The Breitling Watch Blog

Some pretty awesome stuff from Bulgari this year… mostly what I am really impressed with is the Sotirio Bulgari watch.. This thing is amazing. Check out the stuff below:

BVLGARI presents the new”Bulgari Bulgari” Moon Phase watch

The “Bulgari Bulgari” collection, the icon of the Bulgari watch line, is updated with a new model for women.
In this exclusive version, the 38 mm case has a characteristically linear and contemporary design that renders this precious timepiece unmistakable. The white mother-of-pearl dial is embellished with diamond pavé and hand-mounted markers. The white alligator skin strap has a folding steel buckle. Water resistant up to a depth of 30 metres, it features an automatic B77 Calibre mechanical movement with a 42-hour power reserve. It also marks the phases of the moon and is embellished by Côte de Genève and Perlage treatments.

The “Bulgari Bulgari” Moon Phase model will be available at all Bulgari stores and selected dealers starting from May 2009.

BVLGARI PRESENTS the new SOTIRIO BULGARI watch
125th anniversary edition

In the mid 19thcentury, Sotirio Bulgari articulated a vision of elegance that has since proven capable of transcending the boundaries of both time and space. The young Sotirio sensed the new spirit of his time and, assembling his formidable arsenal of artistic and artisanal skills, left Greece for Corfu and then went on to the recently unified Italy. His enterprising spirit upset many existing schemes, anticipating practises that would become standard only much later. It is to this remarkable man – multicultural voyager ahead of his time, entrepreneur, aesthete and founder of one of the world’s most respected jewellers and watchmakers – that Bulgari dedicates, on the occasion of its 125th anniversary, three watches as extraordinary as the history that began with Sotirio Bulgari.

Watches characterised by a classic style reinterpreted in a contemporary key. A perfect synthesis of innovative design and manufacturing skill, they are distinguished by their sophisticated workmanship and great attention to detail. These new timepieces represent the Bulgari’s vision of a formal watch, featuring manufacture movement, dials finished with exclusive treatments and a unique design. Unique as the exclusive flip-over back case and the pure bezel characterised by the absence of the Bulgari logo and the lugs. Characterised by a converging inclination they are a prominent feature in these Sotirio Bulgari. Their particular construction (they are integrated in the back case) meets the challenge of offering high shock resistance in spite of the reduced size. As testimony of the endless care for detail even the crown as been personalised (with the Sotirio Bulgari historical hallmark) as the sapphire crystal that is curved and enriched by the antireflective treatment

The argenté dial is made in house by Bulgari; the Roman numerals and faceted indexes are applied by hand. The skeleton hour and minute hands are faceted. The watch strap is made of black alligator skin with an 18 cts Bulgari ardillon buckle.

The BVL 250 calibre automatic movement is made of 250 components. The watch has 55 hour power reserve, 32 rubies and 28’800 vibration/hour (4 Hz). It has a diameter of 25.60 mm and is 3.73 mm thick. The bridges and the main plate feature an exclusive design and are embellished by côtes de Genève, diamantés and perlage treatments. The customised oscillating weight features colimaçonné treatments and its 18 cts weight is enriched by a satiné circulaire treatment. The shape of the bridges and the weight of this calibre were redesigned to highlight the creativity of the watch and reveal as much as possible of the movement with its sophisticated finishing. These testify to the sophisticated Swiss savoir faire that went into the making of this watch and were executed in full compliance with the qualitative parameters established for haut de Gamme movements. All edges are diamantes as are the sinks around the jewels. The 18 cts gold oscillating segment is finished with a satiné circulaire treatment, while the central part is colimaçonnée. The Swiss finisseurs’ standard of craftsmanship is evident by the exclusive care taken in decorating even the smallest components, such as the screw heads, which are polished.

Dedicated to our founder these new timepieces are the tangible proof of Bulgari’s tireless quest for perfection.

I’ve reprinted some of the articles that Roffensian posted on the forums for those of you that do not frequent them. They are very informative and the three that I have posted cover the General Mechanical watch, The Perpetual Calendar and the Minute Repeater. They are beginner articles on how these movements work and what they do.

Very cool stuff… I’ve linked each one individually:

How a Mechanical Watch Works
Minute Repeater
Perpetual Calendar

Many of you know that the secondary market for watches has all but collapsed in recent months.. with prices of peices selling for 20-40% less than they would otherwise, and with less popular brands not even selling at all at anything reasonable. Seeing this and the tough times that many of us are facing has given me pause to reflect on my own life. A lot of people are suffering now.

This is unfortunate, but an inevitable phenomenon during the tough worldwide recession that we are facing now. For those of us fortunate enough to be able to spend freely on watches this is a good time to pick up a few deals, and for those of us not as lucky who are forced to part with their timepeices for financial reasons, my heart goes out to you and your family and I hope that your fortune turns around.

For me, it is a time to reflect on how lucky I am to have a roof over my head, a beautiful lady in my life, and a potentially wonderful future ahead of me. I am lucky enough to still be able to scrape by, but times are still tougher as I do work in a business where my earnings are reflective of my performance. My performance being very dependent on the state of the economy – but I am happy to be surviving.

I am just writing to say that in times like these, I must remember to be grateful.

I’ve always had a soft spot for tool watches like Ocean7, Sinn, Bell & Ross, Marathon and the like, but until I picked up an Ocean7, I never saw the value that was placed on these watches. Many basic larger 40mm+ Sinn models would cost well over $1000, which in my mind was a bit too much for a tool watch. Marathon has a nice watch, but I’ve always felt the GSAR is too small, and the CSAR is too big, not to mention the $2000+ Pricetag on the CSAR. Bell & Ross is obviously even further out of the ball park as far as pricing.

Then a couple years ago a company comes along called Ocean7. The company’s PR rep, Mitch, has a fairly big presence on Watchuseek forums, and used the forums to assist in the launching of their product line, to great success. Ocean7 is a quintessentially American brand, with Swiss made watches, very much like Kobold, Hamilton or Ball Watch.

I had been eyeing the Ocean7 peices, especially the LM-1LE, which is a limited edition watch, now long sold out, but I didn’t try hard enough, and the opportunity passed. Recently I decided to buy the LM-6C, which is the Chronograph tool watch diver in stainless steel, and I could not be more pleased. Rugged craftsmanship, with everything you could want from a Diving Chronograph at a selling price of $1699. The pricing is better than anything comparable.

Their line has become very extensive with the LM series representing their Swiss Made automatic timepieces and the G series their quartz watches. They have everything from Titanium and Ceramic to good old stainless steel. Their new LM-4 with the Ceramic case and Shadow dial is looking really good to me – so good that I might have to add it to my permanent collection, where the LM-6C has earned a spot. The LM-6C is shown above.

So.. if you have not heard of Ocean7, take a look at them. Website is here.

The Manometro watches have been around for a couple years now, but recently, Giuliano Mazzuoli has been aggressively advertising their Manometro line of watches, and they have caught my fancy. Sporting large 44mm cases made from various precious metals, steel and carbon fiber, these watches resemble a Formula 1 race car speedometer.

The Manometro line of watches starts around $4000US, and are made in Italy from Swiss Components. Some of the same roots as Panerai and Anonimo, with unique styling that only the Italians could conjure up. The Manometro has been on my mind since I saw it, and I figured I would share some pics and specs with you guys. The Carbon Fiber Manometro S has a case completely composed of Carbon Fiber, 40 layers in fact, layered and compressed in epoxy resin and polished until it takes on a beautiful luster and also has a matching Carbon Fiber dial. It has a large crown located at the 2 o’clock position, which almost makes it look like a race timer.

The Carbon Fiber Manometro S comes on a Rubber strap, but some of the steel Manometro models come on leather, which I personally prefer. The difference between the two is that the Manometro S has Carbon Fiber case and Dial and thicker arabic font.

As you can see, the straps attach via screws on the back, preserving the uniquely round, lugless watch case. Whether you like the Manometro or not it is without a doubt a unique timepiece that will not be mistaken for anything else.

I want one. A lot!

Everyone loves a freebie, and it really never hurts to ask, but I’ve never had anyone email me before to ask me for a Free Watch – until now. Mr. Magdy Ahmed from Cairo Egypt would like a free watch as a free gift with free shipping. And he wanted it so bad that he emailed me twice.

If anyone wants to send him a free watch, I can give you the full address. I’ve Xed out part of it to protect his privacy. Surely a man as bold as him deserves something for free?

“Dear sir ,
I hope o send me a watch any model as a free gift for me including free shipping
Thanks
Mohamed Magdy Ahmed
Address
XX Ammar Bin Yasser street, Cairo, Egypt”

In my conitnuing search for good Budget watches, I got my first Glycine watch and it’s a very cool watch. I had seen a friends Glycine Airman D24, with the three separate hour hands and decided it was time for me to get a Glycine and see what the fuss is all about. While the Airman is not quite as fancy nor as desirable as the D24, it does have a similar feel with its large flat face and easily readable dial.

The Glycine Combat 4 is available in four or five different dial lume colors, all with a black dial. This one in particular has the yellow/green numbers and is my favourite. The other options include White, Blue, Red and I believe Orange though I’m not sure. The information online available for Glycine watches in general is very limited. Maybe it’s time for a glycinesource.com?? haha.. maybe not.

The Combat 4 has a nicely decorated Swiss ETA 2824-2 movement, and of course the entire watch is Swiss Made. It does not have a specification as to whether or not the crystal is Mineral or Sapphire, and the information available online is limited, but I am assuming that it is Mineral, as Glycine does use a lot of mineral crystals.

It is a bit strange seeing a watch that retails north of $800 with a Mineral Crystal (I am assuming), but it is a very nice watch. The dial is a very large one, with a case diameter of 43mm. This watch wears large for it’s size. The bracelet is also a very nice one. It feels really loose when you move it around, but it sits and molds to your wrist very nicely. When I strap this watch on, I want to look at it.. the dial just jumps out at me.

There it is on my 6 3/4″ wrists, and it really fills it out. The lume on this watch is one of the best I’ve seen. It starts glowing immediately and holds it longer than most watches I have. This guy is water resistant to 50M, and does not have a screwdown crown. A very simple watch, but it has that simple, but not too simple style to it with a touch of Pilot watch and a touch of sport watch. It looks simple, but it stands out, and looks great.

I think I need to get another Glycine now!

It seems like everyone and their dog has a Swiss Unitas 6497/6498 based movement watch now. They tend to be popular with Vintage Military style watches like Panerai, Glycine, and even Swiss Army. I’ve taken a small sample of Swiss Unitas 6497/4598 watches that I’ve owned and comparing the pricing and value of each one, they are quite different, and the cost jump is a big one. I just finished typing this article, but my browser crashed, and stupid wordpress did not save any of it, so I am retyping thie whole thing. Unfortunately since I am a bit frustrated and impatient it might not be up to the quality as the original one.

So anyway, These are 5 Swiss Unitas watches that I’ve owned, and I’ll be giving a small description of them.

Ollech & Wajs XXL Unitas – $300

The Ollech & Wajs represents the entry level into the Swiss Unitas 6497 world, with a very basic movement and case. Case does use 316L Stainless steel, but crystals are both Mineral to save on costs. Though the savings is a minimal one, it does help keep the price down. Movement is not tweaked in anyway, and I even doubt it has been rebuilt from the factory. Probably just drop-in movement straight from the package.. this example actually has some scuffing on the bridges.

Wilson Watch Works Navigator – $460

As you may have seen the Wilson Watch Works review that I posted not long ago, this is a very good watch for the money. Complete assembled with Care in the USA, with German and Swiss parts only. The Lume is fantastic, and the case is top notch. The movement has been reassembled by Chris and is guaranteed for a year. His work is reliable and the accuracy is very good.

Victorinox Swiss Army Mach IV – $650

I’ve been very impressed with all the Swiss Army watches that I’ve handled and owned lately, and they are all Swiss made, with sapphire crystals on the front. The one has a basic Unitas movement, but is signed with the Victorinox logo, which is a nice touch. Dual crowns allow the rotating of the inner bezel as well, giving this one a slightly more complicated case. The price might be a bit enthusiastic, as they are available online new usually in the $350-400US range.

Sinn 6100 – $2470

The Sinn represents a large jump in price from the above models, and was initially a $1750 watch until the price increase shot it up nearly $1000. This one has an in-house modified movement to create a regulator layout named the Caliber SZ04. This one even comes with a loupe to check it out as it has a very beautiful guiloche dial. Sapphire Crystals front and back and accuracy to wihtin COSC specs are just some of the features it boasts.

Panerai 114 – $4800

Very near the top of the range of Unitas 6497 based watches is the Panerai PAM114 and the other manual wind models from the historic line. This is quite a modified movement from Panerai with completely decorated and redesigned bridges that are unique to Panerai, though some Chinese copycat companies have taken to copying their bridges. This movement is called the PAM OP X.

Summary
There are many other watches that use the Unitas based movement and these are just a few of the ones I have owned recently. Some other companies you might want to check out are Meistersinger, Maurice LaCroix, Kobold, U-Boat, Invicta, and many others. There is such a wide range of models available that it is difficult to name them all.

Just keep in mind that this movement has seen a lot of activity and can be easily modified to have some very interesting complications. Maurice LaCroix in particular has done some interesting things with it. Hope you enjoyed the article.