[ Trailer: Audemars Piguet ]

Audemars Piguet is launching a new wristwatch, the Royal Oak Offshore Survivor Chronograph, on November 6th 2008. This teaser video gives a glimpse of Audemar's upcoming "Survivor" chronograph. Details are scarce, but I do know that it is powered by an Exclusive Caliber 3126-3840 movement and has a high-tech ultra-light architecture. Most interestingly, Audemars Piguet, says it is made of "high-resistance materials that adjust to body temperature".

Posted by Jason Pitsch at 10:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

[ via Casio ]

I recently received a test unit of the new Casio Riseman GW-9200. Here are some photos of the new top of the line G-Shock. This new model now has 6-band atomic timekeeping, meaning it can automatically calibrate the time as long as it is about 1800 miles from one of the 6 atomic clocks; Colorado, Germany, Japan, Japan, England or China.

Overall I really like the G-Shock line and I especially like the newer shape, which is slighty smaller and more ergonomic than the Classic G-Shock profile. Unfortunately some of the functions can be hard to use. I prefer functions that do not require reading any manuals. Regardless of the interface, the Riseman is a pretty good value at $220.

[ MORE PICS ]

Read "EXCLUSIVE: CASIO G-Shock Riseman" »

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[ via Christopher Ward ]

Christopher Ward London, a new London based watch company, offers a variety of men's watches ranging from $250 to $600 USD. I have not had a chance to see any of these watches in person, but judging from the pictures, they appear to be a good value. Most models are offered in quartz, but they do offer a few in automatic. All CW watches use Swiss movements and come in a variety of colors. The only place to purchase one is on the CW website.
MORE>>

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[ via GearPatrol ]

Anytime I meet someone that is really into watches, I ask them a lot of questions. So once I found out the Editor of GearPatrol.com, Eric Yang, liked high-end watches I had to ask for an interview. Eric took my request one step further by taking some fantastic pictures of his watches, an Officine Panerai Luminor Marina and a vintage Omega.

Q&A

What made you interested in Panerai?

A few years ago when I was interested in upgrading my timepiece I
wanted to purchase a brand that was respected amongst those that appreciated
fine timepieces. Officine Panerai was a brand I had long come to
respect from the sidelines. It was a brand who's craftsmanship and truth to
it's own legacy transcended itself. The fact that they tend to be around
44mm in size didn't hurt either since my wrists are slightly larger in
diameter. From there, it was only a matter of choosing a model.

How many watches do you own?

I own a vintage Omega Automatic gold watch I had shipped to Switzerland
to have restored from the ground up. The gold bracelet has been
replaced with an Italian alligator strap. It's especially meaningful to me as
it was the watch my mother gave to my father when the were married
nearly 30 years ago. This is for special occasions and those days I am in suits. My daily wear is an Officine Panerai Luminor Marina PAM00111 (#600/3500). I have a StrapCulture Legend HM leather strap that I alternate alongside the original rubber diving strap. Its exposition back is stunning and I find something very soothing about manually winding the unit every day, even though it doesn't need to be. I also own an EOS Zephyr watch. Its got a great casual and urban ruggedness about it.

What kind of cars do you like?

Read "Interview with the Editor of Gear Patrol" »

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[ via HD3 Complication ]

After attending the Baselworld show this year we headed to Geneva to visit HD3 Complication. Instead of exhibiting at the SIHH or Baselworld shows, HD3 decided to have a private show aboard a boat on Lake Geneva. The SIHH show was about a block away.

The watch that really attracted me to HD3 originally was the Capture. This year they introduced the Capture 2, which was designed by Valerie Ursenbacher, who is one of the three designers at HD3 Complication. This watch comes in three versions; white gold with black PVD accents, rose gold with black PVD accents and titanium with white gold accents. All three versions are limited to 11 pieces and come with a natural rubber or leather strap. The one (pictured above) and after the jump is the titanium and white gold version with the natural rubber strap. It costs $250,000 and was not sold out at the beginning of the show, but I am sure all 33 pieces were sold out by the final day.

Read "EXCLUSIVE: Capture 2 by HD3 Complication" »

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Here is a video I took at the Hublot booth during Baselworld 2008. The Bat Bang Tourbillon looks really good close up. I will be publishing some high-resolution images of the Hublot Bat Bang in the immediate future.

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[ via Ball ]

Guillaume Nery is a three-time free dive world record holder and brand ambassador to Ball Watch Company. He makes dives without assistance or equipment on a regular basis to depths of 100 meters (330 feet). This is not only hard to do, it is hard to see while doing it. The ambient light is about 1% of surface light at these depths. This is where the 53 micro gas tubes (tritium) come in very handy and why he uses the EMII Diver GMT watch. The watch has a rotating inner bezel the utilizes 41 of the gas tubes with the remaining 12 being placed on the hands and dial. This illumination setup is very beneficial and allows divers to see their watch at any depth.

Read "Engineer Master II Diver GMT Black by BALL" »

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[ via HD3 Complication ]

HD3 Complication designer Fabrice Gonet created this revolutionary bi-axial tourbillon as a concept and it was so popular that they decided to make an ultra-limited edition of 11. Even at a price of $400,000 all watches were sold out quickly. It is made of titanium and platinum. It is water resistant to 50m and has an 80 hour power reserve. The coolest feature is the bi-axial tourbillon which rotates in 1 minute increments on the 1st axis and 30 seconds on the 2nd axis.

Hit the jump for rest of the original images taken in Geneva earlier this month.

Read "EXCLUSIVE: HD3 COMPLICATION Bi-Axial Tourbillon" »

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TB Buti is an Italian watchmaker that produces some very nice looking timepieces. The one pictured above is a 48 mm concept watch made of pure carbon. These are exclusive images taken from Baselworld earlier this month. TB Buti has not released any info on pricing or availabilty yet. Audemars has released a few carbon watch models, but this one should cost substantially less.

Read "EXCLUSIVE: Pure Carbon Concept Wristwatch by TB Buti" »

Posted by Jason Pitsch at 1:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Raptor Wristwatch Security System from ProfessionalWatches.com on Vimeo.

Here is the very cool Raptor Alarm System from the Hublot booth at Baselword 2008. Watch in slow motion and you can see the second your hand gets even close to the watch it automatically drops into a secure area below.

Posted by Jason Pitsch at 9:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Here is the new C1 line, taken at the Concord booth at Basel. These watches are big, sporty and absolutely beautiful. Concord has made a great product that is so different than anything they have ever produced. Times change and so do the smart companies.

Read "Concord C1 Photo Gallery" »

Posted by Jason Pitsch at 8:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Here is a shot from Baselworld 2008 Opening Day. Many of the watchmakers spend over $1 million Swiss Francs for a booth at Baselworld. This may sound high, but when you actually see how many people are here, it becomes obvious that it is worth every Franc. The Maurice Lacroix booth pictured on the bottom may have cost well over seven figures-- but it has 3 levels with VIP areas and even offices to meet with press, retailers and potential buyers.

Read "Baselworld 2008 Opening Day" »

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[ via Baselworld ]

Today was press day at Baselworld 2008 and most importantly, the opening of all watch halls. Here are a few of my favorite watches so far, as well as a few shots of the show. Five more pics after the jump. Many more pics to come.......... Oh by the way the fish tank image is part of the Breitling booth and the pic does not do it justice-- the tank is suspended two stories in the air and looks unreal for a display that is only temporary.

Read "Baselworld Press Day 2008" »

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Images courtesy of SwissTime.

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Here is a photo of last years Baselworld show. More pics of the watch "Halls" after the jump.

Read "Photos from Baselworld 2007" »

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Here is a sneak preview of 38 of the watches that will debut at the 2008 BaselWorld show in Basel, Switzerland from April 3-10. The preview includes watches from Corum, Eterna, Tissot, Oris, Franc Villa and many more. Images courtesy of SwissTime.

Posted by Jason Pitsch at 1:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Congratulations Zach!

The winner of the E-Ink Phosphor wristwatch giveway contest is Zach M. He is a 28 year software professional out of Vermont. Zach reads ProfessionalWatches, Engadget and other similar blogs. "Thank You" to all the readers who entered. More contests to come...

Posted by Jason Pitsch at 1:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

[ via Phosphor ]

The coolest feature on the E-Ink Phosphor Ana-Digi Watch is the ability to toggle the display between white on black and black on white, as shown in the above video. You can get one at Phosphor for $250 , or you can enter to win a free one here. All you have to do to enter, is comment on this post.

You can enter until 12 am MST Sunday Feb 24th. We will announce the winner on Monday Feb 25th by 5pm MST. (You cannot enter more than once) Good Luck!

Posted by Jason Pitsch at 2:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (60) | TrackBacks (1)

Luminox Black Bird SR-71 Limited Edition

Armand Nicolet L07 Chronograph

Romain Jerome Titanic-DNA Five Black Tourbillon

Mondaine Official Swiss Railways Watch

[ via SwissTime ]

Baselworld 2008 is just around the corner, April 3- April 10th. Romain Jerome, Mondaine, Luminox and Armand Nicolet released these photos of watches that will debut at Baselworld. I have more watch photos from Breitling and Oris that I will publish tommorrow.

Posted by Jason Pitsch at 8:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Posted by Jason Pitsch at 3:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Photography by Phil Swanson

I just recently received a new Black Ion Plated Oceanus 5 Motor Atomic Chronograph from eWatches. After opening the box I immediately noticed how nice the finish was, it looks even better in person. The entire case and bracelet are treated with an Ion Plated PVD process that improves surface hardness, reduces oxidation and creates a beautiful dark grey to black finish. Another great feature I noticed immediately was the sapphire crystal placement below the bezel. This is sometimes referred to as "armoring" the crystal and greatly reduces the chances of scratching.

Read More

Read "FEATURE: Oceanus Black 5 Motor Atomic Chrono" »

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