CORUM-Admiral's Cup Minute Repeater Tourbillon 45

An exceptional timepiece for the 50th anniversary of an iconic collection

For half a century the Admiral's Cup collection has paid tribute to marine and sea-enthusiasts. To celebrate this legendary model's fiftieth anniversary, Corum has chosen to associate to this eminently sporty watch with an exceptional movement combining two of the most prestigious horological complications: the Tourbillon and the minute repeater.

CORUM - Movements embodying mechanical excellence

The circle of watch companies capable of developing and designing their own movements is extremely small. Corum has been part of it since 1980.

 

Golden Bridge Black Titanium

The circle of watch companies capable of developing and designing their own movements is extremely small. Corum has been part of it since 1980, having made a noteworthy entrance into the field of Haute Horlogerie with a first in-house made movement displaying the capacity for innovation of a brand that remains true to its history.

CORUM-has been a privileged partner of Swiss Prestige

CORUM AFFIRMS ITS POSITION ON THE ASIAN MARKET BY OPENING ITS FIRST BOUTIQUE IN HONG KONG





Press Release

Opened on Christmas day in the Central District, the CORUM boutique is the first flagship store of the brand. Representing 40% of Corum's turnover, the Far East market has grown quickly by double digit yearly increases since 2007. Hong Kong has thus become the place to be and a key market for the brand. A strategic opening that crowns a strong distribution network of 17 POS in Hong Kong.

CORUM-Miss Golden Bridge & Golden Bridge

In 2010, Corum celebrates the 30th anniversary of its legendary Golden Bridge movement. An anniversary combining both femininity and masculinity and expressed by two new models based on the values of the brand: legitimacy and pioneering spirit.

The Swatch Group And The Crisis Solid as a rock

While the Swiss watch industry last year navigated its way through the eye of a storm, its flagship vessel, solid as a rock, held majestically to its course.

Compared to the 2009 results for the Swiss watch industry, which recorded a decline in the value of exports of 22.3%, the annual figures for the Swatch Group stand out - in a good way - with a turnover of 5,421 million francs, down by only 8.1%, a figure which rises to -6.3% at constant exchange rates. This means that the world’s number one watchmaker once again increased its market share in most price segments and regions of the world. Operating and net profit meanwhile stood at 903 and 763 million francs respectively, showing moderate declines of 24.9 and 8.9%.

In terms of sectors of activity, the Watch and Jewellery segment fared very well with an operating profit of 804 million francs (-2.9%) on sales of 4,429 million (-7.7%, -5.5% at constant exchange rates). The result was less pleasing for the Production segment where net sales registered 1,429 million (-18.0%) for an operating profit of 94 million (-66.5%). It will be noted that sales to third parties fared better (-7.7% to 608 million) than those to group brands (-23.5% to 881 million). Lastly, the Electronic Systems segment saw its turnover contract by 25.7% to 391 million and its operating profit fall steeply by 76.9% to 24 million.

LOUIS MOINET-VERTALIS TOURBILLON

Technique of the Tourbillon
Representing the very principle of the tourbillon, the fact of fitting the entire escapement within a mobile carriage services to cancel out the effects of gravity and to improve rating precision. Thus united inside their mobile carriage, the balance and its spring, the lever wheel and the lever perform a complete rotation every sixty seconds. Crafting a tourbillon is still one of the most difficult exercises in the field of Haute Horlogerie.

LOUIS MOINET-MAGISTRALIS-A WORLD FIRST

Louis Moinet is the world’s first and only brand to create a watch featuring an authentic piece of the moon. This 2000 year-old lunar meteorite is used for the moon-phase display of the hundred-year old and extremely sophisticated complication movement (including minute repeater, perpetual calendar and single-pusher chronograph functions) powering the MAGISTRALIS.

The incredibly complex 5N rose gold and 3N case is composed of 90 di ferent parts, while the presentation box is highly creative in its own right : Louis Moinet introduces the first musical instrument for a watch thanks to the watch stand which serves to amplify the sound of the repeater mechanism. Finally, an original copy of Louis Moinet’s famous Traité d’Horlogerie sets the final dream touch to the fascinating history of this watch.

Louis Moinet Vernoscope With Jules Verne Instrument Watches

Steampunk fans rejoice. This artistic item of display is the new Louis Moinet Vernoscope. Meant to celebrate the popularity of the Louis Moinet Jules Verne Instrument watch collection. I think the watches were a bit of a surprise hit, but they are really cool. And by the way, I have an in-depth review of a Louis Moinet Jules Verne Instrument watch coming up soon. The Vernoscope was recently unveiled at the Maison d'Ailleurs (House of Elsewhere), a Swiss sci-fi museum. They have some interesting Jules Verne items there, and Louis Moinet has donated the first prototype Vernoscope to the museum. It is based on the the works of Jules Verne and made by artist Jean-Yves Kervévan (who Louis Moinet has worked with in the past).

Research and Training New Institute of Watch Marketing

On 5 February this year in Neuchâtel, the Arc Business School (HEG-Arc) officially opened the Institute of Watch Marketing (IMH), a new research and training organisation created in partnership with the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry (FH), the Swiss Watch Industry Employers’ Federation (CP) and the Association des Journées internationales du marketing horloger (JIMH). The founding agreement was signed by Olivier Kubli, director of the Arc Business School, Jean-Daniel Pasche, president of the FH, and François Matile, director of the CP, as well as Kalust Zorik, president of JIMH, and François Courvoisier, dean of the IMH.

Luminox Launches New BlackOut Series for Fall

For Fall 2009, Luminox introduces the BlackOut series. Don’t worry – even though they are going dark, these Luminox watches will still be glowing in 25 years, thanks to their proprietary Luminox Light Technology (LLT), and these models will glow in a new color – blue. Though the watches are completely blacked out – the only thing that’s not black is the logo – Luminox says the watches will be easy to read because of the tone-on-tone look created by the matte black dials and polished black numbers.

Zenith Calibre 135

Zenith turns the spotlight on its Caliber 135 and his 100-years-old creator watchmaker.

Zenith turns the spotlight on one of its most amazing movements epitomising an almost obsessive quest for precision, in a presentation symbolically timed to coincide with the 100th birthday of watchmaker Ephrem Jobin in late November 2009, the brains and the hands behind this multiple award-winning mechanism.

Parmigiani Fleurier Tecnica Crystallisation

I wanted to show you a very special unique piece (or “piece unique” as the French may prefer to call it) that was recently unveiled by high-end and very talented watchmaker Parmigiani Fleurier (commonly known as Parmigiani). Of course those of you who saw Parmigiani at SIHH 2010 in Geneva already know of this watch. It is the Tecnica Crystallisation watch. While I’m not exactly sure what the inspiration for this watch – “mineral crystallisation” – is all about, I do know that this is a pretty incredible watch. Aside from its obvious visual appeal, the watch has some neat elements – a skeletonized dial, a tourbillon, and a minute repeater with “cathedral” chimes (which I would like to hear!). I am hoping to get some more background information on this watch and I will let you know if/when I do.

Geneva Unconventionals

Every year, Richemont Group’s luxury watch brands, plus a handful of large, independent brands, exhibit their new watches at SIHH in Geneva’s labyrinthine Palexpo Center. This year, 38 small, independent watch brands put on their own show called the Geneva Time Exhibition (GTE) at the International Geneva Conference Center, in the heart of downtown, near the famed Place des Nations.

Panerai Luminor 1950 Marina 44mm P9000 Titanium (PAM351)

Panerai Luminor 1950 P9002 Steel Black Dial Metal Bracelet (PAM347)

Panerai P.999 Calibre

Officine Panerai presents the P.999, a new hand-wound mechanical movement – like the very first Panerai watches – entirely designed, developed and produced at the Neuchâtel manufacture.

The P.999 is a modern mechanical movement combining reliability, robustness and precision and features the special structure with wide separated bridges that characterises all the other Officine Panerai manufacture calibres.

Panerai Luminor 1950 Chrono Monopulsante 8 Days (PAM344)

Officine Panerai presents the new Luminor 1950 Chrono Monopulsante 8 Days Oro Rosa – 44mm , a chronograph with a hand-wound movement, designed and developed at the Neuchâtel manufacture and produced in a single edition of 150 watches.

The new Luminor watch not only has an 8 - days power reserve mechanical movement, but is also a technically accurate single push - piece chronograph, a challenge that only a few brands have taken on. This model has, in fact, a single push - piece at 8 o'clock for the hand start , stop and reset functions. It also features indication of the power reserve through a hand on the auxiliary dial at 6 o'clock.

The movement is a development of the P.2004 calibre , the first chronograph movement produced by Officine Panerai, and has a diameter of 13¾ lignes and three overlapping barrels allowing for extended power reserve. The chronograph function features the sophisticated column wheel and the vertical clutch which makes it possible to avoid uncetainties in the hand's movement and realignment. The balance wheel with adjusting screws makes 28,800 alternations/hour and is protected by the Kif Parechoc® anti - shock device.

From an aesthetical viewpoint, the watch is characterized by the warm feel of the 44 mm case's pink gold, a colour coupled with the dark brown of the dial. The "sandwich" dial, a further technical feature reaffirming the uniqueness of Officine Panerai, is identical to the one designed many years ago with the aim of lending superior ease of reading in all conditions. This is a structure in which the luminescent material (that also coats the hands) is placed between the two layers making up the dial, the top one perforated in correspondence with the numerals and indexes. In addition, the transparent case - back allows the pres tigious in - house movement to be seen. Identified by the reference PAM00344 and water - proof up to a depth of 100 meters, the Luminor 1950 Chrono Monopulsante 8 Days Oro Rosa – 44 mm watch is supplied with an alligator leather strap closed with a pink gold b uckle. The watch is presented in a box containing a second strap and a screwdriver to change over the strap itself. This is a simple and rapid procedure thanks to a special system for attaching the strap that characterizes the lugs of the wath.


LUMINOR 1950 CHRONO MONOPULSANTE 8 DAYS ORO ROSA – 44MM
Unique edition of 150 units

Movement : Hand-wound mechanical, Panerai P.2004/6 calibre, executed entirely by Panerai, 13 3/4 lignes, 8.2mm thick, 29 jewels, Glucydur® balance, 28,800 alternations/hour. KIF Parechoc® anti-shock device. Power reserve 8 days with circular indicator, three barrels. 313 components

Functions : Hours, minutes, small seconds, circular power reserve indicator, seconds reset, single button chronograph with two counters.

Case : Diameter 44mm, 18ct brushed pink gold. Button for the chronograph function at 8 o'clock.

Bezel : 18 ct polished pink gold.

Back : See-through sapphire crystal.

Device protecting the crown : (protected as a Trademark) 18 ct brushed pink gold.

Dial : Brown with luminous Arabic numerals and hour markers. Minute counter at 3 o'clock, small seconds at 9 o'clock, circular power reserve indicator at 6 o'clock, central chronograph hand.

Crystal : Sapphire made from corundum, 2mm thick. Anti-reflective coating.

Water-resistance : 10 bar (100 metres).

Strap : PANERAI personalised alligator strap and 18 ct brushed pink gold buckle. Supplied with a second interchangeable strap and a steel screwdriver.

Reference : PAM00344

Panerai 47mm Special Edition Radiomir Titanium (PAM349)

Created in an edition of only 12 pieces, the new Radiomir is intended for collectors, lovers of exclusivity and history enthusiasts. The black background of the display highlights the three indexes and highly luminescent gold hands (hours, minutes and small seconds). The display, with a knurled ring around it in rose gold, is protected by a sapphire crystal that is 1.9 mm thick.

The "cushion" case with 47 mm diameter, has a narrow rim in polished titanium. In contrast to the historical models, the lugs are not welded, but are removable, thanks to the patented Officine Panerai pusher that facilitates the replacement of the bracelet. The crown is threaded in a conical shape and helps ensure water resistance of up to 10 atm (100 meters).

The case is of titanium - a lighter metal that is also hypoallergenic and resistant to corrosion; different than the steel of the historical models, and home to a rather unique in-house movement: the hand-wound caliber OP XXVII, developed on a Minerva base, with a power reserve of 55 hours. The movement can be observed from behind the transparent sapphire crystal caseback.

Panerai Luminor 1950 44mm P2003 Ceramic (PAM335)

The P.2003 automatic mechanical movement, entirely designed and constructed in-house by Officine Panerai, the black and opaque ceramic, the long power reserve and a second time zone are the distinguishing features of the Luminor 1950 10 Days GMT Ceramica – 44 mm.

The case on the new Luminor is made of zirconium oxide ceramic, a material very hard and resistant to corrosion and scratching. The case is formed using an isostatic pressure process that produces a single block ready for milling. It takes over 60 operations to complete a Luminor 1950 case, its production and finishing complexity due to its grooves, hollows and curved surfaces.

44 mm in diameter and waterproof to 10 bar (about 100 metres), the case on the new Luminor is a faithful reproduction of the aesthetic canons of this historic model, including the crown-protecting lever bridge, this too in ceramic, which mainly serves to ensure that the winding and regulating crown stays watertight. The screw-down back plate is in titanium with a sapphire crystal window at its centre, blackened to match the main colour of the watch and in this way giving a burnished effect to the movement too.

The dial, protected by a 2 mm anti-reflective sapphire crystal has the classic sandwich structure formed by two fine plates, one on top of the other. The great quantity of luminescent substance placed between the two plates ensures exceptional visibility even in scarce lighting conditions or total darkness for the hour markers and the 3 large Arabic numerals. The numbers indicating the date and all the hands are all highly luminescent, as are the second-time zone hand with its arrow point, the am/pm hand in the small seconds dial and the horizontal cursor that indicates the remaining power reserve.

The Luminor 1950 10 Days GMT Ceramica – 44 mm is powered by a automatic mechanical P.2003 inhouse manufactured movement. With a diameter of 13 ¾ lignes and 25 rubies plus a structure that is one of its kind on today’s watch panorama, it comprises 296 elements and accumulates, thanks to its three spring barrels, enough energy to guarantee a 10 days’ autonomy. This means that the watch only needs winding three times a month.

With reference PAM00335 and produced in just 500 numbered units, the new Luminor comes on a black leather strap fastened with a large titanium buckle customised with the Officine Panerai logo. There is also a spare strap and a small tool for replacing it when necessary.



Movement: Automatic mechanical, Panerai P.2003 calibre, executed entirely by Panerai, 13¾ lignes, 8.0 mm thick, 25 jewels, Glucydur® balance, 28,800 alternations/hour. KIF Parechoc® anti-shock device. Power reserve 10 days with horizontal indicator, three barrels. 296 components.

Functions: Hours, minutes, small seconds, date, second time zone, 24h indicator, linear power reserve indicator, seconds reset.

Case: Diameter 44 mm, black ceramic.

Bezel: black ceramic.

Back: See-through smoked sapphire crystal.

Device protecting the crown: (protected as a Trademark) Black ceramic.

Dial: Black with luminous Arabic numerals and hour markers. Date at 3 o’clock, seconds and 24h indicator at 9 o’clock, linear power reserve indicator at 6 o’clock.

Crystal: Sapphire, made from corundum, 2 mm thick. Anti-reflective coating.

Water-resistance: 10 bar (100 metres).

Strap: PANERAI personalised leather strap and largesize titanium buckle with special hard black coating. Supplied with a second interchangeable strap and a steel screwdriver.

Reference: PAM00335

Panerai Luminor 1950 Tourbillon Equation of Time Titanium 50mm (PAM365)

Dedicated to fans of technical grand complications, the Luminor 1950 Equation of Time Tourbillon Titanio – 50 mm by Officine Panerai is a tribute to the genius of Galileo Galilei, a combination of some of the rarest, most exclusive and fascinating specialities in watch-making.

Produced in just 30 examples, the Luminor 1950 Equation of Time Tourbillon Titanio – 50 mm is the most technically sophisticated wristwatch ever produced by Officine Panerai: a tourbillon with equation of time, indication of sunrise and sunset times for the city chosen by the purchaser and depiction of the night sky of the same city on the back plate.

The watch functions are immediate and clear on the dial: a date window at 3 o’clock, alongside a tiny dial that shows the month with a hand; sunset time; equation of time; sunrise time and finally small seconds at 9 o’clock, where the rotation of the tourbillon with a tiny ecru disc is visible through a small dial. Times for sunrise and sunset are shown by two cursors that run along numbered circular sectors and vary depending not only on the seasons but also on the latitude chosen by the purchaser. The dial has the classic Panerai sandwich structure, guaranteeing exceptional night-time visibility thanks to the luminescent substance inserted between the two layers.

Equation of time is the difference between the time shown by the watch, which is that universally adopted for ease and real or solar time, which varies every day due to the eccentricity of the Earth’s orbit and the inclination of its axis. 4 days a year, these two times coincide perfectly but on all the other days they actually differ by up to 15 minutes, either faster or slower. The linear cursor at 6 o’clock immediately shows this time difference and this calculation is a speciality of top-end watchmaking and a feature that very few watches have.

Other indications can be seen through the sapphire glass on the lower part of the movement P.2005/G, based on the Officine Panerai P.2005 in-house calibre, modified to include new functions. With 375 components, the P.2005/G calibre features a typical Panerai tourbillon regulator, which can be admired from the back, turning on an axis perpendicular to the axis of the balance and making two rotations a minute, instead of one. With three spring barrels, it has a manual-wound movement and ensures 4 days’ autonomy, with the remaining power reserve shown by a hand, this too visible on the back.


The watch’s Luminor 1950 case is 50 mm in diameter, in titanium so that it weighs less, but clients can also choose a pink gold case. Waterproof to 10 bar (about 100 metres), the case has the typical crown-protecting bridge, brushed titanium like the case body, while the anti-reflective sapphire crystal is held in place by a bezel with contrasting polished finish.

The Luminor 1950 Equation of Time Tourbillon Titanio – 50 mm comes with an alligator strap and the classic buckle customised with the Officine Panerai logo.

Movement: Hand-wound mechanical, Panerai P.2005/G calibre, executed entirely by Panerai, 16¼ lignes, 11.04 mm thick, 46 jewels, Glucydur® balance, 28,800 alternations/hour. KIF Parechoc® anti-shock device. Power reserve 4 days, three barrels. 375 components.

Functions: Hours, minutes, small seconds, date, month indicator, sunrise and sunset, equation of time, power reserve indicator and star disk on the back , tourbillon.

Case: Diameter 50 mm, brushed titanium. Available in Pink Gold on request.

Bezel: Polished titanium.

Back: See-through sapphire crystal.

Device protecting the crown: (protected as a Trademark) Brushed titanium.

Dial: Black with luminous Arabic numerals and hour markers. Date and month indicator at 3 o’clock, small seconds and tourbillon indicator at 9 o’clock, Equation of time indicator at 6 o’clock. Sunrise indicator at 8 o’clock and sunset indicator at 4 o’clock on the outer flange.

Crystal: Sapphire, made from corundum, 2 mm thick. Anti-reflective coating.

Water-resistance: 10 bar (100 metres).

Strap: PANERAI personalised alligator strap and adjustable brushed titanium buckle. Supplied with a second interchangeable strap, a tool to change the strap and a steel screwdriver.

Reference: PAM00365

Panerai Radiomir 47mm P2003 Steel (PAM323)

The Radiomir 10 Days GMT – 47 mm has all thesalient characteristics of the Radiomir, the most classic of Officine Panerai models, designed and constructed for military use three-quarters of a century ago. Further to all the technical characteristics of the original, it has just two time zones, date, 10-day power reserve and above all, a movement entirely designed and built in-house by Officine Panerai in Neuchâtel.

The typical cushion-shaped case of the Radiomir 10 Days GMT – 47 mm is in stainless steel and waterproof to 10 bar (about 100 metres). To ensure that its most delicate point is watertight, it still has the regulating screw-down crown with, like the military models, a cut-off conical shape for easier turning. The 47 mm diameter is also the same as the vintage series but despite its size, this watch fits the wrist perfectly. One distinguishing feature is its removable wire lugs. An Officine Panerai patent means that they can quickly be taken off the case body when the strap needs replacing.

The dial gives more information than older models,but still has both the traditional graphic layout and its sandwich structure, thought up to give exceptional visibility, due to the great quantity of luminescent material between the two layers. In addition to the hour and minute hands, again highly luminescent, there is a second time zone hand, easily recognisable thanks to its arrow point, a power reserve hand that rotates in the little subsidiary dial above 6 o’clock and a sweeping small seconds hand, with a two-colour am/pm disc in its dial. The whole dial is protected by 1.9 mm thick anti-reflective sapphire crystal made from corundum.

Visible through the sapphire crystal back plate, the movement of this new Radiomir is the P.2003/5 calibre, entirely designed and constructed in-house by Officine Panerai. With a diameter of 13 ¾ lignes and 25 rubies, the calibre has 296 elements and thanks to its three spring barrels ensures 10 days’ autonomy. When the crown is pulled out to change the time, the seconds hand returns to zero to allow accurate synchronisation with the time signal. With reference PAM00323, the Radiomir 10 Days GMT – 47 mm is produced in 500 numbered units and comes on a crocodile strap with large steel buckle, polished to match the case.


Movement: Automatic mechanical, Panerai P.2003/5 calibre, executed entirely by Panerai, 13¾ lignes, 8.0 mm thick, 25 jewels, Glucydur® balance, 28,800 alternations/hour. KIF Parechoc® anti-shock device. Power reserve 10 days with circular indicator, three barrels. 296 components.

Functions: Hours, minutes, small seconds, date, second time zone, day/night indicator, circular power reserve indicator, seconds reset.

Case: Diameter 47 mm, polished steel with removable wire loop strap attachments (patented). Screw-down winding crown personalised OP.

Bezel: Polished steel.

Back: See-through sapphire crystal.

Dial: Black with luminous Arabic numerals and hour markers. Date at 3 o’clock, small seconds and day/night indicator at 9 o’clock. Circular power reserve indicator at 6 o’clock.

Crystal: Sapphire, made from corundum, 1,9 mm thick. Anti-reflective coating.

Water-resistance: 10 bar (100 metres).

Strap: PANERAI personalised alligator strap and largesize polished steel buckle.

Reference: PAM00323

Panerai Luminor 1950 Marina 44mm P9000 Steel (PAM359)

The new Luminor Marina 1950 3 Days Automatic – 44 mm has all the essential characteristics of a model produced almost 20 years ago by Officine Panerai, with the same levels of sturdiness, reliability and waterproofness, with the addition of two elements that give this watch new value: P.9000 in-house calibre and a new dial.

The dial, protected by anti-reflective 2.6 mm thick sapphire crystal, has a black base and classic sandwich structure to guarantee exceptional visibility whatever the conditions. Instead of the classic stick hour markers, eight tiny Arabic numerals have been cut out of the plate, while the classic large Arabic numerals feature at 12, 6 and 9 o’clock. The luminescent substance that covers the hour and minute hands, small seconds hand, date and writing, has the same ecru colour of the Panerai military models from the Forties, which was the result of natural ageing of the phosphorescent paste used at that time.

The novelty from a technical point of view for the Luminor 1950 Marina 3 Days Automatic – 44 mm lies in the movement. No longer the OP III calibre but the P.9000, another automatic movement that is however entirely designed and produced inhouse by Officine Panerai. With a diameter of 13¾ lignes and 28 rubies, the P.9000 calibre has 197 components and two spring barrels that guarantee a power reserve of 72 hours.


The case on the Luminor Marina 1950 3 Days Automatic measures 44 mm in diameter and is in polished stainless steel, highlighting the contrasting brushed crown-protecting bridge. Waterproof to 30 bar (about 300 metres), this new model has the strap attached to the lugs with an exclusive patented method that allows for easy rapid replacement and a sapphire crystal back plate that allows the movement to be seen.

With reference PAM00359, the Luminor 1950 Marina 3 Days Automatic – 44 mm comes on a leather strap with Panerai logo buckle in brushed steel,a spare strap and two tiny tools for replacing it.


Movement: Automatic mechanical, Panerai P.9000 calibre, executed entirely by Panerai, 13 ¾ lignes, 7.9 mm thick, 28 jewels, Glucydur® balance, 28,800 alternations/hour. Incabloc® anti-shock device. Power reserve 3 days,two barrels. 197 components.

Functions: Hours, minutes, small seconds, date.

Case: Diameter 44 mm, AISI 316L polished steel.

Bezel: Polished steel.

Back: See-through sapphire crystal.

Device protecting the crown: (protected as a Trademark) Brushed steel.

Dial: Black with luminous Arabic numerals and hour marker. Date at 3 o’clock, small seconds at 9 o’clock.

Crystal: Sapphire, made from corundum, 2.6 mm thick. Anti-reflective coating.

Water-resistance: 30 bar (300 metres).

Strap: PANERAI personalised leather strap and largesize brushed steel buckle. Supplied with a second interchangeable strap, a tool to change the strap and a steel screwdriver.

Reference: PAM00359

MB&F-HM2-SV Sapphire Vision

Horological Machine No.2-SV features a room-with-a-view crystal-clear sapphire case with titanium back. With its totally transparent case, HM2-SV offers unprecedented visual access to the painstakingly hand-finished, 349-component engine powering the indications on its iconic twin dials.

Hamilton Ventura Elvis Anniversary Collection

An icon remembered

Hamilton celebrates the 75th anniversary of Elvis Presley’s birth with two special Ventura models

Hamilton is celebrating cultural icon, Elvis Presley, with two special models of the iconic Ventura watch, to mark what would have been the ‘King’s’ 75th birthday in 2010. The distinctive, shield-shaped timepiece, worn by Elvis in the 1961 movie ‘Blue Hawaii’, comes in two new interpretations – a replica of the original 1950‘s model and a XXL version. The Ventura Elvis Anniversary Collection promises to contribute a new chapter to two legends.

THE GOLDEN HISTORY OF THE VENTURA

Back in the 1950s a dedicated Hamilton team spent ten years making their dream of an electrical, battery-powered, watch come true. The launch press conference for Ventura, in New York’s Savoy Plaza Hotel on January 3, 1957, was a massive and flamboyant occasion. During the days that followed over 500 press articles flooded the US media. The groundbreaking technology and the stunning design of Richard Arbib caught the imagination of journalists and consumers alike and nearly 12,000 pieces of the original Ventura were sold. Its perfectly engineered movement could run for a minimum of one year on an Energizer the size of a tiny shirt button, using unimaginably small amounts of battery power. The world’s first electric watch also introduced a new simplicity as it contained one third fewer parts that automatic equivalents and eliminated the need for a winding mechanism or mainspring. The Ventura heralded a new era of technology and efficiency that has lived on to become a legend with a future.


COLLECTION

Ventura XXL Elvis Anniversary Collection

Having started its life as a pioneer, the Hamilton Ventura continues to make a bold statement over half a century later in the form of a limited XXL edition. This special timepiece integrates touches of the unexpected to give its classic inspiration a futuristic and rocky feel. The familiar shield shape of the gunmetal colored case gets a distinctively contemporary look through smoothed surfaces and XXL dimensions. The angular crown is integrated into the case

with its pointed tip signalling 3 o’clock. The black dial has racy looks with a background effect resembling that of a high-tech sound box. A touch of fiery red stretches from 12 o’clock to 3 o’clock and daringly reappears on the tip of the seconds hand. Celebrating modernity, the case elegantly flows into a stylish, smooth black rubber strap. The limited edition which will only be produced till the end of 2010 will contribute to make the King‘s legend alive.

Fact Box

Material : Stainless steel PVD gunmetal

Dial Color : Black

Attachments : Black rubber

Movement : Automatic 2824-2

Crystal : Sapphire

Water resistance : 50 m

Ventura Elvis Anniversary Collection

The Ventura Quartz is a faithful tribute to the original 1957 model, which made watch-making history as the world’s first electrical, battery powered watch. Design detail of the case of the new model mirrors that of its 1950s ancestors and today comes in either stainless steel or a yellow gold PVD finish. A black dial also reminds of the 1950s Ventura timepieces, complete with digit markings all culminating in an embossed rounded point like the surrounds of the iconic wall-clocks of the era. These nostalgic looks enclose a modern Swiss quartz movement to ensure precision timekeeping for the 21st century.

The choice of attachment for the Ventura Quartz, with the possibility of a metallic flex bracelet or a bi-color leather strap in black paired with silver or gold color, has its own story to tell. The watch originally purchased by Elvis would have had a leather strap and archive material reveals that, at his special wish, the jeweller exchanged this for a metal bracelet to satisfy his celebrity customer.

Fact Box

Material : Stainless steel / yellow gold PVD
Dial Color : Black
Attachments : Two tones leather black and gold or black and silver / flex steel
Movement : Quartz 956.102
Crystal : Sapphire
Water resistance : 50 m

Panerai Radiomir 42mm Small Watch

Now, one of the last companies is going little. Panerai pretty much set the standard for the 44mm wide watch being as popular as it is, and their timepieces range from 44mm to about 47mm wide. They will release a 42mm wide Radiomir model which represents their classic shape. I should point out that Panerai has made even smaller movements (such as the 40mm wide Luminor range models). Though I suspect this 42mm is aimed at being something different.

That true in the scope of things 42mm wide is still considered big for some people. 42mm wide would even seem totally ordinary on any other watch - but for a Panerai it stands out.Richemont would try to get us into smaller watches, and what a shock it is now coming from Panerai. I've even seen plenty of 44mm wide Panerai watches on women that look great. So why all of a sudden the shrinkage?

To make the watch even more enticing, Panerai is placing in it a new in-house made movement, the quite thin manually wound P'999 caliber. This allows the entire watch to be much thinner than we expect in a Panerai. The case is classic looking and in 18 rose gold - with handsome brown accents.

The physical with Panerai's new smaller watch collection with their in-house made P.999 manually-would movements and I liked it. With 44mm wide Panerai watches not looking too "large and in-charge" themselves these days, I speculated about the wisdom of them doing an even smaller model - even if it was just for the ladies. Well all that speculation is aside now, as I got a chance to play nice with the watches personally. There are three versions of this new Panerai Radiomir watch, the Ref. PAM336, PAM337, and PAM338. Differences? Pink gold, steel, and titanium - respectively. Oh, and the watches aren't just for the ladies (not that there are any dedicated women's Panerai watches, but lots of women enjoy their 44mm wide and under men's watches).

Being placed in the Radiomir cases style gives the watches a more classic look than others with some of the other case styles. The thinner (though not thin) bezel helps that watch feel larger than it is. Plus, the watch isn't too thin (but is actually quite thin for Panerai standards). So what you have is a watch that feels more substantial due to its thickness and higher emphasis on the dial size. At the same time, it is important to note that this is a thin watch in Panerai terms.

The loop style lugs help the watch look more substantial, and the flatter, smaller size of the case felt really nice on the wrist. You can see that this evolution on what it means to be a Panerai still looks good on the wrist without appearing petite. It really is a more formal and classy Panerai, the type of watch that most people aren't going to know even exists.


Inside the watch is Panerai's P.999 manually would movement with 60 hours of power reserve. The dial has the time and a subsidiary seconds dial, while the caseback of the watch has a sapphire crystal over it with a view to the nicely decorated movement.

Overall the design is good, as well as is the finishing and the style. Nothing new really, but more of what people enjoy. Just shrunken down Panerai goodness with a nice set of alligator straps (and the iconic Panerai style buckle is gone). Prices range from about $8,000 - $17,500 for one of these 42mm wide Panerai Radiomir watches.

Salvatore Ferragamo Gancino Charms Ladies Watch

Produced via license by one of the higher-end divisions of Timex, here is the new Gancino Charms watch collection for women from Ferragamo. I have been saying the "Gancino" a few times out loud and have decided that he name sucks for a watch like this, it probably sucks as a name for most things. Aside from that, the 36mm wide timepiece in steel is available with a number of different gems that can decorate the dial. These natural stones include smokey quartz, rhodolite, citrine, and amethyst. There is also the pictured more expensive version with diamonds. Similar to what other watches have done, there is a Ferragamo charm that dangles off the watch. This is not the crown, which is located elsewhere.. Inside the watch is a quartz movement. The case is available in steel or IP gold coated. Dial is pretty cool with its machine guilloche engraved face and Ferragamo logo. I am sure it will be sold where their shoes are also available. Not sure about prices, but probably going to be appreciably more expensive than it is worth.


Ariel Adams

Magrette Tane Hand-Engraved Watch From New Zealand

Magrette of New Zealand presents the Tane "Lord of the Forest" hand-engraved watch. Part of a very limited edition of just 10 pieces, the watch is decorated by a single master engraver and displays a classic Maori myth as seen in images all over the watch. While Magrette offers high quality reasonably priced watches, their higher end collection specializes in these beautiful engraved works of art. The 44mm steel case is almost totally covered in engravings. This includes, the bezel, case, lugs, and even on the exposed rotor of the automatic Swiss movement. Despite all the decoration, the watch is still very masculine.

The detail is stunning, and so are the images. In addition to native Maori decor, the watch has faces and characters that really liven it up. New for Magrette is an upgraded dial done by American LUM-TEC. This means the dial has their special in-house MDV GX luminant for impressive darkness viewing and visual appeal. Magrette fans will notice the upgraded dial immediately. The watch is attached to a black leather strap with red stitching. Inside is a Swiss ETA 2824-2 automatic movement that has a decorated rotor like you've never seen before on any other brand's watch. The watch is available now, and each of the 10 pieces are priced at a reasonable $4,485.

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