To celebrate the Mexican holiday of ‘Día de los Muertos’ —the Day of the Dead— which is celebrated throughout Mexico today November 2nd, we bring you the Chopard unique piece L.U.C Perpetual T Spirit of 'La Santa Muerte'. This unique piece cased in a 43 mm rose gold case is fully hand-engraved with motifs related to this Mexican holiday.
Posts tagged #2018
The Watch Collectors: @Jfdorozco. A Watch Collecting Journey Destined to Own the Most Iconic Watches in the World.
When you think of that one watch collector on Instagram that is always striving to get his hands on the most pristine examples of some of the most iconic watches in the world, the first name that comes to mind is @Jfdorozco. From his mint Patek Philippe Nautilus ref. 3700 to his ultra crisp Audemars Piguet Royal Oak ref. 5402ST and everything in between, the condition of his vintage watches is simply out of this world and a real treat for the eyes. A real watch collector and not a watch dealer disguised as watch collector like many out there, @Jfdorozco holds very high standards when it comes to the watches he buys and the same rule applies to how he chooses to engage with his followers on Instagram.
Experience: Hermès Pavage Watch Box. There are Watch Boxes and Then There's this One.
When it comes to watch boxes, the options are infinite. From leather, to fabric, to wood, watch boxes come in all sorts of shapes and forms. And just like some watch boxes are meant to be taken around the world as you travel with your precious possessions, other watch boxes are meant to simply stay at home and be that one statement décor piece that you lust after day after day. Just like we like to say that there are watches and then there are certain watches, the same goes to watch boxes. There are watch boxes and then there’s the Hermès Pavage watch box for ten watches.
Insider: Bell & Ross BR-X2 Tourbillon Micro Rotor. Hands-on with a 99-Piece Limited Edition.
In a limited edition of 99 pieces comes the Bell & Ross BR-X2 Tourbillon Micro Rotor ref. BRX2-MRTB-ST. Following the trend set by brands like Richard Mille, Greubel Forsey, MB&F and Hublot, Bell & Ross first released their BR-X1 Tourbillon Sapphire priced at a whopping almost half a million dollars in order to play within a much higher price point in the market. As a sequel to the BR-X1, Bell & Ross released the BR-X2 Tourbillon Micro Rotor —also available in a fully skeletonized version— at a much more affordable price point but sill way too high for what anyone would be willing to pay for a Bell & Ross.
News: Jaquet Droz Opens Pop-Up Store on New York City's Fifth Avenue. Celebrating 280 Years of Achievements in Watchmaking and Artistry.
Jaquet Droz announces the opening of a New York pop-up store for the 280th anniversary celebrations of the brand. A prestigious pop-up store on New York’s Fifth Avenue will close out a cycle of exhibitions that has flitted from Milan to Zurich, Singapore to Tokyo, and Macau to Moscow via Hong Kong and Beijing. Over the past year the brand has brought its most precious craftsmanship to friends and collectors across the globe. The traveling exhibition has given visitors on all continents the opportunity to admire the brand’s historic pieces and most exclusive new creations.
Rare Bird: Richard Mille RM11-01 Roberto Mancini Titanium. The Perfect Chronograph for Soccer Lovers.
If you are a soccer fan, the Richard Mille RM11-01 Roberto Mancini needs no introduction. Released a number of years ago and now totally sold out, this is one of our favorite Mille watches out there. Specifically designed for the king of all sports, the Richard Mille Roberto Mancini honors Italian soccer player and coach of the Italian National team with a colorful chronograph who’s primary function is to assist the timekeeping of a soccer match. Cased in titanium or in red gold and titanium —we personally prefer the full titanium model we have here—, the Richard Mille RM11-01 Mancini was released as a regular production watch and not in a limited edition. Despite that, it is nearly impossible to find one nowadays.
Eye Candy: Patek Philippe Nautilus ref. 5711/1R. One of Gerald Genta's Icons.
The Patek Philippe Nautilus is a watch that needs little introduction. Launched in 1976, quickly became a legendary and iconic watch just like every other watch designed by Gerald Genta. Perhaps Genta was gifted with the 'Midas Touch' or maybe he was just the biggest visionary the horological world has had so far. Either way, the Patek Philippe Nautilus ref. 5711 is one of the sexiest watches out there, specially in its 18K rose gold version with matching integrated bracelet.
Experience: Ferrari 488 Spider. Unmistakable Like an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chrono with Blue Dial.
Despite we are big Porsche fans here at WCL, a red Ferrari is always one of those cars that sparks our interest and one that we consider to be very special, much like an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph with blue dial. Just like a Ferrari stands out from the crowd, the same goes for an AP Royal Oak Chrono and no matter where in the world you are, both a Ferrari and a Royal Oak have a very unmistakable look. For the last 71 years, Ferrari has been the benchmark when it comes to legendary sports cars and for 46 years, AP changed the course of the watch industry with the release of the Royal Oak in 1972.
Insider: MB&F Horological Machine No. 9 'Flow'. Hands-on with a Crazy Awesome Looking Timepiece.
Released at the end of September 2018, the new MB&F HM9 Flow in two limited editions of 33 pieces each was conceptualized by Max Büsser and designed by mastermind Eric Giroud. With Guillaume Thévenin who developed the movement, Camile Fournet who worked on the strap and Jean-François Mojon who collaborated on the precision turning of wheels, pinions and axes, amongst others, the HM9 Flow is heavily influenced and inspired by the aerodynamic DNA of the late 40s and 50s automotive design as well as by mid-century aviation design.
Pre-SIHH 2019: New Range of IWC Pilot's Watches Just Unveiled. Four Very Good Looking New Watches.
A whole new range of IWC Pilot’s watches was just unveiled at the Goodwood Aerodome in the U.K. in preparation for the SIHH 2019 —Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie. Our friends from Schaffhausen will be presenting a new Spitfire line, a new Top Gun line and "Le Petit Prince" special editions. For the Spitfire line, all watches are fitted with IWC-manufactured calibres to celebrate the unique engineering of the British fighter aircraft. Within the Top Gun collection IWC will be featuring their new exclusive material named Ceratanium for their first ever completely jet black Pilot’s Watch. Among the products to be unveiled by IWC the ‘Le Petite Prince’ Editions will be the first Pilot's Watch to feature a constant-force tourbillon and the first case to be made from hard gold.
Insider: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Extra-Thin Tourbillon Platinum ref. 26516PT with Baguette-Cut Diamond Bezel. Hands-on Review.
Amongst other fifteen references of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Extra-Thin Tourbillon which include: stainless steel, 18K rose gold, the Westime Edition —with or without diamonds—, 18K yellow gold, imited edition openworked in platinum and in 18K yellow gold, platinum and titanium reference 26510PT in platinum, frosted gold and the new models with the ‘Evolutive’ tapisserie dials, comes the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Extra-Thin Tourbillon diamond-set platinum model ref. 26516PT.ZZ.1220PT.01 with a bezel featuring with 32 baguette-cut diamonds totaling 3.04 carats. Yet another one of those AP grails for those in love with diamonds.
Watch Shopping: UK's Largest Luxury Timepieces Retailer Watches of Switzerland Opens New Flagship Boutiques in Vegas and SoHo
The UK’s largest retailer of luxury timepieces just opened two brand new flagships in New York City and Las Vegas as they’ve set foot in the U.S. On November 29th, Watches of Switzerland opened their first Watches of Switzerland showroom in New York City at 60 Greene Street, SoHo, followed by the Las Vegas store two days later. Additionally, they will also manage the new Omega and Breitling standalone boutiques at the Wynn Plaza Shops in Las Vegas. On display within the space is a collection of the world’s leading timepiece brands, including Blancpain, Breitling, Breguet, Franck Muller, Girard- Perregaux, Hublot, IWC, Jaeger LeCoultre, Omega, Panerai, Roger Dubuis, Tudor, Ulysse Nardin, Urwerk and Vacheron Constantin.
Insider: Patek Philippe Nautilus Perpetual Calendar ref. 5740/1G-001. A Flawless Execution of a Very Long Awaited Complication for the Nautilus Line.
The most awaited complication for the Patek Philippe Nautilus collection was for sure the new perpetual calendar ref. 5740 that was released earlier this year at Baselworld 2018 and we brought you the news here. While we already told you almost everything about this new watch at the time we published our Baselworld news, we had a second opportunity to peruse and admire the watch —while shooting the cover for the third issue of our print magazine— a couple of months ago and because of that we have some new things we would like to share with you.
Eye Candy: Ferdinand Berthoud Chronomètre FB 1R.6-1 Cement Steel. An Exquisite Timepiece that is Totally Scratch-Resistant.
With its original regulator-type display and its ultra-resistant cement steel case, the Ferdinand Berthoud Chronomètre FB 1R.6-1 takes its cues from the Marine Chronometer No. 7. and its FB-T.FC.R tourbillon calibre with fusee-and-chain transmission that can be admired through a sapphire crystal case-back and two lateral portholes offering a unique view inside this outstanding chronometer. The cement steel case is a carburized iron case where the molecular structure of the steel has been reinforced by a thermo-chemical process involving the diffusion of vapor-phase carbon guaranteeing a hardness of 1200 vickers and making it exceptionally corrosion-resistant and totally scratch-resistant.
Insider: Pricing Guide for the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore ref. 25721ST 'The Beast'. Commanding Higher Prices, After Emmanuel Gueit's Sold for CHF 102,500 Swiss Francs.
n the past month, we've been contacted by several collectors trying to get more information regarding the first series of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore a.k.a. 'The Beast' ref. 25721ST.OO.1000ST.01. with its iconic queen blue dial —more about this particular hue of blue here. Also, recently we've found more activity in places like Timezone, ThePurists and TRF, regarding this iconic watch.
Insider: Breguet Type XXII Flyback Chronograph ref. 3880. Equipped with a 10Hz High Frequency Movement and Just the Right Amount of Red.
The Breguet Type XXII Flyback Chronograph ref. 3880BR/Z2/9XV in 18K rose gold is perhaps our favorite sporty Breguet out there. As if the flyback chronograph and dual time zone features were not enough, this exceptional watch is also powered by a high frequency automatic movement beating at a frequency of 10 Hertz, yes 10 Hz. What makes this flyback chronograph even more special, is that the red chrono-seconds hand and red-tipped gold chrono-minutes hand, need to run twice around the dial to account for one elapsed minute when the chronograph is activated —in other words this watch features a 30-second/half-minute totalizer at the center— allowing for measurements of up to a 20th of a second.
News: NOMOS Glashütte Autobahn Awarded Gold at the 2019 German Design Awards
The NOMOS Glashütte Autobahn was released in 2018 and it is the most dynamic design from NOMOS Glashütte to date. This minimalist watch has officially joined the top echelons of the international design world by winning the Gold “Excellence in international design” at the 2019 German Design Awards —despite some less than stellar hands-on reviews by some of our competitors. The GDA is presided by the German Design Council, founded as an initiative of the German Federal Parliament in 1953. Since then, it is the leading authority on branding and design in Germany.
Insider: Bell & Ross BR V2-94 Garde-Côtes. A Gorgeous Watch That Won't Break the Bank.
Last time we talked here at WCL about Bell & Ross was back in 2017 when the brand had just released its BR-X1 Tourbillon Sapphire —you can read our review here. Disappointed by seeing the brand trying too hard to conquer uncharted territory in a price point that doesn’t match their brand essence and product offering, we decided to take a hiatus at reviewing any of their watches. However, with the release of the BR V2-94 Garde-Côtes, the brand picked our interest one more time by going back to their basics and what they’re well known for, making good looking watches that won’t break the bank and that give you a little bit more than a TAG Heuer, a Longines or a Baume & Mercier would give you just to name a few.
Insider: Armin Strom Skeleton Pure Chocolate Brown Ceramic Unique Piece. Hands-on with one of the Best Matte Ceramic Cases We've Ever Seen.
As you guys know, Armin Strom is an independent haute horlogerie brand known to master the art of skeletonization but also a brand that excels in making some unique pieces here and there, like the WatchCollectingLifestyle unique piece we shared with you at the end of September, here. Well, this time we are bringing you a hands-on review of a very unique Armin Strom Skeleton Pure featuring a middle case made of matte ceramic.
Experience: Audemars Piguet Private Dinner with Watch Collecting Lifestyle. Where Gold AP Watches Were the Common Denominator.
Yesterday November 13, 2018, we had the honor of hosting a private dinner with our friends from Audemars Piguet at one of Dallas’ best steakhouses. With Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steak House as our meeting point, the common denominator for the night, were the so many gold APs on the wrists of our watch collecting friends. From the massive 334-gram Royal Oak Offshore Chrono in 18K rose gold with ruthenium dial ref. 26470OR on our wrist, to the vintage-inspired champagne color dial Royal Oak Extra-Thin Jumbo in 18K yellow gold ref. 15202BA on the wrist of one of our friends, to the ultra-rare and exclusive 200-piece limited edition Royal Oak Frosted Gold in 18K white gold with a stunning 'grande tapisserie' blue dial ref. 15410BC, these were not the only gold AP watches on the wrists of our guests.
