Petrolhead Corner - Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este 2021
Every year, the vintage automotive world's creme de la creme gathers on the beautiful grounds of Grand Hotel Villa d'Este for one of the most prestigious car-related events. The Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d’Este is a Concours where 50 of the rarest and unique cars are reunited. Out of these 50 cars, built between 1920 and 2000 (roughly), a “Best of Show” is selected by a specialized jury. However, the event is more than that, as not only the 50 invitees are on display, but also other icons from prestigious car manufacturers past and present. It is a true celebration of the design and engineering of cars, hosted in breathtaking scenery. And for this year's edition, we were invited to join by A. Lange & Sohne, one of the event’s partners since 2012.Set on the incredibly beautiful shores of Lake Como, in the north of Italy, near Milan, the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este comes pretty close to motoring heaven. With a carefully curated selection of cars, invited

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

Hands-On - Chopard L.U.C Heritage Grand Cru (Specs & Price)
While it is commonly?accepted that watches are mainly round – a shape guided by the way time is indicated by hands – exceptions exist. Shaped-watches are not that usual and if some tried, only a few endured. Mastering shapes is something complex, which requires a bit of talent. This year, Chopard is enlarging its L.U.C Collection (the high-end range of the brand) with a montre de forme or form-watch, based on the barrel idea… And indeed, behind this new?Chopard L.U.C Heritage Grand Cru, there’s a certain wine inspiration – and overall?a handsome watch.BackgroundThere are a few things to know about Chopard. The brand was?founded in 1860, in Sonvilier, by Louis-Ulysse Chopard and was originally known for making ladies’ watches and pocket watches. In 1963, the brand became the property of the?Scheufele family (at that time managed by Karl?Scheufele, a watchmaker from Pforzheim, Germany). This family?have owned the company up to the present day, currentl

First Look: The new Louis Erard Regulateur Grave Noir
Sector dials, with their unique segmented layouts designed over a century ago for improved readability, have a lasting appeal that continues to inspire modern watchmakers. Today, many brands incorporate sector dial watches into their collections, and Louis Erard – founded in 1929 during the peak of this design’s popularity – is no exception. Its Excellence Petite Seconde series offers a variety of colourful models, including the lovely Petite Seconde Terracotta, as a fresh interpretation of this classic style. Louis Erard’s latest release, Le Regulateur Grave Noir, builds on the sector dial’s clarity and legibility, blending it with the brand’s signature regulator layout for a new look.The new Louis Erard Regulateur Grave joins the brand’s Noirmont Metiers d’Art collection as a permanent addition alongside the Regulator with the Grand Feu Enamel dial introduced earlier this year as a limited edition; the two watches share the same case de

In-Depth: The History of the ETA Unitas 6497 and 6498
How do a pair of manually wound, time-only, pocket watch-sized, potentially outdated movements introduced in the 1950s earn a place in our series on significant calibres, alongside the well-known El Primero and Valjoux 7750 chronograph calibre and the omnipresent automatic ETA 2824 and 2892? Several factors contribute to their importance. Despite seeming unusual today, the large diameter of these movements became a notable advantage during the mechanical renaissance of the 1990s. This era saw the international embrace of larger timepieces, a trend often credited to Panerai, which used the ETA/Unitas 6497 to power its reissues from that decade. The Lepine 6497 and its Savonette version 6498, known for their robustness, reliability, and accuracy, were well-designed and easy to regulate to chronometer standards. The 6497 is the most widely used teaching calibre in watchmaking schools, as it is easy to understand and handle. The versatility and adaptability led to these movements’ ad