patek philippe geneve automatic chrono

I have just received the sad news regarding the passing of one of modern watch manufacturing’s most influential, charismatic and enlightened visionaries, Mr Nicolas G Hayek, who earlier today died as the result of a cardiac arrest while at work in his role as chairman of the Swatch Group which he established in 1985.Mr Nicolas G HayekMr Hayek, who was 82 years old when he passed away, is widely respected for his tireless energies in revitalizing a dying Swiss watch industry in the 1980′s and his legacy to the industry will survive long after most of the people reading – and writing – this article.The Watch Press sends it’s sincere condolences to the family of Mr Hayek and also to those who worked closely with him.You will be sadly missed.Nicolas G Hayek, 1928 – 2010Popularity: 4% [?]|||No Comment The Zenton M45 Divers watch – deal of the year?Posted byJohnny McElherroninJune 29th 2010Summer’s rolling in (although here in Ireland you often do require a calendar for reference, just to be sure!) and our thoughts turn to vacations or leisure pursuits. One style of watch probably enjoys an annual upsurge in sales as folk decide to treat themselves to something nice before going on their travels. The sports divers watch now comes in more and more variations, spanning the demand for the fashion-led ‘diver’s style’ watch boasting 30-150m water resistance and with prices starting around the hundred dollar mark on up? through to intermediate 300-600m watches and on eventually to professional divers watches, with water resistance up to 1000, 3,000 or even 6,000 metres!A new watch brand, Zenton, has entered the fray recently with their own diver’s watch called the Zenton M45 and I have to say that on first impressions, it’s quite a smart offering from the new company. There will of course be those who will reject the watch out of hand without a second thought once they realise that Zenton are actually a Hong Kong based company and not some eccentric Swiss watchmaker, but to dismiss the brand on that basis would surely be a hasty reaction, for this new Zenton M45 is a great looking watch – and it doesn’t end with it’s looks either, for with a depth capability of up to 2000m it’s certainly no lightweight as far as it’s diver’s credentials stack up.Zenton M45 with steel bezel, black dial and markersAdd to the mix a tried and tested Swiss ETA calibre 2824-2 automatic movement and the Zenton M45 looks more attractive, maybe even to the pickier watch enthusiast.The M45 watch, which so far is the company’s only model, is available in a huge number of factory or customizable options which offer the buyer seemingly endless choices to suit their personal tastes including the colour of the dial, the choice between hour markers or numerals, even down to the shape of the hands, or the bezel – in brushed stainless steel or with different colour bezel inserts, which means that the ‘range’ appears to be much more extensive than the base model would suggest, and with so many variables available, there’s a fair chance that yours could be a one-of-a-kind watch!Zenton M45 with bezel insert and numeralsThe robust 45mm brushed stainless steel case, with a height of 17mm, features a helium release valve and a thick 4.3mm sapphire crystal under which strong superluminova hands, markers or numerals beam brightly in low light conditions. One other variation even offers a luminescent dial.The more I learn about this watch, the more I like it, but Zenton haven’t finished looking after you just yet.Does sir prefer stainless steel bracelet with butterfly buckle? Or perhaps a leather, or a rubber strap alternative? How about an extending diver clasp for the bracelet? And of course the tools and spare pins, tubes and screws to enable setting the watch up for the occassion. Well sir shall have his preference – in fact sir can have the lot! At no extra cost! Without having to ask for it either! This is a heck of a lot of watch by now and so you grit your teeth as the time comes to dig deep and pay out for one.Zenton have one more little surprise in store though. The watch – the whole kit and kaboodle – is going to set you back a bonkers $888 plus shipping! Available directly through their website. That has to represent one good deal.I know there are a lot of watch snobs out there for whom brands such as Zenton do not possess the kudos of a recognised major marque that they look for in a watch, but when you look at what you’re getting with this package, it can’t be denied that in straitened times like these, when a lesser-known brand will sell you a customised, good looking and fully functional 2000m diver’s watch for that kind of money, even the more particular buyer can’t fail to be impressed with this offer.Zenton M45 exploded viewWell I for one, am impressed with the Zenton M45 but I’ve left one more little tidbit until the end of this article – that is the 10 (TEN) year warranty and the free (FREE) biannual servicing – you only pick up the tab for the shipping! That’s just incredible.Bargain of the year? It could easily be the Zenton M45 diver’s watch.Well done Zenton. That’s quite a way to announce your arrival.Popularity: 26% [?]|||No Comment Chronoswiss Sirius Triple DatePosted bySylvia McElherroninJune 28th 2010Chronoswiss add a new piece to their collection – the Chronoswiss Sirius Triple Date.The piece features day and month windows below the 12 o’clock position with a date dial combined with moonphase indicator at 6 o’clock hence the term “triple date” otherwise known as the “no excuses dear, how could you have forgotten our anniversary?…. haven’t? you got that fancy triple date indicating watch…..”Chronoswiss have an elegant knack for retaining a pristinely uncluttered design regardless of the amount of information displayed on the dial and the Sirius Triple Date is no exception.? Alternate numerals and applied markers and exquisite hand-finished feuille or leaf-shaped hands and a trim, polished bezel complete the classical styling.The piece is powered by the Chronoswiss Calibre C931 automatic movement, is available in 18 carat rose gold or steel and measures 40mm.Popularity: 6% [?]|||No Comment Steven Goetz Watch3Posted bySylvia McElherroninJune 22nd 2010Every so often a watch which falls into the category of quirky and unique comes to my attention.? Immediately my morning is enlivened, suddenly all thoughts of calibres and complications disappear and for once it is enough just to look and appreciate the function and form generated by ingenious design.? The Watch3 by Bern-based designer Steven Goetz is one such piece.The hour is only visible when the? broad hour hand passes under each? numeral with the figures printed onto the underside of the sapphire crystal white-on-white, conspicuous only as a shadowy presence.The purity of the dial is complimented by an extra trim bezel and an absence of? pronounced lugs, whilst a petite stud-like crown leaves the design uncluttered.? A liberal coating of Luminova on the dial ensures night time readablilty.The stainless steel watchcase measures 38mm and the piece is powered by an ETA quartz movement. The Steven Goetz Watch3 is a limited edition of 100 pieces available from the designer’s web site.Popularity: 4% [?]|||No Comment The Breitling Galactic 36 Automatic WatchPosted bySylvia McElherroninJune 20th 2010Breitling present a new piece – the Breitling Galactic 36 Automatic? designed for women.?? What?………..designed for women, a serious brand offering a new piece for women? – and it’s not some stingy little dress watch either – the Galactic 36 is a decent mid-size? which is bang on trend, but most importantly the press release from Breitling contains the magic words which girls just adore…… mechanical movement- yes! yes! ….and mmmm…..generous steel case….ooooh more!The Breitling Galactic 36 Automatic WatchOkay, okay so you may not be interested in what is going on in the world of ladies watches but think on this – have you ever been faced with the dilemma of having to lend one of your coveted mechanical watches to your girl?? The “boyfriend watch” is the latest in a growing line of symbols of commitment, I’ve? had brunch with friends sporting the “boyfriend cardigan” the “boyfriend shirt”? even his borrowed jeans so admit it, you’d be in a quandry if she asked – if you live together or are married then forget it mate your battle is already lost no matter where you hide it, believe me she will find it. Maybe the blame lies with the manufactures, there is a bit of a dearth of quality larger, sporty mechanical watches out there for girls and maybe for too long the attitude has been “stick a quartz movement in it, add a mother-of-pearl dial and slap on a pink strap and there you go- a new line for women”.The Breitling Galactic 36 Automatic is available in six dial colours with? the added choice of? (obligatory) mother-of-pearl and diamond options and comes presented on steel bracelet or leather strap.Now where did he hide his Manometro……..Popularity: 8% [?]|||No Comment Mystery and intrigue surround Christie’s sale of ‘Howard Hughes’ Patek PhilippePosted byJohnny McElherroninJune 18th 2010I always enjoy browsing through the watch blogs out there and I do try not to rehash what I’ve read elsewhere, keeping the content on The Watch Press fresh and original, but a wonderful story has been unfolding online over the last couple of weeks originating from the at first innocuous announcement by internationally revered auction house Christie’s that on June 16th 2010, the hammer would fall on Lot no. 385, a 1949-vintage Patek Philippe Reference 1463 Chronograph in 18Kt gold.The 'Howard Hughes' Patek Philippe Chronograph Reference 1463What made Lot 385 somewhat unusual was the fact that according to the Christie’s catalogue, the watch had at some time in the past been the property of eccentric and ultimately tragic American billionaire Howard Hughes. Now, it may be that if the watch had not had such provenance attached to it, then the sale might have passed by causing a stir only among Patek collectors and interested auction watchers, but in connecting the watch to the myth that is Howard Hughes, Christie’s attracted attention from Hughes historians and biographers, as well as fellow watch writer Kyle Stults at luxury watch blog Perpetuelle.com.You see Kyle himself is a bit of a Howard Hughes fan too, and when the opportunity arose for him to write a feature which legitimately brought together two of his interests, he put up a post concerning the upcoming sale in Christie’s New York rooms, declaring his fascination of the man and the mysteries entwined around and throughout his private life. Little could Kyle have expected the life of it’s own this story would take on in the days to follow.It was claimed that the watch had been in the possession of a Mr Don Woolbright, a self-proclaimed private employee of Hughes, whose role he claimed was to conduct undercover private investigations within the sprawling Hughes empire at the behest of Howard Hughes himself. The watch, according to Mr Woolbright’s account of events, was given to him as a gift in gratitude for his services allegedly with the words ‘from my wrist to yours’ and has been put up for sale by his son, Don Woolbright Jr.Only hours after the feature appearing, questions began to appear surrounding the accuracy of Christie’s description in their catalogue. A former personal assistant to Hughes, Mr Paul Winn noted on the blog that in all his time working closely with his employer, Hughes had never worn a watch (nor carried any money) and Winn suggested that in his opinion, the likelihood of this watch having ever belonged to Hughes was at best somewhat dubious, and even further stretched was the idea that had ever been bought by or worn by the man.However, once the validity of the watch’s history came under closer scrutiny, a few details quite quickly emerged, mostly eminating from historians, biographers and former Hughes confidantes who made the claim that Howard Hughes famously never wore a watch at all, and also about the character of Mr Woolbright Sr as well. One writer in particular, Geoff Schumacher, himself a published Howard Hughes biographer, was certainly not pulling any punches in regard to his opinion of Mr Woolbright Sr in his feature on his Howard Hughes Blog.That seemed to be it, as the story appeared to tail off for a few days. But, having discovered Mr Winn’s opinion on the watch, Mr Woolbright Jr (ultimately the beneficiary of the proceeds of the sale) responded to the charges on the blog by attempting to punch holes in Mr Winn’s credibility, challenging him to back up his claims and calling into question the offer of testimony from Hughes closest and trusted employee – Kay Glenn, who was charged with the role of staff overseer within the Hughes organisation and whom had never heard of Mr Woolright Sr’s position, although familiar with the name for a subsequent felony committed against the Hughes estate some years later. The following exchange was quite amazing, with Mr Winn standing firm and requesting some form of stand-up verification, but ultimately, the burden of proof fell into the hands of the vendor – Mr Woolbright Jr and no proof thus far has been forthcoming.Indeed when it finally came down to putting reputations at stake, a challenge which was proposed to Mr Winn by Mr Woolright Jr, the challenger and potential beneficiary mysteriously went quiet – and has stayed that way at the time of writing this summary.Even so, in the absence of anything other than rhetoric to defend the case of Mr Woolbright, surely the watch would be withdrawn from sale by Christie’s, at least temporarily, until any questions of authenticity can be established one way or the other, after all Christie’s are an internationally renowned, respected and most importantly trusted institution through whose hands pass some of the world’s most famed and recognised objets d’art.Well, following the discrepancies being debated between parties on his website, Kyle not unreasonably contacted Christie’s by phone and email, helpfully informing them of the possible anomaly associated with their Lot 385 Patek Philippe Reference 1463 gold chronograph. So the watch was promptly removed from the 16 June sale.Not.Well then, they changed the wording of the lot to inform potential bidders that there were possible question marks over the historical claim?Not a bit of it.The sale went through as scheduled on June 16 and bidding activity was healthy – as one would reasonably expect when up for sale was a rare Patek Philippe chronograph, especially one sold as a valuable and authentic piece of Howard Hughes memorabilia and with a potentially much wider client catchment as collectors of both Patek Philippe and Howard Hughes.With a Christie’s estimate of between $150,000 and $200,000, the watch eventually sold yesterday to a private collector for $254,500.As the histories of either Messr’s Woolbright (Sr or Jr), Winn, Glenn or Schumacher can be more fairly debated among specialists in the history of Howard Hughes, so I cannot reasonably take a side in their discourse (other than to lean toward he who has put forward the more convincing argument), but for sure, if there is one party entangled in the whole story and who should have reacted much more responsively to a legitimate call for clarity when faced with information which questioned the provenance of the watch as provided by themselves, then it must be Christie’s.By underestimating the value of openness (and the punch of the internet) when confronted by someone with a bloody good question, haven’t Christie’s let slip their guard and revealed an underbelly through which anything might go? Uninhibited?Also, in a bizzare twist to the story, while studying the Christie’s image gallery for the watch upon the release of the Christie’s catalogue, ‘Contaminuti’, founder of Italian language luxury watch review site Orologi di Classe blew us all away with his discovery that the Patek Philippe legend, engraved into the tang buckle of the watch carried a misspelling! Notice the double ‘LL’ as opposed to the correct ‘PP’ on the buckle! Not that this watch needs any more mystique, it’s becoming like the Mary Celeste! How can the misspelling have gone unnoticed?The tang buckle with misspellingWhatever the truth about the actual watch, it seems unlikely that – considering the compulsively secretive nature of the eccentric Howard Hughes – it’s history may ever be factually documented, and so from this point in time, this Patek Philippe reference number 1463 chronograph, will always have a spectre of doubt hanging over it.Still worth the $254,500? Only the private collector to whom it now belongs will know the true answer to that. Now it has a little more history than perhaps it had before these last few weeks.Popularity: 15% [?]|||1 Comment IWC Aquatimer Chronograph Jacques Cousteau 100th Anniversary EditionPosted byJohnny McElherroninJune 16th 2010Continuing the successful Jacques Cousteau editions of it’s superb Aquatimer model, IWC have lifted the covers from the fifth edition? to take it’s place among the range.The IWC Aquatimer model has been a real grower on me over recent years, particularly the Cousteau editions, and in it’s latest guise, I think it just looks better than ever!

IWC Aquatimer Chronograph Jacques Cousteau 100th Anniversary Edition

IWC Aquatimer Chronograph Jacques Cousteau 100th Anniversary Edition

The Artego Diver 300M Automatic

Artego Diver gallery

The Perrelet First Class

Cuervo Y Sobrinos Mille Miglia Freccia Rossa writing instruments

At Patek Philippe, announcements of totally new watch models are typically years apart. But the company places all the more emphasis on keeping its existing collections up to date with continuous refinements. Because of this ongoing care, the success stories of the individual timepiece families have been particularly enduring: the Calatrava since 1932, the Golden Ellipse since 1968, the Nautilus since 1976, etc. Slight modifications, such as new dials or case materials, not only add fresh touches to collections but also limit the number of watches in a given series. Aficionados and collectors of rare timepieces appreciate the fact that their watches remain desirable rarities even if they are not part of an expressly limited edition. Thus, the new 2010 version of the Annual Calendar chronograph differs in subtle ways from its predecessors.Launched in 2006, the Ref. 5960P Annual Calendar chronograph was endowed with the first regularly produced chronograph movement developed from the bottom up by Patek Philippe and crafted entirely in-house from the movement blank to the finished caliber. It is a very modern self-winding movement with a nearly wear-free vertical clutch. A genuine manufacture chronograph movement combined with Patek Philippe's legendary Annual Calendar was exactly what the market had been waiting for. As a matter of fact, the Annual Calendar chronograph instantly became one of the manufacture's most sought-after models. The 2006 debut platinum model with the charcoal gray dial received a sibling in 2009: a rose gold version with a dark silvery gray dial. And now, the collection is being expanded by a second platinum model with a matt blue sunburst dial.Two popular complications united in one watchThe Ref. 5960P unites a mechanical flyback chronograph and an Annual Calendar, two of the most popular complications in timekeeping. The calendar mechanism is based on a patent granted to Patek Philippe in 1996 for the Annual Calendar �C it relies on wheels and pinions rather than the more common levers to control the calendar displays. The underlying idea is that rotary motions are more straightforward and easier to control than the reciprocating movements of levers. In actual fact, Patek Philippe's annual calendar mechanisms have a proven 15-year track record for above-average functionality and reliability. The manufacture's patented Annual Calendar is a full calendar that automatically distinguishes months with 30 and 31 days and, if kept running, only needs to be manually corrected once a year on the first day of March. It shows the day of the week, the date, and the month, and it has an am/pm indicator.The chronograph module of the new Ref. 5960P is just as modern. It relies on the traditional columnwheel construction for controlling the start, stop, and reset commands, but instead of a lever for a horizontal wheel clutch, it actuates the clamp of a vertical disk clutch. This solution is extremely dependable and eliminates the risk of hand bounce in either direction when the chronograph is switched on, because no wheels are abruptly engaged. Since the disk clutch is virtually wear-free, the chronograph hand can be used as a running seconds hand without hesitation. This mode of operation has no negative effect on the rate accuracy of the movement. This is why the Ref. 5960P, contrary to most chronographs, has no seconds subdial.Cool elegance in platinum with a blue dialLike the first 2006 model, the new Ref. 5960P has a round case in 950 platinum with an antireflectioncoated sapphire-crystal glass and a sapphire-crystal display back. The round chronograph pushers and the large easy-grip crown are located on the right-hand side of the case. The push pieces for adjusting the calendar indicators are on the opposite side. With a case diameter of 40.5 millimeters, the Ref. 5960 ranks among Patek Philippe's larger timepieces. Its stately visual presence is amplified by the tangible weight of the platinum case. These decidedly masculine attributes underscore the technical appeal of the chronograph. The watch is worn on a blue, large-scaled alligator strap with a platinum fold-over clasp.The matt blue sunburst dial with the two-tone monocounter in blue and silver is totally new. Blue harmonizes with the cool gloss of platinum and creates a new timepiece personality with emphasis on fast and convenient readability of all indications. Unlike most other chronographs, the Ref. 5960P does hot have three subsidiary dials for the running seconds as well as the minute and hour counters. Instead, it features the combined minute and hour counter on a subdial that largely occupies the bottom half of the watch face. On three concentric scales, it indicates the minutes and hours totalized by the chronograph. The two outer scales are assigned to the longer red hand that shows elapsed minutes from 0 to 30 (blue numerals) and from 30 to 60 (black numerals). The shorter white hand indicates recorded event times of up to twelve hours on the innermost scale. The day/night indicator in the small round aperture progressively changes from white (day) to dark blue (night). This function is particularly useful when the watch has stopped, *** it necessary to distinguish between morning and afternoon hours when setting the time and the calendar indications.The upper half of the dial is dominated by the Annual Calendar, which indicates the day of the week, the date, and the month in three apertures arranged along an arc between 10 and 2 o'clock. The size of the date at 12 o'clock is particularly remarkable. With its polished white gold frame, the date aperture forms a visual equilibrium with the prominent monocounter in the bottom half of the dial. The small hand of the power-reserve indicator beneath the date aperture moves from plus to minus as it shows the state of wind of the mainspring. Eight slender applied hour markers in white gold, eleven luminescent dots, and the crisp transferprinted scale produce the clarity needed for instant legibility of the dial. The tips of the leaf-shaped hour and minute hands extend nearly all the way to the hour and minute markers, and the end of the chronograph hand skims the fractionally graduated seconds scale.Patek Philippe's new Ref. 5960P Annual Calendar chronograph shows how important even seemingly small details really are in haute horlogerie, be they a minor modification in power transmission or subtle color variations in dial design. Sometimes, the consequences are striking and expressive. The new dial of the Ref. 5960P is a case in point.