Video: Omega Moves Ahead with Liquidmetal® Technology

As watch companies forge ahead with new materials for cases and bracelets, as well as for movement parts, the race is on to find tougher, lighter-weight and ever more resilient materials that withstand the tests of time. Omega is one brand that has developed numerous materials, including a union of ceramics and Liquidmetal® that it utilizes in its Seamaster Planet Ocean Liquidmetal® Limited Edition watch.  This watch, which was unveiled last year but is just garnering major attention thanks to the technology behind it, is the world’s first to bond ceramics and Liquidmetal®. 

The Liquidmetal® alloy essentially consists of five elements: zirconium, titanium, copper, nickel and beryllium. Its amorphous metal structure enables it to bond seamlessly with the ceramic bezel. It appears silver and the look is a striking contrast to the black ceramic diving bezel and ceramic dial. The Liquidmetal® alloy is a metallic material whose fusion temperature is half that of conventional titanium alloys, but when cooled, its hardness is three times as great as stainless steel – making it a rugged dive watch. The timepiece is created in a limited edition of 1948 pieces (the year Omega unveiled its Seamaster line). To create this watch, the ceramic bezel rings are formed first; then the numbers and the fine lines of the minute scales are engraved into these ceramic bezel rings and polished. The alloy is heated and pressed into the cavities in the ceramic material, after which any excess Liquidmetal® is removed.

The OMEGA Seamaster Planet Ocean Liquidmetal® Limited Edition, with stainless steel case and bracelet, houses OMEGA’s self-winding COSC-certified chronometer Co-Axial caliber 2500. It is equipped with a unidirectional rotating bezel, helium escape valve and screw-in crown. The watch is water resistant to 2,000 feet. It retails for $5,700 – a small price to pay for a big leap in technology.

Watch this video to learn more about the LiquidMetal® Technology.

Trend Report: Multiple Time Zone Watches

IWC Portofino Dual Time with Automatic Caliber 64000In today’s hectic, fast-paced world, frequent travelers appreciate the ability to check the watch on their wrists and know the time not only where they are, but also where home is, as well. What’s more, business travelers often need to know the time in multiple markets. For this reason, many of the world’s finest watchmakers keep pace with today’s times – offering dual-time zone and triple-time zone watches, as well as multiple-zone indication watches, and watches with UTC (universal time coordinates) and GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) indications.
Not only are timepieces offering multiple zone readouts, and world time indications, but also with technology becoming so advanced in the watch world, the indications are ever more Vacheron Constantininventive.  Dual and triple time-zone watches feature hidden hands that are shown only when needed to indicate the extra zones, or feature extra digital display windows. Others offer the second time zone on a 24-hour subdial so one can always tell whether it is day or night, as well (such as in the new IWC Portofino Dual Time). What’s more, many watches offer quick- or instant-set buttons to allow for ease of changing times. With the world divided into 24 different time zones, starting at Greenwich, England, a GMT often allows for instantaneous viewing of the time in any of the different zones in the world, and can have the cities listed on the watch, or a world map for added beauty (as in Patek Philippe, or Vacheron Constantin). Some brands today are even offering half hour increments (such as Blancpain) and other special options such as the difference in time between one zone and another (Cartier’s Multifuseaux).
 

Time Capsules: News – Win Your Pilot’s License from Breitling; Or At Least Go Fly with Them

Breitling, Instruments for Professionals and long-time aviation watch expert, has announced an amazing photo contest that will let aviation enthusiasts and Breitling lovers enter to win a chance to fly with the Breitling Jet Team, or to win your pilot’s license. The Facebook Contest requires entrants to submit a photo that best captures the spirit of aviation. Submissions will be voted on by Breitling Facebook fans and by a panel of judges – including actor and pilot John Travolta, Breitling’s ambassador. Additional judges include professional air-to-air photographer Katsuhiko Tokunaga and aviation pioneer Yves “Jetman” Rossy. To enter, and for more details, visit Breitling at www.facebook.com/Breitling.

 

Commentary: Don’t Miss Madison Avenue Watch Week

Just a  couple of nights ago in New York City, I had the pleasure of joining watch collectors gathered at the Presidential Suite at the Surrey Hotel, along with Madison Avenue’s finest watch boutique brand executives and Wall Street Journal VIPS for an exclusive event to celebrate the start of one of the biggest watch events in New York City: Madison Avenue Watch Week,. Presented by the Wall Street Journal, Madison Avenue Watch Week officially starts on Monday (April 11), and is open to the public through Saturday, the 16th—with a host of exciting displays, informative sessions and watchmaking exhibitions. In the Wall Street Journal today, in the Greater New York section, is a trend report about the world of luxury timepieces for men and women that I wrote to guide the public and offer insight as a formal kick off for Madison Avenue Watch Week.
Participating in the week-long event are nearly 20 of the world’s premier timepiece flagship boutiques  located between 57th and 86th Streets, including Asprey, David Yurman, Collectors try on watches that will be on display during Madison Avenue Watch Week.Chopard, Blancpain, Montblanc, DeLaneau, Hublot, Damiani, F.P. Journe, Girard-Perregaux, Porsche, Graff, Breguet, Mauboussin, Vacheron Constantin and Georg Jensen.
The week is a celebration of haute horology for collectors and connoisseurs, during which time different brands will present artisan demonstrations, exhibitions of exclusive new collections, watchmaker highlights and presentations on collecting, trends, and new manufacturing directions. Additionally, a host of timepieces are on display from the recent SIHH and BaselWorld shows. The exhibition is brought by the Madison Avenue Business Improvement District (BID) and sponsored by The Wall Street Journal. A complete calendar of the week’s events can be found at www.Madisonavenuewatchweek.com.
 

Time Capsules: Product — Patek Philippe Unveils Its Ladies First Minute Repeater

Patek Philippe- long the leader in complex timepieces pays closer attention to women’s complexities this year with an extensive array of complicated women’s watches that run the gamut from a split-seconds chronograph to the ultimate, first-time-ever for the brand Minute Repeater. This alluring and inviting complication – the elaborate acoustical chiming timepiece – is the Ref. 7000, and houses multiple gongs to chime the hours, quarter hours and minutes on demand.

The Patek Philippe self-winding caliber with off-center mini-rotor in 22-karat gold is an ideal movement for the watch thanks to its small dimensions yet horological magnificence. The brand opted to house this caliber in the Officer’s style case with its classical and elegant look. Replacing a typical hinged-back cover, however, the watch features a sapphire caseback to reveal the melodious movement in all its glory.

The watch is the perfect blend of femininity and master craftsmanship – utilizing the finest materials and finishings. The 342-part movement consists of intricately finished and precisely placed toothed racks and wheels that move accurately into place to perfectly track and chime the time in uniformed successession. One master watchmaker is responsible for the assembly, adjustment and completion of each individual watch from start to completion, due to the patience and precision required for the assembling and adjusting of these complex pieces.

After the months-long journey of being built, when the watch is finished, but before it can be properly packaged for delivery to its owner – it must be tested by human ears for perfection. This is the job of the family owners of the brand: Thierry and Philippe Stern, who assume personal responsibility for the rich resonance of each 18-kart rose gold minute repeater.  This exclusive timepiece should retail for just about 350 Swiss francs.

 

Time Capsules: Product – Franck Muller Releases Giga Tourbillon

Franck Muller has long been known for exceptional tourbillon calibers and mega-sized timepieces. Now, however, the brand takes its expertise a step further and unveils the ultra-large tourbillon escapement in its Giga Tourbillon timepieces. The Caliber FM 2100 manually wound mechanical movement   with a 20mm diameter tourbillon was months in the development stages. The tourbillon escapement encompasses half of the oversized Cintree’ Curvex watch – twice the size of a typical tourbillon escapement. This allows for a dramatic view of the fantastic watchmaking feat. 

Additionally, the movement of this Franck Muller watch is reversed, with the bridges on the dial side and the hour setting and winding at the base. The 25-jewel, 240-part movement offers 10 days of power reserve. In fact, the 10-day power reserve, which is displayed at 12:00, is provided via four barrels: two pairs of spring barrels. Each pair is mounted in series and provides the constant force needed for the Giga Tourbillon to operate at the 18,000 vibrations per hour that it beats at.  The large spiral (CGS 10.6) necessary to keep the balance wheel oscillating at its speed was also developed in house by the Franck Muller Group. The watch is offered in skeleton version to reveal the mechanism in all its beauty, and is available in black steel ($223,600), 18-karat white gold ($244,200) or in platinum ($264,700).  Indulge.

Watch Stops 2011: BaselWorld – Boucheron Spreads Its Wings

Known for centuries as one of the great innovators in the jewelry world, the great House of Boucheron has teamed with Girard-Perregaux to bring timepieces of haute horology and haute joaillerie to the surface time and again. The brand’s newest one-of-a-kind Hera Tourbillon is an amazing example of beauty and awe that demonstrates the French brand’s amazing savoir-faire.

 Beating at the heart of this peacock timepiece is one of the most iconic movements in the history of watch making, the instantly recognizable Three gold Bridges Tourbillon from Girard-Perregaux. The mechanism is set with two different shades of green tourmalines, along with diamonds, to create the body of the peacock. A ring of 52 round-cut diamonds encircles the watch case to form the body of the alluring sculpted peacock, whose feathers are set en-tremblant – meaning they move with wearer’s movements. The Peacock consists of more than 35 carats of diamonds, Paraiba tourmalines and sapphires. In fact, the entire bracelet is set with 271 diamonds, 868 blue sapphires, 426 purple sapphires, 310 tourmaline Paraibas and one blue cabochon sapphire.

 The now iconic Three gold Bridges Tourbillon movement is a descendant of the caliber Constant Girard-Perregaux presented at the 1889 Paris Universal Exhibition. It garnered a gold medal for the master watchmaker the same year that Frédéric Boucheron was also an award winner in the jewelry competition. Before being embellished by Boucheron’s renowned craftsmen (with 160 tourmalines and 18 diamonds), the mechanism has been hand-finished to the highest standards. The tourbillon alone weighs 0.3 grams, has 72 different components that fit within a one centimeter diameter. The Girard-Perregaux GP 9700.0A movement is an automatic wind calibre that beats at 21,600 vibrations per hour. The magnificent watch is expected to retail for just under $1 million.

  

 

Watch Stops 2011: BaselWorld – Jacob & Co. Makes Cyclones Desirable

 

Since its entry onto the watch scene, the Jacob & Co. brand has been an edgy –often provocative and talked about – brand. From its Five Time Zone watches with their bold colors and big bling to the Crystal and Quentin Tourbillons that made headlines, the brand continues to collaborate with top Swiss firms to pull out all the stops. This year, Jacob & Co. unveils another alluring watchmaking feat — the Cyclone Tourbillon.

In this watch, the tourbillon escapement and the automatic winding system are completely integrated, with the tourbillon carriage mounted as a satellite on the oscillating mass of the automatic winding system (which has been moved from the back of the watch to the dial side).Thus, as the tourbillon escapement swings freely around the dial with the wearer’s movements, the winding system is engaged – fully powering up the watch. Additionally, the system provides a visually stimulating appeal. 

The horological work was two years in the making and is the result of a collaboration between Jacob & Co. and Swiss complications specialist La Fabrique de Temps, under the direction of Michel Navas and Enrico Barbasini, the N and B of the former  BNB movement manufacture. The 48-jewel, 345-part movement, Caliber LFT 108, features a bidirectional winding system with 45 hours of power reserve. Devoid of a conventional dial, the watch incorporates the hour, minute and small seconds display direction onto the upper plate of the movement.

The watch is created in a limited edition of 36 pieces for worldwide distribution. It is built in a 60-part case crafted of white and rose gold. The first one will be available on the market late this fall, and while the retail price has not yet been established, one can rest assured that this bold beauty will be priced somewhere in the $360,000 or higher realm.

Time Capsules: News — Sotheby’s Upcoming New York Auction Brings Hope

Next week, Sotheby’s Important Watches and Clocks Auction in New York on April 13 will feature a host of watches and clocks dating back from the 16th century to current best watchmakers. Works include automatons, singing bird clocks, and watches from today’s greats such as Urwerk == as well as many of the best in between. One of the highlights is Lot 148 — a 1966 Vacheron Constantin 18-karat yellow gold bracelet watch that was presented to astronaut Walter Cunningham by Bob Hope.  

Expected to sell for between $10,000 and $20,000, the manual-wind watch features a 17-jewel movement stamped with the seal of Geneva, a gilt engine-turned dial, applied baton indexes, an enlarged engine-turned bezel, and an engraved inscription on the outside of the case back that reads: ‘To Walt, Thanks for the Memory, Bob Hope.’ (Referring to what would become known as Hope’s signature song.)

It is important to note that this watch was not worn in outer space. It is, however, being sold with a flown Apollo 7 beta patch from Astronaut Walt Cunningham’s mission, featuring a hand-written inscription from Cunningham reading, “Carried with me on the flight of Apollo 7 – Walt Cunningham.”

 The crew of Apollo 7 appeared on a Bob Hope television special in November 1968, only ten days after they splashed down. A few months later, in the spring of 1969, the three astronauts did a second show with Hope on stage in the Oakland Coliseum. Before this performance, Hope presented Cunningham with this watch as thanks for his work in the Apollo program, and for the successful television show from the previous fall.

 

 

Weekend Sojourn: Chopard Reveals its Continued Animal World Instincts

From the sublime chocolate diamond bear ring, to the adorable yellow diamond quacky duck ring – to the absolutely unbelievably magical peacock cuff bracelet—Chopard has demonstrated this year  more than ever before that its animal instincts are right on target.  In its haute Joaillerie collection, the brand releases extraordinary new pieces to the Animal World series that steal hearts and minds, and remind us that this brand has a commitment to nature.

The newest creations are the sum of master designers, stone polishers, setters, and hand crafters who bring generations of research and knowledge to the forefront thanks to the imagination of Caroline Gruosi-Scheufele of Chopard and her team.

The sparkling duck floats in a blue topaz pool, white the peacock sits majestically on the wrist clad in diamonds, sapphires, Paraiba tourmalines, tsavorites and emeralds. In fact, this bracelet took hundreds of hours of study and work to create its structured body with more than 50 floating feathers of 7,500 diamonds and gems. The work is magnificent and the result – ever more alluring.