Thursday, June 17, 2010

BaselWorld 2010: Bvlgari Octo Grande Sonnerie Tourbillon


Thanks to its 4 gongs, the Octo Grande Sonnerie Tourbillon is capable of playing the tune of Big Ben (Westminster/London). This authentic masterpiece can also perform two major audible functions: the Grande Sonnerie (grand strike) and Petite Sonnerie (small strike).
In Grande Sonnerie mode, the mechanism strikes the hours, and then repeaters the hour each time it is preparing to strike the following quarters – first, second and third – just like a clock tower bell. This striking mode known as “in passing” operates automatically, without any intervention by the owner of the Swiss Replica Watches. Meanwhile, the Petite Sonnerie mode also sounds the hour and the first, second and third quarters in passing. One may of course also opt for the silence mode.

Thursday, June 3, 2010

2010 BaselWorld Preview: Victorinox Swiss Army Dive Master 500 Chronograph


Timing comes together with the world of diving in this new Dive Master 500, with its highly original chronograph with a central minutes and seconds display. Water-resistant to 500 meters, it is both robust and functional. It has excellent legibility thanks to its luminescent hands, hour-markers and numerals, on the dial and on the unidirectional rotating bezel, and is equipped with a truly sporty Black Ice PVD TM case. A contemporary watch par excellence, this new model from Victorinox Swiss Army is available in black, red or orange.

Movement: ETA 251.262 quartz
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date and chronograph
Case: Black Ice PVD TM stainless steel, 43 mm
Unidirectional rotating bezel with luminescent numerals and hourmarkers
Scratch-resistant sapphire crystal with triple anti-reflective coating
Water-resistant to 500 m
Dial: Black, red or orange
Luminescent hands and hour-markers
Central minutes and seconds chronograph display
Hour and small seconds counters at 10 and 6 o’clock respectively
Date window at 6 o’clock
Bracelet/Strap: Black Ice PVD TM steel or black, red or orange genuine rubber

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

2010 BaselWorld Preview: Reconvilier Hercules Golf Master


GOLFERS - THIS COULD BE THE WATCH FOR YOU!

Combining a mechanical movement with a GPS application, the Golf Master enables golfers for the very first time to measure the distance to the green, front edge or center! This original function is displayed on the front of the watch in meters or yards, while the reversible “Rotar” mechanism provides a classic analogue reading of the time on the other side. With one touch, the time is also displayed digitally.

Movement: Automatic ETA 2892A, COSC-certified chronometer
Integrated digital module for LCD display, innovative "Rotar" mechanism.
Functions: Analogue movement: hours, minutes, seconds and date
Digital module: hours, minutes, seconds, and distance to green measured with GPS technology
Case: Steel or titanium, 44mm
Water-resistant to 50 m
Dial: White, black or gray
Bracelet/Strap: Black or white rubber with steel or titanium folding clasp

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

2010 BaselWorld Preview: Rebellion Predator


In its two years of existence, Rebellion has built a solid reputation with exceptional timepieces – chronographs, regulators and tourbillions – inspired by the world of automobile racing. Conceived in collaboration with the designer Eric Giroud, the Predator also borrows many of its features from racing cars: the brake discs and the pedals, the five-layer dial with its honeycomb base, and the push rod shaped bridges connecting the chronograph counters to the dial. Not to mention the formidable technical mastery of the double sectorial seconds hand at 9 o’clock: the shorter hand indicates 0 to 30 seconds, with the longer one taking over for 30 to 60 seconds. The case is constructed in a sandwich of superimposed layers available in various materials, so there are many ways to personalize the timepiece.


Movement: Automatic, RE-1 calibre, 28,800 vib/h, 50-hour power reserve
Functions: Hours, minutes, sectorial seconds, chronograph, date
Case: Red gold, red gold/ceramic, steel, steel/ceramic
Numbered middle
Bezel affixed with 8 Rebellion screws
Red gold or steel crown with rubber ring
Screw-down sapphire back
Water-resistant to 100 m
Dial: DLC black honeycomb
Red gold or steel hourmarkers with Superluminova
Hour, minute and sectorial seconds counters at 6, 3 and 9 o’clock respectively
Date window at 4.30
Bracelet/Strap: Black rubber with red gold, ceramic or steel patented folding clasp

Friday, May 28, 2010

2010 BaselWorld Preview: Porsche Design Heritage P6530

Heritage P’6530 – clarity of form and lightweight design

The new P’6530 Titanium Chronograph sees Porsche Design revisiting a milestone in watchmaking – one that is limited to an edition of 911 pieces. The re-issue of this classic is at the same time the first watch in the exclusive new Heritage collection, which will be completed with various models over the years to come. Its case and bracelet are fashioned entirely from titanium. This makes the timepiece incredibly robust as well as comfortable to wear, due to the low weight of the material, which is substantially less than that of stainless steel.

Extremely light and resilient: features that were important in 1980 – when Porsche Design revolutionized the world of watchmaking with the first-ever titanium-built chronograph – are just as relevant now. Thirty years after the premiere of the legendary timepiece, Porsche Design is evoking the classic with this faithful re-issue. The Heritage P’6530 is endowed with the same successful attributes as its forebear: clarity and purity of form, with push-pieces integrated within the lines of the shot-blasted titanium case, and a slender bracelet also in titanium. All that has changed in the appearance is the diameter, which has grown to 44 millimeters to suit today’s tastes. The watch sits perfectly on the wrist thanks to titanium’s many benefits: not only is the material light in weight, but it is particularly skin compatible and resistant to corrosion. The chronograph features a scratch-resistant, double-sided non-reflective sapphire crystal, and it is waterproof to 60 meters (six atmospheres). The dial indicates the time as well as the weekday and date. The small seconds indicator is located at 9 o’clock. This is complemented by a 30-minute counter at 12 o’clock and a 12-hour totalizer at 6 o’clock. A tachymeter scale is inscribed on the back of the crystal, allowing speeds of between 55 and 300 km/h to be computed in conjunction with the red seconds hand. The Heritage P’6530 is powered by the proven ETA Valjoux 7750 chronograph calibre and offers a power reserve of 48 hours. The chronograph comes with a certificate of precision issued by the Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres (COSC) in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland.

Classic form

The design idiom of the Titanium Chronograph expresses purity of form, functionality and timelessness. Like everything else produced by the brand, the Heritage P’6530 takes its cue from Ferdinand Alexander Porsche’s stated aim to create products capable of acting as ‘companions through life’. The creator of the legendary Porsche 911 in the early 60s is quoted as saying: “When you think about the function of something, its design sometimes emerges of its own accord.” The output of the Porsche Design Studio, founded in Zell am See, Austria, in 1972, has remained true to this idea. Today, the studio ranks among Europe’s most renowned design establishments, continuing to imbue its creations with the clarity, timelessness and distinctiveness so characteristic of all Porsche Design products. It is an expertise that has attracted more than 130 national and international awards. The Studio’s credo means that its wristwatches can only be circular: it is the shape that describes the movement of the hands.

The dial was also the subject of coherent thinking: it calls to mind the reflection free instrumentation of sports cars, with its black background, white marking and use of white luminous material on the hands and bar indices. Setting a solitary color accent is the large, red seconds stop hand. This monochromatic scheme helps prevent distracting reflections and enhances overall legibility.


Material power

Accompanying the accuracy and abstention of architecture consort by Porsche Architecture is its charge to avant-garde materials. The cast led the bazaar in 1972 by ablution the world’s first-ever aphotic watch. Revolutionary at the time, the resilient, all atramentous actualization was the aftereffect of a blanket action accepted as Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD). Porsche Architecture already afresh revolutionized the watchmaking world, this time in 1980, by ablution the world’s aboriginal titanium watch – now the accountable of this re-issue. Twenty years after came the world’s aboriginal watch featuring an aluminum case.

The Heritage P’6530 Titanium Alarm is offered as a bound and numbered copy of 911 pieces. It comes with a album anecdotic the history of this, the world’s first-ever titanium watch. The Heritage P’6530 is due for barrage in the fourth division of 2010.

The Porsche Architecture brand

Porsche Architecture is a affluence cast with a accurate focus on technically aggressive products. The affluence cast was founded in 1972 by Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, and back again its articles accept stood for functional, around-the-clock and purist design. The artefact portfolio includes archetypal men's accessories, a action and appearance accumulating as able-bodied as cyberbanking articles and a men's aroma range. All articles are advised in the Porsche Architecture Studio in Zell am See, Austria, and awash common in own stores, shop-in-shops, top superior administration food and absolute retail outlets. The admirable Swiss watchmaking abode of Eterna is the licensee for the assembly and auction of Porsche Architecture watches.

Titanium Alarm (limited copy of 911 pieces)

RRP: CHF 4 990; € 3 900

Technical Specifications

Porsche Architecture Heritage P´6530

Movement/functions: calibre Valjoux 7750; self-winding automated chronograph; affidavit of precision; 48-hour ability reserve; 28,800 vph; 25 jewels; bore 30 mm (13¼ lines); hours, account and seconds; day and date indication; Porsche Architecture rotor.

Dial/hands: black; 30-minute adverse at 12 o’clock; 12-hour adverse at 6 o’clock; baby abnormal at 9 o’clock; day and date adumbration at 3 o’clock; bar indices and centred hour and minute coated with white beaming material; red centered alarm abnormal hand; white alarm counters coated with white beaming material.

Case/back: shot-blasted titanium case; chip push-pieces; bifold anti-reflective,

scratch-resistant azure clear with printed tachymeter scale; engraved

edition amount on the case back; baptize aggressive to 60 m (6 ATM); diameter

44 mm, acme 14.3 mm.

Bracelet/clasp: shot-blasted titanium; shot-blasted folding brooch in titanium.

Edition numbering: bound and numbered copy of 911; accompanied by a publication.

Reference Number: 6530.11.41.1219

Case: Shot-blasted titanium

Dial: Black

Bracelet: Shot-blasted titanium

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

2010 BaselWorld Preview: Tissot Sailing Touch 2 Timezones

By simply touching the dial, sailors will now be able to confront any weather with style. The Sailing Touch is a useful instrument for checking the weather conditions with its integrated histogram of the six previous hours and a function for measuring relative air pressure. It is also equipped with a calculator that indicates the tides in the port of destination. But that is not all! This formidable tactile instrument is indispensable for regattas, with its countdown function for those crucial ten minutes preceding the start of the race, signaled by both beeps and a digital display. The impressive range of functions also includes a mechanism for measuring speed over a given distance, a compass, two alarms, two time-zones, a perpetual calendar and back-lighting.


Movement: Quartz


Functions: Hours, minutes, weather (relative pressure), regatta (countdown), speed (chronograph with tachymeter), compass, 2 alarms, tide calculator, 2 time-zones, perpetual calendar and back-lighting

Case: 316L stainless steel

Scratch-resistant, anti-reflective tactile sapphire crystal

Red, silvered or navy blue bezel with or without setting of 19 Top Wesselton VS/SI diamonds (0.8 to 0.85 ct)

Water-resistant to 100 m

Dial: Black, silvered, navy blue or white lacquered

Bracelet/Strap: Black or white rubber, or rubber with 316L stainless steel, safety folding clasp

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

2010 BaselWorld Preview: Doxa Grafic ETA 2824-2


The ambassadress of contemporary design since 1957, the Grafic from Doxa and its lines of absolute purity accompanied the “modern movement” that shaped the aesthetics of the 20th century. The round aperture at 12 o’clock shows that Doxa will always keep abreast of history.

Movement: Automatic, ETA 2824-2 calibre
Functions: Hours, minutes and seconds
Case: Stainless steel, 40 x 43 mm
Anti-reflective sapphire crystal
Transparent back
Water-resistant to 50 m
Dial: Black, chocolate or silvered
Opening at 12 o’clock
Bracelet/Strap: Black or brown leather

My opinion: Reminiscent of some other contemporary designs, but gorgeous in its simplicity. I like it. I like it a lot.