Bell & Ross adds a fourth dial color, copper brown, to the BR 05 collection, the watchmaker’s series of round-corner square-case watches with round dials and integrated bracelets.
The new Bell & Ross BR 05 Copper Brown.
The new BR 05 Copper Brown watch joins existing models in the collection with black, silver grey and navy blue dials.
“You have to breathe life into a range”, explains Bruno Belamich, creative director and co-founder of Bell & Ross. “It can be achieved through technique (movement), materials, or details. For the BR 05 Copper Brown, we chose the color,” he adds.
Bell & Ross introduced the BR 05 in 2019 as a contemporary version of its well-known square-cased BR 03 collection. BR 05 signaled the brand’s entry into the expanding field of Swiss-made 1970s-style steel watches with integrated bracelets.
The new watch’s golden-brown dial is finished with a sunburst pattern. Made specifically for the new model, the dial finish and color requires Bell & Ross artisans to micro-engrave the metal plate of the dial in a circular pattern. Then, technicians add several coats of transparent brown varnish to the metal plate, creating a sense of depth.
Bell & Ross then adds the same metallic color to the indexes, which creates “the effect of a block of metal simply adorned by its sunburst brown dial,” according to Bell & Ross. The dial’s hands, indexes and numerals are coated with SuperLuminova.
The watchmaker will offer the BR 05 Copper Brown with either an integrated polished and satin-finished steel bracelet or on a sporty brown rubber strap.
Bell & Ross powers the watch with its Sellita-based BR-CAL 321 automatic movement. With the watch’s sapphire case-back the owner can view the caliber’s oscillating weight with sports-car-rim-inspired design.
Prices: $4,600 on rubber strap and $5,100 on a steel bracelet.
Hermès celebrates the reopening of its Madison Avenue store in New York with two special edition watches.
The new Hermès H08 Madison.
One, the H08 Madison, includes a refashioned dial of the acclaimed cushion-shaped Hermès H08. On this special edition Hermès replaces the traditional 12 at the top of the dial with a 0 and also colors the numbers 6, 7 and 0 in yellow to form the address of the new Hermès boutique at 706 Madison Avenue. The same hue is echoed by the crystal seal, the minutes track and the varnished seconds hand. Hermès explains that it chose the yellow color to pay tribute to New York ‘yellow’ cabs.
The Hermès H08, you may recall, was designed in 2021 by Philippe Delhotal, creative director of Hermès Horloger, with a 39mm by 39mm cushion-shaped case, round dial and a contemporary time/date dial display.
For this model, Hermès uses the satin-brushed titanium case edition of the H08, topped by a black ceramic bezel and secured with a screw-lock crown. Inside you’ll find the Manufacture Hermès H1837 mechanical self-winding movement.
Hermès will deliver the new watch, a 185-piece limited edition, on a yellow or grey rubber strap.Price: $7,450.
Gene Kelly
The second celebratory model is the Gene Kelly, a 38mm rose gold, round-cased Arceau model with an unusual leather marquetry dial decorated with jazz dancers in action, a theme based on the Hermès ‘Tribute to Gene Kelly’ silk scarf designed by Canadian artist Geoff McFetridge.
The new Hermès Gene Kelly.
The rare leather dial is composed using micro-leather leather marquetry. As Hermès explains, its artisans select a dozen colorful full-grain calf leathers that are then trimmed to a thickness of 0.5 mm.
The artisans then cut out the design elements and remove the leather fragments and assemble the scene on the dial. The design references Gene Kelly, a Hollywood musical legend, using bright colors, nine letters of his name, and dancers in moccasins and white socks.
Finally, Hermès sets eighty-two diamonds into the bezel and powers the hands with the automatic Manufacture Hermès H1912 movement.
Only twelve watches will be made, each fitted with a white Hermès calfskin strap. Price: $35,000.
Ulysse Nardin adds three new models to its Marine Torpilleur collection, a series of nautically themed watches designed to echo nineteenth-century marine chronometers.
Ulysse Nardin has a long history of making Marine Chronometers for ships.
The new models retain the collection’s fluted bezel, long hands and Roman numeral hour markers, but each also highlights one particular aspect of Ulysse Nardin’s artistic or technical expertise.
The new Ulysse Nardin Marine Torpilleur Dual Time.
The Marine Torpilleur Dual Time
The first model of the new trio adds Ulysse Nardin’s innovative dual-time display to the Marine Torpilleur collection. Fit with in-house caliber UN-334 with a silicon escapement wheel, anchor and balance-spring, the new watch adds an instant-change, dual-pusher GMT function to the series in a 44mm steel-cased model with a sun-ray satin-finished blue dial.
Developed initially by Ludwig Oechslin in 1994, the dual-time function was among the first to allow an instant-change, plus-or-minus GMT hour hand, activated using one of the two push-pieces.While the home time display on the new Marine Torpilleur Dual Time operates continually in an aperture at 9 o’clock, the wearer can quickly move the hour hand forward or backward to show local time using the “+” and “-” push-pieces at 8 o’clock and 10 o’clock. All calendar functions remain in syncs regardless of the adjustment. Price: $11,500.
The new Ulysse Nardin Marine Torpilleur Tourbillon Grand Feu.
Marine Torpilleur Tourbillon Grand Feu
Initially launched last year as a limited edition with a black Grand Feu enamel dial, the Marine Torpilleur Tourbillon is now offered in unlimited production with a white Grand Feu enamel dial.
The watch highlights the work of artisans at Donzé Cadrans, Ulysse Nardin’s own watch dial facility. The term Grand Feu means ‘big fire’ and refers to the melting the enamel powder in a furnace when creating the dial finish.
Ulysse Nardin makes all its own dials at its dial-making facility Donzé Cadrans.
On this enamel dial Ulysse Nardin fits the watch’s power reserve indicator at 12 o’clock and the namesake tourbillon aperture directly across the milky white expanse at 6 o’clock.
Ulysse Nardin’s own UN-128 automatic caliber powers the flying tourbillon with constant escapement, which is fitted with a flying silicon anchor. You might recall that in 2015 Ulysse Nardinwon the Tourbillon Watch Prize at the GPHG (Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève) ceremony with this patented system.
Ulysse Nardin debuted its first Marine Torpilleur Moonphase models in 2021 with a stainless-steel case and a blue or white dial as a limited edition of 300 pieces per model. This year, the watchmaker adds the watch to its permanent collection, but now sporting a more luxurious 42 mm rose gold case.
Inside Ulysse Nardin fits its automatic UN-119 caliber with silicon balance-spring and a DiamonSil escapement wheel and anchor. DiamonSil refers to the artificial diamond layer Ulysse Nardin places on the escapement wheel and silicon anchor. This coating results in improved resistance to magnetism, friction and shock.
Again, we see the power reserve display at 12 o’clock balanced on the dial layout with the small seconds and moon phase indicators at 6 o’clock. Note the silvery moon image on the disc elegantly contrasting with the blue PVD sky around it. Ulysse Nardin supplies the watch with a dark blue alligator-skin strap with rose gold folding clasp. Price: $22,600.
Zurich-based auction house Ineichen Auctioneers will offer an enticing series of auctions featuring complicated watches during the final quarter of 2022.
First up is an auction on October 29 that features more than thirty watches and will showcase tourbillons and open-worked (skeletonizied) watches. Part two of the series, slated for December 3, will focus on watches with chronograph and date functions.
Notable lots for the October auction include a Vacheron Constantin Les Complications Tourbillon Ref. 30050, an MB&F LM Perpetual, a Girard-Perregaux Laureato Flying Tourbillon Skeleton, a Daniel Roth Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar, several stunning Jaeger-LeCoultre complicated pieces, an IWC minute repeater and a pair of Breguet beauties, among others.
At the October 29 auction: An IWC Schaffhausen Portuguese Minute Repeater Squelette Limited Edition.
“Despite their mechanical complexity, I think tourbillon watches and skeletonized pieces are the most visually pleasing. This auction is purely about joy-inducing aesthetics for me,” says Ineichen Auctioneers CEO Artemy Lechbinsky.
Here’s a peek at a few of the top lots for the October 29 auction.
Vacheron Constantin Les Complications Tourbillon (Ref. 30050/000P-7605)
This early and rare tourbillon (dated 1990-2000) from Vacheron Constantin is cased in platinum 950 with a diameter of 38mm, a thickness of 11.5mm and a sapphire caseback.
Silvered gold dial with Clous de Paris guilloché pattern, Caliber 1760, hand-wound, double barrel. Functions: indication of time in hours and minutes, small seconds hand on tourbillon shaft, power reserve at 12 o’clock. Black leather strap, Vacheron Constantin half Maltese cross-shaped platinum pin buckle. Estimate: CHF 30,000-40,000.
An impressive limited-edition rose gold tourbillon and chronograph wristwatch. Estimated production period: 2013–2019. Case made of 18-karat rose gold, diameter 43mm and 13.4mm thick frames anopen-worked dial, sapphire caseback. Caliber PF354 is manually wound with power reserve up to 65 hours. Functions: indication of hours and minutes, small seconds at 9 o’clock, tourbillon at 6 o’clock, chronograph with central seconds hand and 30-minute counter at 3 o’clock, power reserve indicator at 12 o’clock. Original Parmigiani Fleurier black leather strap, made by Hermes, Parmigiani Fleurier 18-karat rose gold pin buckle. Limited edition of 30 pieces. Estimate: CHF 30,000 – 40,000.
The complexity of this fully integrated perpetual calendar developed by MB&F and Stephen McDonnell limits the production. The 581-component in-house movement was developed to eliminate the drawbacks of conventional perpetual calendars. It is designed to be user-friendly, ensuring that dates are not skipped or gears jammed. Adjuster pushers automatically deactivate when the calendar changes.
This watch forms part of a collection limited to twenty-five pieces that was launched in 2020. It is presented in a yellow gold case, which contrasts beautifully with the blue detail on the dial. High-end hand finishes that respect the 19th-century style can be admired throughout. The watch is fastened with a black leather strap with 18-karat yellow and white gold MB&F triple folding clasp produced by G&F Chatelain.
The numbered edition 42mm Laureato Flying Tourbillon Skeleton, first introduced in 2017, is produced exclusively in 18-karat gold. It is arguably one of the finest complicated luxury sports watches presented on an integrated bracelet.
Caliber GP09520-0001, which powers this model, is an extremely rare movement for Girard-Perregaux. It is equipped with a flying tourbillon, devoid of a bridge on the dial side, and features a proprietary design normally with three gold bridges. The GP09520-0001 is produced exclusively in the skeletonized version and was the brand’s first self-winding flying tourbillon movement. Estimate: CHF 60,000 to 80,000.
Daniel Roth Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar Retrograde Date ‘XV years’ Limited Edition (Ref. 199.Y.70.011.CN.BD)
This watch showcases a rare combination of complications: a perpetual calendar with two retrograde indicators (date and leap year), tourbillon and automatic winding functionality, which are powered by the DR740 caliber. All Ref. 199 sub-references were produced in very limited quantities and precious metals including platinum as seen in the current lot. It was launched in 2004 as a jubilee limited edition to commemorate the brand’s 15th anniversary.
Early Daniel Roth watches are known for their elaborate dials decorated with different guilloché motifs that highlight the placement of his signature blued steel hands as well as double ellipse-shaped Ellipsocurvex cases and haute horlogerie movement finishes.
This piece is one of the first generation (Mk1) releases of the Ref. 199 design. It features a solid dial as well as a guilloché small seconds subdial with three “XV” embossed inscriptions woven into the pattern. Such decoration is atypical of the Daniel Roth style. The presence of a tourbillon is indicated only by the inscription “Tourbillon” on the subdial because it is only visible through the sapphire caseback. There is also an engraved inscription “XV years” on the rim of the caseback. Estimate: CHF 30,000 to 40,000.
Breguet Classique Grande Complication Tourbillon ‘Senza B’ (Ref. 5357PT/1B/9V6)
Thisrare and fine platinum tourbillon wristwatch was most probably produced in 2012. Case made of platinum 950, it measures 39mm by 8.9mm, with a signed crown, sapphire caseback, 18k gold silver-plated dial with hand-made guilloché decoration, recessed hours and minutes sub-dial, Breguet double secret signature between XI and XII and XII and I. The hand-wound caliber 558.1 is hand-engraved with Breguet hairspring. Functions – hours, minutes, tourbillon, small seconds hand on the tourbillon shaft. Black leather strap with Breguet platinum 950 double folding clasp.
This Classique Grande Complication Tourbillon Ref. 5357 was introduced in 2002 as a larger 39mm alternative to the original 35mm Tourbillon Ref. 3357 (initially 3350). Unlike reference 3357, Ref. 5357 featured a new single-layer solid-gold and silvered dial, decorated by hand-made guilloché pattern, with a recessed hours and minutes sub-dial and a round tourbillon aperture, but the same original Breguet’s hand-wound tourbillon caliber 558 (version 558.1).
The reverse side of the movement deserves special attention – it is exquisitely and lavishly engraved by hand, and, moreover, there exists at least five basic engraving generations. The engraving of caliber 558 is done by hand and although it follows one of the 5 basic designs, the engraving is different each time in small details, and therefore any watch is essentially a unique piece. Estimate: CHF 30,000 – 40,000.
More fifty years after Doxa debuted the first Doxa Army watch, theSwiss watchmaker debuts a new 42.5mm version in steel.
The new non-limited Doxa Army, cased in steel.
The launch follows the April 2022 release of the watch as a ceramic-cased limited edition in partnership with Watches of Switzerland.
The new, non-limited version is cased in stainless steel with a sand-beige dial. For the first time, Doxa is offering a choice of bezel in bronze or steel with a ceramic insert in hunter green or black, respectively.
Doxa’s use of a bronze unidirectional rotating bezel here as an option marks the watchmaker’s first use of bronze, which many sport watch makers have embraced in recent years.
With its highly luminous dial, the new Doxa Army is being offered with the choice of a stainless steel “beads of rice” bracelet or a black or hunter green rubber strap. Also included is an additional NATO camouflage strap and a case with the original Swiss Army field uniform camouflage pattern.
Inside, Doxa fits an ETA automatic movement (see below for full specifications list.)
Doxa developed the first Army model in cooperation with the Swiss Army in 1968. Dubbed “the ideal watch for military divers,” the watch was notable for its black case, black bezel with black insert and sand-beige dial. Prices: $2,050 to $2,290.
Specifications: Doxa Army
References
785.10.031.10 / stainless steel bezel with black ceramic insert / stainless steel bracelet
785.10.031.20 / stainless steel bezel with black ceramic insert / black FKM rubber strap
785.60.031.10 / bronze bezel with hunter green ceramic insert / stainless steel bracelet
785.60.031.26 / bronze bezel with hunter green ceramic insert / hunter green FKM rubber strap
785.60.031.20 / bronze bezel with hunter green ceramic insert / black FKM rubber strap
Case: 42.5mm x 44.5mm x 11.95mm steel, sapphire crystal, unidirectional rotating bezel in bronze or stainless steel, screw-down crown, threaded stainless-steel case back, water resistant to 300 meters.
Dial: Sand-beige, orange hour and minute hands, coated with SuperLuminova, white painted outside minute track. Numerals and dot at 12 o’clock coated with SuperLuminova.
Movement: Automatic ETA 2824 with a power reserve of 38 hours, Doxa decorations.
Bracelet / Strap: Stainless steel “beads of rice” bracelet, secured to the case with screws; folding clasp with wetsuit extension, decorated with ‘DOXA fish’ symbol. FKM rubber strap in black or hunter green, folding clasp with adjustablewetsuit extension, decorated with ‘DOXA fish’ symbol. Additional NATO camouflage strap included in the box.
Prices:
Stainless-steel bezel with black ceramic insert:
$2,050 (rubber strap) and $2,090 (steel bracelet)
Bronze bezel with hunter green insert:
$2,290 (steel bracelet) and $2,250 (rubber strap).
Silvered gold dial with Clous de Paris guilloché pattern, Caliber 1760, hand-wound, double barrel. Functions: indication of time in hours and minutes, small seconds hand on tourbillon shaft, power reserve at 12 o’clock. Black leather strap, Vacheron Constantin half Maltese cross-shaped platinum pin buckle. Estimate: CHF 30,000-40,000.
Parmigiani Fleurier Tourbillon Chronograph Tondagraph Limited Edition (Ref. PFH236)
Functions: indication of hours and minutes, small seconds at 9 o’clock, tourbillon at 6 o’clock, chronograph with central seconds hand and 30-minute counter at 3 o’clock, power reserve indicator at 12 o’clock. Original Parmigiani Fleurier black leather strap, made by Hermes, Parmigiani Fleurier 18-karat rose gold pin buckle. Limited edition of 30 pieces. Estimate: CHF 30,000 – 40,000.
The new, non-limited version is cased in stainless steel with a sand-beige dial. For the first time, Doxa is offering a choice of bezel in bronze or steel with a ceramic insert in hunter green or black, respectively.
