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Delma Adds Titanium, Ceramic to Shell Star 

Delma updates its Shell Star dive watch series with the Shell Star Titanium, a lighter, more compact version of the watch, which the independent watchmaker debuted in 1975 as its first professional-level dive model.

The new Delma Shell Star Titanium.

Now measuring 41mm in diameter and 13.6mm thick, the watch’s new titanium case retains all the water resistance (500 meters) of existing steel Shell Star models while also offering a lightweight option for divers.

Weighing 136 grams on its full titanium bracelet (compared to the 225-gram all-steel models) the new watch offers more than comfort.

Titanium is naturally corrosion resistant as a case material, but Delma also enhances the watch with a ceramic bezel, which offers a new level of scratch resistance to the watch.

That black ceramic bezel also creates a new, dramatic visual effect when framing the three dial colors (sand-textured black, blue or orange) Delma offers with this debut.

Delma retains the Shell Star’s hyper-visible dial, adding two types of luminous, bright blue glowing Super-LumiNova BGW9 on the bezel and neon green glowing Super-LumiNova C3 for the indexes and hands. Delma also keeps the collection’s signature Shell Star’s spade-shaped seconds hand and large luminous tip.

Delma seals the titanium caseback with a clear mineral crystal exposing a customized Delma rotor on the Sellita automatic movement.

The watchmaker is limiting production of the new Shell Star Titanium to 499 pieces, available online and in select stores. 

Price: $1,890.

 

Specifications: Delma Shell Star Titanium

(Limited edition of 499 pieces)

Movement: SW200-1 automatic movement with ball bearing, frequency 28,800 vph, power reserve of 38 hours.

Case: 41mm by 13.6 mm titanium case with screw-down crown, clear caseback, water resistant to 500 meters.

Dial: Black, blue or orange sand-textured with matching railway track. Hands and indexes with Super-LumiNova C3 with green glow. Unidirectional bezel in black ceramic with markers inSuper-LumiNova BGW9 with blue glow.

Bracelet: Titanium with deployant clasp with pushers.

Price: $1,890. 

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Girard-Perregaux Goes Green with Aston Martin 

For its latest collaboration with Aston Martin, Girard-Perregaux unveils the Laureato Green Ceramic Aston Martin Edition, a Laureato with the British Racing Green color favored by Aston Martin front and center.

The watch marks the first time Girard-Perregaux has fashioned its Laureato using a green ceramic case and a green ceramic bracelet.

The new Girard-Perregaux Laureato Green Ceramic Aston Martin Edition. The watch will be offered in 38mm and 42mm case sizes.

Girard-Perregaux will make the Laureato Green Ceramic Aston Martin Edition in two case sizes: 38mm and 42mm. The 42mm model is fitted with the Caliber GP01800, while the 38mm version is equipped with the Caliber GP03300.

Both are in-house movements that are visible through the watch’s see-through sapphire case-back on which Girard-Perregaux has engraved the Aston Martin logo.

On the back of the movement, Girard-Perregaux has applied straight Côtes de Genève and has embellished the oscillating weight with circular Côtes de Genève. These movements offer a power reserve of at least 46 hours (38mm) and 54 hours (42mm).

In addition to the green coloring, the dial itself marks an homage to Aston Martin. There you’ll see a cross-hatch, diamond-like pattern that the automaker used on its logo in the 1920s. The pattern also matches the look of certain Aston Martin quilted seats.

While Girard-Perregaux famously made the first Laureato collections in steel in 1975, in recent years the manufacture has launched many editions of the octagonal-bezel series using a range of other materials, including precious metals, sapphire and ceramic.

To make the case and bracelet for the new Laureato Green Ceramic Aston Martin Edition, Girard-Perregaux employs ultra-modern ceramic, a lightweight material made with zirconium oxide and color-infused metallic oxides.

The watchmaker explains that its ceramic mixture is particularly hard (up to seven times harder than steel), making the watch highly scratch resistant. The material will also never fade as ceramic is unaffected by changes in ambient temperature.

Price: $25,000 (38mm, limited to 188 pieces) and $25,800 (42mm, limited to 388 pieces). 

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Gerald Charles Chronograph Now in Titanium 

Gerald Charles adds a titanium-cased Maestro Chronograph to its collection of elegant curved-case watches. With the new watch, the independent watchmaker (founded in 2000 by famed watch designer Gerald Charles Genta) creates the first titanium case within its characteristic Maestro Chronograph line, echoing the earlier production of a titanium case within the Gerald Charles GC Sport collection.

The new Gerald Charles Maestro GC3.0-TN Chronograph is a titanium-cased addition to the collection.

The new chronograph’s Sunburst royal blue dial, seen earlier on a gold Maestro Chronograph model, beautifully reflects ambient light and quite effectively complements the polished titanium frame. 

As with the case on the GC Sport model, the titanium case for the chronograph required extensive development, according to Gerald Charles.

The watch’s unusual curved shape is a challenge to the case maker as Grade 5 titanium is much harder than stainless steel or even gold to manipulate into curved forms.

Another challenge arises when attempting to set and polish the Maestro’s pushers, which are set directly at two curves adjacent to the crown.

Gerald Charles notes that the new titanium Maestro GC3.0-TN Chronograph weighs less than half its sister model in stainless steel. 

Inside the watch Gerald Charles fits the GCA3022/12 Manufacture automatic chronograph caliber developed in partnership between Gerald Charles and Swiss movement specialists Vaucher Fleurier Manufacture. (See below for detailed specifications.)

The chronometer-standard caliber is beautifully hand finished and visible through a sapphire crystal case back. On the dial, Gerald Charles applies and polishes counters at 3, 6 and 9, to display the running seconds, chronograph hours and chronograph minutes.

Price: $25,400.

Specifications: Gerald Charles Maestro GC3.0-TN Chronograph

(Reference GC3.0-TN-01)
Movement: Automatic GCA3022/12 manufacture chronograph caliber, with counters at 3, 6 and 9, 50-hour power reserve, 28,800 vph, stop-second system, 351 components, 46 rubies, 6.07mm thickness

Case: 39mm x 41.7mm by 11.5mm grade 5 titanium, polished with screw-down crown also in grade 5 titanium with Clous de Paris finish and embossed logo, sapphire crystal and back. Water resistance to 100 meters.

Dial: Sunburst royal blue, hands and applied indexes filled with SuperLumiNova.

Strap: Royal blue vulcanized rubber strap with titanium pin buckle.

Price: $25,400 

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Reservoir Updates Kanister 

Reservoir enhances its vintage-auto-themed Kanister collection with the new Kanister 316, now supplied with a new retro five-link bracelet and newly powered by Reservoir’s recently updated proprietary Caliber RSV-240.

The new Reservoir Kanister 316. A silver dial model is also available.

With its dial inspired by the dashboard instruments of the legendary Porsche 356 Speedster, Kanister is the Paris-based independent watchmaker’s translation of that car’s RPM display onto a watch dial.

Offered with either a black or silver dial, the new Kanister 316 displays the time as indicated via Reservoir’s distinctive jump-hour function. This indicates minutes via a large hand sweeping 240-degrees across the dial and jumping back to restart each hour. Hours are shown digitally in the aperture at the 6 o’clock position, just above a power reserve display.

The dashboard of a 1956 Porsche 365 Speedster, the inspiration for the Kanister dial.

Reservoir recreates a 1950s feel with colorful dial treatment on the otherwise black dial model. Pastel green minute indexes and a swirl of the same green hue dominate, with red accents.

The silver dial edition is more classical, with a silver minute hand and only a hint of color reserved for the power reserve display. The watchmaker brush-finishes the watch’s 41.5mm steel case.

Reservoir fits the Kanister 316 with Caliber RSV-240, the watchmaker’s latest update of its signature jump-hour movement. Introduced last year, the caliber is made in association with the Swiss engine manufacture TELOS.

The automatic caliber makes use of a La Joux-Perret LJP-G100 base with a proprietary 113-piece module. With the new Caliber RSV-240, power reserve jumps to an impressive fifty-six hours. 

Reservoir plans to deploy the new caliber to all its jump-hour collections in the next few months.

Price: $4,600. 

 

Specifications: Reservoir Kanister 316  

Case: 41.5 mm, 316L stainless steel with brushed finish, screw-down crown, water-resistant to 50 meters. clear sapphire caseback.

Dial: Black or silver color. Retrograde minute, jumping hour and power reserve displays. 

Movement: Calibre RSV-240, manufacture automatic with patented proprietary 113-pieces module (LJP G100 base), 56-hour power reserve.

Bracelet: Stainless steel with butterfly folding clasp, additional black leather or Ostrich taupe leather strap. 

Price: $4,600. 

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Baume & Mercier Adds a GMT to Riviera

One of two new Baume & Mercier Riviera GMT models.

With its full-throttled release of new Riviera designs within the past few years, Baume & Mercier continues in 2023 to update one of its most-loved designs.

While the most recent Riviera update includes good-looking time-only, moon phase and skeleton models, this new GMT edition turned my head the quickest. Granted, the steel and titanium design came in a close second, but the new 42mm steel Riviera GMT model, offered in two color options, topped my list.

With its twelve-sided bezel and accompanying four screws, Riviera has managed to retain its casual elegance since its 1973 debut. When Baume & Mercier presented a fifth-generation Riviera collection in 2021, I was impressed.

But the new GMT upholds Riviera’s tacit invitation to travel (yes, to the French Riviera) with an actual dual-time function. Its central fourth hand rotates around the dial every 24 hours to indicate the time in the travel destination on the peripheral hour scale.

The GMT hand on the new design is as red as a sunburn on its namesake beach, and on either dial the second time zone is always highly visible. But this is especially true on the silver-dial edition, which also displays the 24-hour markers in matching red.

As noted, the two new Riviera GMT watches are available in two versions: one with a blue dial and a blue rubber strap and one with a silver dial and a steel bracelet. Both offer a tone-on-tone sun-satin finish and wave dial decor under a sapphire sapphire crystal with anti-glare coating on both sides. The GMT movement here is powered by an ETA-based caliber.

The watch’s octagonal crown of course displays Baume & Mercier’s Phi logo engraving in relief with a red line. Baume & Mercier’s own “Fast Strap” interchangeability system makes it a simple task to change from one strap style to another with no need for tools.

Prices: $3,200 (silver dial and steel bracelet) and $3,100 (blue dial with blue rubber strap). 

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