on supplied movements was not at all unusual at that time. So when Chopard debuted its L.U.C collection to join that small group of Swiss watch manufacturers, the introduction marked a turning point in the firm’s long history.
Chopard’s Karl-Friederich Scheufele (who shares the presidency with his sister Caroline Scheufele) had big plans for the jewelry and watch firm founded in 1860 by Louis-Ulysse Chopard. By the 1990s, Scheufele knew that to reach the high level of control and quality already seen at Chopard’s extensive jewelry making facilities in Geneva, he needed to develop a deeper, more reliable and internally controllable source for movements used in its relatively new men’s watch collections.
Scheufele met the challenge head-on in 1994 when Chopard broke ground in Fleurier Switzerland, on what would become the firm’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facility. A few years later, the Chopard manufacture unveiled that first in-house movement, L.U.C 1.96-L, with initials that were a nod to company founder Louis-Ulysse Chopard. Scheufele’s instincts proved correct as accolades rolled in from those within the watch industry as well as from collectors. Later that year, that L.U.C 1860 watch, housing that premiere movement, was voted “Watch of the Year” by Montres Passion magazine.
In the two decades since that auspicious debut, Chopard’s L.U.C models have included innovative tourbillons, perpetual calendars, regulators, high-tech repeaters and a chronograph. All feature chronometer certification, extended power reserves and, very often, Geneva Seal finishes. As a founding partner of the stringent Qualité Fleurier seal that tests fully cased watches, Chopard also has manufactured many L.U.C timepieces that have passed this highly esteemed set of technical hurdles. Created in 2001, the Fleurier Quality Foundation, which administers the tests, was a joint project undertaken by the Chopard, Parmigiani Fleurier and Bovet Fleurier brands, as well as the Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier, to establish new aesthetic an technical criteria dedicated to the certification of finished watches.
Since its debut two decades ago, Chopard’s L.U.C collection has attracted watch aficionados who prefer in-house development and manufacturing. As successful as Chopard’s Happy Diamonds and its Mille Miglia sports watch collections had been prior to L.U.C, the firm’s reliance on supplied movement manufacturing for these collections and for its gold men’s dress watches had many of these high-level buyers searching elsewhere.
Karl-Friederich Scheufele continued to move Chopard toward total vertical manufacturing following his success with the L.U.C facilities. He again enhanced Chopard’s in-house direction when he and the company opened Fleurier Ébauches in 2008 to manufacture additional movements, many of which have been used within Chopard’s high-end sports watch production and within several ladies models.
Chopard looked to its experiences with L.U.C: The first calibers from Fleurier Ébauches were developed during the conception phase of the L.U.C. 11 CF chronograph caliber. Just last year the company added its first set of in-house movements to Chopard’s long-running Mille Miglia collection of automotive-inspired timepieces. For the first time, the chronometer and power-reserve Mille Miglia models were equipped with a Chopard movement from the workshops of Fleurier Ébauches.
This year Chopard continues to expand its L.U.C legacy with the new L.U.C Perpetual Chrono, the L.U.C Perpetual Twin, the L.U.C XPS 1860 and the artisanal L.U.C 35mm Esprit de Fleurier Peony.
The L.U.C Perpetual Chrono
This watch features Chopard’s impressive column-wheel hand-wound chronograph with vertical clutch, which it originally debuted just a few years ago in the L.U.C 1963 Chronograph, and adds Chopard’s own perpetual calendar to create a combination only attempted by watchmaking’s top-tier makers. The complication essentially combines two time frames: a long-term calendar accurate for centuries and the shorter stopwatch function to time very specific events.
The manual-wind L.U.C Caliber 03.10-L, as noted, utilizes a column wheel to control its chronograph functions, including its flyback operations. As with so many superior chronographs, this caliber (seen at right) also uses a vertical coupling clutch to smooth its pusher activation. On the dial, chronograph indication is indicated in red to separate it from the various calendar indications that also share dial space at 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock. This sharing of space also gave Chopard license to design novel displays for the leap year and the day/night indicator.
The perpetual calendar itself includes a large twin-aperture date display, indications of the day, month and the above-noted leap year subdial. Further indications include the novel day/night display and a rich blue orbital moon phase that shows an exceptionally accurate reading for the age of the moon, with a reported one-day deviation in 122 years.
Not only does the L.U.C Perpetual Chrono combine two of watchmaking’s most challenging complications, it does so with the written approval of excellence of the two top certification agencies: the watch is a Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres (COSC) certified chronometer and is stamped with the Poinçon de Genève, known as the Geneva Seal. The 45 mm case of the L.U.C Perpetual Chrono is entirely made of “Fairmined” 18-karat white gold or rose gold, sourced from ethically sensitive Fairmined certified mining cooperatives.
L.U.C Perpetual Twin
This 43mm steel-cased, chronometer-certified perpetual calendar features the day, date and year indicators found in the Perpetual Chrono, but without the event-timing chronograph, moonphase indicator, day/night dial and the precious metal case of that limited edition. The result is a contemporary perpetual calendar with all the quality and design characteristics Chopard builds into each watch within its premier-level L.U.C collection.
The Perpetual Twin dial is easy to read on its silver-toned sunburst pattern, especially given its blue date and month subdials and large date. Chopard’s micro-rotor and two barrels, which comprise the brand’s patented Twin technology, combine at the heart of brand new caliber 96.51-L, which supplies the watch with a comfortable 58-hour power reserve. All the watch’s components are hand-beveled.
L.U.C XPS 1860
Chopard’s L.U.C collection celebration reaches back to its first model, the L.U.C 1860, which this slightly larger 2016 model reprises. The 40mm L.U.C XPS 1860 comes in a choice of a steel-cased model or a limited edition rose gold model. Like the original, the new watch remains an elegant, thin (7.2mm) and dressy design with a central hand-guilloché motif on the rose gold version and a sunburst satin-brushed pattern on the stainless steel version. This L.U.C XPS 1860, like its forebear, is one of the few thin watches to display the date. Inside the gold model is Caliber L.U.C 96.01-L (with Poinçon de Genève quality hallmark), a caliber with a gold micro-rotor and 65-hour power reserve that was well ahead of its time when it debuted two decades ago. Chopard places L.U.C 96.03-L inside the steel version.
L.U.C 35mm Esprit de Fleurier Peony
in 2014, Chopard created a feminine-styled L.U.C watch with a 35mm diameter. A year later Chopard added Fleurisanne engraving to the collection. This artisanal work, a specialty of the village of Fleurier, contributed to the reputation of local 19th century watchmakers, adding appeal to the locally produced time-pieces that were in demand across the globe, and especially in China.
In brief, Fleurisanne engraving is distinguished by its motifs carved in high relief. The engraver cuts away the surrounding metal to leave a particular pattern. The raised surface is then engraved with a scrolling pattern known as ‘volutes’ or with flowers, and then polished. The background is hammer-stippled to give it a grainy effect.
The new L.U.C 35mm Esprit de Fleurier Peony (below, right) features a peony motif and is fitted with a brushed pink canvas strap. Both the movement and the dial have been adorned with an artistic peony, a flower long considered good luck and an indicator of wealth and honor. On the gold dial Chopard artisans have placed a layer of Tahitian mother-of pearl, which is then meticulously cut and filled with gold and diamonds in the shapes of the peony.
The rose gold movement, Caliber L.U.C 96.23-L, is visible from the caseback and adorned with the peony motif according to the Fleurisanne engraving technique. Its surface is engraved with scrolling patterns or flowers and then polished while the base surrounding the peonies is stippled dot by dot to create a grainy effect. This process takes one-and-a-half weeks to complete for each movement. After engraving, the movement is rhodium-coated to achieve an unusual two-tone appearance. The watch is made in an eight-piece limited series and is a boutique edition.
These debuts, and the L.U.C legacy, was a primary focus for the brand at this year’s Baselworld, though Chopard also expanded its Mille Miglia collection, added a Superfast Porsche Motorsport 919 model and bolstered its well-known Happy Diamonds and Happy Sport watch lines. See more about Chopard here or Chopard.com for additional details about these new models.
Completely redesigned in 42 millimeters, F.P. Journe's Nouvelle Octa Divine model now features a new look: elegant and perfectly legible.
The instantaneous large date is displayed in enlarged windows that stand out against the dial where the seconds disk display and the power reserve indicator are delineated. A unique yet attractive design choice is the different sized numerals on the hours ring.
The movement of the Octa Divine, the Caliber 1300.3 is manufactured in 18K rose Gold is automatically wound and has a power reserve of over five days. The unidirectional winding of the exclusive off-center F.P. Journe rotor in 22K red Gold is achieved by a self-locking ball bearing system.
Price -Platinum 42: $49,700, Platinum 40: $48,000
-Red Gold 42: $45,900, Red Gold 40: $44,100
About F.P. Journe It is with an artist’s sensitivity that François-Paul Journe explores the measurement of time with creativity and innovation. Because his demands are so high, for François-Paul Journe the art of watchmaking is more than a matter of making fine watches- it means giving part of oneself, of one’s artistry and culture in the world of watchmaking, as a legacy bearing witness to one’s time.For over 30 years, the art of fine watchmaking has been an integral part of François-Paul Journe's existence.
Collectors' Insights: Panerai 2014 Classic Yachts Challenge Special Edition aka PAM 571 – P series
What is most interesting about this watch is that it is likely the most limited production Regatta special edition ever made. PAM 571 was made in a special limited edition of only 50 Pieces whereas previous Regatta special editions were produced typically in an edition of 500 Pieces. The PAM 571 was released to commemorate Panerai’s 10 year anniversary of sponsoring the Classic Yachts Challenge Racing Series for the past 10 years (2005-2014). The PAM 571 features a 47mm luminor 1950 case in titanium powered by Panerai’s in-house P.9000 automatic 3-ays power reserve movement with date indication.
The PAM 571 is almost a dead ringer for the PAM 305 save for 2 significant details—those being PAM 571 features large bold luminous 12 and 6 arabic number markers and the remaining hour markers are oversized dots whereas PAM 305 features double baton hour marker at 12 and single baton hour marker at 6 with remaining hour markers as oversized luminous dotsPAM 571 features solid engraved titanium caseback with Classic Yachts Challenge logo and stamp whereas PAM 305 features sapphire see through caseback
About the Classic Yachting Challenge Racing Series
The Classic Yachting Challenge Racing Series Spans 11 International Regattas with the Majority of these regattas held on the Mediterranean Circuit in Italian, French and Spanish waters. There is a North American Circuit held entirely in New England and there are two ports uniquely tied to the world of classic sailing, Antigua and Cowes, the birthplace of the America’s Cup. The Classic Yachting Challenge Race Series opens in April and Wraps up the racing series in Cannes at the end of September.
Classic Yachts Challenge features 3 Different categories of racing which feature: Vintage Yachts, Classic Yachts and Spirit of Tradition Tribute Yachts.
The constraints for the classes are below: Vintage Yachts -built from wood or metal and launched before December 31st 1949Classic Yachts- built from metal or wood and launched before December 31st 1975Spirit of Tradition Yachts- built after 1970 using modern materials and techniques, a look that is true to traditional designs Panerai’s sponsorship of the Classic Yachts Challenge began in 2005 and was commemorated with the release of the PAM 222, the Regatta 2005 Luminor Power Reserve.
OJ Whatley is the founder and creative force behind watchuwant.com.
The first such calendar within any of IWC’s pilots collections, the Big Pilot Watch Annual Calendar Edition "Let Petit Prince" features the three-window annual calendar that made waves when it debuted last year on the Portugieser collection. Arranged in a semi-circle at the top of the dial are the month, date and day of the week. Inside this 46mm red gold watch is the IWC Caliber 52850 with twin barrels strong enough to deliver the higher torque needed to drive the annual calendar’s three display discs. In addition, when fully wound, the two barrels supply enough energy for a full week’s power reserve. The watch’s gold rotor pays homage to Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Little Prince by engraving his likeness as if standing on his tiny asteroid (the rotor) and staring at the heavens.
About IWC With its passion for innovation and technical inventiveness, IWC Schaffhausen has established an international reputation. Since 1868, the Swiss watch manufacturers have been creating masterpieces of haute horlogerie that combine precision engineering with exclusive design.
The Venturer Big Date continues H.Moser & Cie.’s commitment to legibility, featuring a seamless-integrated, extra-large date. With these new references in white gold, the watch sets this date window in a lacquered white dial with Roman numerals.
Despite its refined look, the accent is on comfort and practicality inside and out: this watch features the Flash Calendar system which has brought the Manufacture’s date movements recognition. Clean lines, a curved profile with a convex sapphire crystal, an extremely refined bezel that opens up the dial completely and the off-center small seconds at 6 o’clock: the Venturer Big Date remains faithful to the design.
Gently curved, the dials are set off by a precise bezel and finished with a convex crystal. The leaf-shaped hands are made from blued steel on the version with the lacquered white dial, highlighting the classic tone of the piece. The watch is placed on a black alligator leather strap.
The HMC 100 hand-wound, in-house Caliber guarantees up to 10 days power reserve, thanks to the double barrel. Featuring the Flash Calendar mechanism, this ensures an instantaneous date-change at midnight. It also enables the date to be adjusted forward or backward at any time using the crown, even if the date is in the process of changing, without risk of damaging the movement.
The watch is priced at $33,000 in white gold and $29,000 in red gold.
About H. Moser & Cie. What makes an H. Moser & Cie. timepiece extraordinary and rare is a combination of three things. First, H. Moser & Cie. is an independent, Swiss, family-run business which believes in challenging the norm. This is nothing new as H. Moser & Cie. has a long history of entrepreneurial spirit. Second, all of its movements are manufactured in-house. Every H. Moser & Cie. builds is finished by hand, hence why they make very few watches. Third, they make ingenious products. Their watches house unique features and their complications are simple and functional. These combined, H. Moser & Cie. timepieces are truly exceptional and very rare.
The video below describes the partnership and the role the photographers played in the collection.
Provided by Grand Seiko
Photographer Daido Moriyama’s style is more abstract and modern than Nobuyoshi Araki’s. His strap designs include a women’s legs in fishnets (very Helmut Newton-esque) and his famous Stray Dog photograph. Daido says, “I like the feeling of how my photographs have a chance to circulate in the city once again.” While Araki’s straps use his vibrant flower subjects as their material.
The new watch straps are placed on the Black Ceramic Limited Edition watch, which is powered by either the Spring Drive Chronograph GMT 9R96, and the other two use Spring Drive GMT 9R16. These watches are all accurate to ±10 seconds per month, a level that is higher than any other existing spring-wound watch in the world. As a symbol of this enhanced accuracy, the Grand Seiko lion in 18-karat gold is built into the oscillating weight. And just in case the wearer doesn’t want the extra-length watch strap, an additional regular length strap featuring an image of each photographer’s work will be given with each watch.
Two of the Black Ceramic Limited Edition, chronograph versions, will be launched in June 2016 and the other two, GMT versions, launched in July.
Luminox has partnered with Lockheed Martin for 16 years to bring aviation and watch enthusiasts a series of creative timepieces inspired by some of the most remarkable strategic aircraft in aviation history. For 2016, the watchmaker introduces themodels of the F-22 Raptor Chronograph series featuring solid titanium cases and flight-inspired slide rule bezels.
Built of solid titanium, a material that is both strong and light, the timepiece features a 13-jewel Ronda quartz movement supporting a roster of useful functions. The watch comes in four models; a black dial with a solid link titanium bracelet, or black or brown leather strap; and a white dial with a gray webbing strap.
About Luminox Like many other American success stories, Luminox came from a forward-thinking individual realizing a need in the market and meeting it. Barry Cohen, a watch industry veteran, came across a Swiss self-powered illumination system and knew that it would make watches more visible and easier to read in low or no light situations. He asked his friend Richard Timbo if he would like to join him. Luminox was born in 1989 (Lumi is Latin for light while Nox is Latin for night), driven by a commitment to offer cutting-edge luminescence and readability in its line of high-performance sports watches.
In March, Carl F. Bucherer launched a new in-house movement, the CFB A2050. The Manero Peripheral is the first watch with this new movement.
This CFB A2050 is housed in a classically designed round case. The eye is drawn to the clear edges, curves and contrasting polished and matte surfaces. The dial is a Manero classic: finished with raised wedged hour-markers and contains faceted lance hands.
This classic look is complemented by modern engineering. The automatic movement draws its energy from a double-sided self-winding mechanism with a peripheral rotor. The Geneva Strips on the movement’s bridges and balance-cocks are a tribute to Swiss horology.
The watch is priced at $18,600 in rose gold with white dial and strap.
About Carl F. Bucherer Based in the heart of the Swiss watchmaking country Carl F. Bucherer has been creating jewelry and fine timepieces for 126 years. The Lucerne-based manufacture creates masterpieces like the Patravi collection, a sports collection for both men and women. The Patravi collection features innovative mechanics, superior materials and a multitude of designs.
Breitling for Bentley introduces a new limited edition in the Bentley B06 collection: the Midnight Carbon. The watch is powered by its Manufacture Breitling Caliber B06, with an exclusive 30-second chronograph system.
Both the satin-brushed steel case and the bezel feature a motif inspired by the Bentley radiator grilles that are coated with a black high-resistance carbon-based treatment.
The “30-second chronograph” system, inspired by a Breitling patent dating from 1926, is distinguished by its central hand performing a full sweep of the dial in half a minute. This insures extremely accurate 1/8th of a second time readings. Design-wise, the dark blue dial complements the black strap and red numerals nicely.
The dial also displays another world-exclusive feature of Breitling for Bentley: a “variable tachymeter,” based on a circular slide rule. Used in conjunction with the chronograph, this system serves to measure an average speed whatever the time elapsed, the distance covered or the speed reached.
Issued in a 500-piece limited edition, the Bentley B06 Midnight Carbon is available with a black rubber strap bearing the Bentley signature or a rubber and crocodile strap.
Raymond Weil welcomes the maestro Beatles Limited Edition timepiece, another exciting example of the brand’s commitment to music as an essential aspect of its DNA.
“We could not feel more proud to associate our brand name with the exceptional Beatles,” says Raymond Weil CEO Elie Bernheim.
“Raymond Weil has always been closely linked with music, our dear source of inspiration since our early days. We are overjoyed to once again honor great music legends this year and celebrate our 40th anniversary with the Fab Four!”
The maestro Beatles Limited Edition keeps time to a mechanical self-winding movement housed in a 39.5mm polished steel case. The thirteen Beatles’ album titles are artfully displayed between the hour markers on the silver galvanic dial, while a special “Help” index at 4 o’clock is a tribute to the cover of the famous album released in 1965. The dial also features the official Beatles logo and a date window at 3 o’clock, while the transparent caseback, too, reveals the logo along with the limited edition number within the 3,000-piece series. The watch, which comes on a stainless steel bracelet, is presented in a case replete with Beatles iconography.
About Raymond Weil It all started in 1976, in the middle of a watch industry crisis, when Mr Raymond Weil decided to found his own company and turn his vision of what Swiss watchmaking should be into actual timepieces that would bring a new dimension to the industry. Mr Weil’s creations were immediately praised by watch enthusiasts – amateurs and connoisseurs alike. Once strongly settled in Switzerland, and carried along by both his enthusiasm and his experience, the founder of RAYMOND WEIL explored Europe and the whole world to gradually put together an international network. RAYMOND WEIL is now a famous brand and one of the flagships of the Swiss watchmaking industry.
Zenith presents two new versions of its aviator watches, issued in a limited edition of 50 pieces each. Combining power and elegance, the Pilot Type 20 GMT and Pilot Type 20 Extra Special both feature a deep blue palette with crimson accents, and both feature Zenith in-house mechanical movements. The watches were unveiled at the Couture show in Vegas this past weekend.
Pilot Type 20 GMT
This ultra-light 48mm black DLC-coated titanium case features a broad notched crown ensuring a good grip. Protected by a domed sapphire crystal, the matte blue dial has oversized Arabic numerals and broad faceted hands. The luminescent display with red accents creates a unique vintage touch. Water-resistant to 100 meters, the case has a solid back depicting the feat achieved by the Wright brothers in 1903 when they launched their Flyer glider in North Carolina. The watch is placed on a blue alligator leather strap with white stitching.
Pilot Type 20 Extra Spécial
Testifying to the pioneering role played by Zenith in the conquest of the skies, the new Pilot Type 20 Extra Special flaunts all the attributes of an aviator watch. With its generous 45mm case, broad screw-lock crown and oversized display ensuring optimal visibility, the watch is a true legend. The deep blue shade accentuates the vintage charm of the matte dial, which is punctuated by large Arabic numerals swept over by luminescent faceted hands and bearing the inscription “Extra Special” in red. The solid caseback bears an engraving of the plane flown by Louis Blériot when he crossed the Channel in 1909 with a Zenith timepiece on his wrist. The watch is placed on an elegant blue alligator leather strap with white stitching.
It was a busy week in Las Vegas, with the annual jewelry and watch shows in town. The Couture show at the Wynn Las Vegas (June 2 – 6) and the JCK show at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino (June 3 – 6) were augmented by a couple of new shows to add to the mix (and to the cab fares). These included the JIS Exchange in partnership with JCK at the newly renovated Tropicana, and the World Watch Market at the Trump International. The JIS Exchange was a trade-only jewelry buying and selling event held for the first time in Las Vegas, June 3 through yesterday, while the World Watch Market was a brand-new effort at a consumer watch show, held Saturday and Sunday, June 4 and 5.
Chopard
While most brands introduce their new products for the year at the winter and spring European watch trade shows (SIHH and Baselworld), there were a few notable releases concurrent with the Las Vegas shows. These included Chopard’s latest limited edition timepiece devoted to Italy’s Mille Miglia classic car rally, which was on display at Couture. As official timekeeper for the race since 1988, the Mille Miglia range of Chopard timepieces has grown beautifully and considerably throughout the years. The Chopard Mille Miglia 2016 XL Race Edition, a stainless steel chronograph limited to 1,000 pieces, features the Chopard Caliber 03.05-C, a chronograph movement with COSC certification. The dial is inspired by vintage auto dashboards, and it insures maximum readability thanks to its large numerals and luminescent hands. Recalling leather car bonnet tie-down straps, the leather watchstrap echoes the spirit of the Mille Miglia race.
Baume & Mercier
In keeping with the car theme, Baume & Mercier’s Capeland Shelby Cobra 1963 “Tribute Edition” was on display along with the racecar that inspired it: the Shelby Cobra 289 "Tribute Edition." The watch will be offered exclusively to buyers of the car, and only fifteen watches and fifteen cars will be produced, with each watch featuring the chassis number engraved on the caseback. Baume & Mercier Global CEO, Alain Zimmerman and President of Baume & Mercier North America, Fred Martel, hosted a cocktail event during Couture to honor the partnership and recognize legendary Shelby Cobra driver, Allen Grant, who was in attendance. According to Zimmerman, cars and watches appeal to a similar demographic, and Baume & Mercier’s association with motorsports is one more opportunity to surprise and delight the brand’s loyal fans.
Zenith
Zenith introduced two new models in its Pilot Type 20 collection at the Couture show, and both will be available exclusively at the brand’s authorized retailers in the U.S. and Canada. Full story on the models here.
Alpina
Vintage styles, evident at the European trade shows earlier in the year, remain strong. As an example, the new Alpina KM-710, shown at JCK, is a contemporary take on the naval service wristwatches that Alpina produced in the 1930s for the German military. As early as 1934, the massive military armament in Germany called for very different kinds of timepieces, and Alpina was one of the suppliers for the German Kriegsmarine, alongside other brands. The KM-710 features a stainless steel case and the in-house AL-710 automatic caliber.
Ball
Ball Watch is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year and concurrently introducing its first in-house mechanical movement, Caliber RRM1101, which made its U.S. debut in the Ball Trainmaster Manufacture on display at JCK. The 40mm, 18-karat rose gold watch is limited to just 125 pieces, each with a classic two-hand dial with date window at 3 o’clock. H3 micro-gas tubes in the hour and minute hands insure readability in low-light conditions.
Among its 2016 collection unveiled this past March, the Breguet Héritage 5410 is a perfect compliment to the complicated and always beautiful men’s and women’s models.
Although this model is less of a jaw-dropper than the Tradition 7087, the Héritage 5410 can stand alone. The curved rectangular 18-karat rose gold case mixed with the tradition Roman numerals creates a timepiece that transcends design. The small seconds and date window are symmetrical while the abstracted numerals draw the eye.
At the center of the dial are of course, the signature Breguet hands. These specific hands are luminescent open-tipped hands in blued steel. The style was very popular in Breguet’s time and had resurgence in the 1930s up until now. The dial is curved and is made from 18-carat gold. Each watch is individually numbered and signed Breguet.
The watch is powered by the self-winding Breguet Caliber 516GG, which boasts a 65-hour power reserve. Included is a silicon balance spring, giving the watch reliability. The watch is placed on a leather strap.
The watch is also available in 18-carat white gold.
About Breguet Breguet’s influence on the watchmaking industry is vast, as its founder and namesake, Abraham-Louis Breguet patented a the tourbillon in 1801. Breguet’s inventions have left an undeniable imprint on watchmaking’s history and its current developments maintain to push mechanical watchmaking boundaries.Learn more about Breguet here.
The TAG Heuer Monaco Caliber II “Steve McQueen” was released October 2015 and is based on the 1969 original, the first square-cased watch with a water-resistant chronograph.
The watch has a long history stretching all the way back to 1969 when the Heuer Monaco 1133B was first launched. At the time, the watch represented a complete break from the aesthetic codes of traditional watchmaking, with a large case, metallic blue dial, red minute hand and the crown positioned on the left.
With its track debut in 1970, the watch was seen on the silver screen the following year. Steve McQueen insisted on wearing the model during filming for “Le Mans” in 1971. Instantly recognizable and often copied, the 1133B is coveted by collectors at auction and elsewhere.
Taking a look at the 2015 model, one of the highlights is the Heuer logo-emblazoned clasp, which adds to the vintage look of the timepiece. The caseback reveals the automatic chronograph movement that features a 40-hour power reserve. The strap’s design is based on racing gloves and thins out toward the ends.
A topic of discussion that is often misunderstood or confused is Panerai's release of “OOR” or “Out of Range” watches. What are OOR watches and what do they represent, where do they come from and what makes them special?
OOR watches refer to limited micro-edition releases of discontinued or one-time-release Special Edition Panerai watches. OOR watches are typically released several years after the initial release or the discontinuance of a particular PAM reference number. Just to clarify, there are no hard or fast rules as to OOR watches being produced exclusively for regular editions or special editions, and this is confirmed by the fact that there are OOR models that are both regular and special editions.
It is widely speculated that OOR series Panerai watches occur when Panerai realizes it has back stock or excess availability of movements, cases and other components such that they are able to release a micro-edition of a currently discontinued watch. OOR watches are offered in very small batches of typically 25 to 50 pieces, and they are usually distributed on an exclusive basis primarily through the Panerai boutique distribution channel. The Panerai boutiques use OOR watches to leverage customer relationships, affinity and repeat business by offering their top clients right of first refusal on these watches. As such, they usually sell out very quickly. For that reason, OOR Limited Edition watches in the secondary or resale marketplace are very rare, few and far between, and they are considered prized possessions. These watches are a unique anomaly exclusive to Panerai and represent a unique “quirk” within the contemporary history of the brand.
The PAM 232 Radiomir 1938 was released as a special limited edition, one-time production of only 1,938 pieces for the “I series” in 2006. Nineteen thirty-eight is a significant number because this watch is a remake of the original 1938 Radiomir. As a tribute to the original, all of these watches have sandwich dials and solid stainless steel casebacks. As much as that prevents viewing and appreciation of the movement, Panerai wanted to keep this watch as authentic as practical to its original DNA. As a special edition release, the protocol was to retire the PAM 232 reference number after its initial release in 2006.
In the case of the PAM 232 OOR, Panerai quietly and discreetly re-released a very limited number of PAM 232 models as a special OOR series of only 40 watches. The PAM 232 OOR is identical to the original PAM 232-I in every way, including the special edition massively oversized burlwood presentation-box set and Special Edition Parchment Scroll (individually numbered to match the watch), with the exception of the millesimation marking on the caseback, which in the case of this PAM 232-OOR is identified as “OOR xx/40” for its edition number. The PAM 232 OOR was originally sold circa 2009, several years after the initial release of the Pam 232-I series. This watch represents a rare and unique find seldom seen available for sale in the secondary market.
The Rolex Datejust is not just a passing trend in horology, but a true style. This model has transcended time thanks to its aesthetics and functions. The new model, the Oyster Perpetual Datejust 41 comes in a variety of options, allowing the wearer to customize materials, the bezel and bracelet.
The watch features a striking champagne dial, with hour markers made from 18 carat gold to prevent tarnishing. The watch is placed on a two-toned Jubilee bracelet. The bracelet is a comfortable five-piece link metal bracelet and was designed for the launch of the Oyster Perpetual Datejust in 1945.
Influenced by the pioneering Date just, the date on this model is displayed in a window at 3 o’clock and changes instantaneously at midnight. The cyclops on the crystal, invented by Rolex in 1953 magnifies the date for easy reading.
The watch is powered by the 3235 movement, a new generation movement entirely developed and manufactured by Rolex. It is certified as a Swiss chronometer by COSC.
About Rolex Founded in 1905 in London by Hans Wilsdorf, Rolex became known for a concentration on quality movements, a relentless quest for chronometric precision and the first waterproof and dustproof watch, named the “Oyster”. Rolex watches were present during a number of historical events, including Mercedes Gleitze’s ten-hour swim across the English channel and Sir Edmund Hillary’s summit of Mount Everest. Rolex invented and patented the world’s first self-winding mechanism in 1931 that remains at the heart of every modern automatic watch today. Discover more about Rolex here.
