Zurich-based Maurice de Mauriac timepieces are now available with an optional upgraded movement purchased by high-end watch movement maker Concepto. The cool new chronograph movements are mostly black with compelling decor.
Girard-Perregaux’s very respectable Sea Hawk II diving watch model gets reviewed. The famous durable diver has some of the best luminant on the market in a very detailed package with an in-house made automatic movement.
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Phosphor has just announced a new world time/dual timezone model, the World Time Sport. The company is well-known for their e-ink watches (we reviewed a few here) and this one uses a unique touch interface to scroll through multiple timezones as well as various screens including a dual-time screen for travelers.
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I got to sit down with Steve Hallock, the North American president of MB&F and driving force behind the Swiss watch brand’s western expansion. The watch he brought for us is the LM1 aka the Legacy Machine #1, a new piece we wrote about earlier last month and that is just now shipping to oligarchs and captains of industry around the world. → Read More
Hey, broham, hitting the waves today? You better go pledge $49 to get the Proof Nano case, a case that turns your Nano into a waterproof watch. Designed by the folks at Boombotix, the watch will completely protect your Nano and even supports a small Bluetooth adapter that will stream tunes to your wireless headphones automagically.
The Kickstarter project will be funded at $17,000, so get cracking. → Read More
The video below shows TAG Heuer’s Mikrotimer Flying 1000 Concept watch in action. This mechanical watch times things to 1/1000th of a second – 300 times faster than a human blink. As the watch spins maniacally, it’s actually meting out 1/1000ths of a second at 500 Hz. That means the small balance wheel inside pops back and forth 3.6 million times an hour – a speed that would shatter many mechanical systems.
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How does Switzerland do US patriotism? With a watch of course. Like it or not, Perrelet has just released this spinning stars and stripes version of their Turbine watch called the Turbine XL America. We don’t care that this watch is made for a Dutch soccer team – what we do care about is that this highly limited edition Netherlands-made Pellikaan Timing FC Utrecht timepiece is great looking with a sweet mix of classic, modern, and sport. If you don’t have the right watch to wear while assembling your new computer rig – you know, to really get you in the mood- Click Watches’ DIP Switch or Turn Switch watch look like circuit board parts and are probably your best bet. New from Porsche Design is the pretty neat looking P’6620 Chronograph Dashboard watch. We like the case the best, and with it you’ll have that comfy feeling knowing you are wearing something “designer.” Sober and presentable is often how you want to go with a nice watch. No one is better at that than the British. English watch brand Bremont gets their new BC Solo watch reviewed here. Since when to high-end timepieces and obscure comic strip character go together? They don’t, well save for this one-of-a-kind Reverso Zep watch from Jaeger-LeCoultre. The best part of these “Sea-God” watches is that the guys who made them take them seriously. In reality they are an actually nice looking high-end joke. If you are a Rolex fan you’ll understand. → Read More
I’ve used quite a few heart rate monitoring watches in my day. I’ve played with Suuntos and Nikes aplenty, with whosits and whatsits galore. But the RCX5 is different in its utter simplicity. Designed to be worn while swimming, running, or biking, all of the smarts are actually in the optional sensors, leaving the watch itself as basic as a $20 Timex with a few tricks up its sleeve.
The base kit – that is, the watch, heart rate band, and a battery – costs $349. Although the watch and sensors are ostensibly OS X and Windows compatible, you’re going to be more comfortable using the software on Windows. I had some issues with the Mac sync and it wouldn’t work at all for me using a MacBook Air. It did work on my Mac Pro at home. → Read More
Some people call it “LUM-TEC’s best watch yet.” This is the LUM-TEC M26 limited edition watch. Out of the M collection it sports an automatic movement with a power reserve indicator and a solid tungsten carbide case. With a mirror finish and heavy weight – this is one hell of a watch. → Read More
In my short years as an ‘aspiring’ watch photographer, few timepieces have truly evaded a good picture as the Chanel J12 Chromatic. The rich universe of hues that emit from Chanel’s new “chromatic” material are more or less impossible to capture in stills – as the colors mix and meld with the light so amazingly. It is a sin to evaluate this watch for yourself seeing it in still images alone. → Read More
The name of this watch doesn’t actually include its most thrilling feature. For 2011, this is the Blancpain L-evolution Tourbillon Large Date watch. It is true that it has a flying tourbillon and a big date indicator but turn it over and you see the power reserve indicator on the rotor. Complications on rotors seem to be really “in” this year. In 2011 alone, on automatic rotors, we have seen seconds indicators (Cartier), tourbillons (Jacob & Co.), and now a power reserve indicator on this Blancpain. Coincidence? Probably not. → Read More
I got a call a few months ago from Ellicott’s CEO, he was anxious to speak with me about an article I had written about the brand. Let me back up a moment, here. I learned about Ellicott maybe or year or two ago. The brand is only in their second year of existence as of writing this article. From the beginning, I have enjoyed the look of most of their watches and was impressed by their in-house movement. It is a brand I had high esteem for. → Read More
It takes a lot for a timepiece to be truly controversial. I am not just talking about people arguing whether a design is pretty or not. I mean a real discussion on whether the concept and construction of the watch is in good taste. Few people have been able to pull this off, and in the watch industry one man has been able to do it a few times – Yvan Arpa. For me, this watch sums him up, as well as the legacy he left behind during his time at Swiss watch brand Romain Jerome. → Read More
I am not always sure what Jean-Claude Biver is thinking. The machine-gun minded Swiss CEO covers so many bases when deciding what new Hublot watches are made that it can be almost impossible to predict what will come next. However, I do know one thing: Mr. Biver is watch lover. It might sound ironic, or silly, but when a watch lover runs a watch brand, it is a good thing. And trust me, not all watch brand CEOs are watch lovers. → Read More
No, it isn’t a watch but it does tell the time – this is the exclusive debut of the Link Smart Phone with pictures and details. It started with the Meridiist luxury phone in 2008 and now comes the Link Smart Phone – the second major mobile phone from Tag Heuer. It will run Android and be tough as nails according to Tag Heuer. One major complaint many people have about super high-end phones (aside from the obvious complaints) is that they are no more, or less durable that normal phones. Drop many of them and bye-bye to telecom investment. → Read More
In a little room underneath Basel I sit with the humble and talented Mr. Klaus Ulbrich of Temption Germany. Temption is one of those underdog watch brands that I have been rooting for, for years. I have written about their watches a lot on aBlogtoRead.com – and reviewed a few as well (such as the CGK203 and the Cameo). Which you can search for easily. This is the first time that I have actually gotten to meet Mr. Ulbrich and it is an honor to meet the man behind these watches. → Read More
The best part of these timepieces is easily the box. I wasn’t allowed to take pictures, but Romain Jerome showed me a sneak preview of the Space Invaders watches back in March. The idea is to recall some of the fun and playfulness, as well as the novelty of the late 1970s video game. The box is actually a light box and you place the watch inside of it. Actually the watch is already placed inside of it and there are no doors, just a peep hole. If you want to remove the watch – consider it a fun challenge (like the game). Inside the box is a black light, then when lit illuminates the lume on the dial of the Space Invader watches. It is cool and fun, and perhaps better with LSD. → Read More
There is a word that is thrown around a lot in the watch world that means the public takes a watch (or anything else for that matter) seriously. That word is legitimacy and I love to hear the French pronounce it. Cartier is what they call a legitimate brand. They have heaps of reputation, a solid history and plenty of important people who wear their products. Classic Cartier designs are also a great influence to their direct competitors. They really are the model of a solid luxury watch brand. → Read More
Over the last few years my interest and respect for Cartier has really grown. Sure, a lot of their timepieces are mass produced, but they have a penchant for good, lasting design. No doubt I am not a fan of all of their watches, but little escapes from their manufacture without being really good for at least some people. Good design – as I am learning more and more – is not easy. Designing something to look outstanding and really cool for 5 minutes is really not that hard. Executing a design that looks good each time you look at it, for years, isn’t so easy. In this department, Cartier has succeeded for a long time. I find myself wondering what their secret is. → Read More
Newcomer watch brand Gergé is less than two years old and has released their first “relationship” watch with high-end automobile wheel maker Giovanna. The wheel brand is best known for their Ferrari wheels that the Ferrari factory automatically included in their own car warranties if you choose to use aftermarket wheels. → Read More
Tissot offers up a new T-Navigator watch for 2011 and it is a very desirable collection of timepieces. Relatively affordable and good looking, this range is going to find itself on a lot of wrists. The first thing that I noticed, aside from the aviator style dial, is the amount of detail that went into the case. Most aviator watches have rather blase, ho-hum cases that aren’t very exciting. Offering a more technical and modern interpretation of the classic aviator, Tissot ensures that the cases themselves are as interesting as the dials. → Read More
