The Armin Strom Gravity Equal Force was launched at the end of 2019 as the first piece within the new System 78 collection. This timepiece marks the evolution of the brand with a new case design and a totally new calibre with a declutch mechanism combined with automatic winding to create consistent power delivery to the balance.
Experience: Santiago de Cuba Extra Añejo 12 Years Rum. As Scarce as a Patek Philippe Nautilus ref. 5980R.
Just as scarce as a Patek Philippe Nautilus ref. 5980R is one of Cuba’s most legendary rums. Less popular outside Cuba than the well-known Havana Club —produced by the same state company Cubaron—, Ron Santiago de Cuba takes its name from its birthplace, Santiago de Cuba a.k.a the cradle of Cuban light rum. Established in 1862 and produced by Cubaron since 1960 when the revolutionary government nationalized the Bacardí and Matusalén factories.
News: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Diver Next Generation ref. 15720ST in 3 Versions
The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Diver has always been a favorite and the entry point watch into the Royal Oak Offshore collection. For 2021, Audemars Piguet has updated the Royal Oak Offshore Diver maintaining the same case proportions at 42 mm in diameter but this time the watch is equipped with ceramic crowns, a new dial with applied ‘AP’ logo at 12 o’clock, a new in-house automatic calibre 4308 and an interchangeable strap system that allows the wearer to switch between straps without the need for tools.
News: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Collection Goes All Green with Five New Models
Right after St. Patrick’s Day, Audemars Piguet goes all green presenting five brand new Royal Oaks all featuring bright green dials. The new green dial models include a new Royal Oak Extra-Thin ‘Jumbo’ in platinum ref. 15202PT.OO.1240PT.01, a limited edition 41 mm Royal Oak Chronograph in 18K yellow gold ref. 26331BA.OO.1220BA.02 in a limited edition of 125 pieces, then a 50-piece limited edition 41 mm Royal Oak Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon in titanium ref. 26534TI.OO.1220TI.01,
News: Presenting the De Bethune DB28XP Meteorite
The iconic De Bethune DB28XP now appears with a black zirconium case and a meteorite dial featuring distinctive geometric shapes and only 10 numbered timepieces will be produced. A crystallized moment, testifying to the very birth of a galaxy. De Bethune pays tribute to the pure and unrestrained force of nature. Created from a meteorite, the DB28XP Meteorite inspires and touches the explorer’s heart beating every human being.
News: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual UAE Limited Edition ref. 26613ST
Joining the other regional or country-specific limited editions of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar comes now a 75-piece limited edition for the United Arab Emirates. These limited edition pieces include the 50-piece limited edition in platinum with ice blue dial for Switzerland, the 100-piece in pink gold with pink-toned dial for Latin America, the 50-piece in stainless steel with a green dial for Hong Kong, the 88-piece collaboration with Horoloupe in titanium with a slate grey dial with red accents for China, the 20-piece in platinum with black dial for Yoshida in Japan, the 20-piece in white gold with a red dial for Thailand, and lastly the 20-piece in platinum with sand-colored dial for the Time Place in Indonesia.
Rare Bird: Armin Strom Racing Regulator Limited Edition. Who's Ready for the 2021 F1 Season?
While Armin Strom is no longer involved with Formula One as a timing partner for one of the racing teams, the Racing Regulator Limited Edition released in 2011 still seems to be the perfect companion for when the 2021 F1 season kicks-off with the Bahrain Grand Prix from March 26th thru the 28th. Armin Strom had a short stint as the timing partner for the Anglo-Russian F1 Marussia Team based in Banbury, Oxfordshire in the U.K.
Experience: Nikka Taketsuru Pure Malt Whisky. Honoring the Father of Japanese Whiskymaking.
Tracing the footsteps of its founder, the father of Japanese whisky Masataka Taketsuru, the Japanese Nikka Whisky distillery brings the Taketsuru Pure Malt Whisky as a homage to this great visionary. In 1918, Taketsuru went by himself to Scotland to unveil the secret of whisky making, becoming the first Japanese ever to master this complex art. After enrolling at the University of Glasgow and taking chemistry courses, he apprenticed at three Scotch distilleries. Upon returning to Japan, Kotobukiya Limited —what is today Suntory Distilleries— hired him to build the Yamazaki distillery as he was the only Japanese who knew how to produce whisky at the time.
News: Presenting the Blancpain Tribute to Fifty Fathoms No Rad 500-Piece Limited Edition
Blancpain reinterprets one of its emblematic historical timepieces, the Fifty Fathoms "no radiations". This mid-1960s diving instrument, of which one version was used by the German Navy's Combat Swimmers, had the characteristic feature of being stamped with a "no radiations" logo indicating that Blancpain was not using luminescent materials composed of radium.
Rare Bird: Jaeger-LeCoultre Grande Reverso Ultra Thin Tribute to 1931. Icon of Icons.
The JLC Reverso needs no introduction as it is one of the most iconic watches in the world. The Grande Reverso Ultra Thin Tribute to 1931 ref. 2788570 was released in 2013 and is definitely one of the best tribute watches in the market and one that brings the model from 1931 back to life simply flawlessly. The Reverso was created in the 1930s as a convenient watch for polo players who wanted to be able to protect the crystals and dials of their watches while playing.
From the Editor: The Patek Philippe Nautilus 5990/1A is now a Highly Coveted Six-Figure Watch. How Much Higher will it Get?
The Patek Philippe Nautilus Travel Time Chronograph ref. 5990/1A was released back in 2014 and since then it’s been one of my favorite Nautilus references. It brings the best in design and functionality by combining a Travel Time function that indicates the time in two different time zones with a 60-minute chronograph and a date indicator. With a retail price right under $60K at $59,140 USD, this is another one of those Pateks that has gone out of control in the secondary market.
News: IWC, Panerai & Jaeger-LeCoultre Opening Boutiques in San Francisco
Three of the world’s leading luxury watch brands including IWC Schaffhausen, Panerai, and Jaeger-LeCoultre announced today the opening of their first boutiques in San Francisco at the Westfield San Francisco Centre and Westfield Valley Fair. This significant series of openings underlines the importance of the Golden Gate City as a West Coast hub not only of technology and commerce but also of watch collecting and fine watch culture. Never before have local clients experienced first-hand each brand’s unique lifestyle and culture the way it is possible through an immersive boutique.
Insider: Explaining the Different Types of Audemars Piguet Tapisserie Dials
The dial on the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak is one of the most iconic dials in the watch world and there is more than meets the eye to its making and different textures. Audemars Piguet released the Royal Oak in 1972 with a dial featuring a ‘Clous de Paris’ guilloché motif that is referred to by AP as ‘petite tapisserie’. Then in 1993, the Royal Oak Offshore was released with a similar type of tapisserie but there are small nuances between the two and the rest of Royal Oaks and Royal Oak Offshores out there.
From the Editor: Is the 'Sleeper' Patek Philippe 5960/1A the Next Big Thing?
The Patek Philippe reference 5960 was first released in 2006 in platinum and it instantly won acclaim as it was the brand’s first automatic in-house chronograph. Then in 2014, Patek released the 5960/1A in stainless steel with a silvered dial and everyone had mixed opinions about it —read our hands-on review here—, I personally felt it was a very well-balanced timepiece and a lot of watch for the money to be quite frank.
News: Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team Heads for the America's Cup with Panerai as Official Timekeeper
The Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Italian team, led by Max Sirena, triumphed in the Series 7-1 in the Prada Cup over Ineos Team UK, ensuring the right to challenge the New Zealanders on the occasion of the 36th America’s Cup presented by Prada, scheduled from the 6th to the 15th of March, 2021 in the Hauraki Gulf. For only the third time in history, an Italian team will compete in the America’s Cup Match. There have been only two precedents: in 1992 with the legendary Moro di Venezia led by Raul Gardini with Paul Cayard at the helm and in 2000, with the first Luna Rossa, entrusted to Francesco De Angelis.
Experience: Nusr-Et Steakhouse. You Come to see #Saltbae's Patek and you Leave in Awe by his Food.
When you're a watch collector and a foodie, a visit to one of Nusret Gökçe's restaurants Nusr-Et Steakhouse is a must. Better know as #Saltbae, Nusret is one of Instagram's biggest hit stars with more than 33 million followers. However, what makes Nusret more interesting to us, is his fascination for watches, specifically Patek Philippe timepieces that we've spotted a dozen times on his wrist throughout his posts on the gram.
News: Meet the 2021 Jaquet Droz Grande Seconde Skelet-One Models. Three New Limited Edition Versions.
Today, Jaquet Droz unveils three new unique limited-edition versions of the Grande Seconde Skelet-One. Its signature figure-eight design is formed by an entirely sapphire dial along with indexes and hands in 18K gold suspended above a brushed hours and minutes ring. At 6 o’clock, the large seconds hand that soars over the sapphire creates the illusion that it is floating, while directly below the tiniest details of a hand-crafted movement can be admired.
Experience: The Backgammon & Watches Society. By Invitation Only.
Despite the current global pandemic, is almost impossible to not get together with other like-minded individuals or hobbyists in a safe manner. While there are clubs for almost every hobby out there, there are only a handful of clubs where watch enthusiasts seem to be quite active. Clubs like Cars & Coffee and the PCA —Porsche Club of America— bring together car guys that happen to also be watch guys and when it comes to watch-centric clubs we can only think of the Red Bar Group or a small group of collectors that used to hang out in South Florida.
News: FVF Tourbillon Superligero Unibody No. 1 by Franc Vila
Franc Vila was born in Valencia, Spain and after studying science, art, and philosophy he started crafting high-end leather goods which fully immersed him in the world of luxury. At the same time, his fascination for mechanical timepieces led him to learn horology and launch a namesake watch brand in 2004 after creating his very own first timepiece. With his love for horology and the ambition to create one of the most beautiful watches ever imagined, he combined functionality with a unique upsidedown ‘figure eight’ design inspired by the world of ‘luchadores’ —Mexican professional wrestlers.
Insider: Greubel Forsey GMT Quadruple Tourbillon Titanium
Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey have shown creative daring and boldness in uniting their second Fundamental Invention, the Quadruple Tourbillon, with their groundbreaking interpretation of the GMT with its outsized rotating globe. Displaying three time zones along with a universal time function, this exceptional timepiece is distinguished by its three-dimensional architecture created with extreme attention to fine craftsmanship and is one of the most fascinating worldtimer complications we have ever reviewed.
