Watch Stops: BaselWorld 2012 H. Moser & Cie Unveils Meridian Dual Time

The Schaffhausen-based Swiss watch brand has done it again – brought luxury, technological advancement and purity of looks to the forefront in the new Meridian Dual Time watch.

Offeredin platinum or in stunning 18-karat rose gold (for approximately $38,500), the alluring watch houses  an automatic manufacture mechanical movement HMC 346.121, with 29 jewels , and three days of  power reserve. The intricate movement is built with a patented winding system with two fixed stops, an automatic pawl winding system, Moser tooth system in the wheel train and pinion, Moser interchangeable escapement, and an original Straumann hairspring with stabilizer.

The elegant watch displays hours, minutes and seconds in local time, with the second time zone indicated by a center red hour hand. It also offers 12- and 24-hour display.

Watch Stops: BaselWorld 2012: Ulysse Nardin Makes Waves with New Marine Chronometer Housing Proprietary UN 118 In-House Made Caliber

Last year, Ulysse Nardin announced the brand’s newest in-house-made caliber, the UN 118. It was not yet finished and housed in a case. Now, it is – and this is one sweet looking piece that is loaded with patents and accomplishments.

The escapement of Caliber 118 is produced in collaboration between Ulysse Nardin and Sigatec in Sion, Switzerland. Sigatec is the only company in the world capable of producing high-precision components both in Silicium and DIAMonSIL; a nanotechnology which has taken many years to develop. DIAMonSIL is a revolutionary alliance of silicium and man-made diamond. It is an extremely light but hard material that eliminates friction and removes the need for lubrication of the escapement –a watchmaker’s dream.

Caliber 118 features a patented DIAMonSil escapement, in-house produced oscillator (that was patented in 2007) fitted with a silicium 1.1.1 hairspring. The COSC-certified movement is comprised of 248 pieces and 50 jewels, and offers 60 hours of power reserve. It is fitted in an all-new Marine Chronometer case and is being built in titanium and steel and in titanium and ceramic, there will also be a series in rose gold with an in-house-made (by Donze’ Cadrans, which the brand now owns) enamel dial..

The Caliber 118is not the first in-house crated, developed and built movement, but it is the first to go into more than just an extremely limited series. It also has the possibilities to add more complications in the future. As such, it marks the beginning of a new era for the brand.

“With this movement we prove we can remain independent – it is a tremendous step for us,” says Patrik Hoffmann, CEO of Ulysse Nardin. “So this is the start of a new era for us because we are really turning now to in-house production, not of a few hundred pieces a year, but of a few thousand.”

Watch Stops: BaselWorld 2012 Begins!

It’s here! That amazing time of year when the best of the best in luxury watches comes to the forefront. BaselWorld 2012 – starts tomorrow with a complete day of press conferences and announcements.

 The long-anticipated, easily most important watch exhibition in the world, has arrived once again. This week, the watch world converges in Basel: throngs of watch and jewelry brands, international press, retailers and collectors will mingle and share in the excitement. The show officially opens on Thursday, with thousands of watch and jewelry brands exhibiting their newest, greatest and latest pieces — some that have taken years and years of research to bring to fruition.

For a solid week, we will meet with watchmakers, company executives, designers and some behind-the-scenes folks. We will review entire new collections, and will do our best to bring some flavor of the fair to our avid readers during the show. Naturally, we will continue to bring new pieces to you afterwards, as well. (Meanwhile, we are foregoing our Weekend Sojourns during BaselWorld, in order to bring more wonderful timepieces into the limelight.)  Stay Tuned.

Trend Report: Pilot Watches Take Off

photo by Kenji TomaOne of the hottest categories of timepieces on the market today is pilot watches. While the concept of synchronizing crew watches to the navigator’s watch may have taken a back seat to today’s cockpit instrumentation, the look and quality of a true pilot’s watch remains steadfast and in demand.

 Typically, today’s pilot and aviation watches are rugged instruments housing many necessary functions. Generally, a pilot’s watch is a COSC-certified chronometer. Examined by the Swiss observatory, Controle Official Suisse des Chronometres (COSC), these watches undergo rigorous testing over a period of time in extreme temperatures, changes in gravitational forces and other stringent conditions (see sidebar on chronometers). In addition to chronometer precision, pilot’s watches are usually antimagnetic, shock resistant, and offer functions such as compass abilities, slide rule bezels and multiple time zones or GMT indication. Additionally, measurement devices such as altimeters, telemeter scales (to measure distance), tachymeter scales (to measure speed), or chronographs (to measure continuous or discontinuous intervals of time) often come in handy. Easily the most important factor in a pilot watch, however, is readability: clean, crisp dials with luminous hands and markers.

A host of great brands offer top pilot’s watches, including Rolex, Alpina, and Breitling, Bell & Ross, Bremont, Hamilton, IWC, Tutima and others. (Portions of this piece are excerpts from Niche Media March issues.)

Time Capsules: News – Nilson Defies Odds in Pole2Pole Expedition wearing Zenith

There’s no telling what drives us; what passion ignites us. Clearly conquering a challenge and being the first to do so had to inspire Swedish environmentalist explorer Johan Ernst Nilson – who, despite frozen toes and broken ribs – recently crossed the globe from North to South in his Pole2Pole expedition.

Throughout his 10-month trek through some of the world’s most brutal territories, Nilson encountered two hurricanes and a host of obstacles. Making his way predominantly on foot, Nilson started his journey on skis, pulling a sled of equipment behind him. Later he would use a sail, a dogsled, a bike and a kite-slide over the ice. He endured extreme low temperatures in the North and South, with Mexico desert highs and jungle humidities of untold proportions. He suffered heat stroke and frostbite – but remained undaunted. On February 17, 2012, Nilson successfully crossed every latitude on the globe, finally reaching the South Pole.

Keeping him on track and timing his expedition was a Zenith watch – -the same brand that accompanied Roald Amundsen on his South Pole expeditions. The faithful Zenith companion on Nilson’s wrist – that also weathered the elements – was a special limited edition El Primero Flyback Stratos.

How Dive Watches Have Evolved

Being at sea is dangerous; having a good watch might be helpful, especially if it is the Breitling Emergency.

Perhaps taken for granted, the phrase, “just in the nick of time” is one with real meaning behind it. We regularly hear of rescues at sea – -but we don’t typically hear about the timepieces behind those events. In 1997, the crew of the Mata-Rangi expedition, on a reed raft en route from Chile to Polynesia, met with disaster when they encountered a storm and their raft was sinking. Without radio contact for days, the crew was equipped with Breitling Emergency watches (with a transmitter built in that broadcasts a distress signal to rescuers) and all were saved thanks to this highly technical timepiece.
Today’s maritime watches are functional, precise instruments that offer a lot more than the time and are meant to withstand the toughest elements.  The first truly water-resistant watch came about in 1927 when Mercedes Gleitze swam the cold waters of the English Channel for more than 10 hours wearing a Rolex watch. She and the watch emerged functioning fine. That watch was named the Rolex Oyster.
More than three decades later, another Rolex was strapped to the hull of the bathyscaphe Trieste, which ventured to the deepest point of the world ever visited – the Mariana Trench. The Trieste went down 35, 798 feet with the specially made Rolex attached to it. Again, the watch emerged working fine. Over the years, a host of top brands have built watches for elite corps. Panerai — Royal Italian Navy with watches; Tutima — NATO; Jaeger-LeCoultre — the Navy SEALs; etc.
photo by Kenji Toma
 
Dive watches should be water resistant to at least a Diver’s International Organization for Standardization (ISO) rating of 200 meters to 300 meters.  Often dive watches are COSC-certified chronometers (watches that have undergone rigorous testing in various positions and under different conditions of pressure, temperature, depth and gravity, usually by the Controle Official Suisse des Chronometres (COSC) observatory over a period of time).
 Most watches are also equipped with a features (sometimes patented)  such as double- or triple-locked winding crowns, additional gaskets for water resistance, helium escape valves, silicone O rings, extra large crowns, graduated one-way rotating bezels that click into place and measure elapsed time under water, and double-locked bracelet clasps. Some dive watches indicate bottom time, measure elapsed time, have an alarm function that can be sensed under water and even come with interchangeable bracelets or straps with extensions so the watch can be worn over the wet suit. Color also plays a role in diving, but only to limited depths. Red and orange disperse first, typically at a depth of about 30 feet, when these colors turn gray. Yellow lasts longer and blue is the color that says visible the longest- to depths of 200 to 300 feet before they are not readable. Luminescence is therefore key. (Portions of this article appear in Niche Media’s Ocean Drive and LA Confidential this month.)
 

Time Capsules: Ludovic Ballouard's Unusual Style

Want to learn more about a very interesting watchmaker? My friend and colleague Meehna Goldsmith covers Ludovic Ballouard from a really different perspective.  According to Meehna, Ballouard “sees the world from a topsy-turvy perspective. Looking like a mad genius with his longish hair and impish smile, you might get the idea he could play the villain in an action film. He’s certainly got the genius and ingenuity to foil the bad guys. You can just picture him tinkering over his workbench inventing devious contraptions. Fortunately, Mr. Ballouard channels all his energy into making watches that are unlike anything else on the market. And he happens to be a really nice guy.”

Ballouard’s watches have a very cool design element and are quite complex too. For more on this wwatch wiz, please visit http://www.watchmatchmaker.com/1_mens_watches/ludovic-ballouard-cuts-time-in-half.html.

Time Capsules: Commentary — The Academy Awards — Results are In

Photo by: Pascal LeSegretain, WireImageLast night at the 84th Academy Awards, French actor Jean Dujardin received an Oscar as Best Actor for his role in the film “The Artist.”  On his wrist:  a Jaeger-LeCoultre Memovox Tribute to Deep Sea watch, a re-edition of  the world’s  first diver’s watch equipped with an alarm function. The new series is created in a limited edition of 959 pieces.

 Michel Hazanavicius, winner of the Oscar for Best Director (“The Artist”) wore Chopard, and actually looked at his watch while on stage!  Great for them. The question is, do we care what they wear?   

Weekend Sojourn: Celebrating the Oscars

Photo courtesy of WireImageOscar weekend—stars, jewels, gowns and glitter.  For many it’s about who wins tonight. For others, it’s about what they wear to the  Oscars and on stage.  Last night Chopard – jeweler to the stars – and the Weinstein Company celebrated the 2012 Academy Awards with a star-studded pre-Oscars soirée.

 As Official Partner of the Cannes Film Festival and founder of the Chopard Trophy honoring young acting talents in Cannes every year, Chopard, Swiss jewelry and watchmaker is the official partner of The Weinstein Company’s major 2012 events in connection with the most prestigious international awards ceremonies and film festivals. Among those not only in attendance, but also sparkling in Chopard jewelry were Georgina Chapman, Malin Ackerman, Missi Pyle, Penelope Ann Miller, Bar Refaeli, Dolores and Carmen Chapli. Seen here is the lovely actress, Missi Pyle – bedecked in Chopard.

Watch Stops: Pre BaselWorld 2012 – Harry Winston Wows us with Histoire de Tourbillon 3

There are tourbillons and then there are tourbillons. Once again, Harry Winston pulls out all the stops with its incredible third watch in the Histoire de Tourbillon series begun in 2009. The tourbillon (French for Whirlwind) is a watch lover’s dream thanks to the many and varied new evolutions of this rare escapement, which compensates for the effects of gravity on timekeeping when the wrist is in different positions. Harry Winston’s newest piece –slated to be unveiled in BaselWorld in March – is a true visionary piece.

It features three tourbillon escapements in action on one dial! Beautifully choreographed, two rotating escapements guide the time. Each rotates at a different speed to defy gravity in all positions. Created in a limited edition of 20, the elongated horizontal rectangular case is created in white gold and Zalium® and features three dial openings that are all completely independent yet linked.  At 9:00 there is a bi-axial double tourbillon whose outer cage rotates once every 120 seconds, while the inner cage revolves every 40 seconds. At 6:00 a single-axis tourbillon rotates in 36 seconds. An architectural delight, the watch movement consists of 479 parts, but the case is amazingly alluring as well. The watch offers 50 hours of power reserve and has not yet been priced.