Machined titanium case shaped like an engine block…

Limited Edition of 150 pieces.  Titanium case (44mm x 35mm), Movement is Chopard’s manual wind L.U.C. 1TRM tourbillon (COSC-certified, 60 hour power reserve), power reserve indicator on dial, sapphire crystal front and back, Hand-sewn black alligator strap with matching titanium buckle.  Price?  Easily north of $50,000.

Chopard L.U.C Engine One Tourbillon

Up Close (Power reserve at top, Tourbillon on bottom)

BASELWORLD 2010 is coming soon. You can see all the hot new pre-releases on Perpetuelle.com’s Official Baselworld 2010 Forum right now! And many many more when the event starts on March 18th. Just click here!

As with prior years, a few luxury watchmakers have issued special watches to commemorate the Singapore Grand Prix this year, and I thought it only appropriate and timely to share those with you now, as these are some special and exclusive (ie very pricey) watches.  If you did not know, the only night race on the FIA Formula 1 World Championship circuit is at the Marina Bay track in Singapore.  In 2008, the first year of the “night race”, Ferrari’s Felipe Massa (wearer of all things Richard Mille) had the pole position, but it was Renault’s Fernando Alonso who took the victory.  This year, it is McLaren-Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton (wearer of all things Tag Heuer) who has the pole position but the winner is yet to be determined!

Franck Muller Conquistador Singapore Grand Prix 2009 Racing Chronograph

80 pieces in titanium, 80 in rose gold and titanium, and 6 exclusive models in pink gold with blackened titanium bezel (shown below in this order)

(photo credits: Horomundi)

2009 Chopard Classic Racing Chrono F1 Singapore Edition (Unique Piece)

18-carat rose gold, 45mm case, COSC-certified, 1960s Dunlop racing tyre-tread motif black rubber strap, with logo and commemorative mention of the 2009 F1 Singapore race featured on the back-case

Auctioned at the President’s Charity Challenge Luncheon for $35,000!

TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre 16 Day Date Chronograph (Singapore Limited Edition)

(photo credit: puristspro)

If I missed any please let me know!

Perpetuelle.com Moderator James Bond recently attended a splendid “Get Together” (or “GTG” as the hard core watch enthusiasts refer to them) in Boston, MA.  The watches in attendance at this GTG were phenomenal and I wish I could have been there to enjoy them (I’m sure the people were nice, too).  In addition to a beautiful Rolex Red Daytona, the lineup of vintage watches was amazing.  I am sharing a couple teasers below, but you’ll need to click here to check out Mr. Bond’s full report on the Perpetuelle.com World Watch Forum.  Partial Listing of Watches in attendance include: Rolex “Red Daytona”, Vintage Ulysse Nardin, Vintage Omega Seamster 300, Vintage IWC, Pink dial Minerva, Omega Seamaster Broad Arrow, Chopard, Breguet Type XX, Omega SMP, (Vincent?) Calabrese.

Thanks for the great GTG report, James!

Rolex Red Daytona

Photo: James Bond

“Group Shot”

Photo: James Bond

Again, click here to check out Mr. Bond’s full report on the Perpetuelle.com World Watch Forum.

Reuters news recently reported that Swiss-watchmaker Chopard is cutting 13 jobs at a manufacturing plant and 23 at headquarters (out of a total 1,800 staff).  36 people out of 1,800 is not severe – just 2% of the workforce.

But what caught my attention as a much more telling “sign of the times” was this statement by Chopard CEO Karl-Friedrich Schefele in an interview with Swiss newspaper L’Agefi:

“There is absolutely no visibility, one or two months at best.”

This just goes to show you that no matter how rosy or optimistic the major watch brands are spinning the state of their business, I think that there are some very worrisome signs within the industryright now.

What do you think?

Originally reported at:  http://www.forbes.com/feeds/afx/2009/03/09/afx6141909.html

With further commentary at: http://www.luxist.com/2009/03/12/chopard-to-cut-jobs-on-low-sales-forecasts/