2010 Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Collection: moon phase, complete calendar, column-wheel controlled flyback chronograph

A New Complete Calendar Moon Phase Flyback Chronograph

Blancpain’s Fifty Fathoms Collection is home to the most rugged sports watches in all of Blancpain’s lines. For 2010 Blancpain expands the Fifty Fathoms domain of sport to embrace the complications of a moon phase and a complete calendar married with the traditional sport companion of a column-wheel controlled flyback chronograph.

This newest member of the Fifty Fathoms family, with its complicated 448-part movement, has been fitted with a host of Blancpain movement innovations. The moon phase complete calendar mechanism is drawn from the caliber F185 movement, offering the unique capability of risk-free setting of any indication regardless of the time of day or night. Other complete calendar moon phase mechanisms offered in the industry forbid setting of indications at certain times because of risk of damage to the delicate components of the calendar. Blancpain solved this problem with its unique design that frees the owner from worrying about whether it is safe to set the calendar indications. Setting itself is further facilitated by the incorporation of Blancpain’s patented under lug correctors that eliminate the need for adjusters on the sides of the case and which allow finger-tip setting in place of an adjusting tool.

The chronograph base is Blancpain’s classic vertical clutch column-wheel controlled flyback movement.

The stainless steel case is 45 mm in diameter and fitted with a blue colored sapphire unidirectional bezel and blue dial.

2010 Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Collection: moon phase, complete calendar, column-wheel controlled flyback chronograph

Technical Specifications

Ref: 5066F-1140-52B

FIFTY FATHOMS, Complete Calendar Flyback Chronograph, moon phases, under-lug correctors, blue dial, one-way rotating bezel, self-winding

Caliber
66BF8

Thickness
7,50 mm

Diameter
32,00 mm

Power-reserve in hours
40

Jewels
37

Components
448

Case
Steel

Thickness
17,40 mm

Diameter
45,00 mm

Water-resistance
30 bar (The water-resistance value expressed in metres corresponds to overpressure expressed in bars. Each bar corresponds to a 10-metre water column.)

Sapphire crystal back
Yes

Interhorn space
23,00 mm

Jaquet Droz - The Eclipse

It is the light that catches every eye, the heavenly body that fires poetic dreams in the dark of night. The magic of the Moon inhabits one of the legendary Jaquet Droz models that the Manufacture has just reinvented.

The Eclipse is a real feat of watchmaking; it not only displays the day, month and year, but also the phases of the Moon which have fascinated astronomers, explorers and artists of all times and every culture. On the dial, a Moon with a smiling face inspired by 19th century engravings playfully appears and disappears behind a matt black disk that sharply offsets the brilliance of the dial. Evolving day after day, subtly changing with each new dawn, the Moon in all its forms watches over this exceptional timepiece.

This mechanical performance, together with the genuine visual spectacle, has been achieved with great aesthetic purity. Within the 43 mm red-gold case, an intensely black Grand Feu enameled dial welcomes 8 stars, inspired as much by the favorite number of the Manufacture as by the symbolism of the star that is so dear to Jaquet Droz.

BLANCPAIN Introduces a “Re-imagined” Villeret Moon Phase

Baselworld 2010 marks the 275th Anniversary for Blancpain and is the occasion for the debut of a new Villeret Collection. The first timepiece from this new series to be unveiled is a new complete calendar moon-phase model featuring a fully secure calendar mechanism, and under-lug correctors, fitted into a half-hunter red gold case.

This new Blancpain Villeret Collection distills aesthetics and complications that have been at Blancpain’s core since the early 1980s. The understatement and elegance that have always marked Blancpain’s Villeret models have been brought forward in a new way, backed by the technical advances achieved through Blancpain’s heavy investment in movement development over the past several years.

The complete calendar moon-phase has always been the signature complication for the Villeret Collection. This Blancpain’s exclusive in-house automatic calibre is fitted with a balance oscillating at 28,800 vibrations per hour with an antimagnetic index assembly, and with two barrels guaranteeing it a 72-hour power reserve. Nearly as complex as a full perpetual calendar, this Villeret model features a revolutionary method for adjusting the indications without fear of movement damage, regardless of the time of day. To facilitate setting of the indications, Blancpain has equipped the new Villeret timepiece with its patented under-lug correctors. This not only leaves the sides of the watches with a remarkably pure finish, unmarred by the presence of adjusters, but also means that changes can be accomplished with one’s finger tips instead of requiring a dedicated tool.

For the first model of the new Villeret Collection, Blancpain has opted for a 40 mm red gold half-hunter case and a decorated opaline dial.

Source: www.blancpain.com

Franck Muller Aeternitas Mega 4

36 complications, 25 of them visible, 1,483 components, a 1000-year calendar, a price tag of 2.7 million dollars, and 5 years’ work: what others have simply dreamed of, Franck Muller has made a reality!

Never has the Maison de Haute Horlogerie better deserved its name of “Master of Complications”, pulverizing the record number of complications ever housed in a single wristwatch.

The challenge for the Master Watchmakers of Genthod was enormous: how to embed all the complications known to this day in a watch that was designed to be worn. The Aeternitas movement served as a base, while the Mega 4 represents the apotheosis of the art of watchmaking with its grand and small Westminster chime striking-work, the only one available on the market with a tourbillon visible on the dial. Added to this are a minute repeater, a mono-pushpiece split-seconds chronograph, a perpetual calendar secular, and an equation of time which only varies by 6.8 seconds per lunar month, the equivalent of one day every thousand years!

Although the first piece of this exceptional, limited series was presented to an American collector at a ceremony in Monaco last November, the Master Watchmakers of Genthod are already putting the finishing touches to a second Aeternitas Mega 4, which will be available in the very near future.

And for all those who would like to share the dream of Franck Muller’s creations first-hand, the Master of Complications has organised two WPHH – World Presentation of Haute Horlogerie – exhibitions this year at its Watchland site in Genthod on 17-23 January and 17-27 March from 9.00 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Franck Muller will be offering watch professionals and the international press a comprehensive view of its seven brands: Franck Muller, Pierre Kunz, ECW, Rodolphe Montres & Bijoux, Barthelay, Backes & Strauss and Martin Braun. The new collections will be exhibited in purpose-built pavilions, with elegantly arranged stands, sophisticated design and contemporary decor meeting the most stringent demands. More than 5,000 visitors and 600 journalists are expected during the two exhibitions. This prestigious event is a must for both professionals and haute horlogerie aficionados!

For appointments or further information: info@franckmuller.ch

Franck Muller Aeternitas Mega 4 with 36 complications, 25 of them visible

The Aeternitas Mega is the pinnacle of success in the art of watch-making in terms of complexity and complications. A grandiose work of art culminating in the design of the most complex wrist watch ever made in the world thanks to the multifaceted skills of our watch-makers and constructors. Each of the 1,483 components was designed to give the watch an elegant design in the pure traditions of the old “cadraturiers” (the mechanisms located under the dial) of the Vallée de Joux, Switzerland. This watch inspires countless emotions as an exceptional time piece and simply unique in the eyes of lovers in the art of fine mechanics and luxury watch making.

From the very beginning, the Mega was incorporated in to the Aeternitas project and is, indeed, the culmination of this project. The basis was always the same, an automatic Tourbillon, but, with two motors. The plate has been hollowed out on the dial side to hold the striking mechanism.

In comparison to the Aeternitas versions, the four Aeternitas Mega versions only have a thickness of 0.2mm as it had to accommodate the striking mechanism of the “Chime of Westminster”. The Mega sets itself apart thanks to its “Grande Sonnerie” Chime of Westminster striking mechanism sounding on the hours and quarter hours. In the “Petite Sonnerie” version, the strike on the hour is removed, and it only sounds on the quarter hours.

The programming of the large and small striking mechanisms is done through simple pressure on a waterproof push-button placed at the 10.30 mark on the watchcase. This push-button programmable function enables the movement of the striking mechanism to be stopped. The minute repeater enables the “Chime of Westminster” to be activated at any time, and so giving the complete strike of the hours, the Westminster quarters and the minutes. The “Grand Sonnerie” is the only watch in which the Tourbillon is visible on the dial side, which limits the space available for the “Grand Sonnerie” mechanism and thus makes the design even more complicated.

The glass sapphire case back enables the harmoniously chiselled and decorated pieces that overlap to be admired in a stunning combination as a dazzling ballet. This masterpiece of complications and know how was entirely designed and manufactured by the Franck Muller group and once again demonstrates their vast array of skills and ability in the Art of HAUTE HORLOGERIE.

Aeternitas Mega 4 Movment

Technical Specifications

Reference:
8888 MGA T CCR QPSE

Caliber:
FM 3480 QPSE

Movement
Mechanic Tourbillon, Carillon Westminster on 4 hammers and 4 gongs, Chronograph with fly-back mechanism and only one push-piece, Perpetual Calendar Secular, Equation of time, Two additional time zones, Automatic self-winding mechanism for the movement and the Westminster carillon.

Power Reserve: 
Movement: 3 days
Chaime: 24 Hours

Frequency:
18′000 Alternances per hour.

Dimensions of the movement:
34.40 x 41.40 Height 13.65

Number of movement components: 
1483

Number of Jewels:
99

Number of wheels:
91

Movement decoration: 
Côtes de Genève, diamond polishing, hand-bevelling, circular graining, bi-colour rhodium-plating and hand-engraving.

Display:
Hours, Minutes, 24 hours, Chronograph, Fly-back, Minutes counter, hour counter retrograde, two time zones, Movement power reserve.

Display of the chime:
Grande or petite chime.
Chime or silence. Chime power reserve.

Perpetual calendar display:
Date retrograde, Day, Month, Year, Leap year (cycle of 4 years), no leap year (cycle of 100 years), leap year (cycle of 400 years), Equation of time.

Functions :
Winding-shaft with 2 positions.
7 push-pieces.
4 correctors

Dial:
Sun-stamped translucent lacquered white dial.

Case:
Cintrée Curvex 8880, 18 karat white gold.
Width: 42.00 mm x Length: 61.00 mm x Height: 19.15mm

Strap:
Hand-sewn alligator

The Oris Swiss Hunter Team Limited Edition: limited to 1958 pieces.

Two aviation legends; one watch

To commemorate the life of the legendary Hawker Hunter jet, top Swiss pilot’s watchmaker Oris, introduces the latest model in its aviation collection.

The awesome Hunter took the world by storm when it first flew in the UK in 1951. Seven years later it came to Switzerland and became a linchpin of the Swiss Air Force. Although the Hunter has since been retired in Switzerland it continues to fly thanks to the Swiss Hunter Team of the ‘Fliegermuseum Altenrhein’, a unique group of former Swiss Air Force pilots who were inspired to fly by the Hunter. The Oris Swiss Hunter Team Limited Edition reflects both the strength of the jet and the quality of its design.
The 46mm anthracite PVD coated case projects an elegant silhouette with its gentle curves, bevelled top ring and oversized screw down crown. The dial is presented in the unmistakable Oris style of a cockpit flight instrument. The tiny Hunter jet on the pointer calendar hand is another nod to the inspiration for this limited edition pilot’s watch.

Oris movement 644 is the quality engine at the heart of this mighty craft, and it is clearly visible through the glass case back. Marked with the logo of the Swiss Hunter Team the case back also shows Oris’ support for the men who continue to keep the magnificent Hunter flying.

The Oris Swiss Hunter Team Limited Edition is presented in a magnificent box set, which includes an original Hunter ejection seat safety splint key ring. Marked with the same limited edition number as the watch it accompanies from 0001/1958 to 1958/1958 (the year the Hunter first came to Switzerland) it helps to make the set an essential collector’s item for all aviation enthusiasts.

Technical Specifications

Oris Swiss Hunter Team Limited Edition
Ø 46.00 mm
Ref: 644 7635 42 84 LS

• Automatic mechanical movement with pointer calendar function.
• Centralised hour and minute displays. Small second at 9 o’clock.
• Multi-piece stainless steel case anthracite PVD coated. Screwed see through glass case back. Sapphire glass domed on both sides with inner anti-reflective coating.
• Limited edition number engraved on the case side at 9 o’clock.
• Two-piece black dial with printed Superluminova numerals and indices. Nickel hands with luminous inlay.
• Grey PVD coated screw down crown.
• Dark brown shrunk leather strap with grey PVD coated buckle
• Water resistant to 10 bar/100 metres.
• Set includes limited edition Hunter ejection seat key ring

The date on the famous Oris pointer calendar movement is indicated by a tiny Hunter jet.

The back of the Oris Swiss Hunter Team Limited Edition

Edox Super Limited Edition 1884

Edox celebrate their 125th anniversary with an horological story studded with success and with inventions, some of which remain unrivalled even to this day. The slimmest calendar movement in the world, or the first watch that was water-resistant to 200 metres: such feats have made Edox veritable pioneers of watchmaking success.

For the occasion of this anniversary, Edox decided to pay tribute to a legendary movement, the Venus 203, one of the most renowned in the history of watchmaking, which was conceived and designed at the beginning of the 1950s in the Venus SA workshops at Moutier in Switzerland. Over and above its style and functions, it epitomises perfection, that treasured pinnacle of the watchmaker’s art.

All the technical excellence and ingenuity of this movement have been reworked to produce this legendary and timeless model. The new Super Limited Edition 1884 is characterised by simplicity and restraint, combined with opulent and extraordinary elegance. Its sober and refined lines are simply unforgettable. The Grand Ocean case is sophisticated and discreet with a polished and brushed finish, while the delicately notched bezel is in 18 carat gold. The limited-edition number of each timepiece is engraved on the left-hand side of the case. The silver-plated dial does full justice to the star-studded midnight blue transfer for the moon-phase indicator, while two date windows are located at 11 and 1 o’clock. The markers are asymmetrical and applied by hand.

In a great and ringing tribute to this magnificent piece of ingenuity from the last century, the Venus movement can be appreciated through the transparent case-back.

Production of the Super Limited Edition 1884 by Edox is limited to 125 pieces worldwide and is packaged in an exclusive presentation box.

The backside of the Edox Super Limited Edition 1884

To wear the Super Limited Edition 1884 is to relive history and, beyond time, style and function, to pay tribute to the great tradition of watchmaking.

The classical and the modern become one, a celebration of tradition and know-how. A daring gamble for Edox, but a winning one.

In 2006, Edox, with an image inextricably linked with the nautical world, became partners and official timekeepers for the Class-1 World Powerboat Championships, spectacular powerboat racing events. Their name is also featured on the 44-foot yacht, Sea Dubai, which is signed up for the RC44 championships, the international regattas of which serve as qualifying events for the next America’s Cup.

Technical Specifications

Functions: hours, minutes, small seconds at 6 o’clock, moon phase at 6 o’clock
Day indicator at 11 o’clock, month indicator at 1 o’clock. Hands indicate date (month adjustment is performed manually)
Calibre: 11 ½ 92 Venus 203
Frequency: 18000 vibrations/h
Number of jewels: 15
Movement size: 5.25 mm
Power reserve: 36-38 hours
Watch-case height: 13 mm
Watch-case diameter: 41 mm
Case: stainless steel 316L
Finish: polished, brushed
Bezel: 18 carat gold bezel
Crown: stainless steel 316L
Water resistance: 100 meters / 330 feet
Dial: with sunk applied markers
Crystal: glare proofed and scratch resistant sapphire crystal
Strap: leather
Clasp: stainless steel 316L with Edox logo
Recommended retail price: CHF 12’500.00

The Patek Philippe Annual Calendar Chronograph Ref. 5960R

After it was launched in January 2006, the Annual Calendar Chronograph Ref. 5960 instantly became a bestseller among Patek Philippe’s complications. With its patented Annual Calendar and Patek Philippe’s proprietary selfwinding chronograph movement, it offers functions that are very useful in everyday situations. Now, this technical opus, previously available only in platinum, also comes in a case made of 18K rose gold.

The CH 28‐520 IRM QA 24H manufacture caliber: Tradition and innovation hand in hand Developed and manufactured in‐house, the self‐winding CH 28‐520 IRM QA 24H chronograph caliber addressed an expectation long harbored by many aficionados and collectors of Patek Philippe timepieces. In addition to the normal time indication, the movement stands out with numerous features. It has a flyback column‐wheel chronograph, a power‐reserve indicator, an Annual Calendar with day, date, and month, and a day/night indicator.

Beating at 28,800 semi‐oscillations per hour (4 hertz), it maintains an extremely constant balance amplitude and high rate accuracy. The winding power is generated by a unidirectional central rotor in solid 21K gold.

With its classic column wheel and a vertical disk clutch, the movement combines the traditional chronograph control concept with a modern power transmission solution. It offers high functional reliability and eliminates the danger of hand bounce when the chronograph is activated. Because of its low‐wear design and the absence of any negative influence on the rate accuracy of the watch, the chronograph hand can be used as a continuously running seconds hand without hesitation.

The patented Patek Philippe Annual Calendar is a full‐function calendar that automatically recognizes months with 30 and 31 days and when kept running only needs to be corrected by hand once a year on March 1. It displays the day, date, and month in three apertures and controls the day/night indicator at 6 o’clock.

The Patek Philippe Annual Calendar Chronograph Ref. 5960R

A new look in 18K rose gold

The new rose gold case adds an attractive and contemporary touch of nostalgia to this impressive instrument. The same warm hue of 18K rose gold ennobles the luminescent hands, the applied hour markers, and the polished frame of the date aperture. They contrast well with the dark silvery gray of the vertically satin‐finished dial that in its bottom half showcases the brighter zone of the delicately snailed minute and hour counter. On three concentric scales, it indicates elapsed minutes and hours while the chronograph is running. On the two outer scales, the longer red hand counts the minutes from 0 to 30 (red numerals) and from 30 to 60 (blue numerals) while the shorter blue hand keeps track of as many as 12 elapsed hours along the innermost scale.

The day/night (am/pm) indication is a small round aperture that progressively changes its color from white (day) to dark blue (night) and vice‐versa. This function is also significant when the time and calendar indications need to be readjusted after a longer standstill period and an am/pm differentiation is required.

The day, date, and month apertures are arranged along an arc at the upper periphery of the dial. The date at 12 o’clock is particularly prominent, forming a visual balance with the monocounter that dominates the bottom half of the dial. The small power‐reserve indicator hand beneath the date aperture moves between the plus and minus signs to indicate the state of wind of the mainspring.

With a diameter of 40.5 millimeters, the Ref. 5960R Annual Calendar Chronograph is a stately timepiece without violating the rules that apply to timelessly elegant watches. It is worn on a brown large‐scaled alligator strap with an 18K rose gold clasp that assures a snug and secure fit on the wrist.

For further information, please contact:
Jasmina Steele
International Communication & Public Relations Director
Patek Philippe Geneva
P.O. Box 2654
1211 Geneva 2
Switzerland
Tel.: +41 22 884 20 20
Fax: +41 22 884 25 47