When discussing historic and classical watchmakers, few brands come to mind as readily as Breguet. Older than the United States and rife with innovations including the first-ever tourbillon in 1801, Breguet has built up a particular classically baroque style of luxury horology over centuries of releases. Even the brands sporting offerings are often traditionally inspired and accented with classical flourishes, including the Type XXI chronograph series, based on a pilots chronograph design first [...]
The mad people at Richard Mille are back at it again with another outrageous watch, or in this case, watches. Available in bright red, white, and blue, these are the new Richard Mille RM 022 Tourbillon Aerodyne Dual Time Red-White-Blue Limited Edition watches that will only be available in Richard Mille boutiques in the Americas. Obviously, this is an important market for Richard Mille. After all, the US is one of Richard Milles biggest markets and is number two in terms of Swiss watch exports. [...]
In this, the year of our Portugieser 2020, IWC also just released some new Portugieser Yacht Club watches as part of Watches Wonders 2020. The Yacht Club has always been an interesting sub-category of the Portugieser, intended to be a sportier breed with features like rubber strap and lume. So far, IWC has only produced the Yacht Club in a flyback chronograph, but this year theyve added a new model that boasts a new complication for the brand, as well, in the form of a Portugieser Yacht Club Mo [...]
Since its birth in 1994, the A. Lange Sohne Lange 1 watch has been the brands most iconic watch. A real gamble at the time, it proved to be a very successful design. You can also thank it for the big date complication that they refer to as an outsized date. Here is a nice picture from A. Lange Sohne with the complete family of all the Lange 1 watches to-date. I thought it was a nice way to reflect on the collection. Below you will find a cool spec chart that discusses each of the models and w [...]
SIHH isnt a time for watch brands to hold back and this year, weve seen more than a few jaw-dropping releases thatll certainly keep watch lovers entertained for a while. Some of our favorite models, however, are those that show just how capable brands are when it comes to breaking free from the chains of conservatism and bringing us something thatll really turn heads. This is exactly what Panerai has done with the?Panerai LAstronomo Luminor 1950 Tourbillon Moon Phases Equation of Time GMT, a cus [...]
An interesting time at the various Audemars Piguet watch manufacture facilities leads to an interesting article I wrote in Haute Living. The full text of the Audemars Piguet manufacture article is here, but Ive gone ahead and put images from the visit in the gallery below. Enjoy, I think AP fans and general watch lovers will find it a good read. [...]
If you have a good sense of humor, like to laugh at Hollywood, and want to see some actually very impressive special effects (not to mention makeup) go see the movie Tropic Thunder. While it contains some controversial joking around (people will find issue with almost anything these days), it has a great cast, and some very good acting. Honestly, this is an excellent role for Jack Black. Seriously, see the movie and tell me that Jack Black doesnt play his character very well. Not to mention Robe [...]
After writing a few articles about this watch I wanted to step back and think about it a bit. To be the worlds most complicated watch, even for a short period of time is quite a feat. This is measured in terms of complications which tend to have generally accepted definitions and can be enumerated to watch industry professionals and enthusiasts. The Jaeger-LeCoultre Hybris Mechanica Grande Sonnerie has 26 complications. If you could count its functions, the number does not reach 26 of course. In [...]
In a recent interview with Hublots CEO Jean Claude Biver he mentioned to me how Hubot will put a lot of focus into Asia (namely China) in 2012. Boy, he wasnt kidding and I expect a full of series of spectacle style events to ensue in the next few years that only Hublot knows how to put on. Hublot hasnt ignored China up to know. Starting in 2010 they chose martial arts actor Jet Li as a brand ambassador, and have had other events in the region.When Hublot puts their sights on something they do a [...]
To be honest when I first checked out this Saxonia Dual Time watch I didnt give it much attention. It was nice, but didnt really look like the A. Lange Sohne watches I was used to. I was frankly more interested in the Richard Lange Tourbillon Pour le Merite as well as the Zeitwerk Striking. It was only after returning to the watch later on did I realize that it was a really nicely done dual time watch. The movement is all Lange, but the dial feels a bit like something else. It is quite minimali [...]
Continuing their partnership with the Williams F1 team, Oris has released a new motor sport watch for 2010 that is likely the nicest yet when it comes to a watch made for Williams. This is at least the fourth watch to come from the partnership, and it looks really nice in mostly black with a technical looking blue trim. Oris is further refining the dial design, offering a fascinating, yet polished look.The case itself is 44mm wide in DLC black. Notice the thin blue line that extends around the p [...]
Jo?o Campos-Silva at Uacari, a sustainable development reserve. He is helping reverse the loss of Amazon wildlife.From the outside looking in, omega, the industrys ever-present force major, is about as closed a shop as one could imagine. Every aspect of the companys dealings is shrouded in secrecy to protect a commodity that has taken generations to cultivate - mystique. It is assuredly rare, then, that anyone from outside the company should be allowed through the doors. Even less often is omega [...]
With so much of their brand recognition built upon the history of the Reverso, some of Jaeger-LeCoultres other pieces can often be overlooked. This is especially true with their sports watches, and thats a shame, as pieces like this Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Compressor Chronograph Ceramic watch are some of the most compelling pieces on the market right now.?While this model isnt new (check out the previous model we covered here),?this version is?an absolute stunner of a watch incorporating a new g [...]
Sponsored post presented on by advertiserAs the now-official retail partner to the Watches Wonders watch show series, MR PORTER also offers some newly released 2020 timepieces you wont be able to get anywhere else. New timepieces from Watches Wonders member brands Vacheron Constantin, Roger Dubuis, Bovet, and HYT featured in this article are all currently available exclusively from the MR PORTER website. Senior Buyer Maxim De Tuckheim says, As with all product we bring on-site, we always aim [...]
Ive always had a major soft spot for Cartier watches, especially high-end ones. The particular blend of technique, design, and a traditionally Parisian take on luxury makes them feel both conservative and full of personality. The Rotonde de Cartier Mysterious Hour Skeleton (debuted here) is a good example of what to look for when you want a Cartier that is much fancier than the ones most people have, but not so exotic as to make it challenging to wear on a regular basis.All images by David Breda [...]
Ah, now here is a slide-rule bezel complication that I can use. I tend to make fun of these as I am not about to do long-division or calculate fuel consumption on a tiny slide-rule, if I need to figure that stuff out at all But this one is actually handy. This new watch for 2012 from Hamilton is the Khaki X-Patrol and it has a metric to imperial conversion scale. That would prove useful as I often travel to Europe and having no idea how far things are and how much things weigh. I am such a proud [...]
Back in 2008 IWC released a collection called Vintage which was a bit of a misnomer. It was the beginning of the serious retro watch craze and IWC released a collection of stunning vintage themed versions of their contemporary collection. The kick was that each of the pieces actually did have a real history. So it was new watches based on original vintage watches, but not 1:1 design reproductions of those watches. These were cool and an IWC Vintage Ingenieur was part of the collection. I felt th [...]
The horological highlight from Hublot this year was the long-named Cathedral Minute Repeater Tourbillon and Column Wheel Chronograph watch. In a King Power style case, this watch boasts a case formed out of carbon fiber and a very complex movement that has (Yup, you guessed it!) the time, a tourbillon, a minute repeater, and a chronograph.Presenting it was Hublot CEO Jean-Claude Biver on the first day of Baselworld 2011. In front of a group of us he activated the watch, put a microphone to it, a [...]
Quatuor is a name I can hardly pronounce but represents a piece of fun from Roger Dubuis that is wonderfully and most exquisitely deranged. Day one at SIHH 2013 is over and I am trying to wrap my mind around all the people I saw and faces I inadvertently forgot. Always good to reunite with friends and have strangers who seem to know you come up and ask how things are. Id like to remove the how are you? question as a polite follow-up to hello during small talk conversations. It is all too generic [...]
Breitling is going through a bit of a reinvention period for 2018. With a change of leadership under the new CEO Georges Kern, the brand has looked to its past and introduced models based on their vintage catalog to bring Breitling back to its roots, without losing any of the iconic style that Breitling has become known for. For Baselworld 2018, Breitling has introduced the Breitling Navitimer Super 8, a watch inspired by one of Breitlings pilot stopwatches from the 1930s and 1940s called the Re [...]