Perpetuelle.com Blog » SIHH 2010

Unique Piece: Parmigiani Fleurier Tecnica Crystallisation

Kyle — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 17:38:20 +0000

As I write from Perpetuelle.com Headquarters (East Coast USA) – underneath about 32 inches of snow…and still snowing…

Switching it up a bit from the many Baselworld 2010 pre-releases we are covering here, I wanted to show you a very special unique piece (or “piece unique” as the French may prefer to call it) that was recently unveiled by high-end and very talented watchmaker Parmigiani Fleurier (commonly known as Parmigiani). Of course those of you who saw Parmigiani at SIHH 2010 in Geneva already know of this watch It is the Tecnica Crystallisation watch. While I’m not exactly sure what the inspiration for this watch – “mineral crystallisation” – is all about, I do know that this is a pretty incredible watch. Aside from its obvious visual appeal, the watch has some neat elements – a skeletonized dial, a tourbillon, and a minute repeater with “cathedral” chimes (which I would like to hear!). I am hoping to get some more background information on this watch and I will let you know if/when I do.

On the back: enameling work with a three dimensional effect

Model

Tecnica Chrono – unique piece

Theme

‘Crystallisation’ inspired by mineral crystallisation

Movement

PF353 Skeleton, Manual winding, power reserve 48 hours, frequency: 3 Hz – 21,600 Vib/h, 47 jewels, tourbillon, minute repeater with 2 “cathedral” chimes, rhodium-plated bridges with lengthwise hand-drawn strokes, bevelling and backing hand polished, steel circular-grained lengthwise

Functions

hour, minute, minute repeater and chronograph

Case / Exterior

round case: 44.0 mm, thickness: 16.00 mm

material: 950 platinum, polished finish

double knurled bezel

water resistance: 3 bar / 30 m

crown: 7.0 mm, cabochon in genuine blue sapphire

case-back with sapphire crystal

double case-back with hand-engraved hinge according to the theme

covered with translucent grey enamel

individual number No. 12995 and UNIQUE PIECE engraved on the case-back

Dial

sapphire base, sand-blasted areas; transferred black minute track, counters and logo; transferred blue ring; “Javelin” shaped hour and minute hands in blued steel, with superluminova; chronograph minute counter hand and central seconds hand in blued steel.

Strap

‘Hermes’ type blue alligator strap with knurled 750 white gold ardillon buckle, polished finish

Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda Hemisphere

SIHH 2010: Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Chronograph

Kyle — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 02:24:59 +0000

A bit delayed, but here’s a real beauty from leading Swiss watch manufacture Jaeger-LeCoultre that was introduced a couple weeks ago at SIHH. While the Master Memovox and Memovox International perhaps captured much of the spotlight this year for JLC, the Master Chronograph is no less equal a watch in the brand’s classic collection. Below is the pink gold version (Ref 153420), but the watch will also be produced in stainless steel (Ref 1538420). The 40mm case size is just right, too.

Movement: Automatic movement, 277 parts, 28 800 vibrations per hour, 65-hour power-reserve.

Functions: Hour, minute, small second, date, chronograph (hour-counter, central second, 30-minute counter).

Case: New case with the Master Control logo stamped on the case-back,18-carat pink gold, stainless steel.

Size: Diameter 40 mm.

Water Resistance: 50 meters.

Strap/Bracelet: Alligator leather.

Materials Available: 18-carat pink gold, stainless steel.

Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre: JAEGER-LECOULTRE CALIBRE 751 A/1.

Ref. 1532420, 18-carat pink gold/alligator leather.
Ref. 1538420, stainless steel/alligator leather.

The Hands of An Artisan: Maki-e in Action for the Vacheron Constanin Métiers d’Art Collection

Kyle — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 02:22:48 +0000

蒔絵 – The Making of a “Sprinkled Picture”

Like a highly skilled watchmaker, the maki-e artisan is able to create with his hands something so intricate, so delicate, so amazing…it’s hard to put it into words. All I will say is that these artisans are skilled in ways that I deeply respect and admire. Watch:

About Maki-e

Maki-e – which literally means “sprinkled picture” – is the most sophisticated of all lacquer techniques, designating a decorative operation in which the design is created by delicately sprinkling gold or silver dust over lacquer – usually black – while it is still wet.

The lacquer is made from the sap of the lacquer tree, Rhus verniciflua. This tree, a relative of poison ivy, originated on the high plateaus of central Asia or Tibet. Today, it grows only in southern China, Korea, Vietnam and Japan, but it seems to have had a much wider range in the past. In Japanese, the word for the substance and the name of the tree are the same: urushi.

Lacquer techniques vary from country to country and are based on the quality of the lacquer and the use to which the objects will be put. The three categories most representative of the lacquer arts are carving, inlay, and maki-e. The number of possibilities is almost infinite, and the invention of maki-e and its variations by the Japanese is one of the most remarkable marriages of technical mastery and aesthetic sophistication in all the history of art. This decorative technique developed very early in Japanese history. It matured as an art form between the eighth and twelfth centuries A.D., becoming the predominant method of ornamentation beginning in the seventeenth century and remaining so to this day. It does not seem to have been used in China – or if it was, it disappeared very early on. It was highly prized there, however, as evidenced by the many orders placed from the continent over the centuries. Maki-e’s own rise allowed the techniques it involves to blossom as well. Beginning in the mid-tenth century, this technique far surpassed all its rivals and was heavily preferred over them for the delicacy of its execution, its quality of being distinct yet misty at the same time, and its incredibly poetic presence.

One of the greatest beauties of lacquer is that it can decorate the most precious of objects as easily as those used in everyday life. Lacquerware bowls and crockery have come down through the centuries, as have variously shaped boxes with all sorts of uses: document holders, tea caddies, incense boxes, paintbrush holders, inkwells, card cases, pill boxes, etc. While there has always been lacquered furniture, the preference has almost always been for small objects, for work that is enchanting in its meticulous perfection.

Musically-inspired Watches….da dee da…

Kyle — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 16:56:55 +0000

The “right” way…..

Finely tuned – the Audemars Piguet Millenary Quincy Jones Edition

and the wrong way….

Off-key – the Piaget Limelight Jazz Party Polo Tourbillon Relatif

Seriously – those little musical notes intended to imitate Roman numerals are more than tacky! Sure you are free to disagree – that’s what the comment button is for

SIHH 2010 Panerai Luminor 1950 Ceramic (PAM 335)

Kyle — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 23:24:20 +0000

Still sifting through the massive onslaught of new watches from SIHH 2010…fun, fun…here is one more Panerai that caught my eye - the Panerai Luminor 1950 Ceramic (aka PAM 335). More than just catching my eye (which can be a good or a bad thing, you know ), this watch has the signature Panerai look, it is in ceramic, with Panerai in-house movement (P.2003) with 10 days power reserve, and with useful functions (ie GMT and date function). Basically – this is my kind of watch! And….an estimated $20,000 per, I think I’ll take two

Seriously though, I think this watch is something I could proudly and comfortably wear – unlike the 52mm Mare Nostrum PAM 300 (way too big), or the Radiomir Skeleton PAM 348 (looks cool and has ceramic case, but too edgy of a “Panerai” for me), or the Luminor 1950 Tourbillon Equation of Time titanium PAM 365 (if I get an EOT it would probably be an Audemars Piguet). Now, if only I could do something about that price tag…

So, what do you think of this watch? Yay…or nay?

By the way, if you have not already, you can see all the 2010 Panerai collection here on our SIHH forum.

Presenting the 2010 Montblanc Collection (SIHH 2010)

Kyle — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 22:15:43 +0000

I blogged earlier about the Montblanc Metamorphosis watch, but here is another good video as produced by Montblanc – except in this video we get to see a good review of each watch it presented at SIHH 2010. If you want to see pictures of these watches, click HERE.
Enjoy the video!

2010 Montblanc Metamorphosis Update

Kyle — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 19:02:13 +0000

I wrote a few days ago about an intriguing new watch presented at SIHH 2010 by Montblanc (see here) – the “Montblanc Metamorphosis” – and I promised to be back with more details about it. Well….I now have more information about this most curious and clever watch.

Basically, by moving a slide down or up, the dial of this timepiece changes from a wristwatch with hour, minute, second display to a chronograph and vice versa. Four wings in the lower half of the face open, slide under one another, and finally disappear to the left and right beneath the dial’s middle bar. A similar sequence transpires with two wings on the regulator’s hour dial at the “12.” After all the wings have opened, a subdial rises like the floor of an elevator at the 6 o`clock position, an aperture in this rising disk “swallows” the date-hand. The newly risen rotating disc is the minute counter of the chronograph. This fully mechanical, elevator-like function will no doubt evoke the admiration of aficionados of the fine art of watchmaking who witness this unprecedented transformation. Whoa!

I would like to point out that this watch is credited in large part to two obviously very gifted and creative talents, Johnny Girardin and Franck Orny. They used methods from the traditional art of “automatons” construction (basically, the art of making old school mechanical “robots”) with great modern day application! Nice work guys!

Now – if you want to see the “metamorphosis” in action, check out this video from Montblanc:

One face of the Montblanc Metamorphosis……

…and the other…the same watch, mind you (not 2 different watches!)

Also, you can read more and in depth about this watch here on our SIHH Forum / Montblanc stream.

p.s. – I still don’t like the droopy shape (“teardrop” Montblanc calls it) of the watch. Cool mechanics, though!

SIHH 2010 Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Compressor Extreme LAB2 Videos

Kyle — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 05:22:48 +0000

Watch Videos Done Right

This post is less about the watch and more about its presentation. Last week I showed you the “sneak preview” video of what turned out to be Jaeger-LeCoultre’s new Master Compressor Extreme Lab 2 watch. And this week JLC introduced a second short video to highlight the official unveiling of this new watch. Actually I am going to post both videos below – and I do this because I really like these videos. The music is very cool – kinda pumps me up, motivational kinda music. But more importantly because this is an excellent example of how to make a video that highlights a watch. Most/many brands simply produce a video of the watch in isolation – usually we see watch parts spinning around until they become a whole watch or we go through an intricate tour inside the case of the watch. But the disappointing thing with most of these videos is that they lack context, and make me think “If you have seen one, you have seen them all.”

In contrast, what I like most about these JLC videos is that they are the near perfect example of how to present a watch in the context of its intended use. And I just love how the watch is seamlessly interwoven into the mountaineering scenes and we understand what this watch is about. One of the better watch videos I have seen in awhile. So what do you think – do you like this style video or do you have another one that comes to mind?

Video 1 – Jaeger-LeCoultre Pre-SIHH 2010 “Sneak Preview” Teaser Video (watch identity unknown)

Video 2 – Jaeger-LeCoultre SIHH 2010 Video Highlighting the New Master

And here’s a shot of the watch itself:

If you want to look at some more pics of this watch – or its rose gold brother, click here for our SIHH 2010 Jaeger-Lecoultre thread.

SIHH 2010 Audemars Piguet Millenary Chronograph

Kyle — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 18:46:41 +0000

Another new one from Audemars Piguet – the Millenary Chronograph. To be honest (I’m always honest here!) The design of this watch is one that I have not and still do not like. Is this a dress watch? Or a sport watch? Now we seem to see a combination of both with the addition of chronograph counters, one of which is larger than the other two. There are way too many circles on this dial for me. In other words, the addition of a chronograph to this watch design seems awkward to me. Because there is so much more to like from AP this year, on this one I’ll pass, thanks. If you are interested in the specs on this watch, check it out over on the SIHH forum.

SIHH 2010 Audemars Piguet Jules Audemars Perpetual Calendar with Caliber 2120

Kyle — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 16:08:13 +0000

Watch fans – your enthusiasm can continue to run on high, because there are still new watches being “revealed” at SIHH 2010 in Geneva! And of course as your loyal editor here at First In Watches, I remain vigilant and at the ready to share with you some of the most interesting ones here on this blog…..but of course if you want to see them ALL, just check out Perpetuelle.com’s official SIHH 2010 forum!

So here’s a new one from Audemars Piguet that will no doubt be pleasing to many. The Audemars Piguet Jules Audemars Perpetual Calendar with Caliber 2120. The watch comes in 2 variations, both pictured – Case in 18-carat pink gold, silvered dial and (26390OR.OO.D093CR.01) case in 18-carat pink gold, brown dial (26390OR.OO.D088CR.02):

SIHH 2010 A. Lange & Sohne Zeitwerk Luminous

Kyle — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 04:58:48 +0000

How About a Lume Shot for the Zeitwerk Luminous?!?

As I mentioned in an earlier post, there is sooo much to like from A. Lange this year. So why not feature another one here on the blog. A. Lange introduced the Zeitwerk last year to great acclaim. They have added a spectacular innovaton to the Zeitwerk this year – that is, use of a dark-tinted sapphire-crystal glass that allows just enough visibility so that you can see the numerals that would otherwise be hidden on the inner workings of the watch. But the kicker is that the numerals are coated with white Superluminova, meaning that in the dark, the glowing numerals will appear to float incandescently on the dial of the watch. Cooooool…….

Now, if you want to see all the rest of the A. Lange goodies this year you can click here, or any of the other watches from the 19 brands at this year’s SIHH, just click on over to our Official SIHH 2010 Forum page and feast your eye for as long as you like!

SIHH 2010 Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Compressor Extreme World Chronograph

Kyle — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 04:36:44 +0000

Well today we finally got to see Jaeger-LeCoultre’s new watches for 2010. For those of you who are fans of the Master Compressor collection, you may appreciate these new variations. For the new Master Compressor Extreme World Chronograph (available in 2 variations), JLC introduces “Texalium™” for the dial which it claims is extra durable/extreme. Seems like a bit of a marketing ploy to me but still it does look pretty cool! The new Master Compressor Extreme World Chronograph is powered by the Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 752 automatic movement. It comes in at a very hefty 46.3mm case size, too. Below is the stainless steel/titanium version. To see the pink gold/titanium version, just click here and scroll down. Also just a quick note for those of you perhaps just reading this blog for the first time, I recommend you check in on our Official SIHH 2010 forum which is where we have dedicated most of our efforts these recent days – there we have posted hundreds of watches as introduced by the 19 prestigous brands exhibiting at this year’s SIHH.

SIHH 2010 Montblanc Metamorphosis

Kyle — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 02:53:52 +0000

Can’t say that I’m the biggest fan of design of the Montblanc watches, but here is one that definitely has me wanting to see more. Looks like a pretty cool concept ie a dial that transforms itself into a new dial. Not entirely unprecedented, I think de Grisogono and maybe others have executed similar concepts, but anyway I’m trying to run down more details on this one and will update accordingly. Even so, that droopy looking dial shape….not for me….you?

SIHH 2010 A. Lange & Sohne Saxonia Annual Calendar

Kyle — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 04:44:10 +0000

Sooo much to like from A. Lange this year. Here’s one for starters – the Saxonia Annual Calendar. This is very much a Lange in its design, with a modest case size (38.5mm case) in white gold (pictured) or pink gold. The movement is an automatic with 46 hour power reserve. You can read all the specs here, along with several other new models from A. Lange.

These two press pictures from Lange look amazing and I thought worth sharing here:

SIHH 2010 Greubel Forsey Tourbillon 24 Secondes

Kyle — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 03:58:36 +0000

This is the SIHH debut for the “super-complication” watchmaking due of Greubel and Forsey. They brought to town (Geneva) with them 3 mechanical masterpieces today (you can see the other two here) and this one I like the most – the “Tourbillon 24 Seconds”. All in all, I am still not a mad crazy about these watches – I find the designs a little too busy for my personal tastes – but as is the case in this wonderful business – to each his own! That said, Greubel Forsey are known to be strong innovators and they do some great work with the tourbillon, so you gotta respect a watch like this even if you don’t fully understand it.

This watch, 43.5mm cased in platinum, is very limited production and if you have well in to the six-figures to drop (spare change from your Lambo buy last summer?) then you may already be on the list for this one. Like it? Dislike it? Feel free to weigh in with a comment, below.

No related posts.

SIHH 2010 Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Traditionnelle Perpetual Calendar Chrono platinum

Kyle — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 03:43:32 +0000

So many spectacular watches today! Team Perpetuelle was crunching the keyboards hard today and we ended up posting somewhere around 100 new models of watches today on our SIHH forum. Time flies when you are having fun and we hope you enjoyed all the action. Stay tuned for Jaeger-leCoultre tomorrow

Anyway, in keeping with the them of trying to post a few watches here on the blog – those that “caught my eye” – I thought I would share here one of the new Vacheron Constantin’s. There were several from Vacheron that are really phenomenal looking watches and that I would like to post here but let’s just take this one at a time, shall we? This Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Traditionnelle Perpetual Calendar Chrono is a real looker. It is cased in one of my favorite metals – platinum. Yes it looks good, doesn’t it? Case size is generous, too, at 43mm. If I recall correctly, this watch was released last year in pink gold, but I must say I like this year’s version much better.

The movement in this watch is the Vacheron Calibre 1141QP, a caliber that has “set the pace of some of the most exalted wrist-chronographs in the history of watchmaking and is regarded by all experts as the most technically and stylistically accomplished of its kind because of its extraordinary complexity and incomparable architecture.” Yes indeed well said by Vacheron. I probably have a close up of the movement somewhere around here but you can get a fair idea of its beauty and intricate workings from the partial photo below. Oh – worth noting that it is a manual wind movement, with 48 hour power reserve.

One detail I like on this watch is the “smiling” or “melancholy” moons – engraved by hand on a plate of solid platinum with a black patina.

I’m not sure of price, but I think this one could be in excess of $100k. Can you say Pt950? Cha-ching!

Would love to hear if you have any thoughts on this watch, or any other Vacheron’s that you like / dislike. Feel free to leave a comment below.

SIHH 2010 Cartier Caliber Collection

Kyle — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 15:15:22 +0000

Among the many many watches coming online at Perpetuelle.com’s Official SIHH 2010 Forum, here’s another that caught my eye this morning – the Cartier Caliber collection. We saw only a teaser of this one leading up to the SIHH event, and now seeing it the first time I would say that Cartier seems to have done a nice job with this one and this is an entirely new collection from the jewellery brand who seems quite serious on establishing itself as a very credible watch brand beyond just fashion.

This watch is nicely shaped, not too big, not too small, IMO – 42mm. The watch has Cartier’s Caliber MC 1904 which they say is “the first self-winding mechanical movement crafted entirely by Cartier.” I’m not a big fan of the “exposed date” feature where you see the day before/after, but otherwise it looks solid to me.

There are 3 variations, but I strongly prefer the 2 pictured below over the third (you can see all these variations as well as their technical specifications and Cartier’s eloquent press release if you click over to Cartier’s SIHH forum thread, here).

SIHH 2010 Panerai Luminor 1950 Tourbillon Equation of Time Titanium PAM365

Kyle — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 10:46:29 +0000

OK last Panerai I wanted to throw up here for now as it looks to be impressive – just a bit of a teaser pic, but this is the Panerai Luminor 1950 Tourbillon Equation of Time Titanium also known as PAM365. The watch is in 50mm titanium case with the equation of time complication – all of which means it is not cheap – about $220,000.

Stay tuned for more information and other new 2010 Panerai’s here in the SIHH 2010 forum.

SIHH 2010 Panerai Composite Marina Militare PAM 339

Kyle — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 10:39:11 +0000

Radiomir Composite® Marina Militare 8 Giorni – 47 mm (PAM00339)

Another interesting new one from Panerai, the PAM 339. This one is turning out to be THE hot watch from Panerai for 2010, because of its unique look largely from its “composite” case material (read about it below). The PAM339 has a 47mm case and Panerai’s P.2002 caliber in it. It will be priced at about $15,000 USD. Full specs are posted below the high-res photos. I like the look! You can see the rest of the 2010 Panerai’s here. Here’s the watch including some great close up photos:

The new Radiomir Composite® Marina Militare 8 Giorni – 47 mm introduces itself by showing the two most authentic sides of Officine Panerai: state-of-the-art technological innovation and a deep-rooted history.

The material used for the case is truly innovative in the field of fine watch-making: the Panerai composite is a material whose features and performance are exceptional, being practically immutable over time. The result of an electrochemical process of ceramization of the aluminium, this material is harder than the ceramics normally used for cases in watch-making (zirconia), and also harder than metals like steel and titanium, as well as being lighter. Thanks to its qualities of ductility and reliability, the Panerai composite allows for complex and extremely precise workings and is the result of processes that, up to now, were employed in the creation of components for the aeronautic industry and for car and motorcycle races requiring the highest levels of performance.

From the aesthetic viewpoint, the Radiomir Composite® Marina Militare 8 Giorni – 47 mm has a mono-colour look: the matt, deep brown of the 47mm Radiomir case and of the crown are in tune with the brown of the dial and strap in vintage leather. The stitching of the strap is a reminder of the ecru colour of the Super-LumiNova® on the hands and the other elements of the ‘sandwich’ dial: indexes and numerals, small-seconds dial at 9 o’clock, the RADIOMIR COMPOSITE MARINA MILITARE 8 GIORNI – 47 MM
words Marina Militare and Panerai and the second dial with the inscription 8 giorni brevettato, deriving directly from the historic models.

The movement of the new Radiomir Composite® Marina Militare 8 Giorni – 47 mm is the P.2002/7 Calibre, entirely developed and built by Officine Panerai. Hand wound and with a 13 ¾ lignes diameter, the movement is made up of 191 components and has three barrels ensuring a long power reserve of around 8 days, a traditional feature of Panerai watches since the 1940s.

The Radiomir Composite® Marina Militare 8 Giorni – 47 mm (PAM00339) is a special edition of 1000 watches that pays homage to the historic link with the Italian Navy, to which Panerai was a specialised supplier. This is not the first watch Officine Panerai has dedicated to this alliance. Indeed, in the past it created special limited editions like the Luminor Marina Militare in 1998 and the Panerai Luminor Marina Militare in 2005. The trademark Super-LumiNova® is not the property of Officine Panerai.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Movement: Hand-wound mechanical, Panerai P.2002/7 calibre, executed entirely by Panerai, 13 ¾ lignes, 6.6 mm, 21 jewels, Glucydur® balance, 28,800 alternations/ hour. KIF Parechoc® anti-shock device. Power reserve 8days, three barrels. 191 components.
Functions: Hours, minutes, small seconds.
Case: Diameter 47 mm, brown Panerai composite material, with removable wire loop strap attachments (patented). Winding crown personalized Panerai.
Bezel: Panerai composite material.
Back: Panerai composite material.
Dial: Brown with luminous Arabic and Roman numerals and hour markers. Small seconds at 9 o’clock. Crystal: Sapphire, formed of corundum, 1.9 mm thick. Anti-reflective coating. Water-resistance: 10 bar (100 metres).
Strap: PANERAI personalised leather strap and large size brown Panerai composite material.
Reference: PAM00339

The trademarks Glucydur®, KIF Parechoc® and Incabloc® are not the property of Officine Panerai.

http://www.perpetuelle.com/UsrViewForumDetails.aspx?UsrForumTopicid=2253&Mode=A&Catid=165&Ty=&UsrForumId=5529&topictag=SIHH%202010&type=Keyword_Tags

SIHH 2010 Panerai Radiomir Skeleton PAM 348

Kyle — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 10:29:44 +0000

This is another one from Panerai that caught my eye because it is so NOT a Panerai – or at least a Panerai as I’ve known them for all these years. Sure to be some mixed reactions to this one from the Paneristi, particularly as this one may be selling for more than $150,000 US – but I like Panerai for pushing the envelope a bit this year. This watch is also “Panerai sized” at 48mm case.

Again you can see all the new 2010 Panerai models here on Perpetuelle’s Official SIHH 2010 forum. There are definitely some lookers in there! I may post 1-2 more that caught me eye here on the blog. Will be back with specs, too!

SIHH 2010 Panerai Mare Nostrum PAM 300

Kyle — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 10:25:02 +0000

See all the new 2010 Panerai models here (well not quite all yet but many of them)

This is one of Panerai’s annual “Special Editions”, the “Mare Nostrum”. The case is a whopping 52mm – far, far too big for most. Price is about $36,000 UDS. This is a reissue of the Panerai Radiomir Mare Nostrum that was first introduced in 1943.

SIHH 2010 is ON! Just to name a few….

Kyle — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 03:33:42 +0000

Well watch fans this is it! Just a quick note to tell you that all the action for the next few days will be over on Pereptuelle.com’s Official SIHH 2010 Forum. The best thing for you to do is check in and check back often because these pages are being updated CONSTANTLY over the next few days.

Quick tips:

1) in any given thread, the newest watches posted will always be at the top.

2) EVEN BETTER – If you sign up / register with Perpetuelle.com, the threads are actually marked so that you can see which brands have new watches since you last viewed/checked in. Makes it much easier to browse the forum!

Quick word – Don’t be surprised if you see just an image or two – we have so many watches and specs to post but sometimes the image is worth a thousand words!! But don’t worry for all you detail-oriented guys – we’ll be back around to fill in the specs or other interesting details as soon as we can!

For now, here’s just a few that caught my eye:

IWC Da Vinci Ceramic

Jaeger-leCoultre Extreme Labs

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Grand Prix

SIHH 2010: Jaeger-leCoultre Sneak Preview Video

Kyle — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 02:43:52 +0000

4 more days. Wanna get a glimpse of a new model from Jaeger-leCoultre? By my count I think there are 7 glimpses in this video….watch carefully:

Under the patronage of the Grande Maison in the Vallée de Joux, the team of three mountaineers Swiss guide Stéphane Schaffter, renowned Apa Sherpa and Little Karim Balti have successfully scaled a Nepalese virgin summit, christened Antoine LeCoultre Peak.

Three exceptional Jaeger-LeCoultre timepieces were part of the adventure: the famous 1958 Geophysic Chronometer; the Master Compressor Extreme LAB; along with a third creation to be unveiled 18 January 2010.

SIHH 2010: A. Lange & Söhne to Live Blog and Launch Twitter Feed

Kyle — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 20:00:58 +0000

A. Lange & Söhne to Live Blog from SIHH 2010 – And Officially Launch It’s Twitter Feed – Bravo!

Well, well well what another fantastic surprise I get in my inbox today. Looks like all of you watch owners, collectors & enthusiasts will be getting unprecedented access at SIHH 2010 from not only Jaeger-leCoultre (see here to sign up for their live videocast and Q&A session), but now A. Lange & Sohne as well who is going to be “live blogging” the entire event. Also in what I find to be slightly humorous, A. Lange indicated that it will be officially launching the brand’s Twitter account (http://twitter.com/alangesoehne is it?) – I chuckle only because this seems like a lot of fanfare just for starting on Twitter

So how to tune in to this? You are just a click away!

www.alange-soehne.com/sihh.

It’s going to be a fun Monday!

SIHH 2010: Panerai Luminor 1950 Chrono Monopulsante 8 Days Oro Rosa PAM344

Kyle — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 02:27:39 +0000

Here’s another new one that will be officially unveiled by Panerai next week – the Panerai Luminor 1950 Chrono Monopulsante 8 Days Oro Rosa, or PAM 344 for all you Paneristi out there who prefer ref no.’s. This watch has a 44mm pink gold case and inside it has Panerai’s in-house P.2004 Caliber in it, a hand-wound movement. It will be limited production of just 150 pieces. Panerai is proud of the fact that this watch not only has an 8 ‐ days power reserve mechanical movement, “but is also a technically accurate single push ‐ piece chronograph” – a challenge that only a few brands have taken on, Panerai notes. I like the more traditional “circular” design of the power reserve meter on this watch, as opposed to the horizontal meter Panerai uses on some of its other models.

If you missed my preview of the PAM 336, also in rose gold, check it out here – SIHH 2010: A Thinner, Smaller, Sleeker….Panerai?

Invitiation to Join Jaeger-LeCoultre Live Webcast for SIHH 2010

Kyle — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 04:12:59 +0000

Jaeger-LeCoultre: Totally Cool, Totally Unprecedented, Totally “With It”

Watch owners, collectors and enthusiasts: Sign-up and sign-up now! This is your chance to see in real-time more than 15 new and exceptional Jaeger-LeCoultre timepieces that will be unveiled in less than a week’s time at the 2010 Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) in Geneva:

I would like to heap oodles and oodles of praise upon whomever at Jaeger-LeCoultre came up with this idea. You rock! And I do not say this just because I will not be at the event. This is a really important advancement for the watch industry. Over the past couple years Jaeger-LeCoultre has demonstrated as well as any other luxury watch brand that it knows how to connect and interact with the online watch community (good website, “LeClub”, good YouTube channel, good communication with bloggers, etc…..what about Twitter ). And this just puts the icing on the cake.

So again – YOU (yes I’m talking to You) can view Jaeger-LeCoultre’s LIVE webcast on the 2010 Collection on 19 January 2010 starting at 10:15am U.S. Eastern Time (that’s 4.15pm CET), and if you want you can even submit your entries for the Q&A session with Stéphane Belmont, Marketing Director. As I say all you need to do is Sign-up and sign-up now!

This is truly unprecedented and I hope Jaeger-LeCoultre has doubled its web server capacity because I expect the participation in this event to be every bit as unprecedented as the event itself.

SIHH 2010: Ralph Lauren Slim Classique

Kyle — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 03:45:12 +0000

Ralph Lauren watches debuted at last year’s SIHH with three collections – the Stirrup, the Slim Classique, andthe Sporting collections. Naturally, all use manufacture movements from Richemont brands. While these watches did not impress me all that much – I found them to be a bit uninteresting next to all the new models from Jaeger-LeCoultre, Panerai, Piaget, and others at the SIHH, – Ralph Lauren nonetheless made a showing and seems intent on building upon it this year.

Ralph Lauren’s “pre-SIHH 2010″ release this year is a new white gold version of the Slim Classique, featuring a diamond-set bezel. The Slim Classique Collection uses the ultra-thin 2.1mm Piaget manual-wind movement (name the Caliber RL430), in an ultra-thin 5.35mm case that is also 42mm in diameter. The guilloché patterned dial displays is set with black ‘Breguet style’ hands and Roman numerals marking the hours:

I for one am still not convinced that the fusion of Ralph Lauren’s design expertise and Richemont’s broader watchmaking expertise will prove viable. Of course, there’s always SIHH 2010 to help me make up my mind.

No related posts.

SIHH 2010: Piaget Altiplano 43 mm with Calibre 1208P

Kyle — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 05:54:39 +0000

Thin is in!

First Vacheron Constantin, now Piaget. At SIHH 2010 in Geneva Piaget will be introducing a new ultra-thin Piaget Altiplano. The watch is 43mm diameter but a mere 5.25mm thick. Clean, simple and beautiful as we expect from Piaget. 43mm diameter does seem a bit large, though. A couple pics below – click here to see the full press release and more pictures.

SIHH 2010: IWC Renovates the “Yacht Club” and more

Kyle — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 21:16:34 +0000

SIHH 2010 IWC Portuguese Yacht Club Chronograph and IWC Portuguese Tourbillon Mystere Retrograde

Thanks to some nicely timed leaks to select media (earliest appear on Dec 13, 2009), it is safe to say that the scoop is officially out on 2 new models that IWC will be releasing at the upcoming Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH). While I am yet to get my hands on “official” IWC images, I figured I would go ahead and run with what is out there. First, though, hat tip to Alon over at Watch Freaks for bringing the “print media” online! with his nice scan from the latest print copy of EuropaStar earlier today.

IWC Portuguese Yacht Club Chronograph stainless stell case (left) and IWC Portuguese Tourbillon Mystere Retrograde (platinum case)

Photo: Page scan from Europastar magazine via watchfreaks.

According to the Europastar magazine article, the Portuguese Yacht Club Chronograph comes in three variants: steel with silver dial (pictured below), steel with black dial (pictured above) and red gold with slate-colored, sun-pattern dial. All three versions are 45.4mm case size and with a black rubber strap.

As for the IWC Portuguese Tourbillon Mystere Retrograde (pictured above-right), a watch that has been in the IWC collection for many years, the upgrade for 2010 is the retrograde date display and extended power reserve (7 days). It will be limited to 500 pieces in 18k red gold and silver dial and 250 pieces in platinum with ruthenium black dial.

Here’s a look at a different variation of the new Yacht Club, from a Tokyo print magazine:

IWC Portuguese Yacht Club Chronograph (stainless steel case/silver dial)

Source: Page scan from Tokyo Begin magazine via TZ-UK on 12/13/09. Later noted on James List 12/22/09.

If you are not familiar with the “original” IWC Yacht Club, learn more from my friends at Hodinkee who wrote about this watch back in June 2009 – and I’ve included a photo from the Hodinkee article below as well:

An early version of the IWC Yacht Club, circa 1970s

Quite a “renovation job” they’ve given the new version, eh?

Like last year’s substantial overhaul of the IWC Aquatimer collection, I must say that at first glance the IWC Portuguese Yacht Club Chronograph does not “Wow” me. The Portuguese Tourbillon Mystere Retrograde, however, does look appealing.

Can’t wait to see what else is in the bag!

SIHH 2010: Baume & Mercier Classima Executives XL Chronograph and Complete Calendar

Kyle — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 22:05:09 +0000

Here is a sneak peak of a new 2010 release from Baume & Mercier. The watch is fairly “loaded” when it comes to functionality – in addition to the chronograph timers, the watch provides day, date, month and moon phase functions – or what Baume & Mercier calls a “Complete Calendar” (more on this below).

You may notice this watch is called a “complete calendar” rather than the “perpetual calendar”. I believe this is for good reason and probably indicates that, unlike higher end watches with “perpetual calendars” that can set you back $10,000-$100,000, this watch will require adjustment 5 times per year to account for the March, May, July, October and December to account for the prior month not having a full 31 days. The red gold date hand (marking the days of the month that are marked around the edge of the dial) is a nice touch, though.

Overall, I can’t decide if I like or dislike the look of this watch, which probably means I dislike it, but I guess I’d want to see it in person to fully decide. My preferences aside, this is probably going to be one of Baume & Mercier’s higher end pieces, and as I discussed above if you are looking for a calendar watch but don’t want to spend big bucks for a perpetual calendar this might be a pretty good alternative, depending on where it is priced.

Description

This traditionally and opulently finished chronograph is equipped with a high-end mechanical self-winding movement driving indications of a complete calendar (date with central pointer in 18-carat red gold, day and month through a window at 12 o’clock, moon phase at 6 o’clock) and 24h indicator at 9 o’clock. The silver-colored dial with a “grain d’orge” guilloché décor is graced with circular snailed and sun satin-finished counters. The case-back reveals an oscillating weight adorned with “Côtes de Genève”, as well as circular-grained bridges and blued steel screws. The crown proudly bears the Phi symbol.

Technical Specifications

Collection: Classima Executives

Reference: M0A08870

Movement: Automatic (ETA 7751)

Oscillating weight decorated with « Côtes de Genève », blued steel screws

Functions: Chronograph, moon phases at 6 o’clock, central hand date, weekdays and months at 12 o’clock, 24h indicator at 9 o’clock

Case: Diameter: 42mm, Thickness: 13.1mm, Polished steel, Crown adorned with a Phi symbol, Sapphire crystal case back

Dial: Silver-colored, “Grain d’orge” guilloché décor, alternating opaline, circular-snailed and sun satin-finished zones, Black indexes, 18 carat red gold date hand, Sapphire crystal,

Bracelet: Black alligator strap, Adjustable triple folding buckle

Water-resistance: 30m

No related posts.

SIHH 2010: A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Daymatic

Kyle — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 02:09:34 +0000

Introducing the A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Daymatic. The first automatic in A. Lange & Söhne’s prestigious Lange 1 collection. Yellow gold, pink gold or platinum case housing the new Lange Caliber L021.1 with 50mm power reserve and platinum-weighted rotor. Day and date functions on the dial. Case diameter 39.5mm – +1mm greater than the traditional Lange 1. Not sure of the price, but think well into the 5-figures. I am recommending an excellent overview and perspective of this great new watch over at Monochrome – check it out.

I think that it is smart of A. Lange not to release a picture of the BACK of the watch (from which we could see that new movement through the sapphire crystal caseback) – this will keep many of us – particularly the hard core Lange enthusiasts – in EAGER anticipation of the watches actual unveiling at SIHH 2010 in Geneva. Nice – gotta build that buzz!!! �

I’ll wrap this up with a nice image of the watch below, but if you want to read the official press release – and more importantly see several BIG and JUICY HIGH RES PHOTOS, check it out HERE, in the Perpetuelle.com News section.

Cartier SIHH 2010 Teaser

Kyle — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 16:00:46 +0000

Now this is what I like to see…after a couple leaks of some exciting watches coming from Cartier next year (like this and this ), Cartier decides to send out this little teaser. And I say “Well done, Cartier team, well done! But you know you can only hide from First In Watches for so long…..”

So, any guesses on what this watch might be? Based on the case shape, I think we might be seeing the start of a whole new Collection from Cartier…

Jaeger-LeCoultre Memovox International with Desk Stand

Kyle — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 19:45:39 +0000

Live shots of a pre-SIHH 2010 Prototype!

UPDATE: More details and an official image from JLC (and another nod to KronosBlog for excellent work on bringing this one!):

Limited to 750 units in steel and 250 in rose gold

List price: $12,500 (8,250 €) for the steel and $23,800 (16,100 €) for the rose gold version

The table stand (prototype pictured below) to be sold separately and exclusively at the Boutiques as an accessory for $1,500 (1,000 €)

Courtesy of KronosBlog, here is another winner that is coming in 2010 from Jaeger-LeCoultre – the Memovox International. Although I do not have all the specs or official pics from JLC yet, KronosBlog offered some “live pics” and states that the watch is 40mm and will come with a “desk-stand” that is a throwback to those sold with the original Memovox’s back in the day. The desk-stand is specially designed to help amplify the sound of the Memovox’s alarm. Hopefully I’ll have some more specs, soon, but until then, please enjoy the great pics below (there are a few more if you want to click through to KronosBlog), and if you missed it – you can see my recent preview of another spectacular (and 40mm) watch coming from JLC next year – the Jaeger-LeCoultre Memovox – here.

Video: Cartier ID One Concept Watch Video

Kyle — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 14:58:26 +0000

Sure, sure – you’ve seen the pics (if not you can check them out HERE), but how about the video? First In Watches – we got ya covered, yuh!

Seeing the watch rotor in action reminds me of something out of a Batman movie!

SIHH 2010: Cartier Rotonde de Cartier Flying Tourbillon Skeleton

Kyle — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 05:37:49 +0000

Update: It just hit me! Funny, but I was just lauding Cartier’s Rotonde de Cartier couple months ago, wondering what SIHH 2010 might have in store….and now this!

Limited edition 100 pieces. 45mm diameter stainless steel case. Cartier Caliber 9455 MC manual winding movement with the Geneva Seal.

Love it.

Cartier Rotonde de Cartier Flying Tourbillon Skeleton

Source: Cartier.

Quincy Jones Gets His Own Audemars Piguet Millenary

Kyle — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 20:37:25 +0000

Presenting the Audemars Piguet Millenary Quincy Jones – Now That’s a Watch!

Sometimes the expression of a particular watch design can often “make it or break it.” Here is an example of a watch design that definitely “makes it” – the just announced Audemars Piguet Millenary Quincy Jones Limited Edition. Audemars Piguet has released several different variations of the Millenary, and I think this one is by far its best. It is a watch unconditionally fitting of a Music Impresario such as Quincy Jones. The watch – limited to 500 pieces – has a blackened and polished steel case with the Millenary’s signature “off-center” positioning of the hours, minutes and seconds functions. The case back is engraved with Quincy Jones’ signature, and also reads “Millenary Quincy Jones – Limited Edition” as a reminder of its exclusivity. The piece is comes on a black leather strap with matching “AP” folding clasp. The watch contains Audemars Piguet’s in-house Caliber 3120.

Who is Quincy Jones, you ask? He is arguably the most successful and accomplished musician, composer, producer, arranger and conductor of all time! Some of you may know him as the producer of Thriller, by late pop icon Michael Jackson. Others, for his landmark 1989 album, Back On The Block–named “Album Of The Year” at the 1990 Grammy Awards– which brought such legends as Dizzy Gillespie, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan and Miles Davis together with Ice T, Big Daddy Kane and Melle Mel to create the first fusion of the be bop and hip hop musical traditions. You can click here to learn more about him on The Official Quincy Jones Website.

The Man With 27 Grammy Awards to his name

The Kind of Watch That is Made In Honor of A Man with 27 Grammys

Jumping back to my opening statement, take a minute to visually contrast the Millenary Quincy Jones to another recently released take on the Millenary – the Carbon One Tourbillon Chronograph. Although the Carbon One Tourbillon Chronograph is in some ways a “cool” looking watch, its expression just does not seem to fit the Millenary collection very well – particularly when compared to the refined elegance of the Quincy Jones version.

There is one other pretty spectacular Millenary, the Millenary Piano Forte (profiled by my fellow watch blogger Monochrome) – which not by coincidence was also created in honor of Quincy Jones - but even this fine watch does not surpass the refined and sophisticated look of the Millenary Quincy Jones, in my view

What do you think?

Oh – last thing – if you are wondering when and where might you see this watch first in person – look no further than Geneva…January 2010…at the SIHH.

Cartier ID One Concept Watch

Kyle — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 04:08:20 +0000

If you were still in doubt of Cartier’s watchmaking ambitions after last year’s SIHH, then you will doubt no more after seeing this – the Cartier ID One Concept Watch. Cartier revealed this amazing new “concept watch” to tell the world that is quite serious about being more than just another “fashion” brand in the world of high watchmaking, and at first glance it looks like its effort will be a convincing one. Boy does she look sweet! Check it out:

The watch is set in a 46mm “Ballon Bleu”-style case – except in a very high tech and undoubtedly awesome material called “Niobium-Titanium” (more on Nb-Ti below). The basic concept behind the Cartier ID One is to create a watch which does not require regulation or adjustment either during assembly or indeed at any time during the life of the watch. Presently, there are several basic points at which every mechanical watch has to be adjusted during the assembly process, most notably the hairspring, the balance, and the pallet fork. Cartier has come up with innovations that it believes address each of these challenges. I’ll touch briefly upon each, but first, how about a couple more pics of this amazing watch:

Now, back to the numerous innovations in this watch. First is what Cartier calls a “Zerodur hairspring”. Zerodur is the name of a proprietary ceramic/glass material that is completely unaffected by magnetic fields and is also highly dimensionally and elastically stable across a wide range of temperatures. Next, Cartier has introduced a balance wheel, escape wheel and lever in “Carbon Crystal”. Carbon Crystal is an extremely hard, diamond-like material which effectively enables the escapement to be oil free. Third, the ID One Concept Watch has a shock resistant escapement cage. This allows the escapement cage to shift both laterally and vertically to absorb force, thus protecting the entire escapement from shock. Finally, the watch has a “Niobium-Titanium” case. Niobium-titanium is a highly wear resistant (and hypoallergenic) alloy that has its own unique shock absorption properties that give it an advantage over a material such as steel. Not to mention it probably looks pretty darn cool!

The rotor of the Cartier ID One Concept Watch

I should make clear that the ID One is a concept watch and as such is not intended nor are there any current plans to offer it for sale commercially. Like concept automobiles, this concept watch is all about Cartier asserting itself as a real player in the world of haute horlogerie. You can almost hear Cartier now – “We’ve got good looking watches and the technological capabilities and skills to back it up. Recognize!” Yup, can’t argue with them on that.

Ultimately, the test for Cartier will be to do something with this concept. It will be very interesting to see if, when and where some of these innovations make it into commercially available watches. Stay tuned!

SIHH 2010: Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Memovox – A Timeless Classic Returns!

Kyle — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 00:11:47 +0000

In what is sure to be one of the highlights of 2010, First In Watches is pleased to tell you all that it is now official: Jaeger-Lecoultre is bringing back the Memovox. For those of you not familiar with the original Memovox, it has the distinct and privileged honor of being the first wristwatch with an automatic movement with alarm function (enabled by the Jaeger-LeCoultre Caliber 815), achieved in 1956. Prior to this achievement, Memovox first made its debut in 1950 (with a Jaeger-LeCoultre Caliber 489, sans alarm) and the model was maintained in production until 1968. Since this time, production of the Memovox has been, well, dormant – but make no mistake it’s possession is today highly prized!

I’ll leave the rest of the history of this watch to those more knowledgeable than I – instead let me fast forward to 2010 and what the world will soon behold! The 2010 Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Memovox is powered by a Jaeger-LeCoultre caliber 956 (first introduced in 2008), a descendant of the Caliber 815, and delivering 45 hours power reserve. Available in stainless steel or rose gold case – with a very well chosen case size of 40mm – this watch will fit nicely on the wrist. The silver dial of the Memovox is punctuated by numerals marking the 6, 9 and 12 hours, while the 3 o’clock position gives way to the date. Note the inner disk of the Memovox – the signature of the watch – marked with an arrow symbol to indicate the alarm time.

The 2010 Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Memovox

Limited to 750 pieces in Stainless Steel and 250 pieces in Rose Gold (pictured)

SIHH 2010: Girard-Perregaux Tourbillon with Three Golden Bridges

Kyle — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 13:58:46 +0000

The new 2010 version of the “Tourbillon with three gold Bridges” features bridges in an openworked design as a tribute the the original design of the three bridges by Constant Girard-Perregaux (founder of the brand) in 1860. The watch is in pink gold with a 41mm diameter. It houses a GP 9600C self-winding mechanical movement with 48 hour power reserve. Comes on a black alligator strap with deployant buckle. Limited to 50 pieces.

SIHH 2010: Girard-Perregaux 1966 Chronograph

Kyle — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 01:54:35 +0000

Here’s a first look at what Girard-Perregaux will be unveiling at SIHH 2010 – the 1966 Chronograph. The modestly sized 40mm case houses a column-wheel chronograph (a GPo3oCo automatic movement) with a 36 hour power reserve. This particular model will be available in white gold and rose gold (pictured), and will sell for around $25,000.

The Girard Perregaux 1966 Collection was launched in 2006. I think that some of GP’s best watches now come under the banner of this collection. Still, for that kind of money, there are a lot of other watches that I would also be thinking about! Anyway….here it is:

Rose Gold – Reference No. 49539-53-151-BK6A

SIHH 2010: Audemars Piguet Millenary Carbon One Tourbillon Chronograph

Kyle — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 03:08:45 +0000

As I said…these previews are most certainly one of my favorite times of the year. And here we have a very striking and bold looking watch from Audemars Piguet that will be officially unveiled at SIHH 2010.

At first glance, the watch dial looks to busy, too difficult to read. But then again it has some cool materials that give the watch a very nice sporty and tough look to it – forged carbon case – bezel, crown and pushers in cerarmic – and also some blackened steel on this watch – the caseback and the buckle. Wow – what a combination of materials! Even so, I’m not quite sure what to think of this watch….it kinda-sorta-just-a-little-tiny-bit reminds of Audemars Piguet’s Survivor (maybe it is the carbon), but at the same time it is very much a different watch. In fact it belongs to a completely different collection (Millenary collection rather than Royal Oak Offshore). I will say that the look of the movement through the caseback is pretty cool.

Anyhow, got lots of great pics on this one, and also the full spec set at the bottom, just for fun Last but not least – a hat tip to my watch blogger friend Jason over at Professional Watches – seems he saw this one coming many many months ago (click here to read what I am talking about)!

Millenary Carbon One Tourbillon Chronograph

Reference 26152AU.OO.D002CR.01

Limited edition of 120 carbon-forged pieces

The watch has an Audemars Piguet Caliber 2884 in it – as described by AP:

Audemars Piguet Calibre 2884 is an oval hand-wound movement entirely developed and crafted by AP. It is a complex movement equipped with a tourbillon, an ultra-efficient column-wheel chronograph mechanism and twin barrels. Each movement is first assembled on a trial basis in order to set it into motion. This stage alone calls for ten full days of painstaking adjustments. Once the watchmaker is sure that it runs completely smoothly, he takes it apart and scrupulously cleans the parts before final assembly and casing up. It takes about 15 days to create a finished movement that then undergoes various tests.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Millenary Carbon One Tourbillon Chronograph

Reference
26152AU.OO.D002CR.01
Forged carbon case, black crocodile leather strap
Limited edition of 120

Movement
Calibre : 2884 hand-wound with twin barrel and tourbillon
Carbon mainplate
Bridges in eloxed aluminium and blackened steel
Total diameter: 38.40 x 33.40 mm
Casing diameter: 37.40 x 32.40 mm
Thickness: 9.7 mm
30 jewels
336 parts
Up to 240-hour power reserve
Cadence of the balance: 21,600 vibrations per hour
Finishing: all parts decorated by hand.

Case
Forged carbon with black ceramic bezel, crown and push-buttons
Dimensions: 47 x 42 mm
Cambered glareproofed sapphire crystal
Blackened titanium back fitted with sapphire crystal
Water resistant to 20 metres

Dial
Openworked to reveal the movement
White hour-markers with luminescent coating
Blackened luminescent hands

Strap
Hand-sewn “large square scale” crocodile leather with AP folding clasp in blackened titanium

Functions
Hours and minutes
Chronograph
Power-reserve indicator

Source: Audemars Piguet.

SIHH 2010: A Thinner, Smaller, Sleeker….Panerai?

Kyle — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 02:23:23 +0000

UPDATE: You can see all the new 2010 Panerai models HERE on Perpetuelle.com’s Official SIHH 2010 Forum

Yes, watch fans it is true – a thinner, smaller, sleeker Panerai is scheduled to be born in 2010.

As I alluded to in my last post, 2010 may very well be the year of the small watch. And I say “small” in the most relative of senses and as I am silently laughing to myself. Perhaps “not as large” would be a better descriptor - especially when we are talking about a brand such as Panerai. If you did not know, Panerai was perhaps the initiator of the “big watch” trend when CEO Angelo Bonati presented what was at the time a collection of strikingly oversize watches…way back when….at SIHH 1998! And it was just last year that Panerai’s big watch ambitions were running strong as it released the limited edition Panerai Radiomir Egiziano – a watch that clocked in at a whopping 60mm (see it here)!!! But for SIHH 2010 we learn that Panerai – no longer just a “brand” as it was in 1998 but now a “manufacture” – will be moving in the other direction – thinner, smaller, sleeker. And with the help of a new movement, the Panerai Caliber P.999. Believe it!

So is the watch brand that started the big watch craze going to end it? Don’t hold your breath. However, First In Watches believes that this is a masterful move for Panerai. If you thought Panerai was “the” watch to own before, just wait until after this year’s SIHH! So here’s the watch, and some details on the new P.999 movement follow:

Panerai Radiomir P.999 42mm Pink Gold (PAM 336)

Limited Production of 500 pieces

The new Panerai P.999 manufacture movement – thickness of only 3.4 millimeters, individually numbered, a whopping 60-hour power reserve, and a swan neck regulator (a nice touch, I might add!):

Source: Panerai.

SIHH 2010: Ultra Slim Vacheron Constantin Historiques 1955 and Historiques 1968

Kyle — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:10:11 +0000

My favorite time of year – previews of the new watches coming in 2010! The first event of the new year is SIHH, formally known as the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie, and it is held in January. Prior to the event, each manufacturer in attendance usually releases a preview of one or two of the many new watches that it has been working on and plans to release in 2010. I’ll be highlighting most of the previews here on First In Watches, but for the official event most of the action will be on the Perpetuelle.com Forums (which by the way have been redesigned and upgraded…and will be unveiled before the end of this year).

So let’s get on with today’s preview, shall we? This one – actually two – hot off the press from Vacheron Constantin – for SIHH 2010 Vacheron Constantin will be introducing two new extra slim models in the Historiques collection: 1955 (round case) and 1968 (square case). There are not many details yet, but what I do know is this: the Historiques 1955 will house a manual wind caliber 1003 (now a 100% inhouse movement, and in 100% yellow gold), and the 1968 will have a VC automatic caliber 1120. Both models are in 4N gold which I understand has an interesting tone to it somwhere between yellow and rose gold. Also, the Historiques 1955 has a 36mm case and the Historiques 1968 is 35.2mm x 35.2mm (not including lugs) – as we have already seen from Panerai, and now Vacheron Constantin, this may be the year of the smaller watch (but I’ll be writing more on that later)!

Here’s a look at the pics VC released thus far. Below the pics is a nice historical summary of Vacheron Constantin’s long history of innovations and leadership in thin/ultra slim watch category.

“Historique Ultra-fine 1968” (left) and the “Historique Ultra-fine 1955” (right)

“Historique Ultra-fine 1955”, currently the world’s thinnest watch measuring just 4.10 mm thick

inspired by one of the three historical models introduced in 1955 – reference 4961

Look at this beautiful profile!

The redesigned Caliber 1003: 1.64 mm thickness – still a market slimness record – and its 21.10 mm diameter remain unchanged in tribute to the original movement. Bridges and mainplate are now crafted from 18-carat gold – 117 parts – and a 30-hour+ power reserve, despite its tiny size!

And this will be viewable through the sapphire crystal exhibition caseback!

And here’s the 1968:

Here is the nice history on Vacheron’s ultra-thin watch heritage (as provided by VC):

Extreme slenderness is traditionally not considered as a horological complication, in that it does not itself contribute an additional watch function in the same way as a date or a chronograph. It would nonetheless be entirely legitimate to describe it as such, due to its highly complex nature that often pushes micromechanical boundaries to the limit. Although many try their hand in this field, few are successful.

While the first ultra-thin Vacheron Constantin calibres were produced in the 19^th century, the manufacturer became most prolific in this speciality during the 20^th century, which is generally considered as the ultra-thin “golden age”. It was indeed in the early 20^th century that wristwatches began to gain popularity, and weight and thickness thus became crucial factors in ensuring the wearer comfort of such models.

The Vacheron Constantin heritage comprises extraordinary ultra-thin creations and a succession of slimness records.

Right from the start of the 19^th century, the Vacheron Constantin archives (including a letter written by Jacques-Barthélémi Vacheron to a certain Mr. Girod in Paris, dated May 18^th 1912) feature references to thin watches. Another letter dated January 28^th 1829 and written by Jacques-Barthélémi Vacheron to François Constantin also mentions the production of “a few thin pieces”.

Vacheron Constantin’s historical records for 1911 also include three 8,9 and 10-ligne calibres, each measuring 2.82 mm thick. The remainder of the century witnessed an impressive number of ultra-thin calibres, representing impressive horological feats and becoming ever slimmer over the years: 2.25 mm in 1917, 1.88 in 1924. Some were used to create such extraordinary models as a rock crystal watch presented in 1926 and equipped with a 2.63 mm red gold movement.

In 1931, Vacheron Constantin set a new world pocket-watch record with a mechanical movement measuring 17 lignes 5/12 in diameter and less than 1 mm thick – exactly 0.94 mm to be precise !

Ultra-thin movements continued to inspire the Geneva-based manufacturer, leading it in 1981 to present the “Structura” collection, which set a highly original stage for one of these movements by reversing it and fitting the hands on the bridge side, thereby enabling connoisseurs to admire the full complexity of its structure.

In 1992, Vacheron Constantin confirmed that its expertise in the field of extreme slenderness also extends to Grand Complication movements by presenting the thinnest minute repeater wristwatch movement to date, measuring 3.28 mm and earning the Geneva-based manufacturer set another record.

Nor was Vacheron Constantin lagging behind when it came to self-winding movements. From 1945 onwards, it began developing ultra-thin self-winding movements such as the 477 9/12 which was to be the first of an entire generation : the 498 in 1951, the 499 and the 1019 in 1953, followed by the 1071 in 1958.