Bvlgari Octo Roma Emerald Grande Sonnerie Unique Piece - Hands-On
An opulent marriage of Haute Horlogerie and Haute Joaillerie, Bvlgari’s colossally complex Octo Roma Emerald Grande Sonnerie is embellished with enough gemstones to pave a Roman road. Equipped with a four-gong Westminster chime with automatic winding regulated by a tourbillon, this impressive Grande et Petite Sonnerie is Bvlgari’s most complex timepiece to date. Assembled over nine months by one master watchmaker, it will not come as a surprise that this is a unique piece. As one of the few watchmakers capable of producing a Grande Sonnerie mechanism that sounds the time “au passage” Bvlgari adds its voluptuous Italian touch with a stunning high jewellery setting of bright green Zambian emeralds and diamonds.Chiming complicationsChiming complications, in all their modalities, are not new to Bvlgari. Although new generations will be more familiar with the record-breaking 2016 Octo Finissimo Minute Repeater or the stunning Diva Finissima Minute Repeater, Bvlgari c

Bvlgari Bvlgari Cities Special Editions 2020 (Specs & Price)
Even if most of the buzz has been generated around the successful Octo collection – and its multiple thinness world records – there is more than just one modern icon produced by the Italian watchmaker/jeweller. Based on a model introduced in the mid-1970s, the Bvlgari Bvlgari collection perpetuates this love affair between Bvlgari and its country of origin, with a deceptively simple design that actually incorporates multiple references to Italian culture. Today, the brand launches the Bvlgari Bvlgari Cities Editions 2020, inspired by the nine cities – Rome, Tokyo, Dubai, Paris, London, Ibiza, Milan, Mexico City and New York – that have hosted Bvlgari in the past.A 1970s BackgroundThe original design of the Bvlgari Bvlgari, with its signature cylindrical case and bezel engraved with the brand’s name and Roma, was first introduced in 1975 as a limited edition gift for 100 of Bvlgari's best clients. With its unexpected combination of a yellow gold shine, a cl

Hands-On: The IWC Pilot's Watch Performance Chronograph 41
As we approached the end of 2023, the landscape for those seeking an obtainable motorsport-inspired chronograph underwent a shift, offering a slightly broader array of options. This was spurred by the notable introduction of an extension to IWC‘s Pilot’s Watch series: the Performance Chronograph 41. Available in titanium to commemorate the brand’s enduring partnership with Mercedes-Benz AMG and in Ceratanium to pay homage to the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team, these releases sparked considerable excitement. We had the opportunity for a hands-on experience, and we’re eager to share our impressions.From the outset, it’s important to clarify that the new IWC Pilot’s Watch Performance Chronograph 41 models aren’t simply the standard Pilot’s watches with an added tachymetric bezel and appropriate branding. Rather, they represent IWC’s interpretation of the classic racing chronograph. They are not intended to replace the PilotR

Face to Face - IWC Portugieser Chronograph 3716 In-house Vs. 3714
Let’s play a little game of “spot the difference”… And before we allow you to turn the watches over and look at the caseback, it’s going to be a tough one. Indeed, there’s a new IWC Portugieser Chronograph, under the reference 3716, a watch that replaces a 22-year-old icon, the classic Portugieser Chronograph 3714. And looking at the opening photo of this article, you could have thought we photographed the same watch twice… but we didn’t. And let’s be honest, this is great news. No changes for the sake of change, just updating what needed to be updated. Let’s have a look at the new IW3716 versus its predecessor, the IW3714.Is this the new IW3716 or the old IW3714…? Hard to tell!Reminder: why the IWC Portugieser Chronograph mattersTogether with the pilot’s watch collection, the Portugieser is certainly the most famous IWC range. Classic, iconic, superbly designed, slightly dressy without being too formal – it&

Mido Commander Big Date 60th Anniversary Limited Edition Review
Back in 2018, Mido released the Commander Big Date to celebrate 100 years of watchmaking, an impressive feat for any Swiss brand given challenging events like World War II and the quartz crisis that ravaged the industry. The following year, a special edition debuted to mark the 60th anniversary of one of the brand's most prominent lines, the Commander. The Commander Big Date 60th Anniversary Limited Edition adds some red accents and dial changes for a new personality, and it just might be my favourite piece in Mido's entire portfolio.?BackgroundThe Commander debuted in 1959 and was chosen over the popular Ocean Star and Multifort lines to celebrate the brand's centennial. There are several Commander variants in Mido's collection, such as the vintage-inspired Commander Shade that harkens back to the 1970s and Commander Gradient Calibre 80 with a skeletonized aesthetic under a smoked dial. The Big Date models are the standouts with, according to the company, the largest big date aperture