The Breitling Watch Blog

I’ve always had a thing for Franck Muller. Perhaps it was earlier days spent listening to my father about how great the Franck Muller watches looked, but never bought one. They are pricey, so I don’t blame him. I tend to wait until an opportunity falls in my lap.. so this is only my second Franck Muller watch. My first Franck Muller was a Casablanca which had scratches on the Curvex Crystal and drove me crazy. I really really liked it aside for the crystal, but I did not want to send it in and have it replaced, so I traded it for another watch.

This Havana Hand-Wind is the same size as my previous Casablanca, but does not have a Bracelet, which the Casablanca did. Unfortunately for me, I realized too late that the Bracelet was what made that watch magical for me.

The Havana dial features a little bit more detailing than the standard exploding numbers Casablanca dials, with applied white gold indexes, sunken subdial and a lume-dot chapter ring. While I appreciate the design, it just doesn’t do it for me the way the exploding numbers dials do. I love the lumed exploding numbers on the plain Casablanca dial the best.. this Havana dial is a bit too sober for my liking.

A crown-side shot of the unique Cintree Curvex case, featuring the signed push-down FM crown. When looking at the side of the Cintree Curvex case, it reveals the unique shape of the case – one that’s not immediately apparent when looking directly from the front. Franck Muller contends that the Cintree Curvex design is an emalgamation of complex mathematics and three triangulated focal points that creates a very pleasing shape to the eye… kind of like the watch head shape version of Apple’s Retina Display. While I like the case shape, it is just like Apple: Less substance, more marketing.

A butt-shot, if you will. The standard engraved Franck Muller back, with the words “Master of Complications” on it – FM’s slogan. You can also see the 18K Gold stamps on the case back, signifying the precious metal case.

The case/box that the Havana comes in is uber-cool. It resembles a Havana Cigar, and even the label can slide off just like a real cigar! One side is rounded and the other flat. A nice little touch to make the watch a bit more deserving of its “Havana” namesake. The Havana came in several different models including the Master Banker and other more complicated versions. This is the base model.

Ah.. the movement shot. Displaying the decorated Franck Muller Caliber Ref 7500 movement, adjusted to 5 positions. The base movement is the Peseux 7001 17 Jewel Handwind movement. It looks nice, but lacks the Platinum Rotor of the automatic models obviously since it is a manual winder.

And finally the wrist shot. The 31x43mm case wears pretty decent for a dress watch, but when mounted on the alligator strap the watch lacks the impact and wrist presence of a bracelet-mounted model. While I think its a great looking watch, I have to say that I would much rather have this size of watch on the stainless steel FM Bracelet and that is the model I will seek out.

Specs:
Case: 18KT White Gold
Size: 31x43mm
Movement: Franck Mullter 7500 (Base Peseux 7001)
Strap: Alligator

GoS Watches releases another new model and is presented in a “Svep” woodwork presentation case hand crafted by Sture Nyberg, a Scandinvian woodcraft artisan. The Stockholm features mother of pearl dial with a cool Damascus Chapter ring, hands and crown. The watch also features a Hand Wound Alpina 592R movement. The piece will be produced in a limited production of 5 pieces.

Specs:

Case: 42mmx10mm
Lug width: 22mm
Glass: Flat sapphire glass
Movement: Swiss manual movement Alpina 592R
Dial: Mother of pearl for 4pcs 1/4-4/4, One piece 1/1 has a dial in blue Lapis Lazuli with small gold pyrites
Hands: Spear shape in hand forged Damascus steel
Index ring, rehaut: Fileworked and polished in hand forged Damascus steel
Crown: 8mm in finegrained Damascus stainless steel
Case finishing: All highgloss polished with Gustafsson & Sjögren logo on case side.
Strap: Handcrafted in Louisiana Alligator.
Presentation box: Individually crafted box in svepask technique.

“Stockholm – a new GoS model

The partnership between the bladesmith Johan Gustafsson and watchmaker Patrik Sjögren aims to provide truly unique watches with inspiration from the cold north of Scandinavia. GoS proudly presents the new model Stockholm, which has been designed in corporation with the owners of the exclusive watch store Fredmans Ur, the GoS retailer in Stockholm. The production of Stockholm is limited to five watches of which four pieces with a mother of pearl dial and a single piece with a dial in blue Lapis Lazuli. The dials in natural materials highlight the rich details within the handforged Damascus steel. Johan Gustafsson has achieved a very fine grained steel, which pattern is made visible through careful and time consuming hand finishing techniques.

The movement in the Stockholm model is the hand wound Alpina 592R from the 1950s, a NOS movement that has been thoroughly serviced and adjusted before the assembly in the GoS workshop. The Alpina movement beautifully display the characteristics and overall quality of watch movements from that era and has been kept in the original finishing. The deep beveling and the bridge shapes perfectly match the designs and shapes of the Damascus steel parts.

The Stockholm watch is the first model to be delivered in the new GoS presentation box. The boxes are individually crafted by Sture Nyberg, a local woodcraft artisan who is well known for his work which he regularly exhibit. The box is crafted in an ancient technique called “svep” in Swedish and is so specific to the Baltic region that it does not have an English name. The material is thin birch wood that is moisturized and bent over a round template. Birch root is then used to lock the shape with a seam.”

Win some Free Stuff on the forum. You have to be a member to participate, so if you’re not, please join!

Prizes are a XL embroidered Breitling T-Shirt and some cool Silicon ear plugs.

Link:
http://breitlingsource.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=27734

New record for speed on ice, that is. I didn’t even know they had a record for speed on ice, but I guess they do. Not that its not impressive… the new record is was set by a Bentley Continental GTC Supersports at over 330 km/h. or 205 mph.

There is also a new watch to commemorate the occasion. Its an awesome looking Breitling for Bentley Supersports Light Body watch which looks like a Breitling for Bentley Motors in Titanium with some cool red detailing on the dial. Its apparently going to be unveiled at Baselworld 2011. Stay tuned!!

The watch sure does bare a striking resemblence to the car!

“Breitling for Bentley announces a new feat enriching the impressive track record of achievements by the British
carmaker. Near Oulu in northern Finland, a special version of the Bentley Continental GTC Supersports set a new world speed record on ice by driving at the impressive speed of 205.48 mph (330.695 km/h), thereby shattering the previous record also set by Bentley with a Continental GT in 2007.”

CORUM – Golden Bridge Automatic

When it was presented in 1980, the Golden Bridge baguette movement made a deep impression and opened a new chapter in horology. Thirty years on, this exceptional linear movement still exerts its magic and once more finds itself at centre stage with, for the first time, an automatic version in a larger red or white gold case. And in the spotlight is the new CO 313 calibre, a linear movement demanding an exceptionally high level of horological savoir-faire. The two-sided dial and the case’s four sapphire crystal sides have been carefully structured to highlight this exceptional automatic movement. A limited edition, not surprisingly, with 130 watches available in red gold and 70 in white gold.

Movement
Automatic baguette with linear winding, CO 313 calibre, mechanism with slip-spring and variable-inertia balance, 194 components, 26 jewels, 28,800 vib/h, 40-hour power reserve. Platinum rotor, 18K gold hand-engraved plate and bridges, vertical guilloché decoration

Functions
Hours and minutes

Case
Tonneau, polished and satin-finished 5 N (18K) red gold or 18K white gold, 37.2 x 51.8 mm
4 sapphire crystals, shaped and cut
Sapphire crystal back to reveal movement
Fluted crown at 6 o’clock
Water-resistant to 30 m / 3 ATM

Dial
Black or grey
Applied hourmarkers
Gold skeleton hands

Strap
Black, hand-sewn crocodile leather with red or white gold buckle

De Grisogono is always pushing the envelope of creativity with their watches, ones that I know I’ll never be able to afford, but what the hey – They look awesome.

DE GRISOGONO – Meccanico dG

Following its worldwide success, the Meccanico dG is now being offered in a new exclusive version. A veritable technical masterpiece designed by Fawaz Gruosi and a treasure-house of virtuosity, this exceptional piece displays the time for two time zones on a double analogue and mechanical digital display. For the first time, these are in white rather than green or gold. The timepiece, which won the Grand Prix de l’Horlogerie in 2009, is a veritable interplay of contrasts with hourmarkers and micro-segments decked out in white to offset the watch’s dominant matt black appearance to greater effect. The dark alligator strap sets off a design that is both understated and impulsive. An exclusive foretaste of a special collection to be unveiled in its entirety at Baselworld.

Movement
Hand-wound, 28,800 vib/h, DF 22-93 calibre, 111 jewels, 36-hour power reserve

Functions
Hour and minute analogue display on the upper dial
Mechanical digital display of second time zone on lower dial

Case
Curved rectangular in matt black titanium, 55 x 51.40 mm
Sapphire crystal, front and back
Black rubber correctors and crown-cover
Water-resistant to 30 m / 3 ATM

Dial
Matt black brass with white hourmarkers
Two time-zone displays, analogue and mechanical digital, de GRISOGONO patent
White dauphine hands

Strap
Matt black alligator leather, matt blackened triple folding clasp

FREDERIC JOUVENOT – Solar Deity Collection

Here for the first time is a watch that tells the time without conventional hands, numbers or discs! Frédéric Jouvenot has achieved a real tour de force with its Solar Deity collection, named after the sunbeam design of its hour display. The path of the sun and the alternating day/night cycle are shown by means of 12 radio-concentric, three-dimensional rays. At midday, when the sun is at its zenith, all the sunbeams are golden to represent full daylight. As time passes, the sunbeams turn black one by one as day moves towards night. All the models are named after a god, like the Helios, which won the GTE 2011 Superwatch Award, or the Inti. A revolutionary, avant-garde timepiece offered in a limited edition.

Movement
Hand-wound, 42 jewels, 21,600 vib/h, 45-hour power reserve; balance with bi-metallic screws, rhodium-plated, Côtes de Genève bridges; ratchet-wheel with polished ridge

Functions
24 hours, minutes, and day/night indicator

Case
Black DLC-treated titanium, 44 mm
Anti-reflective sapphire crystal, front and back
Water-resistant to 50 m / 5 ATM

Dial
Patented hour display without discs or hands – 12 sunbeams for day/night indication
Central rotating disc minute indicator

Strap
Black alligator leather with titanium folding clasp

Other version
Inti: 18K pink gold case, Inca engraving on bezel and three-dimensional pyramids on dial, limited edition

Two new products from Clerc, one in their Hydroscaph diver style and one very unique model called the Odyssey Silicium, featuring some out-of-this-world materials!

CLERC – Hydroscaph Steel GMT

Clerc begins the year with the Hydroscaph Steel GMT, one of the world’s most sophisticated diver’s watches. Water-resistant to 1,000 metres, it revisits the underwater world in confident and dynamic style, resolutely geared up for adventure. Sporting a new material, colour and dial, the collection is optimised while maintaining its characteristic design features: the 103-part octagonal case, extreme readability, and the automatic helium valve.

Movement
Automatic, exclusive Calibre C606, 28,800 vph, 28 jewels, bevelled bridges adorned with “Côtes de Genève” motif and blued screws, 45-hour power reserve

Functions
Hours, minutes, seconds, date, dual time-zone display and power-reserve indicator

Steel
316L steel, 44.6 mm
Exclusive crown-activated rotating bezel mechanism
Automatic helium valve
Sapphire crystal with anti-glare treatment, front and back
Water-resistant to 1,000 m

Dial
Second time zone at 12 o’clock
Power-reserve indicator disc at 6 o’clock
Date window at 3 o’clock

Strap
Crocodile-patterned rubber with folding clasp

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CLERC – Odyssey Silicium

The Odyssey S is made from materials derived from aerospace industry research, such as its silicon regulating organ. The Manufacture-made calibre is equipped with twin barrels ensuring a six-day power reserve. A dial opening at 10 o’clock provides a view of the balance-spring and balance, protected by a blue-tinted sapphire crystal, while the countdown is read off on the inner rotating bezel, and the three-dimensional dial provides an admirable stage-setting for the various displays.

Movement
Automatic, Manufacture-made, twin-barrel Calibre C201, 45 jewels, 28,800 vph, black gold-plated bevelled bridges, six-day power reserve

Functions
Hours, minutes, seconds, retrograde date and power-reserve indicator

Case
Stainless steel and grade 5 polished titanium, 44 mm
Inner rotating bezel
Exclusive sliding protective mechanism for the pushers and crown
Sapphire crystal with anti-glare treatment, front and back
Water-resistant to 100 m

Dial
Openworked with balance visible through a blue-tinted sapphire crystal
Retrograde date between 1 and 4 o’clock
Power-reserve indicator at 6 o’clock

Strap
Black alligator leather with folding clasp