Archive for November, 2009
The TAG Heuer Monaco V4 Watch is Finally Here
For those who are fans of TAG watches and all luxury watches get ready because the long awaited TAG Heuer Monaco V4 watch is here. “Five years after its initial announcement as a concept watch, TAG Heuer is proud to announce the manufacturing of 150 units of the Monaco V4 as a limited edition to celebrate TAG Heuer’s 150th anniversary.” So there you have it, directly from TAG’s official mini website dedicated exclusively to the promotion of this limited edition watch.
The Monaco V4 is the world’s first mechanical watch with a “belt-driven movement and linear winding mass.” The Monaco V4 represents something which no luxury watch company has yet to do; a complete replacement of the usual gears and pinions used in mechanical movements, instead using belt drives and ball bearings. The winding system too has seen a total make-over, replacing the typical centralized circular rotor with a linear winding mass.
The Monaco V4 brings new technical and design elements to the forefront of watchmaking. TAG Heuer employed 3D design experts, automotive engineers, chemists, mathematicians and others in the development process and while doing so, received two global patents for the Monaco V4. To give you an idea of how complex the inner workings of this watch are, take the belts used in the movement; each belt, of which there are five, are about as big as a human hair, making the integration of them seemingly impossible.
These watches, all of which are cased in platinum, take their name from the shape of the movement’s central plate, which is similar to the cylinders in a car. To highlight this amazing new movement, TAG created an equally cool and innovative case that measures 39 by 48.9mm. A hand-sewn blue alligator strap compliments the blue hour hands.
There is no mention on TAG’s official site of how much the Monaco V4 is going for, although the buzz is that it is well over $80,000. With only 150 pieces, who knows how long they’ll last.
Bell & Ross BR 01 Carbon Fiber Mens Watches
Bell & Ross seems to be coming out with a lot of limited edition watches recently. These new additions, part of the popular BR Collection, are made from carbon fiber and are sports watches. Called BR 01 Carbon Fiber watches, there are two models: one features a three-counter automatic chronograph with date (BR 01-94) and the other, the BR 01-92 model, has a simple time display and sweep center seconds. Both are limited to 500 pieces.
To get inspiration for this sub collection, Bell & Ross looked to materials used in the aeronautical industry. The cases measure 46mm and are made completely from carbon fiber, as is the bezel and the edges. The dial is made from this same material and gives off a visual effect of the case and the dial being one piece. The strap is also made from carbon, this time woven and finished with a semi-gloss that is to the wearer’s wrist with a thick blackened tang buckle featuring the Bell & Ross “BR” insignia. As with other Bell & Ross watches, the strap can be interchanged with others, which include a variety of options made from calf leather, alligator, or canvas.
Both of these carbon fiber chronograph models run on automatic ETA 2894 movements which offer a offers a rapidly adjustable date function, in addition to small seconds and a chronograph with 12-hour and 30-minute totalizers. The ETA 2894 has been used in many BR watches and “features a convenient hacking seconds function for precise synchronization to a time signal, or another watch.” Both models have a power reserve of 42 hours and are water resistant to 100 meters.
And of course, as with all BR watches, the design of these two limited edition carbon fiber ones is sporty, professional and very cool. They are very much a man’s watch.
New Limited Edition Breitling Chrono-Matic QP & 1461
In celebration of the 40th anniversary of the launch of the first self-winding chronograph Breitling is releasing two, limited edition versions of its Chrono-Matic watch, one called the QP and the other called the 1461.
The QP will be released in 125 pieces while the 1461 will be more widely available in a total of 2,000 pieces. The latter, the 1461, is named after the fact that is features a chronograph and a calendar complication that needs only one adjustment per leap year resulting in a memory of 1,461 days. The QP features a perpetual calendar, made of 500 parts, which beautifully displays the date, day, week, month, season, and moon phase.
The look of both of these versions is inspired by the original Chronomat which came out in 1969.
1969 was a big year for both the aviation and watchmaking industries. Both the first flight of the Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet and that of the supersonic Concorde took place and Breitling created the first self-winding chronograph movement. This invention led to the launch of many collections of men’s watches. Breitling has always made watches specifically for aviation pilots which is why the company’s motto is “instruments for professionals.”
Both the Breitling Chrono-Matic QP and 1461 measure a hefty 49 mm in diameter and feature a circular slide ruler that is also seen in the Navitimer line. Both are water resistant to 30 meters and have a power reserve of 42 hours.
The overall design of both versions takes inspirations from the 70’s but each watch is very different looking than the other. The Chrono-Matic QP is crafted from red gold and comes with a black rubber strap, while the Chrono-Matic 1461 (as pictured in the second image) is made from all steel, including the woven steel Aero Classic bracelet, which gives the watch a retro look.
Audemars Piguet Millenary Carbon One Tourbillon Mens Watch
Here is your first glance at the newest addition to the collection of men’s luxury watches by Audemars Piguet. The Millenary Carbon One Tourbillon Chronograph will make its debut at the 2010 SIHH (Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie) industry exhibition in Geneva during January 19 – 23. This watch will be made in a limited editions series of 120 pieces.
This new watch by AP, as the company is known in the industry, shows a mixture of haute horlogerie skills using contemporary new materials. This is perfect example of a cutting-edge watch on many levels, including the following: the entire case is made from forged carbon (as seen already in many of AP’s popular Royal Oak Offshore models) and the highly complex movement is entirely produced by Audemars. The design is three dimensional and gives off a sense of power and military might, yet the watch itself is light weight.
The case of the Millenary Carbon One Tourbillon Chronograph measures 37.40 mm x 32.40 mm. The carbon composite which is used in the case is made by injecting carbon nanofibers at very high pressures and temperature, resulting in a light weight but very stable material. The contrasting look created between the carbon case and the bezel, crown and chronograph push pieces, which are made from shiny black ceramic, is exceptional.
The dial is open allowing the wearer to see the sporty red and white indications. Under these are finely beveled bridges made from eloxed aluminum and blackened steel. This look, along with the contrasting features above are what create the three dimensional illusion.
The caseback is made from blackened titanium and the dial side view allows one to see the “one-minute tourbillon complication, as well as the two parallel-coupled barrels which produce a consistent flow of power to the mechanism for a full 10 days; the status of the reserve is shown via an indicator scale and corresponding hand at the 9 o’clock position.”
Although Audemars Piguet has not released a price ye for this new men’s watch, the company’s press statement says that about two weeks of work go into the assembly of each 2884 caliber, three days of which alone are spent perfecting and completing timing adjustments to the tourbillon regulator and its 80 precisely interacting components of these Millenary Carbon One Tourbillon Chronographs.
The strap is made from hand-sewn crocodile leather and comes with a folding clasp made from blackened titanium and with the initials of AP. The watch is water resistant up to 20 meters.
Corum Ti-Bridge Men’s Watch Picks Up 2nd Place Prize
There has been much talk lately about the 2009 prizes awarded to various luxury watch brands by the watch industry magazine Montres Passion. The first place prize was given to the Historiques American 1921 watch by Vacheron Constantin and second place went to the Ti-Bridge by Corum. Both these awards were given based on voting by the editors of Montres Passion.
Then there is another prize, a watch elected by the Swiss people and published in the same magazine that was given to the sporty women’s watch, the Pershing Asteria by Parmigiana.
The T-Bridge by Corum (as seen in this first image) was selected from dozens of new luxury men’s and women’s watches and was presented in Switzerland in front of 500 important and knowledgeable figures from within the luxury watch world. Here is what Antonio Calce, CEO of Corum said when he stepped up to accept the award: “I am happy to receive this prize which reflects the pride of my teams, whose talent contributes to make the value of Corum today. The Ti-Bridge embodies perfectly the philosophy of Corum: creativity, design and high watchmaking content. This timepiece opens a new chapter in the already rich history of the company.”
The Ti-Bridge was released during the 2009 BaselWorld exhibit which took place last March. The inspiration was taken from Corum’s famous Golden Bridge watch (as pictured in the second image) but features a new handwound movement. With its modern design, titanium case and exclusive mechanical caliber, the Ti-Bridge has quickly become a darling of the high end watch world.
Cephee Launches $350,000 Women’s Luxury Watch
Cephee, a Swiss luxury watch brand is bringing its goods into the U.S. for the first time. With a price tag of $350,000 who knows how many potential buyers there may be for this luxury women’s watch, but hey.
Perhaps Cephee has made this decision based on the findings by the London-based form Ledbury Research, whose research shows that very wealthy people will “continue to spend but that their purchasing decisions will be based more on exclusivity as well as quality and dependability.” Bottom line: luxury is not disappearing. When it comes to men’s and women’s luxury watches, the rich are looking for limited edition timepieces and other unique features that make such a purchase worth their while.
The master designer behind the Ether watch by Cephee is Christophe Golay. The Ether without a doubt fits the above description; it is exclusive, luxurious and expensive. According to the Cephee website, “in the Greek mythology, Ether’s was the fifth element, filling the void in the universe, and giving the sky its shine. The Céphée ‘Ether’ personifies the magic of this notion of emptiness in a defined space.”
Magical is a good word to describe this watch. It has over 150 precision set baguette diamonds, all of which are exceptional in quality. A technique called “invisible channel setting” allows each diamond to “reflect all the light that it absorbs, without interruption by a metal bead.” Not only are there diamonds galore, there is also a sapphire cradle which houses the watch’s movement. This cradle was produced exclusively for the Ether watch and has “two perfectly adjusted lids so that precious face and side diamonds are completely encased.” The hands are also made out of a certain type of sapphire called colored spinel. Assembling this watch, with its delicate sapphire hands, is a feat all of its own.
The case is made from 18k white fold and the strap is a complimentary blue made from soft leather and comes with a hand crafted diamond buckle. Each and every step of the manufacturing process of this watch is done in house at the Cephee workshop in Geneva, which shares its factory with another luxury brand: Lamborghini.
Who Won the Public Prize for Watch Of The Year 2009?
Swiss published magazine Montres Passion gives out two awards each year to watches. Being that Switzerland is the mecca for watchmaking, it’s common for the Swiss people to be interested in and knowledgeable about luxury watches. So, each year there is an award given to a certain watch that the public votes on. This year’s winner is a sporty women’s watch by Parmigiana called the Pershing Asteria.
This is a totally different watch in all ways compared to the one that the actual magazine voted for, which was the Historiques 1921 by Vacheron Constantin.
The pershing Asteria is a large watch, with a case that measures 42mm wide by 13mm in thickness and is made from 18K white gold or stainless steel. This watch is elegant and sporty; reflective of the partnership between a high-end Italian yacht manufacturer and the Parmigiani brand. This collection of Pershing watches was produced in 2008 and comes in both men’s watches and women’s models.
The mother of pearl dial has all the features seen in a diving watch, like a unidirectional bezel and tells the story of the magic of the oceanic underworld. For example, on the dial are two little sea creatures that sit next to the chronograph subdials: a small octopus as the counterweight (not able to be seen in the angle of this image), while a starfish is the seconds hand/ dial for the time.
The functionality of this watch is more than initially meets the eye. There are hours, minutes and small seconds, located at the 3 o’clock position; the date display window, 1/4 second chronograph, a 30-minute counter and a 12- hour counter. The watch runs on a self-winding PF334 movement, created entirely by Parmigiani.
The band seen in this image is a white Epsom calf leather strap made by Hermes, with blue stitching; finished with a folding buckle and safety clasp. Another choice is a steel bracelet mounted on a natural rubber strap with satin-finished central links and comes with an adjustable safety deployment clasp. This particular watch also comes in a variety of levels of precious jewels.