Tag

automatic watches

Browsing
Chopard

Chopard Returns to Mille Miglia

Chopard returns to Brescia in Italy for the 36th time in succession as the World Sponsor and Official Timekeeper of the 1000 Miglia, slated to begin June 13.

Chopard co-president Karl-Friedrich Scheufele will compete in the race from Brescia to Rome and back, having first taken part in 1989 with six-times Le Mans 24 Hours winner Jacky Ickx in the navigator’s seat.

Karl-Friedrich Scheufele & Jacky Ickx before departing in 2022.

The pair will team-up again this year (as on more than a dozen previous occasions), once more tackling the gruelling course in the instantly recognizable  ‘metallic raspberry’ Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing in which they made their 1000 Miglia debut.

Karl-Friedrich Scheufele at the wheel of his Mercedes-Benz 300SL in 2022.

Chopard will continue its tradition of introducing new Mille Miglia timepieces, with four Mille Miglia Classic Chronographs, plus an additional, very special ‘Italian Limited Edition’ of the Mille Miglia GTS Chronograph – some of the proceeds from which will be donated to victims of the recent Emilia-Romagna flood disaster. 

—Source: Chopard

We’ll take a closer look at the new Mille Miglia GTS Chronographs in an upcoming post. 

by
Keep Reading
The Watches

Maurice Lacroix Updates Pontos S Diver 

Maurice Lacroix revisits its Pontos S Diver, revamping the dive watch with a sharp-looking new dial sporting bolder indexes and minute markings, improved luminosity and a raised date frame. In addition, Maurice Lacroix offers a bronze-cased edition, a first for the collection.

One of three new Maurice Lacroix Pontos S Divers.

The Swiss watchmaker released its first-generation Pontos S Diver in 2013 but halted it a few years later as it increased production of its hot Aikon collection to meet demand.

With the updated 42mm watch, Maurice Lacroix enhances dial visibility with newly facetted hour and minute hands, both of which glow with SuperlumiNova. On the minute hand you’ll now see a border colored to contrast with the dial. The hour indexes retain their generous luminescent treatment.

Maurice Lacroix also retains the watch’s useful internal rotating bezel to indicate elapsed time, adjusted using the crown at the 2 o’clock position. The second crown at the 3 o’clock position is used to adjust the time, date and to wind the automatic ML115 movement. All models are water resistant to 300 meters.

Maurice Lacroix debuts its first bronze-cased Pontos S Diver.

Bronze too 

As noted, Maurice Lacroix is offering a bronze edition of the watch in addition to the steel models. 

While the regular production steel models are available with black grained or white lacquered dial options, the bronze model is limited to 500 pieces and is paired with a blue grained dial.

The bronze version comes supplied with two straps, one in dark blue leather and the other in dark blue rubber. Maurice Lacroix supplies the steel models with three matching straps: an M-branded fabric strap and two rubber straps.

Finally, Maurice Lacroix equips the new Pontos S Diver with the company’s Easy Strap Exchange System that allows the wearer to quickly swap straps without the need for tools. 

Prices: $2,050 (steel) and $2,600 (bronze). 

by
Keep Reading
Featured News

Zenith Donates Unique Chronomaster to Support Breast Cancer Awareness 

Zenith donates a pink El Primero Chronomaster for a June 10-11 Phillips auction in support of the Susan G. Komen breast cancer awareness organization.

The Zenith Chronomaster Original Pink, Unique Piece for Susan G. Komen.

The auction will be held in person in New York City or online, with 100 percent of the proceeds donated to Susan G. Komen to help fight breast cancer and raise awareness. Komen advocates for patients, drives research breakthroughs, improves access to high-quality care and offers direct patient support and information.

The upcoming auction continues Zenith’s advocacy for breast cancer awareness. It follows the launch of the Chronomaster Original Pink edition in October 2022, which raised funds for Susan G. Komen, and enhances awareness to the cause also championed at the recent Zenith Meet the DreamHers event held in Singapore.

“Supporting Komen, with its rapport and incredible impact, is a partnership of great significance for Zenith,” notes Zenith CEO Julien Tornare.

“The Chronomaster Original Pink unique piece will help fund impactful research and support for patients undergoing treatment, a cause we are proud and eager to be a part of over the coming years.”

The Zenith Chronomaster Original Pink, Unique Piece for Susan G. Komen watch is a one-of-a-kind 38mm steel edition of the famed El Primero-set watch and includes diamond-set lugs similar to the Zenith A386. Inside Zenith fits its  Automatic El Primero 3600, with the unusual 1/10th-of-a-second chronograph function.

The watch’s metallic pink dial honors the color globally associated with breast cancer awareness. Zenith will add an additional strap (of the winner’s choice) to the package and will supply a certificate stating the watch’s uniqueness.

Phillips is estimating an $8,000 to $16,000 auction price. 

by
Keep Reading
The Watches

Frederique Constant Upgrades Classics

Frederique Constant adds four handsome new dress watches to its accessibly priced Classics collection. Each model combines an elegant dark grey or silver-color dial with a new, customized G100 La Joux-Perret movement, all set in a wrist friendly 38.5mm steel or rose-gold-plated case.

One of the new Frederique Constant Classics Premiere models, each with a new automatic movement boasting an extended power reserve (68 hours).

Frederique Constant uses this Premiere addition to its Classics collection to feature the new automatic movements, which represent an upgrade from earlier Sellita or ETA-based calibers used in the Classics series.

Primarily, the new automatic movement offers a superior power reserve of sixty-eight hours, considerably higher than the thirty-eight-hour reserve typical of the standard Classics models.

Frederique Constant displays the new movement through a special open caseback set with a glassbox that magnifies the movement, showing off its Côtes de Genève finish.

On the dial, the watchmaker sets applied indexes around a mother-of-pearl, diamond-setting or a snailed dial decoration. The dials also feature Roman numerals, Breguet-style blue-tinted hands and a railroad-style minute circle.

Frederique Constant offers its Classics Premiere collection in four variations (plus one diamond-set gold model not sold in the United States). The plated rose gold version with sun-ray dial and embossed center (above) is a limited edition of 500 pieces ($2,095); the steel version with a silver dial or a dark grey dial is limited to 500 pieces each ($1,895) and the steel model with mother-of-pearl dial and diamonds is limited to 300 pieces ($2,295.)

by
Keep Reading
The Watches

Oris Celebrates 119 Years With Purple-Dialed Diver

Oris celebrates its origin story with the Hölstein Edition 2023, a 250-piece limited edition watch named for the watchmaker’s hometown in the Swiss Jura mountains.

The Oris Hölstein Edition 2023.

For the first time Oris draws from its Aquis dive watch family to create its birthday watch, a series Oris began four years ago. And to celebrate its 119th birthday, the independent Swiss watchmaker offers its first purple dial and also adds some extra celebratory joy to the 41.5mm watch’s caseback.

 

There, you’ll find an engraved image of the Oris Bear diving in his scuba gear alongside the watch’s limited-edition number. As Oris explains, it decided to add the engraving simply because of the fun factor.

 

“Why? Because why not.” Oris explains. “It’s fun and it made us smile. And to be literal for a moment, because it shows this is still a diver’s watch water-resistant to 30 bar (300 meters).” 

The purple-dialed, fun-backed Aquis also celebrates Oris’s birthday with an omission: For the first time, Oris creates an Aquis with no date display.

 

Oris customers have requested the date be removed from Aquis in the past, according to the watchmaker, and those requests are answered in this Holstein Edition.

 

Inside the steel-cased watch Oris fits its much lauded Caliber 400 automatic movement with five-day power reserve, enhanced anti-magnetism, better than chronometer accuracy (-3/+5 seconds a day) and ten-year warranty. As a limited edition of 250 pieces, each watch is delivered in a wooden presentation box.

 

Oris offers the Holstein Edition 2023 exclusively on its website. Price: $4,300.  

 

Specifications: Oris Holstein Edition 2023 

(Limited edition of 250)

Case: 41.5mm multi-piece stainless steel case, uni-directional rotating bezel with grey ceramic bezel insert. Sapphire crystal, domed on both sides, anti-reflective coating inside. Caseback is stainless steel, screwed with numbered engraving, Oris Bear printed motif. Stainless steel screw-in security crown with crown protection. Water resistance to 300 meters. 

Movement: Automatic Oris Caliber 400, Accuracy of -3/+5 seconds a day (within COSC tolerances), highly anti-magnetic, 120-hour power reserve.

Dial: Purple, hands and indices filled with Super-LumiNova.

Bracelet: Multi-piece stainless steel metal bracelet, security folding clasp with clasp extension.

Price: $4,300. 

by
Keep Reading