For each of the past few years at the SIHH show in Geneva, Cartier has unveiled a “grande complication” (i.e. a highly complicated) wristwatch featuring a tourbillon, perpetual calendar and monopusher chronograph (see Cartier Rotonde de Cartier Flying Tourbillon Skeleton, for example).  The trend will continue this year – for 2012, Cartier has drawn inspiration from Cartier pocket watches produced in the 1930′s to produce the eye-catching piece you see here.  The pocket watch is crafted in white gold, with skeletonized Roman numerals, something that we have also seen the past few years in some of Cartier’s higher end pieces.

Also in 2012 Cartier is introducing an impressive new minute repeater, which I will have up on the blog later today.

Perpetuelle SIHH 2012 Previews >>> Baume & Mercier Capeland Flyback Chronograph,  Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 40th Anniversary Watch, Panerai PAM 422, Girard-Perregaux 1966 Small Second, Piaget Altiplano Skeleton Automatic, Cartier Cadran Lové Tourbillon,

Cartier Skeleton Pocket Watch (Grand Complication)

Limited Edition 10 pieces (5 diamond-set pieces also to be produced)

59mm white gold case, mechanical hand-wind Calibre 9436 MC (Renaud et Papi, tourbillon+perpetual calendar+monopusher chronograph movement)

The watch includes an obsidian and rock crystal stand, along with a white gold chain and fob:

This just in from our friends over at Xetum.  These guys have a great product offering if you are looking for a nice gift for a discerning individual this Christmas…

Here’s a cool looking chronograph from Zurich-based Maurice de Mauriac.  This is a boutique brand that I’ve been following for a couple years now but I believe this is the first mention I’ve given it here at Perpetuelle.  From what I’ve seen, the man behind the brand (same name) keeps a nice little Atelier (manufacture) in Zurich from which he produces killer looking watches that are often customized to a particular customer’s desire (i.e. custom straps, dials, et al).  My friends over at Hodinkee have been on the scene with Maurice de Mauric for some time now — including a cool inside look at the Maurice de Mauriac Studio (vide0) earlier this year.  In 2012 I’ll try to keep a better pulse on the brand, because they really do seem to put out some stellar looking timepieces.  Anyway, thanks again to HODINKEE for the look at this new Skeleton Chrono -click through for more looks/det’s. 

Maurice de Mauriac Skeleton Chronograph

A brand Ambassador for almost three years now, the talented Swiss driver Sébastien Buemi gets his own Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore.  Although Buemi does not carry the name recognition of past AP racing Ambassadors (for example, drivers such as Rubens Barrichello, Juan Pablo Montoya and Jarno Trulli), Buemi’s ROO certainly does not fall short in terms of its attractiveness.

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Sébastien Buemi

Limited Edition 250 pieces

42mm titanium case, water resistance 100 meters, automatic mechanical AP Caliber 3126/3840, black rubber strap with titanium pin buckle

Ref. 26207IO.OO.A002CA.01

Case back with transferred Buemi logo:

AP Caliber 3126/3840

The Manufacture Audemars Piguet Calibre 3126/3840 is developed on the basis of the legendary Calibre 3120.  It is an automatic mechanical chronograph with an anthracite colored 22k gold oscillating weight mounted on ceramic ball bearings; a cross-through balance bridge; as well as a stop-seconds time-setting mechanism. For user-friendliness, the in-house made Calibre 3126/3840 is also fitted with an ingenious fast-date adjustment system serving to avoid any risk of the date disc blocking if a correction is made at midnight.

Did You Know?

Sébastien Buemi in 10 dates

1988: born in Aigle, Canton Vaud, Switzerland
1997: Swiss Karting Champion
2000: Swiss Super Mini and KIA Cup Junior champion
2002: European Karting Champion
2005: European Formula BMW vice-champion
2007: Formula 3 Vice-Champion, 1st test drive with Red Bull Racing
2008: GP2 Asia Vice-Champion, test driver with Red Bull Racing
2009: Scores 2 points in his 1st race in Australia with Toro Rosso
2010: 8th place in Canada (Toro Rosso) – His best result to date
2011: Best season with Toro Rosso

Have a look at this new watch from Bulova, the Accutron Conqueror.  The watch is inspired by the famous Lone Eagle timepiece (see below), created by Bulova to commemorate Colonel Charles A. Lindbergh’s monumental solo non-stop flight across the Atlantic Ocean in 1927.  I confess that I am not often inspired by Bulova, a brand who in my mind exists mostly in the mid-to-lower end quartz market, but this limited edition piece looks great.  The watch has a nicely designed case — tonneau shaped with an engraved motif around the edges that is similar to that found on the 1927 Lone Eagle.  It is powered by a high quality Swiss automatic mechanical movement that is “COSC” certified (meaning that it is extremely accurate), too.  The price of $4,900 seems a tad high, but not outrageous given that just 200 pieces will be made and the watch is well designed and spec’d.   For another nice looking, limited edition Bulova issued this year, check out the  Bulova Accutron Sir Richard Branson watch that I highlighted a couple months ago.

Bulova  Accutron Conqueror

limited edition 200 pieces

automatic mechanical Dubois-Depraz 31340 movement (COSC), GMT/24 hr indicator, alligator strap

dial close up — note the nice engraving around the edge of the case

Bulova Lindbergh “Lone Eagle” Watch Ad (1927)

Sold globally, the Bulova Accutron Conqueror retails at US $4,900.

If you have ever been in an Omega Boutique you will know that the brand sells a small selection of leather goods in addition to its watches.  I recall seeing small bags, briefcases, padfolios and similar items in the New York boutique.  No surprise then to see that Omega now offers an iPad cover.  I personally find the “Omega logo ” stamped outer to be a bit tacky, but if you are looking for a gift for an iPad owning, Omega-loving person, it may be worth a quick stop by your nearest Omega boutique!

Omega iPad Cover

black or brown, embossed with Omega logo

Here’s another exquisite timepiece from master horological artisans Grieb & Benzinger, the Blue Ocean. The watch is crafted with a solid platinum case measuring in at a hefty 47 mm in diameter, housing a monopusher chronograph movement that is based on a column wheel chronograph movement from 1926. Use of the old movement, restoring it and giving it new life, is a Grieb & Benzinger signature. That and the extensive hand-engraving, hand-skeletonization and guilloche! Every single bridge and cock was hand guilloché, hand-engraved and rhodium or rose gold-plated. Even the wheels were guilloché, and the heads of all 34 steel screws were polished by hand and classically tempered a cornflower blue over an open flame. Hours and minutes on an inner dial ring, with separate displays for seconds and 30-minute totalizer at 3 and 9 o’clock respectively and the stop-seconds of the chronograph on a scale just inside the bezel. More Grieb & Benzinger, see “Related Posts” below.

Grieb & Benzinger Blue Ocean

unique piece

47mm platinum case

The hand-skeletonization, hand-engraving, and guilloché are what make Grieb & Benzinger timepieces so special.

Here’s a first look at the new Panerai Radiomir 10 Days GMT watch aka PAM 391, a boutique-only offering.  While somewhat similar to the PAM 323, this watch has a brown sandwich dial, a.m./p.m. indicator and linear power reserve meter.  Which brings me to my next point which is that this watch annoys me because I think the power reserve (“10 days”) is a stupid thing to tout on an automatic mechanical watch.  Unless it is a manual wind, I operate under the assumption that power reserve is more or less irrelevant.   Same goes for the PAM 323.  As long as you are wearing the damn thing then it is constantly being wound/re-powered, and thus I find that “power reserve” is only truly meaningful for manual-wind watches — certainly not in need of its own gauge on the dial.

Panerai Limited Edition Radiomir 10 Days GMT (PAM 391 )

Limited Edition 300 pieces

47mm steel case, automatic mechanical Panerai P.2003 movement

back:

Please stop with watches like these.  I am quickly losing respect for your brand.  Has the “Inventor of the Automatic Watch” lost its way?  Or is it just me that finds these Turbine watches so distasteful?

Perrelet Turbine XL “Hentai”

Perrelet XL “America”

This Ermenegildo Zenga watch is a 20-piece limited edition with rattrapante (split-seconds) + foudroyante (1/8 of second).  It is produced exclusively for the Chinese market.  Like all “Ermengildo Zegna” branded watches, this piece is produced by renowned Swiss-manufacture Girard-Perregaux.  This watch is the fourth model in the “Girard-Perregaux for Ermengildo Zenga” series, following the Zegna Centennial Watch and the Zegna Monterubello watches (chronograph and 3-hander) that I featured earlier this year.  Personally, I like this one the most.

This watch is part of a special series of “Ermengildo Zegna” branded/co-branded luxury items created to celebrate the 20th year of Ermengildo Zegna in China — there is also a Zegna/Vertu phone, Zegna/Tateoissian cufflinks, and specially created Zegna fabrics.  See them all here.

Ermengildo Zegna Watch (China Limited Edition)

40mm rose gold case (15.15mm thick), automatic mechanical Girard-Perregaux GP04C0 movement, rattrapante and foudroyante (1/8th of a second), Alligator strap with pin of buckle adorned with the Ermenegildo Zegna logo

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