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Chopard Alpine Eagle Flying Tourbillon

One of Chopard’s latest extensions to its still-fresh Alpine Eagle collection is the new-for-2022 Chopard Alpine Eagle Flying Tourbillon. I like this high-end timepiece because it is simple to understand, satisfying in its execution, and more than practical enough to serve as a daily wear. Indeed, Chopard celebrates the Chopard Alpine Eagle Flying Tourbillon as being among the (admittedly) rare watches that bear both the Poinçon de Genève (Seal of Geneva) as well as a COSC Chronometer certification. In a sense, the latter rating is a bit redundant, but since Chopard did seem to want to put the “Chronometer” label on the dial, the COSC certification is a nice little extra element for this accurate tourbillon-based timepiece.

While the Chopard Alpine Eagle Flying Tourbillon might not be the “most” this or the “thinnest” that, it is a very compelling package that does a lot of things well once you put it on your wrist. For a variety of reasons, people out there want to put a tourbillon on their wrist. Perhaps it is for status or because they love the animation of the spinning regulation system, but wearing a tourbillon in an otherwise sensible leisure watch is a goal for plenty of collectors. Accordingly, that’s more or less what Chopard seemed to have in mind here (with a logical competitor for this product being the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Tourbillon).
The case wears a bit small for its size and is a sensible 41mm-wide and just 8mm-thick in a special alloy of metal that Chopard calls Lucent Steel. It polishes up a bit differently from the more standard 316L steel and appears to be a bit more white in tone. I do agree that Lucent steel makes for a great watch case material. The 8mm thickness is probably enough for Chopard to have claimed that this is an “ultra-thin” timepiece, but the company usually refrains from using such boastful adjectives in its names, which is something that I tend to appreciate. The Alpine Eagle case has side flanks that give it a very trendy look, and the integrated bracelet is well-made with a unique character that easily marks it as a Chopard product (versus something from the competition). More so, the case is water-resistant to 100 meters.

The textured blue dial is produced from a piece of gold that is given a spiraled texture that Chopard calls “the iris of the eagle.” The gold base is later treated with a blue galvanic treatment to achieve the desired color. It also feels like this is a Chopard Alpine Eagle Flying Tourbillon watch meant to go with jeans, and there is certainly nothing wrong with that. The dial is also fitted with Roman numeral hour indicators and an opening for the flying tourbillon window at the 6 o’clock position No extra clutter, no extra complications, just the legible time with a textured dial and a Swiss Made rotating tourbillon system. While The Alpine Eagle is not technically part of Chopard’s more elite L.U.C product collection, it does have a movement produced by the L.U.C part of the brand’s movement manufacture, which is visible through the sapphire crystal case rear. The movement is produced in-house at Chopard and is known as the caliber L.U.C 96.24-L. The movement consists of 189 parts and operates at an uncommon 3.5Hz (25,200) frequency. It has 65 hours of power reserve between two stacked mainspring barrels, which is really impressive given that the movement is just 3.3mm-thick. Finally, the movement is an automatic, featuring a 22k-gold micro-rotor system. This L.U.C family mechanism also happens to be very pretty, with its traditional bridge architecture and corresponding hand-applied polishing and decoration. The addition of the two certifications helps prove the merits of the movements to those who don’t have the eyes to see it otherwise. COSC Chronometer certification is about attending a level of accuracy for the movement, and the more challenging and uncommon Seal of Geneva certification covers three areas. First, it attests to the fact that the movement was produced within the geographic canton of Geneva. Second and third, it attests to the cased Chopard Alpine Eagle Flying Tourbillon watch meeting certain performance standards and ensuring particular aesthetic and decorative standards. There are very few (if any) “cheap” Poinçon de Genève timepieces out there.

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Chopard Alpine Eagle XL Chrono

The Chopard Alpine Eagle XL Chrono collection debuted with a selection of three-hand models back in 2019 and the Fleurier-based manufacture has used the little time since to expand upon the exceptionally successful recipe of the original. The Chopard Alpine Eagle XL Chrono is a special addition to the collection because it is the largest and grandest rendition of the Alpine Eagle at 44mm-wide, making the best use of all that extra space to include the brand’s 03.05-C in-house chronograph movement. Chopard and motorsports go back decades, all the way to the late 1980s when the brand started sponsoring the Mille Miglia, “the most beautiful race in the world” with which it has been in continuous partnership ever since. It is no surprise, then, that the sporty Alpine Eagle XL Chrono, equipped with a tachymeter scale, is presented on the wrist of Jacky Ickx, six-time 24 Hours of Le Mans winner and long-time friend of the brand. The dial is characterized by red accents and amply sized and situated markers across the main display as well as the subdials to allow for the accurate reading of the measured time — an essential feature for chronographs rich with racing DNA. The backdrop remains the beautifully textured pattern inspired by the eagle’s iris, as it is on every Alpine Eagle watch. the subdials, tachymeter scale, and even the date display all feature numerals and texts in Chopard’s bespoke typography — yet another touch to indicate all-encompassing attention to detail from the brand and its co-president, Karl-Friedrich Scheufele. The 44mm-wide and 13.15mm-thick case of the Chopard Alpine Eagle XL Chrono watch is crafted from A223 Lucent Steel, an innovative steel alloy that is hypo-allergenic and robust with truly incomparable brilliance and whiteness achieved through a meticulous recasting process. A223 Lucent Steel responds beautifully to various surface treatments and on the XL Chrono it exhibits a combination of high-polished and intricately brushed elements. The pushers are discreetly integrated into the robust crown guards on the right hand side of the case while the screws securing the bezel are all perfectly aligned with the shape of the watch — again, testifying to the attention to detail all Alpine Eagle references are crafted with, all the way from the very material they are crafted from. The caseback reveals the 310-component Chopard 03.05-C, a self-winding and column wheel-equipped chronograph caliber developed and assembled by Chopard’s watchmaking workshops. With three patented innovations, including a unidirectional gear drive system to prevent energy losses while ensuring rapid winding and a zero-reset mechanism with pivoting hammers and elastic arms for the flyback function, the 03.05-C also boasts a patented vertical clutch system for the smooth and accurate starting of the chronograph. Making it all the more desirable and rare among modern chronographs is a flyback function to allow for the quick stopping, resetting, and restarting of the function at the press of just one button. Fitted with a stop-second feature for to-the-second synchronization with a reference time, the Alpine Eagle XL Chrono is chronometer-certified by the Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute — as befits such a technical masterpiece. Already available with an integrated metal bracelet and a leather option, the Chopard Alpine Eagle XL Chrono model is treated to a new look with a supple rubber strap with a pin buckle. Water-resistant, durable and comfortable, this new strap option lends a particularly dynamic look to this sporty chronograph that is water resistant to 100m.

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Chopard Alpine Eagle

The basic premise of a sport watch is pretty simple: It tells the time, you can wear it anywhere, and it shouldn’t be too expensive, relatively speaking, of course. The Chopard Alpine Eagle delivers on all these. Offered in two sizes – 36mm and 41mm – there’s a fit for pretty much any wrist. Chopard uses a different COSC-certified movement for each version: the caliber 09.01-C (36mm) or 01.01-C (41mm), which means each nicely fills up the sapphire caseback.

As with most watches in the sport watch genre, the bracelet is a defining feature of the Alpine Eagle. It doesn’t disappoint, a unique three-link construction, with the links secured together with a single screw on the back of the bracelet. It leaves the edge clean so that it’s polished and chamfered to provide a contrast to the brushed outer links. It’s an effortless update of Chopard’s original St. Moritz from the 1980s. Speaking of, the Alpine Eagle draws all kinds of inspiration from that original St. Moritz. Back then, a young Karl-Friedrich Scheufele realized Chopard Alpine Eagle needed its own sport watch to compete in the growing category.

In 2019, Scheufele and Chopard introduced the Chopard Alpine Eagle . Sure, the Alpine Eagle looks like some of the other modern sport watches, but the cues from the original St. Moritz are there: the paired screws on the bezel, the three-link bracelet, the dial finish (inspired by the iris of an eagle). At first glance, the Chopard Alpine Eagle feels familiar, but upon closer inspection, it’s the details that set it apart.

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Breguet Marine Tourbillon 5577

Swiss watchmaker Breguet has added a new model to its Marine collection, the Breguet Marine Tourbillon 5577 — celebrating over 220 years of the tourbillon invention, the timepiece is designed to marry aesthetic charm with high-level horology and is expressed in two different variants, Rose Gold or Platinum.

The tourbillon, an invention created by Breguet’s founder, Abraham-Louis Breguet, in 1801, addressed the challenge posed by Earth’s gravity on the regularity of watch movements. Designed to counter the variations in rate due to gravitational pull, the tourbillon achieved this by placing the entire escapement within a mobile carriage, completing one rotation every minute. This ensured that any errors in the timekeeping were consistently negated, emphasizing the tourbillon’s brilliance and Breguet’s innovation.

Breguet’s latest Marine example features a 42.5 mm case diameter and a slim profile at just 3 mm thick, the Breguet Marine Tourbillon 5577 houses the self-winding Calibre 581 — the watch’s thinness can be attributed to the peripheral rotor design. Additionally, it boasts a frequency of 4 Hertz and an enviable power reserve of 80 hours. The calibre features a carriage and balance spring made of silicon, ensuring resistance against wear, corrosion and magnetic fields.

The sunburst dial, a key feature of the 5577 model, comes in slate grey for the rose gold variant and navy blue for the platinum version. A luminescent chapter ring, hour markers and the signature open-tipped gold Breguet hands further enhance the piece. However, the main attraction of the watch is the tourbillon, positioned at 5 o’clock, making a full rotation in just 60 seconds.

As an additional nod to its rich heritage, the sapphire case-back reveals the intricately designed movement, as well as the barrel drum sporting a compass rose, complemented by other typical Marine line decorations. Other details include a brown rubber or alligator leather strap available with the rose gold model or a midnight blue rubber or alligator leather strap available with the platinum timepiece.

Price and availability has not been announced at the time of writing, however, Breguet does have a “make an appointment” call to action on its official site. While Breguet offers a number of different complex horological mechanisms, the tourbillon is arguably its signature complication, as it was first invented in 1801 by Abraham-Louis Breguet himself. Over the years, the tourbillon has often played a central role in Breguet’s catalog, and for 2023, the historic Swiss watch manufacturer has created two new tourbillon pieces that will be joining its Marine collection of sports watches. Available in either platinum or rose gold, the new Breguet Marine Tourbillon 5577 is offered with either rubber or leather straps, and it is powered by an extra-thin, peripheral rotor movement with silicon components and a one-minute tourbillon.
The new Breguet Marine Tourbillon 5577 is available in either 18k rose gold as the reference 5577BR/G2/5WV or in 950 platinum as the reference 5577PT/Y2/5WV. While the rose gold version is fitted with a slate gray dial and offered with the option of brown leather or rubber straps, the platinum version of the model receives a blue dial, and it is paired with leather or rubber straps in a matching shade of dark blue. Additionally, both strap options for the Breguet Marine Tourbillon 5577 are completed by deployant clasps in either rose gold or platinum to match their respective cases. As for the case itself, the new Breguet Marine Tourbillon 5577 measures 42.5mm in diameter by 9.35mm thick, and it features a thin fixed bezel, a small set of crown guards, and the collection’s characteristic three-prong lugs extending from either end of the case. Sapphire crystals are fitted to both the dial side of the watch and its screw-on caseback, while the signed screw-down crown at 3 o’clock helps support its 100 meters of water resistance. Like all Breguet Marine watches, the collection’s signature case design offers an inherently sporty overall appearance, and this remains true, even when the watch is fitted with a tourbillon and an elegant off-center dial with Roman numeral hour markers. As for the dial of the new Breguet Marine Tourbillon 5577, the tourbillon itself is placed asymmetrically at the 5 o’clock location, although the entire dial and handset are slightly offset in the opposite direction to allow more space for the tourbillon. Since the case profile is round, the offset dial effect is subtle, although it results in a significantly more visually engaging design than if the brand had created a standard symmetrical dial. While symmetry is often a virtue in watchmaking, the offset dial is a very welcome feature in my personal opinion, as this is a solid gold (or platinum) timepiece from one of Switzerland’s premier manufacturers, and it features the brand’s signature high-horology complication.

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The Longines Spirit Flyback Chronograph

Earlier this year, we covered the launch of the Longines Spirit Flyback Collection. Now, Longines is introducing the Spirit Flyback with a grade 5 titanium case and the option of either a titanium bracelet or NATO-style strap. Since Longines already offers the time-only Spirit in titanium (which we like!), it’s a predictable extension of the collection. Like the existing steel models, the Spirit Flyback in titanium measures 42mm x 17mm thick (49mm lug-to-lug). Some of that thickness is due to the domed sapphire, but there’s no way around it: this is a thick boy. The Longines Spirit Flyback dial is a sunray anthracite, complemented by a black ceramic bezel insert. There’s Super-LumiNova on the applied Arabic numerals and hands, with gilt accents – as our hands-on of the steel version shows, the Spirit Flyback has a strong lume signature on the dial and bezel.

The grade 5 titanium case offers 100 meters of water resistance. When it comes to watchmaking, titanium comes in two forms: Grade 2 and Grade 5. I appreciate that Longines has opted for the slightly higher-quality grade 5 titanium, an alloy that includes aluminum and vanadium (6% aluminum and 4% vanadium, which is why it’s also referred to as Ti 6Al-4V). Grade 5 is harder, and usually, you can expect to see it in higher-end manufacturing, while lower-priced options might use Grade 2. As just one example, the Rolex Yacht-Master uses Grade 5, while the Tudor Pelagos 39 uses Grade 2.
“I know that the five stars offer a link to past Longines models, but I also know that it looks like this watch has an Uber rating,” James wrote in his hands-on review of the 39mm Spirit Zulu Time. This sums up how I feel about the Spirit Flyback. It has one foot firmly in Longines’ heritage and the other in the modern era. It makes for a decent release but with some compromises.

Longines invented the Longines Spirit Flyback chronograph in the 1930s, a useful complication for pilots of the era, allowing them to stop, start, and reset the chronograph with the press of one pusher. This led to the production of the 13ZN (read our in-depth article about the caliber here). It was one of the most legendary calibers of all time and it was put to use in some of the most beautiful chronographs ever made. But with the introduction of the Longines Flyback Spirit this year, Longines hasn’t (yet) fully told this story or made this historical connection. First, there’s the watch itself: it’s a commercial proposition, large, and presumably targeted towards a population that has a taste for watches of this size.

But a Longines Spirit Flyback chronograph is a bit of a nerdy thing and not necessarily a commercial proposition. It’s something enthusiasts covet, understanding that it’s not a common complication but one that’s historically and horologically interesting. As an enthusiast, I would’ve loved to see Longines lean into this heritage and historical tie-in, both in product and in messaging. Longines already makes some of the best heritage-inspired watches on the market, and it is perhaps the most historically impressive maker of chronographs. This release continues to toe the line between modern and heritage. It’s cool to see that Longines has brought a flyback chronograph to its pilots’ line. Like the Spirit Zulu Time (introduced at 42mm, now also offered at 39mm), I’m sure it’s only a matter of time until Longines brings its flyback functionality to a variety of case sizes.

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Hermès Arceau Chronographe

In its inaugural appearance at Geneva’s SIHH, Montres Hermès Arceau Chronographe presented two titanium executions in its Arceau line, a long-lived collection originally designed by Henri d’Origny that first appeared in 1978. The idea behind the collection at its inception was to channel the spirit of equestrian sports through a case design with lugs that recall a stirrup. As you can see, there’s really just one new watch here, available on either a tan Barenia calfskin strap or a black embossed Barenia calfskin strap. The watch is notable for its 41mm bead-blasted titanium case with asymmetrical lugs and rounded piston-type pushers. This is easily among the sportier watches you will encounter from Hermes. Its case size of 41mm puts it in what the company calls the TGM category ( Hermès Arceau Chronographe TGM being short for “Tres Grande Modele,” or “Very Large Model.” Its true, this watch does wear larger than its nominal 41mm size, in part owing to those large asymmetrical lugs. But any potential weightiness is mitigated by the fact that the case is made from titanium. In fact, the case feels downright light on the wrist. The watch comes with a beautiful textured galvanic black dial that features a sloped cursive font for all of the indications for the time, the chronograph, and the date. Hermes says that the numbers look like they’ve “been blown in a playful breeze,” and there is definitely an appealing design element here. I think the font adds to this dial’s beauty and fits exceptionally well with the case design. And yet, reading the chronograph sub-dials at glance presented a slight challenge. Granted this was during a 30-minute product presentation at SIHH. If you want a beautiful contemporary Hermès Arceau Chronographe that can be dressed up or down, this would be a fantastic choice. If you require a real instrument to time events, you should probably be looking to a more traditional maker of sports watches instead. Unsurprisingly, the straps here are perfectly soft and comfortable, just as you’d expect them to be. The stitching on the tan calfskin version makes for a great daytime look. Placing the same watch on a black calfskin strap totally changes the look, and that’s especially true with this strap, which has ridges near the lugs inspired by classic racing straps.
The movement inside this Hermès Arceau Chronographe watch is not made by Hermeès, though the company has made its own movements for other watches in its collection since 2012 (through it’s partnership with Vaucher, the movement-making arm of Parmigiani Fleurier), and has even made some very interesting models featuring original complications over the years. But since this one isn’t their own caliber, Hermès has opted to close the back with a stamped “H” Hermes crest. In case you’re curious, the caliber is an ETA 2894, which is an automatic chronograph with 37 jewels and a 42-hour power reserve.

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Louis Vuitton Watches Teams Up With Rexhep Rexhepi

Today, we are in Montecito, California, for the unveiling of a collaboration from two brands we didn’t necessarily predict would collaborate – but maybe we should have? Louis Vuitton Watches, spearheaded by Jean Arnault, and Rexhep Rexhepi’s Akrivia have come together to create a profoundly complicated timepiece that fuses the sensibilities (in both style and watchmaking tenets) of both houses in a truly fascinating way. Feast your eyes on the LVRR-01 Chronographe à Sonnerie. It’s a first-of-its-kind timepiece – in some ways – and it aligns with Arnault’s vision of a revamped LV watchmaking outfit. And if you’re going to share a watch dial with another name, who better than the most well-known young independent watchmaker on the planet? We know Rexhep from watches like the Chronomètre Contemporaine or his bolder designs through Akrivia. I have been to his workshop in the old town of Geneva on more than one occasion and am constantly blown away by what he is able to accomplish from this space, with a relatively small footprint. It’s pure modern watchmaking that doesn’t turn a blind eye to the history of horology. It’s about detail, and it’s about precision. It’s why he brought in someone like Jean-Pierre Hagmann – the famed casemaker – to make the cases for his creations (more on that soon enough).

On the other side of the coin, there’s Jean Arnault and his recent leadership of Louis Vuitton watches and Le Fabrique du Temps (where the brand’s watches are manufactured). Just a few months ago, we witnessed Arnault’s first significant move as Director of Watches with the launch of the revamped Tambour in integrated bracelet form. That watch is now the centerpiece of the LV collection. I had a chance to spend time with him earlier this year when we sat down for an episode of Talking Watches, and to say that he was excited for what the future had in store would be an understatement. I now realize that he had the Tambour ready to roll, as well as this brand-new and truly wild collaboration with Rexhep. So what is the LVRR-01 Chronographe à Sonnerie? Well, much of it is right there in the name: Louis Vuitton, Rexhep Rexhepi, number one, chronograph, sonnerie. But – of course – it’s far more complicated than that (literally), and the details are where this thing sings (also literally).

Let’s begin with the aesthetic cues before diving deep into the mechanics. This is a watch with two dials, one which you can see when you wear it on your wrist and the other only visible when you take the piece off. The front side reveals a tinted sapphire dial, giving life to the movement inside. This side of the watch is signed Akrivia only, but it’s not as simple as that. Look closer, and you will notice that the “v” in Akrivia takes the form of the iconic LV emblem. This might seem like a small detail, but it’s a big deal. This is the first time the famed LV logo has been combined with another brand’s logo… ever. Turn the watch over, and you’re met with a white grand feu enamel dial done in a far more traditional execution that speaks to the history of the Louis Vuitton brand – whereas the front side evokes the contemporary nature of Akrivia.

What this watch is, however, is a double-faced chronograph with a chiming complication, powered by a completely new tourbillon movement developed from scratch by Rexhep Rexhepi, in a redesigned Louis Vuitton Tambour case crafted by Hagmann. The front translucent dial features six gold cubes filled with translucent fired enamel, utilizing a technique similar to stained glass known as plique-à-jour. This is also a subtle homage to the Louis Vuitton Spin Time jumping-hours display. Then there’s the tourbillon, which completes its revolution every five minutes. The chiming function for the sonnerie sounds off for each minute of elapsed time when the chronograph function is engaged. LV and Akrivia believe this to be the first time a sonnerie mechanism in a chronograph for elapsed time has been effectuated in a wristwatch, which makes this release all the more interesting. Of course, this brings to mind the Chrono Chime from Omega, released last year. Here’s a watch at a similar price point that also technically chimes elapsed time, but in a different way than the LV x Akrivia. With the Omega, you activate the chronograph function, stop it, and initiate a chime pusher, which then audibly indicates how much time has elapsed in total (plus you’re able to view time elapsing on the dial). With the LVRR-01, the chronograph dial is hidden from view when worn. When you initiate the chronograph function, the sonnerie mechanism will sound for each minute of elapsed time on a running basis. It is a feat that requires a ton of energy from a watchmaking standpoint and is a truly unique proposition.

There is a reason that the brands chose to come together for this watch, and the thinking points to the history of each brand’s watchmaking endeavors. The very first Akrivia watch, the AK-01, incorporated both a chronograph and tourbillon. The first complicated Louis Vuitton watch, the Tambour LV277, was a chronograph, and its first “haute horlogerie” complication was the tourbillon. Together, they have taken this backstory and turned it into a single watch and a horological first. The creation of the new bespoke movement inside this piece required some problem-solving to allow the exhibition dial to reach maximum effect. The LVRR-01 is inverted, with the chronograph and chiming mechanisms visible on the front, allowing the movement architecture to be visible when peering into the dial. Each component of the movement features finishing such as anglage and black polishing. The dial features six gold cubes filled with translucent fired enamel and represents a nod to the LV Spin Time’s jumping-hours display.

Moving, once again, to the backside of the case, all chronograph functions (start, stop, and reset) are controlled by the pusher at two o’clock. Each passing minute is then marked with the aforementioned chime, which is produced by a black-polished steel hammer striking a tempered steel gong. So we know the complication is, by all accounts, marvelous – but how was it done? The answer is twin barrels, where one powers the timekeeping and the chronograph, while the second powers the chime – sort of. Rexhepi made it so that the second barrel is also linked to the gear train.

According to the press release for the watch, “once the chronograph is activated and the central mobile is released by the hammer, the rotation from the second barrel is no longer blocked. Energy is thus supplied to the base gear when the chronograph and striking mechanism are running, ensuring that the complications have sufficient energy to function properly without disturbing the movement.”

The brands describe the watch’s function and accuracy, noting, “the sonnerie and second barrel are linked to a secondary escapement featuring jeweled pallets. This escapement releases the energy of the second barrel cyclically, ensuring the sonnerie strikes precisely and regularly.” The fact that Rexhep and Louis Vuitton intersected in this way is nothing short of amazing. It is the pairing of a true independent innovator with one of the largest luxury houses known to humankind. This meeting of the minds has produced a truly limited timepiece (only 10 will be made), but one that also represents more than the object itself.

The proceeds of this release all go toward the Louis Vuitton Watch Prize, and one must imagine that the funds Rexhepi will see from this launch will assist in the realization of his future creations. But in all this talk, I haven’t tackled two of our favorite categories: price and size.

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Glashütte Original Senator Chronometer Flyback Tourbillon Platinum

With the new Senator Chronometer Tourbillon Premiere, Glashütte Original is launching a world first with its patented Flyback Tourbillon. Following the invention of the tourbillon by Abraham-Louis Breguet in 1801, a significant improvement to this Haute Horlogerie feat only came after more than a century when Alfred Helwig, a master watchmaker and instructor at the German School of Watchmaking in Glashütte, designed the first flying tourbillon in 1920.

With this innovative architecture, the tourbillon was anchored on one side only, thus freeing it from the upper part of its cage and offering an unobstructed view of the mechanism.

Now, the Glashütte Original’s watchmakers have succeeded in innovating and improving the behaviour of the tourbillon. When the crown is pulled out, a vertical clutch halts the balance and locks the tourbillon cage in place. When the crown is pulled to its next position and held there, the tourbillon cage swings up smoothly until the second hand at the tip of the cage comes to a stop at the zero marker, performing a fascinating dance of precision mechanics. Two patents protect this unique construction, emphasizing Glashütte Original’s position as a prominent innovator in Haute Horlogerie.

The Senator Chronometer Tourbillon is further distinguished by an innovative minute detent. When the Flyback Tourbillon is set to zero, the minute hand simultaneously moves ahead to the next index. This synchronization of the second and minute hands permits the time to be set with great precision, as one can hear and feel the minute hand jump from one index to the next. In order to put the Senator Chronometer Tourbillon’s rate precision to the ultimate test, each watch is examined by the independent Thuringian Weights and Measures Office to ensure it meets the DIN 8319 official chronometer standard. In the process, the watches undergo a test lasting 15 days, during which they must establish their reliability in five different positions and at three different temperatures.

The Chronometer Certificate, delivered with each watch in a fine white oak box, serves as official recognition of the most accurate timepieces of a given generation. In addition, the silicon balance spring protects the Senator Chronometer Tourbillon against the influence of magnetic fields and changes in temperature.

The manual winding Calibre 58-06 runs at a frequency of 21,600 vibrations per hour and has a 70-hour power reserve, with its indicator at 9 o’clock being easily readable at a glance. The 572-part movement, visible from the front within the 42 mm x 12.6 mm platinum case, reveals just how the Flyback Tourbillon functions. The cleverly designed control mechanism, for example, is visible to the naked eye, as is the damping wheel, which ensures a smooth upward movement when the tourbillon is reset.  The dial and tourbillon cage are mounted upon two small towers over the movement. The dial carrier conceals an engraving at 12 o’clock that reflects the lettering “Chronometer Tourbillon” on the mirror-polished inner wall of the case.  The day/night display behind the transparent part of the dial has the heavenly bodies, sun and moon, complete their orbits around the spherical axis once every 24 hours. A Clous de Paris pattern further enhances the three-dimensional look of the ensemble.

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hermes carre h watch

For 2023, Hermès joined the expanding roster of SIHH brands for the first time and reintroduced their Carré H watch with a new dial design, size, and updated movement for the occasion. With a square but rounded case, the hermes carre h watch for 2018 aims for a distinctive presence that will appeal to fans of Hermès fashion, but also some horological cred for picky watch snobs. This has been Hermès’ general approach to watches for years now. You will have to be the final judge of their success, but here are our hands-on impressions of the hermes carre h watch.
One might not realize sometimes just how ambitious a non-round-cased watch can be and how difficult it is to get right. You see the very few “iconic” successes a lot, but naturally, you don’t see much of the many, many others. Carré means “square” in French, and it is also the name of other product lines from Hermès such as women’s scarves. The Hermès Carré H watch for 2018 is 38mm wide in steel and square-shaped with kind of wire-style lugs and a round dial design. The original Hermès Carré H from 2010 designed by designer/architect Marc Berthier was 36.5mm wide in titanium with a squarer dial, and it cost almost double this version. See the 2010 version and more background along with our initial coverage of the 2018 Hermès Carré H watch here. The new 2018 Hermès Carré H is also designed by Berthier, I believe, and it is not the brand’s only attempt at a square/rectangular/non-round watch design that will stick – our hands-on with the Hermès Cape Cod watches here, for example. Personally, first impressions of the 2018 hermes carre h watch immediately conjured a number of other watches for me. From dead-on, it was inevitably the well-known shape of Bell & Ross’ square cases, and I couldn’t quite put my finger on what the dial reminded me of – and then I remembered these also design-driven Gorilla watches with the combination of squarish case, round dial, and large double-digit numerals all around. The rounded caseback plus the lug shape said (oh no!) “Apple Watch” – and, of course, there is the further connection that Hermès makes straps and exclusive faces for the Apple Watch. Note, however, when making that comparison, that these traits were present in the Hermès Carré H in 2010, well before the Apple Watch existed. The Hermès Carré H straps measure 21mm where they meet the lugs, but Hermès’ straps that have the more common measurements of 22mm (for the 42mm Apple Watch) or 20mm (for the 38mm Apple Watch) might even fit since the lugs’ bended corners seem give some leeway. What is distinctive and elegant about the case profile, however, is that it curves subtly, and the lugs are angled downwards to follow the arc. Above, these were called “wire” lugs, but they are in fact angular and appear well integrated and executed – they have also been compared to towel racks. Thanks to the aforementioned curves and rounded edges, the Hermès Carré H wears very comfortably even though it is not among the brand’s thinner watches. At 38mm wide, we will again remind you that square watches wear larger than the same measurements would suggest for a round watch, so the Hermès Carré H has a definite presence on the wrist. Leather is the brand’s forte, of course, so the straps are also going to be some of the best in the business, and there will be a range of choices too. These straps come with a buckle designed to match the case’s angles and bead-blasted finish, and they reflect Hermès’ expertise in belts. The next thing that catches the eye are the hands – which I rather like, especially the hour hand’s arrow. The red (on the black dial version) or yellow (on the gray dial) seconds hand with its prominent counterweight also stands out, and works to tie the other elements of the dial together, in my mind. The dial texture is pleasing and functional, as the lumed hour and minute hands are pretty legible against it. Also lumed are the prominent, applied numerals that are in a font designed especially for this watch – they are all in double digits for dial balance and a slightly sporty vibe. Brands such as Hermès that come from a fashion and couture background should be expected to approach hermes carre h watch from a fresh perspective that’s a bit different from the traditional watch industry. If they didn’t add that personality and identity, how would their watches stand out or compete? Hermès always has a touch of the fun and whimsical in their design, but before being distracted by the aesthetic alone, let us remind you that they have their own manufacturers of dials, cases, and movements – the movements, through Vaucher in Fleurier, Switzerland, who Hermès acquired a 25% stake in and who continue to make high-end movements for a variety of third parties. The H1912 movement, on display at the caseback, is made exclusively for Hermès by Vaucher and was introduced in 2012 as the first the brand could claim as an “in-house” movement (alongside the H1837 at the same time). The automatic H1912 has fairly standard specs, operating at 4Hz with a power reserve of 50 hours, and offering three-hand time telling – but it is more interesting than a common stock movement, for sure, and it is decorated with Hermès’ characteristic “H” pattern on its bridges and rotor. The movement does offer a date also, as in the Cape Cod watches (linked to above), but as per the apparent taste of many collectors, it has been omitted here. The 2010 hermes carre h watch used a Girard Perregaux/Sowind GP3200 movement.

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Hermes Galop d’Hermes

It is a transformed stirrup. A dreamlike arch. A futuristic space vessel. Flowing and luminous, it plays with time. It is the new Hermes Galop d’Hermès watch. “More than a piece of jewellery and more than a watch, Galop d’Hermès is a style object devoid of any formalism. It is free-spirited, witty and passionate.” It’s almost nothing, yet it changes everything. In the Hermès watchmaking workshops, a choreography of controlled actions led by skilled hands polish and smooth cases. Dials are crafted and then given their colour. Straps are made using the finest leather and Hermès expertise. All Hermès craftsmen are virtuosos with the materials they shape.
Created by Hermès perfumer Christine Nagel in 2006, Hermes Galop d’Hermès watch is inspired by the equestrian universe and embodies freedom of movement: “At Hermès, I discovered the true femininity of leather. I composed Galop d’Hermès like a painting with two materials emblematic to Hermès and to perfumery: leather and rose.”
“At Hermès I discovered all the femininity of leather. I composed Hermes Galop d’Hermès watch like a painting with two main colours… Two raw materials that are emblematic to Hermès and to perfumery: leather and rose.”
Christine Nagel

Hermes Galop d’Hermès watch is a contemporary manifesto that expresses absolute freedom in feminine expression and in a perfume. The leather livens up the rose and the rose carries away the leather in a fiery dance.