Finest Watches Blog

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Carbon Concept Tourbillon

nospam@example.com (Finest Watches) — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 23:22:25 -0500

The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Carbon Concept Tourbillon, reference 26265FO.OO.D002CR.01, is a truly amazing watch. It has a forged carbon case as well as a forged carbon movement, which makes the watch unusually light weight. The two combined is a first for Audemars Piguet. It has the exclusive hand-wound Audemars Piguet Calibre 2895 movement which is composed of 384 parts and includes a chronograph. The time and ingenuity that went into making the watch does not come cheap, msrp for the Carbon Concept Tourbillon is $251,100 USD.

The forged carbon case is 44 mm by 15.85 mm thick and has a case-back ring in black PVD-coated titanium. It also has a ceramic bezel and is water resistant to 100 meters. The hand-wound with tourbillon Calibre 2895 movement is 33.80 mm by 12.01 mm thick, it has 34 jewels and a power reserve of 237 hours. The display of the watch is integrated onto the movement and the face has a graduated dial ring with luminescent hour-markers and white minute markers. The strap is hand-sewn alligator leather that has a Audemars Piguet folding clasp made of titanium.

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Singapore Grand Prix Chronograph

nospam@example.com (Finest Watches) — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 21:26:25 -0500

The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Singapore Grand Prix Chronograph was created to commemorate the upcoming Singapore Grand Prix. It will be the first F1 race held in that country as well as the only nighttime F1 event ever. The forged carbon used for the case was inspired by Formula 1 cars. This limited edition watch will have only 250 numbered pieces.

The Singapore Grand Prix Chronograph watch uses several unique materials. The central section of the case is wrought from forged carbon which has been used previously by Audemars Piguet before in watches such as the Team Alinghi Forged Carbon and Royal Oak Carbon Concept Tourbillon watch. The material is not only functional, but is lightweight and extremely hard. The carbon's look is altered by machining the surface creating a unique appearance that catches light producing a beautiful effect. The black carbon case middle is accented by stricking red chronograph push-pieces and a red rubber-molded crown. The look is pulled together with the perforated black leather strap with red stitching and a stainless steel folding clasp in the shape of the Audemars Piguet initials. The caseback is engraved with the Grand Prix logo as well as the words - Royal Oak Offshore Limited Edition Singapore GP 2008.

The watch features a self-winding Audemars Piguet Calibre 3126/3840 movement comprised of 365 components and has a power reserve up to 60 hours. The barrel spring improves rating precision by supplying constant force for a longer period of time. All parts are hand-decorated, mainplate rhodium-plated - beveled and circular grained and bridges adorned with "côtes de Genève" motif. The reference number for the Grand Prix is 26190OS.OO.D003CU.01.

Audemars Piguet Millenary Watch with Deadbeat Seconds

nospam@example.com (Finest Watches) — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 20:19:09 -0500

The Audemars Piguet Millenary Watch with Deadbeat Seconds is an exquisite timepiece inside and out. Featuring a mechanism inspired by a late 18th century creation by Robin, the brand-new system combines the high efficiency of a direct-impulse escapement with the reliability of a Swiss lever escapement. The movement requires no lubrication, something that had not yet been achieved without relying on the use of new materials like silicon. This breakthrough was first presented in the world-first Cabinet N° 5 watch in the Tradition d’ Excellence collection in 2006. Now the magic is unveiled in the beautiful new Millenary Watch.

The high efficiency of the watch is thanks to the distinctive geometry of the Audemars Piguet escapement, because it does not require any lubrication it can avoid the regular maintenance that clogging from the accumulation of grease can cause. Direct impulse on the balance and the detached single-beat escapement decreases disturbances and promotes extremely high efficiency. The movement also has excellent shock-resistance which protects the watch from tripping or overbanking. The escapement platform has been turned around so the escapement is visible from the dial side of the watch, and the plate has been hollowed to reveal the mechanism. The Calibre 2905 movement features two balance-springs placed one on top of the other at a 180° angle. The deadbeat seconds are an independent display which jumps once a second without disturbing the running of the watch. This is most often found in the famous Audemars Piguet pocket chronographs but has been miniaturized to wristwatch size. The Calibre 2905 hand-wound movement is an oval-shaped movement comprised of 233 parts.

The elegant pink gold oval Millenary case has a brushed middle and a polished bezel with an entirely open dial and off center displays. All components are entirely hand-finished which includes bevelling and rhodium-plating. The sapphire crystal case-back shows the twin barrels rotating and the three-point screw and circle layout which is repeated in the centre of the barrel. The case is on a hand-sewn alligator leather strap and fitted with a pink gold folding clasp.

Ulysse Nardin Freak -From Tourbillon to DIAMonSIL to Blue Phantom

nospam@example.com (Finest Watches) — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 13:36:47 -0500

The first Ulysse Nardin Freak was released in 2001, it included a 7 day-tourbillon-carrousel which went on to win the Chronos Innovation Prize for that year. This unusual watch had no hands or crown, and the constantly revolving movement gave the indications for time. The hour indicator is located on the mainspring barrel and the lithe escapement bridge acts as the minute indicator. The name FREAK started out as a secret code name for the project, in the end the name stuck as the watch was such a departure from conventional watch-making. The innovation also included the all new Dual Direct escapement developed by Ludwig Oechslin. The development of the FREAK pioneered the use of silicium and showcased the unique abilities of silicium for the production of their escapement wheels.

In 2007 Ulysse Nardin took the Freak a step further with the launch the Freak DIAMonSIL which included a new patented Dual Ulysse Escapement made out of diamond and silicium. This time Ulysse Nardin used diamonds in the development of the new Freak with the goal of increasing the maximum life span and protecting the mechanism against external stress. Advancements in technology have allowed for alloying the silicium with diamond. Making the freak the first timepiece with a synthetic nanocrystal diamond escapement grown on a silicium raw part. The Freak DIAMonSIL has a retail price of $128,000 and is produced in the limited number of only 28 pieces.

2008 brought another member to the Freak family, the Freak DIAMonSIL. Crafted in 18k White Gold with the bridges and metal parts treated with a stainless blue titanium based alloy. The watch has the Caliber UN-202 Dual Ulysse Escapement movement in silicium with a power reserve of 7 days. This version of the Freak has the recognizable Carrousel Tourbillon which displays hours and minutes.

Patek Philippe Pulsomax Ref. 5450

nospam@example.com (Finest Watches) — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 14:50:52 -0500

This year Patek Philippe has unveiled the Pulsomax Ref. 5450, a new annual calendar watch. This limited edition of 300 platinum watch includes the newest technological development from Patek, the Pulsomax® escapement. It features a trilogy of Silinvar® components which provide a greater degree of accuracy and precision. Because Silinvar® is made from the chemical compound silicon dioxide, also known as silica, it is anti-magnetic and therefore is immune to magnetic influence which has caused disturbances in precision time keeping with steel components. In addition it has 1/3 the mass of steel and it is highly resistant to corrosion. With the combination of Silinvar® against Silinvar® the movement does require lubrication because of the low amount of friction created. All of these advancements means the time between required servicing of the watch is greatly increased. Over the past few years Patek Philippe has been changing the world of mechanical watches, and showing their superiority over other manufacturers with their bold new ideas and technology. The Pulsomax® is bringing watchmaking to a whole new level in the 21st century.

What is a Grand Complication Wristwatch?

nospam@example.com (Finest Watches) — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 13:31:23 -0500

There has yet to be an official definition of what classifies a timepiece as a Grand Complication, there is however an understanding among watchmakers and watch connoisseur alike that a watch must meet certain guidelines to acquire this grand title. One could be safe to assume that a Grand Complication timepiece will always contains at least three complications, and one of those will undoubtedly be a Perpetual Calendar, a Tourbillon, or the Minute Repeater.

The first of these complications, the perpetual calendar, is a mechanism that automatically takes into account the varying number of days in each month as well as leap years - many also contain a moonphase function. Most often, the perpetual calendar is based on the Gregorian calendar which does not need to be corrected for more then a century. The second complication in the "Grand" category is the tourbillon, which was invented to reduce the debilitating effects of gravity on watches, which ultimately lead to inaccurate timekeeping. With a tourbillon, the negative effects of gravity ultimate cancel themselves out. Lastly, the minute repeater is a device that the current time is announced by means of a combination of sounds that represent the hour, quarter hour, and minute. It is arguably the most difficult to construct, and no two sound exactly alike.

A supreme test of a designer's expertise and watchmakers skill is the creation of a Complicated watch. IWC was the first to create a Grand Complication in a pocket watch, it was introduced in 1890 with more than 1300 mechanical parts. 100 years later, they made history again when the created the IWC Grand Complication Wristwatch - a watch still in production today with a limited release of just 50 pieces a year. Patek Philippe has built some of the world's finest examples of complicated timepieces. One recent example, Patek Philippe Reference # 5004 is a split seconds chronograph that is the most complicated model in Patek Philippe's line of stopwatches.

Franck Muller Aeternitas Mega - The Everlasting Timepiece

nospam@example.com (Finest Watches) — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 21:39:36 -0500

Each year Franck Muller presents a super-complication at the World Presentation of Haute Horlogerie (WPHH) held at a chateau in Genthod, located on the outskirts of Geneva. In 2006 Franck Muller amazed watch experts and collectors from around the world with the unveiling of its "everlasting timepiece" the Aeternitas, a watch that would run 1000 years without correction. This year brings 4 new versions of the Aeternitas Mega which for the first time include a Grande and Petite Sonnerie (Grande-strike) Minute Repeater, Westminster Carillon.

One may ask, why would we care if our watch has a 1000 year calendar? But this is no small accomplishment, and its one that has been appreciated by enthusiasts of complicated movements. The eternal calendar, not to be confused with the traditional perpetual calendar, follows a cycle of 1,000 years thanks to two additional sets of wheels. Franck Muller's eternal calendar is different from any traditional perpetual calendar because it takes into account the rule governing the Gregorian calendar stating that all century years not divisible by 400 are common years and not leap years.

The Aeternitas Mega 1 has the addition of a Grande and Petite Sonnerie Minute Repeater, Westminster Carillon. The movement is equipped with a double barrel which work to guarantee a power reserve of 4 days and provide energy for the Sonnerie. The Grande Sonnerie (Grand-strike) strikes the hours and the quarters automatically that chimes the same notes as the clock tower of the Westminster cathedral. The Petite Sonnerie only strikes the hours and the quarters.

The Aeternitas Mega 2 incorporates a Split-seconds Chronograph with a 30-minutes counter placed at 3 o’clock and an hour counter placed in a retrograde sector. While the Aeternitas Mega 3 has an eternal calendar module placed on the dial side which indicates the day, the date, the month and the moon phases and requires no manual intervention. The grand finale, the Aeternitas Mega 4, incorporates all the aforementioned complications from first three versions into one stunning watch.

Maitres du Temps - Chapter One

nospam@example.com (Finest Watches) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 21:14:24 -0500

Maitres du Temps is a new brand launched in Geneva earlier this year by industry veteran Steven Holtzman. The brand is unique in that it assembles small teams of independent master watchmakers to create "exclusive and unparalleled masterpieces." The first watch, appropriately named Chapter One, is a stunningly beautiful watch created by Mr. Christophe Claret, Mr. Roger Dubuis, and Mr. Peter Speake-Marin. The watch is fantastic start to what's sure to be a long successful history for the company.

Steven Holtzman, the brands founder, began working in the field of horology over twenty-five years ago when he sold and distributed watches in the United States. In 1997 he created Helvetia Time Corporation (HTC) to distribute high-quality Swiss watch brands, including Roger Dubuis and Jean Dunand. Helvetia Time Corporation became one of the few high-end, independent watch distributors in North America. Now with the creation of Maitres du Temps he is raising the bar for watchmakers everywhere.

The Chapter One timepiece, was indeed a collaboration of giants in the watch industry. Each of the master watchmakers brings their unique strengths and expertise to the development of the timepiece. It is a world-first combination of complications crafted from 558 components. It is the first wristwatch to feature a tourbillon with mono-pusher column wheel chronograph, retrograde date, and retrograde GMT, as well as moon phase and day of the week on their own rolling bars. The two rollers work simultaneously with the time, date, GMT, and chronograph. The 18K red gold case is a large 62.60 mm x 45.90 mm and has a sapphire crystal with double anti-reflective coating. The watch comes on an alligator strap with 18K red gold deployant buckle.

Bell & Ross BR Instrument Grand Minuteur

nospam@example.com (Finest Watches) — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 22:33:14 -0500

Bell & Ross has had great success in its 16 years as a company, but its biggest success has been with their Instrument watches launched in 2005. This year Bell & Ross introduced the BR Instrument Grand Minuteur, a 10-hour monopusher chronograph with flyback. The Grand Minuteur features one of a kind functions, an hour counter connected to a large counter, a timer that measures short times and an additional flyback function that launches a new measurement almost immediately. The dial was created with pilots in mind, with the large flyback chronograph display for easy readability. The extra-large case is 44mm x 50mm but is kept relatively light by using an angled rib structure and a Diamond Like Carbon finishing coat.

A tourbillon version of the Minuteur was also released this year. The BR Instrument Minuteur Tourbillon has a very similar design to the Grand Minuteur, but the chronograph and the time display have been switched and the power reserve and small seconds hand have been moved so the tourbillon would fit on the dial. The case is the same extra large diameter but is made from satin-polished pink gold. Both watches are water resistant to 100 meters and are available on either an alligator or a rubber straps.

Ulysse Nardin Sonata Silicium Limited Edition

nospam@example.com (Finest Watches) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 20:38:29 -0500

Horology moves leaps and bounds forward as new materials continue to help the industry evolve. With one of its newest creations, the Sonata Silicium, Ulysse Nardin makes use of silicium in both the appearance and movement of the watch. This limited edition watch is produced to 500 pieces in each 18 carat white and rose gold. Silicium, as it is not magnetic, is the ideal material for use in watch making. It is an extremely hard material at 1100 Vickers, which is 400 Vickers harder than steel. In addition it has a high resistance to corrosion. It is less reactive than its chemical analog carbon and does not occur free in nature.

The Sonata Silicium's dial is cut out of a silicium wafer and the color untreated. There are three subdials, two white and one grey and the hands on the watch are blue and bright yellow. The case is 42mm and made from 18k white or rose gold and has a sapphire crystal case-back. The Automatic Ulysse Nardin Caliber UN-67 movement runs with a 28’800 A/h oscillator and an anchor escapement etched out of silicium. Both the anchor and escapement wheel are manufactured of silicium. The technical movement is similar to the the Sonata Cathedral Dual Time and includes the novel alarm setting with a countdown indicator.

The New Panerai Tourbillon Watches

nospam@example.com (Finest Watches) — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 18:26:21 -0500

It was just last year that Panerai introduced the P.2005 Tourbillon GMT movement in its PAM00276 model. Though many thought the addition of a tourbillon model was a somewhat strange step for the sport-watch focused company, they have now proven themselves capable of achieving this substantial technical challenge. Now, with the success of its release Panerai gives us three new tourbillon models - the PAM00306 a Luminor 1950 Tourbillon GMT in titanium or steel, the PAM00315 Radiomir Titanium Tourbillon GMT, and the PAM00316 which is the Platinum version of the PAM00315. Panerai's tourbillon movement has some very distinctive features, the first being its unusual perpendicular position inside the case. The second, the rate at which the cage moves is twice that of most tourbillon movements completing two revolutions per minute. The tourbillon itself is only visible through the sapphire crystal on the back of the case. The only evidence of the tourbillon on the dial is a small blue dot within the seconds subdial which rotates every 30 seconds.

The PAM00306 has 47mm brushed steel or brushed titanium case with a polished bezel and a 2mm thick see-through sapphire crystal case-back. Its hand-wound mechanical movement, Panerai Calibre P.2005, has a 6 day power reserve. It features hours, minutes, seconds, second time zone, power reserve indicator on the back, 24 hour indicator, and of course Tourbillon. It comes on an alligator strap with a brushed large-size buckle and is Water resistant to 100 meters.

The PAM00315 and the PAM00316 have a 48mm brushed titanium or platinum case with removable wire loop strap attachments. The bezel is polished titanium or platinum and has a see-through sapphire crystal case-back. The hand wound movement, Panerai Calibre P.2005, features three spring barrels and 31 jewels. The functions of the watch are hours, minutes, seconds, second time zone, power reserve indicator on the back, 24 hour indicator, and Tourbillon. It comes on an alligator strap with a large-size brushed titanium buckle or white gold buckle. It is Water resistant to 100 metres.

Palladium - The Future of Fine Watches

nospam@example.com (Finest Watches) — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 22:09:59 -0500

First discovered in 1803 it has taken many years and several breakthroughs to reach the point that Palladium is today. Until very recently palladium alloys were too soft to meet the standards to be used for watch cases. But all that changed when the 950 palladium alloy was developed by Johnson Matthey, a world leader in advanced materials technology. The new palladium 950 alloy is a lightweight and durable option for watchmakers. It is lighter weight than gold with a greater wear resistance, though they are similar in malleability. It is harder metal than platinum and is less likely to scratch. And while it is thirty times more rare than gold its value is less than half per troy ounce. It is so rare in fact that it is one of the ten rarest elements in the earths crust.

Palladium has been made into jewelry since 1939 and has been used in watch springs for sometime now. The development of the Palladium 950 alloy and its subsequent use by watchmakers is perfect timing for the great increase in popularity of the white metals. It is now being used by such brands as Cartier, Chopard and Ulysse Nardin and has been used in several of their limited edition releases. As the public becomes increasingly aware of Palladium, other big brands are sure to follow the lead of companies like Cartier and begin incorporating this metal into their collections.

The New Cartier King Size Chronograph Pasha Seatimer

nospam@example.com (Finest Watches) — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 13:48:10 -0500

The New King Sized Chronograph Pasha Seatimer is an interesting addition to Cartier's Seatimer Collection. The dial design is unique to anything else they currently have in their collection. Instead of the standard circle chronograph dial design, the counters are set in a three oval pattern one of which is a slightly smaller oval counter at 6 o'clock. Where the non-chronograph Seatimer in my opinion is a very good looking sporty watch, the new chronograph version seems almost like two separate watches mixed together. The dial seems a bit out of place to me, but perhaps it will grow on me in time as many new designs have before.

The new Seatimer has a mechanical movement with automatic winding Cartier calibre 8630, which is the thinnest automatic movement in the world. The dial comes in black or white and displays hours, minutes, seconds and chronograph functions as well as date in a small window between 4 and 5 o'clock. The watch is protected by a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal. It has a unidirectional rotating bezel in steel or 18k rose/yellow gold with engraved Arabic numerals. The larger king-size case is 42.5 mm, which is 2mm larger than the standard Seatimer case. It is water-resistant to 100 meters.

The bracelet for the Stainless steel version of the Chronograph Pasha Seatimer is made from steel encased in black rubber, or an all steel bracelet both of which have a steel security clasp. The gold versions have an 18k gold bracelet with black central links and a 18k gold triple safety deployant buckle.

The New Vacheron Constatine Quai De I'ile Line

nospam@example.com (Finest Watches) — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 18:56:39 -0500

Vacheron Constantine's new line, Quai De I'ile, was named after the brand's Geneva address where they have run their business since the 19th century. The watches feature semi-transparent dials and the latest security printing technologies. These new watches are using two new unique movements from Vacheron, the calibre 2460QH and the 2475SC/1 both of which are stamped with the Geneva Hallmark.

The new Quai De I'ile line will have two models, the Date Self-Winding and the Day-Date with Power Reserve Self-Winding. Both of the new models will be available in three different versions, Palladium, Pink Gold and Titanium. Each watch in the Quai De I'ile Day-Date with Power Reserve Self-Winding can be personalized to one of almost 400 possible combinations. Each watch will come with two straps, one in black or brown saddle-finish gator leather and the other in dark-brown or black vulcanised rubber.

The AMVOX3 Tourbillon GMT Ref. 193 C4 50

nospam@example.com (Finest Watches) — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 12:00:16 -0500

In the world of fine watches it is definitely the year of the all black design. Jaeger-LeCoultre is no exception introducing the AMVOX3 Tourbillon GMT, a nearly all black design crafted from ceramics. The AMVOX3 is the latest watch born from the partnership between Jaeger and Aston Martin, a famed English manufacturer of luxury performance cars. This partnership began in 2005 with the Amvox I produced in both stainless steel and titanium and continued in 2006 with the creation of the AMVOX 2 produced in Platinum, PVD and Titanium. Jaeger-LeCoultre has crafted the AMVOX 3 from high-tech ceramics which is the first time this material has been used by the company. Using ceramic is a natural step for Jaeger as it is becoming a more an more popular material among luxury watch makers because of its many benefits. It has superior scratch-resistance and is a very hard yet light weight material, a little heavier than titanium but much lighter than steel.

The AMVOX3 uses the mechanical automatic Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 988 movement which is hand-crafted and decorated. It is comprised of 323 parts and has 35 jewels. The automatic tourbillon has a carriage made in grade 5 titanium, beveled, hand-drawn and polished, with a ruthenium treatment. It has an upper tourbillon bridge in 4N gilded metal aluminum, and an automobile design AM/PM indicator bridge in black eloxed aluminium. The black dial features a grid work motif inspired by automobile air inlets and has black luminescent numerals. The dial displays hours, minutes and a 2nd time zone as well as an AM/PM indicator linked to reference time, a tourbillon with seconds indication and a calendar with jumping hand. The watch is water resistant to 50 meters and is limited to 300 pieces.