[ Glashütte Original ]

The Glashütte Original PanoInverse XL was introduced at Basel 2008. It uses a manufacture Caliber 66 hand wound movement. The hand-engraved duplex swan-neck bridge is visually impressive. Although what is even more impressive, is the large balance wheel that oscillates below the bridge 28,800 times per hour.

The case is made in a polished 18k white gold (shown) or 18k rose gold. The time is displayed by two gold on black off-centered subdials. A blued-steel hand at one o'clock indicates the amount of power reserved in the mainspring. Blued-steel screws and gold jeweled settings around the dial, give this watch a nice finishing touch.

Posted by Jason Pitsch at 12:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

[ Aquanautic ]

Here is the Aquanautic Diving Tourbillon 300 meters with Monopusher Chronograph BNB. The 5 days Power Reserve indication gives the autonomy of this time piece. The movement is combined with a second time zone on the internal rotating bezel. The double symmetrical screwed crown is placed in titanium black PVD and Pink Gold case with a one-way diving bezel all compacted in a 52 mm diameter. The monopusher is also secured by a screw wheel that blocks the pusher when diving. This is a unique signature of Aquanautic by RAYMEYER. MORE>>

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Posted by Jason Pitsch at 9:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

[ SwissTime ]

De Grisogono defies the fundamentals of watchmaking with the launching of its Otturatore, a timepiece combining audacity, refinement and modernism. Its mobile dial features a sequential display of seconds, date, moon phases and power reserve, with 3 of them always concealed. By a simple manipulation, the sequential mechanism can be displaced by 90° in a few tenths of a millisecond, a speed guaranteed to turn the world of complicated watches upside down. MORE>>

Read "OTTURATORE by De Grisogono" »

Posted by Jason Pitsch at 12:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

[ Vacheron Constantin ]

The Vacheron Constantin Quai de l'Ile watch collection will revive this prestigious brand's tradition of offering clients truly custom made watches. Featuring a unique multi-piece case, and a remarkable transparent dial which features a number of advanced anti-counterfeiting technologies, these Vacheron Constantin watches will present more than 400 possible custom variations. Case materials combinations, dial finishes, and even movement finishing may all be tailored to suit a specific requirement. MORE>>

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Posted by Jason Pitsch at 1:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

[ via Badollet ]

The Badollet Stellaire Tourbillon has a mechanical hand-wound movement, with a 120-hour power reserve displayed on the caseback, indicates the hours and minutes by means of central hands, as well as a tourbillon that is visible through the openworked dial at 6 o'clock. Revealing the symbolic power of the infinitely small, the carriage of the flying tourbillon carrying the Badollet logo and weighing less than one gram is set in a free-spirited and random manner with various shapes of extra-terrestrial olivines, also extracted from meteorite fragments. The 44 mm-diameter case in 150 palladium-coated white gold of the Tourbillon Stellaire is fitted with a sapphire crystal caseback enabling one to admire the back of the exceptional movement as well as its power reserve. Water-resistant to 30 metres, this stunning model features a glareproofed sapphire crystal protecting an openworked dial with Roman numeral hour circle, revealing the various parts of the movement and its meteorite baseplate. The dial comes in a range of materials ranging from lapis lazuli to onyx, as well as brown jade and black or white mother-of-pearl. MORE>>

Retail $250,000

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Posted by Jason Pitsch at 12:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

[ via Hysek ]

HYSEK X-RAY Perpetual Calendar: Measures eternal time with style!

Inspired by the historical design of the brand, the X-RAY Perpetual Calendar is the result of thorough aesthetic research and design evolution where traditional watch making and high tech style are perfectly merging, giving a unique and new vision of a watch of exception. X-RAY Perpetual Calendar raises again the main details proper to HYSEK's identity reinterpreted in a contemporary and modern style.

Read "HYSEK X-Ray Perpetual Calendar" »

Posted by Jason Pitsch at 12:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

[ via SwissTime ]

Movado, the Swiss brand known for its modern design aesthetic, is celebrating its iconic Museum® dial and the upcoming launch of its new automatic collection, with an exceptional limited edition of 25 skeleton timepieces in 18K rose gold. In a dramatic exploration of the famous single dot dial design, a larger dot-shaped sapphire crystal aperture at 6 o'clock offers an intriguing glimpse into, and through, the movement's elegant regulating mechanism. Silhouetted through this window which doubles as a small seconds subdial is a striking red Movado "M". It unites the most critical parts of the mechanical movement, the escapement wheel and jeweled levers. The black dial is subtly detailed with red lettering and accents. A sapphire crystal exhibition case back reveals the full beauty of the finely-worked, hand-winding skeleton movement.

Read "MOVADO Museum Rose Gold Skeleton Dot" »

Posted by Jason Pitsch at 2:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

[ via Badollet ]

Badollet takes its personalisation concept to extremes with the Crystalball Chronograph: associated with an exceptional mechanism, its classic design can be interpreted in numerous different ways according to personal preferences...

Three kinds of dials, each offered in a choice of materials, a range of dial-
ring variations: the Crystalball Chronograph is capable of adapting to all
kinds of aesthetic and technical desires.

This manual-winding monopusher chronograph with tourbillon is a very complicated movement, which is why it costs $245,000 plus. Also the watch case is made of white gold with a palladium coating for extra brillance.

Read the full press release and specifications here:

[ More pics ]

Read "BADOLLET Crystalball Tourbillon Monopusher Chronograph" »

Posted by Jason Pitsch at 12:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

[ via SwissTime ]

Louis Moinet is proud to present what many experts already consider to be one of the world's finest tourbillons. The unique VERTALIS model features an innovative aesthetic concept distinguished by a modern and original blend of technology and design. As its name implies, the difference here is all about verticality: VERTALIS intensifies the magic of the tourbillon by connecting its carriage to the barrel by means of a hand-drawn and bevelled vertical bar. To add to the fascinating vision of the tourbillon carriage in motion, VERTALIS offers an openworked version of the barrel. The latter's cover performs an average rotation in 6 hours and enables one to keep visual check on the power reserve according to the state of wind of the barrel spring.

Louis Moinet displays its determination to combine aesthetic and technical aspects, particularly through the vertical bar that showcases the technology of the watch, while extending over onto the case. This original and modern way of uniting displays, technology and casing is directly inspired by the historical world of Louis Moinet, and especially by some of the drawings published in his famous Traité d'Horlogerie in 1848.

LIMITED EDITION OF 12
Crafted in a limited edition of 12, the exclusive VERTALIS tourbillon movement is hand-wound and beats at a cadence of 21,600 vibrations per hour. One particularly striking technical characteristic is the spectacular visibility of the winding mechanism through the case-back. The "octopus" spring plays three roles by acting as pull-out piece spring, lever spring and click spring.

Read "LOUIS MOINET Vertalis Tourbillon" »

Posted by Jason Pitsch at 1:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

[ via SwissTime ]

The first edition of the Esprit des Artisans® collection limited to 28 pieces seduced watch aficionados thanks to the unique all precious metals alloy used for the watchcase, as well as for its vintage movement. Its tremendous success encouraged VILLEMONT to pursue its quest for perfection.

The Esprit des Artisans® collection is aimed for watch connoisseurs and it only comprises limited edition timepieces characterized by exceptional movements and decorated by precious materials.

Les Heures du Monde® is the latest model of this collection. Limited to 88 pieces, this timepiece renovates the concept of the world timer by allowing its owner to read the time simultaneously in 24 different time zones. For Les Heures du Monde® VILLEMONT has developed its first in-house movement. The hour is read on a 12-hour scale and a day/night indication placed both next to each city and on the main bridge allows the watch wearer to know what time it is back home whilst travelling abroad.

Read "VILLEMONT Les Heures du Monde" »

Posted by Jason Pitsch at 5:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

[ via Ebel ]

For lovers of contemporary architecture and devotees of mechanical watchmaking - including many who are proud to be both - Ebel introduces a stunningly inspired pink gold version of its 1911 BTR Perpetual Calendar Chronograph, issued in an exclusive limited edition of 200.

This spectacular face of this new landmark creation is strongly reminiscent of contemporary architectural achievements such as modern art museums with their large bay windows amid a metal frame creating an alternating pattern of glass and steel. The play on perspective as well as the clever lighting and volume effects all vividly evoke a contemporary work of architecture, while the elegantly understated and subtly contrasting choice of colors inexorably draws the gaze to the intricate workings of the watch mechanism below. The ultimate goal of such sophisticated structures being to highlight the objets d'art inside, it comes as no surprise to learn that the movement inside the alternating slate grey and black openworked dial is fully worthy of such a spectacular stage-setting.

MSRP $59,000

You might be interested in this $27, 500

Read "EBEL 1911 BTR QP Pink Gold" »

Posted by Jason Pitsch at 11:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

[ via SwissTime ]

DeWitt's Academia Night Chronograph measures short periods of time in a day and night mode. Offering both fun and functionality, this creation, dressed in a noble case with an "Imperial Columns" motif, indicates day and night with Superluminova alternating between the white and black areas. While the aesthetic principles of the chronograph sequential seconds counter remain unchanged, this model is now presented in a pink gold or a pink and white gold case and highlights the nocturnal legibility of its indications. MORE

Read "Dewitt Academia Night Chronograph" »

Posted by Jason Pitsch at 1:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

[ via Corum ]

Corum has introduced a highly limited perpetual calendar in its classical Romulus watch collection. Offered in an edition of 25 pieces, the Romulus Perpetual Calendar features a polished 41mm red gold case, a brushed hand-engraved Roman numeral bezel, and a dial decorated with sun-pattern guilloche. The perpetual calendar displays--which show day, date, month, leap year and phases of the moon--are clearly organized around the dial center, and apertures in the day and date subdials reveal elements of the complex underlying mechanism.

A sapphire crystal window in the caseback reveals an intricate hand-engraved CO-183 automatic movement. Each element of the bridges and rotor are refined with a delicate scrolling pattern; the rotor also features the Corum brand signature in relief. The balance wheel alternates at a pace of 18,000 beats per hour, and power reserve of the mainspring barrel is 45 hours.

The Corum Romulus Perpetual Calendar watch is completed by a crocodile strap, and an 18K red gold buckle which is engraved with the Corum logo. Water resistance is rated at 30 meters.

Posted by Jason Pitsch at 11:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

[ via Bell & Ross ]

The Bell & Ross Grand Minuteur (black) and the Bell & Ross Instrument Minuteur Tourbillon (gold) are the newest additions to the BR line. Both watches utilize the BR XXL 44mm x 50 mm diameter case. Both watch models share the same anti-reflective sapphire crystal (front and back), offer the same rubber or alligator strap and are water-resistant to 100m.

Hit the jump to see six more pics and the full specs.

Read "BR INSTRUMENT Grand Minuteur and Minuteur Tourbillon" »

Posted by Jason Pitsch at 9:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

[ via Watchismo ]

The DeWitt Incognito Steampunk concept watch sold for about $622,000, but before the buyer took delivery of it Watchismo got some great pictures. For those of you who do not know much about Steampunk check this link out Steampunk 101. Developed with French architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte, the Incognito has a flying tourbillon, expanding riveted case, five barrels and a 21 day power reserve. One of the most unique and expensive watches to debut at Baselworld this year, no one will ever mistake this watch for a Rolex.

Read "DeWitt Incognito Steampunk" »

Posted by Jason Pitsch at 9:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

[ via Vialuxe ]

I was reading an article at The Watch Lounge the other day and noticed that two readers commented on how they disliked the look and size of the new Corum Admiral's Cup Tourbillon 48. The funny thing is I was thinking the exact opposite, I actually think this is one of the slickest looking Corums to date. I really like the use of red gold and PVD on a big 48 mm case and of course the tourbillon movement, although the six figure price tag is not very attractive.

Posted by Jason Pitsch at 2:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

[ DAS Rolex Forum ]

Finally Rolex has come out with a newer design. The majority of their watches have stayed basically the same for many years, which is good and bad. I like the bold new design and I think this type of watch might help attract other buyers that would not normally buy a Rolex because of the old school look. On the other hand I am sure buyers that do purchase a Rolex because of the traditional look will probably not like this particular model as much. Either way here is a nice shot of the new Rolex Yacht-Master II Regetta Chrono that was just introduced at BaselWorld.

Read "Rolex Yacht-Master II Regatta Chrono at BaselWorld" »

Posted by Jason Pitsch at 12:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)

[ via TAG Heuer ]

Here is a high-resolution image of one of TAG Heuer's new breaktrough 360 Calibre models. This particular model in rose gold will cost $18,000 and is limited to 100 pieces. More importantly than the ridiculously priced rose gold models is the new movement that was done completely in-house. Watch experts said that it could not be done, but TAG Heuer has produced the first mechanical wrist chronograph to measure time to the 1/100th of a second. The balance wheel of the Carrera Calibre 360 beats 10 times faster than any other chronograph, a rate that was considered impossible until now. This watch sets a new standard and helps restore TAG Heuer's image as a mechanical watchmaker as opposed to a just a well marketed watch company in years past.

Read "TAG Heuer's Calibre 360 Limited Edition" »

Posted by Jason Pitsch at 11:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

[ via Rolex ]

Here is a Rolex GMT-Master II with a new dial and new movement. It looks pretty good and you can never go wrong with a Rolex. I have to admit Rolex is one of my favorite brands.

Posted by Jason Pitsch at 5:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (18)