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ARMIN STROM ORBIT – MANUFACTURE EDITION

Sharmila Bertin

Everyday utility for a comprehensive reference in time, the date display is traditionally provided by an aperture or a hand counter... but not for Armin Strom! Indeed, the Biel-based brand, known for its avant-garde approach to watchmaking, has an innovative interpretation of the date display, directly inscribed on the black ceramic bezel of its new watch. After the success of the Orbit - First Edition model in March 2022, limited to only 25 pieces, it is now unveiling a version in the System 78 collection, with a limited production run: Orbit – Manufacture Edition. Housed in a steel case measuring 43.4 mm in diameter and set at a frequency of 3.5hz, the ASS20 calibre with automatic winding by micro-rotor has a mainspring with equal force, providing 72 hours of power reserve and incorporating a column wheel to control the date. This can be viewed thanks to a long hand finished with a red arrow bearing the A of Armin Strom. There are two positions: fixed at 12 o'clock or active thanks to the push-button at 10 o'clock on the case. A first press activates the date display, a second press resets it to zero. A retrograde mechanism enables a direct shift from 31 to 1. At 9 o'clock, a black-lacquered sub-dial houses the hours and minutes coated with Super-LumiNova® incorporating a small seconds sub-dial. A steel link wristband fitted with a folding clasp enables this sporty watch to be fastened to the wrist.

PANERAI LUMINOR LUNA ROSSA

Sharmila Bertin

Panerai and the sea. A love affair lasting for more than a century. Indeed, the Florentine watchmaker has always enjoyed close ties with the ocean world. More particularly with the Italian military navy, to which it has been a supplier of precise instruments since the 1900s. In 2017, it entered into a partnership with the Luna Rossa team taking part in the next America's Cup, the prestigious sailing competition to be held in Barcelona in September and October 2024. Ever inspired by the Great Blue, Panerai is unveiling a series of Luminor Luna Rossa watches produced in a limited edition of 1,500 pieces. The colour palette chosen for the aesthetics of this watch gives it a harmonious look. A matte white dial is curved with an hour circle composed of long hour markers and large grey Arabic numerals emitting a green phosphorescence in the dark. The same shade of Super-LumiNova® can also be found on the body of the central hands displaying the hours and minutes. The only vivid touch in this ocean of froth is the small seconds hand at 9 o'clock, with its curved pointer varnished with vermilion. Housed in a 44 mm steel case highlighted by a crown-protector bridge on its right-hand side, the hand-wound P.6000 calibre beats at a rate of 21,600 vibrations per hour, providing a threeday power reserve. The watch is worn on a wristband that combines rubber and textile marked with a bright red central stripe with the Luna Rossa logo in white, closing with a steel pin buckle.