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Carl F. Bucherer Heritage Bicompax Annual Hometown Edition

Since it was founded in 1888, Carl F. Bucherer has been at home in Lucerne, one of Switzerland’s most picturesque cities. The brand proudly identifies with Lucerne, but in its 134-year history, thanks to its adventurous and cosmopolitan founding family, it has established itself as a free-spirited, contemporary watch manufacturer that finds itself at home all over the world. The new Carl F. Bucherer Heritage BiCompax Annual Hometown Edition pays a unique tribute to 16 of the brand’s adopted hometowns in nine different countries.
Carl F. Bucherer will always have a powerful connection to the city of Lucerne, where it was founded in 1888. As a truly global brand, though, it also has strong links to some of the world’s most popular places and, with its Carl F. Bucherer Heritage BiCompax Annual Hometown Edition, it honors Lucerne and 16 of the other cities it is proud to call home.
Carl F. Bucherer is resolutely Swiss, so it should come as no surprise that eight of the watches in the collection pay homage to some great places in its home country: Lucerne is one of them, of course, and it is joined by Basel, Bern, Geneva, St. Gallen, Zermatt, and Zurich. Two of Switzerland’s neighboring countries, Austria and France, are represented by Heritage BiCompax Annual Hometown Editions dedicated to Vienna and Paris, respectively. Furthermore, models have also been created to honor two German cities, Berlin and Munich. Rounding out the offering are five other global capitals: Beijing, London, Mumbai, New York, and Tokyo.
Carl F. Bucherer’s CEO, Sascha Moeri, says that the Hometown Edition watches express an emotional message that is closely linked to the brand: “The entrepreneurial spirit that characterizes the Bucherer family has always included international travel. In essence, they paved the way for today’s contemporary business travelers. They set out to see the world and found themselves at home wherever they were, finding new opportunities and becoming closely acquainted with the people in the places they visited. As a result, we are represented in most of the world’s cosmopolitan cities and, in the spirit of the Bucherer family, find ourselves at home in all of them!”
Iconic Landmarks Engraved on the Case Back What makes each watch so special is a compelling 3-D-look engraving on the case back’s sapphire crystal, which is dedicated to its specific hometown. For example, the Lucerne Edition features that city’s landmark Chapel Bridge, while tribute is paid to Tokyo with its skyline and Mount Fuji in the background. The Heritage BiCompax Annual Beijing’s case back is engraved with the city’s Tiananmen Square landmark. Each edition is distinguished by a one-of-a-kind case-back crystal with a similarly iconic and identifiable monument to its respective city.

The Carl F. Bucherer Heritage BiCompax Annual Hometown Edition watches are also presented in different colors. CEO Sascha Moeri says, “We wanted something more special than a conventional watch launch. We talked to the boutique teams in each of our ‘hometowns’ about the preferences of their own clients, which allowed us to choose colors that will resonate with the wants and needs of the customers in each city.”

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Ulysse Nardin Diver X The Ocean Race

In partnership with The  Ulyysse Nardin Ocean Race Diver, Ulysse Nardin introduces the Diver: The Ocean Race, a new watch primarily composed of recycled fishing nets. The timepiece follows the brand’s efforts regarding sustainable creation. Yet, it goes a step further because of its extensive and innovative material utilization. The focus is no longer confined to reused fishing nets, like their 2020 concept, but extends to various sustainable materials, such as Nylo, Carbonium and 85% recycled steel.
The new Diver: The  Ulyysse Nardin Ocean Race Diver found its origins in 2020 when Ulysse Nardin presented the Diver Net. This concept watch represented the brand’s first attempt to be the most sustainable watch in production. Ulysse Nardin created that timepiece to experiment with different types of innovative, sustainable materials. Its case was made out of Nylo (a substance made out of upcycled fishing nets; we will discuss it below), while the strap was made of PET, which is used to make most of the plastic bottles on the planet. Also, notably, the watch’s glass was made of Swiss-made transparent ceramic. However, the Diver Net remained as a concept and was not commercially available. Today, the launch of the 200-piece limited-edition Diver: The Ocean Race rewrites that story.
The striking new watch showcases a modern and cool aesthetic with black and green shades while visibly employing the new eco-friendly materials. Unlike the 2020 Diver Net concept, whose case was all Nylo, the new Diver’s 44mm case uses Nylo (60%) and Carbonium (40%). Other steel components, like the caseback, are made of waste materials from the automotive industry. Overall, this Austrian-sourced steel (by Voestalpine Böhler) is at least 80% recycled.
The Diver’s unidirectional bezel, with its specific decoration with white organic veins, is made of Carbonium (supplied by Lavoisier Composites). It is generated from the waste materials of aircraft parts, but with a much smaller environmental impact compared to other carbon composites. In 2019, Ulysse Nardin was the first brand to use this solid yet light organic-looking material.

Ulysse Nardin made a discernible effort to add the most meticulous finishings to the 300-meter water-resistant watch. As a nod to nature, the green touches stand out on the case, dial and strap. The cool-looking face of the watch features a gray-and-green, half-matte, half-satin “double X” signature, a power reserve gauge at 12 o’clock, and the small running seconds at six, with the bold hour and minute hands dressed up in bright white. On the case, the colors are featured on the crown, crown protectors, and the individual plate on the left side.
The Diver: The Ocean Race has an all-new strap, though. Instead of the PET band used on the 2020 concept, it is made of fishing net fibers supplied by JTTI-France.

As it has been for the last two decades, the advanced materials are also present in the movement, the well-known UN-118 with a silicon and DiamonSil (silicon coated with diamond) escapement. But that’s not all: for this watch,  Ulyysse Nardin Ocean Race Diver made sure that 95%of its components — especially metals like steel and brass — were sourced within a 30-kilometer radius in the Neuchâtel area, half of which come from established recycling channels (did you know that all of UN’s movements use 100% recycled brass?).

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Carl F. Bucherer Manero

It’s often forgotten, when watch enthusiasts tally up the relatively few remaining independent, family-owned Swiss watch brands, that Carl F. Bucherer is one of them. The watch brand is a subsidiary of the Bucherer Group, which traces its origins to 1888, when founder Carl Friedrich Bucherer opened a jewelry and watch boutique in Lucerne, Switzerland. Today the Bucherer Group is still family, with Jörg G. Bucherer – 82, and the grandson of the founder, Carl Friedrich Bucherer – still active as chairman of the company’s board of directors. One of the most notable recent events in the Group’s history is its 2017 acquisition of Tourneau, which should give you some idea of the considerable clout the company has globally, and it seems reasonable to assume that the subsidiary watch brand (Carl F. Bucherer was established in 2001) will almost certainly become more visible in the U.S. market than has been the case.
The Carl F.Bucherer Manero Flyback Chronograph collection is one of five main collections, and, along with the Patravi collection, it is made up of what would traditionally be considered men’s watches. Though of course the distinction is a bit outmoded these days, many Swiss watch companies define their collections in terms of conventionally masculine or conventionally feminine products. In the same vein, the Patravi watches have a bit more of a sports-luxury feel, while the Manero collection features cases and designs that would not, at least in terms of design details, have looked out of place in the 1950s, although physical dimensions are contemporary – the Manero Flyback Chronograph has a 43mm x 14.5mm case. Both collections feature watches that use variations on the company’s in-house CFB A1000 movement, which is a peripheral rotor caliber first introduced in 2008, and which was followed up with the A2000 series in 2016 (for more, check out our hands-on with the Manero Peripheral, right here).
The Carl F.Bucherer Manero Flyback Chronograph was also first introduced in 2016, and it represents a very conventional and very much Swiss approach to making a chronograph. The movement is not in-house, although that is certainly not a knock against the watch at this under-$10,000 price point – in-house self-winding chronographs are relatively rare, and at the Manero Flyback Chronograph’s price, even more so. They do exist, and so the Manero Flyback Chronograph, at $8,700 in steel (and $21,400 in rose gold) is not without competition – two contenders are the Zenith El Primero in steel (the 38mm model is $6,700) and, at an even gentler price, Seiko’s Presage Chronograph, which, with an enamel dial, and a vertical clutch, column wheel movement, is €2,650 (approximately $2,815).
On the Manero’s side, however, is the fact that while the movement is not strictly speaking in-house (caliber CFB 1970 is derived from the ETA 7750) it has been significantly modified, including the addition of a column-wheel control system rather than the stock lever-and-cam mechanism, as well as the addition of a flyback function. Longines does column wheel chronographs for as little as $3,000 however again, the flyback function is absent.

Of course, a feature-set comparison is only part of the story. It’s an often-repeated retailer’s truism that to sell a watch you just have to sell the dial, and the Manero’s quality of construction, fit and finish should enter into the equation as well, when evaluating it against the competition. After all, on features alone a steel Daytona is overpriced, at least at first glance, at $12,400, but there are plenty of people who would willingly sell a parent to a Barbary corsair to get their hands on one. Carl F. Bucherer’s watches in general, live in the details, and the diamond-shaped applied indexes, skeletonized hands, and combination of brushed and matte dial finishes, as well as the nicely beveled lugs on the case, all speak positively of CFB’s attention to detail in the design and construction of the watch. The two-register design and placement of the date window at 6:00 create a balanced, informative, and legible dial and albeit the date window is not a generally favored element to the Hodinkee reader (at least, those who leave comments!) it’s well incorporated into the overall dial design.The movement is well and appropriately finished for the price: neatly executed Geneva stripes on the rotor and plate, with blued screws. CFB has also gone to the trouble to integrate the case-back engraving into the overall design of the case itself; the engraving flows nicely around the indentations for the caseback wrench.
Overall, the first impression one has in the metal of the Carl F.Bucherer Manero Flyback Chronograph (in steel, with light grey alligator strap) is of quietly solid execution, if not actual inspiration in design. With the exception of the size (and the fact that it’s self-winding; automatic chronographs didn’t hit the market until 1969) this is a watch that’s almost completely drawn from the mid-20th century playbook of watch design, which is all to the good. Where I do think the Manero Flyback may struggle is with its dimensions.
There are no absolutes when it comes to size and watches – the wearability of a watch is affected by everything from its overall weight, to its diameter, thickness, and lug-to-lug dimensions, to how the strap or bracelet is attached to the watch, the use of a pin buckle or folding clasp, and so on. However, 43mm x 14.5mm is going to present a problem to exactly the group of potential clients who might otherwise find the design compelling enough to seek out the watch in person: people interested in a traditionally designed, two-register chronograph with good attention to dial and construction details and a slightly vintage feel. It’s not so much that the watch feels awkwardly large on the wrist; it doesn’t, and there are many popular modern chronographs with similar dimensions (including the Speedmaster Professional at 42mm; the Heuer Heritage at 42mm; the Presage Chronograph at 42mm.

Despite the fact that the size is challenging, given the tastes of likely customers for the watch, the Carl F.Bucherer Manero Flyback Chronograph represents some very attractive, honest watchmaking. It would be very interesting to see CFB bring out some smaller watches, though – the one consistent impression I have of both the Patravi and Manero collections, is that they would benefit from offering CFB’s undeniable facility with classic wristwatch design, with more classically oriented physical dimensions. Of course, size is relative and for the more physically imposing gent for whom a 38mm watch is less attractive, or for someone who just prefers a larger watch, the Carl F.Bucherer Manero Flyback Chronograph is an interesting alternative to the usual suspects.

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Urwerk UR-220 Red Gold

Beyond the heavily modified base movements inside them, Urwerk’s otherworldly mechanical contraptions that appear to tell time only incidentally have always had more in common with something out of a sci-fi film than conventional watches. The bedrock feature of its watches is the wandering hours complication, which was first invented in the 17th century for a Vatican City clock. Though it was reinterpreted for the wrist in the early 1990s by Audemars Piguet as the Star Wheel, it was Urwerk that reinvented the complication for the 21st century with an almost celebratory architecture that displayed the hour satellite in all its three-dimensional glory. By combining the satellite cube display with a three-dimensional retrograde minute indicator, the UR-210 and 220 series arguably marked the pinnacle of a concept that became a brand.

After three editions spanning a mere two years, Urwerk is giving a curtain call to the Urwerk UR-220. Characterized by a slimmer, sleeker case thanks to the manual-winding movement inside, the model was first unveiled in 2020 as the successor of the beloved UR-210. It was originally introduced in carbon, followed by an all-black titanium and steel version and then a second carbon version with luminous satellite cubes.

This makes the fourth and final Urwerk UR-220 the only iteration in solid red gold. Due to its size and style, Urwerk timepieces tend to benefit from the use of lighter, more modern materials such as carbon or titanium. But a warm precious metal, with a pronounced concentrically brushed finish, does lend it an irresistible contrast. It is further paired with a white rubber strap, which gives it an unmatched presence while ensuring great comfort on the wrist.
Notably, as opposed to all the other red-gold watches from the brand, the bridge that frames the hour satellite has been gold plated to match the case in the Urwerk UR-220, which visually accentuates the motion of the three-dimensional proprietary carrousel system that came to define Urwerk.

The central carrousel comprises of three cubes with an hour numeral on each face. As time progresses, the cubes traverse the dial, slotting into a massive hollowed-out retrograde minute pointer to show the current hour. At the top of the hour, the minute hand makes a leap back to zero and surrounds the next hour cube. This is accomplished with the use of a ruby bearing system to ensure stability, a double star-shaped cam underneath that triggers a spring attached to the satellite frame, along with a large vertical cylindrical spring to generate sufficient tension to power the flyback. The minute hand is openworked and made of aluminum to minimise inertia and it is counterbalanced by a bronze weight, visible on the central axis.
Notably in the UR-220, the 48-hour power reserve is charted across two gauges located at one and 11 o’clock. When the watch starts running, the indicator at 11 o’clock begins its journey backwards, and once it hits zero, the second indicator takes over.

A digital service indicator is also present on the reverse and activated by removing a protective pin, which sets in motion a counter displaying the number of months the watch has been running on two rollers, allowing the owner to keep track of the brand’s recommended 39-month service interval.

The base movement is still a heavily adapted Zenith Elite which has been rid of its automatic winding mechanism. As such, the watch is significantly slimmer, clocking in at 14.8mm versus the 17.8mm thickness of the UR-210.

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RM 35-03 Automatic Rafael Nadal

In the current haute horlogerie arms race, brands have spread their ambitions beyond increasingly intricate skeleton movements and complications, and set themselves to work developing more durable, reliable iterations of these complex creations. Richard Mille is leading the charge for this new generation of more rugged ultra-luxury timepieces, pioneering immense shock resistances and variable geometry winding rotors to limit the strain of intense physical activity on its movements. For its latest release, Richard Mille takes this variable geometry concept to its logical conclusion. This new model streamlines the process of adjusting the rotor, evolving it from an intensive fine-tuning process only available at the factory to an on-the-fly selection made with a case side pusher. The new Richard Mille RM 35-03 Automatic Rafael Nadal incorporates some of the brand’s most intriguing engineering concepts to date, showcasing a new approach to reducing movement wear.
Available in a pair of colorways, the 43.15mm integrated tonneau case of the Richard Mille RM 35-03 Automatic Rafael Nadal takes a sporty, ridged approach to the brand’s signature sandwich case design. The bolder of the pair is undoubtedly the blue case variant, with a bezel and caseback in deep striated royal blue Quartz TPT, while the mid-case is rendered from more of the brand’s proprietary Quartz TPT material in a pure optic white. Topped by an intricately finished crown with bright red rubber accents, this athletic colorway gives the already dramatic design an added punch in initial images. The second variant takes a more monochromatic approach, with a central case in the brand’s layered black Carbon TPT material. To complement this darker center, Richard Mille renders the caseback and bezel in a layered blend of white Quartz TPT and black Carbon TPT. The end result is a striking zebra-stripe effect in initial images, deftly highlighting the complex case construction while imbuing the design with an added sense of drama. To keep the stark black and white color palette from becoming too harsh, Richard Mille gives the crown a powder blue rubber accent ring. All of this may seem familiar to the brand faithful, but it’s the pushers that identify the RM 35-03 Automatic Rafael Nadal as a new evolution for the brand. The black Carbon TPT pusher at 2 o’clock, like several previous models, acts as a function selector for the crown, swapping between winding, time setting, and neutral positions. At 8 o’clock, however, the matching Carbon TPT pusher is all new. Playfully engraved with a “Sport Mode” inscription, this allows the wearer to cycle between the movement’s variable geometry rotor positions at will. Given the design’s ultra-high-tech approach to reducing weight and protecting the movement from wear, however, the case’s mediocre 50 meter water resistance is more than a little disappointing.
In typical Richard Mille fashion, the dial of the Richard Mille RM 35-03 Automatic Rafael Nadal is skeletonized and intricate, prioritizing visual complexity over artistically framing individual movement elements. Both case variants share the same dial layout (barring slight differences in highlight colors), with a sharply sloping rehaut featuring a mix of printed wedge hour indices and aggressive, futuristic printed Arabic numerals. The actual skeleton design itself is dominated by an X-shaped skeleton bridge, stretching across the length and breadth of the movement and featuring a brushed titanium finish to stand out against the backdrop of black PVD movement elements. The main handset follows the classic Richard Mille pattern, with a broad faceted skeleton design and unique tapering lume plots. Despite the complexity of the skeleton bridges beneath the hands, the retrograde subdials are both easily legible thanks to their vibrant red lume fills. At 2 o’clock, the retrograde indicator marks out the current selected crown function, and just above 6 o’clock the “Off/On” display marks whether the rotor-disengaging Sport Mode is currently active. The in-house Caliber RMAL2 automatic movement is the centerpiece of the Richard Mille RM 35-03 Automatic Rafael Nadal. The brand’s major innovation with this new powerplant is the butterfly rotor system. The butterfly rotor is an on-demand variable geometry and variable inertia system, intended to protect the mainspring and other movement components from unnecessary winding strain during high-intensity physical activity. To achieve this, Richard Mille uses a dual skeleton rotor design, with both rotors joined side-by-side and spinning freely under normal conditions. When “Sport Mode” is engaged, the two rotors lock together at a 180 degree angle opposite one another, shifting the movement’s center of gravity back to the central rotor pivot. In this position, the inertia from the titanium oscillating weights is not transferred to the mainspring, saving the movement from unnecessary wear and tear. The rest of the Caliber RMAL2 has no shortage of advanced components as well, with elements like a Gluycdur balance wheel and a balance spring in high-tech elinvar material. Thanks to a pair of twin mainspring barrels, the movement manages a solid 55 hour power reserve at a 28,800 bph beat rate. In terms of finishing, the Caliber RMAL2 is a complex web of skeleton bridges and movement plates, finished in a mix of brushing, sandblasting, and black PVD for a purposeful ultramodern look in images.
Richard Mille finishes the RM 35-03 Automatic Rafael Nadal with a tapering integrated rubber strap. Flowing directly into the lines of the case, with dramatic side cutouts and stylized perforation reminiscent of high-performance automotive hood vents, this strap smoothly echoes the aggressive high-tech spirit of the case in initial images. For the blue-cased variant, the brand opts for a strap in clean white, while the white-cased model instead features a crown-matching strap in pale powder blue.

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Richard Mille RM 032 Automatic Winding Flyback Chronograph Les Voiles de Saint Barth Watch

After a two-year hiatus, Richard Mille has just announced the return of the Voiles de Saint Barth Richard Mille regatta — taking place over six days in the Caribbean Sea. This year’s 11th edition will see 700 sailors spread across 71 teams comprised of Maxis, Super Maxis, Multihulls, Spinnakers, and Melges 24s.

With the upcoming competition, Richard Mille revealed a new commemorative watch, the RM 032 Voiles de Saint Barth. The watch has been created to withstand depths of 300 meters and features Caribbean blue accents and white Quartz TPT. The watch has a full grade 5 titanium case middle and is flanked by lugs, inserts, and a case back all made in Carbon TPT. The 50mm skeletonized watch also packs a flyback chronograph function, an annual calendar, an indicateur de marche, and a half-turn locking crown.
Eagerly anticipated by everyone, the launch of the 11th Les Voiles de Saint Barth Richard Mille regatta on 17th April will signal the start of six captivating days in the Caribbean Sea. With patrons including world freediving champion Arnaud Jerald and the President of the International Maxi Association (IMA) Benoît de Froidmont, the 2022 edition also represents the third stage of the Caribbean Maxi Challenge, a new Caribbean competition open to all Maxis over 60 feet.

With just a few days to go before the event gets underway, the organisers are preparing to host an exceptional line-up. 700 sailors in 71 teams have registered for the race, with Maxis, Super Maxis, Multihulls, Spinnakers and Melges 24s all poised to jostle for a place on the podium. The overall winner – in the Maxi category – will be presented with a titanium RM 028 diving watch. Having been paused for two long years, Les Voiles de Saint Barth Richard Mille 2022 is certain to be a memorable and emotional event.
Involved in creating the regatta in 2010 and its title partner since 2019, Richard Mille will once again be present at the event, accompanied this year by the brand’s freediving partner Arnaud Jerald. The four-time world record holder and reigning world freediving champion is proud to be associated with this internationally renowned competition: “Our disciplines are synonymous with performance, humility, solidarity and surpassing oneself, and I am honoured to be a patron of this year’s Les Voiles de Saint Barth Richard Mille competition. I sailed when I was younger and I love the sensations, so I’m looking forward to picking up some valuable insights and talking to some true enthusiasts. Sailing and freediving are also sports in which experience is highly valued, so I expect to learn a lot from this event.”

Arnaud will be accompanied by Benoît de Froidmont, President of the IMA, which created the Caribbean Maxi Challenge. Luc Poupon and François Tolède, the organisers of Les Voiles de Saint Barth Richard Mille, are delighted and honoured to be joining this new competition: “Being selected by the IMA to be part of the Caribbean Maxi Challenge gives us fantastic recognition both in terms of the professionalism of our organisation at sea and the quality of our event on land.”
This 11th edition also provides the perfect opportunity for the brand to present its new RM 032 Voiles de Saint Barth timepiece, a highly technical creation that can withstand a pressure of 30 atmospheres (300 metres) in accordance with the ISO 6425 standard for diving watches. Worn by Arnaud Jerald in its titanium version, the Voiles de Saint Barth limited edition – of just 120 timepieces – is characterised by its two-tone combination of Caribbean blue and white Quartz TPT. The constant quest for optimal water-resistance and durability has led to the complete integration of these elements into a grade 5 titanium case middle. By contrast, the lugs, inserts and case back in Carbon TPT are combined with grade 5 titanium pushers that operate the chronograph and lock the rotating bezel – a complex construction that bears the seal of Les Voiles de Saint Barth Richard Mille on the back.

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2022 Glashütte Original SeaQ

When it comes to German watchmaking, there are not many brands that can create excellent dress watches like Glashutte Original SeaQ. With over a hundred years of watchmaking experience, Glashutte Original continuously creates timepieces that exhibit high quality and unparalleled craftsmanship. This brand is most commonly associated with the elegant, classic models from its Senator and Pano series.

While the models in those collections are all impressive in their own right, Glashutte Original SeaQ also has a hand in making versatile dive watches. If you are searching for a stunning modern diver with vintage looks and a reliable movement, have a look at this nifty Spezialist watch – the Glashutte Original SeaQ. Join us on the ride as we check out the specifications of this remarkable German-made dive watch and everything it has to offer.
The Glashutte Original SeaQ is an interesting and unique entrant into the dive watch category. While it may not currently have the history or the following of the Rolex Submariner, it is a nice option at a time where Rolex dive watches are not readily available. In many ways the SeaQ surpasses the Submariner in quality of build.
I was lucky that Glashütte sent me a two-tone SeaQ on nylon strap to wear and review for a week. While I am generally not a huge fan of two-tone watches, the SeaQ offers a toned down two-tone that only displays hints of gold around the bezel and the crown. In my view, the two-tone SeaQ represents one of the best two-tone watches available on the market.

In the stainless steel case, you can really see Glashütte’s attention to detail. While most of the case is brushed, there are polished lines across the edges that add a little bit more sophistication to the piece.
The SeaQ is a 39.5mm watch that wears a little bit smaller. This is due to the lack of crown guard and the slim case, which I prefer. Because of the slim case, definitely slimmer than a Submariner or Sea-Dweller, the SeaQ wears very comfortably and looks good on both larger and smaller wrists.

The blue sunburst dial on the two-tone model is stunning. It is no surprise that Glashütte blue dial offerings for both their two-tone and stainless steel options, given the popularity of the blue dials on the Patek Philippe Nautilus Ref. 5711 (now discontinued) and the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Refs. 15500 and 15202 (among other popular blue dial watches). It will be interesting to see how many buyers there are for a dive watch priced similarly to a Submariner or Sea-Dweller but without the decades of heritage. However, the build quality of the Glashutte Original SeaQ is just as high as Rolex’s dive offerings, make it a great choice for someone who does not have an established relationship with a Rolex AD or is unwilling to pay grey market prices.
Let us dive deep into a full-on analysis on the new Glashutte Original diver’s watch called the SeaQ Panorama Date.

Today we will be taking an up-close-and-personal look at a fantastic dive watch called the Glashütte Original SeaQ Panorama Date. It has some incredible features that make it worthy of a detailed review.

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RM 62-01 Manual Winding Tourbillon vibrating alarm ACJ

Bold and daring, the Richard Mille RM 62-01 Manual Winding Tourbillon vibrating alarm ACJ watch is the result of a partnership between luxury watch brand Richard Mille and Airbus Corporate Jets. The bold watch has a skeletonized baseplate and bridges in lightweight, rugged Grade 5 titanium, and a new vibrating alarm complication developed in tandem with Audemars Piguet over the course of five years. The alarm, which will vibrate for 12 seconds, can be set to the nearest minute of a 24-hour period. The watch with 816-part movement features a tourbillon, high-tech Glucydur balance and shock protection system. The most complicated watch Richard Mille has ever built is created in a limited edition of 30 pieces.
Just when you thought things couldn’t get any crazier, Richard Mille drops its most complicated watch ever. It’s a watch designed for travelers, and produced as a collaboration with Airbus Corporate Jets. As such, it’s designed with the extremely affluent and very frequent flyer in mind – in addition to its tourbillon, it also has an oversized date, a GMT hand indicating the time in a second time zone, an indicator for the 70-hour power reserve, and an alarm. The alarm is a first for Richard Mille, and while not, of course, the first alarm watch, it is a first in how the alarm works. Instead of an audible alarm, it is a vibrating one, meant to be felt only by the wearer and not heard by anyone else. This is achieved by using a special oscillating mass that looks a bit like an automatic winding rotor, which spins at a high enough speed to produce a vibration that can be felt but not heard.

I must admit, I did have a chuckle when I read the press release which said “The RM 62-01 is designed for the discretion prevailing in the hushed atmosphere of luxury.” The new RM 62-01 is anything but discreet. The RM 62-01 has a double bezel – one is satin-polished titanium and the second milled from a block of Carbon TPT to a wafer-thin thickness of 1.8 mm. The combination of titanium and Carbon TPT ensures that vibrations produced by the alarm are transferred to the wrist, rather than to the movement.
Looking at the watch head-on (I haven’t had the opportunity to eyeball it in the metal), we see a pusher located at the center of the crown, from where it is possible to wind the watch, set the time, set the alarm and adjust the UTC indication. A disc at three o’clock displays the selected mode against a light-colored ground: N (Neutral) — W (winding) — T (time setting) — U (UTC hand setting) — A (Alarm setting). The UTC indicator for a second time zone is indicated by the green hand at the centre. And at nine o’clock, below the sapphire dial, the tourbillon shows off its free-sprung balance which oscillates at 3Hz. The oversize date is positioned at 12 o’clock and framed by an aperture with the red hatching we often see from Richard Mille. Finally, the 70-hour power reserve can be seen at 11 o’clock. All functions relating to the vibrating alarm are grouped on the lower part of the main dial.
The rotating weight that produces the alarm vibrations is machined from a single piece of white gold, precisely calibrated to spin at 5,400 rpm and adjusted to the nearest minute of a full 24 hours. This is set using the function selector situated at three o’clock. The maximum duration of the vibration is 12 seconds. I wonder if down the line you will be able to manually set the vibration duration. The alarm is wound, not by winding the crown, but by pressing 12 times on the pusher at eight o’clock.

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Parmigiani Fleurier – Tonda PF Skeleton

The new Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Collection is enriched by a sophisticated squelette timepiece, the Tonda PF Skeleton, recently unveiled by Parmigiani Fleurier on occasion of the Watches and Wonders watch exhibition (Geneva, March 30- April 5).
Available in two variations – in 18ct rose gold and in steel with a platinum 950 knurled bezel – this model comes in a 40 mm case that is slightly thicker (8.5 mm vs 7.8 mm) than the Tonda PF Micro-Rotor, the inaugural piece of the new collection. Thanks to a screwed-in crown, the watch is water resistant to 100 metres / 330 feet. With the Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Skeleton, Parmigiani Fleurier fully showcases the architecture of the PF777 calibre while preserving its balance and volume. Even the barrel is openworked revealing the mainspring that drives its balance at a rate of 28,800 vibrations per hour. The graphite-coloured openworked dial alternates sandblasted and satin-brushed surfaces and is completed by suspended hour markers. The two openworked hands glide over the large dial opening, which retains only a chapter ring to facilitate the reading of the time. Visible through the transparent sapphire crystal caseback, the 22ct rose gold oscillating weight nicely blends with the airy structure comprised of 187 components. The autonomy of the watch is 60 hours.
Completed by a fully integrated bracelet, the Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Skeleton has a price of CHF 59,000 in stainless steel (ref. PFC912-1020001-100182) and CHF 88,000 in rose gold (ref. PFC912-2020001-200182).

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TUDOR Black Bay Chrono S&G

The chic chronograph in the Black Bay line in steel and yellow gold, with a self-winding Manufacture Calibre, featuring a column wheel and vertical clutch, follows in the purest tradition of sporting timepieces.

TUDOR has been producing watches that are closely tied to the world of motor sport since the presentation of the Oysterdate in 1970, the brand’s first chronograph. In the same way, since 1954 TUDOR has been constantly refining its professional divers’ watches. The Tudor Black Bay Chrono S&G model combines these traditions in a sport-chic chronograph, with contrasting sub-counters and a high-performance automatic Manufacture Calibre, with column wheel and vertical clutch.
Remaining faithful to the Black Bay aesthetic, the Tudor Black Bay Chrono S&G has adopted the famous “Snowflake” hands, a brand signature for divers’ watches since 1969, to ensure outstanding readability against the domed dial.
Available in two versions, matt black or a sunray satin-finish champagne colour, the dial includes two recessed sub-counters in contrasting colours, a champagne colour and matt black respectively, for optimum legibility.

The sub-counters have a circular-grained finish and, inspired by the first generation of TUDOR chronographs, feature a 45-minute counter and a date aperture positioned at 6 o’clock.
The recognisable characteristics of the Black Bay are preserved in a steel and yellow gold case with a 41-millimetre diameter. Typical of the brand’s characteristic attention to detail, the design of the yellow gold pushers has been inspired by the very first generation of TUDOR chronographs. A fixed bezel in yellow gold with an insert in black anodised aluminium with tachymetric scale, complete the distinguished appearance of this sporty chronograph.
The fabric strap is one of the hallmarks of TUDOR, which, in 2010, became one of the first watchmaking brands to offer it with its products. Woven in France using a traditional method on 19th century Jacquard looms by the Julien Faure company in the St-Etienne region, its manufacturing quality and comfort on the wrist are unique. In 2020, TUDOR celebrated ten years of collaboration with the hundred-and-fifty-year-old Julien Faure company. The partnership began with the launch of Heritage Chrono, the first model fitted with a fabric strap created by the craftsmen, at Baselworld 2010.
For the Tudor Black Bay Chrono S&G model, TUDOR has selected a black strap woven by these traditional craftsmen.

The model is also available with a stainless steel and yellow gold bracelet inspired by the folding riveted bracelets made by TUDOR in the 1950s and 1960s.

These were famous for having visible rivet heads on the side of the bracelet that held the links together. The links also had a distinct stepped construction.

These two aesthetic details are found on the current bracelet, which also integrates modern manufacturing methods with solid links and laser-finished rivet-style heads. Finally, entirely in keeping with the spirit of “1970s racing”, the Tudor Black Bay Chrono S&G offers another choice of bracelet: a bund in aged dark brown leather with ecru topstitching and a steel folding clasp.
TUDOR is an award-winning Swiss-made watch brand, offering watches with sophisticated style, proven reliability and unmatched value for money. The origins of TUDOR date back to 1926, when “The Tudor” was first registered as a brand on behalf of the founder of Rolex, Hans Wilsdorf. He officially set up the Montres TUDOR SA company in 1946 to produce watches that respect the traditional Rolex philosophy of quality at a more affordable price point. Because of their robustness and affordability, throughout their history TUDOR watches have been chosen by the boldest adventurers on land, in the air, underwater and on ice. Today the TUDOR collection includes emblematic models such as Black Bay, Pelagos, 1926 and Royal. Since 2015, TUDOR has also offered models with mechanical Manufacture Calibres with multiple functions and superior performance.