Hands-On With the Stunning AP Royal Oak Offshore Beast Black Ceramic
The Beast… Probably the second most emblematic watch of Audemars Piguet. A watch that, like its Genta-designed 1972 ancestor, broke the rules and created an entirely new segment of watches. Extravagant, oversized and polarising at the time of its introduction 30 years ago, it defined the ultra-robust luxury sports watch genre. The first Royal Oak Offshore, a.k.a The Beast, truly was a beast of a watch. And to celebrate three decades of the ROO, Audemars Piguet has released a new version in full black ceramic… And surprisingly, this is a first for this collection. The result, this new Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Chronograph 42mm Black Ceramic 26238CE, is simply stunning. The Beast in black ceramic is a gift for hardcore fans of the collection.?ContextWe’ve extensively covered the first-generation Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore “The Beast” in this article. Its genesis was the answer to a changing market, with customers wanting something more striking,

Only Watch 2017 - The unique blue dial Audemars Piguet?Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Black Ceramic
For its 2017?edition, the biennial Only Watch event has been attracting more and more brands, keen to participate in?this charity auction. Absent from the previous two editions, Audemars Piguet makes its return to?the long list of manufactures, with a unique piece based on its?impressive?Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Black Ceramic. Except?now, they’ve?introduced?a touch of color to the?previous?monochromatic look, as it features a bright blue dial.The goal of Only Watch is simple: in giving collectors the opportunity to bid on?unique pieces from luxury watch manufacturers at?auction (this year, Christie’s will be auctioning the watches, on November 11th, 2017) the proceeds go towards funding the?research of Duchenne muscular dystrophy – the monies collected will be given to?Association Monegasque contre les Myopathies (AMM).?While some brands create completely unique pieces (remember the Patek 5016A of 2015), others?simply?add a unique feature (technica

Introducing the AkriviA Heure Minute Tourbillon Stainless Steel with hand-made dial - Monochrome-Watches
It’s not often that we see a brand coming to the market with their first watch that comprises both a tourbillon and a monopusher chronograph, with a fully hand-finished in-house movement – but it’s exactly what AkriviA did with this watch. Because it’s seems difficult?to develop?an even more complicated watch (especially for a small and young brand), Akrivia is now coming with a simpler watch. Well, simple but still quite a watch, as we’re talking about the?AkriviA Heure Minute Tourbillon.Brief?reminder about Akrivia:“(Akrivia) was founded in 2011 by Rexhep Rexhepi, a young master watchmaker with an interesting educational background which includes an apprenticeship at Patek Philippe at the age of 14, and working as movement developer for BNB Concepts (which went bust in 2010, then was partially bought by Hublot, resulting in the Hublot Cle du Temp).” The first watch to be revealed by AkriviA was an impressive one that we covered last year, aft

Introducing Jaeger-LeCoultre's The Collectibles Collection of Vintage Watches
Old is gold. Rounding out a collection with some pre-owned timepieces is a very special feeling, especially if we are talking about emblematic or rare models As the trend for vintage watches consolidates, the market for second-hand luxury watches is growing fast. In its 2022 Swiss Industry Report, Deloitte estimates that the pre-owned market accounts for CHF 20 billion and is likely to reach CHF 35 billion, making up for more than half of the primary market. The second-hand business has transformed dramatically and professionalised over the past few years, with a proliferation of players, including brands that are launching their own CPO (Certified Pre-Owned) programmes to capture part of this market and positively influence the perception and value of their watches. Among these is the recent initiative of allowing its retailers to certify and sell models with a two-year international warranty. Now, Jaeger-LeCoultre announces The Collectibles, a programme covering watches from a ca

The Petrolhead Corner - All about The New Lotus Emira
Elise, Esprit, Elan, Exige, Europa and of course Evija. Just a list of some of the cars produced by Lotus, all starting with the letter E. And now there's a new one to be added to that lineage, the Lotus Emira. At first glance, it looks properly exciting, with a striking blue paintjob and, on paper, a classical recipe for a two-seater sports car. Look closer though, and this is not just any car, but one that marks the end of an era for Lotus, and coincidentally the beginning of a new chapter.While the apparently never-ending stream of super and hypercars pumping out insane horsepower figures like there's no tomorrow is all fun and games, what's the actual point? I mean, don't get me wrong, I get worked up over a McLaren Speedtail or Rimac Nevera just as much as the next guy. It makes me think though, aren't these kinds of cars, capable of speeds multiple times the limit on public roads, getting a bit too powerful, a bit too fast, and a bit too dangerous? So in all honesty, how much pow