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Hublot extends its already wide-ranging collection of ceramic-cased watches with its first minute repeater entirely cased in the high-tech material. The new Big Bang Integral Minute Repeater Ceramic, a 43mm model in white or black ceramic, joins the firm’s Integral Ceramic collection, which debuted in 2020.

The new Hublot Big Bang Integral Minute Repeater Ceramic, made in black or white ceramic.

Beyond its in-house distinction, the new Big Bang Integral Minute Repeater Ceramic is also the first watch of its kind (a tourbillon minute repeater) made by any watchmaker that has been cased entirely in ceramic, according to Hublot.

Like its brethren in the Integral Ceramic collection, the new watch is made with an all-ceramic case (here at 43mm) and with an integrated all-ceramic bracelet, bezel and case back. And the new watch also is Hublot’s first model regulated by a tourbillon within the collection.

Inside Hublot fits its own existing manual-wind MHUB801 caliber with eighty hours of power reserve. The watchmaker will make eighteen watches in black ceramic and eighteen in white ceramic.

Hublot has placed minute repeating movements into numerous watches in the past, sometimes also paired with a tourbillon. You might recall that in 2014, Hublot received a Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) for its Classic Fusion Cathedral Tourbillon Minute Repeater.

Price: $295,000.

 

Specifications: Hublot Big Bang Integral Minute Repeater Ceramic

References: Black Ceramic (458.CX.1170.CX.YOS, 18 pieces) and White Ceramic (458.HX.1170.HX.YOS, 18 pieces).

Dial: Black matte: Rhodium-plated satin appliques with black SuperLuminova or Grey matte: Rhodium- plated satin appliques with white SuperLuminova. Satin-finished and polished white or black ceramic bezel.

Case: Black or white 43mm by 14.15mm satin-finished and polished ceramic. Water resistance to 30 meters.

Movement: Hublot MHUB8001.H1.RH Caliber Hublot Tourbillon with manual winding cathedral minute repeater, frequency: 21,600 vph, power reserve of approximately 80 hours.

Bracelet: Satin-finished and polished black or white ceramic with titanium folding clasp.

Price: $295,000

 

 

Jaeger-LeCoultre introduces a perpetual calendar to its Polaris series, adding a classical calendar complication to the refined sporty collection. The debut anchors a wide-ranging set of Watches and Wonders 2022 debuts that reference the brand’s “Stellar Odyssey” theme for the year’s new releases.

The Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Perpetual Calendar, in steel.

Other debuts include a pair of new Atmos models, two impressive grand complications and two glittering additions to the Rendez-Vous collection.

You might recall that in 2018 Jaeger-LeCoultre revived the Polaris name, adding the collection named for the famed Memovox Polaris dive series of 1968.

The Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Perpetual Calendar, in pink gold.

With the new Polaris Perpetual Calendar, Jaeger-LeCoultre introduces Caliber 868AA, a new version of its existing perpetual calendar movement (first seen in 2013), here upgraded to create a retrograde display of Southern Hemisphere moon phases. The update also increases the caliber’s power reserve to a full seventy hours. Fewer power lapses makes any calendar watch is all the more practical.

Jaeger-LeCoultre colors the dial on the 42mm steel or pink gold Polaris Perpetual Calendar in a deep gradient-blue hue to suggest the transition from day to night.

Caliber 868AA powers the Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Perpetual Calendar.

To reference the origins of calendars within astronomical events, Jaeger-LeCoultre places the moon phases here at 6 o’clock, with a retrograde display for the Southern Hemisphere framing the display for its Northern counterpart. New skeleton hands allow greater visibility of the dial displays –and to maintain Polaris design codes.

All the Polaris codes are here, including a glass-box crystal, a mix of brushed and polished surfaces, and a top crown that rotates the inner bezel. The lower crown is for setting the time and winding the watch while calendar settings are adjusted via a single pusher.

Prices: $29,600 (steel) and $44,300 (pink gold).

 

Specifications : Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Perpetual Calendar

Case: 42mm x 11.97mm steel or pink gold.

Movement: Automatic Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 868AA. Functions: hours, minutes, seconds, perpetual calendar with moon phases in two hemispheres and red security zone, inner rotating bezel. Power reserve is 70 hours, water resistance to 100 meters.

Dial: Lacquered blue gradient.

Strap: Ref. Q9088480 (steel) interchangeable steel bracelet and rubber strap.

Ref. Q9082480 (pink gold) interchangeable rubber strap and alligator leather strap.

 

Additional Highlights from Jaeger-LeCoultre at Watches and Wonders 2022

Master Hybris Artistica Calibre 945 Galaxia in pink gold (above) and Master Hybris Artistica Calibre 945 Atomium in white gold. Each offered in a limited edition of five pieces. Prices: $535,000 (white gold) and $515,000 (pink gold).

The Master Grande Tradition Calibre 948, with universal flying tourbillon, world-time display with 24-hour indication. A limited edition of twenty. Price: $227,000.

The new Atmos Tellurium with Zodiac calendar (above). A limited edition of ten pieces: Price: $570,000.

The Atmos Infinite, with the ‘almost-perpetual’ Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 570 (above). Price: $15,100.

Two additions to the Rendez-Vous collection call Rendez-Vous Star and Rendez-Vous Dazzling Star (pictured above).  In pink gold or white gold, the 36mm diamond-set watch hosts a unique complication in which a diamond-set ‘shooting star’ moves across the top of the dial at random moments during the day, typically four to six times per hour. The shooting star can also be activated on demand with several turns of the crown. Prices: $75,500 (Dazzling Star only).

Greubel Forsey continues to expand its Convexe collection, a relatively new series of watches characterized by a convex bezel and crystal that showcases the multi-level, multi-dimensional nature of its complicated movements.

The new Greubel Forsey Double Balancier Convexe.

The newest addition, the Double Balancier Convexe, finds the watchmaker’s existing Double Balancier movement (in its latest 2016 iteration) presented in a convex titanium case with a dramatic curved layout displaying the caliber’s openworked gears, wheels and bridges.

Within the undulating bezel, which Greubel Forsey first presented in 2019, we see the watch’s gear train in all its multi-level, highly finished splendor just below a semicircular black-treated titanium bridge. The skeletal hour and minute hands are set atop the gilded, stacked gear train, rotating well above the small seconds display. The seconds remain quite visible despite the display’s location deep within the movement.

The small seconds hand (lower right) is polished and blued steel, as is the four-minute hand (set between the two balances) that shows the rotational speed of the spherical differential.

Flanking each corner are the watch’s namesake two balance wheels, each inclined at 30° and separated by a constant spherical differential that ‘calculates’ their average timing rate.

The watch also gets its name from the convex profile of its 43.5 mm titanium case and bezel. The contemporary polished and brushed bezel frames the movement with undulating lines that are higher on the sides and lower at the 12 o’clock and 6 o’clock positions.

Greubel Forsey explains that it constructs each hand for this watch (and for many watches in its collection) with individual geometry, finish and color. Thus, the hour hand and the minute hand are curved and filled with SuperLuminova to complement the hour indexes.

The small seconds hand is polished and blued steel, as is the four-minute hand (set between the two balances) that shows the rotational speed of the spherical differential. Finally, the power reserve hand is polished, open-worked and tipped with red.

The Convexe collection is meant to be this high-end maker’s contemporary ‘daily wear’ collection. You’ll see none of the Greubel Forsey foundational phrases engraved on the dial or bezel within this collection. And, with 100 meters of water resistance and fully integrated lugs, the watch fits snugly on the wrist for wearing comfort rain or shine.

Greubel Forsey offers the new Double Balancier Convexe on either a textured rubber strap or titanium bracelet. The manufacturer will make twenty-two per year between 2022 and 2024 for a total of sixty-six pieces overall.

Prices: $340,000 (strap) and $385,000 (bracelet).

 

Specifications: Greubel Forsey Double Balancier Convexe


Movement: Hand-wound movement with two patents and high-end, hand-applied finishes throughout. These include frosted, polished beveling and countersinks, 
black treatment, multi-level, open-worked center bridge, black 
treatment, polished beveling and countersinks. Also, flat black polished steel differential bridge, gold plate with engraved limitation number, 
circular-grained, polished beveling and countersinks, straight-grained flanks, escapement platform inclined at a 30° angle, open-worked steel balance wheel bridges. Displays: hours and minutes, small seconds, 4-minutes spherical constant differential rotation, power-reserve (of 72 hours). Frequency: 21,600 vibrations/hour.

Case: 43.5mm by 13.75mm titanium with curved synthetic sapphire crystal, Three-dimensional, variable geometry-shaped bezel, hand-polished with hand-finished straight graining
, raised engraving “Double Balancier” and “Greubel Forsey.” Water resistant to 100 meters.

Dial: Three-dimensional, variable geometry hour ring with engraved and lacquered minute circle, black treatment, power-reserve indicator, engraved and lacquered.

Strap: Non-animal material, rubber with texture in relief, titanium folding clasp, engraved GF logo. On demand:
 3-row metal bracelet in titanium, folding clasp with integrated fine adjustment, engraved GF logo.

 

Since it debuted in 2005, the H. Moser & Cie. perpetual calendar has been widely seen as one of the simplest watches of its type to read, set and adjust. This week, H. Moser launches the Endeavour Perpetual Calendar Funky Blue Tutorial, a new model within the collection that cleverly plays with its original minimalist image by displaying a ‘cheat sheet’ of operating instructions directly on its blue dial.

The new H. Moser Endeavour Perpetual Calendar Tutorial (left) and Endeavour Perpetual Calendar Funky Blue.

The new Tutorial model is one of two debuts that commemorate the original Funky Blue edition of the watch, first seen with its stunning blue fumé dial in 2015. In addition to the limited edition Tutorial edition, H. Moser is also launching a core collection version featuring the brand’s logo in transparent lacquer.

The H. Moser Endeavour Perpetual Calendar Tutorial.

As you can see on the Tutorial model dial, H. Moser essentially reminds the wearer with short written phrases how simple it is to read the time, date, month and even the leap year on its Endeavour Perpetual Calendar models.

Hence, the busy dial on the Tutorial edition humorously turns this “perpetual calendar for dummies” (as H. Moser call the watch) into a blue chalkboard crammed with text and icons.

H. Moser continues to power both watches with its superb hand-finished, manually wound HMC 800 caliber, a double-barrel, slow-beat (18,000 vph) integrated perpetual calendar movement with an impressive seven-day power reserve and a Moser escapement. See all specifications below for additional details.

Prices: $60,000 (Funky Blue core collection) and $65,000 (Funky Blue Tutorial version, limited to twenty pieces)

Specifications: H. Moser Endeavour Perpetual Calendar Funky Blue

(Reference 1800-0204 with logo in transparent lacquer and Reference 1800-0205, Tutorial model, a limited edition of 20 pieces).

Movement: Hand-wound HMC 800 Manufacture caliber, frequency of 18,000 VpH, power reserve of 7 days, hacking seconds, double barrel, interchangeable Moser escapement, original Straumann hairspring, pallet fork and escapement wheel made from gold. Movement and components hand-finished and decorated.

Case: 42mm by 11.9mm white gold, curved sapphire crystal, curved see-through sapphire crystal case back, screw-in crown adorned with an M.

Dial: Funky Blue fumé with sunburst pattern, H. Moser & Cie. logo in transparent lacquer or Tutorial decals, leaf-shaped hands, months indicated by a small arrow-shaped center hand, seconds hand,big date display. Power reserve indicator at 9 o’clock and leap year cycle indicator on movement side.

Strap: Hand-stitched beige kudu leather, solid 18-karat white gold folding clasp engraved with the Moser logo.

Price: $60,000 (Funky Blue core collection) and $65,000 (Funky Blue Tutorial version, limited to twenty pieces).

Highlighting its LVMH Watch Week, Bulgari unveils BVL100, a new miniature mechanical movement, which Bulgari places inside the head of new snake-shaped Serpenti bracelet watches.

One of four new Bulgari Serpenti Misteriosi High Jewelry models with Bulgari’s new small mechanical movement.

Bulgari dubs the new movement Piccolissimo (Italian for “very small”), and it is indeed one of the smallest mechanical calibers available, measuring a wispy 12.30 mm in diameter and 2.50 mm thick.

“We believe this is the smallest round caliber currently on the market, and it opens up a new world of possibilities for us in this collection and beyond,” notes Antoine Pin, managing director of Bulgari Watches.

The new Bulgari BVL100 movement. Set inside the Serpenti Misteriosi head, the movement can be switched for left or right hand wear.

Bulgari launches the new caliber inside four lacquered and gem-set Serpenti Misteriosi watches.

With this 2022 debut, Bulgari re-establishes a mechanical time display within the Serpenti collection. The watch and jewelry maker debuted Serpenti in the 1950s outfitted with manual-wind calibers but in recent years has equipped the line with quartz movements. With only a few very limited exceptions, the Serpenti lines have been powered by quartz calibers since the late 1980s.

In addition to the new mechanical caliber, the Serpenti Misteriosi offers a wholly new convertible option: Each watch is designed to be worn on either wrist.

Bulgari has cleverly devised an interchangeable movement housing for Serpenti Misteriosi that can be removed from within the snake’s head and turned in the other direction to be visible on the left or right arm.

The Bulgari Serpenti Misteriosi offers a wholly new convertible option. Each watch is designed to be worn on either wrist.
The Bulgari Serpenti Misteriosi offers a wholly new convertible option. Each watch is designed to be worn on either wrist.

The movement

Bulgari explains that it builds the new BVL100 caliber with 102 components that in total weigh a mere 1.3 grams. In order to power the hands, watchmakers fit a 170mm-long mainspring into a barrel that measures 5mm thick and 1.47 mm across. And to ensure the greatest inertia, Bulgari opted for a white gold balance wheel.

The wearer views the time on the new Serpenti models by pressing the snake’s tongue, revealing the diamond-set dial. A bidirectional crown on the caseback controls Winding and time setting.

Since 2014 Bulgari has introduced a series of record-breaking (and award-winning) ultra-thin watches within its Octo Finissimo collection. With its new Piccolissimo caliber, Bulgari now expects to extend its dominance of ultra-thin watchmaking to what have traditionally been ‘ladies’ sized models with small diameters and high gemstone counts.