Hmm…
I like and appreciate the new Breitling Navitimer Caliber 01 that was unveiled earlier this week. This “thing”, however, is another story. I’ve never been a fan of the Bentley for Breitling series in general, but the green rubber strap and matching green chapter ring on the dial of this new Breitling for Bentley GMT Chronograph looks tacky. Breitling likens the color to the “British Racing Green colour characteristic of the finest English racing cars” and says that the watch will “[serve] as an international ambassador of the time-honoured British automobile tradition.” Let’s just say that I can think of more, ahem, tasteful ways to celebrate Bentley’s launch of the new Continental GT.
What about you — do you like this watch? Why or why not? I’d love to hear your opinion — drop a comment below or on our Facebook page or on Twitter (@perpetuelle).
Breitling Bentley GMT Chronograph (Limited Edition of 1,000)
Bentley Continental GT
Exquisite…
The IWC Portuguese family of watches pays tribute to the remarkable seafarers of Portugal, but this particular Portuguese is a tribute to the founder of IWC, F.A. Jones. This limited edition skeleton watch is equipped with the hand-wound IWC Calibre 98910 movement, and well, let’s just say the pictures speak for themselves…
As an aside, I’d like to stack this next to the Armin Strom Blue Chip Skeleton I reviewed a few months ago…now wouldn’t that be fun!
IWC Portuguese F.A. Jones Skeleton
Limited Edition of 50 pieces in platinum ($58,000 per)
IWC Portuguese F.A. Jones Skeleton
100 pieces in rose gold ($43,000 per)
Early last month, New York Yankee Alex Rodriguez hit his 600th homer and joined an exclusive club of 6 others who have reached this homerun mark. On Wednesday, September 22nd — at Yankee stadium — Hublot Americas Chief Beatrice De Quervain and Manfredi Jewels boss Roberto Chiappelloni presented A-Rod with a one-of-a-kind Hublot Big Bang King Power Black Magic in honor of the milestone homer. The irony here is that Hublot and Manfredi are probably far more excited proud of this watch than A-Rod. Seriously — the guy has the means to own basically any super luxury watch on the planet, and I’m sure he owns quite a few nice pieces already. I think it would have been more fitting to give the watch to Frankie Bilibonia, the guy who caught the ball, but hey, that’s just me (I pull for the underdog).
Big Bang King Power Black Magic “A-Rod” Edition
48mm black ceramic case and bezel, split second timer, power reserve
Here’s the back: A-Rod signature, “Yankee logo”. No word yet on whether the watch has the “NSF Certified for Sport” mark on it.
by Kyle Stults on September 28, 2010
Vacheron’s European “Special Edition” Tour Continues…
The Vacheron Constantin Overseas Chronograph watch is a personal favorite of mine, particularly when it is a nice looking special edition such as this one — the “Pisa” edition, produced for Milan, Italy-based watch retailer Pisa Orologeria. Lately, Vacheron Constantin has announced several special edition Overseas Chronos for ceratin European markets, specifically Turkey and Greece. And now it adds Italy to the list. Actually this is a boutique-specific model, but close enough for me to say it is for Italy in general. This particular watch and its black/steel color theme is by far my favorite version of the three.
Vacheron Constantin Overseas Chronograph “Pisa” Special Edition
42mm stainless steel case with either rubber or croc strap. The dial is matte black with luminous indices. Limited Edition of 20 pieces. Price is 14,000 EUR.
Look closely and you will see the special dial markings…can you see them? [answer below]
“P …. I …. S …. A”
Photos Credit: The Hour Lounge.
Today — in a rather odd place but with a rather familar face — Breitling (see all our coverage of the brand here) announced the introduction of a limited edition series, the Breitling Navitimer Caliber 01. Available in steel (2,000 pieces) and red gold (200 pieces), this limited edition Navitimer leverages Breitling’s first in-house movement introduced by the brand just last year, the COSC-certified Caliber 01. The Navitimer Caliber 01 is distinguished by its slightly broader diameter (43mm vs. standard 42mm) and its transparent caseback (a rarely used feature for Breitling) . The red gold piece is particularly attractive to me. The watches will hit the market Spring 2011 with pricing set at $7,475 (steel) and $17,705 (red gold).
Breitling Navitimer Caliber 01
Red Gold – limited edition of 200 pieces
If you are not intimately familiar with what has become a cult watch amongst pilots and aviation watch enthusiasts, here is a bit of history on the Breitling Navitimer. It was first introduced in 1952. Its defining feature is the circular slide rule which, prior to the advent of modern electronics, was capable of performing a variety of important flight calculations. The Navitimer is (was?) the official watch of AOPA (Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association). A “Cosmonaute” version of the Navitimer accompanied Scott Carpenter on his orbital flight aboard the Aurora 7 capsule (1962), thus becoming the first spacegoing wrist chronograph. Breitling also claims that “Continuously made since 1952, the Navitimer is the world’s oldest mechanical chronograph still in production.”
Breitling Navitimer Caliber 01
Steel – limited edition of 2,000 pieces
And here is a look at the backside of the watch…
Did you know?
In 2009, Breitling laid a major milestone in its history by joining the exclusive circle of the rare watch companies to have their own mechanical chronograph movement. This was a logical culminating point for a brand that is one of the leaders in this complication and has played a crucial role in its technical development through several key inventions: the first independent pushpiece (1915); separation of the stop/start and reset functions (1923); creation of the second independent pushpiece for zero-resetting (1934); and the launch of the very first selfwinding chronograph (1969). Caliber 01, the first movement entirely developed and produced in the Breitling workshops, was first used to power an exclusive new version of the leading Chronomat model, duly named Chronomat 01. Breitling now introduces it within another watchmaking icon, the famous Navitimer which proudly embodies the brand’s aeronautical vocation. (via Breitling).
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Check out Perpetuelle.com’s new pre-owned marketplace:
Earlier today, Blancpain and Lamborghini jointly announced the launch of the world-exclusive Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4 Blancpain Edition. This new road car, closely based on the racing model featured in the Super Trofeo competitions, is issued in a limited edition representing a major first in the history of relations between the watchmaking and automobile industries.
Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4 Blancpain Edition
Zero to 100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 3.4 seconds…flies past the 200 km/h (124 mph) mark only 6.8 seconds later, ultimately exceeding 320 km/h (199 mph)
The first Gallardo from the exclusive and limited Blancpain Edition production run was presented by Stephan Winkelmann, President and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini, and Marc A. Hayek, President and CEO of Blancpain, at the final race weekend of the Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo on Sunday September 26 in the “Piero Taruffi” circuit, Vallelunga.
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I am excited to have finally gotten my hands on a Franc Vila watch. While this particular model was not my favorite color scheme, I really enjoyed reviewing it. The construction is rock solid. The design is unique. Great strap, too. As you will see it is a massive watch with a massive wrist presence — it would make an excellent wrist weapon if you ever got in a pinch (seriously). Price will be somewhere near $20,000. In other words, this is not a watch for discerning individuals in any sense. All in all, reviewing this watch has really cemented my appreciation for Franc Vila and his watches, and I definitely would like to own a Franc Vila watch one day. Here is the video review and some pictures below. Thanks for watching.
Franc Vila a8 Big Date Chronograph Video Review
Franc Vila a8 Big Date Chronograph Photos
Thanks to Luxury Montres for loaning me the timepiece. If you are interested in purchasing this watch, just holla and I’ll get you hooked up.
From the creators of the Piccard Single Red Deepsea Rolex…
The Hillary Tenzing Explorer. Rolex Explorer, that is. Only 88 of these exclusive watch sets (3 watches per set) will be made at a price of almost $40,000 per set. There will be Hillary Tenzing Explorer (“HTE”) gear included, too! Don’t hold your breathe, just say WOW. Created in close coordination with Peter Hillary and Jamling Tenzing Norgay, the sons of Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay — the world famous mountaineers who were the first to summit the unconquerable Mount Everest (29,029 feet) — on May 29, 1953. Read on for the first emerging details on this potentially legendary tribute watch that will be produced soon …
In coming months, more aspects of the watch will be revealed through the Hillary Tenzing Explorer website. For any of the “Purists” who want to complain about this way of building excitement for the launch of a special watch — get a life….just sit back and enjoy this ride…a wise man once said….good things come to those who wait 
Here is what I know about the watch already:
- Each Hillary Tenzing Explorer consists of 3 customized Rolex Explorer models
- Also included will be several custom-made items that signify the extraordinary achievement of Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay (for example, Shell cordovan NATO watch straps with HTE logo)
- All items will be packed in a specially designed crate, individually number including a signed certificate from Peter Hillary and Jamling Tenzing Norgay
- Limited edition of only 88 packages (“crates”)
- Sales price for the complete Hillary Tenzing Explorer set will be 28,800 EUR (excluding VAT) (~$39,000)
- Pre-orders are being taken NOW through the website
Shell cordovan NATO watch straps with HTE logo
Go ahead, click through…explore a bit….and stay tuned…http://www.hillarytenzingexplorer.com/.
Hat Tip: Fratello Watches (nice one, RJ!).
Horological Luthiers…
Pop Quiz, all you “Who Wants to be a Millionaire“ and Jeopardy groupies: What do Gioachino Rossini, Serge Rachmaninov, and Arthur Rubinstein have in common? Composers, you say? Close, but not exactly. Musicians, you say? I suppose. The answer I am looking for is this: They are all distringuished patrons of Montres Breguet. Of course! And this, mon amie, brings me to my presentation of today’s horological masterpiece: the new Breguet Réveil Musical watch:
Breguet Réveil Musical Watch
48mm yellow or white gold case (16.3mm thick)
Based on the new Breguet Caliber 777 movement incorporating a silicon escapement and a Breguet balance-spring, the Réveil Musical houses a fabulous patented musical mechanism — a disc with pins rather than a typical music box cylinder mechanism. I’m not going to get into the particulars of the mechanism because it is too hard to visualize, but I think it is safe to assume that the auditory outcome is pleasing.
The watch will play a 20-25 second musical tune either at its owner’s pleasure — via a push piece positioned at 10 o’clock, or at any given time via a pre-set alarm function. The dial performs a complete turn during the 20 to 25 seconds while the tune is being played. A power reserve display at 3 o’clock indicates whether or not the watch has the energy to play the tune, and in fact will not make music without enough stored energy to enable the the musical to be played in its entirety.
Dial close-up: Note the seconds hand has a “Treble clef” end
The caseband is finely adorned with a musical stave (staff) — a nice touch, as I like to say:
Such an exceptional model naturally deserved an exceptional presentation box…crafted in resonance wood from the Risoud forest in Valle de Joux. Resonance spruce is the main type of wood chosen by luthiers as the vibrating membrane on stringed instruments.
Did you Know?
350 Years, and an Extremely Tight-Veined, Ultra-Light and Intensely Vibrant Wood
A harsh climate and extremely poor soil: such is the winning combination that enables the Risoud Forest to produce a 350 year-old resonance spruce, whereas these trees usually reach the age of 180 at most in other regions. This is a treasure for the luthier who must combine lightness in order to achieve the best sound for the soundboard, with rigidity in order to withstand the tension of the strings, which amounts to approximately 80 kg on a folk guitar. The construction does not allow any for any security margins as far as the thickness of the bracings is concerned, since any such differences would be detrimental to the sound of the instrument. Thus, the resonance spruce from the Risoud Forest, the largest single wooded stretch of its kind in Europe, enables the construction of guitars with an extremely precise and powerful sound. Credit: JMC lutherie.
The Veins of Risoud Resonance Spruce
350 Years, and an Extremely Tight-Veined, Ultra-Light and Intensely Vibrant Wood
A harsh climate and extremely poor soil: such is the winning combination that enables the Risoud Forest to produce a 350 year-old resonance spruce, whereas these trees usually reach the age of 180 at most in other regions. This is a treasure for the luthier who must combine lightness in order to achieve the best sound for the soundboard, with rigidity in order to withstand the tension of the strings, which amounts to approximately 80 kg on a folk guitar. The construction does not allow any for any security margins as far as the thickness of the bracings is concerned, since any such differences would be detrimental to the sound of the instrument. Thus, the resonance spruce from the Risoud Forest, the largest single wooded stretch of its kind in Europe, enables the construction of guitars with an extremely precise and powerful sound.
by Kyle Stults on September 23, 2010
Does the blue suit you…
One day I would like to visit Colette. This is a store located at 213 rue Saint-Honoré in Paris. Colette is a famous stockist of all things “hip, unique, and hard to find“. As a watch enthusiast, I do so very much appreciate that very special wristwatches often find their way in to the display cases at Colette. Most recently it seems that Jaeger-LeCoultre has created a special Master Memovox International for the Parisian concept store. It is part of a project by Thomas Erber and is named Cabinet de curiosité — a random collection of fine oddities. Special about this watch vs. its “standard” brother is the light blue “Colette” notation on the dial and the matching accented stitching on the strap. Only 3 pieces will be made! You can get the full specs on the Master Memovox International from my earlier post, here.
Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Memovox International Colette Edition
Limited Edition of 3
close up – note: “Colette” notation on dial
The Bell & Ross B01 Airborne “Diamond Skulls” is another example of the many spectacular, quirky and one-off timepieces that have on display at Colette in the past.
