BR INSTRUMENT COLLECTION 2 SIZES > BR 01
46 MM . BR 03
42 MM
Information and Catalog: Bell & Ross Inc. +1.888.307.7887 . e-mail: information@bellrossusa.com . www.bellross.com
HOTEL WALDORF-ASTORIA 301 PARK AVENUE 212-751-9824 509 MADISON AVENUE AT 53RD STREET 212-888-0505 NEW YORK, NY 10022 TOLL-FREE: 800-CELLINI www.CelliniJewelers.com
KALPA HEMISPHERES
HOTEL WALDORF-ASTORIA 301 PARK AVENUE 212-751-9824 509 MADISON AVENUE AT 53RD STREET 212-888-0505 NEW YORK, NY 10022 TOLL-FREE: 800-CELLINI www.CelliniJewelers.com
TAKE HER BREATH AWAY MAGNIFICENT DIAMOND RINGS FROM OUR EXCLUSIVE COLLECTION
In Theaters September 12th
Ref. 781-12
Barrington Jewels – Indianapolis, IN (317) 598-1600 Khoury Bros. – N. Bethesda, MD (301) 770-0860 Leo Hamel Fine Jewelers – San Diego, CA (619) 299-1500 For more information or an authorized dealer near you, please contact: Tutima USA, Inc., T: 888-462-7888, info@tutima.com, www.tutima.com © 2008 Righteous Productions, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Daniel Bernhardt, Hollywood. Doesn’t need a life coach.
The Patravi T-Graph in stainless steel with chronograph, big date and power reserve display is a perfect example of Carl F. Bucherer’s unique philosophy. As an independent family business in Lucerne since 1919, our passion for perfection and love of detail have never changed. www.carl-f-bucherer.com
KIMI RĂ„IKKĂ–NEN
, Official Scuderia Ferrari F1 driver, AND HIS ZENITH. Auto adjustable titanium temples. Ultra light unbreakable lens. Ophthalmic version also available.
Discover the most innovation eyewear collection www.tagheuer.com/eyewear For more information: info@premiere-visions.com or 800-345-3733
the shape of technology.
case in steel 45 mm ø, automatic mechanical movement panerai op xii calibre, two counters chronograph, power reserve 46 hours, c.o.s.c. certificate, sapphire crystal, screw-down crown, adjustable buckle.
www.panerai.com
Produced under license of Ferrari SpA.
toll free: 1- 877 -panerai
A VA I L A B L E E X C LU S I V E LY AT L O S A N G E L E S B O U T I Q U E • 9490A B R I G H T O N W AY, B E V E R LY H I L L S , CA 90210 • 310-228-1515 A N D AU T H O R I Z E D WAT C H S P E C I A L I S T S
BREITLING for BENTlEY Breitling continues to celebrate its cooperation with British automaker Bentley by creating timepieces that perfectly fit the identities of both iconic brands in their elegant complexity. The most striking element of this Breitling for Bentley Mark VI Complications 19 is certainly the platinum knurled bezel inspired by the control buttons found within a Bentley automobile. This automatic 42 mm stainless steel timepiece’s case back is also embellished with a prestigious signature in relief: the vintage Bentley logo.
BENTlEY Continental GT
The Breitling for Bentley Mark VI Complications 19 also shows its stuff under the hood: the day, date, month, and moon phases need only be adjusted once every four years in February thanks to the leap years included in the Gregorian calendar. Alongside those, this timepiece is outfitted with a chronograph that can take times to a mere quarter of a second. Available at Jewels Online, 888-527-4473 or www.jewelsonline.com, and Little Switzerland, 800-524-2010 or www.littleswitzerland.com.
Ulysse Nardin Maxi Diver Ulysse Nardin was a mere 23 years of age in 1846 when he began making his own chronometers and complex pocket watches. The marine chronometer became his specialty, and a legendary one at that. When quartz was introduced in a mass way at the beginning of the 1970s, classic marine chronometers were replaced by less sensitive electronically driven devices. With the general re-emergence of luxury mechanical wristwatches in the modern era, Ulysse Nardin now builds upon its rich marine heritage with a number of models paying homage to it.
1929 duPont Model G Lemans Speedster
The automatic Maxi Diver Chronograph is one such example with its rotating diver’s bezel and marine styling. Its luxurious 18-karat rose gold case and bracelet make it a real eye-catcher on land or sea. Retailing for $40,900, the dial of this timepiece can be easily read even under adverse lighting conditions thanks to the luminous substance placed on its markers and hands, including the squared diver’s reference on the bezel. For additional information or to request a catalogue of Ulysse Nardin timepieces, please call 561-988-8600 or e-mail usa1@ulysse-nardin.com.
Ulysse Nardin Sonata The Sonata by Ulysse Nardin provides information on the current time almost like no other mechanical wristwatch. In addition to simply telling the time using hands, an alarm time can also be set; when the set time has been reached, this timepiece gives an audible signal rung by a cathedral gong inside the 42 mm, 18-karat white gold case. This timepiece is also outfitted with a display for a second time zone, which can easily be adjusted forward or backward by simply pushing a button that changes the position of the hour hand. The
1929 duPont Model G Lemans Speedster
reference time remains unchanged by this, while the large date and the alarm automatically regulate themselves when an adjustment has been made. The melodically chiming alarm function can be set a full 24 hours ahead of time. Ulysse Nardin’s Sonata retails for $59,800 on a blue leather strap as shown. For additional information or to request a catalogue of Ulysse Nardin timepieces, please call 561-988-8600 or e-mail usa1@ulysse-nardin.com.
Triple Jack Minute Repeater – 739-61/E2 Minute repeater with cathedral gong striking device. Manual winding. Platinum case. Limited to 50 pieces. Also available in 18 ct rose gold.
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NEW BR 01 INSTRUMENT TOURBILLON 46 MM . Regulator . Power reserve 120 hours Trust index . Carbon fiber bridges . Titanium case with special carbon finish . Limited edition to 60 pieces . Information: Bell & Ross Inc. +1.888.307.7887 . www.bellross.com
Porsche Cayman
Bell & Ross BR 02 Right from its founding in 1994, Bell & Ross has made its name with timepieces that are used as professional instruments—and 2008’s BR 02 Instrument is no exception. This timepiece’s ability to be utilized under extreme conditions is what sets it apart from the crowd, in addition to its cool look comprising modern carbon-finished stainless steel and traditional rose gold—brushed, of course, to underscore the watch’s extremely practical nature. The 44 mm case of the automatic BR 02 Instrument
was designed for use under pressure of 100 bars, which equals about 1,000 meters of water depth. So that it can be used under the extreme conditions of deep-sea diving, it is outfitted with large photo luminescent hands, markers, and even an index on the inner rotating ring. An ideal tool for divers, its decompression valve balances the pressure both inand outside the case to avoid accidents ($9,900). Please call Bell & Ross USA at 305-674-9464 or visit www.bellross.com for more information.
Lamborghini Gallardo
Bell & Ross BR 01 “The essential is never compromised by the superfluous,” says Bruno Belamich, Bell & Ross’s designer. “These watches display no meaningless details, each one serves a purpose.” To prove the point, in 2005 Bell & Ross produced a modern timepiece for pilots and fans of aviation alike: the BR 01 Instrument, representing the company’s well-conceived idea to turn a plane’s cockpit into a wristwatch. The BR 01 Instrument can be used as a wristwatch, pendant, or dashboard clock, with its transformation completed in
mere seconds. The four screws located in each of the four corners of the case really belong to an attachment system that is identical to the clamping system used for instrument panel gauges in the cockpits of airplanes. The extremely legible dials of these automatic timepieces are laid out for maximum readability. This titanium model featuring a black-and-white dial and a chronograph function retails for $6,800. Please call Bell & Ross USA at 305-674-9464 or visit www.bellross.com for more information.
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Academia
Night Chronographe Exclusive DeWitt Calibre DW 6005, self-winding mechanical chronograph movement, technical and aesthetic innovation in the sequential display of seconds. Academia rose gold or white & rose gold a nd rub b er ca se , w hi te an d bl ac k Su per l umi no v a coating on the dial.
DEWITT AMERICA - FOR INFORMATION AND CATALOG +1 305 572 9812 - INFO@DEWITTAMERICA.COM WWW.DEWITT.CH
DeWitt ACADEMIA NIGHT CHRONOGRAPHE Jérôme de Witt has great respect for the tradition of horology as it has been practiced in Switzerland for the last 400 years. De Witt, an aesthete and designer motivated by a strong determination to fulfill his dreams, created his own eponymous brand of haute horlogerie in 2003. Eager to send what he considered a fresh breeze blowing through the conservative world of timepieces, he has been aided by the some of the industry’s finest craftsmen specializing in design, movement making, dial making, and gem setting. The dynamic DeWitt brand has produced a string of creative inventions, well illustrated by this year’s Academia Night Chronographe: a short-term timekeeper featuring a dial completely covered with luminous black SuperLumiNova. The dial sporting black luminescent elements is housed in an 18-karat rose gold case. “I would say that we often do things that the others do not,” De Witt explains of his latest chronographic creation, which retails for $36,900. For more information, please dial 305-572-9812 or see the entire collection at www.dewitt.ch.
Maserati MC12
Louis Moinet Variograph The Variograph is an eloquent depiction of Louis Moinet’s creative vision—the type of horology the brand’s namesake would have created were he alive today. This timepiece possesses two features exclusive to the Louis Moinet brand that were inspired by the namesake’s original work: a full moon indicator (at the 6 o’clock position) and a world map that revolves around its own axis once every 24 hours (9 o’clock position). The ring framing the depiction of the world allows the wearer to easily read the time anywhere on the globe. This display is synchronized with the main time shown by the hands. This automatic timepiece is housed in a stately stainless steel case that measures 40 x 52.33 mm. It is available in a limited edition of 60 pieces and can be purchased for $13,100. For more information on Louis Moinet, please log on to www.LMtime.com or call 866-703-1806.
Lamborghini Gallardo
Lamborghini Gallardo
Louis Moinet Twintech Louis Moinet was a gifted artist and horologist who lived in eighteenth-century France. His passionate study of horological art even led him to become president of the Société Chronométrique de Paris. Clients of Louis Moinet included Napoleon and U.S. Presidents Thomas Jefferson and James Monroe. The modern Twintech wristwatch’s movement was developed on the basis of sketches Moinet published in 1848. The name finds its origin in the twin spring barrels that provide 120 hours of power reserve to the
manually wound movement. The dial also displays this phenomenal power reserve in the lower right corner as well as the date in a retrograde manner, which sees the hand instantaneously jump back to the start once the end of the month has been reached (upper right corner). The Twintech is available in a limited edition of 60 pieces in a stainless steel case; this version features an “Old Rose” dial and retails for $17,900. For more information on Louis Moinet, please log on to www.LMtime.com or call 866-703-1806.
MOST MEN PASS TIME. ONE PASSED IT ON.
For the important people of our time.
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Louis Moinet fted timepieces for Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe, King George IV, and Napoleon.
Limited Edition, 60 pieces, TW
The Louis Moinet collection of timepieces captures the extraordinary genius of the 18th - century legend. Moinet’s passion brought art and precision together for the important people of his time. Your time is now. Appointed professor of fine art at the Louvre and begins studies in watchmaking.
Napoleon is presented a Louis Moinet masterpiece.
Thomas Jefferson acquires a Louis Moinet clock, now part of the Monticello collection.
Becomes personal advisor to master watchmaker Abraham-Louis Breguet.
James Monroe acquires the Louis Moinet Minerva clock for the White House.
King George I V acquires a Louis Moinet clock for his personal collection.
Publishes the Traité d’Horlogerie , a groundbreaking two-volume treatise on watchmaking.
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1848
Franc Vila FVa7 Franc Vila’s education in chemistry gave him a thorough knowledge of materials, while his education in arts allowed him to design a watch case that later evolved into the “Esprit Unique” shape that is now so characteristic of his brand’s timepieces. The FVa7 Master Date Automatic combines a full calendar displaying the date, day of the week, month, and moon phase, while its design pays homage to astrological calendars of the 1940s and ’50s.
The FVa7 Master Date Automatic is available in a limited edition of 88 pieces in a choice of Die Hard steel, black Die Hard steel, red gold with blackened steel, red or white gold with titanium, Die Hard steel with titanium, and white gold. The 18-karat red gold version shown retails for $50,000. All are water-resistant to 100 meters. For more information on Franc Vila, please call The W Luxury Group at 949-788-6200 or go to www.francvila.com.
Ferrari Enzo (No. 400, The Last One produced, signed by Pope JOhn Paul II)
Michael Schumacher Formula 1 Engine
Franc Vila FVa Nº Cuatro Franc Vila understood at an early age that there is a magical relationship between humans and watches; one gives the other life. As an adult, his mission became clear: creating his ideal watch. Vila describes his FVa Nº Cuatro Five-Day Tourbillon Chronograph by comparing it to a car. “All chronograph movements work like the drive train of a car; once you start it, a coupling system causes the chronograph wheel to engage the moving transmission wheel and the sweep second hand starts to move. The FVa Nº Cuatro has a
direct coupling system in the tourbillon cage. You can see it operating on the dial, and suddenly all the wheels of the chronograph mechanism start to move. It’s like the entire watch comes alive—incredible!” Housed in an 18-karat gold “Esprit Unique” case, the Cuatro model—limited to a total of 8 pieces—retails for $265,000. For more information on Franc Vila, please call The W Luxury Group at 949-788-6200 or go to www.francvila.com.
1928 duPont Model G Convertible Coupe
Wempe CHRONOMETERWERKE Kim-Eva Wempe belongs to the fourth-generation heading up the world-renowned chain of jewelry stores that bear her last name. Her decision to make a watch line to be sold in Wempe’s twenty-five branches was not one she made on a whim: her family can boast a more than one-hundred-year tradition as chronometer makers. Wempe’s new collection is divided into the Zeitmeister and Chronometerwerke families; the latter powered by shaped, manually wound movements capable of 80 hours of power reserve thanks to twin spring barrels. Its expansive three-quarter plate fully decorated with
Glashütte ribbing not only offers a view of the beautifully hand-engraved balance cock, but also illustrates the unusual linear arrangement of the gear train thanks to the placement of the attractive chatons and their blued screws. These models are, of course, chronometers fully certified by the institute Wempe opened in conjunction with the German Calibration Office. This 18-karat yellow gold time-only model shown retails for $9,950. For more information, please go to www.wempe.com or call 212-397-9000.
Porsche 911 GT3
Wempe Tourbillon Wempe introduced its own line of wristwatches in 2006, at the same time the industrious jeweler officially inaugurated its own chronometer testing facility officially accredited by the German Calibration Office. The most complicated model of the line so far is the Chronometerwerke Tourbillon, limited to 25 pieces worldwide. The 152 components of this timepiece’s movement were handmade by Thierry Albert—who also designed the movement— and master watchmaker Daniel Malchert. The timepiece was also finished by both of these artists’
own hands, all the way to the dial’s blued hands and the movement’s gear train wheels, which the two passionate watchmakers milled on a historical hobbing cutter. The threads of the miniscule screws were hand-cut, and each and every component edge hand-beveled according to traditional techniques. This platinum masterpiece retails for $110,500 and can only be obtained at New York’s Fifth Avenue Wempe location in the U.S. For more information, please go to www.wempe.com or call 212-397-9000.
WATCH HISTORY IN THE MAKING
Wempe proudly presents chronometer certified wristwatches which meet the standards of the German Institute for Standardization (DIN). WEMPE CHRONOMETERWERKE models are powered by a distinctively shaped movement designed and manufactured expressly for us by the NOMOS watch manufactory. This exclusive collection is characterized by its tonneau shaped case. Enjoy German engineered chronometer precision and horological artistry, made in Glash端tte.
700 Fifth Avenue at 55th Street
New York
TEL: 212.397.9000
Hamburg Berlin Munich Dusseldorf Frankfurt London Madrid Paris Vienna
wempe-chronometerwerke.com
Campanola Grand Complication The Campanola collection’s name is derived from the southern Italian city of Nola, where legend has it that a bell was rung for the very first time to audibly indicate the time— representing the origin of devices displaying the time. A hand-lacquered expression of beauty is eminently present on the complicated dial of the Campanola Grand Complication, which features a number of watchmaking’s most difficult feats packed into the precision of a quartz-controlled movement: a perpetual calendar, a chronograph, and a minute repeater. The calendar, which displays calendar functions that include the current moon phases, gets its name from the fact that the differing lengths of the months do not need to be corrected—even in leap years. The minute repeater “displays” the time by delicately chiming it. Retailing for $3,400 in a stainless steel case, this all-rounder even includes a chronograph. For more information, please contact Campanola at 800-321-1023 or check out the website at www.campanola-timepieces.com.
Nissan 350Z Nismo
Campanola Perpetual Calendar The Campanola collection sets itself apart from regular quartz-driven models by including a great number of handcrafted elements. The cases, dials, straps, and movements are hand-assembled by master watchmakers. The cases are hand-polished and the movement parts minutely finished by hand to create an exceptionally precise, complicated timepiece. The Perpetual Calendar model, which displays the time, date, day, month, and year, gets its “eternal� name from the fact that the differing lengths of the months do not need to be corrected—even in leap years.
Nissan 350Z Nismo
Additionally, any calendar between March 1, 1900 and February 28, 2100 can be shown on this timepiece. If you want to find out what day December 10, 1960 was, just move the year, month, and date displays accordingly, and you will find that it was a Saturday. The hands automatically return to the current calendar after thirty seconds. Housed in a stainless steel case, this model retails for $2,100. For more information, please contact Campanola at 800-321-1023 or check out the website at www.campanola-timepieces.com.
1948 Chrysler Town & Country Convertible
Corum Admiral Cup & Romvlvs Corum’s Admiral’s Cup Leap Second 48 (left) is pure love at first sight for many fans of good design and complicated watchmaking. Since the first Admiral’s Cup model appeared in 1960, Corum has dedicated this famous collection inspired by the world of competitive sailing to its functions. This automatic split-seconds chronograph with jumping seconds, which literally seem to leap, housed in a 48 mm, 18-karat red gold case featuring a vulcanized rubber bezel, can measure the time to within one-eighth of a second. It retails for $45,000.
The automatic Romvlvs Chronograph’s 44 mm stainless steel case (right) contrasts wonderfully within its satin and mirror-polished beauty. On a crocodile skin strap as shown, this officially certified chronometer retails for $5,200. It is also available on a stainless steel bracelet featuring alternating mirrorpolished and brushed links, complete with a triple folding clasp in the same metal. Please visit www.corum.ch or call 949-788-6200 for more information.
1948 Chrysler Town & Country Convertible
Corum Golden Tourbillon PANORAMIQUE The tourbillon, originally created for pocket watches, eliminates the effects of gravity on the watch’s movement and only began to appear in wristwatch movements in 1986. Corum’s Golden Tourbillon Panoramique is an innovative twist on the theme, comprising only 168 components and weighing a mere 120 grams. This manually wound timepiece’s visible base plate and three bridges are crafted in sapphire crystal, accurately ground to within a hundredth of a millimeter. The case, 38 x 53 mm, comprises cemented crystal “walls” and the version featuring a platinum case is limited to five pieces. A gold edition is limited to 66. The screws securing the parts of this luminous, ethereal world are also made of precious metal. Only one watch per day can be encased by a talented craftsman in a white room ensuring the complete absence of dust. A watch with a heart transformed into a genuine work of art, it optionally features a total of 8.4 carats of diamonds. The platinum version shown retails for $215,000. Please visit www.corum.ch or call 949-788-6200 for more information.
Mercedes-Benz S600
Louis Tenenbaum Located in Houston, Texas, Louis Tenenbaum specializes in buying and selling diamonds, watches, and estate and designer jewelry. Established in 1978, the company’s classically designed, spacious store allows for relaxed viewing of the inventory. Louis Tenenbaum’s friendly, helpful staff is also extremely knowledgeable, going to great lengths to find out the history of each piece offered. Some examples of Louis Tenenbaum’s current inventory include two exceptional pieces of designer jewelry. New York-based David Webb designed this leopard cuff bracelet (bottom left), one of the designer’s sought-after wildcats crafted in yellow gold and diamonds featuring glistening emerald eyes ($44,000). This necklace (top) is a perfect example of Mario Buccellati’s classic Italian style: crafted in pierced white gold, engraved and set with brilliant-cut diamonds, it retails for $75,000. The white gold ring featuring a prong-set 13.81 ct diamond ($385,000) and the tremblant butterfly brooch set with diamonds and aquamarines ($78,000) constitute examples of estate jewelry in the current inventory. For more information, please contact Louis Tenenbaum at 713-629-7444.
For a retailer near you, please call (800) 774-5586
HELLMUTH GMBH
HELLMUTH – SIMPLY GOOD, INC.
Gravelottestraße 47 · D-75173 Pforzheim Tel. +49 (0) 72 31/9 22 37 - 0 · Fax +49 (0) 72 31/9 22 37 - 37 http://www.hellmuth.de · info@hellmuth.de
5051 Canyon Crest Drive, Suite 204 · Riverside, CA 92507 Phone (951) 7 88 69 30 · Fax (951) 7 88 69 80 HellmuthUSA@aol.com
Porsche GT1 (No. 1 of 25 )
Hellmuth Hellmuth—Simply Good has been at home in Germany’s jewelry capital, Pforzheim, for more than 25 years where company founder and chief designer Gert Hellmuth has been renowned for balancing the classic with the contemporary in his jewelry. Made in Germany, Hellmuth’s collection contains a dazzling array of bridal jewelry, rings for both men and women, pendants, earrings, necklaces and bracelets—all produced and finished to the exacting standards of the designer himself. This now also extends to the brand’s new wristwatches. Hellmuth’s collection plays with colors and finishes. This rectangular timepiece (top) is made of stainless steel and coated with black ruthenium; its dial is framed by 72 brilliant-cut diamonds totaling 1.23 ct. ($6,050). The round stainless steel model on the bottom is characterized by an exchangeable bezel embellished with two rows of brilliant-cut diamonds totaling 2.70 ct. ($7,966). Both models are powered by Swiss quartz movements and their dials are embossed with Hellmuth’s signature crocodile pattern. For more information on Hellmuth—Simply Good, please call 951-788-6930 or go to www.hellmuth.de.
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NEW YORK
LONDON
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icelinkwatch.com
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HONG KONG
1959 Cadillac Series 62 Convertible
IceLink 6TimeZONE SNOW Icelink represents a new generation of jeweled watches conceived by the brand’s catchphrase, “No Complex,” signifying a celebration of wealth and success for all to see. Icelink’s flagship watch not only features six dials, but also embellishes them with high-quality materials such as full-cut VS diamonds. The brand introduced a new version featuring one window with diamonds languidly flowing within. Company founder Andy Sogoyan calls this particular spectacle of sparkling light “snow,” since the tiny gems, which are suspended in a fluid he calls IceFuel, move freely about with each movement of the wrist. One automatic and four Swiss quartz movements power the five dials, four of which display a time zone and one the date. The 18-karat white gold case can’t be missed at 62.7 millimeters in length and 40.2 millimeters in width, while the case, dials, crowns, and bracelet are fully set with 26 carats of VS diamonds. It retails for $290,000. For more information, please contact Icelink at 800-316-0387 or check out the website at www.icelinkwatch.com.
G4
www.polanti.com
Porsche Cayman
Polanti Torque Featuring a new and interesting look designed by owner and founder Ohannes Hovig, the time on Polanti’s new Torque model is displayed on a patterned black dial complemented by large, luminous numerals. Its subsidiary seconds subdial at 6 o’clock and the chronograph counters are highlighted in red. They blend well, displaying the same steel-and-black color scheme as the rest of the dial and creating a solid, masculine look and feel. The case’s tension springs are secured by heavy-duty, Allen-style screws; these same screws are used to hold the padded leather strap to the case.
Polanti’s Torque model is powered by a Swiss quartz movement housed in a solidly masculine stainless steel case that measures 47 x 54 mm. Shown here on a black leather strap with red stitching, it retails for $1,995. Look for many different dial colors and case combinations that will even incorporate diamonds into this new creation at a retail store near you. For further information on Polanti timepieces or to find a dealer near you, please call 877-4-POLANTI or log on to www.polanti.com.
n 2008
For information and catalogue, please call toll free on 1-877-61-WATCH www.alpina-watches.com
Bentley Continental GT
ALPINA MANUFACTURE REGULATOR Building on a history that began in 1883, Alpina’s fresh, contemporary image came about in 2005 with the advent of the Regulator line. Until now, Alpina’s Regulator models have been powered by a movement that sibling brand Frédérique Constant’s head watchmaker modified in-house to accommodate the regulator display that separates the hours, minutes and seconds from each other. In celebration of the brand’s 125th anniversary, Alpina brings forth its first in-house movement of the modern era: automatic Caliber AL-950. From the outside, the Alpina Manufacture Regulator looks a great deal like the Extreme version that helped restore the brand’s horological reputation in the last three years. Its stainless steel case has been resized, though, bringing it down from the Extreme’s 48 to 46 mm. The bold dial design has been retained and is perhaps even more audacious than before. Available on a rubber strap with a folding buckle, it retails for $3,750. For more information, visit www.alpina-watches.com or call 877-61-WATCH.
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Kobold The Kobold Watch Company celebrates ten years of existence in 2008 with the Spirit of America Automatic (A). This timepiece, 89% U.S.-made, retails for $6,250 and is limited to only ten pieces. Made to withstand harsh conditions while displaying two different time zones, the Soarway GMT model (B) is powered by an automatic Swiss ETA movement. Its 45 mm brushed stainless steel case is especially anti-magnetic and shock-resistant thanks to a soft iron inner core surrounding the movement and a secondary shock resistance system. On a hand-stitched leather strap, it retails for $4,550.
A
Kobold watches have been worn by explorers venturing to the world’s most remote locations, including the North Pole, Antarctica, Mt. Everest, and the Arabian Desert—oftentimes by the brand’s ambassador, Sir Ranulph Fiennes. The Arctic Diver (C) is a case in point: powered by automatic Kobold Caliber K.2651, its 45 mm case possesses all the same robust features as the Soarway GMT model. It retails for $3,950. For more information on the Kobold Watch Company, please log on to www.koboldwatch.com or call 1-877-SOARWAY.
Kobold Spirit of America On July 4, the Kobold Watch Company unveiled its newest watch: the Spirit of America Automatic. This timepiece is 89% U.S.-made, including a completely American-made case crafted in stainless steel mined in Pennsylvania and a vintage manufacture movement that has been modified with American components, including a gold-plated rotor engine-turned by hand at Kobold. It is assembled, adjusted and tested in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Kobold’s Spirit of America Automatic does not tread lightly, making a bold statement with its stately 44 mm stainless steel case, which interplays with the steely hue of the arctic blue dial and the hand-stitched leather strap. Retailing for $6,250, this timepiece, limited to only ten pieces, defines a new spirit of the rugged American watch. The Kobold Watch Company was founded in 1998. Specializing in the manufacture of professional-grade instrument watches, the company, established by young entrepreneur Michael Kobold, quickly made a name for itself among explorers, divers, pilots, and military specialists around the world. For more information on the Kobold Watch Company, please log on to www.koboldwatch.com or call 1-877-SOARWAY.
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Mercedes-Benz S600
Carl F. Bucherer Chronodate The Patravi ChronoDate, also known as the Chronograph “Big Date� Annual Calendar, by Carl F. Bucherer is a timeless mechanical workhorse by the brand named for entrepreneur Carl Friedrich Bucherer, who built an impressive retail business and created some lively timepieces upon introducing his first watch collection in 1919. This 42 mm, 18-karat rose gold automatic timepiece reveals history in its beautiful silver dial and the future in its mechanical technology: the outsized date of the annual calendar need only be reset every March 1—until then this timekeeper knows the length of every month automatically. Additionally, it can also be used as a stopwatch thanks to its chronograph function. On a rose gold bracelet, it retails for $42,000. For more information on Carl F. Bucherer, go to www.carl-f-bucherer.com or call 1-800-395-4306.
Mercedes-Benz S600
Carl F. Bucherer TravelTec Patravi is the core collection of the Carl F. Bucherer brand, and justifiably at the helm of this family is the Patravi TravelTec GMT. This big, bold chronograph— created with world travelers in mind—boasts an innovative case and movement design that allows three time zones to be displayed simultaneously. At 46.6 mm in diameter, this timepiece features a patented monopusher controlling the bidirectional setting of the third time zone on a 24-hour rotating disk—a complicated feat patented by Carl F. Bucherer. Perhaps
one of the most unique elements of this timepiece is the viewing window located on the side of the case that allows the owner to observe the complexity of the third time zone mechanism. Carl F. Bucherer’s signature timepiece is also an officially certified chronometer, a fact that illustrates its precise rate. In 18-karat rose gold, it retails for $44,000. A stainless steel version is also available starting at $10,900. For more information on Carl F. Bucherer, go to www.carl-f-bucherer.com or call 1-800-395-4306.
Alfredo H채berli, Industrial Designer. Creating smart simplicity with passion.
www.carl-f-bucherer.com and www.patravi-traveltec-gmt.com info@cfbnorthamerica.com To locate an authorized retailer nearest you, please call 800 395 4306
DIGITAL AGE WATCHWINDING TECHNOLOGY the
TOURBILLON WATCHWINDER
By constantly indexing the rest position of your watch(es) on this winder, any automatic mechanical watch achieves Tourbillon accuracy (patent pending). A lighted LED display indicates actual turns per day and resets to zero at midnight. A second display shows exact time to facilitate watch resetting if necessary. In single, double or triple watch versions. For detailed information, visit www.orbita.com. GOING ON A TRIP? Slip your mounted watch in the Voyager leather case with its own powered miniwinder. You can set it up wherever you are.
Made and Serviced in the USA by Orbita Corporation 1205 Culbreth Drive,Wilmington, NC 28405 Call Toll Free: 800-800-4436 or visit www.orbita.com Š 2006 Orbita Corporation
Maxi Marine Diver Chronograph - 8006-102-3A/92 Self-winding movement. Water-resistant to 200 m. 18 ct rose gold case, rubber strap with rose gold elements. Available on gold bracelet.
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BR 01 INSTRUMENT COLLECTION
46 MM
BR 01-94 CHRONOGRAPH - Pink Gold & Carbon ďŹ nish case BR 01-97 POWER RESERVE - Pink Gold case - Carbon dial Limited edition to 250 pieces
Information and Catalog: Bell & Ross Inc. +1.888.307.7887 . e-mail: information @bellrossusa.com . www.bellross.com
Haute-Performance TM
The Kriﾃｫger Gigantium Skeleton Collection. Visible skeleton dial shows special carvings and movement. Available in 18k yellow or rose gold, or all stainless steel, with or without diamonds. Impressively oversized at 43mm, Swiss made VXSHUODWLYH PHFKDQLFDO ZRXQG PRYHPHQW ZLWK H[KLELWLRQ EDFN $QWL UHﾃ？FWLYH sapphire crystal. Limited edition. KRIEGERWATCH.COM - 800 441 8433 Available at: TOURNEAU For locations nationwide, or shop at home 800 348 3332 LONDON JEWELERS Glenn Cove NY 516 671 3154 / East Hampton NY 631 329 3939 HESS FINE ARTS St. Petersburg FL 727 896 0622
www.rado.com
CERAMICA CHRONGRAPH
n 2008
For information and catalogue, please call toll free on 1-877-61-WATCH www.alpina-watches.com
Out for Adventure:
Sports Watches by Elizabeth Doerr
TUTIMA Grand Classic Alpha Pilot watch specialist Tutima celebrated eighty years of existence in 2007—reason enough to introduce a new line of celebratory chronographs housed in contemporarily sized 43-millimeter cases and featuring fresh new faces. Over the years, the German brand’s designers have reworked and revamped the pilot styles Tutima has become famous for—particularly the remake of the 1941 pilot’s watch with the fluted bezel and red reference marker that has carried this brand to the degree of fame that it has achieved. That classic Tutima style, often simply known as the “1941” (though it is officially called the Flieger in the U.S.), is not disappearing in the wake of the new anniversary models. It will remain in the program, which now also contains a new line that literally races Tutima into the new millennium. After the first limited edition anniversary model of the Grand Classic line called the Havana sold very successfully, Tutima now introduces another limited edition housed in an extremely robust case that represents a first for the traditional German brand. While including the precision of the instrument watches this brand is famous for, the new Grand Classic Alpha also offers a singular feature in that its traditional fluted bezel with the distinctive red marker is in ceramic, a premiere for the Teutonic brand so rooted in tradition. The Alpha’s solid 18-karat rose gold case, buttons, crown, and clasp build the ideal contrast to the modern black ceramic bezel that continues to feature the hallmark red reference marker.
elements. The crystal on the case back revealing the movement features a special addition to its surface—not only a large Tutima “T,” but also the numeral “1927,” representing the year in which the history of Tutima was kicked off in Glashütte, Saxony’s answer to Switzerland. Along with standard chronograph functions, the Grand Classic Alpha’s automatic ETA Valjoux 7754 movement also features a UTC function. UTC stands for “coordinated universal time” and refers to a second time zone displayed on the watch’s dial. Tutima, whose name finds its origins in the Latin tutus, meaning “safe” or “protected,” was founded eighty-one years ago in Glashütte as one of the top brands of the day. A moving history mirroring the rise and fall of the mechanical watch as well as the growing importance of aviation has seen Tutima come out on top in the modern era. Early in recognizing the interest in mechanical watches that kicked off the so-called mechanical renaissance in the mid-1980s, Tutima’s owner Dieter Delecate issued mechanical pilot’s watches that have remained evergreen for the past twenty years, solidifying Tutima as one of the premier addresses for mechanical aviation-styled timepieces. The magnificent Grand Classic Alpha is available to just one hundred watch connoisseurs worldwide and retails for $17,500. The highlight of Tutima’s Grand Classic line, the Alpha model, is an automatic pilot’s chronograph bound to make a whole lot of new friends for the brand thanks to its modern size, structure, appearance.
The Grand Classic Alpha is outfitted with two sapphire crystals, one on the front protecting the dial and its luminous 30
More information at www.tutima.com or 1-TUTIMA-USA-1
BRM R50 T “The success of BRM watches will not hinge on mass production. Quality, not quantity, is our goal,” Bernard Richards proudly proclaims with regard to the timepieces he creates for his brand, BRM (Bernard Richards Manufacture). For him, the true sign of luxury lies in “technical skills and perfection in all stages of manufacture.” Naturally, such a strict motto would preclude much work being done by outside suppliers—not a problem for Richards, since he himself has supplied many great names with extraordinary products during his long career. All major operations needed for making a wristwatch— such as encasing, assembling, setting, and polishing—are performed by hand in his little Paris factory, which looks much like an automotive garage from the outside. “Instead of just soldering lugs to the case, we manufacture each element separately, and then screw them onto the case,” Richards goes on to explain. “Thus it is possible to utilize different materials and colors.” He is, of course, referring to his use of black or grey titanium cases, for example, with polished stainless steel lugs—a striking combination most manufacturers simply cannot achieve. BRM’s attractive, motorized cases have literally coined the look of this brand. Certainly this is due in very great part to Bernards’s unique and passionate designs. But almost equally important is the fact that these cases are manufactured in the little French factory—from 3x2 meter long bars of titanium, as a matter of fact, making for highly complicated cases that can comprise up to eighteen individual components, most of which can be seen nowhere else. Until just a couple of years ago, Bernard Richards was very happy to use reliable standard movements prevalent throughout the industry. The ETA Valjoux 7750 suited his needs—and his chronographs—just perfectly.
For more information, please visit www.brm-manufacture.com or call 214-231-0144
However, it had long been Richards’s dream to have a movement that was just as exclusive and mechanically beautiful as the cases he was creating. “We are entirely satisfied using ETA and Valjoux movements,” he explains, “but I had always hoped to make a movement where you could see through the (automatic) rotor as it was turning.” The two movements that have resulted are so unusual that they stop the observer dead in his or her tracks. And not only are the looks unique, but the materials that have gone into attaining these visuals as well. BRM’s R50 T includes three new shock absorbers mounted on conical springs, a system the brand calls its Isolastic system. This not only provides a soft bed for the movement, but looks ultra-machine-like. The movement’s plates and bridges are crafted in Arcap, while the rotor is made of Fortale, tantalum, and aluminum. The movement as a whole is incredibly striking. Shaped like an engine with a cylinder on the left side, it is held in place by three triangles of carbon fiber and fiberglass. A spring placed upon each of these triangles absorbs any vibration inside the case. The R50 T, housed in grade 2 titanium or rose gold as shown here, is 50 mm in diameter. It retails for $23,550 in titanium and $55,800 in rose gold.
KOBOLD Spirit of America This American brand has always been interested in manufacturing rugged, robust sports watches ready for anything. The latest of these is not only unusual in the fact that 89 percent of it was manufactured in the United States, but also that it debuted in one of the most extreme environments in the world: Mount Everest. The brand’s ties to this legendary place have come about through the work of brand ambassador Sir Ranulph Fiennes, a man the Guinness Book of World Records calls “the greatest living explorer.” In April 2008, Fiennes attempted to reach the summit of the mythological mount, spontaneously asking the watch company’s 29-year-old founder if he would like to join. Living his company’s mantra, “embrace adventure,” Michael Kobold accepted the challenge only a week before the expedition was set to roll. “There wasn’t much time to prepare,” he confirms. Kobold’s spontaneous climb was scheduled for the time that he was slated to receive the first prototype of his new automatic Spirit of America model, so he had it delivered to the Mount Everest base camp by helicopter upon completion so that it could be directly tested under the most extreme conditions this company’s owner has ever personally encountered. Fiennes had to turn back a mere 1,200 feet from the summit due to exhaustion, while Kobold’s journey ended at 19,000 feet thanks to an injury he sustained. The new timepiece, however, made it all the way to the top of Mount Everest on the wrist of another climber from the adventurous party. “No one outside the company had seen this watch before, so I felt especially privileged to show the prototype to fellow climbers and brand ambassadors while Mike and I were at base camp,” recalls Fiennes, who briefly wore the watch, though Kobold kept it for himself most of the time.
“I thought that since I’m already in the same environment he’s (Fiennes) in, I might as well test it myself,” Kobold explains. Unveiling a new watch 17,600 feet above sea level at Mount Everest’s acclimatizing base camp might seem extreme, but a company known for its expedition watches needs to go the extra mile as its owner is aware. The new automatic Spirit of America continues Kobold’s manually wound series of the same name created in 2006 to honor the five-year anniversary of the September 11 attacks with two major differences. While the manually wound model is powered by a modified ETA Unitas caliber—purchased technology, in other words—and housed in a case manufactured by a high-quality German case maker, the new model sees both of these elements now made in-house at Kobold Watch Company’s Pittsburgh headquarters. The automatic movement’s base is a vintage Förster caliber from the 1960s, no longer in production and now exclusive to the Kobold Watch Company. In Pittsburgh, this movement, which is now called Caliber K.2651, is completely modified and refurbished as well as made more valuable by the addition of a gold-plated rotor that has been engine-turned by hand by an American master watchmaker using an historic rose engine. The case is not only manufactured in Pennsylvania, but is also made of U.S. steel. This refined piece of American history can now be purchased for $6,250. For more information or to purchase a watch please log on to www.koboldwatch.com or call 1-877-SOARWAY
ALPINA Manufacture Regulator Alpina has been moving forward at breakneck speed since its takeover by Frédérique Constant powerhouses Peter and Aletta Stas. Building on a history that began for this brand in 1883 and conveniently able to use production paths set up for Frédérique Constant, Alpina has been doing more than just thriving in the shadow of its owners’ first “baby.” The real kick to the brand’s fresh, contemporary image came about in 2005, however, with the advent of Alpina’s Regulator line. The 2006 inauguration of Frédérique Constant’s own factory in Geneva’s Plan-les-Ouates and the introduction of that brand’s manufacture movement aided in speeding up the process. The combination of these elements has made Alpina’s newest model an obvious choice. Until now, Alpina’s Regulator models have been powered by the ETA Unitas 6894, a reliable, sturdy movement that Frédérique Constant’s head watchmaker modified in-house to accommodate the regulator display. The company attributes a great deal of the unmistakable success of this striking watch model to this cornerstone of contemporary watch movements. Three years later, in celebration of the brand’s 125th anniversary, Alpina pays homage to its great past as a watch manufacture by using the know-how garnered in the creation of Frédérique Constant’s manufacture movement to bring forth Alpina’s first manufacture movement of the modern era: Caliber AL-950. Its automatic winding mechanism incorporates what used to be Alpina’s signature rotor, the company’s salute to the designers of Alpina’s first automatic movement from 1945, Caliber 582. From the outside, the Alpina Manufacture Regulator looks a great deal like the Extreme version that has helped restore the brand’s horological reputation in the last two years. It has, however, been resized—bringing it down from the Extreme’s stately 48 mm to a more manageable 46 mm. The bold, elaborate dial design has been retained and is perhaps even more audacious than before. This model is currently available in stainless steel for $3,750 or in stainless steel with black PVD coating for $4,290.
For further information, please go to www.alpina-watches.com or contact Alpina Watch USA, toll free at 1-877-61-WATCH
When the Stases took over Alpina in 2002, their declared goal was to manufacture tough, but elegant, sports watches. The success of the Avalanche Extreme Regulator collection confirms the concept, continued in 2008’s second big introduction: the Alpina Extreme Diver 1000 Meters. This robust diver’s watch fits in beautifully with Alpina’s concept, which is largely illustrated by the brand’s choice of ambassadors. The Falquet brothers’ adventurous backdrop can be summed up as being all of the world’s snow-covered slopes. Nicolas, the older brother, has reconciled his artistic studies and his career as a talented pro freerider. Today, he is both behind the camera and on the skis. “I love to freeride because the notion of competition does not exist. Directing films lets me convey what I do, my idea of skiing.” Their tie to Alpina is obvious. “We were looking for a partner who appreciates our work and who is behind what we choose to do,” he continues. “The design is powerful, and the technical level and robustness speak for themselves,” younger brother Loris agrees.
BELL & ROSS BR 01 Pro Titanium Bell & Ross watches are ready for action; they meet requirements and needs according to four fundamental areas of principles laid down by the brand’s founders, Carlos Rosillo and Bruno Belamich: legibility, performance, precision, and water-resistance. The prime concern of Belamich, the brand’s experienced designer, is to make sure that each of these prerequisites is always incorporated as optimally as possible. “That the essential is never compromised by the superfluous,” he says. “These watches display no meaningless details, each one serves a purpose.” To prove the point, in 1996 the French Security Service asked Bell & Ross to design a purpose-built watch for the agency, meeting the demands of bomb squad personnel. A few years later, the brand even introduced a diver’s watch filled with liquid silicon, extending water-resistance, optimizing legibility under water, and allowing this model to break the world record in water-resistance by diving to an unheard-of 11,100 meters. It was even entered into the Guinness Book of World Records. Not satisfied with only conquering the oceans, Rosillo and Belamich took on the heavens in 1999, opening a chapter in functional, instrumental watches ready to take to the air. And then, in 2005, Bell & Ross came out with the timepiece that was to coin its modern-day face: an instrument for pilots and fans alike, the BR 01 Instrument. “A brand with strong DNA like Bell & Ross naturally follows it. Like human beings, it will always remain different from any other brand,” says Rosillo. The BR 01 is a multi-purpose instrument. It was the company’s wellconceived idea to “turn a plane’s cockpit into a wristwatch.” As Bell & Ross’s beginnings were spent turning aeronautic instrumentation into references for the wrist, it was now time for the company’s designers to turn the tables. Quickly and easily this timepiece can be used as wristwatch, pendant, or dashboard clock. The four screws located in each corner of the case, an attachment system, is identical to the clamping system used for instrument panel gauges in the cockpits of airplanes. The latest version of the BR 01 Instrument sees its automatic chronograph movement encased in 46 mm of satin-finished grade 2 titanium. Titanium— named for the Greek god Titan—is an important high-tech metal for robust sports watches since it is extremely light and strong. Its use in the watch industry, which came about in the 1980s, was inspired by aeronautical technology. The BR 01 Instrument’s crown is screwed-in and the hands, numerals, and markers are coated with white SuperLumiNova to make them photo luminescent and extremely easy to read at night against the watch’s greycolored dial, while an anti-reflective sapphire crystal covers the instrument in a scratchproof manner. The BR 01 Instrument Pro Titanium is water-resistant to 100 meters and comes on a rubber strap for $8,000.
Please call Bell & Ross USA at 305-674-9464 or visit www.bellross.com for more information
G4
www.polanti.com
Š2008 Citizen Watch Company of America, Inc.
As functional art... this is a masterpiece.
Minute Repeater. Case, dial, band and movement are crafted and hand assembled by master watchmakers. From cutting and hand polishing its case, to minutely finishing its precision parts, the exceptional beauty of a Campanola is born.
www.campanola-timepieces.com AVAILABLE AT
SCHERERVILLE, IN 219-322-2700
TIME MACHINE NEW YORK, NY 212-758-7300
Perpetual calendar with 2 alarms and the delicate bell tones of a minute repeater. Dual curved sapphire crystal. Crocodile band. Case: 45mm.
Maxi Marine Chronometer 43 mm - 266-67-8M/42 Self-winding chronometer certiďŹ ed movement. Water-resistant to 200 m. 18 ct rose gold case. Available also on rubber or leather strap.
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Big Time WORLD on ICE Collection
57 mm
visit us at CurtisAndCoWatches.com Curtis And Co Watches, U.S.A PH: (949) 244-2603
Featured in our Riserva Collection. Gent’s 1.07 Carat Fancy Dark Orange Brown Diamond Ring with Round Brilliant Cut Diamond accents set in 18K Yellow Gold and Platinum.
w w w. c o f f i n a n d t r o u t . c o m Casa Paloma t Chandler, AZ t Just East of I-10 on Ray Rd. 480 763 1300 t 800 684 8984 'HVLJQHG ‹ &RIÀQ 7URXW
All That Glitters is Gold by Elizabeth Doerr
DeWitt Academia Night Chronographe DeWitt is a brand known for the playful attributes of its products, perhaps most obviously expressed by the attractively masculine case of the Academia line with its characteristic “columns” located on the side of the case and the striking bezel coined by its squared-off “teeth.” These cases often comprise several materials at once, combining precious metals with contemporary elements like rubber and high-quality gemstones. DeWitt’s new Academia Night Chronographe’s playful character not only comes out in the fact that one version of its 43-millimeter rose gold case is made of one sole metal, but also in the fact that its dial is completely covered with SuperLumiNova.
SuperLumiNova is a well-known brand name in the watch industry, a company that manufactures a non-radioactive, non-toxic photo luminescent whose glow-in-the-dark pigments are usually used to illuminate markings on watch dials to aid in reading the time. The great advantage of SuperLumiNova is that after being “loaded” with sun or artificial light, it displays an afterglow for hours, making it possible to see the time under adverse conditions. The phosphorescent pigments in the substance called lumes operate like batteries. Larger markings can remain visible for a whole night, and this is precisely what makes the Academia Night Chronographe light up a room like the moon. The timepiece’s dial is available in two colors that correlate beautifully with two case versions: the first features a black SuperLumiNova dial with black luminescent matter printed on the minute track and the minute and seconds counters. It is housed in a case crafted in alternating 18-karat white and rose gold with rubber inserts. This model comes on a rubber strap secured by an 18-karat rose gold folding clasp. The case of the second variation—shown here—is crafted entirely in 18-karat rose gold. Its dial is printed with white luminescent elements on the minute track and the chronograph’s minute and second counters. This version comes on an alligator strap with an 18-karat rose gold folding clasp. “I would say that we often do things that the others do not,” the brand’s founder and president, Jérôme De Witt, explains of his latest chronographic creation. “The Night Chronographe matches this philosophy, one that belongs to DeWitt’s spirit. Furthermore, this creation is highly practical: when the SuperLumiNova is fully loaded with light, you can read the information on the dial as if by torch, even if you are in a really dark environment. Finally, it is also a kind of ‘gimmick’ as we like at DeWitt: the material is sumptuous combined with rose gold. The Night Chronographe is a beautiful yet very original evolution of our famous Chronographe Séquentiel.” This automatic line of chronographs gets its name from the “sequential” subsidiary seconds display located in the subdial on the left side of the dial. The version shown retails for $36,900.
For more information, please dial 305-572-9812 or see the entire collection at www.dewitt.ch. 44
Wempe Chronometerwerke Hellmut Wempe and his daughter Kim-Eva are the respective third and fourth generations of the famed German jeweler dynasty. With 25 top-quality retail venues sprinkled in 6 countries—including a highly prominent location on New York’s Fifth Avenue—Wempe is a company that writes its own book of knowledge regarding quality products. Five years ago, it was decided that Wempe needed a top-ofthe-line model family different from everything else out there. And so the Wempes embarked upon the Wempe Chronometerwerke project. With a new factory location in Glashütte—Germany’s premier location for fine watchmaking—that includes the city’s renovated observatory, Wempe and partner manufactory Nomos created entirely new movements for the tonneau-shaped timepieces of this line. The Chronometerwerke’s cool personality originates in its manually wound mechanism, a simply beautiful movement displaying the hours, minutes, and subsidiary seconds. Movement designer Mirko Heyne included a great number of characteristics typical of the Glashütte art of watchmaking in this shaped movement capable of 80 hours of power reserve thanks to twin spring barrels: sunburst decoration on wheels, perlage, gold chatons screw-mounted with blued screws, and a screw balance to name a few. Its expansive three-quarter plate is fully decorated with Glashütte ribbing and offers a view of the beautifully hand-engraved balance cock. As if that weren’t enough, this timepiece is also a very special chronometer, in the distant past a word that actually only denoted an especially precise timepiece. Today, “chronometer” is used to describe a watch that has undergone and passed a series of testing criteria. During the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, this was usually performed by observatories. More recent history sees it solely taking place at the Contrôle Official Suisse de Chronomètres, C.O.S.C. for short. As of July 2006, chronometer testing has also been performed in Glashütte’s observatory—thanks to Wempe. Together with the offices of weights and measures in Thuringia (LMET) and Saxony (SLME), Wempe now offers the first independent chronometer-testing facility in Germany of the last forty years. Thanks to official accreditation from the German Calibration Service (DKD), Wempe’s new line comprises official chronometers—the first to have ever been tested according to Germany’s industrial norm, DIN. Wempe’s facility is operated by LMET and accredited by
the Thuringian office’s testing facility as an offsite subsidiary of LMET’s calibrating laboratory, ensuring global acceptance of the facility’s certificates, one of which is issued with every watch passing the test procedure. Wempe provides the Glashütte premises upon which the testing is done, but the actual equipment and personnel used for the chronometer testing is subject to the authority of LMET. According to the strict criteria laid down under DIN 8319, the norm LMET subscribes to, fifteen-day tests are conducted for each mechanical watch in the usual five positions: crown left, crown up, crown down, dial up, and dial down. The Wempe Chronometerwerke model is available in 18-karat yellow gold as shown for $9,950 and stainless steel for $5,500. For more information, please go to www.wempe.com or call 212-397-9000.
Bovet Saguaro Sportster The Saguaro Sportster is an unusual chronograph for many reasons, not the least of which is that is comes from a company whose innate competence was historically pocket watches—a fact that is now reflected in the unusually striking case featuring a pocket watch style bow, underneath which the crown can be found. “The Bovet timepiece is a pocket watch on the wrist,” Pascal Raffy, the brand’s owner and president, explains. This original case design therefore sees the Saguaro Sportster’s chronograph buttons in relatively natural positions on either side of
the crown at 12 o’clock, giving the chronograph a balanced structure. Edouard Bovet founded his company in 1822 in Fleurier, Switzerland. The Romans named this town for the spring flowers painting the banks of its three streams (fleur is French for “flower”). Though flowers still bloom in Fleurier, the name of this valley community today refers more to its flourishing watch business than floral abundance. Fleurisans were among the first Swiss watchmakers to take their precious cargoes beyond the borders of Europe; the boldest of these were the Bovet brothers, who opened the Chinese market by taking the town’s flowers, preserved in the exquisite enamel of their watches, to the courts of emperors and mandarins. Opening branches in Canton and Shanghai, they soon became one of the most sought after suppliers of timepieces, and “Bovet” became the Chinese word for “watch.” More than a century and a half later, the brand was purchased by Raffy with the goal of perpetuating a great legend in Swiss watchmaking. Therefore, Bovet’s modern watchmakers took a bold approach in recapturing the strong personality of the brand using exacting workmanship and high technical standards along with reviving traditional crafts—some of which had all but disappeared at the turn of the millennium. Raffy, a passionate aficionado of fine watchmaking, history, art, and traditional craftsmanship, first encountered Bovet purely by chance. He recounts: “During a dinner, a friend and fellow watch collector made a bet with me. He took three watches from my collection, turned off the light, and handed them to me. He asked me to name each of these watches simply by touching them. I am very familiar with my watches, so it was not difficult for me to identify the first one. But when I got to the second watch, I said, ‘This is not mine. I do not have a watch with a crown at 12 o’clock.’ He turned the light on and there in my hands I saw my first Bovet. I fell in love with the watch immediately—for its refinement, elegance, and excellent manufacture.” The Sportster is Bovet’s answer to the sports watch. In 40 or 44-millimeter case sizes, it is available in steel, blackened steel, and gold. It is known as the Sportster Saguaro in 46 millimeters—as shown here—and retails for $45,900 in rose gold. This brand is known best for its ability to customize its products as the customer wishes, therefore the dials of this automatic timepiece are available in a large selection of contemporary designs. For more information, please go to www.bovet.com or call 678-772-8723.
Carl F. Bucherer Patravi T-Graph Carl F. Bucherer’s timepieces often exude an aura of timeless, classical sovereignty as an integrated stylistic element. This past year saw a new element added: a brown dial. While it seems like quite a departure to describe the classic appearance of these timepieces rather than their functionality, the new addition represents a prominent expression of this timepiece’s masculinity. The brown dial provides the stage used to demonstrate that time is not merely a question of counting the hours in a most eye-catching manner.
The company entered a new dimension when it established a manufacturing subsidiary (Bucherer Montres AG) near Biel, while the purchase of Technique Horlogères Appliquées SA (THA) in Sainte-Croix two years ago was an important investment in the company’s future as a manufacturer of its own movements. Bucherer Montres thus now disposes of two complementary production workshops for assembly and development, technical research, and the manufacture of the brand’s new manufacture movements.
Carl F. Bucherer’s Patravi T-Graph distinguishes itself from others models in the brand’s collection at a visual level with its original barrel-shaped case, a shape known as tonneau in watchmaking (tonneau is French for “barrel”). However, the individual complications also make an optical statement: the power reserve indicator found at 6 o’clock is represented by an arc-shaped scale within a disk that also serves as the subsidiary seconds display. It changes along with the tension of the movement’s mainspring to indicate the amount of time left before more energy should be added to the automatic movement. Another interesting focal point of this timepiece is the large date located at 12 o’clock on the chocolate-colored dial.
For more information on Carl F. Bucherer, go to www.carl-f-bucherer.com or call 1-800-395-4306.
Carl F. Bucherer’s Patravi T-Graph is a chronometer as certified by the Contrôle Official Suisse de Chronomètres, C.O.S.C. for short. This means that the timepiece’s movement is particularly precise as it remains within certain deviation tolerances. Housed in an 18-karat rose gold case measuring 44.6 x 39 x 13.8 millimeters, this tawny model comes on a brown Louisiana alligator leather strap with an 18-karat rose gold folding clasp retailing for $25,900. It is also available with a diamond-set bezel for $83,000. Carl F. Bucherer is a brand that would know all about matching products to the taste of its discerning clients. An “offshoot” of an established jeweler founded in 1888 in Lucerne, the retail side of the Bucherer business comprises a chain of prestigious stores in Switzerland and Germany. Producing the first wristwatches bearing its own name in 1919, the showcases of the retail locations often display other Swiss luxury brands placed next to timepieces of the company’s own make. Bucherer group president Jörg G. Bucherer, the third generation of Bucherers to run the successful company, took the plunge in 2002, making the decision to become a manufacturer on his own, surprising most of the watch world with ambitious collections containing masculine chronographs, annual calendars, and sporty automatics that were not only made to compete with established Swiss brands on price, but also in terms of technology and quality.
Ulysse Nardin Quadrato Dual Time Perpetual Ulysse Nardin can well be considered a pioneer in the modern era of watchmaking. Not only has this innovative company spent the last two decades experimenting with materials comprising the most sensitive parts of a watch, it has also played with the visuals of said timepieces. The combination is utterly irresistible. In comparison to some of the company’s other products, the Quadrato Dual Time Perpetual might actually seem tame, though it really does exude a charm all its own. First
and foremost to hit the eye is the Quadrato’s particularly masculine case design that allows it to fit any size wrist. Next is certainly the tri-level dial combining functionality with harmonious modern aesthetics that leave an organized impression with the wearer despite the number of functions found within this tiny space of 42 x 42 x 13.7 millimeters. Skeletonized hands provide perfect legibility along with a modern aesthetic—making all the calendar indications readable at just a glance: large date, day of the week, month, year, and a 24-hour second time zone indication. The perpetual part of the calendar means that as long as the automatic watch stays wound, the wearer will not have to adjust any of the displays—including the leap years and the differing lengths of the months—until the next secular year, which will occur in 2100. The ticking heart of this patented mechanical work of art, seen through the sapphire crystal exhibition case back, was created to take all of this into account. Additionally, Ulysse Nardin makes the only perpetual calendar on the market that can be adjusted both forward and backward in seconds using the quick corrector position of the timepiece’s single crown, even in the year 2100—when all other perpetual calendars will have to be taken to a dealer for adjustment. As if that weren’t enough, the hour hand can be instantly adjusted to a new local time by pressing the buttons located at 4 and 8 o’clock respectively. One has the hour hand adjusting forward, while the other sees it moving backward in increments of one hour—without having to take the watch off the wrist or interfering with its timekeeping capabilities. This watch won’t lose a second while any adjustments are being made. Additionally, the large date, day, month, and year will instantaneously move forward or backward along with the hour hand as it is moved to a new local time across the dateline by the pushers. The little arrow-tipped hand points to an inner scale with 24 hours for keeping track of another time zone. The Quadrato Dual Time Perpetual shown here is housed in an 18-karat rose gold case for $48,500. It is also available in white gold, and both come on an alligator skin strap with a folding clasp. An added bonus is the fact that this model is a C.O.S.C. chronometer, confirming the automatic movement’s extreme precision. For more information on Ulysse Nardin, please dial 561-988-8600 or see the entire collection at www.ulysse-nardin.com.
Š2008 Citizen Watch Company of America, Inc.
As functional art... this is a masterpiece.
Perpetual Calendar. Case, dial, band and movement are crafted and hand assembled by master watchmakers. From cutting and hand polishing its case, to minutely finishing its precision parts, the exceptional beauty of a Campanola is born.
www.campanola-timepieces.com AVAILABLE AT
TROY, MI 248-816-4700 SCHAUMBURG, IL 847-619-2900
CINCINNATI, OH 513-791-5646
Perpetual calendar spanning 100 years past to 100 years future. Dual curved sapphire crystal. Crocodile band. Case: 45mm.
Blue Seal Limited Edition 356-68LE-3 Self-winding movement. Water-resistant to 200 meters. 18 ct rose gold case. Limited to 999 pieces. Also available in stainless steel ; limited to 1846 pieces.
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V8 Automatic Chronograph Diver Flyback Chronometer
w w w. m a r a n e l l ow a t c h . c o m 404-626-2315