A master watchmaker with 25 years of experience, Christophe Claret has combined the finest horological complications in the three new models of the acclaimed Soprano presented at the SIHH 2016 Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie Genève. The Soprano is now also available in Chocolate, Blue and Black.
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Insider: H. Moser & Cie. Endeavour Small Seconds Bryan Ferry Limited Edition. A 100-piece Ode to Roxy Music and 'More Than This'.
If you spent your teenage years in the early 80s —just like we did—, Roxy Music and Bryan Ferry are no strangers to you. Listening to Roxy Music's 'More Than This' was probably a daily ritual as we all witnessed the song climb through the music charts in 1982. "More than this, there is nothing" and that line from the song lyrics stays true to the intrinsic beauty of this magnificent execution from our friends at H. Moser & Cie.
Insider: H. Moser & Cie. Swiss Alp Watch. Hands-on and Live Pictures with the Mechanical Watch that is Going Against the Smartwatch.
With more than 6 million units sold in 2015, producing a turnover in excess of 6 billion dollars, the smartwatch market exploded in the past 12 months, driven by the giants of the electronics industry. With R&D budgets of more than 8 billion dollars, a figure higher than the turnover of even the largest Swiss watchmaking group, the market leaders have barely begun, and they will once again revolutionize this market and change consumer behavior.
SIHH 2016: Presenting the New Piaget Emperador Coussin XL 700P. Hands-on Live Pictures & Pricing.
Perhaps one of the most intriguing and exciting launches this year at the SIHH 2016, was the unveiling of the new Piaget Emperador Coussin XL 700P. This new watch is truly the first hybrid timepiece with a mechanical and quartz beating heart. To celebrate the 40th anniversary of its first in-house quartz movement —the famous ultra-thin 7P calibre presented in 1976— Piaget unveiled the Emperador Coussin XL 700P at the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie in Geneva.
Insider: Christophe Claret Aventicum. The Watch with a Mirascope and a Three Millimeter Marcus Aurelius Bust.
The Christophe Claret Aventicum is inspired by a gold bust of Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius unearthed in 1939 at Avenches, Switzerland. At the heart of this timepiece, Christophe Claret has placed a small scale reproduction of this bust in gold measuring only 3 mm high and micro-engraved to resemble as much as possible —considering the scale— the original bust from where it takes its inspiration.
News: Presenting the New Linde Werdelin Oktopus Moon Gold 3DTP Carbon. A Diving Watch with Moonphase Complication.
Blending classic horology with modern design and complex materials, Linde Werdelin is proud to unveil the Oktopus Moon Gold 3DTP Carbon in a limited and numbered series of only 59 pieces worldwide. The Oktopus Moon Gold 3DTP Carbon reimagines the classic gold watch —a staple of watchmaking— and views it through the prism of Linde Werdelin’s design language.
Experience: Our Favorite 12 Timepieces Released in 2015. A Stellar Year for Horology Wishing Everyone a Happy New Year.
As we wrap up 2015, we would like to remember our favorite 12 watches released this year. As we look back at our live coverage at the SIHH 2015 all the way to the SIAR 2015 in Mexico City, this has been an exceptional year with tons of watches that took our breath away. While we have a much longer list, we feel that these 12 timepieces honor the 12 months of 2015 the best way possible.
News: Pre-SIHH 2016 Presenting the Piaget Emperador Coussin XL 700P. A Mechanical and Quartz Hybrid Timepiece.
To celebrate the 40th anniversary of its first in-house quartz movement, the famous ultra-thin 7P calibre presented in 1976, Piaget unveils the Emperador Coussin XL 700P. This new watch is an astonishing concept watch issued in a 118-piece limited edition.
News: Presenting the New Ressence Type 5 Diving Watch. The First Mechanical Diving Watch with No 'Total Internal Reflection' Under Water.
Today we are presenting you the third creation from Ressence. The new Type 5 is a diver's watch that is ISO certified and the first mechanical diving watch to offer a perfect view of the dial at any angle with no mirror reflection under water. The main function of the new Type 5 is telling time, however, the watch is also equipped with ultra-bright blue and green superluminova and a built-in thermometer for the oil temperature.
News: Presenting the RJ-Romain Jerome Super Mario Bros. A $19,000 USD 85-piece Limited Edition Watch for Nintendo Fanatics.
For all Super Mario fans the long wait is finally over, RJ-Romain Jerome is now releasing the Super Mario Bros. collection. In honor of the game’s 30th anniversary, RJ is adding the center piece to its Generational Icons collection. In a 46mm case RJ has recreated the essence of the original Super Mario Bros. game from 1985. Nintendo’s legendary character Mario is exceptionally dressed in his recognizable red shirt and blue overalls with his famous jump and iconic mushroom. These most symbolic elements of the game are depicted on the dial and are all captured in the visual style that captivated a generation. The Super Mario Bros. timepiece is limited to 85 pieces to echo 1985, the year the game launched.
The new collaboration between RJ-Romain Jerome and Nintendo is a tribute to this genre-defining video game of the 8-bit era, the first of its kind.
Insider: Montblanc 1858 Manual Small Second. Three Different Models Plus One Limited Edition Piece All Under $4K USD.
Just released a week and a half ago at the SIAR 2015 in Mexico City, the new Montblanc 1858 Manual Second is another great addition to the new 1858 collection for the brand. Available in three different models, the Montblanc 1858 Manual Small Second brings a vintage look with contemporary design cues and excellent craftsmanship for the money. The four different models available include: Montblanc ref. 113860 a limited edition in 858 pieces fitted with a matte black dial with 'vintage' beige Arabic numerals and black alligator strap with contrast stitching, Montblanc ref. 112639 with a matte black dial and white Arabic numerals on stainless steel 'Milanese' mesh bracelet, Montblanc ref. 112638 with a matte black dial and white Arabic numerals on brown Sfumato —nubuck— leather strap and lastly a sunburst blue dial model with blue alligator strap for which we have no reference number and a piece that doesn't even appear on Montblanc's website or their brochures.
Insider: Montblanc 1858 Monopusher Chronograph Tachymeter Limited Edition. Our Hands-On Review with Live Pictures and Pricing.
Just released a few days ago at the SIAR 2015 in Mexico City —which we attended—, the new Montblanc 1858 Monopusher Chronograph Tachymeter Limited Edition brings the best of the vintage world to the modern era in what we think is a flawless execution. While Montblanc's watchmaking history is still short, the Richemont brand has taken great strides in the past three years to become a 'haute horlogerie' force with a very competitive pricing strategy. Taking advantage of the horological resources of the Richemont watch conglomerate, Montblanc now presents a vintage inspired chronograph powered by the legendary Minerva calibre with its iconic 'V-shaped' bridge. The 1858 collection is inspired by the heritage of Minerva as one of Switzerland's most revered timekeeping specialists and its spirit has been revived in an contemporary vintage timepiece that is just stunning in the metal. Like its historic predecessor from the 1930s, the Montblanc 1858 Chronograph Tachymeter comes with a black dial and historical shaped hands with aged lume.
News: Introducing the Hautlence Tourbillon 01. The First Tourbillon for this Manufacture and Powered by H. Moser & Cie. Calibre HMC 802.
Contemporary watchmaker Hautlence enlarges its Atelier collection with the addition of the Tourbillon 01, an elegant timepiece featuring H. Moser & Cie.’s exclusive Calibre Tourbillon HMC 802 beating at its heart. Equipped with a dual-time function, a one-minute tourbillon, a three-day power reserve and an automatic winding system, the Tourbillon 01 introduces new synergies between two brands owned by the Meylan family company, MELB Holding. The new Hautlence Tourbillon 01 reinterprets all of the design codes that are dear to Hautlence and follows in particular the aesthetics of the very first HL05 timepieces, offering a three-dimensional dial with a multi-level reading of time. Demonstrating Hautlence’s avant-garde approach to design, this new timepiece is housed in a round 44 mm two-tone case crafted out of rose gold and black PVD-coated titanium. Built on several levels, the dial highlights a black enamelled base embellished by Côtes de Genève decoration.
News: Introducing the Ulysse Nardin Hourstriker Erotica Jarretière. Equipped with a Little Something for Voyeurists.
Ulysse Nardin reveals its sensual side with the new Hourstriker Erotica Jarretière. Ulysse Nardin is known for its daring watchmaking ingenuity, with the new Hourstriker Erotica Jarretière, the manufacture pushes the boundaries, once again, revealing a side never seen before —sensuality. Adding a little risqué to its repertoire of wristwatches is the new Hourstriker Erotica Jarretière. Erotic scenes are a long-standing tradition in the watch industry. Ulysse Nardin takes the subject matter to new heights through its implementation of the Hourstriker movement and Jaquemarts. A delicate, handcrafted miniature brings the romance of Venice to life. The delicately finished black onyx dial portrays the scene exposing lovers, viewable from the interior balcony, enjoying each other. Set admist traditional Venetian décor, the nude man and woman make love on a chaise; these figures are handmade 18K gold Jaquemarts that move in rhythm with the Hourstriker.
Insider: Christophe Claret X-TREM-1 White Gold. Hours and Minutes Displayed by a Magnetic System.
Christophe Claret's X-TREM-1, is one of those watches where your mind needs to wrap around the idea that a magnetic field is the one working behind the scenes to display the hours and minutes. While horological fans understand that magnets and mechanical timepieces don't go well together, Christophe Claret decided to do the impossible by mixing them in one amazing horological complication. The X-TREM-1 ref. MTR.FLY11.100-108 features an 18K white gold and grade 5 titanium case with white gold metalized numerals and a tourbillon case at 6 o'clock. This timepiece is as visually striking as it is technically innovative. Christophe Claret has always focused on developing original timepieces incorporating the latest technological innovations. The brand is known for pushing the boundaries of mechanical watchmaking and straying away from the beaten horological path. First presented in 2012, X-TREM-1 is a testament to this endeavor and represents a totally new way of telling the time.
Insider: Carl F. Bucherer Manero Power Reserve Rose Gold. Elegant, Classic and Very Well Crafted for the Price.
Carl F. Bucherer founded in Lucerne since 1888, as a modest Swiss family business has grown into the internationally renowned Bucherer brand with its own worldwide chain of stores and it remains a family-owned business since then. Their watches and their movements are developed and manufactured in the company’s own workshops in Switzerland and all very reasonably priced for the caliber of watch that you get. This time we are talking about the elegant Manero Power Reserve in 18K rose gold ref. 10912.08. This elegant timepiece also available in stainless steel is exquisitely finished with a 42.5 mm 18K rose gold case and a beautiful sunburst silvered dial featuring a recessed power reserve indicator at 3, a big double date aperture at 11, day of the week at 9 and subsidiary seconds at 6 o'clock.
Insider: H. Moser & Cie. Venturer Small Seconds. Where Simplicity and Clean Lines are the Name of the Game.
Not too long ago we brought you our hands-on review of the Endeavour Perpetual Calendar 'Funky Blue' here. Well, now is the time we talk about another one of those understated pieces from H. Moser & Cie. This time, we are talking about the Venturer Small Seconds in 18K white gold. This exceptional timepiece where simplicity and clean lines are the name of the game, is not only a watch with superb craftsmanship but one of those watches where 'less is more and less translates into more rare'. But what makes H. Moser & Cie. so rare? Well, not only the fact that they make a 1,000 watches a year, but also their rich history. This company now under the reigns of former legendary Audemars Piguet CEO Georges Henri-Meylan, was originally founded in 1828 by Heinrich Moser in Russia. A year later, Heinrich Moser opened up a factory in Le Locle, twenty years later he moved to Schaffhausen —his birthplace— and in 1979 the company disappeared only to be brought back to life in 2005 when a new manufacture was built in Schaffhausen.
Insider: Bovet Amadeo Fleurier Orbis Mundi Moonphase. A Three in One Worldtimer.
A few weeks ago we met with our friends from Bovet to review some of their timepieces. Bovet was formally established in Fleurier in the canton of Neuchâtel in 1822 by Edouard Bovet and his three brothers Alphonse, Frédéric and Gustave. Rapidly, Bovet became one of the most prominent watch companies supplying the Chinese Empire with refined and sophisticated timepieces in the nineteenth century. In 2001, 179 years after being found, Mr. Pascal Raffy became the sole proprietor at Bovet Fleurier SA and took the brand to the next level.
The Bovet Amadeo Fleurier Orbis Mundi Moonphase is by far one of our favorite timepieces from this brand. Fitted with an 18K red gold case measuring 46 mm in diameter, this timepiece is what we like to refer to as a three in one worldtimer with moon phase.
News: Presenting the Linde Werdelin Oktopus Frogman. Expressely Made and Exclusively Available for the Frømandskorpset Danish Frogman Corps.
Shrouded in secrecy, Frømandskorpset —Frogman Corps— is the Naval Special Operations Force in the Danish Military. This collaboration is a rare opportunity to lift the veil and explore the uncharted waters of the Frogman Corps. Typical missions will see the fraternal unit drop into the most hostile environments to rescue hostages from pirates off the coast of Somalia, often under the cover of darkness. They have been deployed directly into the heart of the most heated conflicts. In a rare instance of surfacing publicly, the Frogmen, through Conventus Ranae, have joined forces with Linde Werdelin to create a wholly unique timepiece commemorative of their brotherhood. Conventus Ranae is the formal association of past and present members of the Frogman Corps. A fraternal bond is naturally formed between active Frogmen, and Conventus Ranae exists to strengthen that bond between active and retired Frogmen.
Insider: MCT Manufacture Contemporaine du Temps Sequential One S100 and S110. Changing the Face of Time with Prisms.
The workshop of MCT —Manufacture Contemporaine du Temps— is located in the heart of the Swiss watchmaking region of Lake Neuchâtel. Each watch is made by hand and a single watchmaker follows its assembly from the beginning to the end to ensure the ultimate quality and traceability. The Sequential One is product of a collaboration between designer Eric Giroud and concept engineer Jean-Francois Mojon. This fascinating timepiece is very unique because of its monumental hour numerals, ingenious for its in-house movement and pioneering for its mechanism of sequential display. This manufacture lead by François Candolfi is living example of the level of innovation and the creative spirit of independent watchmaking companies. In order to ease the review of this timepiece, let's start with a video produced by MCT that clearly explains the complexity of this mesmerizing timepiece.
