The Breitling Watch Blog

Blacksand burst onto the watch scene last year at Baselworld 2011 creating some very impressive looking timepieces. Their new watch, the Stratographe, features their first completely in-house designed movement, the Calibre 2002. The watch features a monopusher chronograph, and some beautiful looking parts.

Specs:
Single-pusher chronograph with crown-activated start/stop/reset functions
Blacksand column wheel and index assembly Central 60-second chronograph hand – 30-minute counter at 3 o’clock Small seconds at 9 o’clock – hand-wound – 50-hour power reserve – 28,800 vph – Chamfered mainplate and bridges, black satin-brushed, sandblasted and circular-grained decoration Chamfered straight-grained steel parts. Polished screws.
Case 46mm in Titanium and Ceramic or Gold.

There’s always a showstopper every year, and one of them this year is the Opus 12 from Harry Winston. This is a hell of a timepiece and an absolute stunner. The Opus 12 will be a limited edition of 120 pieces in 18kt White Gold. The 46mm case will house the new Calibre Opus 12 featuring a whopping 80 jewels and 607 parts!

This watch is flat-out cool. No doubt about it.

In preparation for Baselworld 2012, new watch models are being announced by many of the participants. Always an exciting time of year! One of Blancpain’s annoucements is a very fine timepiece with a beautiful dial and white gold case.

40mm Solid 18K White Gold Villeret Case with beautiful blue Sunburst Flinque lacquered dial with retrograde seconds and pointer date complications. Flinque is a technique that involves putting on several layers of translucent lacquer on the dial to create an impression of depth. One of the more exciting features of this timepiece is the In-House Blancpain caliber 7663Q featuring 34 Jewels and 3 Day Power Reserve. Crystal is AR coated Sapphire and the case is Water Resistant to 30m.

Hell of a watch – the dial looks absolutely outstanding!

And the movement looks fantastic too!

Finally, a Corum Admiral’s Cup watch that I like!

CORUM – Admiral’s Cup 46 Chrono Dive

Corum’s extreme sports range introduces a new model and a new function with the Admiral’s Cup Chrono 46 Dive. Although slightly smaller, it features the same clean lines and strong design as its predecessors. Its highly recognizable 12-sided case is made of grade 5 titanium and water-resistant to 300 meters. The dial in subtle shades of gray is encircled by an inner flange bearing the 12 nautical pennants that are the signature of the brand.

Movement
Automatic, CO753 calibre, COSC-certified, 28,800 vib/h, 27 jewels, 48-hour power reserve

Functions
Hours, minutes, small seconds, date and chronograph

Case
Grade 5 titanium, 46 mm
Unidirectional rotating bezel
12-sided, cambered, anti-reflective sapphire crystal
Screw-down titanium back
Water-resistant to 300 m / 30 ATM

Dial
Black
Hour, minute and small seconds counters at 6, 3 and 9 o’clock respectively
Luminescent hourmarkers, hands and chevrons
Date window at 6 o’clock

Strap
Black vulcanised rubber with titanium buckle

DUBEY & SCHALDENBRAND – Grand Shar DB

The Grand Shar DB is immediately captivating, but only on closer inspection does the brand’s characteristic attention to detail become evident. A chronograph movement with state-of-the-art finishing, a sculptural case, pushpieces and horns with alternating polished and satin finishing, and a dial of contrasting volumes with recessed counters flanked by large elongated Roman numerals. Every detail is another testimony to Dubey & Schaldenbrand’s expertise.

Movement
Automatic, Valjoux 7750 calibre, 28,800 vib/h, 25 jewels, circular ribbed decoration, openworked and DS personalised rotor, 48-hour power reserve

Functions
Hours, minutes, seconds, date and chronograph

Case
316L stainless steel, 44 mm
Anti-reflective convex sapphire crystal and sapphire back
Water-resistant to 50 m / 5 ATM

Dial
Black, Côtes de Genève decor and rhodium-plated finishing
Hour counter at 6 o’clock
Minute counter at 12 o’clock
Small seconds at 9 o’clock
Date window at 3.30

Strap
Black Louisiana alligator leather with folding clasp

Wow, what a piece! This new Urban Jurgensen timepiece is incredible and one of my favourite new pieces previewed.

URBAN JÜRGENSEN – Chronometer P8 “with detent escapement”

Urban Jürgensen has been producing chronometers ever since 1773! When watchmaker Peter Baumberger took over the company in 1979, he set a level of standards that has rarely been equalled. In 2003, he began work on an exceptional in-house movement designed as a bridge between the extremely accurate instruments made by Urban Jürgensen in the 18th century and the needs of contemporary mechanical watchmaking. This project succeeded thanks to the rapport between master watchmaker Kari Voutilainen and designer Jean-François Mojon following the demise of Peter Baumberger in 2009. Today, the Chronometer P8 “with detent escapement” – adapted to the mechanical wristwatch – achieves a 40% better timing performance than the average COSC-certified chronometer. It is the first wristwatch with a Swiss escapement to be equipped with a pivoted detent, in other words without a pallet fork. A brand with strong horological credentials that links perfectly with the scientific watchmaking of the 18th century, the golden age of the measurement of time.

Movement
Automatic, UJS.08 calibre, double barrels and pivoted detent escapement, 88-hour power reserve

Functions
Hours, minutes, stop seconds and power-reserve indicator

Case
18K pink or yellow gold or platinum, 42 mm
Sapphire crystal

Dial
Hand-guilloched solid silver
Roman numeral hourmarkers
Small seconds in off-centre counter at 6 o’clock
Power-reserve indicator at 12 o’clock

Strap
Black leather with 18K red gold or platinum buckle

URWERK – UR-202S

“Since URWERK was founded, our creations have always been presented on a leather strap,” explains Martin Frei, artist and head designer at URWERK. “I love the timeless character of this noble material, the fusion of the hyper modernism of our watches and the classicism of their attachments. But I am also a great fan of solid, substantial objects. An all-steel model was therefore a choice I felt we just had to offer.” With the UR-202S, the hours are indicated on 3 rotating blocks. Each block has a telescopic minute pointer that moves across three minute segments (0-14; 15-44; 45-60). A moon phase and day/night indicator complete this contemporary tableau. Visible at the back of the UR-202S are two turbines coupled with the rotor that regulate the watch’s winding system.

Movement
Automatic, 7.03 calibre, 28,800 vib/h, satellite complication (patented) with moving hours and telescopic minutes

Functions
Hours, minutes, day/night indicator and moon phase

Case
Polished steel or AITiN (Aluminium, Titanium, Nitride) steel
45.7mm x 43.5mm x 15mm
Titanium back
Crown at 12 o’clock

Dial
ARCAP P40 plate and satellite hours, MOVIC-treated beryllium bronze transporters, titanium telescopic hand

Bracelet
Steel or AITiN steel with folding clasp

HUBLOT – F1™ King Power Tourbillon

As the Official Formula 1™ Watchmaker, Hublot presents the first tourbillon ever developed with and for the prestigious world of Formula 1™. Available in a strictly limited series of 50 numbered pieces, the F1™ King Power Tourbillon Gold Ceramic is 48 mm in diameter and equipped with a HUB7300 tourbillon chronograph movement. It features a 5-day power reserve, a special tourbillon cage and a balance decorated like a F1™disc brake, as is the circular-satin-finished ceramic bezel. The strap, stitched on rubber, is made of Nomex®, a synthetic fibre used in the manufacture of racing-driver suits. A very balanced timepiece with cutting-edge technology, maximum precision and a vibrant sporting character.

Movement
Automatic, HUB7300 tourbillon calibre, 27 jewels, 238 components, black gold-plated and sand-blasted plate, micro-bead-blasted, satin-finished and black gold-plated bridges, 120-hour power reserve

Functions
Hours, minutes, seconds and chronograph

Case
18K King Gold, 48 mm
Anti-reflective sapphire crystal, front and back
Black ceramic bezel with 6 titanium screws
Black PVD titanium pushpiece with red rubber insert
Water-resistant to 100 m / 10 ATM

Dial
Black, multi-layered
Gold-plated hourmarkers and hands coated with red Superluminova
Tourbillon small seconds indicator at 6 o’clock
30-minute and 60-seconds counters at 10 and 2 o’clock

Strap
Black Nomex® stitched on to rubber with F1™ logo on the inside and 18K King Gold folding clasp