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Previewing Piaget Emperador Coussin XL 700P
It has become known among educated watch enthusiasts that Piaget makes its mechanical movements in-house. What is less known is that Piaget is one of the very few Swiss watch brands that also makes its own quartz movements in-house as well. The brand paid tribute to this dual technical heritage at SIHH 2016 with the…
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Previewing Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar in Yellow Gold
Why yellow gold, you might ask — a material that has in recent years fallen out of vogue in the watch aficionado community. Audemars Piguet, whose motto “To break the rules, you must first master them” is on bold display here, refers to it as luxury watchmaking’s “most elemental material… the universal emblem of indestructible…
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Watch Review: Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Gyrotourbillon
The Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso is easily one of the most iconic and recognizable watches ever made. The rectangular-shaped, double-faced watch is celebrating its 85th birthday this year, and we were teased with some novelties late last year, but they saved the big reveal for SIHH 2016. The Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Gyrotourbillon watch is a limited edition…
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Previewing IWC Big Pilot’s Watch & IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the IWC Pilot’s Watch as well as the line’s revamping for SIHH 2016, and the brand seems intent on tapping into its quite illustrious history. The new IWC Big Pilot’s Watch is not getting any major redesign, but there are several aesthetic changes that overall work well and…
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Omega Dive Watches That Never Made It Into Production
Of course, among all these exhibits are quite a few dive watches, given the Omega watch brand’s rich history in manufacturing watches for underwater use. Along with a comprehensive lineup of past and current Omega Seamaster watches, discovered four prototype watches on display at the museum that we felt were worthy of attention. • A…
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Reviewing Omega Caliber 9300 Watches
In 2011, a few years after the introduction of its in-house-developed-and-produced Caliber 8500-family of movements, Omega introduced the Caliber 9300 chronograph movement, which was also entirely developed and manufactured in-house. This impressively large caliber has the brand’s renowned co-axial escapement, a column-wheel mechanism, and a silicon balance spring. The movement has a 60-hour power reserve.…
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Reviewing Breitling Transocean Chronograph 1915
The Breitling Transocean Chronograph 1915 marks the 100th anniversary of a major design innovation that we too often take for granted on contemporary chronographs. In the early 20th century, all chronographs were monopushers, with the controls for starting, stopping, and returning the timer to zero all placed in the crown. In 1915, Gaston Breitling, son…
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Reviewing Heuer Autavia 2446 “Jochen Rindt”
Once the bug bit me, the only remedy was to track down “the watch”. I absolutely had to find a Heuer Autavia 2446. To me, within the pantheon of rotating bezel 60’s sports chronographs, the Autavia has always acted the part of Zeus. Specifically, the 2446 2nd Execution screw-down case models reign supreme. There’s just…
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New Oris Carl Brashear Limited Edition Hands-On Watch
Oris might not be the first watch manufacturer to introduce a dive watch in a bronze case, but the company certainly managed to link its first attempt at one to an important milestone in the history of diving: as its name indicates, the Oris Carl Brashear Limited Edition (Ref. 733 7720 3185) is dedicated to…
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Reviewing Jaeger-LeCoultre Geophysic
There is a commonly used phrase within the watch community with regards to the watches produced by Jaeger-LeCoultre: “watchmaker’s watches,” the implication being that the market segment JLC fulfills is exclusively a niche for people who know exactly what they want, and know why “what they want” matters. Now, I would not fully argue for…
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Reviewing Breitling Super Avenger II Chronograph
Our next selection represents a step up in size, and in mechanical complexity. The Super Avenger II boasts an impressive 48-mm-diameter, polished steel case designed to provide maximum strength and reliability. Water-resistant to 300 meters, the case includes substantial lateral reinforcements for improved shock protection. An extra-thick anti-glare sapphire crystal protects a display that employs…
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Reviewing World’s Thinnest Tourbillon (2013): Arnold & Son UTTE
Introduced at Baselworld 2013 by the revitalized Arnold & Son brand, the UTTE (initials are for “Ultra Thin Tourbillon Escapement”) quickly garnered attention when it became — without necessarily meaning to, according to Arnold & Son head of movement development Sebastian Chaulmontet — the thinnest tourbillon watch on the market. The watch’s case, available in…