Chopard Imperiale Watches

The Accutron Calibre 214 was launched on 25th October 1960 and this date is marked with a 50th Annniversary piece, the Bulova Accutron Limited Edition Spaceview 214.? The Calibre 214 was a defining movement – it was extremely accurate due to its high frequency, it used a tuning-fork in place of a balance wheel and springs and instead of a “tick” it “hummed” – the original Accutron press releases called this hum “the sound of accuracy”.The Spaceview 214 anniversary pieces will be handmade replicas of the original which was first released to the public in 1963.? Initially created as a concept piece? for display purposes only, the skeletonised Spaceview with its open-worked dial displaying the circuit-board styled inner workings (like an old transistor radio, just begging to be dismantled)? evoked such interest that Bulova were compelled to put the piece into production.The Bulova Accutron Spaceview 214 Limited EditionThe? 2010 edition of the Spaceview 214 will be a limited production of 1000 pieces featuring a 42mm stainless steel case and slightly domed sapphire crystal. Inside is the Calibre Y214 with frequency of 360 Hz. ? Each will be presented in a wood and glass display case? bearing a plaque onto which the individual model number of the watch will be enscribed.The Wood and Glass Presentation Box for the Bulova Accutron Spaceview 2010If you owned one of these in the Sixties, you were probably a James May kind of guy.? You could have had hours of entertainment at your friend’s expense, showing off the high-tech styling and boring them with endless statistics regarding accuracy.? After a while you may have noticed a slight change in atmosphere when you walked into your local pub, and maybe if you had listened intently, you might just have overheard the whispered comment “ssh …here he comes – him and his damned humming watch…..”Popularity: 18% [?]|||1 Comment Brand ambassadors – Could we have our watch back Mr Rose?Posted byJohnny McElherroninSeptember 27th 2010When it comes to appointing a suitable ‘ambassador’ for your watch brand, much consideration will be put into the decision as to which stellar luminary will get to grace your marketing material, and also how they, as human beings are perceived in the public and media domains.For the greater part, these ambassadorial roles mostly fall to the great and the good from the worlds of sport, modelling and the stars of the silver screen. When we glance through the news magazines or weekend supplements we are constantly confronted with images of Cindy Crawford or George Clooney sporting their Omegas, John Travolta and his Breitling, or maybe it’s Lewis Hamilton’s or Jenson Button’s steely stare as they pose with their left arm raised up by their cheek to show off the latest TAG Heuer. And this is to name but a very few high profile brand ambassadors currently employed by most watch brands.John Travolta, actor, pilot, Breitling ambassadorOne thing stands out about most of these ambassadors and that is that they are almost exclusively the squeakiest of clean, wholesomer than wholesome, fit, tanned with great skin and above all, they all possess the perceived aura of hard work, dedication to their profession and moral good living – great role models in other words, folks we can all look up to.And if a celebrity is not as squeaky-clean as their personal ‘brand’ suggests, then it’s unlikely they’ll get the call from that Grande Marque, requesting that your visage grace the next big global marketing campaign – although if your star is bright enough it can absorb the occasional knock to one’s character without too much harm to the brand/ambassador relationship – Tiger Woods has remained on in his role with TAG Heuer despite his recent descent from grace. But Tiger’s a rare case. His star is truly unique. It transcends what almost any other celebrity can bring to a brand and he is so valuable that such transgressions as his mean that although slightly chipped, he still stands on his plinth, somewhat less respected, and clearly no longer the revered master of his profession. He is definitely now seen as human, fallible, and not the unsmiling, clipped and seemingly arrogant golfing autonomon we have become so familiar with over the last fifteen years or so. TAG Heuer clearly still sell a lot of watches through their association with Tiger Woods.TAG Heuer Stand By Their ManSo, if you are a watch manufacturer, you have the luxury of having options as to who you appoint as the face of your brand. But what if some loon goes out and buys one of your watches, wears it regularly, and is one of your more distinctive creations? What if they get up to all sorts of debauched carry-on; drinking, womanising, drug taking and generally raising hell and leaving a trail of chaos and apologetic agents cleaning up the physical (and often legal) mess in their wake? I suppose it depends who it is we’re talking about; whether they are loved or loathed, whether they are respected or the butt of the joke.OK, Keith Richards, when he’s not falling out of trees in his seventies, would have to be seen as one who could get away with most things and still be snapped up in an instant were he to offer his services as a brand ambassador to many of the more avant garde brands.What, though if you’re Audemars Piguet, and the loon in question is Mr W.Axl Rose?? What then??? Well, if he doesn’t torture and murder anyone or take a child bride, then his madness is well enough documented so that any new guise of his berserk behaviour would not be considered to be too much out of the ordinary for the portly bonkers Guns n’ Roses frontman.Somewhere among all that junk is an AP Royal Oak Offshore 'Volcano'!You see Axl has been favouring his limited edition Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore ‘Volcano’ in recent times and I’m sure that would be okay with A-P were it not for his irritating habit of disrespecting his fans, and the manufacturer of his fine timepiece, by turning up for all of his recent shows anywhere between an hour and ninety minutes after showtime was due to commence. That’s just unforgivable!! Like I mean, if you’re going to wear our watch, at least turn up on time, it’s not a good look!Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore VolcanoWhat does this tell us? What can we read into it? Is Axl turning up on time, but his watch is running slow? Are Audemars Piguet watches therefore unreliable? Are Audemars Piguet watches responsible for letting down so many thousands of Guns n’ Roses fans across Europe this summer? This would be bad press were it true.Nope, nothing of the sort I’m pleased to confirm. The answer and sole responsbility lies with the man himself. He obviously cannot tell the time! Or worse, he can, but doesn’t give a damn about his fans who have forked out substantially on the tickets which made the Chinese Democracy tour possible.We get something of a clue about Axl’s idea of timekeeping from the putting together of this latest Guns n’ Roses (or rather, the Axl Rose and friends band) masterpiece ‘Chinese Democracy’? – a mere fifteen years in the ***, and generally embraced as being…. erm…. not very good considering the time and cost involved. In fact, considering anything, it kind of pancaked!So when Axl Rose brought his ‘Guns n’ Roses’ show to the UK for two headlining festival appearances at Leeds and Reading, where because of his late arrival, he had the power cut off after only an hour of his show and protested by doing a ‘sit in’ performing an impromptu ‘unplugged’ set, barking at the crowd through a megaphone.Following this headline grabbing buffoonery, the tour then traveled to Dublin where the twonk and his band treated the fans (many of whom had public transport connections to make post show) to a one hour and twenty-five minutes wait before finally waddling out onstage, arms raised in acceptance of the crowd’s mass adoration. Unfortunately for poor old Axl, however, this was Ireland, and the Irish do not suffer fools easily.Unsurprisingly, the band walked on stage to a barrage of booing from the majority of the exasperated audience, and when Axl started to sing, the noise of the baying audience rendered the music almost inaudible. Ever the showman, Axl plodded on, for another two songs before, during the intro for Welcome to The Jungle, a plastic water bottle bounced off the floor close to where Mr Rose was standing. Soon after, he then led his bandmates – who are so far from being Guns n’ Roses that I’d be surprised if he knows all their names – off stage and a panicked promoter took to the stage to inform the angry crowd that they were dealing with a technical issue, to hoots of laughter and derision.? Once the house lights came on some half an hour later most of the crowd took to the exits in an attempt to catch their transport.Please note: in the following clip obcenities coming from some members of the audience can clearly be heard. Do not watch the video if you are likely to be offended by such content.However the Irish promoter obviously told the snouty singer that he wouldn’t get out of the country in one piece – or something to that effect, and a very grumpy Rose returned to a now near-empty O2 arena where he banged out the repertoire, barely moving or communicating with the remaining handful of fans for the rest of the night.All in all, I’d have to say that the palava surrounding Rose and his cohorts does not make for good press – for themselves, and with the all-too-distinctive Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Volcano hidden in among the piles of junk Axl wears on his wrist, I’d be scheming how to get that watch back from him if I were in A-P’s marketing dept because that’s one Volcano that’s close to an eruption 24/7 – although on the face of it, everyone will tune in to watch an erupting volcano, so maybe the old addage applies – there’s no such thing as bad press, at least from AP’s point of view.As for Axl and his troubled tour though, I’m not so sure…….Popularity: 21% [?]|||No Comment Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Memovox International Colette Limited EditionPosted bySylvia McElherroninSeptember 23rd 2010Jaeger-LeCoultre present a (very) limited edition version of their sublime Master Memovox International for the Parisian store, Colette.? Maybe “store” does not say enough – Colette is a retail concept store which stocks only the coolest if curious products, stuff you won’t find anywhere else.? The latest Jaeger-LeCoultre piece has been created especially for an exhibition at Colette, the “Cabinet de Curiosit��s de Thomas Erber” which will run during December.? Only three Colette editon Memovox pieces will be made.The Master Memovox International Colette Limited EditionBack in January Johnny wrote about the Master Memovox International pieces which were unveiled at the SIHH in Geneva.? Two versions were released – 18kt pink gold limited to 250 pieces and a stainless steel model, limited to 750 pieces.? Therefore, it would seem that the Colette Limited Edition is in fact a limited edition of a limited edition.? The piece features a black PVD coated watchcase and the city of Paris on the rotating disc at the centre of the dial has been replaced by the word “Colette”.? Perhaps the brand are dipping a toe into the black PVD-clad dress watch niche, after all customised blacked-out Rolex pieces have been grabbing headlines this year, but in this case maybe the plain stainless steel case is better suited to this classic.With a release of just three pieces the Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Memovox International Colette Edition will be purely a collectors piece.? Each will probably be stored safely away, unworn – well what would your eagle-eyed good lady say if you’d some other girl’s name inscribed on your watchdial? – unless of course her name just happens to be…………. Colette.Popularity: 8% [?]|||No Comment TAG Heuer Hackett Chronograph and Hackett WatchPosted bySylvia McElherroninSeptember 22nd 2010TAG Heuer release two new limited edition watches – the TAG Heuer Hackett Chronograph and the TAG Heuer Hackett Watch.The latest releases form part of the iconic Carrera collection and are a collaboration with Hackett London, the purveyor of quintessentially classic British clothing and accessories.? The pieces use the signature Hackett cornflower blue to subtle but pleasing effect, on the seconds hand for both pieces, on the date window surround on the three-handed model and around the counters on the chronograph.The TAG Heuer Hackett WatchThe three-handed watch features the Hackett “H” in place of the number 12, measures 39mm and is powered by the Calibre 5 Automatic movement.At the heart of the chronograph is the Calibre 16 Chronograph movement and this edition measures 41mm.? Water resistance is to 100m for the chronograph and to 50m for the three-hand piece.? Both feature scratch resistant crystal and exhibition casebacks.The TAG Heuer Hackett ChronographThe use of Hackett-style Arabic numerals on the dials gives both of these models a fresh and unique approach and the understated use of the Hackett logo is admirable and very er………… British.Limited to 100 pieces of each edition the TAG Heuer Hackett watches are presented on calfskin leather straps with blue contrast stitching.Popularity: 11% [?]|||No Comment Furious Fighting Face-off – Fake vs Fake with the Federation of the Swiss Watch IndustryPosted bySylvia McElherroninSeptember 21st 2010You’ve? heard it said – you can’t fight fire with fire, but maybe you can fight fake with fake.? The Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry believe so.? At the WatchPress we have become used to being quietly provided with statistics regarding watch industry exports and other run-of-the-mill information from the Swiss watch’s largest trade association for so long that their latest scheme to combat the on-line sale of counterfeit watches took us by suprise.? It is a move so covert and sneaky that we just had to share it with our readers – a move encouraged by the FHS themselves.Basically the Federation have constructed a decoy website www.replicaswisswatch.com which appears to the user like any other site offering a selection of fake watches …….until about 30 seconds later when they are automatically re-directed to an awareness-raising page which sends a strong message to the user about the consequences of buying fake? – a bit of a shock tactic and one which we fully endorse.? You can see how the site works yourself by accessing this? link.As Blackadder would say, this is a plan “as cunning as a fox who’s just been appointed Professor of Cunning at Oxford University”. We wish the Federation every success in the on-going fight against fake watches.Popularity: 14% [?]|||No Comment Tissot Sculpture Line MoonphasePosted bySylvia McElherroninSeptember 19th 2010Tissot release an elegant new model – the Tissot Sculpture Line Moonphase.The Swiss brand are perhaps best known of late for the T-Touch, their touch-sensitive collection first introduced in 1999 which enables functions such as chronograph to be activated at the touch of a finger on the sensors integrated into the watch crystal.? We at The WatchPress , ardent Moto GP fans know them equally as well for their sporty tribute pieces.? The Tissot Sculpture Line Moonphase adds a touch of sophistication to their portfolio, as if the extreme sports fans in the design department just got a lecture from the boss to grow up a bit.The piece measures 42.5mm, is constructed from 18 carat rose or white gold and has all the required styling touches of a vintage-styled watch including a plain silvered dial with a guilloche section, oh-so-thin hands, in this case “pencil” shaped and elegant gold Arabic numerals.? The vivid blue moonphase is located at 6 o’clock and, in the absence of a date window, the only other dial “clutter” is the power reserve indicator at 10 o’clock.The Tissot Sculpture Line MoonphaseThe rounded case rim is a bit on the chunky side – think Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Collection rather than Ultra Thin Collection, if you want to make comparisons, not quite in the same league maybe but what this piece offers is a classically styled dress watch with value for money, helped by the fact that this Swatch-owned brand have access to an array of reliable though mass-produced mechanical movements, this one features a manual-wind Unitas 6498 with moonphase and power reserve complications.The Tissot Sculpture Line Moonphase is presented on a brown croco-leather strap with contrast stitching.Popularity: 14% [?]|||No Comment Ulysse Nardin Monaco 2010 Marine Diver Limited Edition WatchPosted bySylvia McElherroninSeptember 18th 2010Ulysse Nardin present the Monaco 2010 Marine Diver Limited Edition.The boating and yachting fraternity have had barely a moment since the Cannes International Boatshow where Blancpain unveiled their latest Fifty Fathoms piece to make sure all is “ship-shape and Bristol fashion” for the Monaco Yacht Show further up the sublime C?te d’Azur.? Ulysse Nardin are partners of the Monaco event for the second year running, continuing their marine traditions which are reflected in both the brand’s Maxi Marine Diver collection and its iconic anchor logo.The Monaco 2010 Marine Diver features a 45.8mm steel case with a tactile coating of matt black vulcanised rubber.? The shadowy theme continues on the black dial but is broken by flashes of marine blue on the markers and skeletonised hands and by the striking Ulysse Nardin wavy dial pattern.The Ulysse Nardin Monaco 2010 Diver Limited EditionA combined small seconds and date window is at the 6 0′clock position with power reserve (42 hours) indicated at 12 o’clock.? The piece is powered by the self-winding Calibre UN-26 movement displayed through an exhibition case back which also features a variation of the Monaco flag in the Grimaldi family colours.Presented on a black rubber strap with scratch-resistant ceramic folding clasp, the Ulysse Nardin Monaco 2010 Marine Diver will be limited to 100 pieces.Popularity: 7% [?]|||No Comment Graham Chronofighter Oversize Diver Turbo Tech and Graham Chronofighter Oversize Deep Black Divers watchesPosted bySylvia McElherroninSeptember 15th 2010Graham present a professional divers watch in two variations – the Graham Chronofighter Oversize Diver Turbo Tech and the Graham Chronofighter Oversize Diver Deep Black.Both pieces use the same Calibre G1734 self-winding bi-compax chronograph movement with power reserve of 48 hours.? Water resistance is to 1000 feet and both pieces have the required divers watch safety features – unidirectional rotating bezel and integrated helium escape valve.? The trademark trigger-style thumb lever mechanism for operating the stop watch, normally a bit of a cuff-shredder on dry land, is completely at home in the depths of the ocean being perfectly usable while wearing thick divers gloves.The Graham Chronofighter Oversize Diver Turbo TechThe Diver Turbo Tech is constructed from stainless steel with a sporty combination of black and yellow on the dial.? I particularly like the “dart board” style seconds counter.? On both pieces the reset pusher features a grippy “Clous de Paris” pattern and each have the symbol of the Royal Marines engraved onto the crown.The Graham Chronofighter Oversize Deep BlackThe Oversize Diver Deep Black as you can see from the image above is a handsome PVD steel-coated brute.? Almost completely dark and moody apart from the red-tipped seconds and chronograph hands.Both pieces measure 47mm and offer utmost readability thanks to a liberal coating of Super-LumiNova applied to the dial and hands.Popularity: 12% [?]|||No Comment Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Flyback Chronograph Complete Calendar and Moon PhasePosted bySylvia McElherroninSeptember 14th 2010Blancpain? unveil the first ten watches in the new Fifty Fathoms series – the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Flyback Chronograph with Complete Calendar and Moonphases.The brand, who for the sixth consecutive year will be partners with the Cannes International Boat and Yacht Show will make use of the superb “Vieux Port” location in Cannes to present the first releases of the new collection.Meausuring 45mm and presented in a fetching navy blue colourway for the dial and bezel, this piece is powered by the Calibre 66BF8 self-winding movement with complete calendar, flyback chronograph and moonphase functions and has a power reserve of 40 hours.? Patented user-friendly correctors under the lugs allow the wearer to adjust the displays on demand without damaging the complex calendar mechanisms.Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Flyback Chronograph with Complete Calendar and MoonphaseFirst created in the 1950′s, the Fifty Fathoms was not initially meant for the commercial sector – Rolex had cornered that market niche, the piece was originally designed for the elite French Navy divers, “Les Nageurs de Combat”.? With a name inspired by its water resistance capability, the Fifty Fathoms with its bold, functional epoxy bezel and super-luminous Arabic numerals and markers became a signature piece of the Blancpain collection.? Iconic status followed when Jacques Cousteau and fellow divers wore the Fifty Fathoms in the award-winning 1956 movie “Le Monde Du Silence”.This latest piece was originally unveiled at Baselworld 2010 and not everyone liked it, I remember that Kyle over at Perpetuelle was particularly unimpressed.? I agree that it has a busy dial which, of course is not to everyone’s taste particularly in a diver’s watch, however with a manufacture like Blancpain often the beauty is to be found within.The movement in this one has a few technical features other than those finger-friendly correctors.? A column-wheel chronograph in itself (often considered to be the only true chronograph) would be enough to satisfy many aficionados but this piece has the added prestige of having a vertical clutch coupling system.?? Eh?……. ok,? I’m not in a hurry anywhere, here’s a brief outline of what this means to you and your watch.In a chronograph movement without the clutch system, the chronograph hand appears to “jump” into action when the function is commanded.? This is caused by the varying random positions of the intermediate wheel and the chronograph centre wheel which pivot onto eachother at the moment when the? function is started.? The? clutch system not only eliminates this “jump start” it’s construction also dispels with the need for a delicate fine-toothed chronograph centre wheel so it? is also more durable.? Also,? in a vertical coupling clutch chronograph movement the chronograph centre wheel is driven by the running train of the watch – the clutch adds the seconds hand only when the chronograph is running – as opposed to a system without a clutch whose whole chronograph mechanism is impacted onto the running train in it’s entirety when the start button is pressed, this “extra load” can reduce amplitude.? Basically a vertical coupling clutch system ensures a smoother start/stop, uncompromised timekeeping accuracy and due to its re-designed chronograph centre wheel a more durable system – you can run the chronograph timer as? long and as often as you wish.? The development of the system dates back to the days at Blancpain when a younger but equally avant-garde Jean-Claude Biver partnered with Jacques Piguet resolved to continue to invest in and develop mechanical watch movements, when others around them were going quartz.? Their chronograph released in 1987 featured the super slim Calibre 1185 – the first modern high-end Swiss movement to use the vertical clutch coupling system. Ok -? lesson over, class dismissed.If technical know-how is really not your thing and a plainer dial in that oh-so-mediterranean-blue is what you desire, then perhaps the delectable blue Chanel J12 Marine might just be your bunny……as we say in Ireland. Popularity: 10% [?]|||1 Comment Hublot F1 King Power MonzaPosted bySylvia McElherroninSeptember 12th 2010Hublot build on their superb F1 portfolio of watches with the latest -? the Hublot F1 King Power Monza.? The piece was unveiled as a celebration of the iconic Italian Grand Prix circuit, The Autodromo di Monza where each year thousands of tifosi quite literally turn the? tree-lined track red with Ferrari flags and merchandise.? Uniquely the King Power Monza features a red tinted sapphire crystal which Hublot describe as resulting in? “unprecedented brightness”, and if the image is anything to go by it would appear that? M. Biver and his creative team have once again produced a stunner.? It seems to me that of late, whether it is in matters of trick design details or global marketing, Hublot have the uncanny ability to cause other in the industry to wonder “now why didn’t we think of that…..?”Hublot f1 King Power MonzaThe 48mm piece features an openworked dial with an added layer of sapphire crystal. The hour markers and F1 logo at the 9 o’clock position have been applied to this crystal? giving an ethereal 3D impression.? The hands and markers are an eye-pleasing combination of red and white superluminova and the black ceramic bezel is inscribed with “Formula 1 Monza”.The Hublot Calibre HUB4400 with power reserve of 42 hours is at the heart of this striking piece which comes presented on a black rubber and Nomex (the flame resistant material found in racing overalls and gloves) strap with complimentary red stitching.The Hublot F1 King Power Monza will be a limited edition of 200 pieces worldwide and has the added kudos of being unveiled on a weekend which produced the first? Ferrari win at the circuit since 2006.Popularity: 10% [?]|||No Comment Corum Re-issues for 2010 – The Golden Tube, The Chinese Hat and The Round Golden BridgePosted bySylvia McElherroninSeptember 8th 2010Three special edition re-issues continue the 55th anniversary celebrations for luxury Swiss brand Corum, a firm WatchPress favourite.? The brand was established in 1955 by Gaston Reis, an independent watchmaker and his nephew Ren�� Bannwart.? From the beginning the brand delivered an innovative and original portfolio of luxury watches, including a succession of distinctive eye-catching pieces for ladies.? Two of the latest releases are re-issues of these vintage styles.The first Corum Golden Tube watch was released in 1957.? It’s quirky shape does in fact resemble a tube measuring 31mm x 14.5mm, and for this celebratory edition the case and case sides are adorned with 3.58 carats of diamonds.? Like the original, the fluted crown appears at the top of the case at the 12 o’clock location allowing the perfect tube-like form to remain uninterrupted.The Corum Golden Tube 2010The Corum Golden Tube features a quartz movement, the C0137 and is available in red gold or white gold editions each limited to 30 pieces.Next, the fanciful, aptly titled Chapeau Chinois or Chinese Hat watch which first appeared in 1958 with its characteristic broad gold “brim”.? For 2010 the bezel is adorned with 142 linear set diamonds.The Corum Chinese Hat 2010The piece features a quartz movement, the C0237, adjustable by means of a corrector hidden beneath the watchcase.? The Corum Chinese Hat 2010 is available in red gold or white gold limited to 30 pieces for each edition.Finally, the resplendent Corum Golden Bridge which was first launched in 1980 and is perhaps the most elegant of Corum’s Four Pillars. The Corum Round Golden Bridge features the C0113 baguette-shaped mechanical movement, a movement so slim it almost defies belief, a movement so slender it almost appears to be an optical illusion, a movement so astoundingly svelte that you immediately turn over the watchcase to see where they put the rest of it……The Corum Golden Bridge 2010For 2010 the Round Golden Bridge features a guilloch�� dial (on either side of the movement), open-worked hands and of course an exhibition caseback.? That minute micro-engineered movement has a power reserve of 40 hours and solid gold mainplate and bridges with hand-engraving.? The release will be limited to 75 pieces worldwide.Popularity: 10% [?]|||No Comment Chopard Classic Racing Supe***st ChronoPosted bySylvia McElherroninSeptember 5th 2010Chopard present a new chronograph piece to add to their 150th Anniversary releases – the Classic Racing Supe***st Chrono.? Fans of the brand will be aware of their connections with the world of classic cars, which not only inspire their sporty pieces, but also keep the boss content with a diary full of vintage car events, races, lunches and casual get-togethers with old friends.The Supe***st Chrono is part of the successful Chopard Classic Racing collection and quite a sizable collection it is too, including the Grand Prix de Monaco Historique watches, the Jacky Ickx pieces and the Mille Miglia series.? I am a fan – I love the blatantly car-inspired styling,? a white dial 1000 Mille Miglia GMT Chrono was the best watch I never owned – I was outbid and it still hurts, ok it would quite possibly have looked ridiculous on my girly wrist but I would have made that chunky rubber strap fit… somehow.The Chopard Classic Racing Supe***st models are the ones with the large Arabic number 12 and the vertical go-fast stripes on the dial.? This one has a frosted black dial with rhodium-plated stripes and these lines also feature on the case sides.The Chopard Classic Racing Supe***st ChronoThe counters overlap to pleasing effect allowing that outsize number 12 the whole upper part of the dial for added impact, the hour counter at the 6 o’clock position also has an integrated date window.? The rectangle pushers integrate into the case at 2 and 4 o’clock and are black rubber-moulded for added grip.? The Classic Racing Collection’s vintage steering wheel emblem appears on the crown.The Chopard Classic Racing Supe***st ChronoThe piece features an ETA Calibre 2894.2 self-winding Chronograph with COSC certified accuracy and power reserve of 42 hours and is sure to appeal to a wide spectrum of car nuts from vintage veterans to would-be racers.The Chopard Classic Racing Supe***st Chrono comes presented on the iconic Dunlop tyre tread rubber strap.Popularity: 19% [?]|||No Comment Franck Muller Conquistador Grand Prix TourbillonPosted bySylvia McElherroninSeptember 2nd 2010In my article on the Chronoswiss Grand Opus Singapore Grand Prix I mentioned the Franck Muller Conquistador GP Chronograph released last year.? A new piece from the brand has just come to my attention, the Franck Muller Conaquistador Grand Prix Tourbillon.Franck Muller Conquistador Grand Prix Tourbillon Rose GoldIt is no secret that Franck Muller has taken a less prominent role in recent years from the day-to-day running of the brand which he founded in 1992 with Vartan Sirmakes, the renowned Haute Horlogerie watch case expert, however the instantly recognisable, slightly quirky case and dial designs are still very much in evidence as are the complications housed within.? After all this is the brand who presented to the industry the astounding Aeternitas Mega 4, a piece so complicated that it not only raised the bar for other manufacturers, it made it almost unattainable.The Franck Muller Conquistador Tourbillon is the latest piece in the Grand Prix Collection and like most of the sportier pieces from this brand is a magnificent, handsome brute.Franck Muller Conquistador Grand Prix TourbillonThe piece is available in two versions, 18 carat rose gold or with titanium and Ergal ( not a mountain peak in Ireland, but a high-tech alloy of the super strong/super light variety).? The Conquistador measures 48mm x 62.7mm, but I bet you wouldn’t know it – all thanks to that curvy Cintr��e Curvex body.? In the pursuit of symmetry, and of course because they are Franck Muller, the designers have come up with the curious but clever addition of two crowns, even though only one is actually functional! The outsize tourbillon also serves as a small seconds counter.The Franck Muller Conquistador Tourbillon specifications:Reference:?? ?9900 T GPCalibre:?? ?FM 2001R11Movement:?? ?Manually wound mechanical movementDimensions of Movement:?? ?34mm? x? 31.20mm? x? Height: 5.30 mmTourbillon:?? ?Flying Tourbillon on a ball bearing with ceramic balls, visible in the dialDisplay:?? ?Hours, minutes, seconds with options on the Tourbillon.Crown Functions:?? ?2 positions:? 1- Winding the watch, 2- Setting the timeRotor:?? ?Platinum 950 segmented rotorPower Reserve:?? ?60 hoursFrequency:?? ?18'000 vibrations / hourNumber of Components:?? ?193Number of Jewels:?? ?21Movement?Decoration: C?tes de Gen��ve, diamond polishing, hand-bevelling,? circular graining, bi-colour rhodium-platingDial:?? ?Dial flamm�� with cellulose varnish and appliques numerals.Case:?? ?Cintr��e Curvex �C 3 executions: Ergal and Titanium; Rose Gold and Titanium, Titanium and Titanium.Case Measurements:?? ?Width: 48.00 mm? x Length: 62.70 mm x Height: 14.60mmStrap:?? ?Exterior Alligator and interior Alcantara hand-sewn with logo on the strap.Our thanks to Franck Muller for assisting with this article.Popularity: 32% [?]|||No Comment Girard Perregaux 1966 Perpetual CalendarPosted bySylvia McElherroninSeptember 1st 2010Girard Perregaux release a new piece, the 1966 Perpetual Calendar.? Launched in 2006, the 1966 collection celebrates a time when the brand achieved recognition for their research and development with particular regard to high frequency movements.? The latest piece is everything a retro-classic watch should be – flawless, pristine and exquisitely beautiful.The Girard Perregaux 1966 Perpetual CalendarEverything about it is in proportion, everything is perfectly arranged, everything has a certain harmonious order.? From the blued hands which mark the day, date and month, the traditional moonphase at 6 o’clock to the tapering hour and minute hands to the wonderfully elongated baton markers, this piece quite simply has the perfect dial layout.? Add a plain polished case rim and the slightly domed dial synonymous of this collection and this surely is the perfect package.? This watch does not scream elegance it merely whispers it in a hushed husky tone.? Inside is the self-winding GP033Qo Calibre with the Microvar balance with variable inertia, viewable through an exhibition case back.The Girard Perregaux 1966 Perpetual Calendar is limited to 99 pieces with white gold case and 99 pieces with pink gold.Popularity: 6% [?]

The Manchette joins Chopard's ever growing Ice Cube collection of ladies watches.It uses a cross-ruling pattern of polished steel and anthracite. The movement is a Swiss ETA quartz, and it is water resistant to 30 meters. The Manchette is available exclusively at Chopard boutiques.1/24/03