Desirable Watches Patek Calatrava Travel Time 5524G-001 And neither did we. You are looking at the Patek Philippe 5524G, or Calatrava Pilot Travel Time. This watch paints an interesting picture about where Patek Philippe is headed as a brand. It is clear that younger consumers would be the focus for a while now, starting with the 5164A Travel Time Aquanaut, followed up by 2014's 5960A, or Patek's benchmark high-end consumer watch in stainless steel with a decidedly casual vibe, at a very approachable price point (by Patek's standards). The 5524G goes well, well beyond either one of those to create what is clearly a pilot's watch of some kind. We have a travel time movement with a fully adjustable GMT-hand, the same that you'll find in both the Travel-Time Aquanaut and excellent 5990 Travel Time Chronograph. Caliber CH 324 S C FUS is what Patek calls it; we call it one of the most dynamic and usable calibers in modern horology, with a Spiromax spring and Gyromax balance made of Silinvar (Patek's version of silicon), and the Patek seal, meaning it's regulated to -3/+2 seconds per day. The dial of the 5524G isn't black like many would expect to see from a pilot's watch, but a rich, textured blue. The Arabic hour markers are Superluminova-filled and housed in white gold.The skeleton hand represents home time, while the sword hand is your travel time. For the first time with this movement, you have a date display at six o'clock in three-day intervals. Further, the pushers at eight and 10 are fluted for better grip and now feature patent-pending safety locks to prevent unintended adjustments of the local time. Before they can be operated, the pushers must be released with a quarter turn and then locked again after with a twist back.
The case of the 5524G is 42 mm in diameter and 11 mm thick – made of white gold. The strap that will accompany this new modern pilot's watch is vintage brown calfskin with contrasting stiching and a matching white-gold pin buckle. Price: P.O.A
Patek 5204R The 5204R is a split seconds (rattrapante) chronograph with perpetual calendary; a combination of complications that puts it just one chiming complication away from being a bona fide grand complication watch (traditionally the term "grand complication" meant the combination of a rattrapante chronograph, a minute repeater, and a perpetual calendar). The 5204R is the red-gold version of the original, platinum 5204, which was introduced in 2012; that watch was, in turn, the successor to the reference 5004 perpetual calendar rattrapante, which was introduced in 1996 and which Patek made only in very small numbers every year. The movement – Patek Philippe caliber CHR 29-535 PS Q – has the traditional, jewel-like finish typical of high end Genevan watchmaking for the last couple of centuries, but it somehow manages to avoid seeming as if it's striving for effect as well. Amazingly enough, there is overall a feeling of sobriety to the watch, even a slight somberness, which gives the 5204 a kind of gravity that conveys exactly the kind of seriousness and attention to the business at hand you might expect from an expert lawyer or physician. Handling the reference 5204R is rather like visiting a great cultural institution – a great museum, or going to the opera on opening night. I can't blame Patek Philippe at all for trying, in the last few years, to expand its design repertoire; after all, to become completely static, is to become a museum of watchmaking rather than a watchmaker. At the same time, though, the 5204R is, I think, as compelling as it is because it reminds us that in a funny way, luxury watchmaking is maybe at its most satisfying when it's not overtly luxurious. The 5204R is a reminder that the sort of luxury that takes making overt beauty as its stock in trade – something the Italians or the French historically have done as a matter of course – is not really a Swiss characteristic. What is uniquely Swiss, however, is this combination of the inherent luxury of materials (is there anything more Swiss than unadorned gold in simple geometric shapes?) and the luxury of precision mechanics taken to the furthest possible extreme. I think that's what makes the 5204 so much a true Swiss watch – and so much a watch that stands for what, at its best, Patek Philippe means to watchmaking. The Patek Philippe Reference 5204 R. Movement, hand-wound caliber CHR 29-535 PS Q, split seconds perpetual calendar chronograph. 32 mm diameter, height 8.7 mm, running in 24 jewels. 28,800 vph, Gyromax balance with Patek Philippe seal, maximum power reserve 65 hours with chronograph off, 55 on. Case, 40 mm in rose gold, 30 m water resistance; gold dial with opaline finish. Retail Price: $251,200(Patek Boutique Geneva) Our Price : $228,000
A Lange & Sohne Datograph Up/Down The movement is at the heart of the Datrograph Up/Down which is actually a follow-up model based on the original A. Lange & Sohne Datograph. The Datrograph Up/Down debuted in 2012 (hands-on first look here), about a decade after the original Datograph. Lange had stopped making the original and due to consumer demand decided to come out with a new version. Three things changed from the original. First, the size of the case increased two millimeters to 41mm wide. Second the
movement's power reserve increased to 60 hours (from probably about 40-45 hours), and last, the dial now contains a power reserve indicator. "Up/Down" is a translation from "Auf" (up) and "Ab" (down) which is written out in German on the dial for the power reserve indicator. Adding a power reserve indicator and some extra time between having to wind the movement really changed the nature of the Datrograph watch. I am not a huge fan of wearing manually wound watches unless they have a power reserve indicator. To me it is like driving a car without a fuel gauge. With 60 hours of power reserve you can easily go the entire weekend without paying attention to it and it will still be running when you pick it up. The name "Datograph" is derived from the fact that the piece contains a big date ("outsize date" as Lange calls it) and a chronograph. That is of course in addition to the time with subsidiary seconds dial. Functionally the Datrograph Up/Down is very useful. The power reserve indicator makes living with it easy, and the big date indicator is handy. Thirty minute chronographs have limited use as many things we want to time are longer than that, but it is still a very useful feature. The dial is further beautifully appointed with crisp appliques and properly proportioned hands and hour markers. 18k white gold is used for the main hands and hour markers, while the sub dial hands are in blued steel. I quite like the subtle nature of the power reserve indicator as well - there when you need it, but hardly visually overpowering when you don't. Many people also know that A. Lange & Sohne rarely produce black dials. They have a few for sure, but they are certainly not the norm. I believe that the original Datrograph was the first one. This black and silver ("tuxedo") dial is handsome and distinct for the brand. There is a sportiness to it that is still very composed and proper (yes of course it has a tachymeter around the periphery of the face). The hands even had luminant on them for darkness viewing - another rarity among the more formally-themed Lange collection.
At 41mm wide I very much enjoy the size of the Datograph Up/Down. I could probably take another 1-2mm easily, but not less. The case is thick which makes it feel even larger despite the thick and curved bezel. The original Datograph was just 39mm wide, and I've stated in the past this new larger size helped bring it into the modern era. The case comes exclusively in 950 platinum. It is entirely possible that Lange will decide the Datograph Up/Down deserves to be gold in the future, but for now it only comes in platinum. Sure it is heavy, but you want that in a watch such as this. The bezel and lugs are polished while the middle case and back is brushed. Excellent AR coating on the sapphire crystal as well, only downside is a relative lack of appreciable water resistance (OK for basic things like washing your hands, but I'd suggest you take it off for other water-related activity). Reference: 405.031 Case: Pink gold/Platinum Dial: Solid silver, black; subsidiary dials argentĂŠ Functions: Hours and minutes; subsidiary seconds with stop seconds; chronograph with flyback and precisely-jumping minute counter; outsize-date display; UP/DOWN power-reserve indicator, 60 hours power reserve Case: Diameter: 41.0 millimetres; height: 13.1 millimetres
A Lange and Sohne Double Split The DOUBLE SPLIT is the world’s first and only mechanical chronograph with a double-rattrapante function. It features two pairs of stopwatch hands that can run together as well as separately. For the first time, they allow time comparisons, lap-time and reference-value measurements as well as fastest/slowest measurements of events that last up to 30 minutes. Reference: 404.032 Case: 18-carat pink gold/ Dial: Solid silver, argentÊ Functions: Hours and minutes; subsidiary seconds with stop seconds; flyback chronograph with double rattrapante and precisely-jumping minute counters; UP/DOWN power-reserve indicator, 38 hours power reserve Case: Diameter: 43.2 millimetres; height: 15.3 millimetres
A. Lange & Sohne Cabaret Tourbillon (Discontinued Model) In 2008, A Lange and Sohne launched a Tourbillon model with a stop seconds feature from their popular "Cabaret" Collection of luxury watches. The tourbillon was invented more than 200 years ago. It has lost none of its fascination since then. A.Lange & Söhne has just written a new chapter in the history of the “whirlwind” with the new CABARET TOURBILLON and the first stop-seconds feature ever implemented in a tourbillon calibre. In 1997, the CABARET amazed the world with its elegant rectangular shape that evoked the luxury, charisma, and perfection of the Art Deco epoch. Eleven years after the launch of its predecessor, the CABARET TOURBILLON by A. Lange & Söhne now sets the stage for a world debut starring the balance in a rotating carriage. For the first time ever, the “whirlwind” – the literal translation of tourbillon – has been tamed with a stop-seconds mechanism. But first things first. An ingenious idea inspired the development of the carriage escapement for which a patent was filed in 1801. It was predestined for pocket watches that were typically slipped into a vest pocket in the same upright orientation. In the tourbillon, the rategoverning parts – the balance and escapement assemblies – were integrated in a cage that rotated about the fourth wheel. This neutralised the position error caused by the pull of gravity on the balance wheel which can never be poised with absolute perfection, resulting in greater rate accuracy. In modern wristwatches that are worn in constantly changing orientations, the need for rate corrections is no longer a significant issue. Nonetheless, because of its intricacy and complexity, the tourbillon has lost none of its original fascination. Executed in artisanal perfection as in the three tourbillon calibres crafted so far at Lange, it remains the archetype of horological complications mastered only by the best of the watchmaking elite. Yet one question remained unanswered: if the tourbillon stands for superior rate accuracy, why had no one so far invented a device that would make it possible to instantaneously and precisely stop and restart such a watch for synchronisation purposes? This awkward enigma that persisted throughout the 200-year history of the tourbillon challenged the calibre designers at Lange who finally found a solution. They decided against the option of stopping the entire tourbillon cage mechanically from within the movement. With this rather simple approach, the balance wheel would slow down and eventually coast to a halt. It would need to be “kick-started” to resume its reciprocating motion. This unsatisfactory approach was rejected. To preserve the potential energy of the balance spring during the braking process, the only viable alternative was to directly and instantaneously brake the balance wheel inside the cage itself. This was the only way to assure that the balance wheel would immediately begin to oscillate again after the “brake” had been released. But how can the oscillating balance wheel of a tourbillon escapement be stopped in a rotating cage, especially because one of the three cage posts is in the way every 20 seconds? Until recently, this problem had frustrated all specialists involved with tourbillon escapements, leaving it up to Lange’s engineers to find an answer more than two centuries after the invention of the tourbillon. Their solution in brief: pulling the crown initiates a complex linkage motion that causes a stop lever with two bent, V-shaped spring arms to contact the outer rim of the balance wheel, stopping it immediately. This intervention could potentially be foiled when one arm of the V-shaped braking spring happens to land on one of the three posts of the tourbillon cage. For this reason, the delicate two-armed steel spring is hinged at a rotation point of the brake lever. In other words, even if one
arm of the spring is resting against the cage post, the other one will still advance to the balance wheel rim and stop it just as reliably as if both arms had engaged. The asymmetrically curved shapes of the two spring ends were empirically determined in extensive tests. Their special geometry assures that the contact pressure they exert is optimised in all conceivable positions of the brake spring relative to the balance wheel. Additionally, the ends of the brake spring are bent so that they cannot accidentally engage when the balance wheel is arrested and released. So this is not only an intelligent complication aesthetically showcased on the dial side of the CABARET TOURBILLON, it is also a useful innovation commensurate with Lange’s heritage. The patented invention finally makes it possible to precisely measure the improved rate accuracy of the tourbillon. But there’s more to the CABARET TOURBILLON than meets the eye: the twin mainspring barrel of the newly developed, manually wound calibre L042.1 movement has a power reserve of five days or 120 hours when fully wound. A power-reserve indicator at 4 o’clock dependably reminds the owner when it is time to transmit fresh energy to the masterpiece. Beneath the 12, the famous Lange outsize date forms a visual equilibrium with the tourbillon exposed in a dial aperture. The form movement, crafted and finished to the highest Lange quality standards, is a veritable feast for the eyes. The lavishly decorated three-quarter plate made of untreated German silver is accented by six screwed gold chatons. Three further chatons are located on the hand-engraved intermediate-wheel and tourbillon cocks as well as on the specular-polished tourbillon bridge on the dial side. The pivots of the balance-wheel staff are suspended between two diamond endstones. Accompanying 45 ruby jewels, these diamonds stand for horological excellence and are reminiscent of the peerless 1A quality pocket watches once produced by Lange. A rectangular case in platinum or pink gold, measuring 29.5 by 39.2 millimetres, provides a classy setting for the world debut of the first stopseconds tourbillon. CABARET TOURBILLON, Ref.: 703.025 Movement: Lange manufacture calibre L042.1 manually wound. 5 days power reserve. Functions: One-minute tourbillon with patented Stopp seconds. Hours and minutes indication. Separate subsidiary seconds. Patented outsize date. UP/ DOWN power-reserve indication. Case: 39,2 x 29,5 mm, platinum. Dial: Solid silver, rhodié. Hands: Rhodiumed gold. Glass and Caseback: Sapphire crystal glass. Strap: Hand-stitched crocodile strap buckle in platinum.
MB&F Legacy Machine 1 (LM1) (Discontinued) Max says if he were born in 1867 instead of 1967, the Legacy Machine is the watch he would have created. The LM1 is the Horological Machine of the 19th century. Back then there was be no Grandizer and Star Wars, so the 19th century Max Busser would instead would turn to Jules Verne and the cast iron structures of the Industrial Revolution. Consequently many of the design elements on the LM 1 are reminiscent of pocket watches from that era. For instance the hand engraved lettering on the rhodium-plated plate on the front is like the movement engraving of vintage pocket watches. Conceptually the LM1 has similarities to the Horological Machines – the twin sub-dials and the symmetry. And a careful eye would spot the sole concession to the Grandizer aesthetic – the battleaxe logo on the crown. The LM1 is actually a functionally simple watch. It displays two independent time zones, each adjustable to the minute and set by the respective crown; the right crown also winds the watch. Each of the sub-dials is lacquer, though fired enamel would have been nice. The front is dominated by the pocket watch sized (14 mm diameter) balance wheel, beating at a leisurely 18,000 bph, fitted to an overcoil hairspring. This is held by a bridge that curves over the dial, necessitating a large, domed crystal that gives the watch an overall height of 16 mm. That leaves space for a vertical power reserve, the world’s first according to Max. Once the power reserve lever is vertical it means the power reserve is at its maximum of 45 hours. And notice the power reserve lever sits on a beautifully finished plate screwed onto the dial. Turn the LM1 over and the splendid movement is revealed. Again the pocket watch inspiration is obvious in the shape and style of the bridges which are rhodium-plated Maillechort (German silver).
The LM1 calibre reminds me of Lange movements – a homage to vintage movements made with modern technology resulting in a curious but attractive result. Finishing and decoration is absolutely top notch – most obvious in the anglage and polished chatons. This is performed by Charles-Louis Rochat SA, the “friend” responsible for finishing on all the machines, but with the supervision of Kari Voutilainen. The italicised text engraved on the movement is a further nod to its historical inspiration. Impeccable finishing aside, there are clues that the movement is a modern creation. The winding wheels look modern; wolf’s teeth would have been a nice touch. And the click spring for the barrel ratchet looks contemporary. Inevitably this will be compared with a Voutilainen. At the margin a Voutilainen (Observatoire or Vingt-8) is better finished. One example is how Kari finishes the teeth on the winding wheels to an obvious and high polish. Admittedly that is nit picking on an exceptionally finished movement. Case diameter is 44 mm and in either red or white gold. THE MACHINE CASE Available in 18k red gold, 18k white gold, a limited edition of 33 pieces in platinum, a limited edition of 13 pieces for the M.A.D.Gallery Dubai in titanium and a final edition limited to 18 pieces in stainless steel. Dimensions: 44 x 16mm ENGINE Three-dimensional horological movement developed for MB&F by Jean-François Mojon and Kari Voutilainen Manual winding with single mainspring barrel Power reserve: 45 hours Bespoke 14mm flying balance wheel visible on top of the movement 279 components / 23 jewels Superlative hand finishing throughout respecting 19th century style FUNCTIONS / INDICATIONS Hours and minutes; completely independent dual time zones displayed on two dials; unique vertical power reserve Left crown at 8 o'clock for setting time of left dial; right crown at 4 o'clock for setting time of right dial and winding
Legacy Machine 2 Legacy Machines celebrate complications from past masters, and complications don’t come much more intriguing than connecting two regulators with a differential to drive one time indication. Nor do past masters come more “masterful” than Abraham-Louis Breguet (1747-1823), Ferdinand Berthoud (1727-1807) and Antide Janvier (1751-1835), three men united by their inventive genius and their experimentations with dual regulators. Two and a half centuries after three of the world’s greatest watchmakers put two balance wheels into their movements, MB&F celebrates their pioneering works with Legacy Machine No.2 and its double “flying” balances. Suspended high above the dial, the double “flying” balances are in fact the most visible parts of two fully independent regulating systems, each beating at its own rate. The planetary differential sits proud of the surface, supported by a stunning double-arc mirror-polished bridge. The complex differential is the key element in the double regulator system: the rates are averaged out by the mechanism, which drives the blued gold hour and minute hands of the white stretched-lacquer sub dial. To make things just a bit more complicated, the two flying balances and their escapements are identical mirror images, right down to the position of the stud holders pinning their balance springs. Icon of the Legacy Machines, the LM2 has not just one but two bespoke 11mm balance wheels flying above the movement and dials.
PLANETARY DIFFERENTIAL The advantage of using a planetary differential is that the two balances beat at their natural rate, with the differential supplying the average of the two completely independent frequencies. This provides a rate with fewer variations.
FINE FINISHING Superlative hand finishing throughout, respecting 19th century style: polished internal bevel angles highlighting handcraft, Geneva waves and hand-made engravings. THE MACHINE CASE Launch editions in 18k red gold, 18k white gold, and platinum 950 limited edition of 18 pieces; and a redesigned version in Ti-6Al-4V (grade 5) titanium in a limited edition of 18 pieces Dimensions: launch editions: 44mm x 20mm, titanium edition: 44mm x 19mm ENGINE
Three-dimensional horological movement developed exclusively for MB&F by Jean-Franรงois Mojon and Kari Voutilainen Manual winding with single mainspring barrel Power reserve: 45 hours Differential: Planetary differential comprising 3 gears and 5 pinions Two bespoke 11mm flying balance wheels visible on top of the movement 241 components / 44 jewels Superlative hand finishing throughout respecting 19th century style. FUNCTIONS / INDICATIONS Hours and minutes Planetary differential transmits the average rate of the two regulators to the single gear train.
Greubel Forsey Grand Sonnerie The most complicated Greubel Forsey to date puts the watchmaker in rarefied company.
Only a handful of watchmakers or brands have ever accomplished a grande sonnerie wristwatch – Philippe Dufour, F.P. Journe, Patek Philippe and Gerald Genta amongst them – a league that is now joined by Greubel Forsey, which may possibly claim the title of most complicated watch launched at SIHH 2017. A grande sonnerie is essentially a miniaturised version of a longcase grandfather clock that chimes the time en passant, as it passes with the quarters on the quarters and the hours on the hours. The Greubel Forsey Grande Sonnerie is a wristwatch boasting a grande et petit sonnerie and a Tourbillon 24 Secondes, as well as the unusual feature of an automatic winding mechanism for the sonnerie though the base movement itself is manually wound. Made up of 935 components, the movement will run for 72 hours on full wind. But the striking mechanism will last 20 hours on grand strike mode, where the sonnerie chimes every quarter. A button at four o’clock sets the strike mode of the watch: “GS” is short for grande sonnerie, “PS” means petit sonnerie with only the hours sounded, while “SL” is silent mode. Various safety mechanisms built into the movement prevent damage if anything is inadvertantly activated when it shouldn’t. For instance the time setting gearing is disengaged when striking in progress. Visible in between 10 and 11 o’clock on the dial are the two hammers of the chiming mechanism that strike a pair of cathedral gongs. Long enough to circle the movement almost twice over – conventional gongs are essentially the circumference of the movement – cathedral gongs result in
chimes that offer more resonance. And like most grande sonnerie timepieces, this can also function as a minute repeater, by pushing the button integrated into the crown. Just besides the function indicator is the power reserve mechanism. And at eight o’clock is an aperture revealing the Tourbillon 24 Secondes. Rotating at a rapid pace of 24 seconds for a complete revolution, the cage is inclined at 25 degrees, both features that are intended to maximise its effectiveness at eliminating the timekeeping errors caused by gravity while the watch is on the wrist. The case is titanium, measuring 43.5mm in diameter and 16.13mm high. Only three to five will be made each year.
Greubel Forsey GMT
Until the Grand Sonnerie came out, one of the most complicated watches Greubel Forsey had in its portfolio was the GMT – a notably pithy name which is in stark contrast to the size, general visual impact, and complexity of the watch itself. It's very seldom that you get a chance to actually see a Greubel Forsey watch in the metal, although over the years I've been lucky enough to see more than my fair share. The Greubel Forsey GMT is one of the most complicated watches from Greubel Forsey (the only two which top it being the Quantième Perpétuel à Équation and the new Grande Sonnerie) and the name, while concise, somewhat undersells the actual complexity of the watch. Visually, it's a showstopper, as most Greubel Forsey watches are. Up front, you have a 24 second inclined tourbillon, tilted at 25°. The hours and minutes are shown in a large sub-dial, and a second time zone is shown to the left. The biggest fireworks are from a titanium globe, which rotates once every 24 hours and shows the Earth as seen from a position above the North Pole. The globe shows about 3/4 of the Earth's surface, with the pivot at the South Pole. The part of the Earth in daylight is shown by the white background side of the 24-hour ring, and an aperture in the side of the case lets light in to shine on the daylight side as well.
The Earth is 12,742 kilometers in diameter, and if you turn the watch to face you and look at the time, you're looking at that titanium globe from about 10 times its diameter away. That means you're seeing the Earth from above the North Pole as it would look from a distance of about 153,000 kilometers, which is a bit shy of halfway to the moon. At such a distance, the Earth is both close enough to tug at your heartstrings – it's home, after all – and distant enough to seem an abstraction. The combination is a poignant one, and in combination with the tourbillon, and the hour and minute hands, you have dramatically different scales of spatial experience as well as three very different time scales, all in one place on your wrist . That the watch undersells itself technically (at least as far as the name goes) becomes apparent when you turn it over. On the back, there is a 24-city, full world-time disk, which, like the globe, rotates once per day, and which shows the correct time in 24 different time zones. The cities in time zones that observe summer time/DST are shown in white, and you can read the correct local time in those cities during the time of year you know DST is in effect, by reading the time off the inner, rather than the outer, 24 hour track. The position of the Sun relative to the Earth is shown on the back of the watch as well; the Sun is represented by a stylized engraving on the wheel affixed to the underside of the globe.
Setting up the GMT is a fairly simple procedure. First, you pull out the crown (there's only one setting position). Next, you set the city disk to the nearest correct hour for your home city (or you can also just set any given city to the nearest correct hour for its time zone). You
don't need to take DST into account. The crown can be rotated in either direction. Next, with the crown left out, you press and hold the GMT pusher. This engages the crown with the hour and minute hands, and disengages it from the globe and city disk. You then set the hands to the nearest full hour for your local time position. Finally, you release the GMT pusher, and set the hands to the correct local hour and minute. This advances the globe and city disk as well. The GMT hand can be set in one hour increments via the pusher. Once you're done setting up the watch, the hour and minute hands, GMT hand, globe, and city disk are all synchronized. When changing time zones, you can use the GMT hand as a local time indicator, by adjusting it to local time as needed; this takes care of any time zone with a full, one hour offset from GMT. There's a sort of power user option as well, however. If you recall, the GMT pusher decouples the crown from the GMT indications, allowing you to just set the hour and minute hands. If you hold the pusher down and re-set the hour and minute hands to local time in your new time zone, you can use the GMT indication as a home time indication, and you can also set the local time to any offset from GMT you need – including non-full hour offsets. This would be the option I'd choose; it's much more natural to read local time off the larger display, and the globe lets you know approximately what o'clock it is anywhere in the world in any case. Now, reading about this sort of thing and understanding the watch technically is one thing, but wearing it is another, and for all the technical sophistication, this is not, I think, ultimately an exercising in primarily technical prowess. Greubel Forsey's watches never really are; they're generally all about an extension of a kind of experimental perfectionism into pretty much every aspect of watchmaking. You could almost think of it as a kid of horological reductio ad absurdum: what happens if you simply push every aspect of traditional horology – not just finish, but also the pursuit of better chronometry with a traditional approach to improved isochronism – as far as it can go? The aesthetics of Greubel Forsey watches have always seemed to me to have been almost stumbled on by accident and although there's a lot that's deliberate about the aesthetics per se, they're so informed by the obsessive pursuit of perfectionism in every aspect of the watch that they become both less, and more, than conventional aesthetics – a very strange, but to me very charming, combination of deadpan earnestness, and utter whimsical lunacy. Technical specifications CASE: Red gold, Titanium Black dial Single Edition 22pieces, 5N Red Gold, Platinum Black Dial, White Gold Anthracite Dial
BUCKLE Folding buckle WATERPROOFNESS 30 m SIZE ø 43.5 mm THICKNESS 16.14 mm MOVEMENT Manual-winding mechanical Power reserve: 72 h, 21600 variations / hours FUNCTIONS Global Time, Hours, Minutes, Power reserve, Seconds, Second time zone, Tourbillon COLLECTION Asymétrique RETAIL PRICE EXCL.VAT 525'000 CHF RICHARD MILLE RM 011-02 NTPT FELIPE MASSA BLACK NIGHT NTPT It’s hard to imagine now but at one time Richard Mille was just a small, relatively anonymous Swiss operation, making technically impressive timepieces that came with equally impressive price tags attached, for a very niche clientele. There were even those who questioned whether the brand could survive given the high R&D costs and limited production capabilities. Of course those people didn’t count on one important factor; Mr. Richard Mille. A charismatic showman who found a way to stand out amongst an industry filled with them, Mille took the idea of the ‘brand ambassador’ to the next level, creating increasingly complex timepieces that his high-profile spokes models could actually wear on their wrists whilst they went about their day jobs. Now, for a typical Richard Mille brand ambassador these ‘day jobs’ could range from competing on the PGA tour to challenging for the title of fastest man in the world at the Olympics. Every second of each such occasion was – thanks to the power of television – of course captured on video and then beamed into millions of homes around the world in HD quality, causing more than a few rabid fans to grab for their phones to quickly Google what watch their new hero was wearing. Genius. Arguably though the one watch that really started this phenomenon and created an entire generation of die-hard Richard Mille fans in the process, was the RM 011 Flyback Chronograph Felipe Massa. There was just something about watching one of the world’s best Formula 1 drivers (at the time) fly around the track in yet another exotic location with a Richard Mille RM 011 strapped to his wrist. It certainly didn’t hurt either that this was a seriously good looking watch packed full of the latest technology developed by the brand. The reasonable price tag (reasonable by Richard Mille standards at least) all but sealed the deal, making the RM 011 something of a cult watch amongst collectors. .
Sure, the lack of such cost-related limitations on Richard Mille watches becomes immediately apparent when you glance at their price tags; which can make some supercars suddenly appear to be low-budget alternatives in comparison. However, things stay in line with this approach when you take a closer look at the product itself, as well as where and how they are made. Brazilian Formula-1 driver Felipe Massa has been a friend of the brand for well over ten years, and his name has been part of every RM 011 model ever made. He even wears a Richard Mille watch on his wrist while racing - just see the shot above where he was getting out of a wreck after an unlucky racing incident at the Canadian gran prix a few years ago. It is here where we'll say that starting with this 2016 season and going on for at least 10 years, Richard Mille is in official partnership with the McLaren Formula-1 racing team. By now we’ve seen pretty much everything from steel to gold, to carbon and even sapphire! This time Richard Mille decides to use one of their latest inventions, the NTPT (North Thin Ply Technology) Carbon and combine it with the black/red dial of (arguably) their most iconic and recognized watch today, creating a model called RM011 Black Night.
RM 70-01 ALAIN PROST Already a leader in creating racing machines for the wrist, Richard Mille’s creations have earlier been inspired by Formula 1 racing, aeronautics and yacht racing. But this time he ventured into the realm of cycling. Much like the aeronautics and automobile industries, R&D plays a significant role in cycling. These days, bicycles are tested in a wind tunnel for aerodynamics, and improvements in material science to increase rigidity, improve compliance, and decrease weight.
The new RM 70-01 comes with an unprecedented mechanically driven odometer within the watch! The watch is a result of extensive discussions with Alain Prost, now a keen cyclist, as well as with other cyclists. From these discussions, Richard Mille realised the need for an odometer to record the kilometers they have ridden since the season began. The RM70-01 now includes a never before seen totaliser of the total distance travelled. The mechanical odometer can tally distances of up to 99,999 kilometres. The odometer reading is manually incremented by the rider, using two grade 5 titanium pushers. Located at 2 o’clock, the first pusher is a selector that can synchronise any of 5 selected rollers, or set the complication in neutral position. Depressing the second pusher , at 10 o’clock incrementally rotates the selected roller . Inspired by the gear indicators on the handlebar gearshift, markers on the odometer provide visual confirmation of the selection. As this function occupies the greater part of the movement, the calibre needed to be as compact as possible, which was achieved by positioning the barrel and the tourbillon on the same axis. The mechanism itself, however, is much more complicated. The first pusher activates selection of a roller, one of the five. Execution is confirmed by perfect alignment of the two yellow arrows. The second pusher incrementally rotates the roller, which automatically blocks after each activation of the pusher, due to the carry mechanism. To avoid accidental manipulations, the complication has been fitted with a neutral position (N). A spring-lock ensures that the selection fork is lined up straight, with an arrow at 2 o’clock pointing to N as visual confirmation that the mechanism is locked. Equipped with a 70-hour power-reserve, visible at 5 o’clock. The PR indicator is powered by a planetary differential. The movement is a manual winding tourbillon calibre with grade 5 titanium plates and bridges. Titanium’s extreme stiffness enables the calibre to withstand the roughest of trails with ease. The movement is has a good 3D depth effect, as its vertical architecture lines up the barrel and tourbillon along a single axis. This necessitates a compact size because of the space required to house the odometer occupies within the case. Details like the titanium Allen screws that fix the bridges, to tarrel ratchet, are design cues taken from the forged wheel spokes. And the tourbillon cage and dynamometric crown being a hint at the bicycle’s pedal. The case is machined out of Carbon TPT®, it perfectly combines tonneau, rectangular and asymmetrical shapes. Taut and curved, its unique lines not only ensure the greatest possible comfort when worn on the right wrist, but also optimised legibility of the time when gripping a cycle’s handlebars. Function dictates form. In order that they may fully enjoy the dynamic and mechanical qualities of the RM 70-01, each buyer will receive as a gift their very own bespoke road cycle. Developed by Alain Prost and Richard Mille in partnership with the prestigious Italian bikemaker Colnago, these individually numbered bicycles are made by hand and painted in the watchmaking brand’s colours.
URWERK UR 105 CT This is the latest timepiece from Urwerk, the UR-105 CT Streamliner, and it's a watch that comes to us on the 20th anniversary of one of the most offbeat and creative independent watch marques in existence. It’s interesting to reflect on Urwerk at 20. Felix Baumgartner and Martin Frei were real innovators for launching a company wholly predicated on an unusual mechanism and system for displaying time – and they did it way back in 1997. It's tough to overstate how different things were back then. The whole idea of innovative, modern horology was basically unheard of at the time, and Baumgartner and Frei are a big part of why we now take this whole segment of the watch market for granted. The UR-105 Streamliner is the result of some reflecting on the early days of their company, so let's look a little closer. In 1997, Frei and Baumgartner had only recently hatched Urwerk, but Frei left Switzerland and set out for New York. He’d graduated from the College of Arts and Design in Lucerne, and wanted to set up a shop in the creative hub of late nineties Brooklyn. Felix, meanwhile, was living in Geneva. Neither of these guys knew for sure whether they should continue with a watchmaking pipe dream that was eating into their savings. Felix visited Martin in New York, and, as they tell it now, they wandered the city streets, taking pictures and gazing at the Art Deco buildings, and, according to Urwerk's press release, the city’s “gleaming subway.” Perhaps it gleamed 20 years ago, but I can't think of any New Yorker who would reach for such a word today. But I digress… The UR-105 CT is a timepiece inspired by these initial impressions of New York, its magnificent Art Deco skyscrapers, and the metallic tubes ferrying commuters through a subterranean labyrinth. Its eight-sided shape recalls the metallic ribbing along a subway car and the skyward-reaching lines of the Empire State Building. Situated in the middle of the lines that adorn the top of the UR-105’s oblong octogonal case is a catch, which you can slide open to reveal the mechanism that guides the wandering hour mechanism. This kind of display is textbook Urwerk, but the specific openworked version presented in the UR-105 CT is something new. The UR-105 CT is a watch with a fleixble design,” say Baumgartner. “When it is closed, it looks austere, with only the time indication visible. Open the protective cover and you delve into a metallic environment that is quite cold. The Streamliner’s carousel has been completely redesigned, becoming lighter, stronger, and far more effective.” On the dial, you can also read the the amount of power remaining in reserve (out of a total of 48 hours), as well as the digital seconds, which are meted out in increments of ten. This mechanism was manufactured using photolithography and has been openworked to achieve of total weight of less than a tenth of a gram.
As you’ve seen before from Urwerk, there are pneumatic turbines on the back that govern the selfwinding rate. You can set these according to your anticipated activity level via a simple lever mechanism. If you decide to do something crazy like play golf with this watch, you’ll want to turn the self-winding all the way to stop to avoid putting stress on the mechanism. Also, if you decided to do that, give us a call – we'd love to see the watch in action. The movement here is the selfwinding UR 5.03 caliber, which, for all of its unusual features, runs at a conventionial rate of 28,800 vph. Some of the exotic materials used to construct this caliber include beryllium bronze for the satellite hours on Geneva crosses, aluminum for the openworked carousel, and an alloy called ARCAP for the aforementioned super light digital seconds display. The UR-105 CT Streamliner comes in two versions. One is in titanium and mirror-polished steel, while the other is titanium and black PVD-coated steel. Stylistically, the black version might be the "most New York," but the titanium and mirror polished steel version really drives home the Art Deco theme.
UR 210 CP The URWERK UR-210 has always been out of this world, whatever the edition (Titanium, AlTIN or Full Metal Jacket). It’s even quite hard to qualify it as watch, by using the traditional definition and image we have of a timepiece. Everything in it is unusual, different, strange, bold, sometimes voluntarily outrageous… This is true for the design, for the materials used, for the display, for the treatment applied on the parts, for the colours chosen or for the complications (we dare you to find another watch with winding efficiency indicator and winding efficiency selector). Yes, once strapped on the wrist, the URWERK UR-210 is special. It is special for the feel, the look, the user-experience, because of the way to read time and it feels special for people around you, who, for a large majority, probably don’t understand what’s on your wrist. All these feelings are part of a unique experience, and we, at Monochrome, love it. But enough of digressions, let’s go back on the main subject; t he URWERK UR-210 CP with Clou de Paris engraved case Basically, the URWERK UR-210 CP is a decorated edition of the UR-210 AlTIN – see here for details. It uses the same colour codes – a mix of black and bright yellow, a combination dear to the brand – and the same materials. The main difference comes from the pattern applied on the case and on several other parts of the watch; a pattern called in watchmaking “Clou de Paris“. This traditional pattern, which could be translated by Parisian spike or Parisian stud, is usually reserved to dials. It is a specific type of guilloché pattern with carved and intersecting lines, which create some small pyramids looking like the head of spikes. This technique is usually reserved to classical watches and to highly decorated dials, using engine-turned technique.he URWERK UR-210 CP with Clou de Paris engraved case. In the context of the URWERK UR-210 CP, the surprise comes from two factors. First, this pattern is not applied on a dial but directly on the case – very few watches show such decoration (think Patek Philippe Calatrava, in a completely different style). However we’re very far from the idea of a classical dress watch. When the Clou de Paris adds a traditional elegance to a watch, when applied on the dial, on the UR-210CP it creates an interesting, eclectic contrast. Because the pattern is applied on the case, because this case is extremely angular and bold, because the pattern comes in black metal and not on silver or gold, and because of the resemblance with the texture of the strap, this pattern creates a sort of continuity. The watch feels somehow more lively (in the way to reflects light differently than the normal flat case) and probably more mature, without being overloaded. And there’s also the feel under you fingers… A watch is not just visual but also tactile. This pattern also participates to the experience. Small detail: a squared pattern is also applied on the main retrograde hand, for a better integration with the overall look.
In the context of the URWERK UR-210 CP, the surprise comes from two factors. First, this pattern is not applied on a dial but directly on the case – very few watches show such decoration (think Patek Philippe Calatrava, in a completely different style). However we’re very far from the idea of a classical dress watch. When the Clou de Paris adds a traditional elegance to a watch, when applied on the dial, on the UR-210CP it creates an interesting, eclectic contrast. Because the pattern is applied on the case, because this case is extremely angular and bold, because the pattern comes in black metal and not on silver or gold, and because of the resemblance with the texture of the strap, this pattern creates a sort of continuity. The watch feels somehow more lively (in the way to reflects light differently than the normal flat case) and probably more mature, without being overloaded. And there’s also the feel under you fingers… A watch is not just visual but also tactile. This pattern also participates to the experience. Small detail: a squared pattern is also applied on the main retrograde hand, for a better integration with the overall look. The principal feature of the URWERK UR-210 is a high-tech, oversized, three-dimensional retrograde minute hand. Its function is to enclose the hour satellite and indicate the time as it transverses the 0to-60-minute scale. This one-hour journey through time, tracing an arc of 120°, is smooth and fluid. But all changes at the 59th minute, as a sharp “click” signals the return of the minute hand to its starting point, at 0. Meanwhile, the carrousel with the 3 hour satellites rotates and these satellites (sort of cubes), each with 4 numerals, rotates on themselves to indicate the right following numeral. A properly impressive display, based on everything except traditional hands but which remains extremely easy to read (look at the photo below, it is 3h46). The dial of the UR-210 also features two extra indications. One is easy – the power reserve indication located on the top right corner – the other one is simply unique in the world of watchmaking: an indication of the winding efficiency over the last two hours. This unique indication does not measure the mainspring torque, however it calculates the difference between the consumed and generated energy of the mainspring. Thus, if your comfortably sitting on your sofa, reading a book, you won’t be moving a lot – therefore the rotor will not provide energy to the mainspring but the watch will continue to consume energy. On the other hand, when you’re walking energetically, the rotor will move a lot, and thus wind the main spring inside its barrel – and the watch will probably store more energy than it consumes. This indicator is linked to another signature feature of URWERK, the winding selector, located on the caseback – what the brand calls “dashboard”. The selector allows you to choose between three positions; FULL (where the rotor is free to rotate, to be used to benefit from every single movement of the rotor to wind the watch, when you’re not very active); REDUCED (where the rotor is slowed-down by an air turbine compressor, which spins and creates internal resistance – based on air friction. To be used when you’re more active, to protect the watch from over-winding); STOP (where the rotor is simply disabled and the watch runs on its power reserve without automatic winding. To be used during strong activity, to protect the movement from wear). These three modes can be selected, depending on your activity. Again, this URWERK UR-210 CP is extremely bold, completely unique in the way to display the time, in its complications or in its design. It’s an outrageous watch, probably “too-much” for many
collectors and watch-lovers but it’s also why it’s so attractive. Relatively speaking, it remains a combination of strong design with traditional horology (the display and the complications are all based on mechanical solutions, using traditional watchmaking to be displayed). The technical feel has to be applauded but also the relative wearability. It’s not that hard to wear it in normal, daily conditions, at least if you feel like it. The new design of the case shows an even better integration to the entire concept and this Clou de Paris pattern is another demonstration of the implementation of traditions in independent, bold watchmaking.
HARRY WINSTON Ocean Moon phase 36mm
Ocean Moon Phase 36mm in white gold. Quartz movement. Bluish white mother-of-pearl, central moon phase covered with an openworked grid, date aperture. Hours, minutes, moon phase, date. Sapphire crystal case-back. Diameter: 36mm.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Reference OCEQMP36WW025 Movement Quartz Caliber HW5201 Complication Moon Phase Functions Hours, minutes, moon phase, date Case Material
18K white gold Dial Bluish white mother-of-pear Strap White gold Diamond-Cut Setting Brilliant-cut Gem-Setting 551 brilliant-cut diamonds (~11.20 carats) OCEAN BIRETROGRADE 36mm
Ocean Biretrograde 36mm in white gold. Mechanical automatic winding, 35 jewels, 28,800 vibrations per hour, 65-hour power-reserve. Sapphire crystal case-back. Diameter: 36mm. TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS: Reference OCEABI36WW051 Movement Automatic Caliber HW3302
Complication Biretrograde Functions Excentered hours and minutes, date, retrograde seconds and days Case Material 18K white gold Dial White pearled mother-of-pearl with blue varnish, applied rectangular indexes, date aperture. Strap White gold Diamond-Cut Setting Brilliant-cut Gem-Setting 673 brilliant-cut diamonds (~11.44 carats)