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By Laurent Martinez

Between the COVID pandemic, wildfires on the West Coast, hurricanes in the South, and other turmoil, we are living through exceptionally difficult times. Our daily lives, whether professional or personal, have changed in fundamental ways—particularly when it comes to in-person events. With all the current restrictions in place, companies have had to be creative to not only promote their brands but the causes they believe in too.

I received an email from Blancpain recently inviting me to attend a virtual event organized by Oceana. With the tagline “Protecting The World’s Oceans,” Oceana, based in Washington, D.C., is the largest international organization dedicated solely to ocean conservation.

Although it was only possible to attend the event online, it was clear that Oceana put in the extra effort. I then received from Andrew Handschin, general manager of Blancpain USA, a lovely package with bread, patés, specialty butter, a festive bottle of champagne, and an invitation to enjoy the live event from home.

 

Then, a link to attend the online “Oceana Virtual New York Gala” and silent auction was sent via email.

While the spirit, excitement, and inspiration of an online occasion cannot compare to an in-person event with hundreds of people sharing the same space, the message of “Protecting our oceans and future” was still conveyed passionately.

The Oceans & Hayek

Blancpain is famously involved with causes focused on saving the ocean, its eco-systems, and its species. At the helm of this involvement is Blancpain CEO, Marc A. Hayek, who is an enthusiastic scuba diver and a vocal advocate of ocean conservation. He has even received several accolades for his efforts.

Blancpain’s connection to marine conservation is further emphasized by having marine scientist, deep diver, and underwater photographer Laurent Ballesta as an ambassador of the brand. Blancpain’s Lettres du Brassus magazine frequently publishes Ballesta’s incredible photography and stories as he travels the globe. 

 

The fascination with the ocean is not new to Blancpain. It was the first watchmaker to develop a professional diving watch in the form of the Fifty Fathoms in 1953—beating out the Rolex Submariner as “the first” by a few months. Since then, Blancpain has always had a spiritual affinity with the oceans of the world.

Blancpain developed the Fifty Fathoms professional diving watch in 1953.

As a result, it was only natural for Blancpain to partner with Oceana, assisting with the organization and publicity of the “Oceana Virtual New York Gala” event. The night’s hosts were Susan and David Rockefeller Jr. while speakers included Jane Fonda, Ted Danson, and Sam Waterston. The evening also featured performances by Sting, Nile Rodgers, and Chic.

The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Ocean Commitment.

Among all the powerful words that were said that night, the ones that struck me the hardest were “Save the oceans, feed the world. Restoring the ocean could feed one billion people with a healthy seafood meal every day.” Followed up by “Do something.”

Learn More

These are strong statements, and I invite you to visit www.oceana.org to discover more about the organization’s projects and how you can help.

“Do something” rings true here, no matter the size of the effort—every bit helps, whether spreading awareness or making small contributions.

Once a year in my town, you can go on a Saturday morning help clean up the beach.

 

Once a year in my town, you can go for three hours on a Saturday morning to help clean up the beach by picking up plastic bags, bottles, and other garbage. It’s a fantastic community event where you not only learn about ocean conservation but where you can also meet other like-minded people.

Oceana and Blancpain are big organizations that strive to remind us that preserving the health of our oceans is critical and there is a need to change our habits and attitudes before it’s too late. One person at a time can make a big difference.

I am thankful that I attended this beautiful night, which served to highlight that awareness, creativity, unity and commitment can make a big difference in our lives, our children’s lives, and future generations.

Laurent Martinez is the proprietor of Laurent Fine Watches, Greenwich, Connecticut. Read more by him at blog.laurentfinewatches.com or visit his store’s site at www.laurentfinewatches.com

Watch companies have been collaborating with artists and designers for years, producing animated timekeepers with distinctive, non-traditional dials, eye-catching engravings and even unusual case finishes.

Brands as diverse as Hermès and G-Shock tout their artistic connections with special editions that typically offer playful, aesthetic variations to well-known collections. The partnerships take many forms, from one-off fund-raisers for charities to long-term collaborations that morph into full-fledged new collections.

Let’s take a look at a few of the latest watch-artist collaborations we’ve seen.      

Hublot’s new Classic Fusion Orlinski 40mm King Gold.

Hublot and Orlinski   

This artistic collaboration represents one of Hublot’s most successful, with multiple editions of Hublot’s Classic Fusion Orlinski reaching collectors of both Hublot watches and Pop Art, Orlinski’s domain. 

Richard Orlinski

Casual and serious art observers are aware of Richard Orlinski’s brightly colored beasts, including his “Wild Kong” gorilla sculpture in Cannes and his crocodiles in Miami. He and Hublot have teamed on their successful series of angular designs with light-reflecting faceted sapphire crystals for several years.

Just recently, Hublot released a new white-themed Classic Fusion Orlinski series – with gold and diamonds – just in time for the holiday season.

These are 40mm King gold or titanium models, with and without diamond pave bezels and lugs, all attached to a white rubber strap. Prices start at $11,500.

The Hublot Classic Fusion Orlinski 40mm Titanium Pavé

Movado and Lubomirski 

Movado has teamed with Alexi Lubomirski for its newest Artist Series dials. The photographer provided Movado with four photographs (Light, Water, Illumination and City Scenes) that will grace the dials of the Movado Museum dial with vegan straps in dark grey, yellow and navy blue.

Water, with dial by Alexi Lubomirski

Each steel 40mm watch ($595) also comes with a vegan reusable watch pouch and packaging made from recyclable materials.

A portion of proceeds from all watches sold (at Movado.com) will be donated to Alexi’s preferred charities Concern Worldwide and the Humane Society of America. Another collection with Lubomirski is expected for Spring 2021.

Rado True Square Undigital

Rado Designer Series

Rado has released special designer watches for 2020, the latest releases from an annual tradition for the high-tech watchmaker known for its ceramic cases and bracelets and its contemporary design focus.

Rado is working within its True Square collection to offer three models designed in collaboration with the Italian duo FormaFantasma, the British designer Tej Chauhan and Japanese duo YOY. All three have used the automatic True Square Collection as their Swiss watch canvas.

Rado True Square Formafantasma

The Rado True Square Formafantasma brings us a partially enclosed dial that refers to pocket watches with protective cases.

The Japanese design duo YOY offers a contemporary interpretation with the True Square Undigital. YOY shows only analog hands within the shape of a typical digital, possibly smart dial.

Award-winning British industrial designer Tej Chauhan brings us flowing shapes, high-tech ceramic and bold colors to evoke “futuristic visions of pop culture.”

Rado True Square x Tej Chauhan

Prices for the Rado True Square design collaborations: $1,800 (True Square Tej Chauhan), $2,550 (True Square FormaFantasma) and  $2,350 (True Square YOY).

The Atelier deMonaco Admiral Chronographe Flyback Stradivari.

Ateliers deMonaco and Luca Stradivari

Produced in partnership with the architect and designer Luca Stradivari, a direct descendant of famed luthier Antonio Stradivari, Atelier deMonaco launches its Admiral Chronographe Flyback Stradivari, available in four limited editions of eighty-eight pieces (steel, rose gold, white gold and yellow gold).

The 42mm flyback chronograph displays a dreamlike dial where elegant hands pass over matching markers and the autograph of the architect and designer.  The caseback shows the in-house dMc-760 Calibre, an eye-catching movement beautifully finished with intricate circular satin finishing, perlage, Côtes de Genève and chamfering. Price: CHF 18,000 (approximately $19,600.)

 

 

Junghans toughens its Meister collection with the new Meister S Chronoscope, a sportier version of the best-selling retro-inspired chronograph.

The Junghans Meister S Chronoscope, here with tachymeter scale.

Known for its convex day-date dial and concave subdials, the Meister Chronoscope here arrives with a larger case (45mm), stronger water resistance (200 meters), a screw-down crown, screwed steel caseback and a thickened thick sapphire crystal doubly coated for serious anti-reflection properties.

The new Junghans Meister S Chronoscope boasts a new case that cuts a contemporary profile. The case’s new, enhanced crown protection and beveled bezel set it apart from the earlier, retro-styled Chronoscope designs.

The new Junghans Meister S Chronoscope boasts a larger, more contemporary case when compared to earlier Chronoscopes.

Junghans offers two dial options. One of the two steel-bracelet models takes its sportier designation most seriously with a tachymeter scale framing an anthracite (grey) dial set with raised and numbered markers.

A second steel-bracelet model offers a tachymeter-free visage on a green-black dial with un-numbered, raised markers. Even without the tachymeter scale and with its dressier matte/polish case finish, this model asserts a hint of sportiness through its red chronograph hands.

This Junghans black PVD Meister S Chronoscope is a limited edition of 888.

The third design, the only Meister S Chronoscope made in limited production (of 888 units), also offers red accents, but arrives on black PVD, brushed steel case attached to a red-stitched synthetic black rubber strap. This model  features the same grey dial with tachymeter as offered on one of the two bracelet watches, but with red-accented hands and two red markers.  

Junghans has emblazoned its name in raised letters to the underside of the strap. This feature, according to the brand, will provide “an elaborate solution for airing of the synthetic rubber strap, guaranteeing optimum wear comfort.”

Prices: $2,595 (either model on steel bracelet) and $2,795 (black PVD case with rubber strap, an 888-piece limited edition.)

Specifications: Junghans Meister S Chronoscope

Movement: Automatic ETA-7750-based caliber J880.1 with a power reserve of up to 48 hours, date and weekday (also available in English), chronograph.

Case: 45mm x 15.9mm steel or black PVD-coated, convex sapphire crystal with anti-reflection coating on both sides, 7-times screwed stainless steel back with Junghans star artwork, screwed crown and tube, 200 meters of water resistance.

Dial: Matte anthracite, model 027/4023.44 with green-black-effect lacquer, model 027/4024.44 with tachymeter scale, hands and
indices with SuperLuminova. Hands coated with luminous substance in red and/or white.

Strap: Stainless steel bracelet with safety folding clasp and fine adjustment, synthetic rubber strap with leather inlay and stainless steel folding clasp in black PVD-coating (on model 027/4025.44 with red accent strap, limited to 888 watches).

Prices: $2,595 (either model on steel bracelet) and $2,795 (black PVD case with rubber strap, an 888-piece limited edition.)

 

Alpina this week revives a regulator dial design with the new Alpiner Regulator Automatic, a successor to the Geneva-based watchmaker’s Avalanche Regulator, which debuted in 2003.

The new Alpiner Regulator Automatic, from Alpina.

As is the case with all regulator dials, the hands rotate within separate subdials, all dominated by the central minutes hand. Alpina echoes its first regulator watch from by setting the subdials amid vertical Côtes de Genève stripes. However, Alpina has replaced the original’s baton hour markers with triangle-tipped markers lined with luminescent material.

Alpina’s choice of dial décor is meant to enhance the dial’s visibility.  Traditionally, watchmakers apply a Côtes de Genève (Geneva Stripes) finish not to dials, but to movement bridges and rotors. The stripes distribute reflected light from the dial, which reduces reflections.

Now in a round 45mm steel case, the new Alpiner Regulator Automatic sets its hour subdial at 10 o’clock and its seconds subdial at the 6 o’clock position.

Modern look

While Alpina offers a broad range of vintage-styled watches, here the watchmaker offers a contemporary look to what is a classical regulator dial layout.

For the United States, collection includes two models with blue dials, which are available on a brown calfskin strap or a steel bracelet. A third model, offered as a limited series of 883 pieces, features a blue dial on a black calfskin strap with red stitching (pictured above).

Alpina has placed its ETA-based AL-650 automatic movement inside the new Alpiner Regulator Automatic. This differs from Alpina’s earlier regulator watches, many of which were powered by manual-wind movements. And unlike many of those earlier models, the new Alpiner Regulator Automatic features a close, engraved caseback rather than a clear sapphire back.  

The watch, available on us.alpinawatches.com, is nicely priced at $1,895 to $1,995, depending on the version.

With this launch, Alpina continues its support of the National Park Foundation as an official partner. For every Alpiner Regulator Automatic purchased through the United States website, Alpina will donate $100 to the parks.

 

Bell & Ross last week debuted the first chronograph within its retro-classic BR 05 collection.

The new Bell & Ross BR 05 Chronograph, which debuts with a choice of blue or black dial and steel bracelet or rubber strap.

You might recall that the BR 05 collection, which debuted in 2019, signaled the brand’s entry into the expanding field of Swiss-made 1970s-style steel watches with integrated bracelets.  

Directly referencing the groundbreaking integrated steel watches of the 1970s, Bell & Ross’s BR 05 design essentially is an evolution of its cockpit-inspired BR 03. With the first time-only BR 05 collection, Bell & Ross placed its very identifiable 12-6-9 numerals and four bezel screws exactly where you’d expect them on a Bell & Ross aviation watch, and framed them with curved, polished bezel and case edges that nicely meld into a new steel bracelet.

Now with a chronograph option, the BR 05 retains the solidly integrated case and bracelet but adds a familiar chronograph dial layout. The watch’s retro-shaped snailed counters (chronograph minute counter at 9 o’clock and small seconds at 3 o’clock) between the 12 and 6 on the dial echo the BR 05’s case, which now measures 42mm in diameter, up from the 40mm of the debut collection. 

Designing the chronograph challenged Bell & Ross to add pushers to a case it built to present fluid lines and curves. By flattening the pushers, smoothing their edges and essentially incorporating them within the case, Bell & Ross handily met that challenge.

Bell & Ross finishes the new BR 05 chronograph with flat satin-polished surfaces and polished bevels. The effect is more dressy than sporty, though the optional blue or black rubber strap might tilt that view just a bit. The watch’s 100-meter water resistance and robust ETA-based automatic chronograph movement (Bell & Ross Cal. 301) allow for wear most anywhere but deep dives. Luminous markers and hands keep the time visible in dim light.

Bell & Ross offers the new, quite nicely executed BR 05 chronograph with either a blue or black sunray dial and with a choice of integrated steel bracelet ($6,400) or blue or black rubber strap.  ($5,900).