Jaquet Droz Grande Seconde Off-Centered

The new Grande Seconde Off-Centered by Jaquet Droz is daring to create contrast, is playing with light and transforming materials. Its new theme of gold and black jade bringts together the principal codes of the Maison in a wonderful timepiece that breaks with conventions ever so elegantly.

While the design of the Grande Seconde, created by Pierre Jaquet-Droz almost three centuries ago, is ever recognizable, it is a trademark of the Maison. And in the Grande Seconde Off-Centered it is as characteristic as ever – even if it brings a resolute difference into the collection: the time is off-center. The alignment of the hours and minutes with the independent large seconds is respected but along a slightly slanted axis, from 1 o’clock to 7 o’clock.

For the dial, Jaquet Droz focuses on one of its most impressive skills: the masterful use of minerals. Mineral dials offer unique motifs time and again. The stones, sometimes dating back several millions of years, are perfectly set in scene and reveal themselves in all their magnificent singularity.
Black jade is one such treasure. Almost exclusively of Australian origin, it comes from two principal sites in the south and east of the continent. It is an extremely hard stone, thanks to the presence of metal in its composition, and requires lengthy polishing to reveal the tiny silver sinclusions that are its hidden secret. Almost imperceptible to the naked eye, they enrich black jade with a unique reflection that does not only look stunning, but allows the knowledgeable eye to distinguish it from onyx.

The barely 1 mm thick mineral sheet of the dial is paired with a 43 mm red gold case featuring warm, coppery highlights. The two time display circles and their hands are also in red gold, creating a fascinating contrast with the black background.
Inside the 3 atm water-resistant case works the Jaquet Droz 2663A.P. This in-house automatic movement works at a frequency of 4 Hz and provide a power-reserve of up to 68 hours.

The new Grande Seconde Off-Centered is a limited edition of 88 pieces. It is completed by a black alligator leather strap.

Urwerk Ur-100 Gold Edition

This new creation is the fourt episode in the UR-100 intergalactic saga, recounting the adventures of an atypical time instrument written, produced, and directed by the horological studio Urwerk. Approaching light speed, the UR-100 pushes the boundaries of technology, design, indications and functionality. Like other Urwerk models, this latest UR-100 clearly shows that science fiction has been an inexhaustible source of inspiration for Baumgartner and Frei. Why else would this newest model be named after the popular Star Wars droid C-3PO.

First and foremost, the UR-100 is slim – extra-flat for a satellite-geared watch – with angular contours; it’s an elongated octagon with three notched sides. The form uses subtle asymmetry, taking clues from Han Solo’s Millennium Falcon. The UR-100 is cutfrom a solid block of yellow gold, its surface satin-finished to the same pale shine as the Star Wars droid. It measures 41 x 49.7 x 14 mm and is pressure tested to 3 bar.
Topping the case is a sapphire crystal bubble reminiscent of the shape of the first Urwerk models, the dome housing the control center of this intergalactic visitor.

The UR-100’s astrophysics govern the Urwerk universe with rotating satellites displaying the hours and minutes. Isochronal revolutions create a miniature cosmic ballet, the hour satellites also displaying minutes as they traverse 120 degrees across the bright green scale. A bold red arrowhead marks the confluence of hours and minutes, offering a unique, highly legible, and intuitive time display.
At last, but certainly not least, are the discreet spacetime indications on each side of the top of the dome’s periphery. After each of the three red minute arrowheads pass the numeral 60 they disappear and then reappear again on two separate kilometer scales. The first display at 9 o’clock marks the 555 km traveled along the equator during 20 minutes of the earth’s rotation, the second display at 3 o’clock indicates the distance – 35,740 kilometres – traveled by the earth as it orbits the around the sun over 20 minutes.

The UR-100 is powered by the calibre UR 12.01. The automatic winding system is equipped with the legendary „Windfänger“. This planetary gear limits the speed of rotation of the rotor, minimizing both excessive winding and wear and maximizing reliability and lifespan.
This automatic movement operates at a frequency of 4 Hz and provides a power reserve of at least 48 hours.

The UR-100 C-3PO is a special edition limited to 25 pieces.

Laurent Ferrier Grand Sport Tourbillon

Laurent Ferrier is known for creating classical watches imbued with traditional watchmaking crafts and mechanical excellence. Now, the Genevan atelier has crafted a new contemporary watch, which upholds the company’s uncompromising approach to watchmaking: The Grand Sport Tourbillon.
It is the first model, Laurent Ferrier has equipped with a stainless steel case. The new addition features a tourbillon, double balance spring and the firm’s legendary finishing.

Laurent Ferrier was a passionate sports enthusiast, especially when it came to car racing. He competed no less tha seven times in the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans and secured victory once. Accordingly, the passion for motorsport is still an important part of the firm’s DNA. And this love of sports has also led to the creation of the latest creation, the Grand Tourbillon Sport.

The Grand Tourbillon Sport is contemporary, but does not eschew the Maison’s penchant for traditional craftsmanship and technical excellence.
The wristwatch is housed in a 44mm stainless steel case and predominantly features circular satin-finished elements. The bezel is cushion-shaped but encompasses contrasting mirror-polished flanks, the middle of the case has a barrel-shaped outline. Despite all the contrasts, every constituent of the case coalesces harmoniously.

Laurent Ferrier has equípped the Grand Tourbillon Sport with an opaline dial which transitions from blue at its centre to black near its periphery. Both the hands and indexes feature orange Super-LumiNova, vitalising the overall composition.
A snailed small seconds display resides above 6 o’clock and sits beneath the tinted sapphire crystal.

The Grand Sport Tourbillon is powered by a mechanical movement that works at a frequency of 5 Hz and provides an impressive power reserve of 80 hours. Instead of showing the tourbillon on the dial side, as is usually the case, Laurent Ferrier is making it visible through the sapphire crystal case back. Now that’s understatement.
As you would expect, Laurent Ferrier has finished the movement beautifully and painstakingly.

Not only is the stainless steel case a premiere for Laurent Ferrier, there has never before been a Maison watch equipped with a stainless steel link bracelet. With its rounded edges and contrasting mirror polish, it blends beautifully with the case.

The Laurent Ferrier Grand Sport Tourbillon is an exclusive model, limited to 12 pieces.

The Secret Lies in the Twist of the Lines

Today, we take a look at Cartier’s latest watch creations. Before the Maison became an important watchmaker in the 20th century by introducing the first Santos-Dumont in 1904, Cartier had already made a name for itself as a master jeweller. And the Maison still combines watchmaking with the ambition to make its watches look like a piece of jewellery – especially the women’s watches.
The new Maillon de Cartier stands for the unmistakable style of the manufacturer. The watch focuses on the bracelet and its individual links. Cartier has always used links as a central design element for rings, necklaces and bracelets. Traditional standards are interpreted in a modern way, resulting in an exceptional outcome.

With the Maillon de Cartier the Maison introduces a future classic among its collections. For the link bracelet, Cartier has aranged the elements in a way that they lie diagonallyone behind the other. This design gives the feminine watch its special elegance; the interplay of curves and bevels leads to the twisted links.
The dial of the Maillon the Cartier blends harmoniously into the twisted perspective of the braclet. Its elements and the case melt into a single, refined and graphic sweep.

Rectangular elements, a hexagonal dial and bevelled edges complement each other to create a rhythmic design and an overall architectural approach. The case measures 16 x 17mm with a height of only 6.8 mm and is polished to a high gloss.

The dial of the watches is unmistakably Cartier: silver-plated dials, blued steel sword hands and stylised Roman numerals capture the eye as soon as it can tear itself away from the unique bracelet.

The Maillon de Cartier collection consists of a gold base model that features a blue cobochon on the crown and five watches with diamonds. The Maillon de Cartier in red and white gold have 24 brilliant-cut diamonds on the bezel and a red gold Maillon comes with 400 diamonds – not only on the bezel but also on the bracelet. Cartier also offers a white gold version with diamonds all over, including the dial, which amounts to a number of 486 diamonds in total.
All watches are powered by a quartz movement.

The Maillon de Cartier collection also includes two limited editions: A yellow gold watch set with diamonds and a black dial (limited to 50 pieces), and a Maillon whose case, bracelet and dial are set with diamonds and tsavorites. This is a limited edition of only 20 pieces.