The New Limited Edition Montblanc TimeWalker II TwinFly Chronograph GreyTech.

During the SIHH watch fair in Geneva, Frank Geelen of the watch blog Monochrome got his hands on time with the new Montblanc TimeWalker II TwinFly Chronograph GreyTech, one of the highlights of the show. The watch is a new ‘Monochrome’ version of the stainless steel TimeWalker TwinFly that Montblanc introduced last year.

The new Montblanc Timewalker Twinfly Chronograph “GreyTech” is a Limited edition (888 pieces) and has a 43mm titanium case, automatic mechanical Montblanc caliber LL1100 (column wheel, flyback chrono). The watch is expected to be available in autumn of 2012.



Geelen's review of the new watch:
"The Montblanc TimeWalker II TwinFly Chronograph GreyTech features the impressive in-house movement, calibre MB LL100. Like the first calibre-family, which is used in the magnificent Montblanc Nicolas Rieussec Chronograph, it has a double mainspring barrel offering a power reserve of 72 hours and a twin flyback chronograph that is controlled through a column wheel and vertical clutch!

The in-house movement is very impressive and when considering the price of the TwinFly, it’s even better. The specifications and the fact it’s an in-house movement, are usually not found on watches in the same price range.



The case of the Montblanc TimeWalker II TwinFly Chronograph has the familiar TimeWalker design with skeletonized lugs. This particular GreyTech version, which is limited to 888 pieces, has a monochrome design. The dial is skeletonized to reveal the date wheel, which is grey with black numerals. The design of the case is in two tones of grey, both being the result of a different finish. The crown features the well-known Montblanc logo.



With a diameter of 43 mm it wears great and if you’re afraid it might be too large than by all means go and try one at a local AD. Because the case tapers from top to bottom, it wears relatively small, which is further enhanced because of the quite short lugs. Altogether it wears very comfortable. The material of the case, titanium, also adds to this because it’s quite light.



The Montblanc TimeWalker II TwinFly Chronograph GreyTech comes on a grey alligator strap, with a skeletonized titanium clasp.



The design of this version is quite distinct; sporty with an elegant touch. Not everybody likes a sporty watch and not everybody is into watches with a titanium case. During the SIHH I met several journalists, friends and other guests and discussed the timepiece with them. To my surprise everybody liked the watch and even before showing the watch, people were already staring at my wrist.



On Monochrome you can read a more extensive review. The conclusion will be the same; I’m (still) very impressed by the Montblanc TimeWalker II TwinFly Chronograph and I think the GreyTech with its ‘Monochrome’ design looks absolutely stunning." -- Frank Geelen for Monochrome



Specs:
Case: titanium
Diameter: 43mm
Height: 15.3mm
Water resistance: 30 meters
Movement: MB LL100 automatic
Jewels: 36
Frequency: 28’800 V/pH
Power Reserve: 72-hours
Functions: hours, minutes, flyback chrono, GMT, date
Strap: alligator strap

source: Montblanc

This Is One Wicked Watch. The Tourbillon RM 052 Titanium Skull From Richard Mille.

There are a lot of Skull watches out there. I've even blogged about a few myself. But this new Richard Mille Tourbillon RM 052 Skull Watch is different. The watches actual inner workings are integrated into the skull design.



In the RM 052 the baseplate and bridges take the form of a grade 5 titanium skull. Richard Mille has pushed the concept further by integrating this into the movement. The upper and lower jaws hold the rubies of the tourbillon cage.



The back of the skull is actually the movement’s center bridge. The skeletonized baseplate and bridges were subjected to rigorous testing to insure their optimal strength.



The entire movement is connected to the case by 4 bridges that are inspired by the crossed bones from flags on pirate ships. The new case design, with its opened flanks, continues this visual allegory to the human skeleton.

The incredible drool-worthy timepiece is available in a Limited edition of 21 pieces, which includes 15 pieces in titanium and 6 unique set pieces in red or white gold.

images and information courtesy of Richard Mille

Richard Mille

Racing-Inspired Watches. Autodromo Motoring Timepieces Are Just Your Speed.

Inspired by automotive instruments such as speedometers and tachometers, Autodromo Motoring Watches are a new collection of Swiss made wristwatches whose faces are minimal in design and reminiscent of vintage Italian racing-inspired style.

Just launched, the collection consists of three models, two available in two different finishes; the Brescia, the Vallelunga, with a white or black dial, and the Veloce in a black or stainless finish.

Brescia:



Vallelunga (white face):



Vallelunga (black face):



Veloce (stainless case):



Veloce (black case):



With quartz movements, sapphire coated crystals and leather straps, the watch cases measure 42mm in diameter and 10 mm in thickness and are designed for both men and women.




And the come beautifully packed in individual cases:


The Autodromo Story (courtesy of Autodromo)

INSTRUMENTS FOR MOTORING

Officine Autodromo was founded to recapture a romantic era of motoring. It was a time of Gran Turismo when driving from city to city wasn't just a matter of hopping onto an expressway. It meant slipping on your driving gloves for a high speed jaunt through the great roads of Europe with a powerful, sweet-sounding engine propelling you into new adventure, and maybe even a little danger. You can’t be out every day, blasting through alpine passes and winding country roads, but with an Autodromo timepiece on your wrist, your mind can be motoring, even when you are in the dullest of Monday meetings.


VINTAGE-INSPIRED MINIMALIST DESIGN

Autodromo watches and accessories draw aesthetic inspiration from the world of mid-century auto racing. Our products have a vintage feel, alloyed with a clean, uncluttered modernist design philosophy. Each new product is conceived as an artifact that might have existed in the past, but is equally at home in the world of today.

SWISS MADE MOVEMENTS – BATCH MADE QUALITY

Only the finest quality materials and the best Swiss Made movements are deemed suitable to go into an Autodromo motoring watch. And because we keep our batches small, we can ensure that each piece that goes out the door meets our exacting standards of excellence. Our goal is to offer beautiful design, attention to detail, and exquisite craftsmanship at prices that represent a smart allocation of resources. With Autodromo, you can live well and drive well.

PROUDLY INDEPENDENT – OBSESSIVELY DRIVEN

Everything we do, from our motoring watches to the custom wrapping paper we ship each purchase in are designed in-house by our small, passionate team. We build products we are passionate about, and approach each and every new project with the goal of crafting a special and memorable experience for the discerning customer. That’s our obsession.- Autodromo

Each stylish watch retails for $425 and can be purchased at their website.

A special shout-out to Brian Jones for bringing these to my attention.

A Luxury Watch That Looks As Though It Could Hop, The HM3 Frog By MB&F.

above: The newest HM3 Frog is the Chocolate frog. Red gold with Chocolate PVD coated titanium in a limited edition of 10 pieces

MB&F presents Horological Machine N°3 Frog. Haute horlogerie is (usually) a very restrained and serious business; however one of Maximilian Büsser main goals in creating MB&F was to bring a child's sense of awe and sense of playfulness into high-end watchmaking. There is no doubt that with the HM3 Frog, MB&F have certainly achieved that goal.

The protruding eyes of the (amphibian) frog enable it to see in many directions without having to turn its head. The bulbous domes of the HM3 Frog have the opposite, but no less important, feature of enabling the time to be easily seen from many angles without having to turn the wrist. The Frog differs substantially from HM3 in that it is the aluminum domes that rotate under the sapphire crystals in the Frog, whereas it is the hour and minute hands that rotate around their respective stationary cones on HM3.

The HM3 Frog is available in Grade 5 titanium with blued rotor, a limited edition of 10 in chocolate PVD-coated grade 5 titanium with red gold rotor, or a limited edition of 18 in black PVD-coated zirconium with purple rotor:


Rotating domes of this size and shape posed MB&F with a number of technical challenges. The hour and minute domes are machined from solid aluminium - chosen for its optimal strength to weight ratio. The domes weigh in at just over 0.5g. They are milled first from the outside and then the inside to arrive at a paper-thin wall thickness of just 0.28 mm, which reduces their energy requirements to an absolute minimum.

Even the fabrication of the semi-spherical sapphire crystal domes was incredibly demanding and only recently even possible at all. This is due to the fact that any slight imperfection in the sapphire might introduce a disconcerting magnification effect. The sapphire has to be shaped and polished to be perfectly uniform.



The Frog's unusual method of indicating time necessitated the development of a new gear train for the HM3 engine. This was because the aluminum hour dome of the Frog rotates in 12 hours compared to the 24 hour revolution of the HM3 hour hand. And as the oversized date wheel is driven from the hours, the gearing driving the date had to be reworked as well.



The Frog may portray the time in a playful manner, but there is nothing but serious and meticulous attention to detail and care regarding the fine hand-finishing of the high-tuned engine purring within its lightweight high-tech titanium or zirconium case.

A close inspection of the case is rewarded with carefully thought out detailing including a figure 8 engraved around the domes that mirrors the form of the display back(revealing dual ceramic bearings); distinctive clover-head white gold screws; and an engraved arrow discreetly indicating the easy to read over-sized date.


above image courtesy of ablogtoread

If the viewer's gaze manages to break away from the obiculate indications, it is likely to be arrested by the brightly-coloured 22K gold battle-axe winding rotor or the intricacies of the thoroughbred movement beneath.

the original HM3 in Grade 5 titanium with blue rotor:


The limited edition of 18 in black PVD-coated zirconium with purple rotor:



a limited edition of 10 in chocolate PVD-coated grade 5 titanium with red gold rotor




Case
Grade 5 titanium/blue 22K gold rotor; limited edition of 10 chocolate titanium/22K red gold rotor; limited edition of 18 black zirconium/purple 22k gold rotor
 Screwed-down crown. 
 Dimensions (exclusive of crown and lugs) 47mm x 50mm x 16mm
. Number of case components = 53.

Movement
Three-dimensional horological engine designed by Jean-Marc Wiederrecht/Agenhor
. Powered by a Girard-Perregaux base. 
Balance oscillating at 28,800 bph
 22K gold battle-axe shaped 'mystery' automatic winding rotor. 
Hour and minutes information transmitted via ceramic ball bearings to rotating domes. 
Number of jewels 36 (all functional)
. Number of components = 304.

Functions
Hour and day/night indicator on one dome (aluminium dome rotating in 12 hours). 
Minutes on second dome (aluminium dome rotating in 60 minutes)
. Date around the movement.

Dials
Rotating aluminium domes, stationary hands
Sapphire crystals
Domes and both display backs with anti-reflective treatment on both faces
. Domes for indications in aluminium, 0.58g

Price ranges from $82,000 to $100,000 USD

And you gotta love the Horolobot!:

all images and information courtesy of MB&F

Visit MB&F for more information

All The Opus Watches (1 through 11) From Harry Winston & Various Horologists.

In 2001, Harry Winston launched the Opus series. The Opus concept was based on the idea of creating an exceptional timepiece each year in partnership with a gifted independent horologist. The partners work together as equals and collaborate to produce innovative and groundbreaking luxury watches.

Parmigaini Fleurier Redesigns Their Limited Edition Bugatti Watch.

Parmigiani Fleurier, the official partner of Bugatti since 2001, unveiled the second generation of its Bugatti models. The follow-up to the Bugatti Type 370 is a special first edition of 30 pieces, The Bugatti 372 made to accompany the release of the Bugatti Super Sport.

The Bugatti 372, Parmigiani's Super Sport Watch:



In 2004, Parmigiani revolutionized the world of watchmaking by placing the entire movement of its Bugatti Type 370 watch on a transverse axis, just like a car engine block. A pillar assembly connected the calibre's five plates and the train wheels cut in the shape of a car wheel.

The Bugatti 370:


In 2010, Parmigiani flips all the mechanical components of the new calibre Bugatti PF 372 onto a vertical axis, retaining the lateral time display so appreciated car drivers. *




In a world premiere, Parmigiani has successfully developed a 90° time setting system – the dial is positioned perpendicular to the display axis (hours/minutes) – by integrating a system of double pinions with bevel gearing. Like the complete movement, this unique and complex mechanical system, which allows the time to be displayed on the side, has been entirely designed and created in the workshops of the Fleurier manufacture (VMF).




Another key feature of the new Bugatti: its dynamometric crown. Perfectly integrated just above the profile, this is one of the essential technical components in terms of the harmony of the model's aerodynamic lines. To retract the winding stem from its housing and make it accessible for setting, a slight pressure is sufficient.



The manually wound Calibre Parmigiani 372 (power reserve of 10 days) was designed in two planes in order to match the contours of the new Bugatti watch. On the wrist, the watch movement is displayed at an angle of 30°. On the upside, the balance and escape wheel bridges form an arc reminiscent of the Bugatti oval. The screw balance, produced at atokalpa – the Parmigiani manufacture's bar turning facility – is perfectly visible, just like the central circular power reserve bridge with a 10-day graduated scale.





Striking aesthetic characteristics, the train wheels are once again cut in the form of car wheels, the plate and its 10 bridges, designed and decorated in line with Parmigiani's exclusive criteria, adopt the pillar system already used on the Calibre 370. A total of six sapphire crystals reveal the 337 impressive components of the new Bugatti Super Sport, which is water resistant to 10 metres. The carbon fibre hour wheel can be seen through the dial's openworked centre, and is an homage to the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport. The hands, applique indexes and counter are picked out in the same shade of orange used on the limited edition "world record" Veyron.



above: Bugatti Veyron Super Sport. © Bugatti

The profile, signature of the Parmigiani style
The highly tapered profile of the Bugatti Super Sport recalls the body of a wing, however the inspiration for the design lies in the iconic shape of the case lugs on a Parmigiani watch. Boasting the brand's characteristic curves the new Bugatti represents the decisive signature of the Parmigiani style.



Highly ergonomic on the wrist, the Bugatti Super Sport offers even greater comfort thanks to the two removable lugs incorporated at the front of the watch. Of a complexity rare in watchmaking, the design of the new Bugatti's 18 ct white gold case – created by Les Artisans Boîtiers, the Parmigiani manufacture's case production facility – reproduces the taut lines of the Bugatti Veyron's wings. Brushed or polished, inclined planes and bevels are brought to life by contrasting light effects to reveal its generous volumes. The watch's aerodynamic curves, which are reminiscent of those on the 1200 bhp Bugatti Veyron, are matched with an integral Hermès strap specially created for the occasion.

Parmigiani CEO Jean-Marc Jacot expressed delight that his company was able to produce this watch, and produce it quickly. He explained that in the fall of 2009 Bugatti approached him with the news the car company would have something very special to unveil at the Concours d’Elegance in 2010. The idea was for Parmigiani to also have something to show there in tandem. At the time, the watch was nothing more than a concept; to meet the challenge, he put more than forty of the manufacturer’s designers and engineers on the project full-time. “We have a lot to prove with Parmigiani because we are so young,” said Jacot. “And with this watch, we have proven how creative we can be.”

The Type 372, was officially released at the SIHH in January. Only thirty watches will be produced, each costing a retail price of $259,000. The first finished timepiece has already been reserved for the British executive who will be receiving the first Bugatti Super Sport car off the assembly line. When Jacot was asked if he thought the 1.6 million euros the man is paying for the Bugatti was enough to warrant receiving a free Parmigiani watch, he responded, “I wish I could, but this watch is too special to give away, even for 1.6 million euros.”

*based on an original idea by Bastien Leuba, a talented student at the Ecole d’Horlogerie in Le Locle.


Specs:
Model: Bugatti Super Sport, 30-piece special edition.

Movement
PF 372
Manual winding.
Power reserve 10 days.
Two-plane movement. "Gold black"-coloured plates and bridges.
Height 15.96 mm, width 25.00 mm, length 37.01 mm.
Vibration 3 Hz - 21,600 vib./h.
40 jewels.
Côtes de Genève, perlage, polished and bevelled angles.
2 series-coupled barrels.

Functions
Hour
Minute
Power reserve indicator

Exterior
Shaped case: 36.0 x 50.7 mm, height 22.7 mm.
Material: 18 ct white gold. Polished and satin finish.
Water resistance: 10 m.
Six anti-reflective sapphire crystals. Metallised front and top crystal on the outer edge.
Single dynamometric crown for time setting and winding.
Individual number engraved on the case-back.

Dial
Black Carbon face, fine polished and satin-finished EB applique marker, shaped and polished applique indexes at 3 o'clock and 6 o'clock, Bugatti "nail" motifs, delta-shaped hands with luminous coating.

Leathers
Hermès alligator, deployant buckle in 18 ct white gold, polished finish.

press release and images courtesy of Parmigiani Fleurier additional images courtesy of Worldtempus

Bugatti
Parmigiani Fleurier