Schlagwort-Archive: wristwatch

Bold in Bronze: The New TAG Heuer Autavia Models

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Earlier this year, TAG Heuer introduced its legendary Autavia timepiece as a new stand-alone collection that continues the tradition of versatility, ruggedness and reliability that characterized the original Autavia from 1960. Two durable and timeless models in bronze are now available in stores and online. These watches are an ideal choice for explorers and adventurers who want to wear their unique lifestyle on the wrist.

Bronze is not only elegant and characteristically timeless, it is also extremely robust and therefore ideally suited for a lifestyle that includes all kinds of outdoor activities. The warm apperance of the metal alloy has long been valued by watch collectors. It is anti-magnetic and resistant to normal wear and tear. Bronze is also well known for its maritime heritage – it is not susceptible to saltwater corrosion, making the bronze Autavia models suitable for maritime adventures.
The most distinguishing feature of the bronze TAG Heuer Autavia models is the unique patina that naturally develops on the cases over the course of time – depending on the wearer’s lifestyle. The brushed finish of the case ensures that the patina develops evently. This oxidation process, caused by air, water and changes in temperature, is a completely natural process. First, the bronce changes into red-brown colour and then turning bluish-green. The result is a beautiful vintage effect without affecting the quality of the material.

The 42mm watch is available in two different versions: with a fumé green or brown dial. Both are equipped with bidirectional rotating ceramic bezels in either black or brown and are water-resistant up to 10 bar.
As with all TAG Heuer AUtavia models, the new models also provide excellent legibility. The hour markers as well as hour, minute and seconds hands are generously coated with Super-LumiNova, making it easily possible to read the time even in the dark.

The TAG Heuer Autavia models are all powered by a COSC-certified movement, the automatic Calibre 5. It operates at a frequency of 4 Hz and provides a power reserve of approximately 38 hours.
A tyre and propeller have been etched into the titanium caseback as a nod to the collection’s rich heritage and the Autavia’s origin in the automobile and aviation industries.

TAG Heuer has equipped the watches with easily interchangeable leather straps; brown for the brown model and khaki for the green model. They can be qickly – and without tools of course – switched out and TAG Heuer sells all Autavia straps seperately.

Alpina enhances its Alpina Quartz with the GMT function

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The Alpina Quartz collection, launched by Alpina in 2019, has been updated to include a model, featuring a GMT function in the form of a central hand alongside the hour, minutes, seconds and date displays. Alpina offers this new model with two choices of dial colour and bracelet.
In 1933, 50 years after its foundation, the fledgling Swiss manufacturer launched the Block Uhr. This timepiece was more than just a watch. With its anti-magnetic, anti-shock and water-resistant qualities and stainless steel case, it was more than a simple watch. Indeed, it established the basic principles of the sports watch. The Alpina 4 collection, created in 1938, incorporated elements of the essential features of the so-called outdoor watch.

The latest Alpiner Quartz GMT follows the footsteps of its sporting predecessors. Its quartz technology guarantees a high precision in time-keeping and adds value to the collection with its GMT function. Moreover, it allows travel enthusiasts to keep a close eye on the time at home; essential when contacting friends and family, arranging meetings across different time zones or simply readjusting your biological clock at the end of a long journey.

Like all authentic sports watches, the new Alpiner Quartz GMT has a firm focus on legibility and performance. The large central red pointer keeps track of the domestic time by means of the 24-hour increments engraved on the bezel. The pointer can be moved forwards or backwards, allowing you to adjust to local time in just a few seconds, without having to go the way over the crown.
The Alpiner Quartz GMT’s colour-coded bezel provides a simple and intuitive way to distinguish between day and night, removing the need for a separate day/night display which would impair the clean lines of the dial.
The date display has also moved from 6 to 3 o’clock, thus ensuring that this watch retains the aesthetic balance and legibility of its predecessors. By tweaking these elements, the dial now has space for the Alpiner Quartz GMT’s 100-metre water resistance guarantee.

The Alpiner Quartz GMT is equipped with a stainless steel case with a diameter of 42mm and, as mentioned earlier, a water-resistance of 100 metres. The case comes with bevelled edges, alternating between a satin or polished finish. Above the dial, which is available either in anthracite grey or navy blue, is a sapphire crystal.

The Breitling Navitimer B03 Chronograph Rattrapante 45

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It has been more than 85 years since Breitling introduced the first modern chronograph, whose influence on the watch design in general has been incalculable back then. With its new Navitimer B03 Chronograph Rattrapante 45, featuring its interpretation of one of watchmaking’s greatest complications, the brand has shown that it is still offering innovations.

The Navitimer B03 Chronograph Rattrapante 45 is as aesthetically impressive as it is technically sophisticated. Housed in a big, bold 45 mm red gold case, it is distinguished by a Stratos Gray dial and is water-resistant up to 3 bar. Its hour markers and hour and minute hands are coated with Super-LumiNova, which guarantees easy legibility in all lighting conditions. The chronograph has a bidirectional rotating bezel with the circular slide ruler that has long been associated with Breitling’s Navitimers.
Breitling has varied the stylized „B“ logo with an anchor symbol for this watch and divided it between two hands. The „B“ is on the red chronograph hand, while the anchor sits on the split-second hand. As a result, the two elements of the logo are separated when the split-second hand is stopped and reform when the hands realign with each other.

The split-second pusher, which is housed in the crown at 3 o’clock, serves to stop and restart the split-second hand as often as desired during a timing operation, allowing the wearer to measure split times or compare the results of several competitors.

Breitling has equipped the Navitimer B03 Chronograph Rattrapante 45 with an in-house movement, the calibre B03. It is a unique split-second movement. With its two superimposed central chronograph hands, it can measure two elapsed times simultaneously. The COSC-certified chronometer, whose performance can be viewed through the transparent sapphire caseback, offers a power reserve of around 70 hours. The automatic movement works at a frequency of 4 Hz.

Breitling has equipped the Navitimer B03 Chronograph Rattrapante 45 with a black alligator leather strap.

Maurice Lacroix Aikon Automatic Skeleton

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In a freshly restyled Aikon case, Maurice Lacroix has fitted a new manufacture, openworked, automatic calibre of unique design. True to its vocation of manufacturing high quality timepieces at an affordable price, deeply rooted in urban and contemporary culture, Maurice Lacroix introduces the Aikon Automatic Skeleton.
Openworked timepieces are an integral part of Maurice Lacroix’s history and watchmaking culture. Several successive generations of its watches have featured this graphic and horological principle. In consists in the hollowing of a movement’s parts, in order to retain only its bearing and functional structures.

Based on the 2016 AIKON Quartz design, the AIKON Automatic case leans towards a more masculine, sharper state of mind, one that is also more polarizing. It is 45 mm wide, yet only 13 mm thick, which provides it with strong and harmonious proportions. Entirely made of steel, both brushed and polished, it stands out thanks to the six arms on its bezel, positioned once every two hours. This is a signature feature of the AIKON collection, as is the one-piece case shape. Without lugs, it bears two prongs that descend on the bracelet and shape its curve.
The case is water-resistant up to 10 atm.

The calibre ML134 was entirely designed for the Aikon Automatic Skeleton. The automatic movement is the result of a thorough aesthetic and functional reshuffle of the ML134 calibre, one of the first to have come out of the Maurice Lacroix manufacture. And as is the case with all its in-house skeleton movements, it is born of design, not necessity. It is structured by a series of five concentric circles, that run diagonally through the entire watch. Bridge after bridge, they radiate from the centre of the barral, at one o’clock.
Said bridges are black due to a DLC surface treatment. Their central canal is lower and sandblasted. Their outline is one level higher and satin-brushed. All of the components are skeletonised; the barrel, which sits at the pattern’s core, the balance wheel, the winding mechanism, and the oscillating weight too. The latter is visible through the sapphire case back.
One level above this mechanical lattice, a sapphire dial bears rhodium-pleated indices and the small seconds hat at 6 o’clock.
The movement works at a frequency of 2.5 Hz and provides a power-reserve of up to 52 hours.

Aikon Automatic Skeleton introduces Maurice Lacroix’s Easychange system. These fast-swap attachments allow to singlehandedly remove the bracelet made from black alligator leather.

Vacheron Constantin Has a New Horological Muse

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The Égérie is the new horolocial muse of Vacheron Constantin, and it joins the world of Haute Manufacture. In this new collection dedicated to women, Haute Horlogerie meets Haute Couture, seen through the prism of craftsmanship, precision, excellence and beauty.
The sophisticated style of Haute Couture is subtly paired with the asymmetrical aesthetic faithfully perpetuating the Vacheron Constantin heritage. Thus, the new Érégie collection weaves the face of watchmaking femininity; a watch featuring a classic look, draped with a mischievous touch: inspiring, independent and charismatic.
The feminine name of this collection derives from the famous nymph Egeria featured in Roman mythology to the contemporary muses who inspire artists and designers.

A delicate interplay of textures and intertwined shapes, alternating flat and raised areas; a pleated effect reminiscent of fabric; a singular asymmetry borne by a fluid aesthetic: such is the exquisite aesthetic of the Égérie watch.
Égérie is also the modern interpretation of aesthetic codes cherished by Vacheron Constantin, which has been offering off-centre displays since the early 19th century, notably by playing on two intertwined circles. Égérie has made this its signature touch. The date or moon-phase integration is thus part of a subtle diagonal line formed by the logo and the crown daringly placed between 1 and 2 o’clock. Depending on the model, the latter is adorned with a cabochon-cut moonstone or a rose-cut diamond.

A dial featuring a pleaded pattern. A diamond halo resembling slender braiding and accentuating the feminine shape of the case. And above all, sophistication in every detail, expressed through pleasingly harmonious geometry punctuated by gold Arabic numerals, daintily scalloped like lace.

The Érégie self-winding is availbable in rose gold or stainless steel. The 35 mm pebble-shaped case is crowned with a slender bezel overstitched with 58 diamonds. The dial sets the stage for a delicate opaline silver work of art composed of concentric circles, graced with a pleated pattern. The calligraphic numerals evoke fine embroidery, while the leaf-type hours and minutes hands recall fine needles used by nimble fingers.
The Égérie self-winding is powered by the calibre 1088, an in-house automatic movement that provides a power-reserve of 40 hours.

The night star is at the very heart of the Égérie moon phase model, which comes in a 37 mm case in rose gold or steel, which a diamond-set bezel. An offset circle glittering with 36 diamonds displays a dreamlike version of time, with the gold moon appearing in a starry sky revealed behind clouds formed by a delicate mother-of-pearl assembly. The enchanting charm of this model is further enhanced by its opaline silver dial and pleated pattern.
The Égérie moon phase model is available in stainless steel or rose gold; both versions feature a generous diamond setting. Both are also fitted with the calibre 1088L.
But – the Égérie moon phase is also available as diamond-pavé model in white gold. Its white gold case bears 292 diamonds, while the dial deploys its concentric circles amid a shower of 510 diamonds.

Vacheron Constantin supplies all models on either stainless steel or leather straps, depending on the version.

The Updated Omega Constellation Gents‘ Collection

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For the Swiss watchmaker Omega, the pursuit of excellence is a lifetime’s work. In all of its most iconic collections, the brand is constantly innovating its designs to achieve advanced levels of sophistication and precision. This is particularly true for the famous Constellation Gents‘ collection, which is now welcoming its 5th exciting generation of models. The diverse selection includes 26 new models – in yellow and Sedna gold or stainless steel.
Although the Omega Constellation line was first launched in 1952, it was the models released in 1982 that first introduced the familiar look that we recognise today. Most notably, the features of those 1982 models included the four „claws“ on the side of the case, the barrel-shaped case with its half-moon facets at the top and bottom, the mono-link bracelet and also the perfectly circular dial and indexes on the bezel.

Following a similar makeover for its Constellation ladies‘ models in 2018, all of the gents‘ models have been given significant updates. These include polished and bevelled edges along the case, claws and bracelet and slimmer bezels with redesigned Roman numerals. A conical crown adds a little extra touch of sophistication – in perfect harmony with the rest of course. All cases come with a water-resistance of 5 bar.

On the dial, also a lot has changed and the new collection offers a wide range of dial colours and patterns. Hands and hour-markers have been re-designed; they have taken inspiration from the triangular facets of the Freedom Tower in New York. Some of the models also come with diamond hour-markers.
Each dial also features a trapezoidal date window below the golden star.

And of course, all of the models in the Constellation Gents‘ collection have been upgraded to Master Chronometer status. As a result, these watches have the highest certification for precision, performance and magnetic resistance. And of course, a contemporary calibre.
The Omega Co-Axial Master Chronometer Calibre 8800/8801 can be observed through the sapphire crystal case back. This automatic movement provides a power reserve of 55 hours and withstands magnetic fields up to 15,000 Gauss.

The watches come with a stainless steel or leather bracelet, depending on the version.

Hublot Big Bang Sang Bleu II Limited Edition

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Blue is the new black – at least if you ask watch manufacturer Hublot. And the new Limited Edition of the Big Bang Sang Bleu is also a true artistic sculpture on the wrist. The watch reinforces Hublot’s Big Bang Integral collection. The overall design and functionality of the Sang Bleu II are identical to previous models of this collection, but the colour scheme is a different one.
The introduction of the iconic, award-winning Big Bang design in 2005 paved the way for further successful collections such as the Classic Fusion or the Spirit of Big Bang with complications ranging from the most classic to the most complicated of watchmaking. This is one of the reasons why it continues to shape Hublot’s extraordinary DNA with constant growth.

From an ancient practice to a worldwide cultural phenomenon, tattooing has become an art form in its own right thanks to the work of visionary artists such as Maxime Plescia-Büchi, founder of Sang Bleu. And the Big Bang Sang Bleu II is the expression of Plescia-Büchi’s craft of geometry and dimensionality, implemented in the form of a timepiece. A watch, a sculpture, a work of art that tells the time – a fusion of different concepts to create a unique, timeless watch, brought to life by Hublot’s expertise in materials.

As already mentioned, the new Hublot Limited Edition is entirely blue – blue like the ink of the Tattoo Studio, which name it bears. Both, dials and bracelets come in this colour, emphasising the design of geometric lines that run across the hands, bezel and case. The bezel is not round but hexagonal and is fitted with the classic six H-shaped screws. And the alternating polished and satin-finished surfaces further emphasise the geometry of this Big Bang. The case of the Sang Bleu II is water-resistant up to 10 atm.
The skeletonized dial consists of different layers which together create a complex 3D effect. Reading the time display is a challenge and may require some practice. A central chronograph seconds hand extends across the entire diameter of the dial; the hours and minutes are indicated by arrow-shaped hands placed on square, dragon-shaped structures. Two hexagonal, rotating subdials are placed beneath several elements; at three o’clock you’ll find the chronograph minutes, at nine o’clock the running seconds. And between four and five o’clock there is also a small date window.

The 45-mm-case of the Big Bang Sang Bleu II houses an Unico in-house calibre. The HUB1240 automatic chronograph movement operates at a frequency of 28,800 vph and provides a power reserve of 72 hours. The movement can be seen through the sapphire case back, including the rotor which was designed by Buchi.

The Big Bang Sang Bleu II is available in two limited versions. Hublot offers 100 pieces of the King Gold version and 200 pieces of the Titanium version. Both models are presented on a blue rubber strap.

Zenith Places Women in the Spotlight in Dubai

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Zenith embarks on the debut edition of LVMH Watch Week with a new kind of innovation in its Defy collection with the Defy Midnight, a uniquely conceived line of women’s watches with a cosmic touch. In addition, the new Elite collection redefines the codes of 21st century watchmaking for the ultimate contemporary elegance.

With its new creations dedicated entirely to women, Zenith is elevating both ends of the spectrum of women’s watches. On one side, the resolutely contemporary Defy Midnight and on the other, the timelessly elegant Elite collection.
For its first purely feminine watch, Zenith sought inspiration from the cosmos. The Defy Midnight is a versatile sporty-chic timepiece with a uniquely celestial dial. As much a jewel as it is a watch, the Defy Midnight is the perfect companion for the women of today: confident, expressive and with a style of their own.

Housed in a 36mm stainless steel case embellished with brilliant-cut diamonds, the dial of the Defy Midnight gives Zenith’s „time to reach your star“ philosophy a literal, visual manifestation. Available in deep blue or grey colors, the dial features a glossy finish with a vertical gradient effect for an unprecedented depth. Portraying the night sky above the endless horizon, where the dark vastness of space gives way to the glimmer of starlight, the dial has an enchanting effect. Zenith’s faceted star emblem is the highest point in the depicted night sky. Completing the celestial landscape are stars of different sizes – some of which glow in the dark.
A third dial made of white mother-pearl with a vertical gradient effect evokes moonlight on a cloudy night. White diamonds are applied on every hour marker, except at 3 o’clock where the date window is placed.

Equipped with the automatic Elite in-house movement, the Defy Midnight provides dependable precision and autonomy of 50 hours. A star-shaped oscillating weight brings a galactic element to the case-back view.

The Defy Midnight features an assortment of bracelets and straps – the integrated stainless steel bracelet as well as a selection of colored satin and leather straps – that can easily be swapped by the wearer, allowing the watch to different looks and situations.

Masculine and Elegant: The Hindenberg Air Tracer

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Hindenberg has accumulated an extensive collection and the watches of this manufacturer are usually offered in a whole variety of different versions. Among the most popular models in the current collection is the Hindenberg Air Tracer. It is one of the more classic models. Nevertheless, the watch presents itself intentionally masculine, so let’s take a closer look at it.

The dial of the Hindenberg Air Tracer features a very classic design. The subdial at three o’clock shows the month, the one at nine o’clock shows the day of the week. The current date is displayed in a very large window at six o’clock. The sub-dials, hands and indexes are in every version color-coordinated with the PVD-coating of the case. In order to ensure the best readability in all lightening conditions, Hindenberg has equipped the hour and minute as well as the tip of the seconds hand and the indexes with a generous amount of luminous paint. That the design of the hands, indexes and all the other markers is beautifully restrained also helps with legibility. And let’s don’t forget the inner tachymeter bezel which runs around the outer edge of the dial. All this is protected by a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal.
The dial of of the Hindenberg Air Tracer is well-balanced and wonderfully harmonious. Unfortunately, the date disc are not matched to the respective dial colors, so that they stand out on the darker models. This may not be ideal, but we have to say that Hindenberg made the most of it by counter-balancing it by the use of white lume.

With a diameter of 41 mm and a weight of hefty 182 g, this watch likes to remind its wearer of its presence on the wrist. The cases with their elegantly integrated lugs are water-resistant to 5 atm.
All Air Tracer watches are powered by an automatic movement, the calibre H-16.410.

Hindenberg offers six different versions of the Air Tracer. Two stainless steel models, one with a black, one with a white dial. One model with a black dial comes with a golden PVD-coating, the watch with the rosé PVD-coating is fitted with a bright dial.
All models are equipped with a stainless steel bracelet in which polished and matt surfaces interchange.

The Moon and Stars at H. Moser & Cie.

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The latest creation H. Moser & Cie. introduced embodies technical complexity; it is elegant, poetic and unconditionally understated, more than worthy of the manufacture’s watchmaking tradition.
With the Endeavour Perpetual Moon Concept Aventurine, H. Moser & Cie. lets you voyage deep into the Milky Way, bringing not just the moon to your wrist. Paying tribute to the lunar body, the interpretation of the moon phase it provides is minimalist yet highly poetic.

At six o’clock, a silvery moon waxes within a beautifully proportioned window. This satellite takes on a resolutely modern and reduced appearance. In this ode to purity, H. Moser & Cie. has opted for a Concept dial, stripped of indices and logo, to allow the moon complete freedom of expression. And, because the brand never does anything half-heartedly, it gives the wearer not only the moon but also the stars. To enhance the beauty of the moon, the watch is equipped with an aventurine dial, subtly twinkling with brilliant inclusions to spectacularly mirror the constellations of the night sky.

Let’s look at the movement: The Endeavour Perpetual Moon Concept Aventurine is one of the most precise moon phases available, with just one day’s deviation every 1027 years. It is powered by the HMC 801 hand-wound Manufacture calibre. It provides a power reserve of at least seven days, with an indicator on the movement side.
The moon phase display system is an extremely precise display that can be set to within a minute. It can be easily adjusted using the push-button located on the case flank, aided by the small central arrow-shaped seconds hand, which is a 24-hour indicator.

The Endeavour Perpetual Moon Concept Aventurine is available in red gold or steel. Both materials magnify the beauty of the Aventurine dial. The cases have a diameter of 42 mm.
An alligator leather strap completes the piece; black for the red gold model, midnight blue for the steel version. Each model is released in a limited edition of 50 pieces.