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The Watches

Patek Philippe Launches New Chronographs and White Gold Nautilus

Patek Philippe launched three variations to its hot Nautilus (including a white gold successor to its retired Ref. 5711) and extended its collection of complicated chronographs as part of an eight-piece debut this week.

The new Ref. 5811/1G-001 Nautilus features a case and bracelet in white gold as well as a blue sunburst dial with a black gradation. Price is $69,785.

While the new Nautilus debuts garnered much of the initial attention, it’s the new set of chronographs that attract collectors of Patek Philippe’s legendary (and less commodified) complications. (Read all about the trio of new Nautilus models, including the 41mm successor to the Ref. 5711 , on the Patek Philippe site.)

The chronographs

And among those chronograph debuts, look no further than the new Ref. 5373P-001, a split-seconds mono-pusher chronograph with perpetual calendar, for some true novelty. The watch differs from its predecessor (Ref. 5372) with newly inverted displays, pushers and crown.

New Patek Philippe Ref. 5373P-001, a split-seconds mono-pusher chronograph with perpetual calendar, differs from its predecessor (Ref. 5372) with inverted displays, pushers and crown.

Made for specifically “for the right-hand wrists of left-handers,” according to the watchmaker, the new 38.3mm platinum-cased watch is a premiere design for the company.

Patek Philippe notes however that a 1927 one-of-a-kind watch inspired the design of the new model. Like the earlier watch, the new watch features its integrated chronograph monopusher at the 9 o’clock position with the split-seconds pusher set, unusually, at 8 o’clock.

The sporty red, black  and grey dial on the Ref. 5373P-001 is cleverly finished with a black gradation at its edge, framing snailed ebony-black subsidiary dials.

The watch’s beautifully finished caliber CHR 27-525 PS Q, still the thinnest split-seconds chronograph movement with perpetual calendar ever produced by the manufacture, can be admired through the sapphire-crystal display back, which is interchangeable with the solid-platinum back delivered with the watch. Among the many caseback highlights is a view of the movement’s two column wheels with their two polished caps.

Finally, like all of Patek Philippe’s platinum watches, the new Ref. 5373P-001 features a brilliant cut diamond on its case. But here Patek Philippe flips the diamond’s location, placing it at the 12 o’clock position rather than at the 6 o’clock position. Price Upon Request. 

The new Patek Philippe Ref. 5204G-001 split-seconds chronograph with perpetual calendar.

Split Seconds, right side

Also with a split-seconds chronograph with perpetual calendar, the new Ref. 5204G-001, with its standard, right-side crown and two pushers,  features a 40mm white gold case and an olive-green sunburst dial. The watch complements a version released last year with a slate-grey dial and a rose-gold case. Price Upon Request. 

The new Patek Philippe Ref. 5935A-001 self-winding World Time flyback chronograph stands out with its sporty vintage looks.

World Timer

In a premiere steel case, the Patek Philippe’s new Ref. 5935A-001 World Time flyback chronograph (with automatic caliber CH 28-520 HU) is bound to please collectors in search of steel Patek Philippe watches as well as those who covet its world timers.

A stunning rose-gold dial appears vintage while the ‘carbon’ motif’ dial interior is decidedly contemporary. That dial center is a reference to the 2020 limited edition inaugural model Patek Philippe’s newest manufacturing facility in Geneva. Patek Philippe includes two calfskin straps (grained taupe and beige with a velvet-like nubuck finish), each secured with stainless steel fold-over clasps. Price: $63,871.

 

The Ref. 7968:300R-001 Aquanaut Luce “Rainbow” chronograph in rose gold.

Luce Chronograph

Patek Philippe adds an automatic chronograph to its contemporary Aquanaut Luce collection for the first time, and then decorates the watch (Ref. 7968-300R-001) with a rainbow of sapphires and diamonds. Cased in 39.9mm rose gold, the watch’s white mother-of-pearl dial is engraved with an Aquanaut pattern as baguette multi-colored sapphires mark the hours alongside gold applied numerals. Price: $212,900. 

The new Ref. 5990-1A-011 Nautilus Travel Time chronograph is one of Patek Philippe’s rare steel watches.

Travel Time

Patek Philippe has debuted a steel-cased Travel Time model with an eye-catching blue dial with a radiant sunburst finish and a subtle black gradation. The new Ref. 5990/1A-011 Travel Time is powered by automatic caliber CH 28-520 C FUS, which combines a flyback chronograph, a Travel Time function (two time zones with two separate hour hands; the skeletonized hand shows home time) and an analog date synchronized with local time. Price: $68,603.

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The Watches

Bucherer Adds a Trio to Blue Series

Bucherer adds watches from Girard-Perregaux, H. Moser & Cie and L’Epée to its Bucherer Blue series of customized, limited edition models.

All are finished in the Bucherer Blue color, meant to reflect its place in the watch retailer’s collection of custom-made, similarly hued watches made in partnership with a wide range of Swiss watchmakers. Each watch will be available as a limited edition of eighteen pieces.

The new Girard-Perregaux Tourbillon with Three Flying Bridges Bucherer Blue.

Girard-Perregaux

The new Girard-Perregaux Tourbillon with Three Flying Bridges Bucherer Blue builds on this watchmakers’s Neo series, a contemporary version of its famed Tourbillon with Three Bridges.

The watch is cased in titanium and features a trio of blued bridges also made from titanium. The three bridges not only support the geartrain, barrel and tourbillon, but also act as the mainplate. This design creates the impression that the bridges are floating.

Girard-Perregaux fits the 44mm case between two sapphire crystal glass boxes, which enhances the transparency – and the modernity – of the piece. Price: $167,000.

The H. Moser Streamliner Tourbillon Bucherer Blue.

H. Moser & Cie. 

Independent watchmaker H. Moser sets its Deco-styled Streamliner Tourbillon with sixty baguette-cut blue sapphires (2.90 carats), apparently the first gemstone setting for this award-winning series.

Fit with the superb HMC 804 caliber, which features a flying tourbillon with double hairspring and a three-day power reserve, the watch also features a Moser fumé dial, set within the Streamliner’s 40mm steel case with integrated steel bracelet with articulated links.

The watch is the first Streamliner limited edition H. Moser has created for a partner. Price: $119,000.

The new L’Epée Time Fast Bucherer Blue.

L’Epée 1839 

The new L’Epée Time Fast Bucherer Blue combines the independent Swiss clockmaker’s existing Time Fast series with Bucherer’s blue hue. L’Epée’s design is meant to evoke memories of a 1950s-era single-seater race car.

Under the hood L’Epee builds a tiered movement with an eight-day power reserve shaped to the bodywork.

The user winds the 15-inch-long clock the same way a mechanical motor is wound in a pull-back toy car. The hours and minutes are displayed on the side through an aperture resembling a typical competition number, via two engraved stainless steel disks. Price: $34,000. 

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A. Lange & Söhne

A. Lange & Söhne Cases 1815 Rattrapante in Platinum

A. Lange & Söhne releases its 1815 Rattrapante with a platinum case, adding a new look to the highly complex chronograph with split-seconds mechanism. The German watchmaker had previously offered the watch, its first pure split-seconds model, only cased in its own Honey Gold alloy.

The A. Lange & Söhne 1815 Rattrapante, now in platinum.

The new look also provides a bright silver dial and dark blued hands that add a regal air to the watch. The watch’s classical railway-track minute scale and the large Arabic numerals retain watchmaker’s own historic style, especially apt for a collection named for the birth year of its founder Ferdinand A. Lange.

While the dial appears traditional, its layout is somewhat unusual for an A. Lange & Söhne chronograph. Watchmakers opted to place the 30-minute counter and the subsidiary seconds dial at 12 o’clock and 6 o’clock, respectively, on the vertical center axis, veering from the more traditional positions at 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock.

The watchmaker’s beautifully decorated caliber L101.2, fully visible through the sapphire-crystal caseback, treats the wearer to a micro-engineered show as gears and levers slide and click through elapsed and lap-time measurements, a display centered on the movement’s two column wheels. (See specifications below for details).

A. Lange & Söhne equips the movement with bridges and cocks made of untreated German silver, a screw balance, screwed gold chatons that secure the jewels and a hand-engraved balance cock. And of course all the levers, springs and jumpers are decorated with straight graining while all peripheral chamfers are polished.

A. Lange & Söhne will make the 1815 Rattrapante with a platinum case as a limited edition of 200 pieces. Price: Initially listed at $154,200, the price is now upon request.

 

Specifications: A. Lange & Söhne 1815 Rattrapante

(Ref. 425.025, 200-piece limited edition)

Movement: Lange manufacture caliber L101.2, manually wound, decorated and assembled by hand; precision-adjusted in five positions; plates made of untreated German silver; balance cock and chronograph bridge engraved by hand. Shock-resistant screw balance; balance spring crafted in-house, frequency 21,600 vph, precision-beat adjustment system with lateral setscrew and whiplash spring. Power reserve is 58 hours when fully wound.

Case: 41.2 mm by 12.6mm platinum. Crown for winding the watch and setting the time, two chronograph pushers, one pusher to operate the rattrapante (split-second) mechanism.

Dial: Solid silver.

Strap: Hand-stitched black alligator leather with platinum buckle.

Price: Initially listed at $154,200, the price is now upon request.

 

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The Watches

Inside Torsten Nagengast’s Extreme Collection

By Steve Huyton

Even though I’ve never met Torsten Nagengast in person we have been friends for several years. It started back in 2013 when I featured his ‘Unique Repeater Watch 18k Diamonds’ on my website. That particular model is a unique 1/1 piece that is powered by a LeCoultre caliber from 1908.

I was massively impressed to discover Torsten is a black belt master, fourteen times regional and four times German Champion in Kickboxing. He has also won the bronze medal at the World Championships.

This competitive spirit was the catalyst for a really exciting project called Extreme, which he conceived around 2016. After years of fastidious research and development, the timepieces are now ready to hit the market.

The Firefly, from Torsten Nagengast’s Extreme Project.

At this stage, I should give context and explain Torsten has also worked in the automotive industry for years. Within this period he has collaborated with prestigious clients such as BMW, Mercedes and Porsche. Ultimately this experience was the catalyst for the Extreme project. Torsten’s vision for this watch was to create something special constructed from cutting edge lightweight materials.

For example, he uses a case constructed from forged carbon and a multi-layered dial from carbon fiber. However, the most ambitious part of the project was to create an in house mechanical hand-winding movement from anodized aluminum.

Richard Mille has been creating these types of timepieces for several years. Most notably their collaborative series with tennis legend Rafael Nadal. Unfortunately (due to price point) most people would have to sell their homes and live in the car to afford them. Torsten was very keen to make a similar style watch that is also highly accessible. While this Firefly example is a one-off watch, Extreme watches like it are priced at around $2,300.

Carbon composites

Early on in the process Torsten and I realized there was a certain symmetry and our respective paths were aligned. As well as being a multi-published award-winning author, I’m also an industrial designer. I’ve created numerous watches from different carbon composites that have previously not been used in the industry.

I spoke in detail to Torsten about these creations and we agreed it would be mutually beneficial to co-create a watch. The result is a unique version of the Extreme called the Firefly.

What makes this timepiece so special is the vibrant orange carbon composite case. This complements the orange chapter ring and small second counter showcased on the multi-layered carbon fiber dial.

For Torsten Nagengast, Extreme is far more than just a watch brand. It combines three of his passions, which are automotive technology, exercise and horology. A few years ago Torsten (by his own admission) was approaching middle age as an unfit, workaholic. Extreme symbolizes a renewed lust for life.

From a consumer perspective, it’s also a win-win scenario because they can get a really cool watch, which utilizes state of the art lightweight materials. From an aesthetic point of view, it also is very successful and will appeal to a broad demographic.

Steve Huyton is an industrial designer, illustrator and author who publishes Total Design Reviews.

 

 

 

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The Watches

Grand Seiko Expands U.S. Special Editions

Grand Seiko adds two new U.S. special edition models with nature-inspired dials to its Elegance collection. As two highlights among the brand’s June debuts, both new manual-wind watches exhibit beautiful handcrafted dials set within 39mm steel cases. Both are also powered by Grand Seiko’s superb Caliber 9S63 with a power reserve of seventy-two hours and an accuracy rate of +5 to -3 seconds per day.

The new Grand Seiko SBGK015 Ryūsendō is a U.S. limited edition of 250 watches.

One watch, reference SBGK015 Ryūsendō, is a limited edition of 250 watches and features a dial inspired by the blue and green underground lakes of the Ryūsendō located near Grand Seiko’s Shizukuishi Watch Studio. And while the color is certainly evocative of crystalline underground streams, it’s the dial’s curvy, patterned texture that catches my eye. Note how lines gather along the perimeter of the dial to create a gentle frame for the patchwork dial.

The second debut, Grand Seiko U.S. Special Edition SBGK017, is not a limited edition but will be made available within Grand Seiko’s ongoing Elegance collection in the United States.

Grand Seiko U.S. Special Edition SBGK017, also available on a steel bracelet.

Here Grand Seiko says it was inspired by Nanbu tekki ironware, a form of metalwork produced in the city of Morioka in Iwate prefecture. The tableware is prized for its distinctive texture called arare (hailstone) on its exterior. Grand Seiko artisans mimicked that texture on the watch’s dark gray dial.

As manual-wind watches, both these debuts are thin and beautifully polished using Grand Seiko’s much-heralded Zaratsu method, which is specially tuned to highlight curved surfaces. Similarly, the dials and their sapphire crystals are also curved, with the minute and power reserve indicator hands shaped to follow the curve of the dial.

Both watches display a small seconds hand at the nine o’clock position and a power reserve indicator at three o’clock. +5 to -3 seconds per day (when static).

The SBGK015 Ryūsendō and the U.S. Special Edition SBGK017 will be available starting in September at Grand Seiko Boutiques and selected retail partners in the United States.

Prices: $7,500 (SBGK015 “Ryūsendō) and $8,900 (SBGK017 U.S. Special Edition).

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