IWI watches, based in England, was started by Ian Walsh who learned the (watch industry) ropes while at Tag Heuer. IWI watches are still made by him, hand-made in the UK. Working in the auto racing world and having passion for it, Ian designs IWI watches with a distinct British sense of motor sport aesthetic.
Most IWI watches feature a round, lugless case design with the crown fixed to the top of the case. They look a bit like wrist mounted stopwatches, and have colors that seem to mach the colors of racing suits and race cars. IWI also has a pair of chronograph watches that are the CH-O and CH-R. These titles simply stand for Chronograph Orange or Red. I quite like the simple designs and integrated quasi-bund style strap. The thick leather straps have red or orange contrast stitching and have over them 45mm wide steel watch cases. The style looks really cool. IWI didn't invent this concept, but it isn't commonly used. The large watch case are also stopwatch in style (also known as "bullhead") with the crown and pushers places on the top of the case.
The dials are neat looking and straight forward. Colorful, and easy to read. Inside the watch is a Swiss ETA automatic movement. Either a Valjoux 7750 or Valjoux 7753 I would guess. Possibly an ETA 2894 though. The watches are said to each be limited to 500 pieces. Price for the IWI CH-O or CH-R is 3,295 British Pounds.
Hip-hop musical artist Usher commissioned a special one of a kind watch from New York based jeweler and watch maker Tiret. The Usher watch has an oblong oval shaped case (in an undisclosed material that is likely gold) with a diamond designed portrait of Usher on the dial. Containing two Swiss ETA chronograph quartz movements, the watch technically can tell the time in two places. Given the lack of indicators the chronograph mechanisms are more or less worthless, but the point of this pieces is giving Usher the ability to look at himself as though he were made up of diamonds. How many people really get that privilege?
Using all natural stones, the watch has almost 10 carats of diamonds on it and 1106 stones all over the watch. Look at the size of the diamonds on the bezel! Diamonds include white as well as naturally yellow diamonds. Tiret says that the watch was recently featured in a diamond exhibit at the Natural History Museum in London - where other high-end diamond decorated watches were displayed. While not mechanically complex, the special Tired watch for Usher is an interesting look into the life of Usher, and at the types of products that Tiret makes. According to them, the brand only makes custom timepieces and jewelry at this time. Usher is said to have paid $250,000 for the bespoke timepiece.
Usher, a known owner of several watches, does not claim to be a serious watch enthusiast. He prefers the showiness of timepieces as well as the jewelry component. Actually, given many of the watches that Usher has, this Tiret is of the most showy. Usher seems to prefer more classic mechanical timepieces with a masculine edge to them. The box that Tired supplied the Usher watch in doubles as a humidor for 78 cigars and also has a motif of Usher's face on it.
Dievas has released a limited edition of just 50 pieces set of this new, very cool, but with a sinister-looking face, "Reaper" watch.The military pilot-style watch is meant to honor the MQ-9 Reaper UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) drone built by General Atomics. The Reaper is pretty cool. but the connection is quite ironic as the Dievas Reaper is a pilot style watch and the Reaper plane does not require a pilot.
At 42.5mm wide, the steel case is blackened with something Dievas calls 6SteelBlack (might be some type of PVD application process). The dial is really where all the "wow" is, with its mix of black on black and "fluro" yellow. The neon yellow hands and square hour markers (all with applied SuperLumiNova luminant) are really remarkable looking against the black colors of the dial. The rotating bezel is bi-directional and can serve to indicate a second timezone.
The watch has a sapphire crystal and the case is water resistant to 50m and has an exhibition caseback. Inside is a Swiss ETA 2824 automatic movement. Dievas pairs the Reaper with a black calfskin leather strap that has been treated to be water resistant. The back of the strap is yellow.Price for each of the 50 Dievas Reaper pieces is $1,080, and you can get one here.
With design features hearkening back to the 1950s and 1960s, and as dedicated to some of the original "long-haul" aircraft, Breitling offers a completely new timepiece collection with the Transocean. While Breitling regularly updates or adds to its existing timepiece collections, the release of something totally new is special. The Swiss brand puts a lot of thought in to its designs, so I take a close look at the new pieces they release. With retro being still very "in," Breitling has hit a home run with the Transocean for fans of the retro trend, as well as fans of the brand.
Interestingly enough, the Transocean moves away from a core element that exists in almost every current Breitling watch - a rotating bezel. The lack of this design element so popular to Breitling watches really make you take are second look at the piece to see what brand it is. While the dial is extremely true to Breitling's core aesthetic, it has been toned down, and given a more genteel personality. Applied metal (steel or gold) baton style hour markers and recessed chronograph subdials help add depth to it. Aside from the tachymeter scale, there is little to busy up the face. Lume is placed as thin strip in the hands and as dots behind the hour markers. The angularity of the hand and hour markers add a utilitarian and purposeful looking, contrasting the roundness of almost all the other design features.
Retro concepts carry to the style of the pushers as well as the flared lugs (this style lug was so popular in the 1960s). An interesting design note is the "double" bezel." The polished bezel gives way to the domed sapphire crystal over the dial but you can see another strip metal directly under the crystal next to the exposed bezel - interesting. Breitling will offer four versions of the Transocean Chronograph to start. At 43mm in width the dial will be available in black or "mercury silver," in a steel or 18k red gold case.
The watch uses Breitling's now well-known in-house made Caliber 01 automatic chronograph movement. You can see the movement through a sapphire caseback window. The 01 is known as a relatively affordable in-house made chronograph movement compared to some of Breitling competitors. Breitling also provides the watch movment with a COSC Chronometer certification. The Transocean in comes with an optional mesh metal bracelet, and all versions are available with a leather or crocodile strap. Not sure about all the prices, the steel version is said to have a starting price of $7,600. As an added bonus, the first 2,000 steel and 200 red gold Transocean watches will be available as limited editions only. After that the Transocean will be part of Breitling's standard product line.
Thankfully we are no where near Valentine's day - yet. The oft-hyped holiday strikes fear into the hearts of many men poised with the daunting task of offering their mate not only the perfect gift, but the perfect day. Swiss Blancpain gives men another reason to worry with the 2011 version of their "Saint Valentin" watch for Valentine's day. I wrote about last year's model here. The 2011 watch is very classic in style, and even the iconic Blancpain features are subdued. The watch is a triple calendar style with moon phase. Meaning it has an annual calendar complication, the time with a subsidiary seconds dial, and a smiling moon phase indicator.
The watch is mostly white in tone, with a 35mm wide steel case, bezel lined with 49 diamonds, more diamonds on the mother-of-pearl dial, and two hearts. No Valentine's day watch can resist the inclusion of red hearts! The first is used as the hand on the date indicator dial on the watch face, and other other is a bit higher-end on the luxury scale being a heart-shaped ruby located on the bezel at the 12 o'clock position.
Blancpain includes their in-house made Calibre 6763 automatic movement that is visible through the sapphire caseback window. A watch like this feels like a men's model turned femme - which inherently it is. The watch doesn't exclude girliness, but it rather a stately gift for a mature and sophisticated woman (that has a penchant for fine mechanical watches). Blancpain will make only 99 pieces of this 2011 Saint Valentin watch and it should be available early next year. Interestingly enough, it comes in a box that is little locked treasure chest. There is an accompanying white gold heart (wearing a corset) that is opened to reveal the key. Personally I would want a written letter from her saying that whatever is in the box will satisfy her Valentine's day expectations.
In French "Furtif" means stealthy - so assume that its use in this new Hysek watch's name is a joke. There is nothing "under-the-radar" whatsoever about this new square skeletonized watch. Reminding me of a Roger Dubuis in theme (and movement), this Hysek Furtif Skeleton Tourbillon features a square titanium case and in-house made movement with the time and a flying tourbillon. While the piece is interesting, I am not really inspired by the design through pictures. Maybe I need to see it in person. The articulating lugs are interesting, and I like the gold crown and screws - to match the gold elements on the dial. Skeletonization of a movement and dial in an angular watch often looks good.
In a sense I write about the Hysek brand because I am a fan of the man who started it - Jorg Hysek. Problem is that Mr. Hysek is no longer affiliated with the brand (and has his own stuff like HD3). For super villains of the world who need a piece on their wrist to match their complex, dark, and stealthy mannerisms, this watch might do. What I really want to see if a guy in shorts mowing his lawn with one of these one. The watch will be limited to just 30 pieces and be available soon.
Using their popular UN-24 "dual time" automatic movement, Ulysse Nardin released this female version of their Executive Dual Time watch. Though not perhaps inline with traditional Ulysse Nardin aesthetic, the Executive Dual Time collection has been a good seller for the Swiss brand. The dials all have have segments of mother-of-pearl, matched with various colors (such as the above watch in purple). Also note the available diamonds on the dial.
The second timezone is located "digitally" on the left of the dial. That is the second timezone hour indicator, and the minutes are read with the main minute hand. There is also a "big date" indicator and subsidiary seconds hand. Nice looking and functional right? The case is 40mm wide and available in steel or 18k rose gold. The white bezel is in ceramic, as are the pushers on the left of the case to change the second timezone. The strap is either in white rubber or alligator. The Executive Lady collection is unique in style and mixes modernity with some classic aesthetics nicely.
It was only a matter of time before Jaeger-LeCoultre did a "heritage" version of their already "in the past" Reverso watch. A timeless classic, the Reverso has come in dozens of versions, becoming one of the brand's most signature timepieces. As the name of this new "Tribute" watch suggests, the original Reverso watch was released in 1931. The idea behind it was to be a timepiece that could be worn while playing polo - but that would also be less susceptible to damage given that watch crystals were made of glass back then.
The design gave the rectangular case the ability to flip over while wearing the watch. When turned over, the original Reverso had an all metal surface where the watch face would be. This space was also popular for custom engravings and personalized messages. At least one professional polo player told me that you would not want to wear a watch during a serious polo match. I think that is obvious to most people, but the Reverso really hasn't been about that in decades.
Shop around for an automatic wristwatch and you're likely to find mechanisms that will keep their time on the shelf for a day, two days, maybe more. Panerai's latest, however, is capable of keeping a power reserve for a whopping ten days without moving it an inch.
The ultra-exclusive Luminor 1950 10 Days GMT Limited Edition is constricted to just 100 examples, all of which will be sold at the Swiss-Italian watchmaker's store in the Taipei 101 building in Taiwan. In addition to the ten-day power reserve and the usual hours, minutes and seconds hands, it features a date window, a secondary time zone display and an AM/PM indicator. Nice work if you can get it, but it'll set you back $17,250 if you can.
Applying classic decorative techniques (called "fleurisanne engraving) known in the small (but popular for watch making) Swiss town of Fleurier, Chopard will offer just 15 pieces of this limited edition in-house made L.U.C Tourbillon Esprit de Fleurier watch. The movement - as you should be able to tell - is hand-engraved throughout with floral motifs. You see just part of it through the partially skeletonized dial, but the entire movement is decorated with that style. Plus, Chopard uses 18k gold for the main movement plates.
The movement itself is the calibre 4TT3NGM hand-wound movement with a massive power reserve of 216 hours (8 days) - through four barrels. There is a power indicator on the dial telling you when to it needs to be wound. Other functions include a tourbillon (that doubles as the subsidiary seconds hand) as well as hour and minute hands in blued steel. The movement is also a COSC certified Chronometer.
The Esprit de Fleurier comes in a 40.5mm wide case in 18k white gold. Chopard cleverly made this a "two-tone" watch without making it obvious. Very nice for lovers of traditional watches with decorative effects. Just 15 pieces will be made by Chopard, and they won't be cheap.
New by Swiss DeWitt is a watch called the Twenty-8-Eight Regulator A.S.W. The fascinating watch contains a very technically sophisticated movement, as well as a design and high-end appeal that relates directly to the brand's love of 1920s era American art deco aesthetics. The watch has a dial with an image meant to evoke New York City area art deco buildings. Not sure if there is a specific building in mind, but you get the point. This is not the first watch with means to evoke art deco building, but the concept is so rich, I invite as many interpretations that brands can bear to design.
There are a lot of interesting little details in the watch that can be hard to see. For example, much of the dial is a "smoked" sapphire crystal that allows you to see the movement underneath it, but still provides the presence of a dial. The dial is composed of a building-like motif with a large opening for the tourbillon surrounded but a sunray style design. Functions for the watch include the time as well as a power reserve indicator.
etails on these watches are really skimpy. What I do know is that English watch brand Arnold & Sonwill release 25 sets of these limited edition "Hornet History Collection James Cook" watches. Each set includes three watches - each with a different dial that include a trio of scenes from Cooks famous voyages.
The dials are apparently not 100% hand-painted, but rather "hand-touch up painting." Really not sure what that means, but the miniature painting style dials fit the personality of the timepieces quite well - with their 18k pink gold case and retro navigational instrument theme. The first dial depicts "the landing at Botany Bay in Australia." Next you have "the discovery of Antarctica," and finally the gruesome sounding "Death in Hawaii" (where James Cook died in a riot). The voyages of James Cook are well recalled by historians today. For people with too much money and times on their hands. They can pick up one of these sets and retrace Mr. Cook's steps... (paddle rows?).
The watches themselves has exclusive automatic movements and a series of functions. In addition to the time, the dials have a GMT hand (shaped like the sun), a big date indicator, and a rotating bezel that is used for a third time zone indicator. The four crowns on the case seem a bit overkill, so I am not sure what is going on there. Overall the pieces are neat, and the set is great for the well-off English explorer lover/collector/amateur. Each of the 25 sets of three watches will retail for 156,000 Swiss Francs.
German-made UTS watches are among the best for no-nonsense active types. With a distinct cult following, UTS watches have minimalist branding and intensely functional designs. As the refer to them, "the watches are designed by an engineer, and you'll feel it every day." The cases are made in-house by UTS, and the durability of these watches is said to be outstanding. One of the only drawbacks is that the difference between the various UTS watch models is often slight.
This new UTS Adventure GMT watch is a follow up on the Adventure Automatic. The cushion shaped case is in a very high-grade steel and is 46mm wide. Water resistant to 500 meters, the watch contains a newer Swiss ETA Valgranges A07.171 automatic GMT movement. There is lots of bright SuperLumiNova on the dial, and the legibility is top-notch. I like how the red colored GMT hand is in the center of the dial with a complete 24 hour scale. The watch comes on various straps or UTS's famous metal bracelet. Price is $4,000 and the Adventure GMT watch is limited to 200 pieces only.
Last month we reported that a collection of classic Rolex watches belonging to Mt. Everest conquerorSir Edmund Hillary was headed to auction. If you didn't manage to snag one of the precious timepieces, there's another chance to pay horological homage to the great adventurer. The new Hillary Tenzing Explorer Series is a limited edition of three variations on the classic Rolex Explorer worn by Sir Edmund on his historic climb in 1953. Priced at $39,000 and limited to just 88 examples, the watch (above) is also named after Sherpa Tenzing Norgay who made the Everest ascent with him. Created by the same company who brought out the Jaques Picard SingleRed DeepSea Rolex model in 2008, the watches were designed in close cooperation with Peter Hillary and Jamling Tenzing Norgay, sons of the famous mountaineers and acclaimed adventurers themselves. Each will come packaged in a custom packing crate modeled on the one that accompanied Hillary to Everest along with various accessories including bespoke shell cordovan NATO watch straps and a pair of hiking boots modeled on the ones worn by the famed explorer.
The Richemont Group often reminds me of General Motors. Especially the GM of "back in the day" that would re-purpose engines, car bodies, chassis, etc... Not that this practice is bad (actually it is smart), but from an informed perspective it does allow for a chuckle now and then. I recently wrote about a new movement inside of a Steinway & Sons watch that turned the seconds hand into a metronome. Cool right? It also made a lot of sense given the fact that Steinway & Sons is primarily a piano maker.
Now I see the exact same movement used in a watch by Chaumet. To be honest, I actually like the Chaumet version better from a design perspective. Does it make any sense with the Chaumet brand? Not really. They position the limited edition as a tribute to Chopin (who would have celebrated his 200th birthday this year). Placed in a Dandy watch case, the "Dandy Edition Metronome" will be limited to just 100 pieces, and be in an 18k white gold case. I like the black and white contrast meant to resemble piano keys. You can see the small metronome through a window in the dial placed at the bottom of the off-centered watch face. The little Lyre shows up once again - just like on the Steinway & Son's model.
At least Chaumet pay's tribute to Jean-Marc Wiederrecht, the watch maker who is more or less responsible for the cool little complication as part of the mechanical movement. Both the Chaumet and Steinway & Sons models are impressive, and unique from a design perspective. Though the fact that the movement wasn't really designed specially for Chaumet does take a bit away from the "reason" for the limited edition. Get the piece because you like the design and the complication, not because you think Chaumet really has anything to do with Chopin or timepieces in honor of great composers.
The Paul Picot C-Type is a very under-recognized sport watch, and now it is also a very under-recognized sport watch for women. Sad that more people won't ever see or hear of this watch because it is pretty nifty. Coming in mostly white, the C-Type for the ladies is 32mm wide in a steel case with large rotating diver's style bezel and a mother-of-pearl dial. The face of the watch also has a series of diamond hour makers. The transition between sport and chic in smooth - Paul Picot does femme activity watches well in my opinion.
Inside the watch is a Swiss automatic mechanical movement and it has a domed sapphire crystal. Like any good diver's watch, the C-Type is water resistant to 300 meters. When you are tired of the gleaming white look of it, you can swap out the white rubber checkerboard patterned strap for a black one.
As a high-end marquee watch for women, Cartier will unveil this Troubillon & Crocodile timepiece at the SIHH watch show in January. I didn't know that Cartier had a thing for reptiles, I thought it was just big cats. Times change I guess. Not a ton of details on the watch yet. I don't know how large the case is, or what material it is in. Though I am guessing a case size of at least 40mm in width, and done in 18k white gold.
The case is decorated with a number of diamonds, and the fantastically rendered 3D crocodile on the dial is also in gold and diamonds. What a stunning jewelry creation. It sits on a black dial accompanied with a few lotus flowers. Inside the watch is a partially exposed in-house made Cartier calibre 9458 MC manually wound movement with a flying tourbillon. The movement is placed to the side of the dial for an asymmetrical position. The Tourbillon & Crocodile won't be part of a limited edition per se, but will likely be made only to order after a few pieces are made by Cartier. More info on this next year.
