New Timepiece with Style and Depth from Certina

Elegant and functional, innovative and mindful of tradition: the latest incarnation of the Certina DS PH200M has many facets. Even though the watch has matured both externally and internally, it remains thoroughly true to the 2018 model of the same name: as the successor to a historic timepiece with a marked underwater affinity, the new model is equally committed to its underwater connection.

Certina equipped the DS PH200M with a sturdy stainless steel case which leaves a lasting impression with its diameter of 42.8 mm in. It is further enhanced by a convex rotating bezel in dark blue ceramic with a gold-coloured scale. Super-LumiNova highlights on the dark blue dial, the hands and the bezel provide orientation even when visibility is poor – whether the cause is nightly darkness or the depths of the ocean.
In addition to hours, minutes and seconds, which are all displayed centrally, the DS PH200M also provides a date display in a small window at the 3 o’clock position.

The increased resiliance of the watch in general – and a water-resistance up to 20 bar – is ensured not only by the traditional DS Concept, which comes into effect once again in this new edition, but also the screw-down crown and scratch-resistant sapphire crystal, which protects the dial of the DS PH200M.
The watch is powered by the Powermatic 80 calibre. This automatic movement is equipped with the innovative Nivachron balance spring. It is not only immune to magnetic fields but also exceptionally resistant to shocks and changes in temperature. The movement can be viewed through a sapphire crystal case back.

The Certina DS PH200M is worn on a grey-blue NATO bracelet.
Besides the completely blue model presented above, Certina also offers other versions of the DS PH200M. Among them a model with black bezel, a PVD-coated black case, a brown calfskin strap or Milanaise bracelet. Thanks to the quick-change system, which is being used by more and more watch manufacturers in some version, Certina’s bracelets can also be changed easily at home.

Audemars Piguet and the Code 11.59 Automatic Chronograph

Audemars Piguet has introduced a new watch line called Code 11.59 at the beginning of this year. Once again, the watch manufacturer was faced with the challenge of setting new standards. From the very beginning, the company has been working with the best craftsmen, who perform their profession at the highest level. Nevertheless, Audemars Piguet is constantly trying to penetrate new fields of highest craftsmanship and to advance the technical perfection of its own procedures and production standards.
With 13 models, including four complications, code 11.59 represents one of the most comprehensive launches in the history of Audemars Piguet. Also, for the first time the Manufacture is presenting a collection designed for both men and women.

The selfwinding chronograph’s deep blue or black lacquered dial offers a perfect mirror finish. The pink or white gold case echoes the polished gold curved indexes and singular numeral at 12 o’clock as well as the raised logo and long stick hands. The chronograph counters are circled by gold threads with polished V angles, a difficult finishing on lacquered dials. At the 3 o’clock position you will find the subdial for the hours, at 9 o’clock the one for the minutes. The small second is placed at 6 o’clock and at 4.30 Audemars Piguet has lodged the date window. The latter blends in seamlessly in the background of the dial.
Audemars Piguet has lacquered the inner bezel – depending on the version – in blue or black. The dial is protected by a sapphire crystal which was specially designed for this collection. It is complex, double curved and glareproofed and with its arched profile it embodies the watch’s contemporary design. The glass’s internal surface is shaped like a dome, while its external surface is vertically curved from 6 to 12 o’clock. Its shape perfectly integrates the extra-thin bezel and extends from edge to edge. The play of depth, perspective and light creates a unique visual experience.

The new in-house calibre 4401 symbolizes Audemars Piguet’s constant quest for innovation. This calibre is endowed with an instant-jump date indication, integrated column wheel chronograph and flyback function that enables to re-start the chronograph without stopping and resetting it first. It has 70 hours of power reserve, as well as a dedicated pink gold beautifully openworked oscillating weight invisible through the sapphire crystal case back. This calibre also presents reinforced chronometry.
The movement operates at a frequency of 4 Hz or 28,800 vibrations per hour and consists of 367 individual parts.

The Selfwinding Chronograph is housed in a 41-mm-case with a water-resistance of 3 atm and is fitted with a hand-stitched large square scale blue or black alligator strap.

Breitling Commemorates Notable Airlines with New Editions

Watch manufacturer Breitling played an important role in the golden era of aviation, helping crews track the full range of calculations related to navigation. To commemorate the most emblematic airlines of that time, the brand has now created a capsule collection of Navitimer 1 Airline Editions. The collection is being launched with the Navitimer 1 B01 Chronograph 43 Swissair Edition, which will be followed by timepieces celebrating other important airlines.

Breitling’s first capsule collection captures the cool and evocative style of the 1960s and 1970s. The Navitimer 1 Airline Editions pay an affectionate tribute to the pioneers of civil aviation and celebrate the most emblematic airlines of the era. Thanks to them, the world suddenly became smaller as the dream of flying was no longer limited to a privileged elite. Breitling played a key role in the emergence of commercial flight, since its onboard chronographs became standard equipment; first in propeller-driven planes and later in the jets produced by the world’s leading aircraft manufacturers.

All models of the Navitimer 1 B01 Chronograph 43 Swissair Edition feature a bi-directional rotating bezel fitted with the famous circular slide rule, which serves to perform the entire range of calculations relating to airborne navigation. Their distinctive straight hands give the watches a dynamic, contemporary interpretation of a classic look. The dial itself is black with silver subdials; indices as well as hour and minute hands come with Super-LumiNova to ensure best legibility even in the dark. The red highlights on the dial are a hommage to Swiss Air and the transparent case back bears a printed Swissair logo.
The dial is protected by a convex, double anti-reflective sapphire crystal.

All Navitimer 1 B01 Chronograph Airline Edition watches are powered by the Breitling Manufacture Caliber 01. The in-house mechanical chronograph movement features both remarkable precision and a power reserve of approximately 70 hours. It works at a frequency of 4 Hz.
The movement is housed in a 43-mm-stainless steel case which is water resistant up to 3 bar. It is fitted with a vintage-inspired black leather strap or a stainless-steel mesh bracelet.

This first Breitling capsule collection will be available from April 2019 at Breitling boutiques and official retailers for a limited period of time.

JS Watch co. Reykjavik Celebrates the World Cup

So, today it begins, the World Cup championship in Russia. A lot of watch manufacturers have presented special editions for this event (or interchangeable bracelets in team colours. We will introduce the Limited Edition by JS Watch Co. Reykjavik, the COLLECTION WOЯLD CUP MMXVIII. Because it’s awesome and dedicated to everyone’s favourite underdog from the last UEFA Euro Cup: Icelands men’s national football team.
With a population of around 330,000, Iceland is by far the smallest nation ever to qualify for the World Cup championship – and it’s the first time, the team managed to do so. If that’s not a reason to celebrate with a special edition, we don’t know what is.

In this edition, JS Watch Co. Reykjavik has incorporated the colours of the Icelandic flag to honor the team. You’ll also find a lot of small details in the watch which reflect the spirit that has built up around the National team.
In the dial design you will find small details like „Fyrir Ísland“ (which translates into „For Iceland“). The numbers 1 – 11 are in silver for the players on the pitch, the number 12 is in red and represents the fans, who are called „Tólfan“ („The Twelve“); due to their undying support the fans are considered to be the twelfth player in the team. The minutes in blue from 0 to 45 representing the Game Time and the 45 to 60 minutes in red saying Half Time. This idea originally came from a game time clock that was located on the National stadium „Laugardalsvöllur“. Since for battle a weapon is needed, JS Watch Co. Reykjavik designed the blue seconds hand in the shape of a viking spear.
The COLLECTION WOЯLD CUP MMXVIII logo sports a reversed R as a special memorandum for Russia, the nation hosting this years FIFA World Cup – and also to honor its special alphabet.

The back of the watch is engraved with JS Watch Co. Reykjavik,  COLLECTION WOЯLD CUP MMXVIII and VAR ÞAÐ EKKI – the celebration chant the team whispers in the locker room after victories. A small engraved soccer ball on the crown filled with ceramic blue colour completes the design.

The watch comes in a 43.3 mm steel case with a curved anti-reflective sapphire crystal and see-through sapphire crystal back. The case is water-resistant up to 5 atm. Inside works a Swiss made automatic movement which assures a 38-hour power reserve when fully wound.
The watches are completed by a leather strap – calf, ostrich or alligator.

JS Watch Co. Reykjavik has limited the COLLECTION WOЯLD CUP MMXVIII to 300 pieces and the first 30 numbers are reserved for the National team members.

How About an Engine Block on the Wrist?

This month, Parmigiani Fleurier introduced a wristwatch inspired by a car – so fundamentally, that it comes with an engine, a driver’s cab and a bodywork. The Bugatti Typ 390 is a tribute to the Bugatti Chiron. This car stands out due to its extreme power, reliability and performance – could there be a better inspiration for a watch?
Parmigiani Fleurier has teamed up with Bugatti in 2004 and since then the watch manufacturer has challenged the traditional Haute Horlogerie with daring new models, each inspired by a luxurious car. It all began with the Bugatti Type 370 and Parmigiani Fleurier continued to stay on its pioneering path ever since.

A true phenomenon in the traditional watch design landscape, the new Bugatti Type 390 is primarily an engine block on the wrist. Nor frills, no purely decorative elements: everything is focused on performance and on the essentials, on performance and reliability. The engine block on the wrist with its horizontal cylindrical construction took four years to develop.

Inspired by the principles behind the construction of the Chiron, the designers chose an engine/interior/bodywork design. Specifically, the horizontal cylindrical movement (the engine) is connected by a worm screw to the dial and the displays (the interior) which are positioned perpendicularly. The entire assembly is enveloped in a gold and sapphire crystal case (the bodywork) through which the moving mechanism can be admired.
The black open-worked dial makes the Bugatti Type 390 a lightweight yet high-performance timepiece. The luminescent applique indices and hands create a stark contrast to ensure optimal legibility. The seconds can be read through the magnifying effect of the sapphire crystal at the end of the cylinder.

Inspired by the fluid curves of the Bugatti Chiron, the case of the Bugatti Type 390 is created from gold and engraved on the back with a serial number.The case was created by Les Artisans Boîtiers and is constructed around the cylindrical structure and is water resistant to 3 atm. It stands out thanks to its ability to pivot 12° around its drive shift (patent pending) to ensure perfect ergonomics around any wrist.
Large openings topped with sapphire crystal allow the wearer to admire the technical sophistication of the timepiece: via the top and the end of the tubular structure one can dive deep into the heart of the complex mechanisms – the „engine“ and the flying tourbillon – while the openings over and under the dial reveal the watch’s many gears and enable the time to be read.

The mechanical, cylindrical PF390 movement is equipped with a flying tourbillon. Specially developed for this watch, the calibre is housed in a cylinder boasting an 80-hour power reserve thanks to its two series-mounted barrels.
Parmigiani has slimmed down the movement to a point where its diameter is no larger than the regulator of its 60-second tourbillon. In view of the cylindrical configuration of the movement, the usual wheel-pinion-wheel-pinion configuration is replaced by a transmission using three planetary gear trains. Each of these is equipped with a central train wheel. Another key point is the fact that the assembly requires no lubrication: a significant advantage in terms of reliability and maintenance. The series-type coupling of the two barrels guarantees a constant transfer of energy. The flying tourbillon oscillates at a frequency of 4 Hz.
In light of the watch’s innovative features and the unique solution it offers, the calibre PF390 heralds a new era in Parmigiani Fleurier’s Bugatti collection. It has been designed and created to become the platform for development of future Bugatti models.

The alligator leather strap is made by Hermès and fitted with a gold folding buckle. Parmigiani Fleurier has limited this watch to a edition of 20 pieces – 10 pink and 10 white gold versions.
It is clear that the Bugatti Type 390 is far more than a watch stamped with a car marque logo; it is the Bugatti Chiron reborn in watch form.

New Timezone: Oris Big Crown ProPilot Worldtimer

Oris has a Worldtimer in his collection since 1997. Its design and functions were so popular amongst fans and watch afficionados that Oris hasn’t changed much over the course of these 20 years. But we won’t deny that the name might be a little confusing because classically, this feature would be classified as a second timezone and not as a world time function. It came with a sub dial for the second timezone including a day/night indicator and was easy to read. This original watch featured plus and minus pushers on the side of the case that when pressed adjusted the local time forwards or backwards in one-hour jumps, without the need to pull out the crown or stop the running of the watch. The date would keep track of the time adjustment, even if that meant going backwards over midnight.

In the new Big Crown ProPilot Woldtimer Oris has maintained the original design overall while taking the world time complication to a new level. Basically, this watch has the same functionality as the 1997 innovation, but now the pushers are cone and local time is adjusted by rotating the bezel. Rotating the bezel clockwise moves the central hour hand forward in one-hour jumps; counter clockwise back, also in one-hour jumps.
The design is a little cleaner due to the disappearance of the pushers and the new Worldtimer sports a Big Crown ProPilot case, therefore belonging to Oris‘ pilot’s watch collection. It features the signature coin-edged bezel that makes it easy to grip when adjusting local time. The dial measures generous 44.7 mm in diameter and falls somewhere in the middle of the collection which cases range from 41 to 47 mm. The dial is very legible through its size and clean design. Over the dial lies a domed, anti-reflective sapphire crystal.
The case is water resistant up to 10 bar.

Oris offers two versions of the Big Crown ProPilot Worldtimer. The first has an anthracite dial and a polished top ring on the bezel, the second has a black dial and a brushed top ring. The day/night indicator is still there; it is placed in the sub dial for the second timezone, opposite the date window. When the small window is light it is day in the second timezone, at night the window appears dark.
The watch is powered by the Oris Kal. 690, which is based on the ETA 2836-2. It can be seen through the mineral glass in the case back. The calibre features, as mentioned, an adjustable hour hand for local time, a subsidiary second time zone with hour and minute hands as well as a day/night indicator at 3 o’clock, a date window at the same position, and small seconds at 9 o’clock.

The Big Crown ProPilot Worldtimer comes with one of three different straps. The leather and textile strap feature a stageless length adjustment system that’s based on the airplane safety-belt principle. Naturally, there will also be a stainless steel bracelet.
Oris is known for its great price-performance ratio and the new Worldtimer is no exception. The watches with the leather and stainless steel bracelet cost 3.400€, one with a textile bracelet costs 3.200€.

Prolific Partnership: Hublot and Ferrari Present a New Watch

To celebrate Ferrari’s 70th anniversary, the Italian marque and its partner Hublot are presenting a new original collection.
Conversed with the same approach used for designing a car at the Ferrari Design Centre and integrating Hublot’s watchmaking expertise, the Techframe Ferrari 70 Years Tourbillon Chronograph opens a new chapter in the partnership that unites Hublot and Ferrari.

Designed by Ferrari, crafted by Hublot – what’s the worst that could happen? This watch is the result of a team effort that began with Ferrari in maranello and ended in Nyon with Hublot. This new line in Hublot’s collections is intended to offer a watch that is deeply rooted in Ferrari’s DNA – combining strength, performance and agility – while being produced and perfected by the Hublot manufacture.
Created and designed by Ferrari, under the leadership of Head of Design Flavio Manzoni, the new Techframe Ferrari 70 Years Tourbillon Chronograph was designed by Ferrari, using the same creative processes as that used to developed a new sports car. The starting point for the designers was the Hublot movement around which they freely designed a high performance chassis. Like that of a Ferrari, its lattice structure offers maximum strength for minimal weight.

The black structure on the dial holds the chronograph counters and offers excellent legibility. The crown at 4 o’clock reduces the size of the watch and increases its aerodynamic look. Finally, the red push-button makes the design more ergonomic.
The chassis case comes with a modular construction and consists of three components – a skeleton middle, container, and back cover.

Beyond its design, the Techframe Ferrari 70 Years Tourbillon Chronograph is an epitome of fine watchmaking. This tourbillon chronograph is driven by a movement that was designed and developed by Hublot: the new HUB6311 calibre with manual winding which offers 5 days of power reserve. The tourbillon is visible on the dial and it offers both the aesthetics of a flying tourbillon and the operational stability of a tourbillon with two pivot points. It rotates once a minute.
The Ferrari logo is clearly visible at the 9 o’clock position whilst the Hublot logo is at 5 o’clock. The sapphire crystal reveals the mechanics that it shelters. A matt black block, affixed to the sapphire holds a twin half-second counter at 3 o’clock, the minutes counter at 11 o’clock and the column wheel at 1 o’clock.

The Techframe Ferrari 70 Years is available in three versions – King Gold, PEEK Carbon, and Titanium – each of which is produced in 70 limited editions. Every watch comes with a black rubber strap.

Raymond Weil Celebrates the Genius of David Bowie with a Watch

Raymond Weil celebrates the icon of British Rock, a true, everlasting legend – David Bowie. With a watch, of course. The Limited Edition Freelancer „David Bowie“ is a tribute to the life and musical career of one of the most influential artists of all time.
Created to celebrate what would have been David Bowie’s 70th birthday, this timepiece is dedicated to a few of the many personas created by David Bowie, an artist with unparalleled creativity, a singular visionary, a man of a thousand faces and voices. Bowie’s boundless talent and fearless innovation shone through his final masterpiece, Black Star, released last year to some of the best critical notices of his distinguished career and winning five Grammy Awards and two Brit Awards in 2017.

To celebrate the immortal David Bowie, Raymond Weil has chosen its most free-spirited model – the Freelancer. The case measures 42 mm in diameter and it contains a dial resembling a vinyl record featuring some of the most emblematic design cues of the British artist.
Amongst the key design features, the lightning bolt painted across his face that first appeared on the cover of the Aladdin Sane album in 1973. The instantly distinctive mark universally recognized, the stylized lightning bolt is featured in red at 12 o’clock. The pop art logo designed by Andy Warhol especially for David Bowie and revealed on the cover of the album Diamond Dogs in 1974 makes its mark on the dial of the David Bowie Limited Edition.

Produced in a 3.000-piece limited, numbered series, the Freelancer David Bowie beats to the tempo of a mechanical self-winding movement that appears beneath a portrait of David Bowie, immortalized in 1974 by famous photographer of legends, Terry O’Neill. A photograph printed on the sapphire of the watches case-back, from which this artist challenges the world with his atypical, magnetic gaze.

This watch is a beautiful tribute to one of the greatest musicians that ever lived. And it’s just logical for Raymond Weil to add a tribute to David Bowie to its collection of watches honoring the lives and works of musicians.

Elegant AND Cool: The Grand Lange 1 Moon Phase „Lumen“

In 2013, A. Lange & Söhne introduced the Grand Lange 1 „Lumen“, a watch with a semi-transparent sapphire-crystal dial that exposes the ingenious disc configuration of the Lange outsize date. It was followed a year later by the Grand Lange 1 Moon Phase with a prominent in-dial moon-phase display that reproduces the lunations with an accuracy of 99.998 per cent. Now, the Grand Lange 1 Moon Phase „Lumen“ combines these two remarkable accomplishments in one watch.
The watches of A. Lange & Söhne are known for being elegant, sophisticated, elaborate and understated – not exactly „cool“. But with the Grand Lange 1 Moon Phase „Lumen“ the watch manufacturer presented a watch, being all what we expect from A. Lange & Söhne while being – well – cool.

The dial of the new model is made of blackened silver with ample apertures and black-tinted, semi-transparent sapphire-crystal glass. The special clothing applied to the glass blocks most of the visible light but not the UV spectra that „charge“ the luminous pigments on the outsize-date mechanism and cause them to glow in the dark. The tens cross is coated with a white luminous compound and printed with black numerals. Conversely, the units disc, also featuring black numerals, is made of transparent glass and rotates in front of the luminous background of the date aperture.

Different from Lange’s previous moon-phase models with solid-gold lunar discs, the Grand lange 2 Moon Phase „Lumen“ has a disc made of glass. Initially, its surface is treated with a coating process. In a second step, a laser is used to cut out 1164 stars and the moon. Thanks to the luminous compound behind the lunar disc, they shimmer with vibrant radiance.
The large moon-phase display occupies a prominent position on the main dial. Once properly set, it only needs to be corrected by one day every 122.6 years. Between one and four o’clock A. Lange & Söhne placed a big power-reserve indicator, at five o’clock there’s a small second.

The watch is powered by he manually wound calibre L095.1. It is elaborately finished, the three-quarter plate made is decorated with Glashütte ribbing. The large mainspring barrel delivers power for 72 hours.
The calibre is housed in a 41-millimetre platinum case.

The Grand Lange 1 Moon Phase „Lumen“ is a limited edition of only 200 watches.

Vacheron Constantin Perpetuates Copernicus in a Métiers d’Art

Vacheron Constantin has added a new model to its Métiers d’Art collection, the Copernicus celestial spheres 2460 RT. And not only that, there will be three different versions of this watch.
The Copernicus celestial spheres 2460 RT proves once more the artistic mastery of the Swiss watch manufacturer. With its original display and spectacular decoration, this new collection presented at SIHH 2017, pays tribute to one of humankind’s greatest discoveries: heliocentrism.

Nicolaus Copernicus revolutionized the world in 1543. His hypothesis challenged geocentrism by putting forward the theory of heliocentrism, demonstrating not only that the Earth spins on its axis and has a satellite, the Moon, but above all that it gravitates around the Sun. This new vision of space also had a considerable philosophical impact on the perception of humanity and it overturned all existing beliefs. this revolution was to have profound repercussions on all fields of thought. Vacheron Constantin pays homage to these emblematic discoveries that definitively changed the face of the world with the Copernicus celestial spheres 2460 RT.

Three different dials interpret this theme in three different ways. The decoration is inspired by the graphic depictions of Andreas Cellarius, a 17th century cartographer and author of the most important colorful sky map, the „Harmonia Macrocosmica“.
The dials comprise two distinct parts. The oval centre bears a Sun with a glowing hand-engraved pink gold face, while the outer disc is dedicated to three decorative craft variations. Between the two, a tiny elliptical groove provides space to display orbit performed by the Earth. The latter is represented by a tiny gold disc, slightly domed and measuring barely 6.8 mm diameter, featuring a polar view of the continents based on a Lambert conic map projection.

The first model in this trio gives pride of place to various enamelling techniques. The champlevé Grand Freu enamel Earth reveals the blue of the oceans and the geography of the continents. In the background, a map of the sky on a gold base is enamelled in pastel colours. It is punctuated by fine lines illustrating the orbit of the five planets shown. The outer part of the dial bears the 12 zodiac signs in polychrome enamel.

The second dial, graced with an even more baroque-inspired aesthetic, is hand-engraved. The 12 signs of the zodiac intertwine and overlap on a white gold disc. The engraver has provided a wealth of ramolayé details highlighting volumes in the material. On the Earth orbiting around a flaming golden Sun, the oceans are covered with microscope waves achieved by engraving effects, while the contrasting continents are polished to accentuate the luminosity of the gold.

The third dial is adorned with decorative techniques involving several novel aspects. The zodiac signs are complemented by a 3D-effect star-stubbed sky. The earth is hand-engraved ans picks up this contrast between the fine graining of the ocean waves and the glow of the continents. A hand-painted midnight blue underdial is overlaid with a transparent sapphire crystal engraved on its back. On the front, the constellations are laser-engraved and then highlighted with Super-LumiNova, so the immensity of the night sky is thus fully revealed in the semi-darkness.

All timepieces are driven by a mechanical self-winding Manufacture-made movement, the calibre 2460 RT it was entirely designed, developed and created by Vacheron Constantin.
The time is displayed by two triangular peripheral hands in gold – a cut-out one for the hours and a solid one for the minutes – that glide around the dial rim. The elliptical path of the Earth around the Sun is the key highlight of this watch, exuding a powerful presence and providing continuous information as the days go by. The second complication is the Earth’s elliptical orbit around the Sun. The mechanism is so precise that it only requires a one-day correction only once in 8,000 years.
The calibre works with 28,800 vph and provides a 36-hour power reserve.

The Copernicus celestial spheres 2460 RT features a white gold case measuring 43 mm in diameter and 12.9 mm in height. It comes with a black leather bracelet.