Right on the heels of the great looking Richard Mille RM 011 Titanium Brown that I blogged about earlier this month, high-tech watchmaker Richard Mille is set to introduce two new editions in his thinnest timepiece collection (8.25mm), the RM 016.  The RM016 was first introduced in 2007 as the first rectangular timepiece in the RM lineup.  These new models, exclusive for the Americas, feature either a yellow and orange outlined numerals and hands that contrast nicely with the watch’s black DLC titanium case. Presented for the first time on a rubber strap.

Richard Mille is quick to point out that the manufacture and assembly of the case’s three sections require 202 separate machining operations.  I guess I am supposed to be impressed by this, but I have no sense of relativity here.   Available at authorized Richard Mille retailers in North and South America, as well as the soo- to-be first Richard Mille Americas boutique (Beverly Hills opens in November) for the tidy sum of $65,000.  Boo!

Richard Mille RM 016 DLC Titanium ORANGE and RM 016 DLC Titanium YELLOW

Limited Edition of 15 in each color

49.8mm x 38.0mm case, skeletonized automatic winding movement, rotor with variable geometry, water resistant to 30 meters – sapphire crystal and case back

The De Ville Ladymatic is back…

And it was no less than Nicole Kidman who recently unveiled the new OMEGA Ladymatic to the world at The Ritz Carlton in Beijing.  Originally launched in 1955 and continuing for the better part of a generation before disappearing, I confess that I had never heard of this model until today.  Technically part of the “De Ville” collection, it was one of the brand’s first self-winding watches to be designed especially for women and it featured the smallest automatic movement OMEGA had ever made.

A whopping 27 variations will be available….a few looks below…

Omega De Ville Ladymatic (2010 reissue)

Nicole Kidman at the launch party in Beijing

One good thing about this reissue is that the watch gets to use newer technology aka Omega’s Co-Axial Caliber 8520/8521 — not available in the 1950′s for sure!

Various options include:  34mm “wave pattern” case (red gold, yellow gold or stainless steel), bezels are polished metal or diamond-set, sapphire crystal caseback, wave pattern dials (black lacquer or mother-of-pearl), plain or diamond-set hour markers, luminous hands, on a matching bracelet or alligator strap (black or white)

So, ladies…if you are you there…what do you think of this watch?

Breitling introduces its flagship Chronomat 01 model in 2 limited edition versions.  Everything about this launch is identical to the recently announced Breitling Navitimer 01 Limited Edition — from the metals (Rose Gold and Steel) to the production (200 and 2,000 pieces, respectively) to the movement (Breitling’s in-house Caliber 01), to the use of a sapphire crystal caseback to show it all off.  Everything, that is, except for the model!  Here it is…

First introduced in the spring of 2009, the Chronomat 01 was the first Breitling watch to house Caliber 01, a chronograph movement entirely developed and produced in the brand’s workshops.

As mentioned above, like the Breilting Navitimer 01 Limited Edition, the Chronomat uses a sapphire crystal caseback to show off its in-house movement, the Breitling Caliber 01:

Nice product placement score…

The first video game ever to feature an OMEGA product!  Activision, the distributor of interactive entertainment products, is working with video game developer Bizarre Creations and EON Productions in the creation of JAMES BOND 007™ : BLOOD STONE. It features the likeness and voice of Daniel Craig as James Bond.  In the game Bond will be wearing an OMEGA Seamaster Planet Ocean.  Nice!

Video + pics below…

James Bond 007: Blood Stone Trailer

(look close — you’ll see the watch on his wrist several times in the trailer)

The JAMES BOND 007™: BLOOD STONE video game is soon to be released for the the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Windows PC.   For more information check out  www.007.com. and http://www.bloodstonegame.com/.

Easy to enter…great prize…are you feeling lucky?

I wanted to bring some attention to a great brand and a contest, sponsored by a new watch brand named Xetum (launched 2009).  It’s pronounced zeh-tum, if you are wondering.  The small brand offers San Francisco-designed, Swiss made automatic watches at a good price point.  I could definitely see myself wearing one of these because of the unique design.  And let me put a quick kudos in to San Francisco based Founder Jeff Kuo for his great design work and persistence on getting his brand up and running and off to a good start in its first year!

Anyway, you can enter the Xetum Timepiece Sweepstakes for a chance to win your choice of Xetum timepiece! This would give you a choice of 4 options — there are currently 2 differnet models each with 2 different dial colors.  Check them all out here.  I prefer the Tyndall black dial, but overall they all look pretty good and certainly unique.

Xetum Tyndall black dial

As I say it is easy to win, just like them on Facebook and then send them a follow up email.  Or take a short customer survey and send a follow up email.  Or do both.

But may I suggest you take the few minutes to take the customer survey — I know that it would be very beneficial for a small startup brand like Xetum, and in my view Xetum is a brand worth supporting.  I say this because it offers a unique looking product (lug-less case), and uses some unique materials, too — like the Italian cork lined leather straps. But mostly because I get a good vibe from the Founder and the eco-friendly ethos he seems to have created for the brand — Xetum is not just another “source some Swiss movements, Chinese cases, and slap it all together with lots of lume” kind of brand I have seen too many of over the years — it’s got a refreshing style all its own.

Please click the HERE to go to Xetum’s website to enter the contest and for the for full details.

Contest Ends November 5th so act now before you forget!

Good luck!

p.s. – It is for U.S. residents only….sorry if you are ex-US but I’ll save you the click-through.

King Gold…

Hublot unveiled its latest creation this past weekend at the Korean Formula 1 Grand Prix – the Hublot F1 King Power Red Gold.  Aside from Fernando Alonso and team Ferrari’s win, I would say this watch was the highlight of the event.  This watch is the 3rd official watch unveiled in this the inaugural year of Hublot’s “Official Timekeeper of Formula 1″ (see the Hublot F1 King Power steel and Hublot F1 King Power Monza Red Sapphire) and wow does it look great.  I just love what Hublot has done with the F1 watch design — a very good job of capturing the look and spirit of Formula 1 in the watches.  In particular I really love the ceramic brake disc-style bezel — it looks spectacular.  Hublot really hit a homerun by hooking itself up with Formula 1, no doubt about it.

Hublot F1 King Power Gold

Limited Edition of 250 individually numbered watches

48mm “King Gold” case, black PVD titanium chronograph pushers with red rubber inserts, black rubber + Nomex strap with red stitching and matching deployant buckle

Close UP

On a side note, it is interesting that Hublot has chosen Asian countries to unveil its F1 watches.  There are 5 Asian stops on the F1 circuit (Singapore, China, Korea, Malaysia, and Japan), and I suspect that it is not a coincidence that China and Korea were used for product launches.  I think more likely it is an indication of just how important these markets are to Hublot (and the broader watch industry).

Going Green..

This new design from Germany-based brand Chronoswiss caught my eye because of its green chronograph hands and green-accented chronograph pushers.  It is also a much different design than the onion-crown watches that I typically associate with the brand.  I love how Chronswiss has taken an otherwise fairly straightforward (and sharp looking) dial design here and tweaked it in a colorful way.  Hopefully the vibrancy of the green as you see in the images below will be the same when looking at the watch in the metal.  Overall this is a really good looking watch, and you get the added bonus of have the day of week and date functions, too.  Much better than the brand’s oversized onion-crown designs that I am not much a fan of.  A standard 3-handed model will also be produced.  Priced around $3,800.  Available sometime in 2011.

Chronoswiss Pacific Watch

43mm steel case, chronograph, day and date functions, black alligator strap

Back in the day…

Eterna originally created this watch in 1942 — the first ever pulsometer watch.  It re-issued the watch in 2010 as part of a “Heritage Collection” initiative to revive the brand’s legacy.  Since first laying eyes on it I have been strongly drawn this particular watch, I think because it reminds me of my late Grandfather (1942 was approximately when he would have started his lifelong career as a family physician).  Of course, back then, the instruments of medicine were primarily mechanical, and the pulsometer watch is a perfect example of that.  Now everything is so high-tech, but I suppose that’s a good thing.   Nevertheless, because of the sentimental reaction this Pulsometer watch evokes in me, this is a watch I would be proud to wear.

Eterna Heritage Pulsometer Watch

Limited Edition 1,942 pieces - individually numbered

42mm stainless steel case

Video

Almost Halloween…

Bell & Ross has crossed its BR01 Airborne watch with its BR01 Tourbillon to come up with this deathly looking limited edition piece.    The watch has regulator-style time display (hours, minutes, seconds all with their own hand), with the tourbillon cage functioning as the seconds hand (60 second rotation).  There is also a power reserve display, and a torque indicator which helps you not to overwind the manual-wind movement.  Limited edition of 20 pieces, priced at $150,000 each.   By the way, if you want to see more “regulator” watches or learn more about what exactly a “regulator” watch is, check out this post about the Milos Zetios Regulator in which I cross reference several other regulator watches and have a “Did You Know” section about regulators.

Bell & Ross BR01 Tourbillon Airborne Limited Edition Watch

46mm DLC-coated titanium case, tourbillon (small seconds), regulator, black stringray strap

Audacious and impressive!

Audemars Piguet does not call Audacity.ch a blog (instead it is “the new Audemars Piguet online information platform”), but that’s what it is.  Now I’m not going to quibble semantics, because what I really want to say is that I like and applaud what AP is doing here! The blog looks very nice and professional and as we all know a blog is an excellent format for transmitting information to readers.  It even runs on the WordPress platform, just like this blog.

What is to be seen is how frequently Team Audemars Piguet will update its blog — I have seen a handful brands who, laudably, have launched a blog, but they fail to update it regularly thus severely diminishing its potential as tool for engagement with brand fans and newcomers.  Of note, there are no comments allowed, which is no surprise.  Still AP does have a “two-way street” via its Facebook page which is 40,000 fans strong.

All in all, two thumbs up for Audemars Piguet and the launch of its new blog!

Check it out for yourself at AUDACITY.ch