Category: Watch for Sale

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MAURICE LACROIX Aikon Automatic

Maurice Lacroix’s Aikon collection was inspired by the company’s 1990s era Calypso timepieces that went out of production in the early 2000s.

Compared to the initial quartz-powered Aikon models that began hitting the market in 2016, and which have been selling well for the Saignelégier-based manufacture, the all-new Aikon Automatic is much more refined.

And yes, it does look even more similar to the higher-end Royal Oak than the quartz versions, but before you write this off as a mere knockoff, which I bring up because I’ve already seen numerous discussions that overwhelming do so, I suggest you first consider all the details.

Was the Calypso a Royal Oak knockoff in the 1990s?

Perhaps. But in all fairness, if so, then it begs the same question for the Patek Philippe Nautilus, IWC Ingenieur, Girard-Perregaux Laureato, and Vacheron Constantin Overseas, which all pre-date the Calypso, but not the Royal Oak.

Zenith also recently introduced its modern second-generation Defy, which has an angular metal case that you could also say looks similar.
The Royal Oak is a personal grail of mine and this article means to take no respect away from the stainless steel clad icon, which was created by one of the greatest watch designers of all-time: Gerald Genta. And even if the Aikon does mimic a legend, isn’t imitation the sincerest form of flattery?

All that said, at the end of the day, the Aikon is approximately 20 times less expensive. Not to mention, you can buy an Aikon Automatic timepiece for less than the price of a single manufacturer overhaul service of a mechanical Royal Oak.
One reason you’re getting an excellent MAURICE LACROIX Aikon Automatic watch for the money is that Maurice Lacroix owns the case making factory which makes cases for other companies as well as their own, allowing them to not only produce the case and integrated bracelet in-house – at considerable savings – but also to greatly control the quality.

The all-stainless steel case and bracelet have a sophisticated look that the brand’s official images don’t convey well. You really have to see it in person to understand just how well it’s been designed, machined, and finished. Generous amounts of satin-brushing mixed with subtle polished elements, such as on the tabs and sides of the fixed bezel, give the Aikon that sparkle without being ostentatious.
On the wrist the MAURICE LACROIX Aikon Automatic watch feels excellent, a nearly perfect size for my 7-7.5″ inch wrist. The diameter is 41 mm and just 10.25 mm thick (the manufacturer website states dimensions as 42 mm x 11 mm). The lug-to-lug measurement is 47 mm which is quite good and the curvature where the case and metal bracelet connect contours to my wrist almost perfectly. Total weight is 173.9 grams which as with any metal bracelet watch is noticeable but I never felt that it was heavy or cumbersome.
Visually, I found this watch to work equally well with short or long sleeves, something a true dress watch or a true sports watch often cannot do. It’s definitely a dual threat.

Everything is machine made, no hand finishing on the case or bracelet, as you would see on a Royal Oak, but that’s to be expected at this price point.
The crown appears to have poked my wrist a bit, as you can see some a temporary visual mark on my hand in some of the photos, but in reality, I never actually felt it doing so. It’s 7 mm in diameter and does not protrude far out at all. Further, I really like the lack of crown guards, which give a nod to the past, and that the crown is of the locking variety is great as I frankly prefer locking the easiest point of entry for water into the case. Water-resistance is 200 meters.

A signed butterfly clasp seamlessly connects the bracelet on the underside of your wrist, a design I’ve never preferred, but it’s basically par for the course with this type of bracelet. Definitely, something that is not typical, although it’s becoming more so these days, is Maurice Lacroix’s proprietary “Easy Change” system which allows you to squeeze the two knobs underneath the watch, where the bracelet and case connect and remove the bracelet, or optional strap, with no tool. As with any adjustments, you still need to be careful and can scratch it if not done with the proper finesse.
Sitting just above the bezel is a flat sapphire crystal which shows some anti-reflective treatment at certain angles. The screwed case back is sapphire as well.
A black sun-brushed Clous de Paris dial punctuated by thin polished faceted rhodium-plated indices and hands creates a really attractive aesthetic. But don’t confuse this for a Royal Oak dial, they are really not that close. For instance, the outer ring and the center portion of the dial are two different pieces, whereas on the aforementioned model it’s all one piece.
The handset is all baton-shaped as are the applied indices, with double stick indices at 12, 3, 6, and 9. At three o’clock the indices are half-way obstructed by the date window, something, as a minimalist I wish they just excluded altogether.

Nighttime viewing, despite only small amounts of white lume being applied to the indices and hour and minute hands, is quite good. Overall legibility, thanks to long hands and indices and a very clean layout, is excellent.
Driving the hours, minutes, central seconds, and date is a fairly basic automatic movement with a not that impressive 38-hour power reserve.

Finishing on what MAURICE LACROIX Aikon Automatic watch calls, caliber ML115 is elaborate grade with perlage, Geneve stripes, and 26 jewels. The movement is manufactured by Sellita so nothing exclusive or exotic, despite Maurice Lacroix having capabilities to produce movements in-house for some of their watches.
This MAURICE LACROIX Aikon Automatic watch is presumably a big seller and could really elevate the company sales, making an in-house caliber a worthwhile consideration down the road. I really think the company branding needs to be elevated as well in order to make it something consumers might pay another thousand dollars for.

That said, the outsourced movement works perfectly fine, albeit for less than two days autonomously but it’s self-winding so if you wear it, in theory, the abbreviated reserve won’t matter that much.
I love the Aikon Automatic’s wrist presence and it looks stunning in either the black or blue dial. Not sure which one I prefer. Avoid the white dial, though, for sure.

The toolless strap changing system is a nice touch that will be beneficial in keeping the watch scratch-free as there is no need to bring a metal tool anywhere near the case or bracelet. And while the leather strap is not something I really consider desirable for this type of watch, if you do you’ll be able to swap between the steel bracelet and the leather strap with ease.
If you’re trying to dress to impress, forget about the brand name and check the Aikon out, you won’t find a better watch of this style for less. I would buy one in a heartbeat, and might actually do that.

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Breguet Classique Double Tourbillon 5345

Breguet Classique Double Tourbillon 5345, it will surprise probably no one to be reminded at this point in the global evolution of wristwatch connoisseurship, was born in Switzerland, but spent most of his working life (except for a brief interregnum when he returned to Switzerland to avoid the Reign of Terror) in France, and specifically in Paris, where his workshops were located at no. 39, Quai d’Horloge. You couldn’t ask for a more central location; the building is on the Île de la Cité, which is not only at the heart of Paris, but also a natural island in the middle of the Seine, which has been occupied since at least the time of Julius Caesar, and on which there has been a palace since the Merovingian Dynasty. The Quai d’Horloge gets its name from an actual horloge, or clock – the Conciergerie Clock, which is on the corner of a building where the Quai d’Horloge forms an intersection with the Boulevard du Palais. The clock was installed in its earliest form in 1371 (it was the first and is the oldest public clock in Paris) and gets its name from the adjacent Conciergerie building, which has served several purposes, including functioning at one point as a prison. Originally, however, it was part of the Palais de la Cité complex – home to the kings of France from the sixth to the 14th century.
If you are receptive to the sentimental clarion call of history and romance, it is quite an experience to go to Paris and walk from the Conciergerie clock, along the Quai d’Horloge, to Number 39 and stand on the same street where Abraham-Louis Breguet once stood, looking at the company’s former home (of course, Breguet is now headquartered in Switzerland, in the Vallée de Joux, but it is very moving to go back to where it all began). There are probably places in Paris too numerous to count where you can have similar experiences – there is hardly a cobblestone in the city that hasn’t a hundred tales to tell and more – but the Quai d’Horloge for both Breguet fans in particular, and students of the history of horology in general, remains a unique and very special place.

It is also the inspiration for Breguet’s latest version of its Breguet Classique Double Tourbillon 5345, which was first introduced as a complication in 2006 and which has been a mainstay of Breguet’s tourbillon offerings ever since.
The Breguet Double tourbillon is an unusual orbital tourbillon, in which the two tourbillon cages are mounted on the movement plate. The entire plate rotates in the watch case once every 12 hours, and the upper tourbillon bridge is blued along half its length, functioning as the hour hand. This is the first open dial version of the watch that I can recall seeing – there are two mainspring barrels located on the movement plate as well, which in other versions of the watch are hidden, but which in this one are covered with an elaborately finished Breguet “B.” Each tourbillon has its own going train, and the two movement gear trains are laid out symmetrically. The output from the two tourbillons is averaged by a differential to produce a single average rate, which determines the speed of rotation of the movement and thus, the degree of movement of the hour and minute hands.
This is, make no mistake, a massive and imposing statement piece intended to spark conversations and elicit admiration while at the same time retaining some of the cosmopolitan grace and elegance that characterized so much of Breguet’s work at its best. Breguet himself is certainly justly famed for the great care and restraint that he showed in both his dial designs and movement layouts – his aesthetic inclinations did not stop at the case but pervade every part of his watches – but he was not averse to celebrating complexity for its own sake either. His most celebrated watch, which is no. 160, the Grand Complication made for Marie Antoinette (but never delivered), is as frank a showpiece as horology has ever seen.
I haven’t had a chance to see or handle one of these in person (and given how low production is apt to be, I am not likely to), but the case is in platinum, and dimensions are 46mm x 16.80mm including the very highly domed box crystal. I am sure it will make its presence known on the wrist with all the joyful assertiveness of an Academy Awards winner on Oscar night, showing up at the Vanity Fair after party.
There is quite a tremendous amount of craft on display on the dial side of this watch and kinetic entertainment aplenty to spare but, when you turn it over, you get quite an unexpected treat. Normally, the back of watches of this sort is a rather dour place, at least in comparison to the miraculously microcosmic experience on offer on the dial side, with a large expanse of movement plate feeling perhaps a bit like a letdown after the upper side’s pyrotechnics. In the Double Tourbillon Quai d’Horloge, however, there is a very charming, not to say impressive, surprise waiting for you.
The Breguet Classique Double Tourbillon 5345 back (which is solid gold) is engraved with a scene straight out of the dawn of the 19th century – it is, in fact, the building at 39 Quai d’Horloge, but as it would have appeared in Breguet’s time. The engraving is extremely detailed, down to the texture of the very bricks and the faint haze hanging, in a climatologically correct fashion, in the sky. According to Breguet, the gold color of the wheels visible through the various cut-outs is meant to give the effect of candlelight at dusk, and well, why not; I can see that. There is even a seated figure looking out of one of the lower windows, which you can find if you are patient and look carefully for a moment or two. You’ll recall that the entire movement rotates but the back plate does not, which means that the visible wheels are ones that do not rotate along with the rest of the movement. Upon consideration, you will realize this means they can only be part of the keyless works for winding and setting, and indeed, this is the case. While I feel that perhaps there is a missed opportunity here to have a little automaton figure of Breguet Classique Double Tourbillon 5345 visible in one of the windows as well (possibly penning a polite but clearly annoyed letter to one of his royal patrons about the amount in which their account is in arrears), the engraving is just as beautiful, and probably more dignified, without it.

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Jaeger Lecoultre Master Ultra Thin Tourbillon Moon

It’s kind of a tough time to be a tourbillon. Complications generally have at least a little bit of an air of let-them-eat-cake about them (okay, probably not the chronograph), but they can often get away with it for different reasons. Chiming complications can plead the undeniable craft which, even today, it still takes to make one; perpetual calendars can argue their connection to the cosmic rhythms of the Earth’s rotation and its annual journey around the Sun; the rattrapante chronograph can play the craft card (at least in its most classic version) and its greater utility than a standard chronograph. But the Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra-Thin Tourbillon Moon ? It’s long since been generally conceded by even its most ardent fans that you don’t need a tourbillon to get a more accurate watch. A lot of folks would argue that, strictly speaking, it’s not even a complication, inasmuch as it doesn’t display any additional information. Which is as good a rough and ready description of a complication as any – though it leaves out a lot of watchmaking which is indisputably complicated to do, including ultra-thin watchmaking.
Still, tourbillons continue to fascinate watch enthusiasts and watchmakers alike – no less a master than Roger Smith has gone on record as saying he’d like to make one – and given the number of tourbillons of all kinds released every year, it’s clear that folks are still very much interested in owning them as well. As with most mechanical watchmaking, how you do it is at least as important nowadays as what it is you do, and a well-made tourbillon is still not only interesting to look at, but also a legitimate demonstration of watchmaking as an art as well as a technical exercise.
Jaeger-LeCoultre’s new Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra-Thin Tourbillon Moon is a quite beautiful example of the genre, with some interesting additional technical features which help distinguish it from the rest of the crowd. The full-rotor tourbillon movement is a relative rarity – JLC caliber 983, which looks to be the JLC cal. 973 automatic tourbillon, but with the addition of a Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra-Thin Tourbillon Moon and date indication. The date indicator is a centrally mounted hand, which has a neat little trick up its sleeve (one we’ve seen before from JLC), which is that at midnight on the 15th, it jumps from one side of the aperture for the tourbillon to the other, landing on the marker for the 16th. This is to keep the date hand from partially obscuring the view of the flying tourbillon (and it gives owners a reason to stay up until midnight on the 15th, too). The main moon-phase display shows the Moon as seen from the Northern Hemisphere, but there is also, around the main display, a double-sided hand that shows the moon-phase in the Southern Hemisphere on the left, and the age of the Moon on the right.
This is a complicated tourbillon in a pretty classic idiom. The round, rose-gold case is 41.5mm x 12.10mm. That does not, at first, sound particularly thin these days – not with the number of extremely flat tourbillon movements that have debuted over the last decade or so (and culminating, of course, with the Bulgari Octo-Finissimo Tourbillon Automatic). The case alloy is JLC’s proprietary Le Grand Rose alloy, in which a small amount of palladium is added to help resist corrosion and discoloration. (Rose-gold alloys stabilized with metals from the platinum group have become increasingly popular in the watch industry since the introduction of Everose by Rolex in 2005.)
However, it helps to keep a few points in mind. The calibers 983 and 973 are full-rotor self-winding tourbillons – this is a surprisingly rare sub-genre in the world of automatic tourbillons which have tended, especially as the race to produce extra-flat tourbies heated up, to have either micro-rotor (the Piaget caliber 1270P) or peripheral rotor designs (Bulgari, Breguet). There are other full-rotor tourbillons – most recently from Audemars Piguet in the Code 11.59 collection. AP’s Code 11.59 Flying Tourbillon uses the central rotor caliber 2950, and it’s the first time AP has had a central rotor flying tourbillon in its collection – in a watch which, with no complications, comes in at 41mm x 11.80mm.

A full-rotor design is always going to be thicker than a micro-rotor or peripheral rotor design, and the Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra-Thin Tourbillon Moon manages to be just 0.30mm thicker than the Code with the addition of the moon-phase display and date. That said, I don’t think this watch is going to necessarily make anyone emit a low whistle of wonder at its slim profile, but considering the fact that the very flattest automatic tourbillons, with peripheral or micro-rotor winding systems, are roughly 5-7mm affairs, a 12.10mm-thick full-rotor complicated tourbillon ain’t too shabby.
You don’t usually think of tourbillons as the toughest category of watches ever to come down the pike, but the caliber 983, despite the lyricism of the dial, hands, and case, looks to be a pretty sturdy piece of kit. The lower bridge for the tourbillon has got all the reassuring solidity of a suspension bridge, and the rotor shares with the movement plate and bridges a general feel of overbuilt reliability not often found – okay, virtually never found – in extra-flat watchmaking.

Whenever a tourbillon comes out we (by which I mean me, I guess) have a reflexive tendency to talk about the fact that tourbillons are not the aid to accuracy today which Breguet intended them to be when he patented his invention back in 1801. But I think that consideration is probably less important in thinking about tourbillons today than appreciating them for what they are – a living fossil (I mean that in a good way) of horological history and one that is still relevant as an exercise in craft. They’re tons of fun to look at, too – I don’t know how many dozens of tourbillons I’ve seen over the last 20 years, but I still get a kick out of them. This one from JLC is not going after any records, nor it is offering anything groundbreaking technically, but it is a very attractive complicated tourbillon wristwatch with enough personality to stand on its own, without needing to stand on a podium to do so.

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LONGINES Conquest Heritage Central Power Reserve

Longines, part of the Swatch Group family of brands, has long been ahead of the curve when it comes to reissues of vintage watches. It was Longines, after all, whose Legend Diver — which came out all the way back in 2007! — paved the path for the industry at large to begin digging into its back catalog. And while the cynics among us will argue that this perpetual glance backward has come to preoccupy the horological landscape in the interest of making a quick buck and at the expense of developing new and inventive designs, there’s also no doubt that many of these reissues revive strikingly beautiful timepieces that would otherwise have been relegated to the dusty pages of history.
To wit: the new Longines Conquest Heritage Central Power Reserve. Produced in celebration of the Conquest collection’s 70th anniversary this year, it takes an otherwise pedestrian complication — the humble power reserve indicator — and moves it front and center, as it was on the original model from 1959. Every mechanical watch (of the hand-wound or automatic variety) has a power reserve, or the amount of time the watch will continue to function once the mainspring is wound, either manually via the crown or via an automatic-winding rotor. On an automatic watch, we rarely consider the power reserve, as the act of wearing it winds the mainspring. On a hand-wound watch, however, it can be difficult to know how much power is left — which Longines Conquest Heritage Central Power Reserve is why the power reserve indicator is so handy.
Generally, this indicator (if present at all) takes the form of a small crescent with hours printed alongside it, sort of like a dashboard gauge — a small hand generally points to the number of operational hours remaining before the watch needs winding. Other systems exist, however, including the interesting layout from the 1950s-era Longines Conquest in which an inner disc rotates within the greater dial, pointing to the appropriate power reserve number printed around its periphery. An elegant, compelling (yet unobtrusive) placement for the power reserve indicator, this design made for a fairly unique product — one made all the more interesting by the framed date window present at 12 o’clock, rather than the more typical 3 o’clock.
It’s this design that Longines Conquest Heritage Central Power Reserve has revived in time for the Conquest collection’s 70th anniversary, though there will doubtless be more anniversary releases spread throughout the year. Available in champagne, anthracite, or black dials, Longines decided to upsize the piece from the original’s ~35mm dial — but only to 38mm. Had this watch come out five years ago — and most certainly had it come out 10 or 15 years ago — it would’ve measured an ungainly 42mm, or 40mm at best. But even a mid-priced brand such as Longines, which has to cater to casual watch buyers in department stores as well as to deep enthusiasts, has embraced the industry’s move to expand its smaller-sized offerings. (Which, in 1959, would’ve measured large!)
TL; DR — this is all welcome news. Here we have a watch with a unique take on a common complication, housed in a 38mm case, and available as a standard-production model. Its dial is visually dynamic — as the watch is either hand-wound or wound on the wrist, the central disc rotates, indicating higher power reserve. Alongside the Conquest’s signature, circular track running outside the power reserve indicator, it features uniquely shaped, applied hour markers in yellow gold, rose gold or silver coloring (depending on the dial configuration), plus a trapezoidal enclosure for the 12 o’clock date window, and skyscraper/modified syringe-shaped hands filled with SuperLumiNova. Housed in a stainless steel case with both satin and polished surfaces and topped with a box-shaped, vintage-inspired sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating, the watch is heavily informed by its vintage ancestor, though it does make concessions to modernity in the form of its movement.

While the original Longines Conquest Heritage Central Power Reserve model from ‘59 was indeed automatic — a relative rarity for all but heavy-duty dive watches (and certain other exceptions) at the time — the new Conquest Heritage Central Power Reserve makes use of a movement equipped a longer power reserve (64 hours), a silicon balance spring, and ten times the magnetic resistance of the ISO 764 standard. This new caliber, the Longines L896.5, is visible via sapphire caseback, while the case offers 50m of water resistance.
If you’re like me — someone who loves vintage watches, but also wants to see the industry place more of an emphasis on designing fresh products — the Conquest Heritage Central Power Reserve will prove a mixed blessing. But what’s not in doubt is that this is a handsome take on a cool price from the classic era of watch design, and that it looks damn good in each of its three different iterations. If I were in the market for a new dress watch, it would certainly be on my short list.

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jaeger-lecoultre master ultra thin

Jaeger-LeCoultre would like to remind you that it’s not just all about the Reverso in Le Sentier. Case in point, a subtle update to the Master Ultra Thin Power Reserve reminded me how the company that used to be nearly everyone’s go-to movement supplier hasn’t stopped making technical improvements to its great watches.

The new Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin Power Reserve might not look that different. Cased in 18k pink gold, the blue sunray-finished dial is pretty striking. The case still measures 39mm by 8.95mm thick, but it now has revised proportions, with slightly elongated and slimmer lugs. It’s what’s inside that’s revamped more dramatically. The last iteration of the Caliber 938 movement had 43 hours of power. With only minor changes – a redesigned mainspring barrel and some key components made of silicon – JLC has reduced friction in the movement and now gets 70 hours out of the caliber.

I don’t think Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin Power Reserve gets enough attention for their work with ultra-thin watchmaking. Maybe that’s because a dress watch like the Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin Power Reserve might not be, on its face, the most creatively exciting watch from a design standpoint. It’s not bold or brash, but it sure looks like it could be quite attractive.

I say it could be because I haven’t seen it in person yet. I can’t tell much about the finishing on the movement from these images, but judging by past experience with Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin Power Reserve watches, I have a feeling it doesn’t disappoint. Whether or not you like the power-reserve dial, with date, small-seconds, and power reserve kind of creating an interesting off-balance design, is personal taste. But 8.95mm with a 70-hour power reserve is nothing to scoff at – in fact, it’s an impressive upgrade over the past release’s 43 hours.

Unfortunately, right now, the new updated Caliber 938 only seems to come in Pink Gold, not steel, so the price feels a little steep. Compared to something like a Vacheron Traditionelle Self-Winding, however, it’s less than one millimeter thicker, has 30 hours more power reserve, and costs $9,000 less, making it a pretty strong option. Hopefully I’ll get to handle one soon and see how it holds up in the metal.

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An Onyx Dial Rolex Day-Date

Each week, we present a selection of our favorite watches from the pre-owned side of our collection. Captured by our talented in-house photographers, you get a closer look at what makes these watches so special. This week, we have a killer Onyx Dial Day-Date, a full gold AP Royal Oak in 36mm, a two-tone Zenith Chronomaster, a white gold Cartier Tank Americaine, and enamel dial Jacquet Droz.

When we think Rolex Day-Date Onyx dials, it’s hard not to recall one of our favorite episodes of Talking Watches with Aziz Ansari in which he shows off his very own Onyx Day-Date and talks about how he loved it so much he ended up buying one for his father as well. There is just something so mysterious about the all-black aesthetic of the stone dial – as if the time is secondary to the watch itself.

The particular Onyx Day-Date that we have today takes things to an even more special place as it introduces two diamond markers into the equation, making this watch about as interesting as they come. With this piece, you are getting all of the heritage and weight that comes with owning a Rolex Day-Date on a bracelet. You have the iconic day and date displays overtop the stark Onyx surface with the added beauty of the diamond indices. This is a special one, folks.

There are times when there is only so much that needs to be said about a particular watch – especially when much has been said about a particular watch. The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, especially in steel, is one of the most desired watches in the known world. Today, we are looking at something different, something less steely, and something in a size that just might float your boat.

The Zenith El Primero holds such an important place in the annals of horological history as a pioneer of automatic chronograph watchmaking. The brand has continued to push and innovate in that regard, taking the original design format of the Chronomaster and making versions fit for the modern day. No model better epitomizes that ideal than the watch we are looking at today in a two-tone execution of steel and rose gold.

When you’re on the hunt for a Cartier Tank, the trick is to try to find a truly special one. Lucky for you, we happen to have one right here in the Hodinkee Shop by way of this – wait for it – full white gold Tank Americaine on a bracelet. This is the medium size version of the watch, and it makes for an amazing wear experience for basically every single wrist size.

The Jacquet Droz mythology is one that dates back to the 1700s, and today’s watch – the Grande Seconde Email Ivoire J014013201 – is inextricably tied to that mythology as the Grande Seconde display is one that harkens back to the historical watchmaker himself who developed t in order to emphasize the fast pace of urban life in Europe during the Enlightenment. We’d venture to guess there aren’t many “enlightenment-inspired” watches out there these days.

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Rolex Day-Date 36

With these versions of the Rolex Day-Date 36, Rolex brings an unexpected creative twist to one of its iconic models. By displaying a new emotion each day, the watch brings an element of spontaneity into the wearers’ daily life and allows them to invest the reading of time with their changing mood.

Rolex unveils three new variants of its Rolex Oyster Perpetual Day-Date 36, full of joy and energy.

Crafted from 18 ct yellow, white or Everose gold, these watches have adopted an original face. Rather than showing the day of the week, the arc-shaped aperture at 12 o’clock displays an inspirational keyword in English – ‘Happy’, ‘Eternity’, ‘Gratitude’, ‘Peace’, ‘Faith’, ‘Love’ and ‘Hope’. The window at 3 o’clock reveals daily one of 31 exclusive emojis in place of the date.

Entirely created using champlevé enamelling, the dial is striking for the depth and intensity of its gleaming colours and decoration. The motif is inspired by a jigsaw puzzle. Turquoise blue, red, fuchsia, orange, green and yellow pieces fit together on a single-colour background, each representing one of the key moments in life. The hours are marked by 10 baguette-cut sapphires in six different hues set according to the main colour of the dial, which is turquoise blue on the 18 ct yellow gold and 18 ct white gold versions, and orange on the watch in 18 ct Everose gold.

The new versions of the Rolex Day-Date 36 are equipped with calibre 3255, a movement at the forefront of watchmaking technology, enabling them to display a special keyword each day of the week and an individual emoji each day of the month, as well as the hours, minutes and seconds.

Like all Rolex watches, the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Day-Date 36 carries the Superlative Chronometer certification, which ensures excellent performance on the wrist.

Rolex began 2024 with its art in the right place. Its heart was also in the right place but what I’m really saying is that the heritage watchmaker put craft first, kicking off the year with a staggeringly beautiful limited edition Oyster Perpetual Day-Date 36 watch.

As the Vienna Philharmonic’s exclusive partner since 2008, Rolex has obviously remained quite close with the orchestra and is especially fond of its annual livestreamed New Year’s concert, which Rolex has been sponsoring since 2009.

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Explore Time with Carl F. Bucherer

The new CFB Capsule Collection pairs the brand’s in-house movements with a series of five new black-on-black watches dedicated to global capital cities.
Carl F. Bucherer Explore Time is a brand that personifies contrasts. From advanced movements to elegant dials, the Swiss watchmaker has earned a reputation for luxury watches that combine traditional design elements and Swiss savoir-faire with modern technology and style since 1888. To mark its 135th anniversary in 2023, Carl F. Bucherer is putting these strengths at the fore with the CFB Capsule Collection, a series of watches that artfully blend futuristic materials and innovative movements with classic complications and a striking monochromatic look.

Inspired by carbon, the essential element for all life on earth, the CFB Capsule Collection consists of five black-on-black watches housed in cases made from monochromatic forged carbon or DLC-coated stainless steel. As an homage to exploration, travel, and the pursuit of new horizons – all of which are qualities embraced by the historic Maison – each piece in the CFB Capsule Collection is dedicated to one of five global capitals from New York to Zurich to Tokyo.
Manero Tourbillon Double Peripheral Black
The flagship of the CFB Capsule Collection is the Manero Tourbillon Double Peripheral Black whose striking aesthetic is matched by the innovative peripheral tourbillon movement within. Housed in a 43mm case made from forged carbon with a titanium container, the watch is powered by Carl F. Bucherer’s in-house caliber CFB T3000, a peripheral automatic movement which uses a peripherally-mounted regulator instead of a conventional oscillating weight. Peripheral technology is also used in the tourbillon, which isn’t connected to a mainplate or bridges, and appears to float on a trio of ceramic ball bearings. With a matt black finish inspired by New York’s legendary nightlife, the Manero Tourbillon Double Peripheral Black is limited to 80 pieces.
Manero Peripheral Perpetual Calendar Black
The second timepiece, the Manero Peripheral Perpetual Calendar Black, is inspired by Tokyo – a city that’s home to both trendsetting contemporary designers and traditional artisans. Within its 41mm forged carbon and titanium case, the CFB A2055 manufacture caliber is a perpetual calendar movement that will reliably display the date without requiring adjustment until the year 2100. Complete with an aventurine moon phase disc featuring two hand-engraved white gold moons, this COSC-certified chronometer is limited to 88 pieces.
Manero Peripheral BigDate Black
The third watch in the CFB Capsule Collection is the Manero Peripheral BigDate Black, whose combination of traditional elements and an ultra-modern peripheral automatic movement mirrors Zurich’s historic facades and cosmopolitan character. Powered by the COSC chronometer CFB A2011 manufacture caliber, this old-meets-new design features a deep matt black dial containing displays for day, date, small seconds, and power reserve. The Manero Peripheral Bigdate Black is presented in a forged carbon case with a titanium container and is limited to 188 pieces.
The fourth and fifth pieces in the collection are dedicated to Shanghai and London, respectively. The Heritage BiCompax Annual Black, whose design is inspired by the diverse architecture of Shanghai’s Bund, features a moody black DLC-coated stainless steel case and is powered by the Caliber CFB 1972. With a dial featuring an annual calendar, a chronograph, a big-date, and a tachymeter scale, this non-limited release is as complex and dynamic as Shanghai itself.

The Manero Flyback Black, meanwhile, is dedicated to London, a global city that embraces reinvention and creates space for culture, technology, and modern attitudes to cultivate. Powered by the CFB 1970 caliber and featuring a case made of DLC-coated stainless steel, its second hand can be stopped, reset, and started again with the push of a single button. This function evokes the constant reinvention of the British capital, but it could just as well be a tribute to the brand itself. With 135 years of history to its credit, five innovative manufacturing movements on offer, and a reputation as a world leader in peripheral technology, Carl F. Bucherer knows a thing or two about reinvention.

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Carl F. Bucherer Manero Flyback Replica

The stampede of right-sized watch continues, and I think we’re all better for it. Don’t get me wrong, there are some watches that need to be big, like grand complications and anything the cast of The Expendables wears. But for years, watch lovers were inundated with oversized versions of every type of watch, from dress to field to pilot to chronograph, few if any of which needed to be so large. The pendulum is swinging back toward rational proportions, though (here’s hoping someone grabs it and fixes it in the right place), and brands like Carl F. Bucherer are responding. In an expansion of its Manero line, the brand released the Carl F. Bucherer Manero Flyback chronograph in 40mm. Reining in its 43mm forebear, the new model presents small refinements and a slew of color options for an eminently wearable automatic chronograph.

The Carl F. Bucherer Manero Flyback has always been a classically styled chronograph with a dash of sportiness, and that hasn’t changed with the 40mm model. Let me say right here that this is more or less the 43mm shrunk down. The changes that have been made are near inconsequential, but the most substantial—obviously—is the case. Now at 40mm-wide and 48.5mm lug-to-lug, the case retains the original’s 14.45mm height. When I got this piece in and shared it with some friends online, I was met with some who thought it was (or would be) too thick. But I can say, after spending time with it on my wrist, that while it is by no means slight, it wears very well for an automatic chronograph. To be sure, compared to some of the 16mm+ monstrosities that brands insist on putting out these days, it’s practically dainty.

The styling of the case itself strikes a balance between elegance and sportiness, with fully polished, rounded sides and a brushed top separated by a polished ribbon chamfer, which gives the case a bit of character. The interior edge of the lugs and the bezel are also polished, and the box sapphire crystal works well with the rest of the case; a flat sapphire would’ve been a bit too modern, while a simple domed option feels like it would be too plain for the rest of the watch. The pump pushers and pull-out crown all work well, the crown winds smoothly, and the pushers have a satisfying actuation. The curve of the lugs does a lot to help this watch wear well, though it’s a bit disappointing that they are 21mm—not ideal for most strap collections, and somewhat perplexing on a 40mm case. The strap itself is a highlight. It’s made from recycled vegan materials and matched to the color of the subdials; the material has a feel of soft canvas or woven polyester on top and leather on the back. It’s attached with quick-release pins and features a secure and quite comfortable folding deployant strap with push buttons integrated into the pin buckle (which features a pin that locks into place). In my experience with recycled and vegan material straps, I’ve been underwhelmed with the comfort and frustrated with the break-in period. The strap on this Carl F. Bucherer Manero Flyback, on the other hand, was easy to size and immediately comfortable on the wrist. No word yet on whether the brand will remake the bracelet from the 43mm model, but here’s hoping.

The new model comes with one’s choice of panda dial with blue, green, or red subdials, or solid black or silver dial (which feature rose gold-toned indices). The dial is kept relatively simple, with a two-register layout with running seconds at 9 o’clock and a 30-minute chronograph counter at 3 o’clock. The strong dose of color against the bright sunburst silver dial offers excellent contrast while remaining sophisticated—this isn’t some 1970s throwback with a rainbow of color on the dial. I’m fond of this red option, as it’s far less common than the blue and green, which have become almost predictable at this point (and I’m indifferent about the black and silver dials). The recessed subdials have a grooved finishing that I wish were a bit pronounced; it’s barely noticeable on the wrist and even in macro shots, one has to squint a bit to see it.

The rest of the dial is straightforward: a tachymeter scale around the periphery, polished beveled arrow markers, and a beveled date window at 6 o’clock. There’s a great sense of balance and proportion to the new Manero Flyback dial, with no numbers or markers being cut off, no floating date window, and all the fonts and markings just right. There are two main changes that have been made to the dial. The first is the removal of a circle tracing the arc created by the interior ends of the indices. This omission cleans up the dial and also removes the frame from the date window, meaning it isn’t made to stand out unnecessarily. The other change is to the dauphine handset. While the subdials still feature the cutout hands from the larger model, Carl F. Bucherer Manero Flyback has filled the hour and minute hands with Super-LumiNova. This ostensibly adds more practicality to the watch, but the lume is mediocre, and, as such, I wonder if it might have made more sense to leave them as they were or replace them with solid, beveled hands.

The new Manero Flyback 40mm sports the CFB 1973, an entirely new module for the brand using a Sellita base movement. The previous 43mm models used a La Joux-Perret-produced movement, but this new caliber ups the ante. With a layout and proportions that suit the smaller dial of the 40mm model, the CFB 1973 has an improved power reserve of 56 hours at 28,800 vph and four additional jewels for a total of 29. Seen through a sapphire display caseback, the automatic movement features blued screws and sparing use of perlage on the plates, with a custom rotor. It also features a blued column wheel for the integrated chronograph, as well as modification to allow for flyback functionality. While LJP makes great movements (and has recently started going toe-to-toe with Sellita and ETA), the Sellita base of the CFB1973 gives assurance of the movement’s reliability.

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Carl F. Bucherer Manero Tourbillon Double Peripheral Paradise

This is one of those Carl F. Bucherer Manero Tourbillon Double Peripheral Paradise watches that really started with a movement and was built out from there. The new CFB T3000 caliber is the latest in-house movement from Carl F. Bucherer and it’s a relatively large movement that has both a peripheral rotor for automatic winding and a tourbillon that is mounted with a peripheral cage, making it look like it’s floating without any bridges (essentially one-upping the single-bridged flying tourbillon). As if that wasn’t enough, the movement also has a stop-seconds mechanism for the tourbillon so you can set it precisely to the second.

To house this movement, CFB has created the aptly-named Carl F. Bucherer Manero Tourbillon Double Peripheral Paradise. It takes the familiar styling of the brand’s Manero collection, with its sharp hands and markers, clean dial layout, and relatively traditional case shape, and uses it as a way to present the T3000 with minimal intrusions.
My favorite thing about this watch is that, at first glance, you might not realize it’s anything particularly special. I mean, sure, it’s a tourbillon, but most brands are making those in some fashion or another these days. It’s only when you look closer and start to learn a little about the movement’s idiosyncrasies that you start to discover the most interesting bits about this latest Manero.

However, despite the technical brilliance and the appealing style, this watch is much larger than I’d hoped it would be at 43.1mm across and 11.57mm thick. The Carl F. Bucherer Manero Tourbillon Double Peripheral Paradise movement is on the wide side, especially with the peripheral rotor, so it fills the caseback nicely, but on the wrist I have a hard time believing this one isn’t going to wear large.