Time Capsules: Product – Tissot Celebrates 100 years of the Jungfraubahn Railways in

One of the most famous railways in Switzerland, the Jungfraubahn, celebrates its 100th anniversary this year – in August 2012. This is the highest elevation railway and brings tourists to the top of Jungfrau, one of the most famed mountains in Switzerland. To celebrate, the Swiss Tourism board is offering all sorts of incentives to visit the mountain and use the railway. Additionally, Tissot has launched a line of watches to commemorate the anniversary. The collection retails from $250 to $975 and includes basic steel bracelet quartz watches, a mechanical pocket watch and the famed T-Touch – now in a T-Touch II Jungfraubahn rendition. This quartz watch offers digital readouts, as well, with a touch screen and anti-magnetic titanium case. Touch functions include Meteo, altimeter, chronograph, compass, thermometer, two alarms, a second time zone indication and perpetual calendar. It is also backlit and available with a brown leather strap or orange silicone strap.  This super cool watch retails for $975, but remember, you are getting so much more than just the time!

 

Watch Stops: Pre-SIHH — Richard Mille Unveils New In-House CRMA1 Caliber

Just in time for SIHH in Geneva, Richard Mille announces his all new CRMA1 caliber – available in titanium, red or white gold case. The new movement is a skeletonized automatic with hours, minutes and adjustable rotor geometry. The base plate and bridges are made of titanium with Titalyt treatment to offer stronger rigidity. Bridges are also made of titanium but in black PVD finish. The watch is equipped with ceramic ball bearings and offers a bidirectional winding system.  It features a new rotor with variable inertia that allows the rotor to be set according to the owner’s activity level. The rotor setting is modified by adjusting the two weights. Inertia of the 25-jewel movement is increased when the 2 weights are closer to each other, as the barrel rewinds more quickly. If the weights are positioned to the extremities of the rotor, the inertia is decreased, since the barrel winds more slowly. This free sprung balance with variable inertia guarantees greater reliability when subjected to shock.

Breaking News: Hublot unveils new Magic Gold alloy to make gold timepieces scratch resistant!!

We’ve seen scratch resistant ceramic in the watch industry, but now Hublot brings luxury gold to a new level – just as it brought rubber  to all-new heights in the early 1980’s when it was the first watch brand to unveil a rubber-strapped luxury timepiece. Now, the brand has developed – in collaboration with  EFPL (the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology) and alloy of precious 24-karat gold  and high tech materials that make the resulting certified 18-karat gold scratch resistant. Three years in the making, the new type of gold has several patents pending.  Thus far, a new watch has not been unveiled in the noble material –but we can all Hublot CEO, Jean-Claude BIver, shows off the new Magic Gold.expect to see the product in a few months at BaselWorld.
Graded as 18-karat gold by the Central Office for Precious Metals Control,  Hublot’s Magic Gold is the world’s first scratch-resistant gold. Whereas “standard” high-quality 18-karat gold can reach 400 on the Vickers hardness scale, Hublot’s new  gold has a hardness rating of almost 1000 Vickers (most hardened steels are up to 600 Vickers). This makes Hublot gold the hardest in the world. Components (cases, bezels, bracelets, etc.) made from this material are produced using a complex process: boron carbide powder is formed by cold isostatic pressing in moulds very close in shape to the finished part. The preforms are then hardened at very high temperatures to create a rigid, porous structure without altering the shape. After this, molten liquid gold is injected under very high pressure and temperature to ensure that the molten metal fills the pores in the ceramic, causing the two to “fuse” into a single new material. The resulting 18-karat Magic Gold, like other 18-karat alloys, is composed of 750 parts pure gold out of 1000. Hublot has completed the experimental stage for its new gold and acquired the means to produce the material entirely in its own Manufacture, thanks to a high-tech foundry.  This could get really interesting!! Stay tuned for news on the new product…
 

Time Capsules: Product- Chopard teams with Walt Disney

These 30mm and 36mm Happy Mickey watches are crafted in stainless steel with mother-of-pearl dials and diamonds and gemstones spinning freely. The Happy Mickey collection has arrived! Yes — lovers of Chopard’s Happy Diamonds watches and jewelry now have the infamous mouse to celebrate in “happy” style, as Chopard joins forces with Walt Disney to present a small but perfectly honed Happy Mickey line of watches and jewelry. The collection includes a wonderful array of fresh, colorful creations in white or rose gold – from necklaces and pendants to bracelets, earrings and Happy Sport watches.

A Timely Event: Breguet Celebrates 200th Anniversary of First Wristwatch in Geneva

In January, 2012, in Geneva, Breguet opens an exhibition entitled “1810-1812, Breguet makes the first wristwatch, fit for a Queen.” The exhibition pays homage to the Queen of Naples and celebrates the 200th anniversary of the first wristwatch on record –made over a two-year period culminating in 1812. The watch was ordered in 1810 by Caroline Murat, sister of Napoleon and Queen of Naples. To date, the watch has not been found, but Brogue’s extensive archives tell the story of its creation.  The exhibition also celebrates the 10th anniversary of Breguet’s Reine de Naples watch collection for women, with so many exceptional current mechanical beauties on display. The Exhibition will be held at La Cit du Temps, from January 16 through February 12, open daily 9 am to 6 pm with free admission. It promises to immerse the visitor in historical archives and insight into Abraham-Louis Breguet’s artful sense.

THE DAY BEFORE CHRISTMAS

‘Twas the day before Christmas, when all through the watch world,
Not a watchmaker was stirring, no machines whirled;
The tools were all placed on the benches with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
The collectors were nestled all snug in their beds,
 While visions of tourbillons and repeaters danced in their heads;
Most writers were laying their pens to rest,
Some bloggers still commenting; and I’m doing my best,
Sitting at the computer, donning my thinking cap,
For me there would be no long winter’s nap.
Then out on the lawn there arose quite a clatter,
I sprang from my chair to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
What was interrupting my thoughts with such dash!
The wind was whipping but thankfully no snow
My lighted reindeer were blown over again – Oh No!
When, nothing else to my wondering eyes did appear,
No miniature sleigh, or eight tiny reindeer,
No a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I returned to my writing and forgot about St. Nick.
Although it is Christmas Eve Day
My blog is quite new, so I must post away.
Shall I write of watch news, of products, of time?
Or shall I tell readers of new technology so sublime?
I thought of the brands and all they create —
Of master thinkers and how they innovate.
I thought of the watchmakers who craft with perfection —
Their main idea — cutting-edge new direction.
Should I write of the thinkers, the doers, the leaders?
Should I write of their products, their causes, their readers?
Oh, the pace in the watch world as rapid as ever,
I can’t miss a beat in this social-media endeavor.
And as I strive to conceive of the perfect feature for the day,
Somehow the hours whiled away.
With my passion for watches lighting my way,
I somehow forgot it was Christmas Eve Day.
But then I was jolted by my kids and my dogs
“Stop writing, now. No one’s reading the blogs!”
So I close the computer, and bid my adieu
And end with a very Merry Christmas to you.

(some things are worth repeating)

 

Style Watch: Philip Stein Watches – Feel Good with Prestige Cocktail

For those who are looking to feel a little better, a little less stressed and a little less tired, many would suggest you try out a Philip Stein watch, equipped with a “Natural Frequency Disk” — a thin metal plate that is said to help balance energy flow in the body and increase resistance to stress. There’s no nicer way to wear it, either than with this Prestige Cocktail watch that offers dual time zone and stunning double tour red strap. The watch features a natural white mother-of-pearl dial enhanced with 32 diamonds   the case is set with another 112 diamond brilliants. A beautiful statement and the possibility for better body balance. I’ve tried out the Philip Stein watches — wearing them for several months and I must admit- maybe it’s psychological but I feel better with it on.

Time Capsules: Product—Tutima Watches – Yachting Chronograph – The perfectly timed gift

We’ve had a lot of focus on women’s watches recently, as so many readers emailed asking for gift ideas for the woman in their lives. However, men may want a great gift, too. For those who love yachting, sailing and regattas, this Tutima Yachting Chronograph offers precision, performance and personality. Tutima has been an official NATO supplier since 1985, and is incredibly well known for its aviation and dive timepieces.  Now, the brand unveils the Tutima Yachting Chronograph with 15-minute regatta counter in three different colored sections for easy reading. The yellow hand is designed to resemble the hull of a racing yacht, and indicates the progression to the start of the race. The titanium watch with bi-directional locking compass bezel is water and pressure resistant to 200 meters.  

Style Watch: Bulgari Watches — The Mediterranean Garden of Eden is Bliss

 Bulgari, a brand we love to cover, is magnificently versed in creating stunning jewelry and great timepieces. Its Mediterranean Garden of Eden series is a perfect blend of both haute joaillerie and watchmaking. The three watches in the series are hidden, or secret timepieces. Each features a decorative gem set case cover that – when closed – makes the 18-karat gold watch the perfect jewelry statement. Slide the cover aside to reveal the beautiful dial beneath. In the new book, Jewels of Time, Roberta Naas features the stunning multi-colored gem set version. Here we bring you the elegant pearl- and diamond-set model, complete with stunning mother-of-pearl dial. It is a 40mm beauty with a quartz movement customized for Bulgari. Retailing for $32,800, it is beautiful to look at but even more precious to wear!!

Watch Stops: Pre-SIHH – A. Lange & Sohne Unveils New Datograph Benchmark

I remember well the day that A. Lange & Sohne’s top executives unveiled to the world – and showed me in person — the brand’s Datograph – the quintessential chronograph. It was in 1999, not long after the brand had made the decision to re-enter the market after the reunification of Germany. It was a moment that was wonderfully exciting, as the Datograph offered technical features, harmonious dial and superb German watchmaking – all in a chronograph with 60 hours of power reserve and a proprietary oscillation system.

Now, the newest Datograph AUF/AB – slated to be shown to the world in Geneva in January at the SIHH show – shines in a large 41mm platinum case. The watch houses many of the same attributes that made the first Datograph, and those subsequent to it, a global success: classic column-wheel caliber with a precisely jumping minute counter, flyback function, and large outsized date united with an exemplary chronograph with bright subdials. Additionally, the engineers at Lange have further refined the watch, adding hour markers instead of Roman numerals to emphasize its clear design.  The watch is powered by the Lange Manufacture caliber L951.6 manually wound movement – made according to Lange’s strict quality standards. The movement consists of 451 pars and 46 jewels, with bridges and plates made of untreated German silver—exceptional quality. The meticulously finished movement is visible via a sapphire crystal caseback. This is one watch I personally look forward to seeing in up close … Stay tuned.