Schlagwort-Archive: swiss made

Mathis Montabon Raises the Bar with a New Swiss Made Watch

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Not long ago, watch manufacturer Mathis Montabon introduced a new model and raised the bar with this one: It’s entirely Swiss made, boasting an automatic calibre. The collection of Mathis Montabon is known for its variety; there are sober dress watches and ladies watches with zirconia-stubbed bezels, ones with partly skeletonized dials or analogue date displays.
But producing a completely Swiss made watch is a first for Mathis Montabon and a critically acclaimed one, too. So, let’s look at it.

The Mathis Montabon Elégance de Suisse presents itself as sober as a wristwatch can be. It is a simple three-hand-watch sporting also a date window. No frills, no experiments, no complications. We all appreciate complex watches with beautiful complications, but purism has its own charm. Mathis Montabon produces five different variations of the Elégance de Suisse – the complete silver coloured is the simplest. This model is also available with a black dial, whereas the black dial is also paired with two bi-coloured cases: stainless steel with gold and stainless steel with pink gold. The line also includes a complete golden version.

Nothing at the dial distracts from the time display. Hours, minutes and seconds are all displayed via central hands. The sunburst dial makes for a beautiful dynamic and the date window at 3 o’clock is framed. All that caters to a really good legibility, and the hands are filled with lume for ensuring legibility is also excellent in the dark.
The indices are argent or – depending on the version – golden, doubling at 12 o’clock. One of the most appealing details is the railroad minute track running around the outer rim of the dial, featuring Roman numerals. The dial is protected by a sapphire crystal.

The Mathis Montabon Elégance de Suisse is powered by the Sellita SW 200-1, a Swiss automatic movement known for its reliable work. After being fully wound, it provides a power reserve of approximately 38 hours.
The calibre is housed in a stainless steel case measuring 42 mm in diameter. In the also stainless steel bracelets brushed elements alternate with polished ones, making for an appealing look.
The Elégance de Suisse is officially a men’s watch, but we can imagine, it might be also an attractive choice for many women. Especially with its moderate size.

May We Introduce: Grant – MB&F’s New Machine

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MB&F and L’Epée once more joined forces to introduce a new collaboration.Grant is a triple-tracked, Mad-Max-cross-Transformer robot clock on a mission. In today’s fast-paced, always-on, 24/7 world, we are under constant bombardement from time: seconds race by; there is never enough; everyone wants more; and it keeps getting faster and faster. Once, the nearest hour was precise enough – now our clocks are exact to a second. Who feels stressed, can relax: help is at hand, Grant is here.

Grant is a robot with a time display on his shield and a mission to slow things down when time runs too fast. That’s why MB&F has decided to refrain from flashing digital numbers or a constantly spinning second hand. This way, Grant transforms frantic chaos into relaxing hours and minutes, wich is really all, anyone really needs.

While Grant’s time moves relatively slow, he can travel quickly over rough terrain (or the messiest desk) on his three operational rubber tracks. Grant can also transform into one of three different modes: lying horizontally over his chassis for a low profile; crouching at 45 degrees; and sitting up 90 degrees. Grant’s time shield can always be set to a comfortable and optimal viewing angle.

Whatever the angle, Grant’s highly polished clockwork is on full display, and you can follow every click and turn of the gears. The mainspring barrel click near his „belly button“ is particularly mesmerizing in operation. The isochronal oscillations of the regulator keeping time in Grant’s glass-domed „brain“ are evidence of the clockwork’s high precision. Watching Grant „think“ in real time is a stress-relieving activity in itself: Thus, Grant transforms time so that its observer can relax and enjoy it.
Grant’s 8-day, in-line manufacture movement features the same superlative fine finishing as found on the finest wristwatches: Geneva waves, anglage, polishing, sandblasting, plus circular and vertical satin finishing.

Grants Uhrwerk ist auf Hochglanz poliert und aus jedem Blickwinkel vollständig einsehbar, so dass man jedes Einrasten und Drehen der Zahnräder verfolgen kann. Besonders faszinierend ist es, die Sperre des Federhauses in der Nähe von Grants „Bauchnabel“ in Aktion zu beobachten. Die isochronon Schwingungen des Gangreglers, der im „Gehirn“ unter dem Glashelm die Zeit misst, zeugen von der hohen Präzision des Uhrwerks. Schon, wenn man Grant beim „Denken“ in Echtzeit beobachtet, merkt man, wie der Stress abnimmt. Und so verwandelt der Roboter Zeit in solche, die entspannt genossen werden kann.

While he doesn’t look for fights, Grant believes offense is a great form of defense and packs appropriate weaponry. His left arm holds a „you-really-don’t-want-to-mess-with-me“ spinning disk, while his right arm clasps a removable grenade launcher. And with the latter, he has a surprise up his sleeve: it is removable and doubles as a winding and time-setting key for his clockwork.
Grant is a lot of things, but small is not one of them. He measures 115 mm in height, 212 mm in width and 231 mm in length in the flat position. In the vertical position, Grant measures 166 mm in height, 212 mm in width and 238 mm in length. The contains 269 components and weighs 2.34 kilograms.

Grant is available in three limited editions of 50 pieces each in Nickel, Black, and Blue.

Unfathomable Precision: The Favre-Leuba Raider Bathy 120 MemoDepth

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Favre-Leuba can look back at 281 years of brand history. The watch manufacturer is known for creating an interface of traditional watchmaking and the dynamic engineering spirit of today.
In 1968, Favre-Leuba has introduced its vision of the perfect dive watch, the Bathy. It was equipped with a depth gauge and was a milestone in mechanical instrument watches. It is a much sought-after collector’s piece today and the year 2018 marks the 50th anniversary of the Bathy. The perfect time to pave the way for a new legend – and the question, if it is possible to improve on excellence. The answer can be found in the new Raider Bathy 120 MemoDepth.

The retrofuturistic design is a deliberate nod to the original 1968 Bathy. From a technical standpoint, however, the Raider Bathy 120 MemoDepth is an entirely new creation. Its functionality and materials have not merely been improved upon – they have set a new standard. The case design is a homage to its popular predecessor and is complemented by bold, functional colors and easy-to-read hands.

The new case is crafted from titanium and, with its 48 mm diameter, guarantees perfect readability at the bigger dial.

The depth gauge in the Raider Bathy 120 MemoDepth turns on one of the established rules of watchmaking completely on its head. Never let water get inside of a watch? Quite the opposite. The new Bathy features apertures in the case back that actually invite water inside. It may sound crazy, but it isn’t: these openings are part of the depth gauge, which is hermetically separated from the movement. The concept is based on the compression of a specially designed membrane that is integrated into the case back. Water enters a separate chamber through the apertures, causing the membrane to compress as the pressure increases. A mechanical contact sensor inside the watch reacts to this compression and conveys the information via the hand of the depth gauge onto the dial.
The dive depth is displayed on a nonlinear display via a central hand on the dial. Depths up to 120 m can be measured extremely precisely. The scale for the first 30 m is finer, with two red marks at 5 and 10, where decompression stops may be necessary. The Raider Bathy 120 Memo Depth also features a mechanical depth memory (MemoDepth), which stores the maximum depth reached during a dive. The depth gauge at 3 o’clock reliably displays the value until it is reset via the screw-in pusher at 4 o’clock.

The Raider Bathy 120 MemoDepth is water-resistant up to 200m, as is the norm for a dive watch. Its optimal range of measurement is 120 m, more than double that of the original Bathy (50 m). A built-in mechanical limiter ensures that neither the pressure membrane nor the depth gauge are damaged if the wearer dives deeper that the optimal range.
Even on ambitious dives to depth where there is little light, all of the relevant information is perfectly readable. Design and features of the Favre-Leuba Raider Bathy 120 MemoDepth are inspired by the belief, that unnecessary difficulties should not get between a diver and the thrill of the dive.

Like every professional dive watch, the Raider Bathy 120 MemoDepth is fitted with an unidirectional bezel. It turns only counterclockwise so that it is only possible to accidentally move the bezel in a direction, which would subtract from the planned dive time.
The watch is powered by the FL321 hand-wound movement. It is based on the EMC 3903M caliber, which has been completely re-engineered by Favre-Leuba. It features a 65-hour power reserve and a power-reserve indicator displayed at 12 o’clock.

The Favre-Leuba Raider Bathy 120 MemoDepth is an extraordinary instrument, inspired by the original Bathy yet re-interpreted and perfected. This watch is an achievement in the development of mechanical instrument watches – and impressively stylish as well.

Die Favre-Leuba Raider Bathy 120 MemoDepth ist ein außergewöhnliches Instrument, das einen neuen Maßstab in Sachen Taucheruhren setzt und dabei ihre Impulse von der Ur-Bathy bezieht und diese neue interpretiert. Fantastisch aussehen tut sie außerdem.

Sneak Peek: Vacheron Constantin Overseas Dual Time

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Time flies. It’s not long till Christmas and after that the SIHH and Baselworld next spring will be just around the corner. Vacheron Constantin is among the first watch manufacturers giving a sneak peek on what to come. Fans and admirers can look forward to the new Overseas Dual Time. This watch is equipped with an in-house movement, featuring two different time zones.
This watch is dedicated to combine a particularly user-friendly handling with high performance and practicality. The Overseas collection embodies a modern lifestyle resolutely open to the wider world and the new Dual Time joins the adventure equipped with the eponymous function presenting a complication much favoured by globetrotters.

The Overseas Dual Time model is designed to ensure reliable, pleasant and elegant wear in every circumstances. its new mechanical self-winding movement, the Vacheron Constantin calibre 5110 DT, stems from several years of development and enables simultaneous reading of two timezones by means of coaxial hands. This 234-component movement oscillates at a frequency of 4 Hz and has a comfortable 60-hour power reserve thanks to its twin barrel that also ensures its high regularity and accuracy.
The hours hand indicates the local timezone corresponding to the user’s current location, while the hand tipped with a triangular arrow shows the time in a reference timezone, generally known as „home time“. The Overseas Dual Time features a 12-hour display along with a day/night indication set to home time, and a pointer-type date display, adjusted and secured via a pusher at 4 o’clock and synchronised with local time.
Both time zones are adjustable via the crown. In position one you have the local time, in position two the home time. The translucent lacquered dial is adorned with luminescent gold hands and hour markers as well as a double graduation bearing the minutes and second scales.

The dual time calibre is housed in a 41 mm-diameter steel case which is water-resistant to 150 metres. The new Overseas model continues a tradition of elegant, relaxed watches designed to offer their owners a combination of comfort and user friendliness. The bezel is evoking Vacheron Constantin’s famous Maltese cross emblem.
There will be three different versions: two in a stainless steel case with a blue or argenté coloured dial, one in a pink gold case, also with an argenté coloured dial.
Presented on a stainless steel bracelet with half Maltese cross-shaped polished and satin-brushed links, the Overseas Dual Time is delivered with two additional straps matching the shade of the dial

Nocturnal Camouflage: Bell & Ross BR 03-92 Black Camo

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Bell & Ross has become a reference in the instrument watch field, making aviation watches and has, as part of this quest, forged links with the world of the military. As a result, the watchmaker works regularly with professional elite units of the french military.
In 2007, Bell & Ross launched the Phantom concept, the Commando collection came two years later, in 2009. The launch of these watches, which were inspired by aeronautical instrumentation, heralded a foray into new territory and were among the first to use a camouflage coating in a horological setting. The new BR 03-92 Black Camo represents another link in the Bell & Ross camouflage watch series.

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Commando

The Phantom concept was one of the first to use the full black military coating. It features an antireflective matte black coating reminiscent of the surface of a stealth plane. Its numerals, indices and hands are covered with a photo luminescent coating. The Commando is part of the same lineage of avant-garde camouflage instrument watches and features a military-inspired coating. Its cases, numerals and indices are covered in deep matte black, and its dial in matte gray. This collection is aimed at the elite units, the military commandos, and the response teams who operate covertly.

The new BR 03-92 Black Camo is the lates addition to the series and for this model, Bell & Ross has developed an original military-type tricolor coating. Its dial is covered with a patchwork of matte greys, its case and strap in matte black. Especially at night, this timepiece is practically undetectable because its matte-treated colours avoid the risk of undesirable reflections. Like in the two earlier versions, the Black Camo also comes with luminescent coating. Not risking detecting is one thing, but the watch still has to be legible.

The simple time display is based on the brand’s visual signature: large numerals accompanied by batons indices for perfect legibility. The design of the hands is also distinctive. The four large numerals impressive in both design and size, are also a Bell & Ross classic. The sandwich type dial is made up of two superposed inserts. The lower one has a black Super-LumiNova coating while the upper one carries the camouflage pattern. The die cutting for the numerals and indices reveals the black Super-LumiNova which guarantees best legibility, both day and night.

The watch is powered by the BR-CAL.302, a Swiss Made self-winding mechanical calibre.
The 42-mm-case of the BR 03-92 Black Camo uses mass-coloured ceramic. This material is wear-resistant and extremely durable as well as comfortable to wear in the heat and cold. The case is also water-resistant up to 100 metres which makes this watch perfectly resilient to environmental challenges.
The watch comes with a black rubber and synthetic fabric strap.

Raymond Weil and a Legendary Guitar – the Gibson Les Paul

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Raymond Weil celebrates with the Freelancer a true music icon – the Gibson Les Paul. You don’t need to be a guitarist or a musician of any kind for that matter, to have heard of this legendary instrument. This guitar has inspired and served the best artists of all time; from Jimmy Page to Keith Richards and Jimi Hendrix to Eric Clapton musicians have turned to this instrument, making Rock’n’Roll history.
The manufacturer honors this icon with a new watch – the Freelancer Les Paul. Raymond Weil has been putting its name in lights alongside some of the greatest musicians of all time for nearly half a century in various special editions.

The body of the 43.5 mm case is made of steel and its tachymeter bezel is enhanced with black PVD inspired by the lacquer on the „Black Beauty“ – a guitar renowned for its electrifying performance that continues to astound musicians worldwide.
The board features a circular guilloché motif featuring six chords studded by fret-shaped hour markers. The „fittings“ – tri-compax chronograph counters, date and strap topstitching – of the Freelancer are also inspired by the Gibson Les Paul and set with golden highlights. At 12 o’clock, the names of the guitar manufacturer and the Les Paul signature appear, while the split-diamond inlay – a distinctive feature of the Les Paul Custom shines in golden tones next to the date window at 4.30. At 9 o’clock Raymond Weil has placed the small seconds. Hands and indexes are luminous and contrast well with the black dial, which makes the watch very legible, even in the dark.

The Freelancer is powered by a self-winding mechanical movement, the RW5010. It provides the energy for central hours, minutes and small seconds, a date and the chronograph functions as well as a power-reserve of 46 hours.

The ebony perforated calf leather strap brings to mind the sound holes that are part of the body of a guitar.
This watch clearly is a collector’s edition and limited to 300 pieces. Every Raymond Weil Freelancer Gibson Les Paul is delivered in a presentation box inspired by the famous Gibson guitar cases.

The Mathieu Legrand Mille Étoiles Sparkles, Glistens, Twinkles

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Mathieu Legrand is adding some serious bling-bling to its current collection with the new Mille Étoiles. The watch manufacturer is introducing this new watch in two different versions – in gold and rosé gold – both equally cool. We’ve heard there might be a third one in the making but we couldn’t get our hands on it – or confirmation by the manufacturer for that matter- just yet.
This women’s watch is a real head-turner due to the numerous zirconia on its dial and with one of these two you are definitely going to draw attention to your wrist – and yourself. The Mille Étoiles is not for the watch lover who likes an understated look because with one of these watches a place in the spotlight is guaranteed.

The Mathieu Legrand Mille Étoiles features a fully paved dial, a small date window at 3 o’clock and a big small seconds including a black railway minuterie at 6 o’clock. The manufacturer has decided against traditional numerals or indexes and opted for coloured zirconia. These are of a deep blue in the rose gold version and of a bright green in the gold version. The dial is protected by a scratch resistant sapphire crystal.
The bezel, the sides of the case as well as parts of the bracelet and the clasp are polished. This parts contrast nicely with the brushed parts, generating an overall charming look. The case measures 40 mm in diameter and is water resistant up to 10 atm.

The Mathieu Legrand Mille Étoiles is powered by a Swiss made quartz movement, providing great reliability combined with highest precision. It lies within a stainless steel case with PVD coating in gold or rosé gold.

Overall, this beautifully balanced watch will make for a stunning, reliable companion. It can easily be worn every day as well as on special occasions, and with its moderate size it should fit on most wrists. We already love the Mille Étoiles and are sure, you will too.

A New Chronograph: The Chrono Diamond Okeanos

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Swiss watchmaker Chrono Diamond is now around for seven years and is committed to produce nicely made, reliable watches, aiming higher with each new model they create. And the Okeanos is no exception. The brand added this watch recently to its current collection, combining a toothed bezel, three subdials and a rubber strap. This handsome, classic chronograph can be worn on a daily basis.
We are sure that the Okeanos will evolve into one of the favourite models in Chrono Diamond’s collection with its rugged, beautifully balanced looks. It combines a nice case with an attractive dial, featuring an interesting woven pattern.

The dial is dominated by the highly polished indexes and hands. The hour and minute hands are slightly skeletonized and equipped with a tip made of lume, providing best legibility even at night.
The subdial at 3 o’clock is for the running seconds, the chronograph hours are displayed at 6 o’clock, the chronograph minutes at 9 o’clock. At 12 o’clock dominates a big date. We would have loved to see the date wheel matching the colour of the dial, making the date a little less intrusive, but okay.
The characteristic Chrono Diamond diamonds are replacing the indexes at 12 and 6 o’clock.

The case measures 41 millimetres in diameter and 11 millimetres in height which makes this watch not at all overly dominant. The classic design of the chronograph surely fits most wrists and we can imagine that the Okeanos will be attractive for women too, although it is promoted as a men’s watch.
The case combines a toothed, polished bezel with brushed sides and lugs, adding to an overall attractive look.

The Chrono Diamond Okeanos is powered by a Swiss made quartz movement which assures highest reliability and precision. It offers everything you’d need out of a three-register chronograph.
Highly functional and handsome, this watch will be a trustworthy partner in every situation. Chrono Diamond offers four different coloured versions.

Colourful And Fun: The New RJ-Romain Jerome Space Invaders Limited Edition

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The golden age of the arcade game started in 1978 with the release of Space Invaders along with a cult phenomenon impact. Indeed, the invading alien hordes were the first ever iconic form of entertainment: thousands of hours of TV programs and hundreds of cultural exhibitions have been devoted to this generational icon of the 80’s which RJ-Romain Jerome encapsulated in its timepieces.
Six years ago, when RJ-Romain Jerome presented the first Space Invaders models, then launching a Games collection, little did everyone know that it would later become the brand’s biggest success. The collection consisted of two models, each limited to 78 pieces – echoing the game’s release year – and depicting the game’s famous scene illustrated in the dial, with coloured or white Super-LumiNova pixelated figures.

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Today, RJ-Romain Jerome is introducing a new collection with two models each limited to 78 pieces. The Space Invaders Pop is equipped with a Swiss Made mechanical self-winding movement. The watches are available in either a 46 mm titanium case or a 40 mm steel case, and the pair will be released simultaneously.
The Moon Invader case features four functional ball-and-socket joints, cut like the pivoting „feet“ of the lunar landing modules of the American lunar missions. These components hold the lugs of the rubber straps and enable the watch to adjust to all kinds of wrist sizes.

The pixelated 3D dial with bead-blasted and satin-brushed levels reveal the famous Space Invaders characters enhanced with stronger and brighter colours. The characters, in form of a laser cannon and aliens, have been machined one by one then filled by hand with cold enamel in green, white, purple, blue, orange and yellow. These Pop colours are the game’s most representative colours used over time.
New to the collection as well, the case back beholds a Space Invaders medallion standing in the middle of the stellar pattern extending to the black of the rubber strap. And to immerse completely into the Game universe, the watch box is designed like an arcade controller.

The André Belfort Le Maître is a classic Dress Watch

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For everyone who wears mostly casual watches with a sporty attitude the purchase of a classic Dress Watch is probably not on top of the list when it comes to must-haves. But there are recurring events in everyone’s life – accompanied by a certain dress code – where the only option is to wear a decent Dress Watch ore none at all. A. Lange & Söhne, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Piaget, Rolex and other manufacturers have several impeccable pieces for this kind of occasions in their collections and each would be an excellent choice. But does a lover of casual watches want to spend a lot of money on a piece that is only in his collection for rare events? Maybe not.
That’s why we introduce a new, completely Swiss made timepiece today that goes nicely with a fancy suit while not being incredible expensive: The André Belfort Le Maître.

Andre_Belfort_Le_Maitre_3The André Belfort Le Maître is a rather simple wristwatch that comes in a variety of different options. From very classy with a white dial and a stainless steel case, completed by a black leather strap up to a black dial combined with a PVD-coated gold case and a matching bracelet.
The dials are dominated by big roman numerals, the three hands are long, slender and come in a classic design. Besides that every dial shows a beautiful weaving pattern. The Le Maître features hours, minutes and seconds as well as a date window at 3 o’clock and a sapphire crystal.

The stainless steel case is round and the lugs are rounded too. That complements the look of the watch and assures that it sits perfectly on the wrist. With a diameter of 42 mm and a height of 11 mm the Le Maître comes in a reasonable and comfortable size. The watch is not too small for the male wrist while being understated.
The cases of all watches are water-resistant up to 10 atm.

Andre_Belfort_Le_Maitre_2 The André Belfort Le Maître is powered by a Sellita SW200-1. The Swiss made automatic calibre has proven itself over and over again. It is one of the most widely used movements in a variety of watches from different manufacturers. It is known for its reliability and dependability, working powerful and precise. The sapphire crystal case back makes sure the calibre can be observed while working.

We think that one can’t go wrong with any of these watches. With six different versions everyone should find itself a suitable piece. And prices ranging from 2.600€ to 3.000€ for Swiss made automatic watches are reasonable.

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