Archive for October, 2007
Baume and Mercier Riviera XXL Jump Hour
The Baume and Mercier Riviera XXL Jump Hour reminds me somewhat of the Hublot $1m Big Bang, featured on this blog some time ago.
Here is the Baume and Mercier Riviera XXL Jump Hour:
and here is the Hublot $1m Big Bang:
The comments I made about the latter apply equally to the former. I have repeated them below, substituting Baume and Mercier for Hublot:
Don’t know about you, but the [Baume and Mercier Riviera XXL Jump Hour] does nothing for me. Not as a watch, anyway. I prefer to see it as an exquisite piece of jewellery. In my opinion, there are only so many diamonds this side of decadence.
Vacheron Constantin Malte Tourbillon Regulator
Another marvellous watch in the Vacheron Constantin Collection Excellence Platine, but nowhere near the Malte Perpetual Calendar Chronograph in beauty. As it turns out, the one thing that makes this watch stand out, is the one thing I do not like about it: I do not think that the shape of the case goes well with the actual design and finish of the dial. Maybe a round shaped case would have worked better.
Some specs. Movement: Manual-wind caliber 1790R, 22 jewels. 18,000 bph. The Power reserve: 40 hours. Water resistant to 30 metres. Regulator layout and Tourbillon.
Limited edition of 50 pieces (platinum).
Via Timezone.
Vacheron Constantin Malte Perpetual Calendar Chronograph
You all know how much I love Vacheron Constantin Malte watches. Here is the Malte Perpetual Calendar Chronograph. Simply beautiful. It looks different to many of the Malte watches I have come across, but none the less marvellous for that. I love the alligator leather strap, an understated but pleasing contrast to the platinum dial.
This watch is part of the Vacheron Constantin Collection Excellence Platine. Another watch in that collection is the Malte Tourbillon Regulator.
Some specs. Movement: manual-wind caliber 1141QP with 21 jewels. 21,000 bph. Water resistant to 30 metres. Power reserve: 40 hours.
Via Timezone.
Eberhard 120th Anniversary Chronograph
Remember that Eberhard 120th anniversary chronograph I mentioned here a few weeks ago? The one that was revealed to us in a shadow, as it were?
Eberhard informed us that it would be unveiling a new chronograph to mark their 120th anniversary. We were shown a picture of the chronograph’s display back (see below), and informed that the rest of the watch would be revealed later.
Eberhard has now unveiled the whole thing (see below). I must say, I didn’t expect it to look like this, but then again, I suppose the real fun was in guessing how it would turn out. But for the suspense generated by Eberhard in showing us only the display back, this watch would certainly not have caught my attention.
Longines Master Collection Retrograde with Power Reserve
I’m in love with retrograde display watches. I don’t own one yet, but this one is right at the top of the list.
The Longines Master Collection Retrograde with Power Reserve is truly a beautiful watch. In fact, this is the first time ever that I have preferred a watch with a stainless steel bracelet to its leather equivalent. Take a look below at the leather strap version of this watch, and you’ll see what I mean.
The stainless steel version has something fresh about it, and the steel blued hands seem to fit more naturally into the dial of that watch than into that of the leather one. I think perhaps the beauty of the dial totally overwhelms the leather strap, making it look unremarkable. It’s almost as if the strap is not good enough to carry off the brilliant dial.
No such problems for the stainless steel bracelet. It holds its own very well with the silver-finished dial, almost confronting, but staying enough in the background to allow the dial to show itself off to marvellous effect.
Some specs. Movement: Automatic Longines caliber L698.2. 23 jewels. 28,800 bph. Power reserve 46 hours.
