Independent watchmaking pioneer F.P.Journe has moved his New York boutique from Manhattan’s Upper East Side to 53 Mercer Street in SoHo.
The new space showcases Journe’s watches in sleek display cases amid small lounges, a bar and a library filled with books on watchmaking.
At the center of the space is a large chandelier created by Mexican-Brazilian artist Carolina Fontoura Alzaga, similar to those in Journe’s boutiques in Los Angeles and Miami.
Upstairs, the new store offers a kitchen, a wine cellar and a large room where the watchmaker plans to host dinners and receptions.
The space’s architects were careful to retain some of the building’s original red brick walls in order to recall the industrial history of the SoHo district.
Details: Maison F.P.Journe New York,53 Mercer Street, NY, NY 10013, New York.
Bulgari adds three new models to its sporty Aluminum series.
The popular Bulgari Aluminum collection was an instant hit when it debuted in 1998. Made of rubber and aluminum, a combination not seen among higher-end Swiss watches previously, the watch was casually sporty and worn by men and women. Bulgari relaunched the collection in 2020, adding automatic movements and updated materials.
The newest additions to the collection include a newly darkened chronograph (with a new caliber), a blue-dialed time and date model and a sporty tennis-themed edition with a left-side crown.
The new Bulgari Aluminum Chronograph, with black dial.
Aluminum Chronograph
Now measuring a slightly larger 41mm in diameter, Bulgari’s Aluminum Chronograph (which won the GPHG Iconic Watch Prize in 2020) is now available in a version sporting an all-black dial, a black rubber bezel and a black rubber and aluminum bracelet.
Powered by a new automatic Caliber B381 (built from an automatic Sellita base with a Dubois-Depraz module), the new watch continues to utilize the aerospace-grade 6028 aluminum alloy and FKM rubber Bulgari incorporated into the impressive redesigned version of 2020, but now also includes a crown, caseback and both chronograph pushers made using black DLC-coated titanium.
Bulgari’s Aluminum Chronograph, off-white dial Panda edition, launches in September
Bulgari also adds the new automatic chronograph movement to the familiar off-white dial Aluminum Chronograph.
While the black-dialed model will be available in June, the newest off-white-dialed ‘Panda’ edition will arrive in September.
Price: $4,640.
Capri Edition
Bulgari adds a limited series to the Aluminum collection meant to celebrate the Italian island of Capri. Two models offer a dial colored in gradient Tyrrhenian blue, a shade reminiscent of Capri’s beachside sea and sky.
This new limited series (of 1,000 watches each) includes a Solotempo model displaying time and date and a chronograph version.
Each watch frames its dial with a blue rubber bezel that matches the rubber strap with aluminum links and aluminum pin buckle.
Bulgari fits the new Aluminum Capri Chronograph with its ETA-based automatic chronograph Caliber B130. The Capri Solotempo model is powered an ETA-based caliber B77 mechanical automatic movement, which also features a date display.
To add novelty, Bulgari has engraved the caseback with the Faraglioni, the three rock formations well known to travelers to the Italian island.
Prices: $3,350 (time and date) and $4,800 (chronograph).
The new Bulgari Aluminum Match Point Edition.
Match Point Edition
This surprising and sporty aluminum model is meant to not only look a bit like a tennis ball, but also to be worn on the court.
Its unusual left-side crown keeps the winder away from the wearer’s flexing wrist during play, and with a smaller (40mm) lightweight aluminum case and an (included) extra Velcro strap (above), more than a few Bulgari Aluminum Match Point Edition watches just might see some net action.
Bulgari accents the watch’s white dial with green luminescent hands and indexes and adds tennis-ball-yellow luminescent seconds hand, markers and dots. Even the packaging of this 800-piece limited edition evokes the look of a tennis ball.
On the caseback Bulgari has engraved — you guessed it — a tennis ball. Inside Bulgari fits its ETA-based automatic B77 caliber with a comfortable 42-hour power reserve.
To celebrate the upcoming Porsche Rennsport Reunion, slated to begin later this year (on September 28) at Leguna Seca in California, Porsche Design launches a U.S. limited edition watch: the Chronograph 1 – Rennsport Reunion 7 Edition.
The new Porsche Design the Chronograph 1 – Rennsport Reunion 7 Edition.
As an enhanced edition of the famed Porsche Design Chronograph 1 from 1972, the watch retains the original’s pioneering black livery. But instead of the original’s PVD steel case, the new models are forged using a more scratch-resistant titanium carbide case. But the revived watch still enthralls with same matte black dial, red chronograph seconds hand and 41mm case size as the original.
For this special edition, Porsche Design engraves a ‘7’ on the strap to celebrate the seventh Porsche Rennsport Reunion.
Turn the watch over to see more commemorative markings, including a platinum-colored winding rotor in the form of the RS Spyder wheel rim with a colorful Porsche Crest (used exclusively for this edition). The rotor winds the superb COSC-certified Porsche Design caliber WERK 01.140.
Porsche Design offers customers two bracelets with this commemorative watch. Buyers receive a classic black titanium bracelet and the sporty black leather strap with stitching and Race-Tex in blue (and the embossed “7”). Porsche Design makes its strap materials from originals used in the interiors of Porsche sports cars.
The Porsche Design Chronograph 1 – Rennsport Reunion 7 Edition is priced at $12,500 and is limited to seventy-five pieces in celebration of 75th anniversary of Porsche.
To celebrate tomorrow’s coronation of King Charles III, British watchmaker Bremont has launched the MBII King Charles III, a commemorative watch within the brand’s military MBII “Martin Baker’ series.
The new Bremont MBII King Charles III.
Offered as a limited edition of fifty, the new 42mm steel watch (available through Bremont boutiques and the Bremont website) makes its allegiance clear with a stainless steel closed caseback nicely engraved with the official King Charles III Coronation Emblem.
A long-time supplier of specialized watches to numerous branches of the British military, Bremont previously also supplied a watch to royalty. In 2011 Bremont supplied a pocket watch to Prince Philipe as part of the celebrations for the late Queen’s Jubilee. Bremont was also commissioned by Jaguar to create bespoke car clocks for Queen Elizabeth II’s fleet of Jaguar automobiles.
Bremont maintains a classic livery for the MBII King Charles III watch, offering a tasteful white dial with luminescent hands and date display.
The only nod to royalty on the dial is the regal purple seconds hand. Inside Bremont fits its ETA-based, chronometer-rated Caliber 11 1/2’’’ BE-36AE automatic movement.
Bremont will also include a commemorative coin with the MBII King Charles III watch. The coin will also be included with any non-customized Bremont watch purchased in the near term and while coin supplies last.
Bremont explains that the coin is inspired by the concept of a traditional military challenge coin and features the official Coronation Emblem of HM King Charles III.
Hublot’s new Spirit of Big Bang Sang Bleu watches, with highly faceted crystals and multi-level, sectional cases, underscore the watchmaker’s ongoing creative collaboration with tattoo artist Maxime Plescia-Buchi and his Sang Bleu design house.
One of five new Hublot Spirit of Big Bang Sang Bleu models. Watches are offered in King Gold (above), titanium or black ceramic.
The existing series, first introduced in 2016, is now available in the barrel-shaped Spirit of Big Bang case and with newly elongated and bevelled features.
Geometric tattoos alternate and overlap from the case to the bezel. The series revels in new triangles and a multiplicity of case finishes that, while unorthodox within Swiss watchmaking, again demonstrates Hublot’s ability to nurture and sustain a serious artistic partnership.
While elongated, the cases here still fit the wrist nicely thanks to carefully arched caseback and back crystal.
Hublot exposes portions of its HUB4700 automatic skeleton chronograph movement through angular disc hands that echo the shape of all Hublot’s Sang Bleu designs. Through the clear caseback you’ll see an impressively skeletonized Sang Bleu rotor.
The new Spirit of Big Bang Sang Bleu watches, each 42mm in diameter across a barrel-shaped case, offer their angularity in three different case materials, with two of the options also enhanced with a choice of diamond-set cases.
Hublot will offer 200 watches in either titanium or all black ceramic and 100 examples in King Gold. In addition, two titanium and King Gold models are each set with 180 diamonds.
Prices: $28,300 (titanium) to $70,400 (King Gold with diamonds).
While the black-dialed model will be available in June, the newest off-white-dialed ‘Panda’ edition will arrive in September.
This new limited series (of 1,000 watches each) includes a Solotempo model displaying time and date and a chronograph version.
On the caseback Bulgari has engraved — you guessed it — a tennis ball. Inside Bulgari fits its ETA-based automatic B77 caliber with a comfortable 42-hour power reserve.
The only nod to royalty on the dial is the regal purple seconds hand. Inside Bremont fits its ETA-based, chronometer-rated Caliber 11 1/2’’’ BE-36AE automatic movement.
Bremont explains that the coin is inspired by the concept of a traditional military challenge coin and features the official Coronation Emblem of HM King Charles III.
