Discussing ‘Budget Watches’ is not something we do on a very regular basis but more so every now and then whenever we find an inexpensive watch that catches our attention and that we feel is worth talking about. Since today is Friday, why not talk about the latest addition to the Seven Friday lineup. The Seven Friday P1C/04 'Caipi' is as refreshing as a Brazilian caipirinha at the end of the summer months.
Introducing: Lederer Central Impulse Chronometer. Two 25-Piece Limited Series in White Gold.
Following the initial introduction as a concept watch at last year’s Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève, the Lederer Central Impulse Chronometer now takes on its final form. This high-performance chronometer with a revolutionary escapement is housed in a 44 mm case, surrounded by two round and domed crystals that have the effect of slimming the timepiece.
News: Presenting the Harry Winston Project Z15 Limited Edition
Harry Winston is presenting the fifteenth timepiece in its avant-garde Project Z series. Crafted from Zalium, a lightweight, highly resilient material exclusive to Harry Winston, the Project Z is distinguished by its fusion of classic horological composition with highly architectural elements. Incorporating a partially skeletonized minute hand in signature brand colors on the dial, Project Z15 is a modern interpretation of the regulator
clock. Only 300 units of the limited edition watch will be available globally.
News: Bovet 1822 Miss Audrey Sweet Art. The World's First Watch Dial Ever Made with Sugar Crystals.
The new Miss Audrey Sweet Art, however, uses a completely new material and a new process to create a dial that has never been seen before in watchmaking. A dial made from pure sugar. Representing sweetness and purity, the sugar crystals covering the dial of the Miss Audrey Sweet Art represents a breakthrough in engineering innovation, materials, and miniature painting —all hallmarks of the House of Bovet.
W&W 2021: Purnell Escape II Absolute Sapphire. A Million Dollar World's First Double Triple Axis Tourbillon in a Full Sapphire Case.
Known to only produce tourbillon movements, the Swiss watchmaker Purnell is inspired by performance, precision and mechanical prowess, doubling down on its philosophy of bringing more future than past to watchmaking. In just a year since the brand’s introduction at Watches & Wonders Geneva 2020, Purnell has made its mark on the landscape of contemporary high watchmaking, not only with its unmistakable Spherion
W&W 2021: Presenting the Hermès H08
Fully developed in-house, the new Hermès H08 is a new pillar collection for the brand. An everyday, all-terrain watch that embodies Creative Director Véronique Nichanian’s vision of the men’s universe. Light and travels easily for any experience. The design is a collaboration between Véronique, Pierre-Alexis Dumas —Artistic Director, Hermès—, and Philippe Delhotal —Artistic Director, Hermès Horloger. Created completely in-house, the new H08 features the manufacture H1837 movement.
News: Presenting the Genus Dragon
Genus presents a watch with a spectacular centerpiece: a guardian dragon in motion that indicates the passage of time. Bringing together Haute Horlogerie, mechanical engineering, goldsmithing, sculpture and engraving:to create a fascinating equilibrium between technical constraints and aesthetic requisites. The result is unprecedented. a graceful, powerful, expressive dragon crafted from 18K gold, like the main components of the movement, revealing not only a full range of horological artistry,but also unlocking vast creative possibilities.
News: Frederique Constant Highlife Perpetual Calendar 18K Gold
For over 30 years, Frederique Constant has developed luxury Swiss Made timepieces accessible to as many people as possible. Today, the brand presents the new Highlife Perpetual Calendar Manufacture in 18K rose gold. This very special timepiece is one for discerning collectors and will be limited to just 30 pieces. Created in 1999, the Highlife collection is making its comeback in 2020, having been entirely overhauled. Its distinctive redesigned case houses a dial decorated with a globe motif. Symbolizing the Earth, the perfection of the circle, it is also the icon of a new generation that shares the same ideal for saving the planet, sustainable and sensible living.
News: Presenting the Christophe Claret X-TREM-1 Azteca
This iconic work of Aztec art proudly adorns the new X-TREM-1. This timepiece including the "Stone of the Sun" in relief, made of solid gold entirely hand-engraved, will be offered as a Unique Piece at the SIAR 2020. Driven as ever by a determination to present avant-garde timepieces, 5N red gold and black grade 5 PVD titanium were the metals chosen to make the case of this new version of the X-TREM-1 Azteca.
News: Czapek & Cie. Place Vendôme 'Al-Kanz' in Support of the Emirates Foundation
Czapek & Cie teams up with Arab Watch Club to create a unique piece, a Place Vendôme model with an exceptional Zoisite —a mineral that includes several gem varieties such as Tanzanite— dial. This watch will be auctioned by Christie's in order to support Emirates Foundation which is an independent organization set up by the Government of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi to facilitate public-private funded initiatives to improve the welfare of youth across the UAE and encourage them to embrace the concept of volunteerism.
Insider: L’Epée 1839 'Pancho Villa' Pistol Clock
Only the clock masters at L’Epée 1839 could’ve thought of creating a mechanical table clock shaped after a smoking revolver. After numerous collaborations with MB&F, the oldest and most reputable clockmaker in Switzerland teamed up with The Unnamed Society —whose motto is “Create the impossible that cannot be imagined”— to come up with what has never been done before.
News: Presenting the Kudoke 2 Nocturne Limited Edition
Stefan Kudoke’s passion for watchmaking handcraft began at an early age when two skilled master craftsmen imbued in him an appreciation and love of the mechanical processes of timekeeping. Although not born into a long family tradition in watchmaking, Stefan finished his studies by graduating with honors. He continued to study and refine his skills at the Glashütte Original manufacture in the studio for complications and prototypes. He then continued his professional development in the service department for Breguet, Blancpain, and Omega in New York. But that is not the end of the story.
News: Presenting the Genus GNS1.2 TD Damascene Titanium
After inventing a new way of telling time, without dials or hands, Genus introduces a timepiece in Damascene Titanium. It is a rare material in Haute Horlogerie. An ancient technique that involves a savoir-faire as challenging as it is subtle. It is called Mokume-gane in Japan, where the method has been used for making katana sword blades since the 17th century. In the heart of the forge, the hammering and folding of layer upon layer of titanium is a craft reserved for the best.
News: Presenting the Krayon Anywhere. Displaying the Time of Sunrise and Sunset Anywhere.
Krayon is a very new independent watch brand founded three years ago in Neuchâtel and their first release was the watch called Everywhere. A year later, the Everywhere would bring them the 2018 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève Innovation Watch Prize. Krayon was launched by Rémi Maillat a watch design engineer and watchmaker. Krayon's approach was born from a dream of having a mechanical movement, adjustable by hand, that would make it possible to read the time of sunrise and sunset in any place in the world.
News: Presenting the Lundis Bleus 'Vipera Aspis Blue Green' ref. 1120 Unique Piece
Lundis Bleus is a two-men operation to this day. An independent brand that started out of a conversation between two watch school friends. Johan Storni and Bastien Vuilliomenet met in 1994 while attending the watchmaking school of La Chaux-de-Fonds in Switzerland. We still remember the first time we meet with Bastien in 2018 at the lobby of the Hotel Euler in Basel, Switzerland and we were quite impressed with their watches —considering the price point— but mostly by the quality of their dials. It was back in November 2016 when they released their first watch ref. 1100.
News: Introducing the Ressence Type 1DXB in Collaboration with Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons
Ressence, the Belgian watch company that keeps challenging the status quo of mechanical watchmaking, in close collaboration with Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons, the UAE’s leading retailer of luxury watches and jewelry, is excited to announce the release of the Type 1 DXB —a limited edition of the Type 1 Squared. The new Ressence in collaboration with Seddiqi is limited to 19 pieces and draws inspiration from Arabic geometric patterns, believed to unveil the underlying reality to the viewer. This traditional design composes with natural light and creates a unique shadow play. It is an Arabic take on skeleton dials.
Rare Bird: Voutilainen Vingt-8. A Perfect Example of the Hand Mastery of Kari Voutilainen.
Kari Voutilainen was born in Finland in 1962 and has a passionate interest in horology spanning thirty years. He completed his initial watchmaker’s training at the world-renowned watchmaking school of Tapiola in Finland. He first came to Switzerland in 1989 to attend the International Watchmaking School, where he completed the WOSTEP complicated watch course, a post-graduate course for those watchmakers dedicated to the restoration of complicated, high-quality rare watches. He was quickly spotted by Parmigiani Mesure et Art du Temps, where over the following ten years he was at the center of the restoration work of some of the world’s rarest pieces as well as the creation of new and original ‘one-off’ pieces.
Insider: Franck Muller Vanguard Racing Skeleton 'La Mejor Carrera del Mundo' Carbon. A Stunning 75-Piece Limited Edition Celebrating the World of Motorsports.
First presented at the SIAR 2019 just a week before the Mexican F1 Grand Prix comes the Franck Muller Vanguard ‘La Mejor Carrera del Mundo’ —the best race in the world— Limited Edtion. Available in carbon or in rose gold, the watch celebrates the world of motor racing with the colors of the Mexican flag. While the carbon model is available in a limited edition of 75 pieces, the rose gold model comes in a 25-piece limited edition. Both watches feature the colors of the Mexican flag between 11 and 1 o’clock.
News: Louis Moinet 'Only Mexico' Unique Piece. Honoring the Aztecs, Zapotecs, Mayans and the Allende Meteorite.
The just released Louis Moinet ‘Only Mexico’ watch is a unique piece that pays tribute to roots of Mexican culture. Ateliers Louis Moinet painstakingly gathered information and sought out the most typical materials for Mexico and then blended them together in this spectacular, original creation. One key highlight is the presence of the Allende meteorite, found in the State of Chihuahua. Released on the occasion of the SIAR 2019 —Salón Internacional de Alta Relojería México—, the Louis Moinet ‘Only Mexico’ is fitted with Louis Moinet’s mechanical tourbillon calibre LM35. This mechanical manual wound movement won the gold medal at the most recent International Chronometry Competition.
Insider: Carl F. Bucherer Manero Flyback Chronograph. A Great Watch Under $10K for Chrono Lovers.
If you like chronographs and you are looking for one that doesn’t break the bank and in the under $10K USD range, the Carl F. Bucherer Chrono is a perfect watch that not only appears much pricier than its actual price tag but also one that offers a clean and very understated look. A watch available in three versions —stainless steel with grey dial and 18K red gold with either black or champagne colored dial— and equipped with a flyback chronograph mechanism. Featuring a mirror polished round case measuring 43 mm in diameter and a double domed sapphire crystal the Manero Flyback Chronograph is very vintage looking and great looking, especially for under $10K USD.