Launched to mark the 100th anniversary of Hawaiian Lifeguard Association, this watch collection serves the requirements of daring lifeguards on the job.
All the Hawaiian Lifeguard Association watches can withstand enormous power of the ocean. They are also excellent knock-around watches, suitable for most any water environment. Plus, they’re just cool looking casual lifestyle timepieces, perfect for everyday wear.
The HLA watches come with 316L stainless steel cases and bezels, 120 click unidirectional ratcheting bezels for diving, screw in case backs and crown to ensure 200 meters water resistance.
In addition, the watches have extremely reliable Japanese quartz movements, highly scratch resistant K1 glass crystals, and comfortable genuine NBR rubber straps with patterned back for ventilation.
A percentage of the proceeds of every watch sale will be given back to the Hawaiian Lifeguard Association to support the great work done daily in the “spirit of aloha” by this outstanding organization to help ensure public safety.
The Hawaiian Lifeguard theme colors of yellow and red (the same colors of Hawaiian royalty) symbolize the line between caution and danger, and can be seen as accents on the watches.
The Hawaiian Lifeguard Association Watches are now available for purchase on Watches.com. Suggested retail price is $250.
Technical details
316L Stainless Steel Case, Unplated or IP Plated in Black or Gun Metal
Case diameter: 42mm
Unidirectional 120 click rotating timing bezel
Screw-down locking crown
Water resistance: 200 meters
Screw case-back
Thick Swiss Superluminova lume on hands and dial indices
Japan Quartz 3 Hand + Date Movement
K1 Hardened mineral crystal
22mm Genuine NBR Rubber Strap with Signature Buckle and Easy Change Spring Pin
T3 Special Watches is a contemporary Swiss watchmaker based in Morcote, an attractive lakeside village in Southern Switzerland. The brand was founded by Andrea Marzari, who has been in the watch retail business since 1995, and Alessandro Poggi, a seasoned watch collector and connoisseur.
The brand’s first creation is Dague, a titanium watch featuring a coin-edge case, mechanical hand-wound movement with separate bridges, Gilt sandwich dial and the sword-shaped hands, which give this watch its name.
Titanium is lighter than steel, anti-allergic, anti-magnetic, and it has an intense-grey hue. The well-proportioned case of Dague watch measures 41.7 mm diameter and approximately 11mm thickness. The front glass is a domed sapphire with anti-reflective coating on the inside.
For this timepiece, T3 Special Watches brand has opted for completely rebuilt and personalized mechanical movements first introduced in the early 1900`s. These calibers are 3.75mm thick, have six separate bridges, brass gaskets (chatons) on the rubies with steel screws to hold them in place, a large bi-metallic balance wheel with compensating screws, a deep-blue Breguet hairspring and an open barrel-bridge.
The original movements are 40 mm in diameter so the watchmakers downsized the plates to the smallest possible diameter, which is 37. 8mm, or 16.75 lignes. As these movements are on average a century old, the company replaced most of the rubies, of the balance axes, adjust the Breguet hairsprings, regulate the balance wheel`s adjustment screws and every part which showed signs of wear. The bridges are finished with “anglage”, the mirror-polishing of the edges, by hand, the old fashioned way. The plates have been sand-blasted to an even matte finish, and the bridges have satin finish.
The sandwich dial with large rounded roman numerals is an innovative design, it needs a more complex workmanship than an ordinary printed dial, the dial`s upper plate has the numerals cut out and it is bolted to the lower plate via three connecting pins. Each connecting pin is hand-turned on a watchmaker`s lathe and then hand polished.
Galvanic dials tend to have more of a shine because the color coating is a very thin and translucent layer which is not spray-painted, but is applied by electrolysis that deposits colored metallic molecules firmly onto the dial surface.
As each dial is hand-printed, even within the same colour range no two dials are the same. The domed sapphire glass has an anti-reflective coating on the inside.
The Dague is available in several versions like Turquoise, Spring Water, Passion Rosier, Lumiere D’orange, Aqua Jade, Midnight Fire, Cognac Vintage, Noir Absolu, Minimal Steel, Zero Noir, Double Chocolate, Desert Rose and Midnight Sky. These watches are made in limited editions.
The Dague by T3 Special Watches is named after its hands which are easy to read, distinctive and good looking and whose design resembles a dague, ancient Rome`s iconic legionnaire short sword. The specially designed hands are mirror diamond-polished and treated with SuperLuminova for a good night visibility.
The caseback of the watch is secured to the case via 4 screws. The sapphire glass on the case-back side allows the view of the mechanical hand-wound movement.
Technical details
Case
Material: Grade 5 Titanium
Diameter: 41.4 mm (excluding the crown)
Thickness: 11 mm (including glass)
Water resistance: 50 meters
Bezel finish: Round Satinage with mirror-polished bevel
Carrure finish: Horizontal satinage with mirror-polished lugs
Caseback finish: Round Satinage
Crown: Titanium, with o-rings lock
Movement
Manual winding movement
Separate bridges
Bi-Metallic Open Balance Wheel with Compensating Screws
Breguet Hairspring
Frequency: 2.5 Hz – 18.000 Alt/ hour
Diameter: 16 Lignes, 36.18 mm
Power reserve: 36 hours
Bridges: Rhodium plated, hand finished with satinage and anglage
Base Plate and Wheel Bridge: Rhodium Plated and Micro-Bille
Dial
Two layer sandwich dial with 3 hand turned and hand polished connecting pins
Upper Disc: Cut out drilled and “gilt” printed
Lower Disc: Drilled and galvanic mirror treated
Hands: cut out, diamond mirror polished, with hand applied Super-Luminova®
Strap
Hand-stitched alligator strap
Made In Italy and with CITES Certification
In 2020, to mark the 15th anniversary of its most robust and distinctive collection, the BALL Watch Company launched the Engineer Hydrocarbon Original watch with a black dial and matching bezel. The year 2021 witnessed the addition of new versions featuring blue or green dial with matching bezels.
The Engineer Hydrocarbon Original’s unidirectional bezel is made of blue or green sapphire and is graduated so that the diver can measure their dive time accurately and adjust their decompression stops in complete safety. For optimum handling of these specific diving functions, the bezel features special indents that allow it to be used with bare hands or with diving gloves.
Water-resistant to 200 m/660 ft, this model is one of the few to feature micro tubes of H₃ gas inside the sapphire bezel. The brand’s iconic tubes can also be found on the hands and, for the first time ever, under the dial, allowing for unrivalled luminosity in the dark. This cutting-edge Swiss technology does not require an external charging source and consists of glass microcapsules filled with gas. These are up to 100 times brighter than the Super LumiNova paint usually used in the watchmaking industry.
Powered by the COSC (Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute) certified automatic calibre BALL RR1102-CSL, the Engineer Hydrocarbon Original features hour, minute, central seconds, day and date functions.
An already robust piece of equipment, this particularly resistant timepiece is complete with the patented Amortiser® shockproof system. Inside the movement itself, the SpringLOCK® and SpringSEAL® systems ensure continued accuracy in the event of shocks to the piece.
Faithful to the specifications of the Hydrocarbon collection, the crown is equipped with a protection system consisting of a valve covering it, so as to ensure that it is securely screwed-in and inaccessible when diving. To ensure its superior reliability, this model is resistant to shocks of up to 7,500 G and anti-magnetic to 80,000 A/m thanks to the mu-metal shielding.
Mumetal is an alloy of nickel, iron, copper and molybdenum with very high magnetic permeability, which enables it to attract and deflect static or low frequency magnetic field lines, against which other methods of attenuation are relatively ineffective.
Originally designed for submarine exploration and diving, the Original is equally at home in the water and on dry land. This 43 mm steel watch is not only versatile but suitable for adventurers and explorers, as well as more urban and conventional individuals.
Technical details
Model: BALL Watch Engineer Hydrocarbon Original Automatic
Model Numbers
DM2218B-S1CJ-BE: 43mm Stainless Steel Case, Blue Dial, Blue Sapphire Bezel, and Stainless Steel Bracelet
DM2218B-P1CJ-BE: 43mm Stainless Steel Case, Blue Dial, Blue Sapphire Bezel, and Rubber Strap
DM2218B-S2CJ-GR: 43mm Stainless Steel Case, Green Dial, Green Sapphire Bezel, and Stainless Steel Bracelet
DM2218B-P2CJ-GR: 43mm Stainless Steel Case, Green Dial, Green Sapphire Bezel, and Rubber Strap
Movement
Automatic caliber BALL RR1102-CSL
Chronometer certified COSC
SpringLOCK® patented anti-shock system
SpringSEAL® patented regulator anti-shock system
Functions
30 micro gas tubes on hour, minute, second hands, dial and bezel for night reading capability
Shock resistant to 7,500Gs
Anti-magnetic to 80,000A/m
Water resistant to 200m/660ft
Hours, minutes, sweep seconds, day and date
Case
Stainless steel
Ø 43mm, height 15.3mm
Mu-metal shield
Blue or green unidirectional rotating curved sapphire bezel with micro gas tubes for night reading capability
Amortiser® patented anti-shock system
Anti-reflective convex sapphire crystal
Patented crown protection system
Dial
Blue or green
Band
Tapered stainless steel bracelet with patented folding buckle & extension system or rubber strap with standard buckle
Introduced in 2021, this limited edition timepiece pays tribute to United States Air Force (Ret) Major Brian Shul, one of only 92 pilots to fly the SR-71 Blackbird.
Called “The Sled” by some pilots who flew it, the Blackbird was a long-range, high-altitude, Mach 3+ strategic reconnaissance aircraft. Shul, a legendary Sled Driver, is a true example of courage under adverse conditions.
Born in 1948 at the Quantico US Marine Corps base in Virginia, USA, Shul obtained a Bachelors in History in 1970 before joining the US Air Force in that same year. Later, he served as a Foreign Air Advisor in the Vietnam conflict.
While flying covert ops toward the end of the war, Shul was shot down while flying his AT-28D aircraft near the Cambodian border. He survived a horrendous crash landing in the jungle, but was trapped inside a fiery cockpit. With no visibility through a melting helmet visor, he managed to free himself and crawl from the flaming wreckage – all while severely burned. A Special Operations Para rescue team extracted Shul by helicopter from hostile territory and evacuated him to a military hospital where he was not expected to survive.
After two months of intensive care, Shul was repatriated and continued his recovery journey at the Institute of Surgical Research in Texas. Although he was told he would never fly again, one year and 15 surgeries later, Shul beat the odds.
Determined, he began physical therapy and astonished the military world by overcoming his traumatic injuries; he passed every flight physical demanded of him and once released, flew fighter jets for the next 10 years. He eventually applied to pilot the super-secret SR-71 Blackbird, requiring an astronaut physical just to apply. He passed with no waivers.
With a titanium pin in his finger and nerves of steel, Shul became part of an elite group of pilots, also known as Sled Drivers, skilled enough to fly the famed spy plane. He united man and machine at the edge of space, rocketing around the world at sonic speeds on stealth missions with unyielding precision and unrivalled performance in the face of 1,000-degree heat.
The AeroGMT Sled Driver pays homage to Brian Shul and his determination to persevere. The dial has been emblazoned with the SR-71 planform at 6 o’clock, the legend “SLED DRIVER” above the planform, and Major Brian Shul’s signature just below center dial. Moreover, the case back is engraved with the Mach 3+ insignia emblem, worn by all qualified SR-71 Blackbird crewmembers.
The Engineer Hydrocarbon AeroGMT Sled Driver is equipped with triple function displays — Standard time zone, GMT time zone, and a scratch-resistant, sapphire-coated bidirectional 24-hour rotating bezel that serves as a third time-zone. A pilot or frequent traveler can use the GMT hand to track home city time, the 24-hour bezel to track destination city time, and the standard hour and minute hands to set the aircraft’s local time.
Advancing BALL Watch’s reputation for resilient watches, the AeroGMT Sled Driver absorbs impacts up to 7,500Gs, and carries an anti-magnetic resistance of 4,800 A/m. The robust 42mm stainless steel case is water resistant to 100 meters and sealed by BALL’s patented crown-protection system.
The aviator-inspired black dial features hour indexes and main hands of yellow H3 gas tubes. The 3, 6 and 9 o’clock markers have double gas tubes while the 12 o’clock index boasts a pair of vivid orange gas tubes. The second time zone blue GMT hand offers a green gas tube in homage to BALL’s corporate color and the bezel comes in a black and blue combination.
The timepiece is equipped with a Swiss-made BALL RR1201-C automatic mechanical movement—certified by the Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC).
The Engineer Hydrocarbon Aero GMT Sled Driver comes with a patented (extendable) BALL triple-folding buckle or an alternative rubber strap, both customized to fit over a pilot’s aviation apparel as a handsome accessory in form and function.
This special edition is a limited edition consisting of 1,990 pieces – a nod to the year 1990 when four National Aeronautic Association and three Fédération Aéronautique Internationale speed records were established on the final flight of the SR-71 Blackbird in USAF service.
Movement
Automatic caliber BALL RR1201-C
Chronometer certified COSC
Functions
44 micro gas tubes on hour, minute, second, second time zone hands, dial and bezel for night reading capability
Luminous three time zone indication
Shock resistant to 7,500Gs
Anti-magnetic to 4,800A/m
Water resistant to 100m/330ft
Hours, minutes, sweep seconds and date
Case
Stainless steel
Ø 42mm, height 13.85mm
Bidirectional rotating curved sapphire bezel with micro gas tubes for night reading capability
Titanium case back
Anti-reflective sapphire crystal
Patented crown protection system
Dial
Black
Band
Tapered stainless steel bracelet with patented folding buckle & extension system or rubber strap with pin buckle
First launched in 2011, the Ball Watch Engineer Hydrocarbon DeepQUEST is a professional-grade deep-diving instrument.
Undeniably tough and equipped with the necessary diving features, the watch has been subtly redesigned to meet new standards. The new generation model in titanium features BALL’s patented automatic helium release valve directly integrated into the crown, while its ultra-tough monobloc titanium case remains untouched and unrivalled.
The case is made of a single block of solid titanium to reduce potential interfaces and thus effects of water pressure. Titanium not only offers extreme corrosion resistance in water, but also outstanding everyday durability and strength, capable of withstanding and absorbing intense impact.
The Engineer Hydrocarbon DeepQUEST is water resistant up to 1000m/3300ft. The strong crown seals have contributed to avoid any entry of water when it is maintained in the screwed-in position. And in order to safely eliminate the pressure from the watch on the way back to the surface and avoid any damage, a patented automatic helium release valve has been incorporated directly into the crown.
The generously proportioned titanium case as well as the wide dial opening and its streamlined design also enable immediate and clear reading of the timepiece’s indications, another essential feature of any diving watch.
The markings on the rotating bezel allow the diver to accurately monitor the immersion time as well as decompression stops. The bezel has been designed to be easily gripped even with gloves on and its unidirectional rotation is an additional source of safety in the event of its accidental movement while in the water.
For the first time in ceramic, it is available in black or in dark green. Virtually scratchproof, the ceramic can withstand daily knocks and the harshest conditions, while its resistance to ultra-violet rays ensures long lasting color.
To allow instant and reliable visibility in every situation, the dial and the hands feature wider H₃ gas tubes in green and yellow colors, some of the brightest tones that glow in the dark.
The tapered stainless steel and titanium bracelet, with the BALL patented folding buckle and extension system, means the watch can be easily and safely worn on the wrist even over a diving suit. The Engineer Hydrocarbon DeepQUEST has a guaranteed shock resistance of up to 7,500Gs and an antimagnetic endurance of an intensity of up to 4,800A/m.
The 42mm diameter case houses an automatic chronometer certified caliber BALL RR1101-C. The Ball Watch Engineer Hydrocarbon DeepQUEST displays hours, minutes, sweep seconds and date.
Model Numbers
DM3002A-S3CJ-BK: 42mm Titanium Case, Black Dial, Black Bezel, Titanium and Stainless Steel Bracelet
DM3002A-P3CJ-BK: 42mm Titanium Case, Black Dial, Black Bezel, Black Rubber Strap
DM3002A-S4CJ-BK: 42mm Titanium Case, Black Dial, Green Bezel, Titanium and Stainless Steel Bracelet
DM3002A-P4CJ-BK: 42mm Titanium Case, Black Dial, Green Bezel, Black Rubber Strap
DM3002A-S4CJ-GR: 42mm Titanium Case, Green Dial, Green Bezel, Titanium and Stainless Steel Bracelet
DM3002A-P4CJ-GR: 42mm Titanium Case, Green Dial, Green Bezel, Black Rubber Strap
Movement
Automatic caliber BALL RR1101-C
Chronometer certified COSC
Functions
15 micro gas tubes on hour, minute, second hands and dial for night reading capability
Patented automatic helium release valve crown
Shock resistant to 7,500Gs
Anti-magnetic to 4,800A/m
Water resistant to 1000m/3300ft
Hours, minutes, sweep seconds and date
Case
Titanium single block case
Ø 42mm, height 15.5 mm
Black or green luminous ceramic unidirectional rotating bezel
Anti-reflective sapphire crystal
Screwed-in crown
Dial
Black or green
Band
Tapered titanium and stainless steel bracelet with patented folding buckle & extension system or rubber strap with standard buckle
With this limited edition collection, Bremont pays tribute to Great Britain’s role in clock and watchmaking, and contribution to time, astronomy and navigation.
The classic yet contemporary design of the Bremont Longitude watch marks a significant milestone in this journey. Not only does the Longitude house the brand’s first manufactured movement from its new ENG300 movement series but it also incorporates original brass from the historic Flamsteed Meridian Line at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, London.
At Greenwich, the brass Flamsteed Meridian line marks the historic position where the first Astronomer Royal, John Flamsteed, made his observations and laid the foundations for accurate timekeeping and navigation.
Bremont has made considerable investment into new machinery, staff and training and the firm’s in-house technical team has modified the base K1 calibre, for which it has acquired the full rights to manufacture and re-engineer from Swiss firm “THE+”.
The ENG300 series is the result of Bremont re-engineering 80% of the base calibre, including making a number of design improvements, in order to build a proprietary movement to the brand’s unique specification. A new manufacturing line for machining base components through to T3 assembly is set up in the new Bremont Manufacturing & Technology Centre “The Wing” based in Henley-on-Thames, UK.
Introduced in 2021, the Limited Edition Longitude is the first timepiece to house the new Bremont movement. The ENG300 series comes with an increased warranty of 5 years.
Equipped with 22 jewels, the ENG376 movement boasts excellent technical specifications. With a depth of 4.95mm and diameter of 25.6mm, this self-winding caliber features a silicon escapement and a custom balance bridge and full tungsten rotor both designed to reflect the architecture of Bremont’s state-of-the-art headquarters at The Wing, the home of British watchmaking. Renowned for beautifully made, yet robust and shock-proof timepieces, Bremont sought to make improvements wherever there was an opportunity to enhance the toughness of the base calibre.
One notable improvement was choosing to utilise a full balance bridge, which supports the balance wheel assembly. To fine tune the movement’s accuracy, traditional adjustment screws are used on the free sprung balance wheel, a more difficult method of rate adjustment, but also more precise, and links back to early marine chronometry.
Further design changes include revisions to the escapement, the automatic winding bridge jewels and a modified wheel bridge amongst others.
Original brass from the historic Flamsteed Meridian Line at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, London, can be seen forming a ring in the back of the Longitude timepiece, engraved with the serial number of the watch.
With a power reserve of 65 hours, this special timepiece has its power reserve indicator at the 6 o’clock position resembling the Royal Observatory Greenwich’s red time ball, a simple yet ingenious visual device that gave nineteenth century sailors accurate time. The Longitude also features a big date function and an off-set seconds hand at 9-o’clock.
With only a very exclusive run of 150 steel, 75 rose gold and 75 white gold pieces available, the Longitude is the first of Bremont’s historic Limited Editions to be produced at The Wing, a 35,000 square foot facility which was custom designed to enable Bremont’s manufacture of great British watches.
Technical details
Model: BREMONT LONGITUDE
Movement
Bremont 11 1/2” ENG-376 automatic movement, 22 Jewels
Silicon escape wheel and pallet running at 25,200bph (3.5Hz)
Free sprung hair spring with inertia weight timed balance & KIF Shock protection
Uni-Directional winding with solid Tungsten oscillating weight
65h Power Reserve
Rhodium plated bridges with gold plated automatic bridge
Blued bridge screws
Functions
Central hour and minute
Running seconds at 9H
Power reserve indicator at 6H
Big date at 3H
Case
Polished Stainless Steel, Polished 18ct Rose Gold, Polished 18ct White Gold
Bremont Trip-Tick® construction with scratch resistant PVD treated case barrel
Screw down onion crown.
Case diameter: 40mm
Case Length: 49mm
Lug width: 20mm
Depth: 12.5mm
Domed anti-reflective, scratch resistant sapphire crystal
Case-back
Polished Stainless Steel, Polished 18ct Rose Gold, Polished 18ct White Gold case back with integrated flat sapphire crystal, with four polished screws of matching material. Ring of meridian line insert set behind the sapphire crystal with Longitude coordinates for the Royal Observatory in Greenwich and The Wing – Bremont’s Manufacturing and Technology Centre.
Dial
Metal dial with raised central globe with debossed longitude lines
Meridian line running from 12H to 6H
Chapter ring with a minute track, marked at 5min intervals
Polished applied Roman numerals at 12H
Polished applied hour markers filled with SLN. Recessed running seconds sub dial marked at 15 sec intervals
Big Day at 3H
Power reserve indicator at 6H, coloured to represent the red ball at the top of the Royal Observatory in Greenwich building
Polished nickel plated hands
Water resistance
Stainless Steel: 10 ATM, 100 metres.
Rose Gold: 5 ATM, 50 metres.
White Gold: 5 ATM, 50 metres.
Strap
Stainless Steel: Alligator embossed calf leather.
Rose Gold: Brown Alligator.
White Gold: Black Alligator.
Edition
Longitude Stainless Steel: Limited edition of 150 pieces
Longitude Rose Gold: Limited edition of 75 pieces
Longitude White Gold: Limited edition of 75 pieces
Incorporating the complex tourbillon mechanism and a hand-wound mechanical skeleton caliber, the Angelus U53 is a versatile, masculine, and ultra-modern timepiece.
This 25-piece limited series spotlights an asymmetrical design with khaki green theme. It also meets all the criteria for watches intended for underwater use.
The khaki shade is visible on the U53’s rotating flange, strap and hands – a bold statement for a sports watch which also works effortlessly in more formal settings, offering a casual, chic look.
Made of grade 5 titanium, the 46 mm diameter case is water-resistant to 300 metres. The 60 minute-graduated rotating flange only turns anticlockwise. Its hands and indices are luminescent. It is equipped with a helium valve, to allow saturation diving. The Angelus U53 is also resistant to magnetic fields and scratching. Grade 5 titanium is a light, comfortable metal which is very well tolerated by the skin even in high moisture conditions yet is hard enough to withstand most scratches.
At 9 o’clock, the watch incorporates the helium valve. The screw-down crown at 2 o’clock controls the rotating flange. A second screw-down crown located at 4 o’clock allows for winding and setting the time.
The outer bezel boasts a powerful design. Its deep indents, in a distinctive shark fin design, immediately draw the eye; the motif is repeated on the flange, also in green and graduated with Arabic numerals.
U53 showcases its movement in spectacular fashion. The Angelus A-300 is a hand-wound mechanical skeleton calibre characterised by its large bridges. The openwork in the centre specifically evokes the design of Angelus’ calibres.
The other signature feature is the modern and highly technical Tourbillon Volant Une Minute complication. The A-300 movement also stands out with slightly asymmetric placement of all its vital components: the barrel at 1 o’clock, winding at 4 o’clock, tourbillon at 6.30, small seconds at 9.30. These unusual locations are dictated by the design of the U53.
This diving watch is mounted on a rubber strap and complimentary hand-stitched.
Technical details
Model: Angelus U53
Reference 0.TDDT.G01A.T008G
Functions
Hours, minutes, small seconds, 60-minute unidirectional flange
Movement
Calibre A-300, mechanical, hand-wound, Tourbillon Volant Une Minute
Jewels 23
Diameter 32.80 mm
Thickness 4.30 mm
Power reserve 60 hours
Frequency 4 Hz / 28,800 vph
Finishes plates and bridges: sandblasted wheels: circular-grained tourbillon cage: bevelled and polished
Dial
Rotating flange 60-minute graduation, lacquered, in green
Flange indices coated with Super-LumiNova
Hands coated with Super-LumiNova
Case
Material: Grade 5 titanium
Diameter: 46.00 mm
Thickness: 12.47 mm
Bezel: Grade 5 titanium, microbead blasted
Crystal: Sapphire crystal box, anti-reflective coating on both sides
Back: Sapphire crystal, anti-reflective coating
Water resistance: 300 metres/30 ATM
Strap
Rubber, green (+ complimentary NATO strap in green, hand-stitched)
Buckle: Pin buckle, grade 5 titanium
Edition
Limited edition of 25 pieces
Global retail price
CHF 39,400 excl. tax (subject to change)
The Trainmaster Railroad Standard 130 Years limited edition was launched in 2021 to mark the 130th anniversary of the BALL Watch Company.
This classic and elegant timepiece is inspired by a BALL vintage pocket watch from the early 20th century to represent the ‘ ‘brand’s rich heritage and watchmaking ethos.
Before adopting standard time in 1883, time was set depending on the sun’s position. As a result, every city had a time zone, making the synchronization of railroad timetables extremely complicated. From 1883 onward, U.S. railroad companies implemented a new system to divide the nation into four time zones. This change led to over 70 official time zones’ disappearance and has continued as the official time system to the present day.
In 1883, BALL Watch’s founder, Webster Clay Ball, was the first jeweler in Cleveland, Ohio, to use the time signals emitted by the United States Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C., bringing accurate time to the residents of the “C-Town.”
Since he displayed the first chronometer of the city in his store window, people got into the habit of setting their watches there, giving rise to the expressions “Ball’s Time” and “on the Ball,” used at the period to refer to the absolute correct time all over Northern Ohio.
In 1891, Webster Clay Ball was appointed as Chief Time Inspector by the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railway Co. The unreliability of the watches used on the railroad networks made traveling by train a dangerous business.
The introduction of a system of controls and inspections had become an urgent priority. Webb C. Ball laid down standards of quality, accuracy, and design for all the railroad watches. With the accuracy of the employee’s watches being of the utmost importance, a list of approved timepieces was entrusted to them with compulsory inspections performed every two weeks for comparison with Washington time.
Limited to 999 pieces, the commemorative timepiece features a 40mm case, micro gas tube luminosity, and subsidiary seconds design. In all dark and low-light environments, the 14 micro gas tubes on the dial and hands shine automatically without any form of charging and are up to 100 times brighter than the use of conventional luminous paint.
The darkness-defying legibility is a vivid reminder of ‘ ‘BALL’s enduring watchmaking heritage and its commitment to improvement. The watch’s sapphire crystal case back enables the user to admire the chronometer-certified BALL RR1105-C Swiss mechanical movement.
As an anniversary piece that celebrates BALL Watch railroad heritage, this model took inspiration from a BALL vintage open face pocket watch that features a Montgomery dial design.
This design allows for precise reading of the minute markings, and it was the answer to the then rising demand for greater reliability of the railroad timing instruments.
While the bold black numerals on the white enamel dial is an unmistakable railroad watch design, the details that go into recreating the vintage look do not stop there.
The official status of “Automatic Chronometer” attributed by the COSC (the Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute) is delicately inscribed on the watch’s dial to highlight this timepiece’s accuracy. As a break with the spell of time, the words “BALL & Co.” have been styled to form the number 7.
Technical details
Model: BALL Watch Trainmaster Railroad Standard 130 Years Limited Edition
Model Number: NM3888D-S4CJ-WH
Movement
Automatic caliber BALL RR1105-C
Chronometer certified COSC
Shock resistant to 5,000Gs
Anti-magnetic to 4,800A/m
Water resistant to 30m/100ft
Functions
Hours, minutes, subsidiary seconds and date
Case
Stainless steel
Ø 40mm, height 12 mm
Anti-reflective sapphire crystal
Sapphire crystal transparent case back
Screwed-in crown
Dial
White enamel dial
14 micro gas tubes on hour and minute hands and dial for night reading capability
Band
Stainless steel bracelet with folding buckle or crocodile leather strap with pin buckle
In November 2021 to mark the Mexico City Grand Prix, TAG Heuer released Special Edition of its iconic TAG Heuer Carrera tourbillon chronograph and produced a unique version especially with Mexican F1 pilot Sergio Pérez, the TAG Heuer Carrera Tourbillon Sergio Perez Edition, of which only two pieces were produced.
One is the driver’s personal watch and the second was auctioned to support the Checo Pérez Foundation. The bold and sophisticated 45-mm timepiece is made of high-performance and lightweight Grade 2 titanium, coated with DLC (diamond-like carbon), with a ceramic bezel for a full matte black aesthetic with elegant and subtle rose gold accents, a contemporary tribute to the famed racing chronograph designed by Jack Heuer in 1963.
Powered by the tourbillon manufacture movement Heuer 02T, this unique interpretation of the TAG Heuer Carrera showcases the brand’s most advanced watchmaking techniques, signature design codes and expert craftmanship.
The custom-made TAG Heuer Carrera Tourbillon Sergio Perez Edition sports a special “SP” marking on the dial as well as his motto “Never Give Up” engraved on the case back. Symbolically the sapphire crystal case back also features the date of the 2021 Mexican Grand Prix, Pérez’s home race, on 07.11.21, where he achieved a podium finish.
TAG Heuer is the Official Watch of the Monaco Grand Prix and in 2022, Sergio “Checo” Pérez won the 79th Monaco Grand Prix for the first time with this personalized edition of the TAG Heuer Carrera on his wrist.
In 2021, to mark the 140th anniversary of Seiko, the Japanese watchmaker released a limited edition Grand Seiko GMT Quartz watch.
This new model has a reference number of SBGN023 and belongs to the Grand Seiko Sport Collection. Dressed in a 40mm diameter stainless steel case, it boasts a grey sunray pattern dial with yellow an GMT hand and the date display (at 4H).
This Quartz GMT watch offers the high precision, durability and ease of use that are the very hallmarks of Grand Seiko. The muscular steel case is topped with a ceramic bezel.
The GMT hand is illuminated by a Lumibrite that emits a different color than that of the hour and minute hands and indexes, ensuring high legibility even in the dark. The twin pulse quartz caliber 9F86 delivers the high torque needed to keep the long, wide hands moving precisely and offers the wearer the convenience of being able to change the time zone without stopping the seconds hand.
Equipped with a screw-down crown at 4H, the watch is water resistant to 200 meters. Grand Seiko SBGN023 is limited to 2,021 pieces. In commemoration of 140 years of horological excellence, the back of the watch carries the GS lion emblem in 18K yellow gold.
Case
Stainless steel case with ceramics bezel
Glass: Sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on inner surface
Diameter: 40mm
Lug-to-lug: 46.8mm
Thickness: 13.7mm
Screw-down crown
Stainless steel screw-in case back with 18K yellow gold lion emblem, LIMITED EDITION and serial number
Water resistance: 20 bar
Dial
Grey, sun-ray pattern
Lumibrite on hands and indexes
Movement
Caliber 9F86
Movement type: Quartz
Accuracy: ±10 seconds per year
Magnetic resistance
Reinforced magnetic resistance equipped
Functions
24-hour hand (dual time display function)
Calendar-linked time difference adjustment function
Date display
Bracelet
Stainless steel bracelet
Three-fold clasp with push button release
In 2021, MB&F released a special edition diamond-set LM Flying T watch in collaboration with BULGARI.
The MB&F x BULGARI – LM Flying T Allegra watch is a meeting point of high-end watchmaking and time-honored high-jewellery traditions.
Introduced in 2019, LM Flying T is the first MB&F machine dedicated to women. This groundbreaking three-dimensional horological art piece has been known for its revolutionary architecture, construction and opulent adornment.
The newly released LM Flying T Allegra is available in limited editions of 20 pieces in 18K white gold and 20 pieces in 18K red gold diamond-set cases.
In these high-jewellery editions, the prestigious Roman Jeweller has carefully placed tourmaline, tsavorite, diamonds, rubellite, amethyst, tanzanite and topaz, in an exceptional composition forming a full circle around the movement.
The dial is entirely paved with snow-set diamonds. Equipped with a magnificent flying tourbillon movement, Legacy Machine FlyingT has a power reserve of four days (100 hours), which is among the highest within MB&F.
Technical details
Model: MB&F x BULGARI – LM Flying T Allegra
Edition
20 pieces in 18K white gold and 20 pieces in 18K red gold diamond-set cases, with fully diamond-set dial plates, adorned with fine gemstones.
Engine
MB&F FlyingT movement featuring three-dimensional vertical architecture, automatic winding, conceived and developed in-house.
Central flying 60-second tourbillon.
Power reserve: 100 hours.
Balance frequency: 18,000bph / 2.5Hz.
Three-dimensional sun winding rotor in 18K 5N+ red gold, titanium and platinum.
Number of components: 280.
Number of jewels: 30.
Functions/indications
Hours and minutes displayed on a 50° vertically tilted dial with two serpentine hands.
Two crowns: winding on left and time-setting on right.
Case
Material: 18K white or red gold, set with diamonds.
High domed sapphire crystal on top with anti-reflective coating on both sides, sapphire crystal on back.
Dimensions: 39 x 20mm.
Number of components: 17.
Water resistance: 3ATM/ 30m / 90’.
Stones
For the white gold version:
• Brilliant-cut diamonds on the dial and crowns: ~ 0.24ct
• Brilliant-cut diamonds on the case and buckle: ~ 2.80cts
•3 tsavorites square, pear and round: ~ 1.33cts
•1 oval topaz: ~ 0.71ct
•1 oval amethyst: ~ 0.4ct
•1 round tanzanite: ~ 0.43ct
•1 round tourmaline: ~ 0.06ct
For the rose gold version:
•Brilliant-cut diamonds on the dial and crowns: ~ 0.24ct
•Brilliant-cut diamonds on the case and buckle: ~ 2.80cts
•2 tsavorite square and round: ~ 0.38ct
•2 tourmaline oval and round: ~ 0.64ct
•1 oval tanzanite: ~ 0.47ct
•1 pear amethyst: ~ 0.70ct
•1 round rubellite: ~ 0.39ct
Strap & buckle
Alligator leather strap with white or rose gold pin buckle matching the case.
This limited edition Grand Seiko Automatic GMT watch was released in October 2021. Exclusively created for Wako Grand Seiko Boutique in Ginza, it features a captivating purple color dial. This model pays tribute to the scenic beauty of the Mount Iwate region and the country’s rich cultural heritage.
Limited to 50 numbered pieces, SBGM249 belongs to the Grand Seiko Elegance Collection. It has a 39.5mm diameter case made of stainless steel. It displays the hour, minute, centre seconds, date at 3 o’clock and an additional time-zone employing an arrow-shaped central hand.
In Japan, purple has been regarded as a noble color since ancient times. The light purple color of the dial is inspired the glorious Paulownia flower (“Kiri no Hana in Japan), a prefectural flower in Iwate prefecture. The dial texture is inspired by the magnificent surface of Mt. Iwate, which is visible from Grand Seiko Studio Shizukuishi.
Grand Seiko SBGM249 features applied baton hour-markers. The 24-H dial ring is comprised of digits (for even numbers) and triangle markers. The “Edo purple” shade of the GMT hand is also famous as the color of the headband wrapped by Sukeroku, in “Sukeroku Yuen Edo Sakura”, one of the celebrated Kabuki Jūhachiban (“Eighteen Great Plays”).
The Grand Seiko Wako ‘Kiri Flower’ Limited Edition Automatic GMT watch is equipped with the 9S66 caliber. This self-winding movement is visible through the sapphire crystal case-back. It offers a power reserve of 72 hours.
This Wako special edition Grand Seiko watch is fitted on a stainless steel bracelet. The package also includes an additional brown alligator leather strap.
Technical details
Model: Grand Seiko Wako Automatic GMT Limited Model
Reference: SBGM249
Collection: Elegance
Case
Material: Stainless steel
Diameter: 39.5mm
Thickness: 14.4mm
Lug to lug: 47mm
Domed sapphire crystal glass
See-through sapphire crystal case-back with lion coat of arms and WAKO LIMITED EDITION
Steel case-back ring fixed with 6-screws
Water resistance: 30 atm
Movement
Caliber 9S66
Mechanical self-winding (with manual winding)
Static accuracy: Average daily difference +5 seconds to -3 seconds
Mobile accuracy: Average daily difference +10 seconds to -1 second
Power reserve: Maximum winding time lasts about 72 hours (about 3 days)
35 jewels
Second hand stop function
Calendar interlocking time difference correction function
Functions
Hour, minute and centre seconds
24-hour hand
Date display at 3 o’clock
This special edition MB&F Legacy Machine Split Escapement EVO model was created to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the United Arab Emirates.
UAE was formed on 02 December 1971. In December 2021, the region’s leading luxury watch and jewellery retailer, Ahmed Seddiqi& Sons marked the ‘Year of the 50th’ by announcing over 35 limited-edition timepieces. For this project, MB&F created LM Split Escapement EVO – UAE Golden Jubilee Limited Edition of 10 pieces.
The LM Split Escapement watch was created in collaboration with Irish master watchmaker Stephen McDonnell in 2017. This timepiece stands out with the world’s longest balance staff that would traverse the whole movement. This innovative design leaves the large balance wheel on the front of the watch and concealing the remaining parts of the escapement – anchor and escape wheel – on the opposite side of the movement.
The limited edition MB&F LM SE EVO UAE Golden Jubilee watch comes with some design enhancements. Firstly, the whole mechanism has been rotated clockwise by 30 degrees, with the crown at 4:30 instead of 2 o’clock. This completely changes the symmetry of the watch, giving it a totally new character.
Second, this special edition receives the new EVO case, offering enhanced comfort and robustness – and which until now has only ever been used in the LM Perpetual EVO series.
The EVO case design features a no-bezel construction, with the domed sapphire crystal fused directly to the titanium case, integrated lugs and strap. It has a water-resistance of 80 metres thanks to a screw-down crown. The movement is suspended on the innovative “FlexRing” system, a specially developed monobloc shock-absorbing mechanism that works against both vertical and horizontal shocks.
Finally, for the very first time in MB&F history, the dial plate comes in a rich salmon colour, while two of the dark grey sub-dials – for the date and power reserve indicator – have been opened up. Movement-side, the special darkened treatment creates heightened contrast between the wheels, the rhodium-plated barrels and the rose gold details.
The manual-winding, 298-component movement uses the same base as the LM Perpetual with double barrels, a 72-hour power reserve, and a date-changing security system that prevents the user from inadvertently damaging the movement when adjusting the date.
Technical details
Model: LM SE EVO UAE Golden Jubilee Limited Edition
Edition
Limited edition of 10 pieces in grade 5 titanium with salmon baseplate and dark grey dials
Engine
Movement developed for MB&F by Stephen McDonnell
Split escapement with the balance wheel suspended above the dial and the anchor under the movement
Manual winding with double mainspring barrels
Bespoke 14mm balance wheel with traditional regulating screws visible on top of the movement
Superlative hand finishing throughout respecting 19th-century style; bevelled internal angles highlighting hand craft; polished bevels; Geneva waves; hand-made engravings
FlexRing: an annular dampener fitted between case and movement, providing shock protection along the vertical and lateral axes.
Galvanic dark grey dials with both SLN numerals and hands
Power reserve: 72 hours
Balance frequency: 2.5Hz / 18,000bph
Number of components: 298
Number of jewels: 35
Functions & indications
Hours, minutes, date and power-reserve indicators
Push-button next to the date dial for quick adjustment of the date
Case
Material: grade 5 titanium
Dimensions: 44mm x 17.5mm
Number of components: 52
Screw down crown
Sapphire crystals on top and display back treated with anti-reflective coating on both faces
Water resistance: 80m / 270′ / 8ATM
Thierry Ducret is an independent horologer based in Flangebouche, France. A watchmaking instructor in the renowned Morteau High School (Lycée Edgar Faure) since 1996, he has now started manufacturing mechanical timepieces under his own brand name.
MODEL n°1, the first commercially available wristwatch by Thierry Ducret, features a custom-made mechanical manual-wound movement. Most of the components of this timekeeper are hand-made by the watchmaker himself. The strap and mineral glasses were sourced from reputed manufacturers based in the neighboring area of his workshop.
It has a 45mm diameter case made of stainless steel. Both sides (front and case-back) of the watch are fitted with mineral crystal glasses, providing a magnificent view of its micro-mechanical heart. The hand-made case is finished with polishing and circular graining.
The movement is meticulously finished with techniques like shot blasting, circular graining, black polishing and chamfering. The dial-side view reminds us about Breguet’s Tradition line of watches. The components like main spring barrel, oscillating organs and wheels are clearly visible from the front-side.
The back-side of the calibre has the limited edition number engraved on a screwed plate. The 21-jewel calibre has a power reserve of 45 hours.
Its pins, screws, axes, springs, levers and hands are made of steel. The movement balance is in nickel silver. Plates and bridges are made of brass. For wheels, brass and steel are used. Most of the parts as well the plate are custom-made, in Thierry Ducret’s own workshop.
Beating at 2.5 Hz, the watch indicates the time with two spear-shaped, blued steel hands. The 12 grooves on the bezel serve as hour-markers. On the dial side of the movement, the name T. DUCRET is engraved on a screwed plate.
A prominent feature of this timekeeper is the arrangement of the barrel and the time display (hour and minute hands): they are on the same central axis. It required about two years for creating a horological masterpiece with this innovative movement architecture.
This timepiece will be produced in limited series. Each one will come with a custom-made black alligator leather strap.
Technical details
Movement
Calibre Custom made
Rubies: 21
Frequency: 18 000 a/h or 2.5 Hz
Power reserve: 45 hours
Escapement Swiss Lever
Balance in Nickel Silver – custom made
Pins, screws, axes, springs, levers in steel – custom made
Bridges and plates in brass – custom made
Wheels in brass and steel
Movement finishes
Shot-Blasting
Circular Graining
Black polishing for Steel parts
Chamfers
Indications
Hours and Minutes
Case
Material: 316L stainless steel
Diameter: 45 mm
Thickness
Case finishing: Polished, Circular Graining
Water resistance: 2 ATM (20 meters)
Lug width: 24 mm
Front glass: Mineral crystal glass, cambered
Case back: Mineral crystal glass
Strap
Custom made black alligator leather strap with folding clasp
Introduced in 2021, BALL Engineer Master II Diver Chronometer is a COSC- certified automatic diving watch. It is a limited edition of 1,000 pieces.
In 2006, BALL Watch Company introduced its first-generation dive watch: a robust, aesthetically functional timepiece that delivered remarkable performance with an inner bezel, illuminated by micro gas tubes and a 2-crowns design. Over the last 15 years, its “Engineer Master II” collection has boasted a wide range of timepieces that have complied with the many requirements imposed by deep-sea diving.
Water resistant to 300m/1,000ft and equipped with the BALL RR1101-C caliber, each Engineer Master II Diver Chronometer watch has been certified by the Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC). To ensure high accuracy in adverse conditions, the movement is safeguarded by powerful resistance technologies.
A mu-metal shield surrounds the caliber allowing an anti-magnetic protection to an intensity of 1,000 Gauss (80,000 A/m). Also, BALL’s patented Amortiser® system absorbs energy created by external shocks and makes sure every component stays intact in case of harsh impact.
The Diver Chronometer features a bi-directional sapphire internal bezel used to count down dive time and ensure safety. Activated by the crown at 2 o’clock, the internal diving bezel can be operated while completely submerged under water to time the safety stop.
This bezel remains visible even in total darkness thanks to the cutting-edge Swiss technology of self-powered H₃ gas tubes. H₃ gas is encapsulated in glass micro tubes and light energy is released when the molecules strike the internal colored surface of the tubes.
Without any form of charging, the luminosity shines automatically and combats the black expanse of any environment. Notably, for the first time, the tubes are placed underneath the bezel for an uncluttered design. To complete visibility, micro gas tubes have also been placed on the dial and the hands for a total of 36 tubes.
The Engineer Master II Diver Chronometer is offered with either a classic mix of green and yellow tubes or a more modern rainbow-colored combination.
With a thickness of only 13.5mm, the 42mm stainless steel Engineer Master II Diver Chronometer is available with a black or a blue dial, and either on a stainless steel bracelet or rubber strap. It features hours, minutes, sweep seconds and a magnified date.
Technical details
Model: BALL Watch Engineer Master II Diver Chronometer
Model Numbers
DM2280A-S1C-BK/BE/BKR/BER
DM2280A-P1C-BK/BE/BKR/BER
Movement
Automatic caliber BALL RR1101-C
Chronometer certified COSC
Functions
36 micro gas tubes on hour, minute and second hands, dial and inner bezel for night reading capability
Shock resistant to 5,000Gs
Anti-magnetic to 1,000 Gauss (80,000A/m)
Hours, minutes, sweep seconds and magnified date
Case
Stainless steel
Ø 42mm, height 13.5 mm
Bi-directional rotating sapphire inner bezel with micro gas tubes for night reading capability
Mu-metal shield
Amortiser® patented anti-shock system
Anti-reflective sapphire crystal
Screwed-in crown
Water resistant to 300m/1,000ft
Band
Stainless steel bracelet with folding buckle or rubber strap with pin buckle
The Kurono Grand Hagane watch takes inspiration from the ancient sword making techniques.
Japanese swords are made from very high purity steel called “Tamahagane”. This steel is produced from an ancient Japanese tradition. Tamahagane (玉鋼) means precious steel.
Grand:Hagane urushi design is inspired by “Tamahagane”. The dark amber hue of the Grand:Hagane dial reveals a subtle yet visually stunning urushi design. The unique urushi dial pattern was designed to resemble the rare and distinctive tobiyaki spots commonly seen inthe hitatsura style of hamon.
This time, Hajime Asaoka-sensei designed and implemented this “Tamahagane” image pattern for the urushi dial. Some people carry “Tamahagane” as a good luck charm because of its “stone language”. It has the meaning of “turning negative environments and emotions into positive outcomes,” and it also contains Hajime-sensei’s wish and sincerity during these challenging times.
Hajime-sensei’s ancestors were swordsmiths. His interest in Japanese swords is also the starting point of his metalworking techniques in watchmaking and the Grand:Hagane serves as an homage to his ancestors.
Continuing from the Kurono Grand:Akane watch, the beautifully finished Urushi lacquer dials are handcrafted piece by piece by craftswomen in Kyoto who inherited the Kyoto-style Japanese lacquer technique.
Kyoto lacquerware is based on a technique introduced from the Tang Dynasty in the Nara Period (710-794) and has been handed down from generation to generation for more than a thousand years based on Kyoto’s unique aesthetic sense.
The beautiful Urushi lacquered finish depends on the excellence of the polishing process. To polish it, they first find a small piece of charcoal without impurities. Then, the dial is polished using only human fingertips. The work is so delicate that even the slightest wisp on the fingertip can cause striations on the dial, which would have to be rebuilt from scratch. This is one reason why there is such a large rejection rate during the QC process.
Urushi lacquer is made from the filtered sap of the Japanese rhus vernicifera tree. The lacquer absorbs moisture from the air as it hardens, making the lacquered surface perpetually shiny and slick. Over time, urushi will become harder and more scratch-resistant as the curing process continues even after the initial manufacture.
The black lacquer used in this project is called “Roiro,” which is a chemical reaction in which iron oxide is added to raw urushi and the iron turns the lacquer black. In Japan, this traditional coloring method has been used for a long time to produce a clear and transparent lacquer.
This time, the process of applying several thin layers of Roiro Urushi lacquer and polishing it is used so that the design of “Tamahagane”, the base material, is slightly transparent. The metallic shine of the base metal is covered with a veil of lacquer that shines as if it were wet, allowing us to enjoy the various expressions of the tama-koh patterns depending on the light. Sunlight – specifically UV light – will, over time, lighten and make it more translucent and warmer or cooler.
Indices on the dial display for the first time display a complex character font called “Koji”, which was introduced from the east to Japan in ancient times. Even now, due to its complexity, it is still used in Japan for important documents to prevent the rewriting of amounts.
Technical details
Model: Kurono Grand Hagane
Case
316L high-polished stainless steel case
Case diameter: 37mm
Thickness: 7mm excluding sapphire
Glass: Sapphire crystal
Special embellished caseback
Water resistance: 3 ATM
Dial
Hand-applied urushi lacquer dial with hamon design
Movement
Premium-grade Miyota 90S5 Japan-made mechanical automatic movement
Power reserve: 40 hours
Jewels: 24 rubies
Frequency: 28,800bph
Functions
Hours, Minutes, Seconds
Strap
Black calf leather band
Buckle: Pin buckle
Strap width: 20/16 mm
The single-piece edition Les Cabinotiers Grande Complication Bacchus combines Vacheron Constantin’s expertise in grand complication watches with its mastery of artistic crafts. This double-sided wristwatch comprises 16 complications, essentially astronomical and calendar-related, powered by Calibre 2755 GC16 with minute repeater and tourbillon. A technical feat housed in an 18K 5N gold case whose middle is sculpted in bas-relief. In tribute to the Roman god of vines and wine, this “Bacchus” watch finds another source of inspiration in Johannes Kepler, resulting in a captivating association between mythology and astronomy.
The 18K 5N pink gold case of this Les Cabinotiers timepiece features a decoration composed of vine leaves interspersed with bunches of ruby grapes. The engraver’s work is complemented by that of the gem-setter on the outside of the case in giving life to figurative motifs, making this watch a piece of fine craftsmanship.
The case decoration continues on the bezel and case-back with a hand engraving depicting vine leaves. The difficulty implied by this intaglio engraving lies in the absence of a border or contour line. Hollowed out across the entire width of the bezel, the garland thus stands alone thanks to the metronomic regularity of the motif. This latter aspect is picked up on the two fastening options – folding clasp and pin buckle.
To create the movement of this highly complicated watch, Vacheron Constantin’s watchmakers took the Tour de l’Île as a reference, a timepiece presented in 2005 as a tribute to 250 years of watchmaking expertise cultivated by the Geneva-based Manufacture. In the same spirit, the Les Cabinotiers – Bacchus timepiece combines 16 complications, making it one of the most complex watches produced by the Maison. Its manual winding Calibre 2755 GC16 is equipped with a tourbillon regulator to compensate for the effects of the earth’s gravity on the mechanism.
Featuring a cage shaped like Vacheron Constantin’s signature Maltese cross emblem, the tourbillon completes one full rotation per minute, thus serving as a small seconds indicator. This watch also incorporates a minute repeater chiming the hours, quarters and minutes on demand. To avoid unnecessary noise as well as wear and tear on the mechanism, the striking of the gongs is equipped with an ingenious centripetal flying strike regulator. This perfectly silent device regulates the duration of the musical sequences so as to obtain clear, distinct and regular sounds.
The calendar and astronomical functions play a starring role on both sides of the watch. On the front, where the mechanical ballet of the tourbillon can be admired at 6 o’clock, the perpetual calendar indications are displayed on three counters. Positioned in the upper part of the dial, they respectively show the date, day and month.
Designed to keep track of the Gregorian calendar’s vagaries without any need for adjustment until 2100, this horological complication is further enhanced by the indication of the leap-year cycle. The latter appears in a small aperture next to the hand indicating the torque of the minute repeater mechanism between 1 and 2 o’clock. This striking mechanism power reserve is matched by an indication of the movement power reserve, which can be read by means of a serpentine pointer coaxial with the day of the week hand.
The complex mechanics of this piece also provide an astronomical reading of time representing a tribute to Johannes Kepler (1571-1630), regarded as one of the founders of modern astronomy for having discovered the laws of planetary motion, in perfect agreement with Copernicus’ heliocentric hypotheses. The first astronomical functions thus appear on this same opaline champagne-coloured dial, starting with the equation of time positioned between 10 and 11 o’clock.
As the Earth’s path around the Sun is not circular but elliptical, and since the Earth’s axis is inclined at 24° to the plane of its orbit, the time between two zenith passages of the Sun is not the same throughout the year. This difference between the (true) solar day and the (average) 24-hour civil day ranges from -16 to +14 minutes depending on the time of year and coincides only four times a year. Called the equation of time, or time correction in astronomical language, this differential is displayed by a dedicated pointer, while sunrise and sunset times – adjusted according to a reference city – appear at the bottom of the dial.
The sidereal time display finds its place the back of the watch in the shape of a rotating disc depicting the celestial vault with its constellations observable from the Northern hemisphere. Taking a fixed star in the sky as a reference point, the time required for the Earth to complete a full 360° rotation, or sidereal day, is exactly 23 hours, 56 minutes and 4 seconds.
Since the Earth is both spinning on its axis and revolving around the Sun, it takes about four minutes less than a calendar day to return to its point of origin relative to a given star. On this model, the “celestial” disc thus performs a complete rotation according to sidereal time with the time displayed on the periphery, opposite the date appearing on the periphery of the mobile disc.
This same date is read off by a large central hand moving over the fixed outer flange bearing a scale graduated in five-day increments. This hand also indicates the sign of the zodiac, the season and the four dates corresponding to the solstices and equinoxes. Finally, the small central hand indicates the age of the moon.
Comprising 839 parts and measuring a total 33.90 mm in diameter and 12.15 mm thick, this extremely complex movement is endowed with a 58-hour power reserve. It displays all its functions in a perfectly legible manner on both sides. The balance oscillates at a rate of 18,000 vibrations per hour (2.5 Hz).
The 47 mm-diameter 18K 5N pink gold case has been specifically designed to provide the best possible sound quality for the minute repeater.
Technical details
Model: Les Cabinotiers Grande Complication Bacchus
Reference 9700C/000R-B755
Movement
Caliber 2755 GC16
Developed and manufactured by Vacheron Constantin
Mechanical, manual-winding
33.90 mm diameter, 12.15 mm thick
Approximately 58 hours of power reserve
2.5Hz (18,000 vibrations/hour)
839 components
42 jewels
Hallmark of Geneva certified timepiece
Indications
Front side: Hours, minutes, small second at 6 o’clock on tourbillon carriage – Minute repeater – Tourbillon – Perpetual calendar (date, day of the week, month, leap year) – Power reserve indication – Equation of time – Sunrise time – Sunset time – Alarm torque indication
Back side: Sky chart – Age and phases of the moon – Sidereal hours and minutes – Seasons, zodiac signs
Crowns and pushers
Setting Hours and minutes adjustment: winding crown (2 positions)
Moon phase adjustment: correction push-piece on the case
Perpetual calendar adjustment: two correction push-pieces on the case
Sky chart adjustment: with crown and screwed-down push-piece
Case
18K 5N pink gold with bezel and back side hand-engraved with “vine leaves” and case band hand-engraved with “vine leaves” and gem-set with 113 rubies for a total weight of approximately 1.84 cts representing bunch of grapes
47 mm diameter, 19.10 mm thick
Strap
Dark brown Mississippiensis alligator leather, hand-stitched, saddle-finish, large square scales
Buckle: 18K 5N pink gold folding clasp and buckle hand-engraved with a “vine leaves” pattern; Half Maltese cross-shaped
Box
Les Cabinotiers Prestige box
Accessories
Delivered with a corrector pen and a magnifying glass
A winder box
Edition
Single-piece edition
« Les Cabinotiers », « Pièce unique », « AC » hallmark engraved on caseback
With its recently released Purity Tourbillon Chameleon watch, ArtyA introduced the world’s first Nano-sapphire case capable of changing color depending on the light. Now the brand presents a new creation based on this technology.
Dressed in a Nano-sapphire case, ArtyA Shams Chameleon Blue and Green Edition is available with green or steel skeletonized ArtyA Shams movement.
The new ArtyA Nano-Sapphire watch case is an optically transparent polycrystalline material that is formed by the crystallization of glass with a unique chemical composition, and the result greater physical and chemical properties than the original glass.
The ArtyA Shams Chameleon, featuring a full Nano-Sapphire crystal case with changing color, offers the view of the exclusive ArtyA Shams skeleton movement. Each part of the movement is delicately beveled and polished by hand. In addition, the skeletonized bridges were subjected to intensive and complete validation tests to optimize their resistance capacities
Technical details
Available with green or steel skeletonized movement
Full transparent Nano-Sapphire color changing case
Incredible skeleton design, skeletonized to the utmost: minimalist and pure
ArtyA Rising sun skeleton movement (available in green or steel)
Hour, Minutes, Seconds on flying tourbillon
Power reserve: 70h
Size: 46 mm
Screwed down Nano-Sapphire back case
Nano-Sapphire crown
Water resistance: 30 meters
Swiss watch brand Edox marks the 60th anniversary of its iconic Delfin series.
In 1961, Edox launched an exceptional diver’s watch with a patented double O-ring system and a reinforced, pressure-resistant case. Shock-proof and 200m water resistant, Delfin set a new benchmark in water-resistant timepieces.
Now Edox honours “The Water Champion’’ with the Delfin Mecano 60th Anniversary Limited Edition. The new anniversary edition not only goes deeper than the 1961 original (300m water-resistance this time); it also sports some impressive design features and technical improvements.
It boasts an open-worked dial with a distinct rotor design. The Super Luminova coated hands and indices allow reading off the time in low light. The watch houses a skeletonized self-winding movement made in Switzerland.
The Delfin Mecano 60th Anniversary Limited Edition watch is fitted with a stylish 12-sided bezel, a distinctive design that Edox first introduced into its watches in 1973. Each side of the bezel represents one-hour increments. The 43mm diameter stainless steel watch case is coated with black-grey PVD for a beautiful feel on the wrist.
Its transparent, fully screwed case back is protected by scratch-resistant anti-reflective sapphire crystal. The moveable lugs allow the wearer to adjust the fit precisely.
Case
Stainless steel case
Diameter: 43mm
Thickness: 12.5mm
Screw-down crown
Transparent caseback
Sapphire crystal
Anti-reflective coating on both sides of the crystal
Water resistance: 300M / 30 ATM
Dial
Open-worked dial
Superluminova on hands and Indices
The new ArtyA Purity Tourbillon Chameleon watch incorporates an innovative Nano-Sapphire technology to change the color of the sapphire crystal case itself.
In natural light, the case has a deep blue color, but when exposed to artificial light (6500K or above), the case instantly and completely changes color to a translucent, mysterious green. This new technology has never been used before and is exclusive to ArtyA, for the Purity Tourbillon Chameleon.
Following this incredible technical breakthrough, many other Nano-Sapphire color cases for the ArtyA Purity Chameleon will be presented in 2022 in unique 1-of-1 versions, changing, for example, from red to green, yellow to orange, purple to green, and more.
The new ArtyA Nano-Sapphire watch case is an optically transparent polycrystalline material that is formed by the crystallization of glass with a unique chemical composition, and the result greater physical and chemical properties than the original glass.
This case material has incredible hardness, 7 on Mohs scale, which is much higher than glass (5 on the Mohs scale), which guarantees the durability of this incredible case material.
The ArtyA Purity Tourbillon Chameleon features a fully transparent case in order to maximize the magic and beauty of the exclusive Manufacture Flying Tourbillon movement.
As an expression of ArtyA’s horological capabilities, the Purity Tourbillon Chameleon displays a technical inventiveness that combines a maverick style with visual clarity. A beautifully balanced architectural ensemble, the manually wound caliber features an over-sized flying tourbillon with a diameter of 17mm, which is at least 50% larger than most tourbillons.
Since the ArtyA Purity Tourbillon Chameleon beats at a rate of 4 Hz, extraordinary accuracy and greater stability are achieved through a much higher frequency than many other high-end Swiss tourbillons (usually 2 or 3 Hz).
Equipped with a power-reserve of 70 hours, two barrels connected in parallel drive the movement that operates the central hour and minute functions while the indication of the seconds is elegantly displayed on the flying tourbillon that rotates 360 degrees in 60 seconds.
Mounting the barrels in parallel reduces the thickness of the spring for a more stable torque, and also improves the delta of the barrel spring curve, with an ideal ratio between power reserve, performance, and precision.
ArtyA has chosen to manufacture this timepiece with a free-sprung balance with variable inertia. This type of balance wheel represents the ultimate in innovation, guaranteeing greater reliability when subjected to shocks and during movement assembly or disassembly, achieving better chronometric results over time.
Fully transparent, the Nano-Sapphire case has nothing to hide and plenty to show. This quest for transparency takes to the extremes the skeletonizing of the movement and enhances the astonishing beauty of its intricate spirit.
Each part of the movement is delicately beveled and polished by hand. In addition, the skeletonized bridges were subjected to intensive and complete validation tests to optimize their resistance capacities.
Technical details
Movement
ArtyA Exclusive Flying Tourbillon
Incredible skeleton design, skeletonized to the utmost: minimalist and pure
Very high chronometric reliability due to the torque of the double barrels
4 Hz — much higher than most of the existing tourbillons, providing stability
The Tourbillon is 50% bigger than most of the other brands, with a diameter of 16.2 mm
Movement already successfully tested
Power reserve: 70h
Functions
Hour, Minutes, Seconds on flying tourbillon
Case
Full transparent Nano-Sapphire color changing case
Size: 46 mm
Screwed down Nano-Sapphire back case
Nano-Sapphire crown
Water resistance 30 meters
MEMORIS YUCATAN is inspired by the world’s first chronograph produced by Louis Moinet in 1816, inventor of the chronograph and of high frequency (Guinness World Records™).
This creation finds unique expression thanks to YUCATAN GREEN, an original colour that owes its vibrancy to a clever combination of sunburst satin-brushing, special-coloured varnish, as well as silvering to enhance its brilliance. It houses Calibre LM86, a spectacular and innovative self-winding mechanical movement, displaying the 147 elements of the chronograph function on the dial side.
Every detail of MEMORIS YUCATAN evokes sportiness, elegance and exclusivity based on a unique mechanism stemming from the most advanced research. The curved crystal of the MEMORIS YUCATAN reveals the spectacular and unprecedented design of the chronograph. The traditional mechanism has been entirely separated, with the chronograph device visible on the front and automatic winding on the back.
Unique to Louis Moinet, this vision enables the complexity of this measuring mechanism to be fully admired at each interaction: start, stop, reset. A single gentle press on the single pusher allows an amazing sight to unfold before your eyes. More than 500 components had to be developed in order to achieve this incomparable feat.
The curved YUCATAN GREEN dial endows it with energy and vitality. Modernism is at the forefront, highlighted by revisited hands, new typography and the introduction of hour-markers. The bright red chronograph hands ensure perfect legibility. The black plate adorned with a Côtes de Genève motif helps highlight the powerful chronograph mechanism.
The care devoted to the aerodynamic treatment of the MEMORIS YUCATAN’s design has extended to the use of strongly domed crystals on the front and back of the watch. These serve to refine the silhouette while guaranteeing maximum ergonomics.
This sporty chronograph is housed in a very light titanium case (only 31 grams), which makes it especially comfortable to wear.
The handmade alligator leather strap features unusual colour and finishing combinations, such as the clean-cut and waxed green edges along with seams in green thread. Its extra-matt rubberised finish combined with a green alligator leather lining adds an exuberant touch.
To celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Médecins Sans Frontières (known as Doctors Without Borders), German watch manufacturer NOMOS Glashütte presents a special edition timepiece from its Tangente 38 series.
Image Copyright@ NOMOS Glashütte
Doctors Without Borders was founded in Paris on December 22, 1971, to help people in war zones and those in the wake of inevitable disasters. Their first mission in a conflict zone occurred during the civil war in Lebanon, where doctors and nurses treated casualties from both sides in a hospital basement.
Today, Doctors Without Borders operates in more than 70 countries. More than of its 65,000 members assist people caught in crises. They are doctors, nurses, logistics experts, administrators, epidemiologists, laboratory technicians, mental health professionals, and others whose work is guided by humanitarian principles and medical ethics. In 1999, the humanitarian organization won the Nobel Peace Prize for their work.
For ten years, NOMOS Glashütte has been making timepieces for supporting this organization. To this date, the brand has made over 10,000 watches and 14 different models for humanitarian aid, all identifiable by the red twelve. And for each watch, between 100 and 250 Euros go directly to Doctors Without Borders.
2021 marks the 50th anniversary of Médecins Sans Frontières as well as a longstanding partnership of ten years. To celebrate this milestone, the Glashütte based Manufacture has created a special edition of Tangente 38, the famous NOMOS hand-wound wristwatch with a diameter of 38 millimeters.
Image Copyright@ NOMOS Glashütte
This manual-wound steel timepiece can be distinguished by the inscription 50 ANS DE MÉDECINS SANS FRONTIÈRES on lower part of its white dial, below the small seconds counter.
Image Copyright@ NOMOS Glashütte
As a special edition, 50 ans de Médecins Sans Frontières is limited to 2,021 units worldwide. For each watch, 100 Euros goes to Doctors Without Borders.
Image Copyright@ NOMOS Glashütte
To certify the special status of this timepiece, the stainless steel case back is engraved with limited edition number X/2021 and 50 ANS DE MÉDECINS SANS FRONTIÈRES.
Technical details
Model: NOMOS Glashütte Tangente 38 – 50 ans de Médecins Sans Frontières Special Edition
Case
Stainless steel
Stainless steel case-back
Glass: sapphire crystal glass
Diameter: 37.5 mm
Height: 6.7 mm
Water resistance: up to 3 atm (splash-proof)
Dial
Galvanized, white silver- plated
Black indices and numerals
12H numeral in red
Movement
Caliber Alpha—in-house built NOMOS caliber with manual winding
Movement height: 2.6 mm
Diameter: 10 ½ lines (23.3 mm)
Power reserve: up to 43 hours
Stop-seconds mechanism
Glashütte stopwork
Glashütte three-quarter plate
Adjusted in six positions
17 jewels
Tempered blue screws
Rhodium-plated surfaces with Glashütte ribbing and NOMOS perlage
Ratchet and crown wheel with Glashütte sunburst
To mark the 75th Anniversary of Aspen Snowmass, Hublot, the Official Timekeeper of Aspen Snowmass, has launched a limited-edition commemorative timepiece.
The alpine-white skeletonized timepiece takes on the iconic Hublot Classic Fusion model. This limited edition of 25 pieces made of black ceramic with a white ceramic bezel features the Aspen tree leaf on the second hand and high shine brilliant titanium, a homage to the silver mining heritage of the Rockies and Aspen township. The limitation is stamped on the back of the timepiece along with the 75-year commemorative logo.
The Hublot Classic Fusion Aerofusion Aspen Snowmass Limited Edition is available exclusively at Hublot boutiques America wide and available on HUBLOT’s eCommerce, priced at $18,800 USD.
Hublot pays tribute to the Matterhorn, one of the best-known mountains in the Alps, with a new Big Bang “All Black” collection.
The Matterhorn is the iconic emblem of Switzerland. The mountain’s faceted pyramidal form makes it instantly recognisable among the thousands of other Alpine peaks. It is one of the toughest climbs in the world, yet has become synonymous with Alpine family leisure pursuits.
Hublot has created two versions of the Big Bang All Black Zermatt. The men’s and women’s models are different yet complementary. They represent the two sides of a single identity, a single horological vision, like two faces of the same mountain.
The 44 mm men’s version is available in 100 individually numbered pieces. The micro-blasted black ceramic case houses the self-winding HUB4100 chronograph, which is visible through the sapphire case back. The Matterhorn’s identity is captured on the dial side: the small seconds hand at 9 o’clock sits atop a relief rendering in immaculate white. Its bold, striking contrast draws the eye to the centre of the anthracite grey sunray dial.
Faithful to the All Black aesthetic, the timepiece is dressed exclusively in black and grey tones: Anthracite applied indices, two broad hands imprinted with black luminescent material, black resin lugs and a black rubber strap with grey calf inserts and deployant buckle.
The 41 mm women’s version symbolises the opposite face, with the Matterhorn emblazoned at 3 o’clock. Available in just 50 individually numbered pieces, its bezel set with 36 black diamonds.
These also beautifully embody the All Black’s characteristic duality, harnessing the customary snow-white sparkle of the diamond and translating it into the deepest black for this ultra-contrasted version. The model features a self-winding chronograph calibre with a 42-hour power reserve and a date window at 4:30.
Technical details
Model: BIG BANG ALL BLACK ZERMATT
References
301. CX.7040.VR.ZTT21: Special Edition XXX/100
341. CX.7040.VR.1204.ZTT21: Special Edition XX/50
Reference 301.CX.7040.VR.ZTT21
Case
Black ceramic, micro-blasted
Diameter: 44 mm
Thickness: 14.10 mm
Water resistance: 10 ATM (10m)
Case back
Black Ceramic, micro-blasted – engraved “ZERMATT EDITION” “XXX/100”
Sapphire glass with interior anti-reflective treatment + ZTT21 logo printed
Bezel
Black Ceramic micro-blasted
Dial
Grey sunray satin-finished, Satin-finished black-plated appliqués
Applique of the Matterhorn on the 9 o’clock counter
Movement
Caliber Hublot HUB4100
Self-winding movement, chronograph
Frequency: 4 Hz (28’800 A/h)
Power reserve: 42 hours
Number of components: 252
Jewels: 27
Strap
Black rubber and grey calf with grey stitching
Black-plated stainless steel deployant buckle clasp
Case
Satin finished black ceramic
Diameter: 41 mm
Thickness: 12.75 mm
Water Resistant: 10 ATM (10m)
Case back
Black Ceramic, micro-blasted – engraved “ZERMATT EDITION” “XX/50”
Sapphire glass with interior anti-reflective treatment + ZTT21 logo printed
Bezel
Polished black-plated, set with 36 black-diamonds for 1.80cts
Dial
Grey sunray satin-finished, set with 8 black diamonds for 0.14cts
Satin-finished black-plated appliques
Applique of the Matterhorn on the 3 o’clock counter
Movement
Caliber Hublot HUB4300
Self-winding movement, chronograph
Frequency: 4 Hz (28’800 A/h)
Power reserve: 42 hours
Number of components: 278
Jewels: 37
Strap
Black rubber and grey calf with grey stitching
Black-plated stainless steel deployant buckle clasp
This special edition timepiece was created in collaboration with the famous marine photographer Greg Lecoeur.
This massive 45mm diameter watch in bronze houses a customized self-winding movement that drives retrograde minutes, jumping hour and power reserve indications. Greg Lecoeur has selected the Hydrosphere Bronze diving watch model, and chosen a blue sunray dial to best reflect the seabed.
Water resistant to 250 meters, this diving watch features unidirectional rotating bezel in ceramic, helium valve, sapphire crystal glass, screw-down crown and stainless steel case back.
The Greg Lecoeur Edition also won the best diving watch award, awarded by the Middle East Watch & Jewellery Show, Edition 2021.
Technical details
45mm, bronze case with satin finish
Bronze dial with sundial finish, white index, magnifier on the jumping hour window
Self-winding mechanical movement, 37 hours power reserve
Complications: retrograde minutes, jumping hour, power reserve
Patented proprietary 124-pieces module on ETA 2824-2 caliber
Anti-reflective sapphire crystal
Unidirectional, ceramic rotating bezel with double scale for reading the time at different diving depths before and after the retrograde minute hand’s return
Helium valve
Stainless steel screwed back
Screw-down crown
Water resistance: 250 meters
Black rubber strap screwed onto the body
Additional blue NATO strap provided, mounted on bronze stirrups
Price: 4,850 Euros TTC
RAYMOND WEIL presents a luxurious variation of its emblematic noemia watch.
Named after the Maison’s founder granddaughter, the noemia collection celebrates the RAYMOND WEIL family by creating exclusively feminine pieces.
The NOEMIA watch is now available in a steel version with an accented jewellery character. Made with the Swiss precision for which the company is renowned, it is adorned with 47 diamonds and its delicate curves form a voluptuous caress of the wrist.
With its two glittering cascades of 18 diamonds set asymmetrically on the 32 mm case, the jewelled decoration has moved out of its usual context. The dial captures the eye with its depth giving an unprecedented effect of grandeur.
The sober combination of nature and gradation results from the precious guilloché work creating an incomparable effect of light, texture, brilliance and elegance. The dial is adorned with 11 diamond indices and a Roman XII, as a reference to the collection’s previous models.
The dazzling case, the pure dial and the delight of the polished and satin-finished steel bracelet are hallmarks of an authentic piece of jewellery. The model is available in two dial variations: green and grey.
Technical details
Model: NOEMIA
References
5132-S1S-52181
5132-S1S-60181
Movement
Quartz
Case
Round – Polished stainless steel set with 36 diamonds
Diameter: 32mm
Thickness: 7.58mm
Crown: With lacquer
Crystal: Sapphire
Case back: Screwed
Water resistance: 50 m, 165 ft, 5 atm
Dial
5132-S1S-52181: Green, with Roman numerals and set with 11 diamonds
5132-S1S-60181: Grey, with Roman numerals and set with 11 diamonds
Hands
Nickel plated
Bracelet
Stainless steel bracelet
Stainless steel folding clasp with double push-security system
During Dubai Watch Week 2021, De Bethune launched a new DB25QP Perpetual Calendar watch with a green guilloche dial and a new titanium case featuring integrated lugs.
The De Bethune perpetual calendar is tinged with poetry and combines the finesse of watchmaking with the precision mechanics of the Manufacture by bringing together moon phase, starry sky and perpetual calendar in an exceptional timepiece. Inspired by the drum, the round case with a diameter of 44 mm, with its fine and resolutely classic lines, is subtly enhanced by the hollowed-out horns characteristic of the DB25 collection.
The finesse of the decorations and the purity of the green hand-guilloche dial, radiating in 12 sectors, underline the legibility of the dial, which is built up by the assembly of ring-shaped appliques delimiting the sub-dials and the hour circle. At 12 o’clock, a sphere in palladium and black oxidized zirconium sits in a sky set with gold stars, also incorporating a leap year indicator in a gold pastille in the starry sky at 12 o’clock. The date can be read on a dial located at 6 o’clock, while the windows indicating the day of the week and the month are located at 9 and 3 o’clock respectively.
The round case of the new DB25QP retains the harmonious lines that contributed to the success of the original DB25QP but is offered for the first time in titanium. This further enhances the practicality and comfort of this timepiece.
Developed in the Manufacture’s Haute Horlogerie workshops in Sainte Croix in the Swiss Jura, the automatic DB2324 caliber benefits from De Bethune’s research and technology know how. It incorporates a perpetual calendar, a spherical moon indicating the moon phases with a precision of 1 day/122 years, a self-regulating double barrel, a triple pare-chute system and a titanium/grey gold balance.
A sapphire caseback allows one to admire the complexity of the movement as well as the refinement of its finishing: ¾ platinum bridge with star decoration, sandblasted and hand-colored, blued titanium balance bridge and oscillating weight arm, hand-colored white gold weight, hand-beveled and mirror-polished steels.
This new perpetual calendar comes with a green textile strap with a polished titanium buckle and pin. A second leather strap accompanies it. A perfect illustration of the technical and aesthetic know-how of the Manufacture, this new reference DB25QPATIS4 is destined to replace all the DB25QPs previously presented in the current De Bethune collection.
La Esmeralda is the famous prize-winning pocket watch made for the ‘Exposition Universelle’ in 1889. As the Girard-Perregaux Manufacture celebrates its 230th anniversary, it has revisited its iconic timepiece of 1889 and created a wristwatch that celebrates the Maison’s incredible fine watchmaking heritage and know-how.
In 1860, Constant Girard created a tourbillon chronometer equipped with three nickel silver bridges. Later, in 1867, Constant entered the Observatoire of Neuchâtel competition where his watch won first prize, setting a record that remained unchallenged for many years. Again, in 1867, the same watch won a medal at the Exposition Universelle, Paris.
What differentiated Constant’s work from that of his peers was that he didn’t restrict his efforts to technical details alone but also expended much effort refining the architecture of his movements. In particular, the famous three bridges he employed on his watches were not merely functional, but also designed to be visible and attractive. Over time, the design of the arrow-shaped bridges became increasingly stylised, encompassing numerous facets. Furthermore, the three bridges were ennobled, transitioning from the nickel silver found on the early pocket watches to the now famous golden bridges.
Constant would visit Paris again in 1889, entering another pocket watch for the ‘Exposition Universelle’. The renowned watchmaker unveiled the Tourbillon with Three Gold Bridges, a pocket watch housed in a sumptuous pink gold case, measuring 56mm in diameter and fitted with a detent escapement.
The case was elaborately engraved by Fritz Kundert, an acclaimed artisan based in the ‘Neuchâtel Mountains.’ In September 1889, the watch received a diploma and gold medal at ‘Exposition Universelle’. After the event, a famous watch and jewellery retailer, Hauser, Ziwy & Co, which operated ‘La Esmeralda’ stores in Paris and Mexico, was tasked with selling the prize-winning watch.
La Esmeralda
The watch, ultimately called ‘La Esmeralda’, was sold to Porfirio Diaz, then president of Mexico (1830-1915). In 1970, a descendent of the president offered the Manufacture the opportunity to purchase the watch and it now forms part of the Maison’s museum collection.
While La Esmeralda was a highly precise pocket watch, its charms were not merely restricted to its engraved case and golden bridges. For instance, it was fitted with a sumptuous white grand feu enamel dial.
Moreover, Poire Stuart hour and minute hands, featuring a filigreed design, contributed to the watch’s elegant mien. Finally, the savonette case, incorporating a hinged dust cover, was beautifully engraved with three horses. However, despite having extensive archives, Girard-Perregaux can find no record regarding the significance of said horses. Indeed, the horses have now become known as the ‘equine mystery’.
This year, as Girard-Perregaux celebrates its 230th anniversary, the Manufacture has created La Esmeralda Tourbillon “A Secret” Eternity Edition, a wristwatch employing the Maison’s legendary watchmaking know-how as well as encompassing an array of artistic crafts, executed to an exceptional standard.
Unveiled during the Dubai Watch Week in 2021, this latest creation re-interprets the design of the legendary 1889 ‘La Esmeralda’ pocket watch and references many of its extraordinary refinements.
Three gold bridges span the dial, similar to those fitted to La Esmeralda of 1889. However, on this latest model, Girard-Perregaux has once again made the invisible visible by bringing the horses engraved on the back case of the original pocket watch up to centre stage of this new timepiece. Indeed, two hand-engraved galloping horses form the right and left ends of the barrel bridge and tourbillon bridge.
Each bridge is painstakingly finished and features concave bevelling, mirror-polishing, flanks with horizontal ‘traits-tirés’ and rounded off arms. It requires 40 hours to finish all three bridges, while the additional engraving found on the barrel bridge and tourbillon takes an extra 50 hours to complete.
While the La Esmeralda Tourbillon “A Secret” Eternity Edition celebrates the Manufacture’s history and upholds many of its historical techniques, it also incorporates cutting-edge technology. For example, the elaborately formed mainplate is made using a CNC-machine and produced to infinitesimal tolerances unimaginable back in the 19th century. However, once milled, the mainplate is finished to the exacting standards befitting the term ‘Haute Horlogerie’. This is just one example of how Girard-Perregaux has repeatedly juxtaposed modern-day know-how with traditional expertise.
The mainplate (caseback side) is embellished with a new form of finishing, an industry first exclusive to Girard-Perregaux. Where some high-end watches feature a bevelled edge, presented at 45°, spanning the surface and the flank, this model encompasses concave bevelling. This involves creating a curved recess between the surface and flank, catching light wonderfully and transitioning from one shade to another.
As its name implies, the watch is fitted with a secret cover. By pressing the crown pusher, the secret cover opens, revealing the self-winding movement, the Calibre GP09600-1506. Beneath the secret cover, the mainplate is fitted with a motion-work bridge and marking plate. Both are made from pink gold and incorporate traits-tirés and hand-polished angles, thereby emulating the shape of the famous Gold Bridges. The motion-work bridge is marked ‘secret’. The inside of the hinged secret cover is hand-engraved with various inscriptions, albeit these can be personalised on request.
Both the barrel and the mainplate (dial side) are enlivened with various guilloché patterns, performed using a traditional rose-engine lathe, operated by a time-served artisan.
The dauphine-type hour and minute hands are formed of pink gold and circumnavigate an intricate and beautifully appointed dial. Beyond its three iconic bridges and the aforementioned guilloché dial, the watch is endowed with several additional delights for the delectation of purists.
The central area of the dial and mainplate is recessed, accommodating the barrel, centre wheel and tourbillon cage. A rhodium plated barrel sits in the upper portion of the dial and features golden engraved text. This detail recalls the text found on the barrel of the original La Esmeralda, declaring the model’s patented status. A white gold micro-rotor sits beneath the barrel, out of sight, energising the mainspring with minimal user input.
A tourbillon cage is positioned in the lower portion of the dial. Made using state-of-the art technology, the lyre-shaped cage, comprised of 78 components, weighs just 0.3g. This low mass helps mitigate power-consumption, contributing to the model’s power-reserve of at least 50 hours. A blued steel hand is affixed to the tourbillon cage and serves as a small seconds display.
The pink gold case is totally hand-engraved, honouring the skilful work of Fritz Kundert, the artisan tasked with engraving La Esmeralda in the 19th century, as well as the dedication and skill of the modern-day artisans of La Chaux-de-Fonds. The bezel, caseband, lugs and buckle are engraved with a delicate leaf motif. The outerpart of the cover is adorned with a fluted pattern. Additional engraving graces both the inside and exterior of the secret cover.
La Esmeralda Tourbillon “A Secret” Eternity Edition is introduced as part of the Eternity Edition series, paying homage the eternal beauty of enamel. This contemporary Interpretation has taken use this métier d’art one step further than Its historical forebearer, extending the enamelling onto the outer case sides and lugs – all of which has been executed in-house.
To the rear of the watch, the back of the blue enamelled secret cover features three horses, again inspired by the original La Esmeralda and adorned with a sunray guilloché decoration and blue grand feu enamel. The horses return, but their origin remains an enigma or, as they say at the Manufacture, ‘an equine mystery’.
La Esmeralda Tourbillon “A Secret” Eternity Edition will be offered in seven different colourways, each produced on request for a maximum of eighteen pieces per colour. It is available worldwide through all authorised Girard-Perregaux retailers.
The Girard-Perregaux Laureato 42mm Eternity Edition is a brand new watch model endowed with a sublime in-house grand feu enamel dial.
In 1969, Girard-Perregaux unveiled the Deep Diver, a watch intended for subaquatic use. Its cushion-shaped case was designed accordingly, but its curvaceous form also delivered a high quotient of eye-appeal. Most notable of all was the model’s unique bezel design with 14 facets.
