SIHH 2017

[nick10]

Hands-On The A. Lange & Söhne Little Lange 1 Moon Phase

Sometimes, you just know you are going to love a watch, even before you see it in the metal. The Little Lange 1 Moon Phase is one of those watches for me. I knew as soon as I saw the press release that I was going to love it. I have always harbored a crush on the Lange 1, which is unusual because I don't normally dig asymmetric dials (like, really don't dig them at all) – but when I saw a picture of the Little Lange 1 Moon Phase in rose gold with a guilloché dial, it was love at first high-res press image.

Now, I realize this is a little contradictory as I am constantly beating a dead horse talking about how I like more masculine watches and wish there were fewer diamonds, and, oh, mother-of-pearl on the dial – yuck! But this is different. In my opinion, the Little Lange 1 Moon Phase is the perfect balance of feminine and masculine, all without trying too hard.

The new Little Lange 1 Moon Phase from A. Lange & Söhne.

A little about the Lange 1 – it was first introduced all the way back in 1994 as part of the initial modern Lange collection. It measured 38.5mm in diameter and the asymmetrical dial was a pretty big deal at the time. It featured the hour and minute dial, plus running seconds, the outsize date, and a power reserve indicator. Since its launch though, the Lange 1 has seen many iterations, including one with an all new caliber back in 2015.

As I mentioned in my first post about this watch, the new Little Lange 1 is similar to the 20th Anniversary set (le rêve). However, the new model features a perfectly sized 36.8mm rose gold case with a silvery-white guilloché dial. One of the things that I like so much about the case of this piece, besides its modest size, is the color of the gold. Not a lot of people nail the perfect rose gold, but Lange is one that does (along with Audemars Piguet and Bulgari, to name a couple of others). It is recognizably rose gold, not too yellow, not too coppery, and it flatters almost any skin tone.

This watch is powered by the new caliber L121.2 manual-winding movement.

The dial is also outstanding – a solid piece of gold with guilloché engraving in all the right places and a silvery-white color. You still have the iconic hour and minute dial on the left, the date and power reserve on the right, and, with this model, the moonphase tucked into the seconds sub-register on the bottom right. The moonphase is also stunning, with a matching silvery background and vibrant rose gold moon and stars. It is one of the nicest moonphases I have ever seen.

And last, but certainly not least, there's the movement. The caliber L121.2 is the same new Lange 1 movement introduced a couple of years ago, with a 72-hour power reserve and the now-standard moonphase accuracy for up to 122.6 years. I would be lying if I said I didn't find it refreshing to have such a nice (not to mention, beautifully finished) movement in the watch.

Overall, this is just a really great watch from top to bottom. It wears well on the wrist, has just a little bit of shimmer, no diamonds (which can be hit or miss with me), and can easily be a daily wear.

The price on this watch is €38,500 (approximately $40,800 at time of publishing), which is actually €1,000 less than the newly-released white gold Lange 1 Moon Phase (€39,500, or approximately $42,430 at time of publishing), which might be a first for a "ladies" watch. I can't say if this is my favorite watch from SIHH this year quite yet, but it is certainly a contender.

For more information, visit A. Lange & Söhne online.

[nick10]

Introducing The Baume & Mercier Clifton Club, A New Collection Of Dive Watches

Baume & Mercier has just released a new collection of sports watches for the "gentlesportsmen" of the world. I give to you the Clifton Club. The Clifton Club is a nice addition to one of the more affordable Richemont brands' portfolios, offering up a sporty, casual vibe with some pops of color. The Clifton Club is available in five versions at launch and here's a first look at them all.

At first glance, the Clifton Clubs might all look similar, but there are a few things that set them apart. First there's a pair with stainless steel cases and bracelets, one with black dial and bezel and another with blue dial and bezel. Then there are two steel Clifton Clubs on "all-road straps," one with a black dial and steel bezel and another with a white dial and black bezel. Finally, there's a black ADLC-coated steel case with a black dial and matching black bezel and rubber strap. All the models have orange accents, both at the top of the bezels and the seconds hands. The 12 o'clock marker on all the dials is also a large Phi, just above the brand's signature.

All five models are powered by the Sellita SW200 movement, showing hours, minutes, and center seconds, plus the date at three o'clock. The caliber is, of course, automatic, and has a 48-hour power reserve too. It's not a groundbreaking movement, but it more than gets the job done and is an appropriate choice for a watch like this. The performance to cost ratio is high, which is exactly what you want here.

As I said, these are great sports watch additions to the more traditional Baume & Mercier brand, hopefully bringing some new customers into the fold and maybe creating some new watch lovers. The pricing for these watches range from $1,950 to $2,200. We've got hands-on photos and a live look at the watches coming soon.

You can visit Baume & Mercier online for more information.

[Megalos]

Philippe Dufour

[Megalos]

Pam671 bronzo blue

[Megalos]

A. Lange Tourbograph Perpetual '' pour le Merite ''

[Megalos]

JLC Hybris Artistica Mysterieuse

[nick10]

Philippe Dufour

Πως λένε αυτό το μοντέλο Κώστα ξέρεις;

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Introducing The MB&F HM7 Aquapod, The First Aquatic Horological Machine

MB&F launched the first Horological Machine in 2007, positioning itself as an independent watchmaker primarily interesting in futuristic design. Ten years and eight Horological Machines later, (MB&F actually skipped over the HM7 a few months ago when it released the HM8), Max Büsser and his friends have remained steadfast in their mission, creating watches that look as if they were made without any standard watch parts at all. That is not longer true after today. The diver’s bezel is one of the most instantly recognizable elements of modern watchmaking, and, in a departure from form, Büsser has made it one of the chief design elements of the HM7.

Of course, he’s done something quite unexpected with it. Instead of laying it on top of the case, where one usually finds a bezel, Büsser has surrounded the double-domed case with the bezel. It ends up looking almost like Saturn's rings – which is not what the watch is meant to look like - but the result is awesome. One of the great pleasures of MB&F’s sometimes strangely shaped horological machines usually comes not when the watch sits on the wrist, but off, discovering the watch from many different angles. And the brand new Horological Machine No. 7 might be the maker's most three-dimensional creation to date. There simply isn't one straight edge to it – even the lugs are dramatically arched and articulated.

From the top, the HM7 is recognizable as a dive watch, despite the central tourbillon and massive sapphire dome.


When the lights go out (or you're exploring the depths of the ocean) you can still admire the HM7.

Something to get out of the way up front is that the HM7 is big. Very, very big. In fact, it’s the largest machine in a collection of large machines. Bezel and all, the watch measures a whopping 53.8mm across, and yes that means the HL7 is round! This is a first in the HM line too. Because of its new movement, it sits very high on the wrist as well, being 21.3mm. Yeah, you read that right, 21.3mm.

From the side, the HM7 really does look like a tiny submersible.




For its Horological Machine No. 7, MB&F decided to create its very first dive watch.

The HM7 was designed by Eric Giroud and realized by a team of 49 friends including Büsser himself and it’s the team’s first aquatic-themed wristwatch, though its limited water resistance (50m) means it shouldn’t be treated as recreational diving gear. The Aquapod's concentric case, articulated lugs, and luminescent details are inspired by the jellyfish, an animal which MB&F has turned horological by conceiving a new, vertically-mounted movement capable of transfering energy from the tentacle-shaped winding rotor at the bottom to the flying tourbillon regulator at the very top. The hours and minutes are displayed on lightweights discs – in aluminum and titanium – that are mounted on ceramic ball bearings around the periphery of the movement. They rotate, bringing the current time in line with the vertical indicator at the front of the display. MB&F is guaranteeing 72 hours of power reserve for this automatic movement as well.

Here you can see just how three-dimensional the HM7 engine is.

The MB&F HM7 will be limited to two models. The company has announced that 33 pieces will be delivered in grade 5 titanium, priced at 98,000 CHF (approximately $97,150 at time of publishing), and that 66 pieces will be made in 18l red gold, priced at 118,000 CHF (approximately $116,950). Both models come on a high-grade rubber strap with a folding buckle that matches the case.

In red gold, the HM7 offers tons of contrast and a warm glow.

A glimpse of the movement through the sapphire caseback.

For more information, visit MB&F online.

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Introducing The Montblanc Timewalker Rally Timer 100, A Chronograph That Converts Into A Stopwatch And Rally Timer With A Truly Stunning Manually-Wound Caliber Inside

While Montblanc's primary focus this year is the more commercially oriented Timewalker collection, there is one piece from the collection that stands out not only due to its quality and price but do to its ingenuity – the Timewalker Rally Timer 100 Limited Edition. What is it? It's a stopwatch, a table clock, a dashboard-mountable rally timer, and a wrist chronograph. But that's not even all – the damn thing features one the finest manually wound chronograph calibers on planet Earth!

The inspiration for this piece is obvious enough – the Minerva rally timers and stop watches that many of know and love from the first part of the 20th century. And if Montblanc made this watch into simply a rally timer or a stopwatch, that would be one thing, but the manufacture went much further. You see in the picture above how there are two little legs that pop out of the titanium caseback? That's so you can prop it up on your desk and use it as a clock.

And here? Yup, the thing comes with a specially design leather snap strap so you can wear it as wrist chronograph. And what's more is that the entire watch can rotate up to 90° just by turning it. So you can wear it straight up or you can turn it to the side as pictured above. The thinking here is that turning it on an angle will make it easier to read when driving.

Inside this rally timer / desk clock / wristwatch is the Montblanc caliber MB M16.29, which features a column wheel, horizontal coupling, and a power reserve of 50 hours. The caliber takes its inspiration from the original Minerva caliber 17.29, developed in the 1930s, used for both pocket watches and wristwatches. It is absolutely one of the most beautiful manually-wound chronographs in the world, with its large balance wheel and slow frequency.

The 50mm device is cased is brushed titanium and just 100 pieces will be made. The pricing on this will be around €38,000 (approximately $40,430 at time of publishing) and, to be honest, considering the caliber inside and the engineering required to create this piece, it makes total sense.

For more, visit Montblanc online.

[nick10]

Introducing The Jaeger-LeCoultre Geophysic Tourbillon Universal Time

In anticipation of this year's Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH), Jaeger-LeCoultre has released a new addition to the Geophysic collection – the Tourbillon Universal Time. You may remember that back in September 2015 Jaeger-LeCoultre presented the original Geophysic Universal Time, but this year it has taken the watch a step further by adding a flying tourbillon. It's actually the first time a worldtimer and a flying tourbillon have come together ever.

The new Jaeger-LeCoultre Geophysic Tourbillon Universal Time.

The new Universal Time Tourbillon is quite an impressive piece. The case is solid platinum and measures a whopping 43.5mm in diameter and 11.24mm in height. The dial is the familiar blue lacquered guilloché with a flattened image of the world as the focal point that you find on the earlier non-tourbillon version of this watch.

There is an outer ring featuring 24 cities and a secondary ring outside that with 24-hour indication. As with all worldtimers, the way you read the time in each city is by lining it up with the hour on the ring next to it. Pretty simple. The big kahuna, a.k.a. the flying tourbillon, is placed in the bottom right quadrant of the dial, slightly cutting into the cities ring.

A close up on the flying tourbillon, the real new addition to this watch.

The movement is the Jaeger-LeCoultre caliber 948, which is automatic with a solid 22-carat pink gold winding rotor and a 48-hour power reserve. There are 375 components in all, 42 of which are jewels, but the most notable component might be the Gyrolab balance. This is a speical JLC technology that took over eight years to develop and produce. The Gyrolab is used exclusively in the Geophysic collection and is known for its unusual rounded h-shape and its high level of efficiency. Compared to a standard circular balance wheel there is less surface area, and thus less air friction, hence the higher efficiency. Pretty neat stuff.

The Geophysic Tourbillon Universal Time will be released officially at SIHH in a little more than a week and is a limited edition series of just 100 pieces. Be sure to check back for live pictures and pricing. For more information, visit Jaeger-LeCoultre online.