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HUBLOT Big Bang Integrated Tourbillon Full Purple Sapphire

During Dubai Watch Week I sat down with Hublot CEO Ricardo Guadalupe and finally got to see a timepiece I have been excited about since it was announced on aBlogtoWatch earlier in 2021. This is the Hublot Big Bang Integral Tourbillon Full Sapphire, and it’s an amazing modern luxury timepiece with all the high-end trimmings today’s watch enthusiast can get excited about. I even got to ask Mr. Guadalupe some interesting things about their use of sapphire crystal and its potential as watch case material for lower-priced timepieces. For now, while you don’t need to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars for entry, sapphire-cased watches aren’t cheap given the complexity and time required to machine the parts which are milled from pieces of synthetically grown sapphire crystal. And this Hublot is the first sapphire crystal watch I’ve ever worn that includes a full matching sapphire bracelet.
“How durable is it compared to ceramic, or even metal?” I ask Mr. Guadalupe. He has overseen a host of novel material rollouts from the brand including everything from fancy carbons to their own special blend of gold and ceramic. If anyone knows how modern luxury watch materials fare in the real world – it is the managers at Hublot. Ricardo admitted that if you drop a sapphire crystal watch on a hard surface it can indeed crack. This is a fixable scenario though not a particularly inexpensive one. Recall that Hublot innovated in the area of modular case design for high-end watches. Parts are meant to be interchangeable, so a cracked or damaged component can be replaced. Sapphire is actually harder than ceramic and both are known for exceptional scratch resistance. That means the materials are extremely dense, which is also why they crack rather than having surface deformations like a metal might if they experience a sharp prod or shock.
So what does that mean for overall durability? It means that provided you don’t subject the watch to too much shock or bang it around, the material will look sparkling new… pretty much forever. That’s sort of the ultimate response to “why don’t you just make it in plastic?” This is actually the most common thing I’ve heard people say about why they don’t feel sapphire crystal cases are as exciting as I do. To these people the material could “pass” as plastic and thus doesn’t have the showy appeal of say gold or another precious material. However, such thinking is a bit superficial. It is true that from afar a Hublot Big Bang Integral Tourbillon Full Sapphire case might look like plastic but the similarities end there. Sapphire and plastic certainly don’t feel the same, and they don’t age the same either. Compare a clear plastic or clear sapphire case months or years down the line and they won’t look the same any longer. The plastic will likely be yellowed in color and probably rather scratched up. The sapphire crystal on other other hand will look pristine. And on a bracelet it looks even cooler.

I’m not going to try and convince anyone who doesn’t like a transparent luxury timepiece that it is cool if they just aren’t into it. I happen to think the concept is amazing and love the extension of the skeletonized movement and dial to the entire wearing experience overall. Indeed it means that what you see inside of the watch needs to be pleasant to look at which, thankfully, it is here with Hublot’s in-house made automatic tourbillon movement. The hard crystal case makes for a beautiful frame for the mechanism inside and the Hublot Big Bang Integral as a case fits comfortably and attractively on the wrist.
aBlogtoWatch debuted the Hublot Big Bang Integral here and the model is a revision of the Big Bang case designed to have an integrated bracelet (as opposed to a strap). Hublot has produced the Big Bang integral in a series of materials so far with “full sapphire” being the latest exotic flavor. The case here for this reference 455.JX.0120.JX model is 43mm wide and combines mostly precision-cut sapphire crystal with some bits of titanium for the parts not possible to be produced from sapphire crystal. Those include things like screws, the crown, and bits inside of the strap’s deployant system. For the most part this is an entirely sapphire crystal case and it is water resistant to 30 meters.
That is one area where I think there is going to be a lot of innovation in sapphire crystal cases – water resistance. My guess is that due to the fragile nature of sapphire crystal, a watchmakers can’t screw the parts together with too much tension. Metal can handle huge tension because it can bend, but sapphire crystal cannot. 30 meters is fine for daily wear, and to be honest it is probably wise not to consider a sapphire crystal cased timepiece a “sport watch” just yet. The wearing experience is worth it to baby these watches just a little bit.
Inside the watch is a still pretty new movement from Hublot known as the caliber HUB6035. This skeletonized movement features the time with a tourbillon regulation system as well as a micro-rotor automatic winding system. Hublot designed the movement for aesthetics and did a great job of “hiding” the automatic rotor over the mainspring barrel which is located just under the 12 o’clock hour indicator. The automatic rotor is also where the “Hublot” branding is on the dial so it is sort of fun to see it spinning around while you wear the timepiece on your wrist. The Hublot-made caliber HUB6035 operates at 3Hz with 72 hours of power reserve and it is produced from 243 parts.

Legibility on the dial is also very good. Few brands next to Hublot have the sheer experience with skeletonized dials and how to make them both cool-looking and readable. Hublot has been doing this for as long as I can recall and achieve prominent hands and hour markers, subdued coloring, and proper surface finishing. The result is an imminently legible dial but one that offers a full skeletonized/transparent experience for the eyes to delight in. Additional pieces of sapphire crystal are further used in the dial and for parts of the movement bridges to further enhance the “see through effect” that Hublot is aiming for.
What’s next for sapphire crystal watches? Colors. Synthetic sapphire is actually easier to color with various shades than ceramic. Hublot and some of its contemporaries have already started to play with various sapphire crystal colors. In fact, a unique version of this watch with an orange-tinted sapphire crystal was produced for the Only Watch 2021 charity watch auction. While various sapphire crystal colors will populate the market soon, I think the purist choice is totally clear sapphire crystal. Not only does it offer the least varnished approach to enjoying the transparency experience, but it also is the most stylistically versatile. “Clear” goes with anything, but you can’t always pull off a yellow, green, orange, blue, etc… watch with what you are wearing.

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Hublot Big Bang Integral

It is hard to overlook the current trend for sports watches with integrated bracelets… They are simply all over the place and in all price segments. Hublot, one of the main participants in the robust luxury sports watch, has been aware of this and already had such an option in its Classic Fusion watch. But, surprisingly, the Big Bang, the sportier, bolder version (a competitor to the RO Offshore) has never been offered on a bracelet… until now. Meet the new Hublot Big Bang Integral collection.
While the Classic Fusion could be seen as an alternative to the thin and relatively restrained watches in the luxury sports watch category, the other main collection of Hublot, the Big Bang, is a more robust, even more contrasted version with a larger case, more combinations of materials, more angles, more skeletonization… More of everything, if you like. And while integrated metallic bracelets are everywhere these days, Hublot Big Bang Integral has been surprisingly quiet in this field. At least in the Big Bang collection, since bracelets have been offered on the Fusion for some years.
To answer the current demand for integrated sports watches, Hublot presents the Hublot Big Bang Integral collection… Integral as in “integrated” and “integrally made of one material”. 15 years (yes, already) after its creation, the Hublot Big Bang Integral features its first integrated metal bracelet, with the first link fused with the case.

However, on the contrary of exchanging a rubber for a leather strap, adding a metallic bracelet meant more work than expected and the case needed to be partially redesigned, particularly on the lug side with the central module going down to meet the bracelet’s first link. The rest of the case results familiar, with its round bezel with 6 H-shaped screws resting on a tonneau-shaped sandwich structure. The case measures 42mm, has angles and bevels all around, and a combination of deep brushed flat surfaces and highly polished accents.
The bracelet, the main novelty of this watch, takes the design of the case and adapts it with the same combination of finishings and large bevels all around the links. Don’t expect either the case or the bracelet to be ultra-thin, it is a deliberately robust and highly masculine design with bold proportions. Still, the finishing appears impressive – we’ll confirm in a hands-on article soon.

Three versions of the Hublot Big Bang Integral are unveiled. The first is a classic titanium model, with black contrasting elements. The second is made of King Gold (Hublot’s proprietary alloy) with a black dial and contrasting elements. The third one, and the most visually striking, is a full black ceramic version – including the bracelet.
Powering the Hublot Big Bang Integral is the brand’s manufacture chronograph movement, the UNICO, an automatic and integrated architecture calibre. Here it is presented in a modern skeletonized version with two registers and the column-wheel classically visible at 6 o’clock, dial side. The movement runs at 4Hz and provides 72h of energy.

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The Hublot Square Bang Unico

The Hublot Square Big Bang was the brainchild of savvy marketer Jean-Claude Biver. Launched in 2005, its burly case, extroverted personality and fusion of different materials have consolidated the Big Bang as the brand’s flagship model. Last year, the Big Bang welcomed a sibling known as the Square Bang Unico, with, as you have intuited, a square case. During Watches & Wonders 2023, Hublot unveils three new editions of the Square Bang Unico in black and white ceramic cases and an impressive transparent sapphire crystal case.
Judging by the popularity of the Hublot Square Big Bang, taking the genetic traits of the Big Bang and reallocating them inside a square-shaped case seems to have worked. All the manifest personality quirks of the Big Bang are featured on the Square Bang: the six H-shaped titanium screws in the bezel, the modular sandwich construction of the case with its lateral protective bumpers, rubber-clad chrono pushers and crown, and the mandatory ‘fusion’ of high-tech materials. Although the press pictures don’t reveal this detail, it would seem that the pushers of the sapphire case do have a protective rubber coating, but the crown does not.
The new Hublot Square Big Bang trilogy has slightly smaller dimensions than the 2022 models, and the water-resistance has been decreased from 100m to 50m. With its 41mm diameter and thickness of 12mm (compared to the 42mm x 14.5mm of 2022 models), the ergonomic case is now reworked in three flavours – black ceramic, white ceramic and sapphire crystal. The ceramic cases feature contemporary microblasted surfaces combined with polished bevels, while the contours of the sapphire crystal case are polished.
The openworked dial offers a partial view of the mechanics, including the column wheel in an aperture at 6 o’clock and an entirely exposed date wheel. With a running seconds ring at 9 o’clock and a sapphire disc at 3 o’clock for the 60-min chronograph register (tinted in the two ceramic models), the date window magically materialises beneath the chrono register at the 15-minute position. The indices are applied to a peripheral flange and, like all the hands – except for the central chronograph seconds – are treated with Super-LumiNova. The central chronograph seconds has a Hublot logo-shaped counterweight and a skeletonised oblong tip.

The curved ergonomic caseback reveals Hublot’s HUB1280 Unico manufacture automatic flyback chronograph calibre with a column wheel. With a frequency of 4Hz/28,800vph, the 354-part movement delivers a robust 72-hour power reserve.
The new Hublot Square Big Bang models are fitted with structured rubber straps and a titanium deployant clasp. Hublot’s simple One Click interchangeable system makes it possible to personalise the watch.

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Hublot’s First Collaboration With Artist Daniel Arsham Is A Droplet-Shaped Pocket Watch

Hublot has recruited contemporary visual artist Daniel Arsham into its collaborator fold. Last week it released the Arsham Droplet, the replica hublot watches for sale world’s first sapphire crystal pocket watch – and Arsham’s first timepiece as an official Hublot ambassador.

The Droplet can be worn/used in three different ways: as a pocket watch, a pendant, or a table clock. Crafted from titanium (the case), rubber (bumpers) and sapphire crystal (a Hublot specialty), it measures 73.2mm (length) x 52.6 mm (width) and is 22.5 mm thick. The shape of the pocket watch is an asymmetrical droplet, unusual in itself when you think about the fact that, outside of Cartier, 99% of timekeeping devices are perfectly symmetrical. Timekeeping is a symmetrical business!
Presented replica hublot watches for sale with two newly Arsham-designed titanium chains, each featuring Hublot’s double “one-click” system, the links on the chain mirror the bubble-like structure created inside of the sapphire case, which looks almost like a microscopic close-up of foam bubbles. The piece can be worn multiple ways from a necklace to a pocket watch, or displayed as a sculptural centerpiece on its decorative titanium and mineral glass table stand. There are of course Daniel Arsham-branded touches all over the timepiece: the chain, the color, the Arsham monogram stamped on the surface and the use of the Arsham studio green. We can see, loud and clear, that this is an Arsham collab piece.
The timepiece/pocket watch/sculpture (I really don’t know what to call it) comes equipped with manual winding caliber Meca-10, which boasts a 10-day power reserve. I’m not sure anybody needs 10 days of reserve for their sapphire crystal pocket watch, but hey, this is Hublot and more is more. Despite looking materially techy, the timepiece has an organic feeling to it. The droplet feels smooth in your hands – a tactile little ticking organism that you can caress and grip. It’s soothing.
The Droplet is a bold departure from traditional Swiss watchmaking; I mean surely that’s expected from this collaboration. The MO here is to disrupt. Arsham (much like Hublot) is divisive. He can often inspire an eye-roll amongst those who consider themselves discerning culture consumers. But, Arsham is also one of the most globally recognized living artists. What’s unique about him in this context is that his art does in fact bear a relationship with the concept of time in his exploration of decay, specifically the aesthetic of erosion on modern objects.

There is no empty ambassador spiel about his “relationship with time,” because replica hublot watches for sale his point of view on the subject feels worth listening to. “So much of my work is about thinking about the past and connecting it with the future – it’s like mixing times,” Arsham said during the launch last week. “This object looks like something from the past, it recalls this way of telling time that’s from another era, but it feels like a kind of technology of the future… the watch is more than just an object to tell time, it’s a sculptural proposition.”
Working with world famous contemporary artists has thus far been a successful formula for Hublot. There is always a very clever method to the brand’s madness. Undoubtedly Hublot wakes up every morning and thinks “what can I do differently today?” – a brazen stance for any Swiss watch brand. But the ripple effect of creating a watch with a globally recognized artist means exposure to corners of the consumer public that would simply never notice you otherwise. And selling a run of 100 LE watches doesn’t seem like a hard task, given the breadth of the artists’ existing fanbase. These sorts of collaborations, if done sparingly enough, can really only do good for Hublot.
Arsham, himself, is an eccentric creature. He often wears replica hublot watches for sale the same cream or beige colored uniform, the same baseball cap and the same orange tinted or black shades every day. He is a celebrity figure who maintains an enigmatic stage persona. As an observer, the Daniel Arsham effect feels like it’s all been very carefully constructed. His behavior, his speech delivery, his product, the partnerships he takes on – it’s all part of a very well thought out and lucrative Daniel Arsham Studio ecosystem.
No doubt Arsham has a singular point of view, a view which many respect. But perhaps his greatest achievement has been to capitalize so successfully during this era of collaboration, wielding dollar profit and celebrity from his personal branding and style more than his actual art. The same can be said of Murakami. Hublot is smart to recognize the power of collaborators like these. It’s all about finding artists with identifiable enough markers that can be translated into a conceptual watch. It’s Pop Art in product form.

Today, the role of the artist as a frontrunner for counterculture has given way to large commercial endeavors and very clever marketing. Arsham is an artist, but above all he’s an extremely marketable product. His brand is commercially viable enough to collaborate with giant LVMH brands like Hublot and Tiffany, “easy” enough to be consumable for the masses, and just “cool” enough to keep the intrigue running. Even if the Droplet isn’t your cup of tea, the pocket watch feels so entirely replica hublot watches for sale and also so entirely Arsham that you can’t knock either party. It’s a respectful 50/50 split of design ideals.

Hublot x Daniel Arsham is a deal that will likely yield millions of dollars for both the brand and for Arsham. Love it or hate it, I am certain you will have feelings about it. And surely that is a win for Hublot.

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BREGUET Marine 9518

Breguet expands its iconic Marine collection with new gem set models. These resolutely contemporary watches inspire a desire for the open seas. Presenting the Breguet Marine 9518 & Marine Chronograph 5529.
Two new timepieces join the Breguet Marine 9518 collection. While one is graced with a sunburst blue dial recalling the sea, the second comes with a silver-toned dial hinting at foam dancing on the rocks.
As if to evoke sunshine sparkling on water, eight diamonds take the place of certain hour-markers on each dial, while the bezel is decked out with 50 diamonds. This model features several of Breguet‘s notable aesthetic attributes. Firstly, the facetted gold hour and minute hands, which are luminescent and display the famous eccentric open-tipped style. In a reference to maritime signals, the tip of the seconds hand signifies the letter “B” for “Bravo” in navigation codes.
At 3 0’clock, the crown guard is distinguished by the wave shape characteristic of the Marine line. The profile (caseband) of each model bears the fluted motif featured on the majority of Breguet Marine 9518 watch cases. Abraham-Louis Breguet‘s love of functional and elegant watchmaking led him to adorn the caseband of most of his watches with guilloché and fluted patterns. This signature style gives a more refined appearance, while also making it less likely to slip from its owner’s hands, has been faithfully preserved by the Manufacture.
These two steel models, on a metal bracelet with both-polished and satinbrushed finish reflecting the different treatments applied to each timepiece. Particular care has also been taken to ensure that the bracelet is supple enough to fit elegantly and comfortably around the wearer’s wrist. While the triple-blade clasp gives it a sporty-chic look.
Beating inside the 33.8 mm-diameter steel case water-resistant to 50 metres, 187 components drive the 591A self-winding movement with its 38-hour power reserve. The sturdily. built in-house Breguet Marine 9518 calibre is also seductively slender at 3.4 mm. To ensure high precision, it is fitted with a flat balance-spring and an in-line Swiss lever silicon escapement. The latter’s numerous properties include resistance to corrosion and wear, as well as insensitivity to the influence of magnetic field, while providing enhanced accuracy. As luxury lies in the details, the movement can also be admired through the sapphire crystal caseback, which reveals a gold oscillating weight bearing guilloché work evoking a snailed sunburst motif, handcrafted by the Manufacture’s artisans.
Housed in a 42.3 mm case, the 582 QA mechanical self-winding movement is driven by the interaction of its 346 components. Designed for modern-day sports enthusiasts, the case is water-resistant to 30 metres. Equipped with a 48-hour power reserve, the high-precision calibre is powered by an inverted in line lever escapement with silicon balance-spring and pallets. Finally, the movement is visible through the sapphire crystal caseback, whose rudder-shaped rhodium-plated gold weight is coated with a black DLC treatment.

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PARMIGIANI FLEURIER Tonda PF Sport Chronograph

In broadening Parmigiani Fleurier’s line of Tonda PF Sport offerings, the luxury watch Maison has introduced a trio of new chronograph models to its collection for the year.

Offered in stainless steel builds, the assortment of new time-tellers are presented in an elegantly crafted 42mm watch case, boasting polished and satin finishings complete with a knurled bezel. In bringing out its sporty appeal, the watches are paired with complementing rubber straps that come with a Cordura-treated look.

In line with Parmigiani Fleurier’s usual tone, the new Tonda PF Sport Chronographs arrive in three new understated yet elegantly sporty colorways: Artic Grey, London Grey and Milano Blue. Each of the options is paired with its namesake hues on the dial, coming in the form of the timer flange and subcounters.

The dial plate arrives in a clou triangulaire guilloché pattern, where it’s paired with rhodium-plated skeletonized delta hands and appliques. A closer glance at the dial will reveal that the background for the date windows echoes the coating for the lumed indices.

Powering the references at the core are the PF070 Manufacture movement, a COSC-certified automatic caliber that comes with an integrated chronograph. Geared with 65 hours of power reserve, the piece ticks at a frequency of 36,000 vph, where every movement including its 22-carat rose gold oscillating weight, is proudly on display through its transparent caseback.
I’d happily admit to being smitten with Parmigiani Fleurier’s new look. The hits seem to be coming thick and fast this year, following the brand’s Watches and Wonders novelties. After the focus on the rebirth of the Toric, we get three new versions of the Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Sport Chronograph this time.

Parmigiani’s intricate dial treatment and a newfound air of minimal cool suits it well. While I’m a fan of earlier Tonda designs with quirky asymmetric overlapping registers, the clean, new look is suave. For me, Parmigiani Fleurier has simply become a very good alternative to the usual suspects, and maybe it’s about time.
The minimalist PF range has become the new calling card for the brand, and the “regular” micro-rotor PF is anything but. With its broad and sleek take on integrated-bracelet chic, the vibe is modern. Too many other brands are following the coattails of Genta and Hysek too closely when it comes to design, but not Parmigiani. The genre might have been created half a century ago, but this is the Fleurier-based brand’s take on it with a wide bracelet or strap and an easily recognizable design. The dials sport Parmigiani’s triangular hobnail guilloché (clou triangulaire) and offer a clean aesthetic framed by the trademark knurled bezel. You can order a bracelet for the Tonda PF Sport, but on a strap, this is about the casual-chic look. It’s a juxtaposition of luxury and sports that we know from the Oysterflex-equipped Yacht-Master and Vacheron Overseas, and it is becoming increasingly popular. The comfortable, wrist-hugging textile-patterned rubber straps from Parmigiani have the right blend of comfort and toughness. Well, perhaps I should say “perceived toughness” as I’m not sure I’d engage in any extreme sports wearing a €30K+ watch, but if you would, you have my respect. After all, a well-worn watch is a happy watch, right?
The last time we saw the Tonda PF Sport range, it was a case of panda cool. And for me, the blend of elegance and sporty lean has made it a great alternative to two greats. Cost-wise, the Tonda PF Sport is close to the slightly more expensive Overseas, while the Daytona is less expensive at retail but, as we all know, very hard to get. However, the main difference is a more open outlook on diversification, with three colors expanding the previously four-reference monochrome range. Adding these three quietly colorful versions also says a lot about the brand’s faith in the Tonda PF Sport line and its success.
The case’s 42mm diameter and 12.9mm thickness remain, but now we see a deep Milano Blue, a warm London Grey, and a crisp, blueish Arctic Grey adding a flourish to the range. The colors might be muted, but with the tonality of the fabric straps, the look is one of restrained, casual swagger. The colorways are named for the sub-dials and outer minute track, and each variant comes with a matching woven-look rubber strap. Inside, the chronometer-certified manufacture caliber PF070 with its 65-hour reserve is the same as before, an obsessively finished piece of micro-machinery. Its mix of satin-finished bridges and hand-beveled edges is visible through the sapphire crystal on the back, as is its skeletonized, polished, and sandblasted 22K rose gold rotor.
So many brands are jumping on the bandwagon of integrated-bracelet watches, with some claiming to have reinvented the genre. However, what a watch design might gain in cohesiveness it often loses in versatility. The end-link compromise does not look good when changing from bracelet to strap. But this is where Parmigiani designers have risen to the task. Here, it looks natural, and I love it when a watch can be imbued with multiple personalities. The Tonda PF Sport Chronograph exemplifies the smooth transition from a wrist-hugging strap to a slim case for an automatic chronograph.
If you’re a WIS, you will notice the lug interface, but it is one of the smoothest around. I tried on the Tonda PF Sport Chrono in delicious rose gold at Geneva Watch Days last autumn, and I can say it felt natural. It’s not a small watch at 42mm wide, but with the 12.9mm thickness and the trademark curved lugs, it feels soft on the wrist and temptingly comfortable. Without seeing any sales figures, I’m sure the last three years have seen a massive rise for the brand, and it is all deserved.

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Tudor Black Bay 58 Inter Milan

Tudor has produced a special edition of the Black Bay 58 to celebrate a milestone for the Italian football team Tudor Black Bay 58 Inter Milan.

Last month the team won the title in Serie A, Italy’s top flight football league. Any league win is big, but this was massive.

It was the 20th time that Inter Milan have won the title, and this time they won with five games to spare, in a victory over bitter local rivals AC Milan.
With every ten title victories, a permanent star gets added to Serie A players’ jerseys, meaning that the Inter strip now features two stars.

Rivals AC Milan are one title behind with 19 wins and therefore have a single star. The only team out in front is Juventus, with three stars for 36 titles.

The Black Bay 58 ‘Inter’ has with a special dial in the club colours of blue and back, along with an Inter Milan logo on the dial, a striped strap and caseback engraving of Inter’s second star.

Otherwise it is pure Black Bay 58, with chronometer standard Manufacture Calibre MT5402 automatic movement and 39mm case with 200 metre water resistance.

Tudor’s characteristic snowflake hands are filled with Superluminova for maximum legibility in low light.

It comes with rivet-style three-link stainless-steel bracelet and additional black jacquard fabric strap with “Inter Blue” stripe, and comes with a five-year transferable guarantee.

The watch will be worn by Inter players, and Tudor Black Bay 58 Inter Milan is making numbered pieces available at Tudor boutiques in Milan and Rome and points of sale throughout Italy. A number of watches have also been allocated to the UK market.

There will be 1908 pieces available worldwide – corresponding to the year when Tudor Black Bay 58 Inter Milan was founded.

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Ulysse Nardin Diver NET OPS And Diver X Skeleton OPS Watches

Last year, Ulysse Nardin launched two Freak OPS watches (OPS being short for “operations”) that were characterized by their tactical-themed black and khaki green colorways, and now for its latest release of 2024, the Swiss manufacturer has introduced two new dive watches that both embrace the popular OPS concept. Formally known as the Diver NET OPS and the Diver X Skeleton OPS, the two new models expand upon the core blueprints of existing watches within Ulysse Nardin’s Diver collection by bringing the inherently utilitarian OPS colorway to the brand’s most rugged and performance-oriented collection of timepieces.
In the same way that the Freak ONE OPS is the flagship model and the Freak X OPS is the more affordable offering that costs roughly half the price of its sibling, the new Ulysse Nardin Diver OPS watches exist in two variations, with the Diver X Skeleton OPS being the premium version, while the Diver NET OPS is the more attainable model. Additionally, similar to how the Freak ONE is fundamentally different than the Freak X, the Diver X Skeleton is a significantly different timepiece compared to its Diver NET sibling, and it is the structural and functional differences between these models that are responsible for the large separation in their prices, rather than one version just being a luxury-oriented rendition of the same design.
The first of the two new models is the Ulysse Nardin Diver NET OPS, which is based on the core blueprint of the standard Diver NET model from 2020 that has served as the foundation for other watches such as the Diver The Ocean Race that was launched as a limited edition in 2022. Similar to previous models, the case of the Diver NET OPS features a layered construction, where a stainless steel central section (manufactured from 95% recycled material) is surrounded by an outer shell made from a proprietary composite material that consists of 60% Nylo (a polyamide formed from upcycled fishing nets) and 40% Carbonium (a forged carbon material that uses the waste produced by the aircraft manufacturing industry).
The case of the Ulysse Nardin Diver NET OPS measures 44mm in diameter by 14.81mm thick, and protecting the dial is a domed sapphire crystal, which is surrounded by a unidirectional timing bezel with a concave insert made from Carbonium. A screw-on display caseback closes up the reverse side of the watch, while a signed crown sits between two khaki green rubberized guards at the 3 o’clock location, and just as you would expect from a dive watch, the crown it screws down to the middle case to help create an ample 300 meters of water resistance.
The dial of the Ulysse Nardin Diver NET OPS follows in the footsteps of existing models from the series, and it features a khaki green sandblasted surface with a large embossed X running through the center that has been given a satin brushed finish. A power reserve indicator sits below the 12 o’clock marker on the upper half of the display, while a sub-dial tracks the running seconds at the 6 o’clock location, and to further lean into its tactical-inspired colorway, the hands and hour markers on the Diver NET OPS are finished with beige Super-LumiNova that emits a green-colored glow in the dark.
Powering the Ulysse Nardin Diver NET OPS is the brand’s 50-jewel manufacture Caliber UN-118 automatic movement, which runs at a frequency of 28,800vph (4 Hz) with a power reserve of approximately 60 hours. Along with featuring a silicon balance spring, the Ulysse Nardin Cal. UN-118 has its anchor and escape wheel crafted from DiamonSil, which is a proprietary diamond-coated silicon material that offers incredibly high levels of precision and durability. Lastly, the Diver NET OPS is available with either a khaki green rubber strap in the form of the ref. 1183-170-8A/3A, or with a two-piece fabric strap partially made from recycled fishing nets as the ref. 1183-170-8A/0A.
The other new model from the series is the Ulysse Nardin Diver X Skeleton OPS, essentially the tactical-themed version of the brand’s Diver X Skeleton Azure we reviewed last year. What this means is that you get a DLC-coated titanium case that measures 44mm in diameter by 15.7mm thick, and just like previous executions, the top of the case is furnished by a domed sapphire crystal and a unidirectional rotating timing bezel that has a concave Carbonium insert. Just like the Diver NET OPS, the Diver X Skeleton OPS features a screw-on display caseback with a signed screw-down crown located between two khaki green rubberized guards at 3 o’clock; however, water resistance is less than its sibling at 200 meters, which should still be more than adequate to survive all forms of moisture contact.
Just like other Diver X Skeleton models, the new Ulysse Nardin Diver X Skeleton OPS features an open-worked display with a large X-shaped dial structure running through its center. Finished with brushed and polished surfaces, the dial features a black PVD coating, along with khaki green accents to play into the colorway of the watch. To echo the appearance of its Carbonium bezel insert, the carbon fiber-based material is also used for the barrel cover which sits visible through the open-worked dial at the 12 o’clock location, and just like the Diver NET OPS model, beige Super-LumiNova is applied to the dial and hands to provide them with a green-colored glow and improve their low-light visibility.
Powering the Ulysse Nardin Diver X Skeleton OPS is the manufacture 23-jewel Caliber UN-372 automatic, which runs at a frequency of 21,600vph (3 Hz) with a power reserve of approximately 72 hours. Silicon is used for the oversized oscillator, balance spring, anchor, and escapement wheel, and this intricate assembly is showcased opposite the Carbonium barrel cover through the open-worked dial on the lower half of the display. Lastly, just like the Diver NET OPS model, the new Ulysse Nardin Diver X Skeleton OPS is available in two different configurations as the ref. 3723-170-2C/3A with a rubber strap, or as the ref. 3723-170-2C/0A, which features a khaki green fabric strap made using recycled fishing nets.

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Longines Conquest Chronograph 42

Longines facelifted the Conquest Chronograph last year, giving it more vintage flavour while retaining the sporty style of its predecessor and also the slightly-too-big case. The new look is reminiscent of a more famous sports chronograph, but compared to its predecessor, the new Conquest is more coherent.

At a distance, the Conquest Chronograph bears a striking resemblance to the modern Rolex Daytona, which is unsurprising given the commercial success of the Cosmograph (hence Zenith’s Chronomaster Sport as well). But in the hand it is clearly a larger, chunkier watch than its famous rival, and upon closer inspection, the dial design is also distinct with several interesting details.

The previous Conquest tried to be different and ended up being too much. That design was characterised by an oversized “12” that was recognisable but not sophisticated.

Although the resemblance to the modern Daytona is apparent at a distance, the dial gets more interesting up close (and also gives off some Paul Newman vibes). The new Conquest has a cleaner dial design with a slightly retro style thanks to a sector-like chapter ring. It does without a date, something purists will approve of.

Although all four dial colours share the same design, two stand out. The champagne dial is a unique colour for a sports chronograph in this price segment, while the silver dial has just the right amount of red accents, with the red-outlined luminous squares being particularly interesting as a design element.

The facelift didn’t shrink the Conquest by much and it’s still a large watch measuring 42 mm by 14.3 mm. It’s big and feels so, particularly with the wide and long lugs.

The size feels like a lost opportunity since a smaller case is technically feasible. The Longines Record Heritage Chronograph uses the same movement and is 40 mm wide and under 14 mm high.

The Conquest Chronograph is priced at a competitive US$3,750, wisely staying about 25% less expensive than the higher-spec Tudor Black Bay Chrono. The movement inside the Conquest Chronograph is modular, which is not a sophisticated approach to the chronograph, but forgivable considering the price.

And in terms of the base movement, this has slight edge against the competition. Like most watches in its price segment, the Conquest Chronograph is equipped with an ETA (or Sellita) movement, but Longines (like its sister brands in the Swatch Group) receives upgraded ETA movements. So the ETA 2892-based calibre in the Conquest has a 59-hour power reserve, instead of 42 hours for the stock movement, amongst other upgrades.

Available in four colours to start, the Conquest Chronograph gets the dial basics right. The balance and proportions of the dial elements are good, while the textures and surface finishing add to the visual interest.

The hour indices sit on a contrast-colour chapter ring, giving it something of a “sector” dial look. The chapter ring is not just in a different colour, but also finished with fine concentric graining, making it appear slightly recessed. Another interesting detail are the tiny luminous squares at the tip of each hour marker are an unusual detail that is vintage inspired but fresh.

All of the details are obvious on the black, silver, and champagne dials, but less on the blue dial, which is the only dial in a single colour, albeit in different shades of blue. The case is a no-fuss affair that’s entirely brushed steel. With crown guards and pump-style pushers, the resemblance to the Daytona is also apparent here.

But the design and finishing is appropriate for an affordable sports chronograph. It is, however, a bit too big at42 mm in diameter and 14.3 mm high. The case feels chunky on and off the wrist, something made even more apparent with the widely-spaced lugs that are themselves broad. The movement that’s visible through the back further emphasises the size of the case. It’s the L898.5, which is an upgraded ETA 2892 with an ETA chronograph module on the top. Being one of the highest-spec derivatives of the ETA 2892, the L898.5 includes a silicon hairspring, 59-hour power reserve, and COSC-certification.

The fact that the movement is module is something of a drawback, though not a major one given the accessible pricing. A Valjoux 7750-derived calibre would have been a more proper technical solution since it’s integrated, but it would have likely resulted in an even thicker watch. The height and movement trade-off is therefore acceptable. The L898.5 is dressed up for the exhibition back with striping on the rotor and perlage on the bridges. Needles to say, the decoration is industrial, but it is attractive and justifies the open back.

The Conquest Chronograph was clearly conceived to be a sports watch with larger-than-usual dimensions and an aesthetic that brings to mind a more famous sports watch. It succeeds on all counts, while remaining affordable.

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GIRARD-PERREGAUX Laureato

The Girard-Perregaux Laureato has gone through so many mutations and transformations since the design was first introduced in 1975, that it’s hard to think of a single model that really embodies its essence. The first Laureato, after all, was a thin quartz watch and it represents a period when not only GP, but the Swiss watch industry as a whole, was struggling to find a way through the Quartz Crisis.
That the first Girard-Perregaux Laureato was a quartz watch, not a mechanical one, is significant as well; GP was one of the first Swiss brands to offer a quartz watch. The first in-house GP quartz movement was the Elcron caliber, which came out in 1970 and ran at 8,192 Hz. In 1971, however, the GP-350 caliber debuted – this was the first quartz movement with a crystal vibrating at 32,768 Hz, which has become the frequency standard for almost all quartz movements made, right up to the present.

Some people find the Laureato’s design derivative of the Royal Oak, but I don’t see it that way – there are some, I think, fairly trivial similarities, including the use of an octagonal bezel, but if you put the two watches side-by-side they seem to me to clearly be going after different effects. The Royal Oak has a much more visually aggressive, overt angularity which the Laureato manifestly is not trying to ape; instead, it’s shooting for a slim, relatively unobtrusive vibe that, the steel case and eight-sided bezel notwithstanding, has much more to do with the mid-century ideal of a thin, elegant dress watch than it does with the flashy geometry of the Royal Oak. Whether this is or isn’t a good thing is a matter of taste, but the original Laureato is, I think, fundamentally a much more conservative design than the Royal Oak, at least in terms of its underlying aspirations.
The original Girard-Perregaux Laureato, therefore, wasn’t just an attempt to use a modern design idiom to achieve the feel of a traditional thin dress watch – it was an attempt by Girard-Perregaux, and by extension the Swiss watch industry, to assert itself as a leader in both aesthetic and technical modernity; not for nothing did it proudly say “chronometer” on the dial of the original Laureato. It’s on the same continuum with later, even more extreme examples of ultra-thin quartz horology, like the Omega Dinosaure or Concord Delirium, and it’s also an ancestor to later thin, integrated bracelet quartz watches such as the 1980 Piaget Polo (another now-classic design that started out as a quartz watch, with the caliber 7P in 1979 and 8P in 1980).
Girard-Perregaux Laureato was exclusively a quartz watch for quite a long time (it was used as a vehicle for quartz complications as well) and, interestingly enough, the first mechanical Laureato didn’t come along until fairly late in the game. In 1995, GP introduced a mechanical Laureato with its in-house automatic caliber 3100. The 3000 family of movements was first introduced, just the year before, in 1994, and like the original Laureato, they are rather conservative in certain respects – they’re relatively small by modern standards, at 11 1/2 lignes, or 25.60 mm x 3.36mm, for the caliber 3300 (the caliber 3000 is a 10 1/2 ligne movement). However, this is comparable to the ETA 2892, which is also an 11 1/2 ligne caliber (and 3.6mm thick). The 3300, which is used in the just-released 38mm Laureato watches, is a fairly high-beat caliber, at 28,8000 vph.

The 3000 family of GP movements, by the way, has found its way into some interesting watches from other brands. MB&F uses the 3300 caliber as the basis for a number of its Horological Machines, where its dimensions and general reliability give a lot of flexibility in overall design and mechanical implementation; in 1996, Vacheron Constantin used the GP 3100 as the Vacheron Constantin caliber 1311, in the first series of the Overseas watch – the first new model launched by VC after it was acquired by the Vendôme Group.