Watches from the JTH N°1 (Feb. 24)
Coming to you live from the Frank Sans C studios, it’s the Special Watchmaking News Bulletin (JTH). This new format by the leading French watchmaking channel includes news reporting, celebrity interviews, commentary, and above all new releases which captivated our editorial team! Stay tuned for the second instalment of the JTH coming on February 26th!
AUDEMARS PIGUET, Royal Oak Concept Flying Tourbillon Volant ‘Tamara Ralph’
The Royal Oak Concept Flying Tourbillon ‘Tamara Ralph’, a collaboration between Audemars Piguet and Tamara Ralph is taking the watchmaking world by storm. This sumptuous whirlwind of a watch, a 102-piece limited edition, is sure to turn some heads with its mesmerising multi-layered dial.
Inspired by Tamara Ralph’s creations, this electrifying timepiece hypnotizes with its four rose gold layers. Each layer is a unique colour with the inner-most layer a chocolate brown (galvanic coated), bronze (coloured lacquer) for the middle layer, and rose gold and yellow gold tones (galvanic coated) for the outer-most layers. The tourbillon carriage at 6h creates the illusion of a gravitational pull towards the centre of the dial. The tourbillon complication is crafted with three rose gold rings and an off-centre disc, set with 19 brilliant-cut diamonds.
This hypnotic display is housed in a 38.5mm rose gold case with a Frosted Gold finish. In 2016, for the 40th anniversary of the Royal Oak feminine collection, Caroline Bucci reintroduced this traditional Florentine technique, breathing new life into the collection. This technique is carried out by beating the gold with a diamond-tipped tool.
The tiny indentations created by countless strokes give the surface a captivating shimmer, similar to that of a snow-setting. This sparkling effect is highlighted by the hexagonal design of the case that plays with light and colour contrasts. Equipped with a hand-wound mechanical movement, the intricate calibre can be glimpsed through the sapphire case back. The flying tourbillon limits the effects gravity has on the inner workings of the watch, making it more precise.
This fashion-inspired timepiece comes with a bronze-toned pearly alligator bracelet (large square-scales) and a complementary brown leather bracelet that is slightly iridescent.
102-piece limited edition – Price on request
Click here to read the full Royal Oak Concept Flying Tourbillon ‘Tamara Ralph’ technical sheet.
AUDEMARS PIGUET WATCHES WEBSITE
BREITLING, Chronomat Automatic 36 Victoria Beckham
Collaborations between watchmakers and fashion designers are all the rage right now. This time, it’s Breitling’s turn to present its new Chronomat collection titled ‘Chronomat Automatic 36 Victoria Beckham’. This limited-edition collection boasts six variations, three yellow-gold and three stainless steel models, all water resistant up to 100m. The colour pallet is straight out of VictoriaBeckham’s Spring/Summer collection and includes peppermint, midnight blue, dove grey, and sand.
On this stainless steel 36mm iteration, green takes centre stage. This model effortlessly blends modernity and tradition with its very stylish ‘rouleaux’ bracelet. Once again, Breitling’s watchmaking expertise is manifested with the in-house automatic calibre, COSC-certified, equipped with a 42h power reserve.
€5,500
HERBELIN, Newport Carbon Titanium Automatic
The 43mm case of the Newport Carbon Titanium, which is water resistant up to 200m, blends the sturdiness of carbon and the lightweight nature of titanium. This new addition to the Newport collection certainly fits right in, with its central lugs, a porthole shaped bezel, the winch-like screws, and the ship’s wheel engraved on the crown. The timepiece stands out a map of the seabed in Saint-Malo etched on the deep blue dial, a clever nod to the starting point of the Route du Rhum 2022 transatlantic race. A very clear day/date aperture at 3h also adorns the dial on this model, and the bezel is equipped with a minute circle. Forged in carbon to withstand the unforgiving weather out at sea, this instrument comes with an FKM Rubber strap, a Sellita automatic movement calibre, and a 41h power reserve. The oscillating weight, engraved with the ‘Herbelin’ moniker, can be glimpsed through the transparent case back.
€1,999
Click here to read the full Herbelin Newport Carbon Titanium technical sheet.
HERBELIN WATCHES WEBSITE
RADO, Anatom Automatic
Released in 1983, the Anatom by Rado is a modern incarnation of a 1930s model, one of the Masion’s very first watches. The practically square-shaped case is proof of Rado’s desire to create original and innovative timepieces. Truly fit to become one with whoever wears it, this watch feels quite organic with its smooth and graceful edges.
Initially equipped with a cylindrical sapphire crystal with a silver metallic case, this new collection, chiefly organic, is crafted in black high-tech ceramic. It still retains its original cylindrical sapphire crystal case, but this time encased in black PVD-coated stainless steel.
The dial has a horizontal brush finish with a sfumato shading from black on the periphery to green, blue, and brown like on this model.
A neo-vintage variation of this classic watch has been unveiled for its 40th anniversary: the Anatom Limited Edition. The exclusive timepiece comes with a polished black lacquer dial with eleven baguette-cut diamonds as indices, a black rubber strap, and an automatic calibre. The beating heart of this watch is equipped with a Nivachron™ spiral – magnetism resistant – that can be seen through the transparent case back, and a 72h power reserve.
Anatom Automatic – €3,750
Anatom Automatic 40th Anniversary Edition – €11,300
Click here to read the full Rado Anatom Automatic technical sheet.
BLANCPAIN x SWATCH, Bioceramic Scuba Fifty Fathoms Ocean of Storms
The sixth showpiece of the celebrated Blancpain x Swatch collection has arrived. Now, the lunar sea joins Planet Earth’s five oceans – matching the five previous iterations.
The Ocean of Storms – based on the Latin ‘Oceanus Procellarum’ – is a lunar sea, visible in the western corner of the surface of the Moon, is the largest of them all (2,500km wide). This model, like its fellow models, is equipped with a SISTEM51 mechanical movement, a magnetism resistant Nivachron™ spiral and a 90h power reserve. The 42.3mm case is crafted in bioceramic material and houses a black sunray finish dial with finely contrasting white luminescent hands and indices – for seamless readability in any situation.
The black bioceramic one-direction rotating bezel with an anti-scratch coating insert enhances this model. It is water resistant up to 91m and comes with a NATO strap made from recycled fish nets. The real wonder, however, is on the flip side of the timepiece: a digital print of an Okenia Luna nudibranch on the rotor. Add to this the illustration of the Ocean of Storms on the oscillating weight.
€400
Click here to read the full Blancpain x Swatch Ocean of Storms technical sheet.
DUBAIL x BULGARI, Octo Finissimo watch, Dubail Edition
The Octo Finissimo collection by Bulgari, reinterpreted many times and boasting eight world records for thinnest watch, joins forces with the French Maison Dubail for a special 30-piece limited edition watch. Crafted in black PVD-coated titanium, the case is 40mm in diameter and only 5.53mm thick. Its skeleton dial shows off the minute gears of the hand-wound mechanical calibre and this elaborate maze can be seen through the sapphire crystal of the dial.
This model is also equipped with a discreet power reserve indicator a t 9h, a small seconds-hand located between the 7h and 8h indices, and perforated rose gold hands. A gorgeous engraving of Place Vendôme adorns the case back, as well as an etched ‘Limited Edition for Dubail’. Another neat detail that will surely please any observant collector is the serial number engraved on the crown. This special Octo Finissimo comes with a very exclusive boxset designed by Bulgari.
€30,100
Click here to read the full Bulgari Octo Finissimo Dubail Edition technical sheet.
JTH – ‘LE COUP D’OEIL DE JEAN LASSAUSSOIS’
Our friend Jean Lassaussois just received the latest and deepest deep-sea diver from Omega’s Summer Blue collection – we made a video covering the collection in July 2023. You can read our article ‘Eight shades of blue’ and check out the video we filmed in Mykonos if you wish to dive deeper into these watches.
OMEGA, Planet Ocean Ultra Deep 6000M
€14,300
Click here to read the full Omega Planet Ocean Ultra Deep 6000M technical sheet.
LASSAUSSOIS LES MONTRES LES BIJOUX WEBSITE
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