Watches NEWS
Introducing The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph Baguette Sapphires
A year after its grand 50th-anniversary celebrations, Audemars Piguet releases a 41mm white gold edition of the Royal Oak Selfwinding Chronograph embellished with blue baguette-cut sapphires and light blue panda sub-dials. Corresponding to the latest design evolutions applied to the Royal Oak family last year, the spirit of Gerald Genta's 1972 Royal Oak lives on in tones of blue ticking to the sophisticated in-house integrated flyback chronograph movement. The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph 26240BC with Sapphire?will be available exclusively in Japan from May 2023 before being released globally in July 2023.FaceliftThe facelift practised on the Royal Oak in 2022?– for the 37mm Selfwinding and 38mm and 41mm Selfwinding Chronographs?– was subtle and did not alter the iconic features of the watch. The tonneau-shaped case, octagonal bezel with eight screws, integrated bracelet and Tapisserie pattern on the dial were all respected. What it did involve, however, was a more
The Breitling 765 AVI / Co-Pilot Series of Watches - Part III - Monochrome Watches
The introduction of the automatic chronograph movement was a cataclysmic event for the Swiss watch industry. Up to this point there were only two kinds of watches: the self-winding watch, and the chronograph. In 1969 however this discord passed into history. A fusion of these two became a new reality. In this third and final part of the history of the Breitling 765 AVI / Co-Pilot we are going to examine the impact that the automatic chronograph had for the Avi-Co-Pilot family of chronographs up to their demise in the late 1970's.Returning to the AVI/Co-Pilot series we must stress that initially, the introduction of the automatic chronograph did not have any major impact?in the lineup. However, the year 1969 marked a radical departure. The watches grew up a little bit, from 41mm bezel diameter to a 42.4 mm diameter, however were still powered by the manually wound chronograph calibres. There were three ‘new’ references, plus one. First of all the ref.7650, which was basicall
Introducing: The MING 21.01... 35mm, Tantalum, Vintage Piguet Movement
Watches, like most products from industrial activities, are ruled by constraints and compromises – whether these are commercial, technological, design-oriented or economical. This is why we, watch enthusiasts, can often be rather disappointed by many new releases. Surely, independent watchmakers playing in a much higher price range can overpass some of these constraints, as a higher budget certainly helps in minimising compromise. Well, sometimes. What Ming Thein, founder of the MING brand and renowned photographer, had to deal with was another challenge… how would a watch designed entirely for himself, within feasible limits, but free of any other constraints look? That was the question of a group of collectors. The answer is here: the MING 21.01 “Project 21” and its rather unusual list of specifications…In 2023, Ming Thein was hosting a dinner in Singapore, and this question regarding a watch entirely designed for himself was asked to him. Could somethin
the brand new IWC Pilots Watch Timezoner Chronograph IW395001 - Monochrome Watches
For this 2016 edition of the SIHH, the entire Pilot’s Watch collection of IWC is about to be renewed, with first some highly cool vintage inspired editions but also the classics: the Big Pilot’s Watch and the new Mark XVIII for instance. However, IWC isn’t just about to refresh some known models but they are also?about to launch a brand new watch, which certainly is one of the most practical ever, as combining a chronograph and a world-timer, which permits the user to set a new time zone using just the bezel. Not the purest edition of them all for sure, but still a real novelty to discover now. Here is the?IWC Pilot's Watch Timezoner Chronograph IW395001.In terms of pilot watches, what are the needs: a superb legibility (in order to spot in a wink, whether during the day or at night-time, the required indication), the ability to make speed or consumption calculation (and thus a chronograph has a lot of sense) and the ability to know the time it is in the country you
NASA to Send Ultra-Precise, Miniaturised, Game-Changing "Deep Space Atomic Clock" to Space - Monochrome Watches
Knowing the time onboard a ship/vessel/spacecraft/vehicle isn’t just about knowing “what time it is”… It goes far beyond that! 18th-century maritime explorers knew that. In order to calculate their position around the globe (establishing their latitude and longitude), they needed to have one heck of a precise clock onboard – marine chronometers back then. Even though technology has evolved (to say the least), the concept remains the same for space trips… And NASA is about to launch a piece of equipment that will drastically change the way astronauts navigate – and yes, the underlying idea is to help them navigate to Mars and beyond!Navigation and timeAs surprising as it might be, time isn’t just a notion of “what time it is”. When travelling, it can take on an entirely different dimension. Something that maritime explorers were quick to understand. Time can, in this instance, be used to determine longitude by accurately measur