The Collector's Corner - The IWC Mark XII Pilot's Watch
Our last subject on The Collector's Corner was the Cartier Tank Americaine, and though we're sticking to the theme of the classic time-only watch for a little bit longer, this week we'll look at one with a very different flavour. The inaugural article in The Collector's Corner was about the IWC Doppelchronograph reference 3711. In 1993, one year after that reference was released, IWC followed up with a classic time-and-date-only pilot's watch that stuck to the utilitarian design of the military watch Mark XI, yet added some refinements to make it a more compelling product for the civilian population. That's right. We're talking about the Mark XII, the first in a long line of civilian pilot's watches in IWC's Mark collection. No other model line has stayed as true to its inspiration and is as instantly recognizable as an IWC as the classic Mark. And, it especially makes sense to talk about the Mark XII now, since IWC has released the latest generation of the collection, the Pilot's Watc

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept Black Panther Flying Tourbillon Review
The turn of the new century has heralded a new era for popular culture: we are living in Hollywood's comic-book age. Superheroes are getting increasingly popular as their movies are seen by billions. Inspired by historical character watches, including some of Gerald Genta’s timepieces from the 1980s, Audemars Piguet announced a few weeks ago their partnership with Marvel Entertainment and its intention to pay tribute to their inspirational superheroes and powerful universe. The brand now unveils the first watch born from this partnership. Meet the Royal Oak Concept Black Panther Flying Tourbillon.When Audemars Piguet announced their collaboration with Marvel, many wondered what would the platform to stage Stan Lee’s popular comic characters and universe. A new collection? Code 11.59? The Royal Oak Offshore? Audemars Piguet elected the Royal Oak Concept, which has always been, since its presentation in 2002, the brand's lab for experimentation And it has been significantly r

6 Ultra-Thin Watches that break records (thinnest watch, thinnest chronograph, thinnest minute repeater, thinnest tourbillon...) - Monochrome Watches
Compiling complications in?a small space like the movement of a mechanical wristwatch, which usually measures 25mm to 30mm diameter and can include up to 500 parts (or even more), isn’t an easy task, especially when it comes to chronographs, minute repeaters or automatons. Miniaturization has always been on of the greatest challenges of watchmakers. And this leads us to this article, as ultra-thin watches are a very interesting category, and overall an extremely challenging one in terms of R&D. Here are 6 Ultra-Thin Watches that break records.The world’s thinnest mechanical watch (all categories included) – Jaeger LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin SqueletteNow we can ensure you that this?Jaeger LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin Squelette is a pure technical achievement. OK, it breaks the previous world’s record for the thinnest mechanical watch from only 0.05mm – which is the diameter of an average human hair, so to say, nothing. However, it does it with style and

Ulysse Nardin Classic Perpetual Ludwig (Specs & Price)
Today we are taking a closer look at one of the most refined and streamlined Perpetual Calendars on the market, the Ulysse Nardin Classic Perpetual Ludwig. Named after the man largely responsible for the original watch some 20 years ago, Dr. Ludwig Oechslin, this modern-day tribute is nothing short of exceptional. Easy to set and even easier to read, this complicated watch helped pioneer a new way of thinking about Perpetual Calendars. Read on to learn what makes it so special.To say that Dr. Ludwig Oechslin is a gifted creator of complications is a gross understatement of the man's incredible talents. Associated with Ulysse Nardin for many years, his was the creative genius that developed the Freak, the Trilogy of Time collection (a trio of watches named Astrolabium Galileo Galilei, Planetarium Copernicus and Tellurium Johannes Kepler), and of course the Perpetual Calendar he created for the brand in 1996 to celebrate its 150th anniversary. He was also heavily involved in creation of

Introducing: Steel-and-Gold and Gradient Dials for the Longines Spirit Flyback
Presented last year by Longines as the flagship model in its recent pilot-oriented collection, the Spirit Flyback paid tribute to an important function for the brand, the retour-en-vol chronograph. While the authorship of the flyback complication is a topic that is still discussed, the winged hourglass brand produced its first model equipped with a flyback function in 1925, then filed a patent which was registered on 16 June 1936. As the top of the range model in the Spirit collection, this large and higher-end chronograph now comes back in two warm and luxurious versions, mixing steel and gold, with green or brown tones.?Just like the?Spirit Zulu Time has to be seen as the bigger brother of the classic 3-hand models, the same could be said about the Spirit Flyback next to the classic automatic chronograph. A sportier take on the brand’s vision of a classic, highly precise pilot’s watch, this 42mm model features an external rotating bezel, something that the classic chronog