The watch was announced earlier this year, and these could be the first official images of the new divers' watch. We're still waiting for the official press release and full technical specifications, but the one thing I can say for certain at this point is that the new Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Diver in forged carbon is going to be much lighter that the classic Royal Oak Offshore dive watch. The reason for this lies in the innovative case material, and the famous Swiss brand has put a lot of effort to invest significantly in forged...

The watch is a sequel to the famous RM 10 Black Night, wich was announced in 2010 as an adaptation of the original RM 10, designed for the Richard Mille Polo Team. The new RM 016 Black Night follows the same line of inspiration, and arrives on the market as a limited edition RM 016 crafted from black DLC-treated titanium and highlighted with the vibrant red accents. This limited edition RM 016 is nested in an all-black, flat, rectangular case, mounted on a red rubber strap. Even though it looks slender, elegant and simple, the manufacture and...

Girard-Perregaux’s Tourbillon With Three Gold Bridges is one of the most emblematic pieces for this renowned Swiss brand. The original Tourbillon with three gold Bridges was launched back in the early days of horology, in 1889, at the Universal Exhibition in Paris. The watch was at that time awarded with a gold medal, and for until this very day it remains a symbol of high-end horology, elegance and technical excellence. Every now and then, Girard-Perregaux issues a special limited edition Tourbillon with Three Bridges, paying homage to the...

The voyages of Christopher Columbus are of greatest significance in world history. This admiral and navigator from Spain have made four voyages to the America, with first of them resulting in a discovery of the New Continent. The Admiral of the Ocean Sea have run the fleet of three ships: Santa María, nicknamed Gallega (the Galician), and two smaller caravels, Pinta (the Painted) and Santa Clara, nicknamed Niña. La Santa María de la Inmaculada Concepción was the largest of three ships used in Columbus’ first voyage, and even today it remains a...

Hublot has just unveiled a piece made entirely from black ceramic, with an image of a skull on its dial. The watch is named the Skull Bang, and it arrives on the market under the slogan “A Rock’n’Roll Rebel.” The guy you see on our leading picture, who wears the Skull Bang on his wrist, is not a rock star but actually Laurent Picciotto, the owner at the Paris based Chronopassion. Laurent Picciotto is also known as a serious high-end watch ambassador, and we already saw him in numerous collaborations with famous watchmaking brands including Coru...

The new split-seconds chronograph and perpetual calendar from Patek Philippe - Ref 5204 – is the last chapter of the traditional trilogy of Patek Philippe chronographs with in-house movements. The classic manually wound Patek Philippe chronograph now comes in three different variations, with the most recent one that combines both split-seconds complication and perpetual calendar complication. The mechanism used in this instance is hand-wound CHR 29-535 PS Q calibre that also provides indications for hours, minutes, seconds, day/night indication...

The famous American jewelery house Harry Winston has just celebrated the grand opening of its first retail Pavilion in Shanghai which is, at the same time, the largest Harry Winston salon in the world. Numerous celebrities gathered for a ribbon cutting ceremony, and the occasion was also marked by three special new limited edition timepieces: The Red Premier Feather, Midnight Tourbillon, and Midnight Shikumen. The Midnight Shikumen Limited Edition Shanghai timepiece is designed for ladies, and it features distinctive Shikumen motif on a...

The celebrated clover motif – known as the Alhambra design – is one of the most emblematic creations of the Van Cleef & Arpels maison. The Alhambra motif is offered in a variety of jewelry and watchmaking creations, and the most recent one is a delicate Alhambra Talisman timepiece designed to decorate the wrist with dazzling good luck. New Alhambra Talisman watches are based on an innovative and refined design that combines beauty of the diamonds, luxurious mother-of-pearl, and precious metals. The case of this watch measures 40mm in diamete...

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II celebrates sixty years on the Throne this year. To mark the occasion, Jaeger-LeCoultre - the Official Timekeeper of the Diamond Jubilee Pageant - created a special limited engraved version of its iconic Reverso watch. The watch bears the insignia of the Diamond Jubilee Pageant, along with a commemorative message. The watch is truly exclusive, issued in a limited edition of only 6 pieces for men and for women. It is crafted in noble pink gold and mounted on a black alligator strap. Women’s version of the Diamon...

Hublot has just presented a watch made in tribute to the partnership between the Société Nautique de Genève and the famous Swiss brand. The occasion was the Décision 35 Alinghi's first race outing that took place yesterday in Geneve. The new series of watches, Hublot KING POWER ALINGHI 4000, is limited to only 100 exemplars and designed to meet all of the challenges of serious water sports. The new watch is made completely from carbon and designed to withstand the extreme pressure at depths of 4000 meters. This is a diver’s piece sculptured i...

The first perpetual calendar watch from Ulysse Nardin manufactures was launched back in 1996. The main feature of this model was that it allowed forward and backward adjustment of all calendar functions over a single crown. The result was, of course, an extraordinary watch that not only relies on technical innovation but also brings a significant improvement of the user’s comfort. Over years, the original El Toro was reinterpreted many times, and this year brings another more refined descendant of the original El Toro Perpetual Calendar. The...

First time that I mentioned Blacksand Geneve was in February 2011, just before the brand was to debut on BaselWorld trade fair. Their premier model was the Blacksand Uniformity, which was later accompanied by its Joaillerie version. This year’s BaselWorld saw a couple of new editions from Blacksand – the Blacksand White Sea Turtle, which I already introduced in one of the previous articles, and this new single-pusher chronograph, named Blacksand Stratographe. The new watch is designed for all sport enthusiasts and it arrives on the market in tw...

Natalie Portman is the new ambassador of Richard Mille. The Swiss watch brand hosted an intimate dinner in New York City, a couple of days ago, to honor the Academy Award-winning actress and welcome her officially. For the gala dinner, Natalie Portman chose to wear a diamond-set variation of Richard Mille's original watch for women: the RM 007 Automatic. The RM 007is a lovely feminine watch created to the same exacting standards as the Richard Mille range of watches for men. It uses an automatic movement with unique patented rotor system co...

If you followed our news section for last couple of months, you’ve certainly noticed an article about Officine Autodromo, the brand that was announced here at Luxois as a new star in watchmaking galaxy, almost half a year ago. Autodromo wristwatches are vintage-inspired time instruments made for racing fans. In the first article about Autodromo, I wrote about Vallelunga, Brescia and Veloce models, inspired by the gauges on the dashboard of 20th century European race cars. Now, the young brand that revives the spirit of vintage Italian racing la...

Linea is one of the most successful collections made by Baume & Mercier. This range of timepieces was first launched in 1980’s, soon becoming the symbol of style and femininity. The range was recently updated, and now the brand makes one step further and introduces very nice selection of interchangeable seasonal straps for Linea wristwatches. Baume & Mercier introduced interchangeable bracelets for the first time in 2000. The idea was, of course, to make their timelessly elegant watches even more versatile, and to meet all of the needs of i...

The newest addition to the Majestic Beijing collection by Jaquet Droz is an extraordinary simple watch crafted in stainless steel. Elegance and simplicity is what Jaquet Droz wants to highlight with this new piece, which is so clean and simple that it appears as one of a kind creation. The watch comes in a 43mm-diameter polished steel case fitted with a black Onyx dial. The time telling function is here reduced to the simplest possible level where a single centered-hour hand marks the flow of time on a 24-hours scale. The minute and second h...

The new watch from Officine Panerai is this automatic caliber piece dressed in a Radiomir case and endowed with 3-day power reserve. The watch is fully designed, assembled and tested in the Officine Panerai manufacture, and it utilizes the automatic winding manufacture movement caliber P.9000. The newest Radiomir model arrives in a polished steel case with 45mm in diameter, fitted with brand’s proprietary sandwich-style dial. This means that the dial consists of a couple of layers, or discs, where the luminous material is applied onto a bott...

Breitling has just announced that they are offering an exceptional five-year warranty on all models equipped with their manufacture calibers. The company started production of their own in-house movements back in 2009, developing the Caliber 01. Over years, the company’s engineers have used this movement as a basis for creating world’s best chronograh mechanisms, superior in the terms of performance, functionality and reliability. Today, half of the Breitling’s range is equipped with their in-house movements. The brand has also established a...

Ulysse Nardin presents its latest addition to the Marine Diver collection – the beautiful Blue Sea marine chronometer, which functions both as a diving instrument and a gorgeous watchmaking piece. The watch is a sporty elegant creation, crafted from stainless steel and powered by Ulysse Nardin’s automatic movement Calibre UN-26. Thanks to the superior mechanism, this chronometer offers no less than 42 hours of power reserve and a load of useful functions such as small seconds and large date (at 6 o’clock) and a power-reserve indicator (at 12 o’...

Richard Mille is the Principal Partner and the Official Timekeeper of Le Mans Classic Competition, which is one of world’s most celebrated vintage cars racing events. This year’s edition of Le Mans Classics will be held from 6th to 8th July 2012, and the famous watchmaking brand has just unveiled two new limited edition watches to celebrate the event. Both pieces are strongly inspired by the racing cars, and the main principle in their construction was to create a coherent whole from the movement and the mechanism, thus ensuring perfect legibil...

One of the watches from this year’s BaselWorld which I find especially interesting is the new Hamilton Khaki X-Patrol. This is another aviation-inspired watch by the American watch brand whose aviation heritage dates back to 1919. That was the year in which Hamilton’s aeronautical watch escorted the very first American airmail postal service between Washington and New York. Today the Hamilton range includes various aviation-inspired watches, and this particular one Hamilton Khaki X-Patrol, is the latest among them. Hamilton Khaki X-Patrol is...

This is exactly what the Freelancer collection is all about – the independence of a spirit of the brand that builds up on tradition while constantly evolving. All of the models in the Freelancer range are distinctively urban and designed in line with modern style and personality of contemporary public. Raymond Weil Freelancer Lady Sunshine is named after a sunray guilloché decoration placed at the center of its dial. The motif is engraved in delicate mother-of-pearl and paired with gracious pink gold indexes topped with bright white diamonds...

For thousands of years, people looked up at the night sky to measure and keep track of time. The Egyptians have been first to develop timekeeping instruments that relied on star movements. These were alternatives to shadow clocks, which relied on the sun and were useless at night or when the weather is cloudy. The first of these instruments were aligned with Polaris, the North Pole star, and the time was measured by observing certain celestial bodies as they crossed the north-south meridian. In 2012, Movado presents the Red Label Skymap, a...

The latter celebrates the 200th anniversary of the creation of the first wristwatch in horological history, commissioned by Caroline Murat, Napoleon’s sister and the Queen of Naples in 1810, and finally delivered in 1812. Moreover, the House of Breguet is also taking the opportunity to commemorate the 10th anniversary of its Reine de Naples flagship ladies collection. Following the undeniable success at the launch of the Geneva exhibition, Breguet is now taking it on a world tour. As of today, what is now a traveling exhibition is being success...

Audemars Piguet is the Official Timekeeper of the Tour Auto vintage rally show, since 2006. This year, the Tour Auto Optic 2000 gathers over 220 classic cars driving on the finest French roads. The rally sets off from Paris on April 16th aiming to reach Nice after five days of rally driving. Audemars Piguet marks the 21st edition of the Tour Auto Optic 2000 with a special commemorative piece. The Royal Oak Offshore Chrono Tour Auto 2012, is an exclusive 150-piece limited edition watch featuring the rally colors. The watch boasts colors of t...

A truly exceptional piece will come up for auction at Christie’s in Geneva on May 14th. It is an extraordinary rare pocket watch made by Abraham-Louis Breguet, the leading watchmaker of his day, and one of the greatest horologists of all time. Abraham-Louis Breguet is the founder of the Breguet watch brand, and creator of many pieces designed for the members of the European nobility: King George III, Marie-Antoinette, Alexander I of Russia, George IV of the United Kingdom, Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington and even Napoleon Bonapart...

For last couple of years, IWC has been releasing special editions of Pilot’s Watch to commemorate the life, work and achievements of the famous French author Antoine de Saint- Exupéry. Saint- Exupéry was a poet and a pilot who mysteriously disappeared over the Mediterranean on his last assigned reconnaissance mission in July 1944. He is best remembered for his novella The Little Prince (Le Petit Prince), which was voted the best book of the 20th century in France and became one of the best-selling books ever published. In 2012, IWC dedi...

Cyrus debuted in 2010 as a young watchmaking company from Switzerland, born out of the desire to preserve solid and essential values in the field of luxury products. Their flagship model is certainly the extraordinary Klepcys, which was developed by one of the greatest contemporary masters of watchmaking - Jean-Francois Mojon, who is also the winner of the Best Watchmaker Prize of the 2010 Geneva Watchmaking Grand Prix. It took Cyrus no less than three years to develop the Cyrus Klepcys, but the result was an amazing watch with three major fun...

The finishing is done using the technique of fillet engraving (gravure à filet) which is one of the most rarely used, and almost extinct traditional engraving styles. It originates from the village of Fleurier in Canton Neuchâtel, where Choprad manufacture has been established since 1996. Fillet engraving is distinguished by raised decorations created on various metal surfaces, typically on gold movement bridges. This artistic craft differs from other decoration techniques by the fact that the engraver creates a motif by sculpting it rather tha...

On May 14th 2012, Richard Mille will auction the RM 033 Sentebale at Christie’s Important Watches sale, in Geneve. The watch is an automatic caliber piece crafted in 18k red gold and mounted on a black rubber strap with red gold buckle. Colorful highlights on its dial are inspired by the Sentebale logo and repeated one more time on the back sapphire glass. The watch is powered by a skeletonized automatic winding movement, and it offers a great diversity of superior features: hours and minutes, integrated off-center monoblock platinum rotor, fre...

Here is the part of the official press release from the brand. The photos are also courtesy of Vacheron Constantin. An extension of its website, Vacheron Constantin’s new iPad application, now available free of charge from the App Store, offers rich content and incredible ease of use: Available from the App Store, in English Free application Can be used offline Sharing options (e-mail, Facebook, Twitter) Regular updating and renewal with new content throughout 2012. Novelties, Collections, Favorites, Movements, Videos, News...

Zenith Pilot Doublematic is one of the most recent releases from this brand, aimed to frequent travelers and business people who communicate with clients from all parts of the world. Zenith Pilot Doublematics watch utilizes a handy worldtime function, showing the time in all world timezones simultaneously. The flange that surrounds the dial shows time in each of the major metropolises of the world. The second disk, half black and half white, indicates day or night. Matched with a chronograph function, the Zenith Pilot Doublematic has two bar...

DeWitt’s fabulous Academia Seconde Retrograde, one of the main models of DeWitt watch collection, was launched in 2003. Now almost 10 years after, the manufacture releases new Seconde Retrograde watch, which is now presented in a more classical, more slender Twenty-8-Eight case. The new edition pays a tribute to the famous Academia Seconde Retrograde watch, a piece that significantly contributed to the growing popularity of the brand, being one of their first bestsellers. DeWitt Twenty-8-Eight Seconde Retrograde watch is crafted in 18-carat...

If you live in New York, or you will be traveling there from 21 April to 15 September 2012, make sure to visit the Forbes Galleries on 62 Fifth Avenue and enjoy the stunning display of the largest historic collection of gunmetal watches from mid to late 19th century. This exhibition, named Steel Time, features 200 unique watches made between 1850 and 1910. The collection on display in Forbes gallery is assembled by Jean Aubé, and MONTRES JOURNE S.A., the guardian of this collection, exhibits it for the first time in the United States. Let me...

Jaeger-LeCoultre, a manufacture with 179 years of expertise, was the in the first to be established Vallee de Joux, Switzerland. From its very origins, the workshop has played a huge role in the history of watchmaking. Their most recent release, haute joaillerie Montre Extraordinaire La Rose wristwatch, teaches us that the history of wristwatches is actually a history of women’s watches. Over the centuries, women have transformed the aesthetics of watches and introduced new ways in which they were worn. The first watches for women appeared i...

One of the BaselWorld novelties from OMEGA’s workshops is the completely new version of brand’s renowned De Ville Chronograph. This beautiful new watch combines the most innovative technology with brand’s long tradition and distinctively classy design. The new chronograph utilizes Co-Axial Calibre 9300/9301 and it is equipped with Omega’s Si14 silicon balance spring. This actually means that anyone who purchases this watch can enjoy a 4-year warranty.

Maurice Lacroix launches two new timepieces in the Les Classiques Tradition collection. Both models are symbols of the refined harmony of Swiss quality and style, which is what this collection stands for. The new elegant pieces are available in pink gold and stainless steel, delivered in a slim polished cases and offered with a choice of two different dials. One of the watches is designed for men, and it features 38mm in diameter. The other one is much smaller, designed for women, featuring 28mm diameter. The golden model also comes with two...

Hublot's tribute to the Antikythera Mechanism movement, of which we have already reported on a number of occasions in 2011, has earned its place in Archaeological Museum of Athens alongside the remains of the original vessel. The Antikythera Mechanism is probably the worlds most famed astronomical calculator, whose remains were discovered in Greek waters in 1901. The apparatus itself probably dates from the 2nd century BCE and it was used to measure cycles of the sun, moon and other astronomical figures. Hublot unveiled the replica of th...

IWC Schaffhausen is launching the “Official Watch of the German National Football Team”. This is the third time that famous Swiss manufacture launches a special edition for the German Football Association (DFB). The watch arrives on the market in a limited edition of only 250 exemplars. The final countdown for the EURO 2012 the UEFA European Football Championship has already begun in Poland and Ukraine, and we've already seen two special UEFA watches designed by Hublot to celebrate this occasion. Now the German football team gets their own d...

Ulysse Nardin has been producing marine chronometers since 19th century. This year, the brand unites the old tradition with the recently introduced UN-118 caliber in a brand new craftily designed model 2012 Marine Chronometer Manufacture. The central piece of the collection is a limited edition watch graced with a handicrafed enamel dial. Each one of the dials in this limited series is produced by Donzé Cadrans, who is one of the world's most renowned enamel-dial experts. The watch comes in a large case with 45mm in diameter, crafted in pi...

At this year's BaselWorld, Zenith introduced a new watch model called Zenith Espada. These rather simple and highly-wearable watches with classic Zenith look captured the attention at the most important trade show of the watch industry. Not only that they have a beautiful design but they also arrive on the market at very affordable price, envisioned as entry-level models. Zenith Espada Gold What immediately comes to the center of attention is the El Primero inscription on the dial. El Primero is the first automatic chronograph movemen...

Girard-Perregaux has updated the classic 1966 Chronograph, which now comes in slightly larger case of 42mm in diameter. According to the press release, the new diameter is developed in response to demand from Girard-Perregaux's clients. The clients have also wished that the updated design maintains its pure lines and timeless elegance, and the famous Swiss brand was surely able to meet their wishes. Extending the proportions of Girard-Perregaux 1966 Chronograph are adopted to make room for the measurement of short time periods and to improv...

OMEGA Speedmaster is possibly one of the most famous watch models ever produced, while the manual winding Speedmaster Professional or "Moonwatch" remains the longest produced timepiece in watchmaking history. The Omega's Speedmaster was the first watch worn on the moon during Apollo 11 mission, as well as on the first American spacewalk during Gemini 4 mission. This watch, originally introduced in 1957 as a sports and racing chronograph, was qualified by NASA for space exploration on 1st March 1965. However, much before this, the first OMEG...

Only two weeks later, on 15 April 1912, the epic ship sank after colliding with an iceberg in the North Atlantic Ocean. This terrible disaster resulted in deaths of 1,514 people including wealthy aristocracy, who wished to cross the Atlantic on the most luxurious and the largest ship at the time, as well as poor emigrants from the Old World, seeking better life in North America. This is one of the greatest tragedies of the 20th century, and certainly one that could have been prevented if only the correct safety regulations were applied. At the...

The third boxed set in the “Métiers d’Art La Symbolique des Laques” collection contains three beautiful watches graced with the ancient Japanese technique of “maki-e” lacquering. The set is a result of collaboration between one of the oldest Japanese lacquer houses, Zôhiko, founded in Kyoto in 1661, and Vacheron Constantin - the world’s oldest watch manufacturer. Vacheron Constantin Yukimi watch, maki-e decoration The “maki-e” translates as “sprinkled picture” and it consists of gold or silver dust finely sprinkled on wet lacquer . T...

The original Space Invaders watches were issued last year as two 78-piece limited series. The distinguishing detail of two series is their dial, having the Space Invaders painted in different colors or coated in Super-LumiNova. For 2012, RJ-Romain Jerome launches monochrome SPACE INVADERS, lacquered in blue, red, green, purple or yellow. Each of the pixel invaders measures 3.5mm, they're machine-made and hand applied on the dial.

At this year's BaselWorld, OMEGA has unveiled the new models of the Planet Ocean collection. The Planet Ocean range was already updated in 2011, but this year the brand offers two completely new Planet Ocean Ceragold models, distinguished by a ceramic bezel with a diving scale made of innovative material named Ceragold. Ceragold is actually a zirconium-based ceramic. The Omega Ceragold technology allows the bonding of 18-carat gold in ceramic and it is used to create ceramic bezels with golden numbers and scaling. The gold isn't just applied...

Rugby as a sport is a perfect choice for Graham London, a brand that has been the Official Timekeeper of the RBS 6 Nations Championship for a couple of years now. The brand newest ambassador is known as one of the rugby's most prolific try-scorers, and a member of the England squad for the Six Nations Championship, where he scored score four tries in a single match against Italy, in 2011. Chris Ashton was recently named in the England senior elite player squad for the forthcoming Six Nations. Graham Swordfish Booster Blue On the leading pic...

The Queen Elizabeth II Cup was established in 1975, continuing to run annually each spring till the present day. In 1995, it became an international event and in 1999 Audemars Piguet became the official sponsor of the race. The watch is inspired by a cushion-shaped pocket watch from 1923 and crafted in pink gold. It features a vintage white lacquered dial graced with Arabic numerals and hands made of 18-carat gold. The case-back is sealed with sapphire crystal, to provide a view on the inner mechanism. It bears commemorative inscription “Aud...

The new Piaget collection, inspired by the changing seasons, offers wonderfully decorated dials adorned with seasonal motifs such as flowers and bees, leaves and snowflakes. Very romantic and delicate, gem-set golden decorations are floating and rotating above the dial propelled by even the smallest movement of the wrist. The rotating decorations are something new for Limelight Collection. This innovation is possible due to the invisible rotating system, developed by Piaget's craftsmen in the brand's workshops. These feminine wristwatches ar...