Vacheron Constantin Overseas Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin Skeleton Blue
Vacheron Constantin can boast close to 270 years of continuously amassed watchmaking expertise. With that, it is the oldest uninterrupted Manufacture currently in operation. It regularly showcases its watchmaking prowess through true Haute Horlogerie creations with traditional finishing techniques. It has always shown great skill in creating chronograph and calendar movements, of which the new Vacheron Constantin Overseas Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin Skeleton in blue is the latest form of expression.Ultra-thin watchmaking is essentially a complication in itself. The art of slimming down and rearranging components to mere millimetres is extremely challenging. Only a few Manufactures really master the traits to do this, of which Vacheron Constantin indeed is one. Although it might not break any records, the complex 18k 5N pink gold Overseas Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin Skeleton comes in at an acceptable 41.5mm in width and a wafer-thin 8.1mm in height. To put things into perspective, t

BEHIND THE SCENES - Introducing the TAG Heuer Carrera CH80, both the prototype and the one that will be released - Monochrome Watches
A few months ago, TAG Heuer presented a brand new in-house calibre called 1969. It was clear that Baselworld would be the place for TAG Heuer to present a new watch that with that movement. And they did come with a very nice one, the Carrera CH80, a retro-style Carrera inspired by the very firsts 1960's versions. What we didn't expect, was that the CH80 presented in Basel wasn't actually the final design and that some, small but significant, changes were planned. For that reason, we teamed up with our friend David from Calibre 11, the famous online Tag Heuer magazine, to introduce you the real' Carrera CH80.The first question that you might ask is why Calibre CH80 and not Calibre 1969? Officially, TAG Heuer did some (minor) changes on the calibre between its presentation and its official release in Baselworld. As 1969 was supposed to be a codename for the development of the new calibre, CH80 refers to the 80 hours of power reserve (initially 70 hours in the 1969). The other reason that

Introducing Patek Philippe 5470P 1/10th Second Monopusher Chronograph
If Patek Philippe is known for its elegant, superbly executed watches, the brand also has strong expertise in research and development, incarnated mostly by its Advance Research program. Today, just after Watches and Wonders, Patek unveils an entirely new and impressive chronograph, the first dedicated to the field of short-time measurement and precision. We talk here about a manually wound movement with two separate chronograph mechanisms and sweep hands, with a high-frequency and tenths-of-a-second display. And that comes with no fewer than 31 patents (7 of which are exclusive to this watch)… Sporty and novel design-wise and mechanically-speaking, meet the new Patek Philippe 5470P-001 1/10th Second Monopusher Chronograph.Chronographs are certainly a thing at Patek, which has been crafting these measurement instruments since 1856. Around 1930-31, the brand developed its first pocket watch with a tenth-of-a-second chronograph, which can now be seen at the Museum. Today, the brand

Jean-Marc Pontroue, CEO of Panerai, about Paneristi, Challenges and the Future - Monochrome Watches
Panerai is, without a doubt, one of the most followed brands in the industry - think Paneristi - and one of the watch manufactures with the clearest identity; remember that the Radiomir and Luminor lines found their roots in the 1930s. Being the CEO of such a company isn't an easy task and change is the main enemy, even though necessary. In order to understand more about the future of the brand, we sat down with its recently appointed CEO, Jean-Marc Pontroue (who can be seen here) to discuss all things Panerai.Frank Geelen – When did you get interested in watches? Was there a watch in the family that started things or anything like this?Jean-Marc Pontroue –?I have been working all my life in the luxury industry, mainly in fashion before moving to leather goods and accessories. Watches came rather late in my career path and I got to work on the development of the watch department for Montblanc in 2000. Then I moved to Roger Dubuis in 2011 and now I'm at Panerai. So, I'd say

Hands-On: The New TAG Heuer Carrera Skipper Chronograph
With 60 years of history behind its name, you can certainly expect the emblematic Carrera to have been offered in more than just a few editions. In fact, countless styles, movements and shapes have been used over the years. Some are, arguably, more iconic than others. In addition to the classic silver or panda dials found on the first-generation models, the brand has long been creative, releasing original dials such as the Montreal-inspired Carrera or, looking back at the 1960s, a version known to be one of the most collectable and most distinctive; the Carrera Skipper. The brightly-coloured, instantly recognizable regatta chronograph is back, 40 years after it disappeared from the collection.?The Heuer Carrera Skipper name refers to more than just one watch, however, a model in particular (which you can see below) surely defines the look of this watch. The Skipper has seen the light of day in 1968, and has been in production up until 1983. Although later versions of the Skipper used t