Category: Watch for Sale

First released in 2016, the Senator Excellence collection has soon become the “new classic” of Glashütte Original, with a combination of timeless German design, a contemporary approach of elegance, a powerful and precise movement and a large choice of complications. While rather traditional at first regarding the look of the dials, the Glashütte Original Senator Excellence Panorama Date Moonphase collection has seen the arrival of more expressive designs over the years, such as this appealing salmon QP. Now, it’s time for some more contemporary dials to join the collection, with 2 new Senator Excellence Perpetual Calendar references and 2 new Glashütte Original Senator Excellence Panorama Date Moonphase models. Today’s release is all about the addition of new dial styles to the classic QP and Moon/Date models of the Senator Excellence collection. As a reminder, this range of watches was released in 2016 with the goal of setting new standards for the brand. While rather traditional in terms of design, being clearly inspired by Saxon watchmaking, the main interest of the Senator Excellence was the introduction of a new generation of movements, the Calibre 36. Modern, powerful, nicely decorated and elegantly designed, it also came with a strong precision, confirmed by an extended testing procedure. We’ve explained this in this in-depth article. The whole point now is to talk about the new dials, which are different depending on the material chosen for the case. Apart from these far more modern models here, with their textured dials and applied markers, most Senator Excellence watches were available with elongated Roman numerals (typical Saxon) painted in black on the dial. While these are still used in the 4 new references of today, Glashütte Original Senator Excellence Panorama Date Moonphase has decided to change things. Red gold versions of the Senator Excellence Perpetual Calendar and Senator Excellence Panorama Date Moon Phase here feature a finely grained dial with silver galvanic treatment combined with applied numerals and hands in solid gold. The steel versions are a bit bolder still, with a grained dial with grey galvanic treatment, applied gold numerals coated in blue and blued steel hands. This style has been first seen in the revamped Senator Chronometer here. For the rest, no evolutions are to be noted. The Senator Excellence Perpetual Calendar still comes in a case of 42mm x 12.8mm, while the Glashütte Original Senator Excellence Panorama Date Moonphase keeps it slightly smaller at 40mm x 12.2mm. In both instances, the case is either steel or red gold, features brushed and polished surfaces, sapphire crystals on both sides and a decent water-resistance of 50m. The gold versions are worn on a brown alligator nubuck leather while steel models can be ordered either on a blue alligator or a blue fabric strap. At the heart of the perpetual calendar is the Glashütte Original calibre 36-12, an automatic movement with a 4Hz frequency, a comfortable 100h power reserve, an anti-magnetic silicon hairspring and a swan-neck fine-adjustment system. The same base movement is used for the Moon Phase Panorama date model, but here known as the calibre 36-24. These movements here come with a new skeletonised double-G logo and oscillating mass in 21-carat gold. The extended testing procedure, which is done over the course of 24 days, guarantees the precision and stability of these movements.

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.

In 2021, French Hermes debuted a new watch collection known as the Hermes H08 . The H08 was conceived by Hermes’ creative director Philippe Delhotal and featured a sporty look, an interesting cushion-style case, and a comfortable everyday wearing style. For 2023, Hermes revisits the still-fresh Hermes H08 with a series of new models that feature new materials and a tweaked look. In this article, I will focus on the Hermes H08 “Colors,” which include four new models accented in either blue, green, orange, or yellow. The new models keep the 39mm x 39mm case size proportions but are lighter in weight and also sportier thanks to the use of a glass fiber composite case material, as well as a polished black ceramic bezel material. The composite case material was mostly chosen for its aesthetic given its interesting surface texture. Hermes explains that the glass fiber material is also coated with aluminum and slate powder. This likely enhanced the coloring of the grooves in the material, creating a more dramatic sense of color and an eye-pleasing organic texture.  While composite materials are now commonly used in luxury watches, the formulation and style of these materials can vary greatly. Here, Hermes H08 has adopted not only an attractive type of composite material but, for now, one that is also unique to its products. The watch case itself is water resistant to 100 meters and has a flat AR-coated sapphire crystal over the dial. The crown is produced in matching black ceramic to complement the bezel material. Hermes maintains a playful but highly legible dial that uses the “revolving” style of hour markers similar to other Hermes models of the past. Special emphasis is placed on making the dial look instrumental, including the legible inner track for the hour markers and the idea proportions for the hands. Note how the date indicator is elegantly positioned so as not to break up the flow and symmetry of the hour markers. This is Hermes showing off that it can make not just a good-looking luxury watch, but a good-looking luxury tool watch. For me, a natural competitor would be something like the Patek Philippe Aquanaut — only the Hermes (while certainly not cheap) is worlds more affordable.

Color accents find their way on the H08 watch dials, as well as for a ring around the periphery of the face. Most of the color is found on the included 21mm-wide textured rubber strap, which is very comfortable and has a titanium folding clasp. On the rear of the watch is a smoked sapphire crystal that allows for a view of the automatic movement inside the watch. The movement is Hermes’ “in-house” caliber H1837 which is produced in Switzerland by Vaucher. The movement is rather thin at 3.7mm-thick, and operates at 4Hz with about 50 hours of power reserve. As you can see, the aBlogtoWatch team enjoyed wearing these fun watches when we met with Hermes at Watches & Wonders 2023 where the new H08 watches were being debuted. Hermes produces less expensive versions of the H08, but the H08 “Colors” are the entry-level models that debuted this year. Other new H08 pieces include the H08 Chronograph, as well as a version of the H08 that matches the style of these new Colors models but with an 18k rose gold (versus glass fiber composite-cased) and a black ceramic bezel. aBlogtoWatch will cover these new pieces in separate articles.

ust a few years ago, it was a challenge to get traditional watch enthusiasts excited about otherwise fantastic watches produced by luxury fashion houses such as Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Bulgari, etc. I never felt that these timepieces deserved any less fanfare than those from “watch houses,” but there was a strange prejudice from the often conservative collector community because these “fashion maison” companies seemed to primarily market their women’s goods. I am proud to say that the perception has finally changed. Gone are the days when such statements as “That’s not a real watch brand” are common, and more often than not, watch collectors are just as enthused about these watches as they are from traditional watchmakers. That’s a good thing because companies like Hermes not only use the same manufacturing and movements as those from “traditional watchmakers” but also often boast far more beautiful and contemporary designs.

In order to bring the spirit of a drawing made for a silk carré onto the face of a watch, the Parisian maison has called upon the creative know-how of the métiers d’art and thus presents a duo of limited editions.

Five years before the Hermès Slim d’Hermés Cheval de Légende was born in 2015, artist Benoît Pierre Emery imagined the Parisian maison’s emblem in “a celestial ride done in gold stippling on silk” affixed to a carré. More than a decade later, this drawing of the animal’s almost mysterious silhouette is used to decorate the dial of a watch, the Slim d’Hermès Cheval de légende, offered in two versions, each limited to 24 pieces. For this unique creation, Hermès called upon a rare expertise which, like any other art, requires meticulous skill.

Because it has a face that is wide open to the world, defined by a thin bezel here lined with 52 baguette-cut diamonds, the Hermès Slim d’Hermés Cheval de Légende lends itself magnificently to the talent of the craftsman who, on a white enameled disc, has carved tiny alveoli to nestle beads in rose gold or bluish enamel. The dial is then fired so that the high temperatures amalgamate and fix these small marbles, thus materializing the contours of the galloping horse designed by Benoît Pierre Emery. At the center of this delicate picture, two long, slender hands, typical of the collection, mark the hours and minutes. The time information is provided by the H1950 caliber, an extra-thin automatic manufacture movement with a micro-rotor winding system that guarantees a 48-hour power reserve, housed in a white gold case measuring 39.5mm in diameter. This pair of watches by Hermès is worn on a matte alligator leather strap, chantilly colored for the variant with gold beads or sapphire blue for the model with enamel beads, closed with a pin buckle.

The Hermès Slim d’Hermés Cheval de Légende was released about three years ago in late 2015, and I’ve always held it in high regard due to its original & whimsical design, quality, and price of $7,650. The Slim d’Hermes provides so much solid value in an industry and category that seldom does so. Even so, the difference between those watches that reach truly “timeless” status and, well, everyone else lies in an enduring appeal that can transcend ephemeral trends.

So, the question here is, has the French fashion house & watchmaker done this with the Slim d’Hermes? Funny enough, it’s probably too early for me to make that call. But, three years in and I am hard pressed to find a dress watch at this price point that excels in so many aspects while having a design that doesn’t rely on being derivative. Quality in finishings, perfect proportions, and a dial that perfectly utilizes the underrated art of typography come together and result in the one dress watch I’d ever need.

The purpose of this article isn’t really to serve as a typical “review” that we do, but rather as a rundown of the piece I spent several weeks with followed by an extensive survey of the “slim dress watch” landscape across similarly priced watches and those priced somewhat lower and higher than its $7,650 price tag. I think time and distance is necessary when evaluating a simple time-only piece that contends to be a “modern classic” and that is one reason I held off for so long before reviewing the Slim d’hermes three years after its initial release.

The Hermès Slim d’Hermés Cheval de Légende was a hit when it came out in 2015, but there’s been a lot of Hermes news since that’s overshadowed this humble dress watch by now. Most notably, the relationship between Apple and Hermes is stronger than ever, with the latest Apple Watch Series 4 Hermes edition retaining its status symbol reputation. Of course, it’s a deserved, if somewhat tenuous, reputation as being the smartwatch priced at around $1,500 (that’s about a $1,000 premium over the standard Apple Watch).