Geneva is today center of the watchmaking world. The most prestigious Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie is taking place from 16th to 20th September, and most of the new releases are being unveiled right at this spot. However, it was a very special day today also in Shanghai, where when legendary football player Diego Maradona took “Hublot One Million RMB Goal Shooting” charity challenge on the bund. To celebrate the event Hublot has created the second generation of Hublot Maradona limited edition watches – The King Power Maradona....

A couple of days ago I announced a new collection of women’s watches by Roger Dubuis. At that point we had official information only about the diamond-set watch crafted in pink gold. Now that SIHH 2012 opened its doors for exhibitors and visitors, wonderful new models of the Velvet collection are, one by one, slowly being unveiled. The impressive piece shown on the leading picture is Roger Dubuis Velvet Fine Jewellery watch set with 1,300 diamonds, totaling around 9 carats. According to the brand, the watch is an ode to femininity, crafted i...

In 2011, Vacheron Constantin issued a unique piece inspired by the work of Dutch artist Maurits Cornelis Escher. This watch, dubbed Dove, was offered for Only Watch 2011 charity auction. Now only a couple of months later, one of oldest watch manufactures in the world extends the Métiers d’Art collection with introduction of three exceptional pieces inspired by the art of Escher. Each of the models features a subtle and refined blend of graphic art and most demanding decorative techniques of haute horlogerie. Métiers d’Art – Les Univers Infi...

2012 marks the 100th anniversary of the creation of first tonneau shaped watch by Vacheron Constantin. To celebrate the occasion the brand launches four new models in the Malte collection, each of them bearing the new Hallmark of Geneva. In addition, Vacheron Constantin launches a new tonneau-shaped mechanical hand-wound tourbillon movement Calibre 2795. Malte collection is now redesigned to embrace new models distinguished by pure and refined lines, more contemporary in the terms of style and yet utterly classic in spirit. Four new models i...

The new watch is issued as an anniversary piece, honoring the 40 years of the Royal Oak. Back in November I wrote about Audemars Piguet Open worked Extra-Thin Royal Oak Limited Edition 40th Anniversary Watch, another dedicatory piece from this brand. The new Royal Oak Jumbo is made in the spirit of the original watch, and features a timeless Gerald Genta design. The watch boasts same proportions as the original one - 39mm in diameter - and uses the same AP caliber 2120. Slight changes noticeable on this model are actually careful reinterpre...

Roger Dubuis manufacture has just unveiled new Pulsion Collection inspired by the world of the Venturer. The collection is said to embody a certain image of raw virility shown through clear lines and firm strudiness. Each of the watches from this collection is equipped with mechanical movement, which makes them fall in the category of high-end sports watches. The new line offers various models including in-house made flying tourbillons and chronographs. As any other of Roger Dubuis watches, these also comply to the rules for Geneva Seal, which...

A watch that truly captures my attention today is made by Montblanc - Montblanc Timewriter II Bi Frequence 1,000. The watch is a fruit of a creative project that Montblanc manufacture undergoes every two years by making a piece in collaboration with a young watchmaker. This year the brand presents a highly complicated chronograph that can be used to measure times with 1/1000th of a second precision. The only other mechanical piece able to achieve such a precision is TAG Heuer's revolutionary Mikrotimer, which was unveiled in 2011 as a concep...

Marquetry or marqueterie is a special technique used to form decorative patterns by applying pieces of veneer to the surface. This technique is often used to embellish furniture, walls, floors, but it looks particulary delicate on small decorative objects such as jewelery and watches. The marquetry technique originates from the 16th century Florence and throughout its history various marquetry techniques have been developed. Most commonly, the veneers used for marquetry are made of woods but they can also include more precious materials such as...

In 2010, Maurice Lacroix revolutionised the mechanics of time with the invention of a square gear wheel, the first in watchmaking history. The now famous Masterpiece was greeted with acclaim. Today, the line continues with a model of the utmost refinement. Crafted in pink gold, this new arrival rests on a dark brown, almost black movement plate. This contrast further accentuates the hypnotic effect of its angular rotation, together with the geometric interlacing of straight lines and curves. Small seconds come to life before the eyes as the ope...

This time it is the Co-Axial 27 mm watch designed especially for increasingly demanding female clientele. The watch is, of course, powered by fine mechanical movement equipped with Omega’s Si 14 silicon balance spring - Co-Axial caliber 8521. Another wonderful feature of this movement is that it actually comes with a four-year warranty. The mechanical wonder is visible from the case-back that features a sapphire crystal see-through window. The watch is available in two basic variations – one crafted from 18-carat red gold, and the other made...

On July 18th 2011 an Asian women's football team won the FIFA Women’s World Cup Germany 2011, making one of the most important historical achievements in sports. Impressed by this remarkable success, Hublot commemorates the victory with Big Bang FIFA Women's World Cup 2011™ Winners limited edition watch, which will be sold exclusively at Hublot’s Boutique Ginza. The watch comes in a numbered limited edition of 100 exemplars, and all profits of the sales of 01/100 will be contributed to a Non-profit organization KIDS EARTH FUND (KEF). A custome...

Same as the piece issued last year (Chopard Happy Sport in black ceramic) the new model is available in a limited edition. It comes with an oval-shaped stainless steel case, with blue Roman numerals printed on the milky white enamel dial, and a lovely mobile heart with single diamond. The crown and the lugs are decorated with pink sapphire cabochons, perfectly matched with fuchsia pink crocodile leather strap. The watch is available in two versions. First of them is a limited edition of 150 stainless steel pieces, and it comes under the refe...

Like the rest of the DNA watches, the new piece is crafted from rare materials, recovered from the wrecks of Titanic. It is available in three options: steel, black PVD or red gold, each issued in its own limited edition of only 9 exemplars. This bold and unusual piece comes with an openworked dial that fully reveals complexity of the chronograph movement and delicacy of its tourbillon. Strongly inspired by the legend of the famous steamship of the White Star Line, the watch case is made of forged metal and shaped like the portholes of Titan...

Jaeger-Lecoultre Deep Sea Chronograph is not a tribute to any of their iconic models but simply another interpretation of traditional sporty watches belonging to the Deep Sea family. The watch features 41 millimeters in diameter, and it is crafted in stainless steel. It houses an automatic chronograph movement Cal 751G, beating at 28800 vibrations per hour, fitted with a large variable inertia balance and the ceramic ball bearings. The watch is water resistant to 100 meters. The new Jaeger-LeCoultre Deep Sea Vintage Chronograph will be avail...

Corum Admiral’s Cup Legend 38 Mystery Moon is immediately recognizable for its amazing and rich black mother-of-pearl dial adorned with the Sun and Moon. The celestial poetry, embedded in the design, reflects in two romantic indications: moon-phase display and a sunburst date indication. Everything is nested in twelve-sided case surrounded by 12 nautical pennants, with a bit slimmer, more feminine figure and even more rounded lugs. The case features 38mm in diameter and sparkles in the glow of 72 diamonds (0.58ct), skillfully arranged around th...

This year marks the 25th anniversary of Chanel’s first model in the Premiere series. To celebrate the occasion, Chanel offers a new piece, designed especially for women who appreciate fine watchmaking. The new Chanel Premiere Flying Tourbillon is a high-end mechanical timepiece that is, just like any other watch in the Premiere line, distinguished by its octagonal case, directly inspired by the shape of the famous bottle stopper of Chanel’s iconic No. 5 fragrance. The new watch is designed in collaboration between Chanel and the honored Swi...

The transparent tube circling around the dial is actually a liquid filled hollow that indicates the hours using the luminescent green fluid. The lower portion of the dial showcases two bellows, controlled by the movement mechanism. These are used to push the liquid, and draw it back again, in order to show the current hour. Minutes are shown in more traditional manner, using a separate sub-dial positioned at 12 o’clock. The small seconds dial is located at 9 o’clock and styled in the manner of water turbine. On the opposite side of the dial, at...

La Monégasque Flying Tourbillon features one of the finest complications in fine watchmaking. The watch is the latest model from Roger Dubuis, belonging to the masculine line La Monégasque. It is designed with the idea to offer watch enthusiasts the most prestigious of all complications, the one that also improves the precision of a watch - the tourbillion placed at the slightly off-centered position, appearing at 7 o’clock. The watch is crafted in pink gold, offered in 44-mm case, and sealed against the ingress of water to 50 meters. The di...

At the 2012 edition of the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie, Roger Dubuis presents two new collections, Venturer and the Diva, and unveils the most recent arrivals: Velvet for ladies and La Monégasque Flying Tourbillon, for gentlemen. Velvet is a line of watches designed for women and inspired by the dazzling and attractive spirit of the Diva. The central piece of this collection is this wonderful diamond-set watch crafted in pink gold. The graceful and bold design of the watch is influenced by the creator’s vision of a liberated w...

The new watch, is the first watch from this Swiss manufacture that uses in-house Co-Axial calibre 8605/8615 equipped with a GMT complication. This means that along to the central hour, minute and seconds hands, the watch comes with a GMT hand which revolves around the 24-hour indicator, enabling the wearer to keep track of the time in two distinct time zones. The piece is truly elegant, sculptured in a round 43-mm wide case and available in 18-carat red gold or stainless steel or, in a bicolor version in 18-carat red gold and stainless steel...

Hublot announces that Mr. Ricardo Guadalupe, former Managing Director of the Company, and personal friend of Mr. Jean Claude Biver with whom he has been working since nearly 20 years, has been appointed Chief Executive Officer effective January 1st 2012. Jean-Claude Biver will continue being engaged in the leadership of the brand, control of the products and communication strategies. Mr. Biver will now focus on the mission to pass his rich experience to others, as well as on his continuing personal commitment to watchmaking. Author: Mari...

The newest edition to Blancpain Women collection is this subtle and refined flyback chronograph named Saint-Valentin Chronograph 2012. The watch is crafted in white gold and sparkles in a dazzling glow of 2.95 carats of precious stones. The bezel, crown and the lugs are set with diamonds, while a single heart-shaped ruby adorns the caseband. The dial is made of engraved mother-of-pearl finished with a delicate marquetry-work motif. It consists of three white pearly hearts and eight sparkling diamonds. The sweep second hand is adorned with ti...

Montblanc Vintage Tachydate belongs to the Collection Villeret 1858 line of watches, and represents the first piece of this line that features both chronograph and date indication. The watch will be offered in a limited edition of 58 pieces white gold and 58 pieces red gold. This number isn’t chosen by chance – it is reflected in the long history of Minerva Watches, a brand established in 1858 in Villeret, Switzerland. This brand was acquired by Montblanc, giving a birth to an exquisite line of haute horlogerie timepieces named Montblanc Collec...

In the world of watchmaking, January stands as an important period of the year, marked by one of the most prestigious horology events - Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie. No less important is March, when the international watch and jewellery industry gathers in Basel to present their innovations at BaselWorld. This year, Baselworld launches on March 8, expecting around 1,800 exhibitors and more than 100,000 professional visitors from all over the globe. Baselworld 2012 – The World Watch and Jewellery Show Date: Thursday, March...

A couple of days before SIHH 2012, IWC announces the new TOP GUN Miramar watch that honors the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, located in sunny California. The new watch is something truly special in the line of IWC Top Gun watches, for it comes in a ceramic case. Another wonderful feature is that for the first time, the Top Gun watch doesn’t utilize Valjoux 7750, but an in-house flying chronograph movement - Calibre 89365. This is rather large watch, nested in a case of 48 millimeters in diameter, boasting distinctive military-style deta...

This highly complicated watch takes on the inspiration from Daniel Roth brand that Bulgari acquired some time ago without a clear public indication. According to the official information from the brand, this watch (equipped with Westminster Carillon chimes, four gongs, grande sonnerie, petite sonnerie and minute repeater) can chime over 433,500 times per a year, which is quite amazing. It takes around one whole year to build a single Bulgari Daniel Roth Grande Sonnerie Quantieme Perpetual watch, and the most demanding stage in the productio...

Rado, the ever innovative Swiss watchmaker, has now produced another world first, the Rado True Thinline. Already highly regarded for its form, function and contemporary design, the Rado True collection is set to revolutionize the world with its new line: Rado True Thinline, the world’s thinnest high-tech ceramic watch. Developing expertise Rado has taken its knowledge of high-tech ceramics to another, almost defiant, level. Pioneers of this high-tech material since 1986 in the watchmaking industry, and now producers of the thinnest cerami...

The partnership was officially announced at the gala celebration, which was held on December 9 and 10 2011, along with a major roulette tournament event. The lucky winner of the roulette table has also become the proud owner of this unique piece set with baguette-cut diamonds and rubies. This is the first time that the famous casino has offered a watch for the tournament. The watch is truly creative and unconventional, offering a blast of sensory effects through some very original complications such as blackjack or roulette and dice. The wat...

The brand has just unveiled new creation designed as a tribute to Monet's Water Lilies. The watch is oval in shape to evoke the purity and perfection of the celestial objects and their movements. The center of the watch-face reveals eclectic blue dial, made of fired enamel, in balanced harmony with delicate and refined glittering watch-case. This watch is crafted in white gold and embellished with 80 diamonds, approximately weighing 0.68 carats. It is devoted to Claude Monet’s "Water Lilies" series of paintings. This famous artist is known a...

The brand offers a selection of fine jewelery, rings, pendants, bracelets and even sunglasses. A wonderful Happy Heart watch that captured my attention is also a part of the Valentine’s Day offer. Chopard’s Happy Heart watch is great choice for any of your precious moments. This member of the Happy Sport family coveys your message of love, and also stands for the epitome of luxury and casual chic. The watch has a wonderful white mother-of-pearl dial adorned with three heart-shaped diamonds and sapphires. The precious stones are dancing be...

Movado has just released a new model named Red Label Calendomatic, inspired by the original Calendomatic watch that was first unveiled in 1946. Calenodmatic watches are distinguished by a complete date window on a dial. This new model uses an interesting aperture mechanism to display original centre date disc, while a convex window in the sapphire crystal magnifies the day date at 3 o’clock. Design also incorporates the small seconds indicator on the off-centered position, between 6 and 8 o’clock. The watch-case is made of black PVD-coated s...

The Panerai Radiomir Chronograph comes in a classic cushion-shaped case of 42 millimeters in diameter. Design is a successful blend of sporty and elegant, featuring visually appealing harmony of brown dial and golden case. Chronograph counters are also crafted in gold, as well as two inscriptions on the dial and crisp indexes. Indications on the dial include minute counter at 9 o’clock, small seconds at 3 o’clock and a central chronograph hand. Two oversized Arabic numerals and sword-shaped hands are coated in rich layer of Super LumiNova,...

Osvaldo Patrizzi, the renowned watch expert and the founder of the Antiquorum auction house, has just finished the work on his newest title in the Patrizzi Pocket Experts' Series. This time, Osvaldo Patrizzi writes about the Girard-Perregaux's iconic WW.TC World-Wide Time Control watch. The Patrizzi Pocket Experts' Series is a great source of information on all kinds of watches. Previous editions have included information about Rolex’s Cosmograph Daytona and Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona, Omega’s Speedmasters, and Girard-Perregaux’s To...

Hublot has just unveiled promotional images and technical information about their newest release. The new watch is an extravagant Big Bang automatic chronograph decorated with brown or green snake pattern, and arrives on the market in 2012. The watch is available in two colors and in two choices of material: crafted from stainless steel or 18-carat red gold. Both models feature 41 millimeters in diameter and have a bezel adorned with precious stones. The brown version is set with 48 baguette-cut Andalusites, Dark Smoked and Transparent Quart...

As the name suggests, the new watch will be using Hublot’s in-house UNICO movement and featuring a high-tech satellite display layout, something similar to Urwerk’s models. In the core of the watch lies HUB 1220 automatic GMT movement with 72 hours of power reserve. The dial reveals innovative design embodied in four GMT discs moving in the constant motion together with the hour hand. This inventive layout allows the wearer to instantly tell time in each of the time zones, by comparing the red lines and 24-hour indications to each of the cit...

Roald Amundsen was the first man ever to reach the South Pole. The link between these two men lies in the number of Assmann observation watches the famous explorer acquired before setting out on now historic exploration. One of the instruments he was carrying on this remarkable voyage was the superior navigational timekeeper crafted by the young Glashütte watchmaker Paul Löwe in 1907/08. The watch was used in conjunction with marine chronometers and other navigational instruments to determine precise position of the ship at the sea. Without Ass...

The limited edition of Yuvraj watches is issued in only 62 pieces. A part of the proceeds of the sale of this watch is going for the charity – straight to the YUVRAJ SINGH FOUNDATION e to support their initiatives to promote welfare in the areas of sports, education, health and environment. Yuvraj Singh was very excited about this new project: “As a child it was a dream to own a luxury watch. Now at 30, I not only own a watch but also have my name associated with the World’s most prestigious watch brand Ulysse Nardin. The caseback of the 62 pi...

This new A. Lange & Sohne watch is going to be officially unveiled at the upcoming SIHH 2012 exhibition, but a number of watch enthusiasts have already had a chance to see it live a couple of days ago in Dresden. As the ProfessionalWatches reports, the new Datograph AUF/AB Flyback Chronograph now receives a major update both from the inside and aesthetically. The watch-case is now slightly larger and features 41 millimeters in diameter. There is also a useful power reserve indicator, featured for the first time on the Datograph watch. The power...

Chopard Mille Miglia GTXL Special Edition Paul Miller Watch is available in stainless steel or 18-carat pink gold. The stainless steel version comes with a wonderful sporty black dial with Paul Miller Racing Logo. Golden version is more refined, featuring bright silvered dial with Paul Miller’s insignia. The most prominent detail on the watch is certainly its oversized power reserve indicator, designed in the style of a fuel gauge, which dominates the lower portion of the dial. When the watch is fully wound, the hand points to "F" indicatin...

The new OMEGA Constellation for ladies is beautifully crafted in contemporary style and powered by brand’s revolutionary mechanical movement Co-Axial calibre 8520/8521. The watch is crafted in 18-carat red gold and mounted on a skillfully polished golden bracelet. To make it even more glamorous, Omega’s watchmakers have set the bezel with 32 full-cut white diamonds, with a total weight of 0.50 carats. Watch-face reveals handsome mother-of pearl dial and 11 diamond-time markers, arranged along the rim. The watch offers hours, minutes and sec...

Often mentioned as the world’s favorite chronograph, Omega Speedmaster Professional or "Moonwatch" was the first watch worn on the moon during Apollo 11. This well-known and longest-produced Omega model this year comes in more contemporary interpretation that still preserves the core elements of the original Speedmaster Professional. The Speedmaster Moonwatch Chronograph OMEGA Co-Axial calibre 9301 is now crafted in 18-carat orange gold and featured in a 44.25 mm case, topped with a bold black ceramic bezel with tachymeter scale. The vivid o...

After five years of dedicated work and development, Cartier will finally unveil the amazing Cartier Rotonde de Cartier Minute Repeater, which is definitely going to be one of the most interesting pieces of next year’s Salon. This is not an ordinary minute repeater, but a revolutionary piece built upon a new watchmaking theory about the transmission of sound. A special attention is paid to the relationship between watch’s volume and weight, to ensure wonderful acoustics and power of 68 decibels. Cartier describes the core of their theory lik...

The new watch is designed together by Jet Li and Hublot master-crafters, and available in a limited edition of only 200 individually numbered exemplars. A portion of sale from this watch will be donated to Jet Li’s One Foundation. The watch is crafted in micro-blasted black ceramic, featuring a matte black open-worked dial with Chinese decoration on the face, with Yin-Yang symbol and the signature of Jet Li on the back. Another interesting detail is red-tinted sapphire crystal, which was also used for Hublot F1 Monza watch and, more recently...

This new alloy is set to revolutionize the characteristics of precious materials and may possibly be the material of choice for the high-tech industry. With this innovative material, Hublot literally demonstrates the “art of fusion” in watchmaking and even brings it to the next level. What they unveiled is actually a brand new alloy of gold and ceramic, dubbed Magic Gold. This is the world’s first scratch-resistant and inoxidable gold, graded 18 carat by the Central Office for Precious Metals Control. The new alloy is twice harder than the...

In addition to already announced Cartier models Masse Secrete Panther Décor and Cartier Cadran Love Tourbillon, the brand now presents a “grande complication” pocketwatch featuring a tourbillon, perpetual calendar and monopusher chronograph movement. The watch is crafted in white gold and designed in the spirit of the vintage pocket watches from the 1930’s. It boasts 59mm in diameter and houses mechanical hand-wound Calibre 9436 MC. The watch can be worn as a classic pocket watch or placed on a stand. It is delivered with a white gold chai...

The watch is revealed yesterday in brand’s new boutique in Milan, as a tribute to one of the rarest and most sought-after historical Reverso. In the 1930, Jaeger-LeCoultre manufacture offered watches with dials painted in wide variety of colors. Most of the customers bought neutral white, creamy, black or white watches, which are considered classic and universally flattering. However, it was the era of “Années Folles”, or Crazy Years, and there were a small number of those who choose red dials as a liberal expression of their effortless eleganc...

One of the most wonderful features about this watch is that it doesn’t actually use ETA movement. The new black movement, which was extensively promoted on brand’s facebook page is actually a high-quality Concepto movement built on 25 jewels and generously finished in the spirit of haute horlogerie. Concepto watch factory, founded in 2006, is developed as a response to the ETA decision to stop providing ebauches. Their first modular movement C2000 is based on the famous Valjoux 7750, and now available in a number of variations. Today the compan...

Edox is the official timekeeper of the Dakar Rally Raid in 2012, 2013 and 2014. This new limited edition piece honors the 2012 Rally, and it will be available for purchase in the early 2012, issued in only 500 exemplars. Each watch will be supplied in an exclusive presentation box. Edox Dakar Limited Edition is crafted in stainless steel, and has a solid 42 millimeters diameter. In the spirit of contemporary racing watches, the dial is made of black carbon fibre and graced with 2012 Dakar road map. Along the route there are three flag indice...

“In no other industry do you have one company supply all critical parts to the people who then compete directly with it”, said Nick Hayek, Swatch’s chief executive. Obviously, this sounds reasonable, but what are the consequences of cutting the supplies? If you think about it for a moment you’ll realize that a number of independent watchmakers and smaller manufacturers, who do not have large enough capacities to produce their own movements, will be forced out of business. The decision may endanger even the larger players such as Frederique...

As you can see on the leading picture it is the same well known oversized Chronofighter model, this time crafted in stainless steel and graced with silvered totalizers on a smooth black dial. The watch boasts 47 millimeters in diameter and has a domed sapphire crystal for protection. The case-back is covered with smoked sapphire crystal to partially reveal wonder of the automatic bi-compax chronograph movement G1733. The movement beats at 28.800 vibrations per hour and provides at least 48 hours of power reserve. A simple glance on a dial re...