If there’s one watch that perfectly defines Patek Philippe, it has to be the chronograph perpetual calendar – a combination that was first introduced by the brand with the reference 1518 and which is now represented by the 5270. This watch debuted in rather neutral, slightly conservative editions but has been updated recently with far bolder styles, such as the green lacquered edition of 2022. In addition, Patek also proposes a gem-set version in platinum, known as the 5271P. Previously available with diamonds and a black dial, this ultra-luxury reference makes a remarkable comeback this year with two new coloured editions, the new Patek Philippe Chronograph Perpetual Calendar 5271P with rubies or blue sapphires, and matching lacquered dials.
Regarding the proportions and movement, there’s not much news. The Patek Philippe Chronograph Perpetual Calendar 5271P is nothing more than a stone-packed version of the already desirable and high-end 5270. Yet, there are a few things to be said about these new versions of the 5271P, as they follow the evolutions found on the green 5270P presented earlier this year, representing the fourth generation of this model – the previous versions are covered in this in-depth article.
The previous black-and-diamond 5271P was part of the third generation, meaning no “chin” and a tachymeter bezel on the periphery of the dial. Now, in the same vein as the green model, the new Patek Philippe Chronograph Perpetual Calendar 5271P feature a much cleaner dial, with a complete railroad track on the periphery (a continuous track, without the cut at 6 o’clock) and no tachymeter scale. This results in a cleaner, more balanced and modern look. Similarly, the dials are lacquered with bold colours and a gradient effect. Finally, the printings and tracks are pure white and more contrasting than previous editions.
Now, the new versions of the Patek Philippe Chronograph Perpetual Calendar 5271P are set with coloured stones – blue sapphires and rubies – instead of classic diamonds. No surprise here, as Patek has all the necessary skills to make gem-set watches since it recently took a stake in Salanitro SA, the most prominent player in jewellery and gem-setting activities for Swiss Haute Horlogerie. The 41mm platinum case, which is identical to the 5270 models in size and shape, has been adorned with 58 baguette-cut rubies or blue sapphires on both the bezel and the lugs, for a total of 4.11 carats. The result, which is graphic and modern, is also far from being discreet. But this is a style that some clients were asking for.
To add to the audacity of these new editions – 5271/11P with blue sapphires and 5271/12P with rubies – the brand has given them some equally daring dials with matching colours and a glossy lacquer with a black gradient effect. No stones are to be found on the dials, which rely on classic white gold applied markers and hands. The watches are complemented with a glossy black alligator strap with colour-matched stitching and a fold-over clasp that is also set with stones (22 baguette-cut rubies or sapphires, in this instance). Inside the case, no surprises, as we find the advanced calibre CH 29-535 PS Q. This in-house, hand-wound chronograph relies on an appealing architecture with a column wheel and a horizontal clutch, on top of which is a perpetual calendar module. There are multiple innovations and technical solutions implemented at play here, which we covered in detail in this article. The movement indicates the time together with a chronograph with central seconds and 30-minute counter, and a perpetual calendar with date-by-hand, apertures for the day and month, a leap year indicator, a day-night indicator and moon phases… and all of that finds its place on the dial is a balanced and legible way.
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Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime 6300
This, I have to admit, came as a shock. It came as a shock to me, and every other single person with whom I spoke that I’d consider knowledgeable about collecting Patek Philippe. The Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime 6300 – reference 5175 – the most complicated Patek wristwatch ever made, of which there were only seven pieces made – six for the best clients in the world, one for the museum – has returned. It has a new reference, in a new case material, and without all that incredibly ornate engraving, but it’s back. First, have a look below at what makes this watch so special.
The price for the Grandmaster Chime? Yup, $2.5 million, and we’re told there was a list a mile long to get it – the six collectors that received it had surely been hand selected by the Sterns for their appreciation of, and long-term commitment to, the brand. But now those six collectors may not feel quite as lucky, as the same incredible caliber – with over 1,500 individual components – is available to more people! Okay, this is still an insanely rare, special piece that will go to only the very best of the best watch buyers in the world, but it doesn’t change the fact that each 5175 was advertised as one of seven in the world, and now there will be more – and in white metal.
Again, the 5175 is the anniversary piece, and it combines mechanical craft with “rare hand craft” as Patek likes to refer to engraving and enamel work, so it is indeed a much more complicated watch to produce with all that case work, but still, to see the same caliber used in this new reference Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime 6300 so soon after the 175th anniversary is interesting to say the least.
The price of the Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime 6300 ? A still staggering $2,200,000, or about $300,000 less than the fully engraved 5175R. No word on many of these will be made or for how long, but I can imagine at least six people out there will be curious to know.
TAG HeuerCarrera Calibre Heuer 02 44
Fans of the Monaco racing watch – introduced in 1969 as one of the world’s first automatic chronographs – love its blue sunburst dial and contrasting silver counters, red hands, and square shape with its expansive sapphire crystal and faceted edges. The newest version, the TAG Heuer Monaco Calibre Heuer 02, our test watch, offers these same visual features, all of which TAG Heuer has continued to refine based on the earlier Monaco Calibre 12 model. The once-flat registers are now slightly recessed, giving the design more depth and interest.
Here’s another update: the symmetrical arrangement now shows elapsed minutes and hours rather than minutes and seconds. The running seconds indication is now placed at 6 o’clock — a clever solution even though every minute the seconds hand sweeps across the date window for a period of several seconds. With its use of the new movement, TAG Heuer designed a clear layout of the displays, but this also involved a compromise. Including the small seconds display at 6 required moving the “Automatic” lettering upward and placing it between the two registers.
Changes to the dial layout are based on a fundamental innovation. With automatic TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre Heuer 02 44, TAG Heuer is now using a fully developed, in-house chronograph movement in its Monaco line. Recall that the original Caliber 11 from 1969 was a collaborative project between Heuer, Breitling, and Hamilton-Büren in addition to the module specialist Dubois Dépraz, which contributed the chronograph mechanism. The long-awaited in-house base chronograph movement first appeared in 2017 as the Caliber Heuer 02, which was introduced in the retro model Autavia Calibre Heuer 02. Previously at TAG Heuer, “only” the complex Calibre Heuer 02-T was available (with an additional tourbillon) and before that, the Calibre Heuer 01, based on a Seiko movement.
Now, for the first time, a Monaco chronograph is powered by a true manufacture movement. This innovation actually brings real advantages to the user. Mechanical watch fans can use it to measure intervals of up to 12 hours instead of just 30 minutes, and when fully wound, the TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre Heuer 02 44 runs for up to 80 hours — almost twice as long as its original 42-hour power reserve — so you can take off the watch on Friday and put it back on Monday morning without any problem or interruption. And the new movement complements the Monaco visually, with its modern, high-tech look, generous diameter of 31 mm and large sapphire crystal in the caseback. The new model is much more appealing from the back than the similarly designed Monaco Calibre 12 with the ETA 2894 movement, or the Monaco Calibre 11 with a modified Sellita SW300 movement and the crown on the left.
However, the new manufacture caliber does have one disadvantage compared to the previous movements: the unidirectional rotor is rather noisy on its return. In our test of the Autavia Calibre Heuer 02, the sounds made by the rotor were not quite as noticeable, which is probably due to the different case construction.
Patek Philippe World Time 5230
Patek Philippe has been producing some of the world’s most coveted world time watches for nearly 80 years. This year, the brand is retiring all existing references in its so-called Heure Universelle collection and launching a new, upgraded model in their place: the Patek Philippe World Time 5230P, available in white-gold (Ref. 5230G-001) or rose-gold (Ref. 5230R-001):
Patek Philippe’s decision to introduce a new world-timer was motivated by, primarily, political and cultural changes worldwide that have necessitated updates to the original timepiece’s 24-hour city ring. Dubai, for example, has replaced Riyadh as the internationally recognized representative city of its time zone, and Moscow, which for many years had been located in the “UTC+4” zone, recently shifted to “UTC+3,” nearer to Western Europe, as its chosen time zone. The new Ref. 5230, available in both 18k white gold and 5N rose gold cases, now has a “globally valid” world-time city ring that accurately reflects the modern state of time zones across the world.
Patek Philippe also took the opportunity to do some subtle but significant reworking on the World Time watch’s case, dial, and hands. Patek Philippe World Time 5230P retains the iconic Patek Philippe Calatrava case (measuring 38.5 mm in diameter and 10.23 mm thick), but with new winglet-style lugs and a more narrow, smoothly polished bezel. The hands will be more noticeably different to a Patek aficionado: instead of the ringed hour hand and Dauphine minute hand on previous references, the watch has a pierced hour hand in the shape of the Southern Cross constellation and a lozenge-shaped minute hand, both with sharp center ridges between lapped, beveled flanks. The hands, and the applied baton hour markers, are crafted from the same gold as the case.
At the center of the dial is another decorative element new to Patek Philippe’s World Time watches. Whereas previous models were renowned for their polychrome cloisonné enamel world map motifs, Ref. 5230 features a black, hand-guillochéd, filigreed basket-weave pattern inspired by a historical pocketwatch on display at the Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva. The dial pattern was created on a nearly 100-year-old, meticulously maintained rose engine at the Patek Philippe manufacture.
The movement, visible through a clear sapphire caseback, is Patek Philippe’s in-house Caliber 240 HU. It is only 3.88 mm thick, thanks in large part to its patented micro-rotor design, which enables the watchmakers to greatly reduce the size of the winding rotor — made of 22k gold and engraved with Patek’s Calatrava Cross emblem — and integrate it at the level of the bridges. The movement includes the patented Spiromax balance spring and amasses a power reserve of at least 48 hours. With a tolerance of -3 to +2 seconds per day, its rate accuracy exceeds all customary chronometer standards. The movement’s haute horlogerie finishes all meet the stringent standards of the brand’s in-house certification, the Patek Philippe Seal. The bridges are chamfered and decorated with Geneva strips, a motif that also appears on the microrotor. The mainplate is hand-decorated with perlage, and the golden brass wheels are countersunk and have chamfered spokes. The rhodiumed bridges have gold-filled movement engravings and the movement’s total 239 parts include 35 ruby jewels, 10 of which are on display from the back.
Both versions of the Patek Philippe World Time 5230P come on hand-stitched alligator leather straps (black for the white-gold watch, chocolate brown for the rose-gold) with case-matching Calatrava fold-over clasps.
Richard Mille Debuts New RM 07-01 Intergalactic Watches
When it comes to the ultra-exclusive luxury watch brands within the industry, Richard Mille is definitely one of the most divisive. When describing Richard Mille to someone who isn’t a watch enthusiast, the analogy I often make is that the brand is the F1 car equivalent of a luxury watch. A well-constructed luxury sedan will give you a much greater sense of traditional refinement and will provide infinitely more creature comforts, but the state-of-the-art technology and advanced materials of the F1 car ultimately make it exponentially more expensive than something you pick up from your local luxury import dealer. With that in mind, the new Richard Mille RM 07-01 Intergalactic watches combine the brand’s signature approach of high-tech materials and futuristic designs with a unique style of gem setting that places an emphasis on the prongs of the settings themselves to emulate the glittering stars set among the vast darkness of the galaxy.
All four of the new Richard Mille RM 07-01 Intergalactic watches feature cases that follow the brand’s signature tonneau shape, and they are crafted from Carbon TPT with 5N red gold accents. The cases themselves measure 31.4mm in diameter by 11.85mm thick, with an overall lug-to-lug distance of 45.66mm, making them some of the most compact models that Richard Mille currently offers. Carbon TPT is a carbon fiber composite material that consists of multiple layers of parallel filaments that are created by dividing carbon fibers. From there, the fibers are impregnated with a composite matrix and woven at a 45 degree angle between layers, before being combined with heat and pressure to create a solid block of material, which can then get processed by a CNC machine and milled into the various case components. Sapphire crystals protect both the front and back side of the three-part case and the various components are all held together by grade 5 titanium screws that run through the trio of case components and secure them together using Nitrile O-ring seals to help provide users with 50 meters of water resistance.
Carbon TPT components can be found on a number of different Richard Mille models, but what sets the new RM 07-01 Intergalactic watches apart from their siblings is the unique style of gem-setting that adorns their external cases. Set into the Carbon TPT components are diamonds that are secured by 5N red gold prongs that are scattered throughout their surfaces. Setting diamonds into Carbon TPT comes with a number of unusual challenges due to the nature of the material itself. Unlike setting diamonds into gold, where the metal can be shaped into prongs to secure the diamonds, the hard rigid structure of Carbon TPT means that a space for the diamonds must first be machined using diamond-bit milling tools, and then the diamonds themselves must be secured into the case by gold prongs that are inserted by hand into the into the various settings that have been drilled into the surface of the case. It’s also worth noting that many of the 5N red gold prongs that are set into the case of the RM 07-01 Intergalactic don’t actually secure a diamond, but rather are there for aesthetic purposes to help create the models’ star-packed galaxy aesthetic.
The new Richard Mille RM 07-01 Intergalactic watches consists of a quartet of models with each one offering a slightly different take on the same core aesthetic concept. Named the Bright Night, Dark Night, Misty Night, and Starry Night, each of the different versions of the RM 07-01 offers a different ratio of diamonds to prongs set into their case, and while some models place an emphasis on the diamonds, others offer designs where the prongs themselves are largely the focus for a much less glitzy take on the same core aesthetic concept. Beyond the settings, other small differences exist throughout the four models. For example, the Bright Night version features its middle caseband in red gold rather than Carbon TPT like the rest of the range, while the Misty Night version features four red gold pillars on the sides of its case in the locations where the connecting screws pass through the various components. Additionally, while three of the RM 07-01 watches are completed by black rubber straps with red gold deployant buckles, the Starry Night model receives a full-link bracelet made from Carbon TPT.
Similar differences exist when it comes to the dials fitted to the four models. While all of them have a similar overall design and structure, the way that the diamonds and prongs are set into each one is different, as they are intended to correspond with the setting approach of the outer case. Each dial consists of a central section made from Carbon TPT that echoes the shape of the tonneau case and is adorned with diamonds and red gold prongs. Surrounding this central section is a skeletonized area that exposes the inner workings of the movement and separates the central part of the dial from the minute track flange that surrounds the periphery of the display. The outer flange is constructed from carbon fiber and it has hour markers filled with luminous material for added legibility. Sitting at the center of the dial are a pair of red gold hands that indicate the hours and minutes, and since the Richard Mille RM 07-01 does not have a seconds hand at all, the only indication that the watch is running will be the balance wheel moving back and forth, which is partially visible through the skeletonized section at the bottom of the dial.
Despite their differences, all four of the Richard Mille RM 07-01 Intergalactic watches are powered by the brand’s Caliber CRMA2 automatic movement. Running at a frequency of 28,800vph (4Hz) and offering users a power reserve of approximately 50 hours, the Caliber CRMA2 offers a highly skeletonized structure consisting of a mainplate and bridges that are crafted from grade 5 titanium and given an electroplasma treatment to give them a dark black finish. Along with featuring a free-sprung balance and a fast moving mainspring barrel for optimum performance, the Richard Mille Caliber CRMA2 also includes a bidirectional self-winding system with a variable-geometry rotor. Largely constructed from 5N red gold with a weight segment in heavy metal, the oscillating weight’s variable-geometry design allows the rotor to be set according to the owner’s activity level by adjusting the two weights that are fixed in place by spline screws. The black appearance of the skeletonized plates and bridges paired with the large red gold rotor offer an overall aesthetic that is very much in-line with the rest of the watch, creating an extremely cohesive overall appearance when looking at both the back and front slides of the RM 07-01 Intergalactic models.
TAG Heuer Carrera Automatic 29 Stainless Steel
I adore complicated watches which feature a chronograph, a minute repeater or tourbillon. However, on some occasions, there is a strong argument for simplicity. Sometimes a pure, clean, uncluttered appearance, with ease of interpretation, makes an appealing rationale for purchase.
Simplicity, in terms of watchmaking, is a contradiction in terms. Whilst a watch may seem absent of numerous functions, to create a stylish watch devoid of registers, guilloché or tourbillon cage is actually quite difficult. The designer needs to impart eye-appeal whilst not overburdening the dial with the extraneous. Indeed, the idiom “the devil is in the detail” is very apt when designing a watch with a limited array of functions.
Earlier this year at Baselworld 2014, TAG Heuer revealed some awe-inspiring novelties featuring some incredible avant-garde aesthetics and know-how, including the mind-blowing Monaco V4 with its ingenious belt-driven movement. However, a model which caught me on my blind-side and seduced my soul with its dapper, but restrained, appearance was theTAG Heuer Carrera Calibre 5 Automatic.
TAG Heuer offer the Tag Heuer Carrera Calibre 5 Automatic – Steel 39mm with a choice of steel bracelet or alligator leather strap. Dial variants include black, silver and anthracite. I have not seen all the available options, but confess to liking the black dial version on a leather strap (ref WAR211A.FC6180). It has a pre-eminent legibility and warmth, courtesy of the black hued strap. It is this model which provides the focal point of this in-depth watch review.
The new TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre 5 Automatic – Steel 39mm is a handsome timepiece with a notable air of sophistication.
The seemingly simple dial is the result of many hours of toil spent in the TAG Heuer design studio, honing each element to a peerless outcome. The resultant landscape of the dial is beautiful, with delightful details which reinforce the rationale for purchase.
Versatility is another key strength of the Tag HEUER Calibre 5 Automatic – Steel 39mm. It is a suitable accessory to complement casual or formal attire. Indeed, I would suggest it would admirably fulfil the role of dress watch at a black tie event, such is the cleanliness of the dial.
Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711 Rose Gold
The Patek Philippe Nautilus shot to fame for its iconic case design and was easily one of the most expensive regular production steel watches of its time. So iconic is the poster watch combination of steel and blue dial that the Patek Philippe Nautilus remains one of the most sought after collections after more than 30 years in production. While the 5711 is the grail for many, the watch’s fame has also brought with it a fair share of controversy.
We had previously talked about full gold watches in our article on Audemar Piguet’s Royal Oak collection. Never mind the touchè proletariat rant, or the usual discourse against the use of precious metals on sports themed watches. These arguments are convenient and complacent at best. Full gold watches are statement pieces. More often than not an indicator of wealth at the expense of tastefulness. Similar to Rolex’s Everose gold watches, the Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711/1R-001 has a similar color scheme, a warm rose gold case with a dark hue brown dial.
The 40 mm watch is adequately sized for the Nautilus. Steeped with heritage, the Nautilus design retains its slim case and unique case construction. The bezel piece is secured to the middle case portion via the protruding portions at 3 and 6 o’clock. The modern case also possesses a screw down crown and a fold over clasp. To add to its charm, the watch uses the famed 324 SC calibre, a tested and proven calibre well-known for its thinness (3.3 mm).
The watch has rich heritage and remains a dream watch for many. However, while we do not dislike the full gold models, we prefer the notion of subtle luxury rather than an overt one. In our opinion, the best current production Nautilus is still the base Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711 Rose Gold 5711/1A-010 (retails for S$ 32,700). Although, if precious metals are your fancy, the Nautilus in platinum is our recommendation. It is the ultimate in understatement, looking almost like the steel version. But is certainly extremely rare. The 5711/1P is not even listed in the Patek Philippe catalog. It is also the heaviest and certainly the most expensive within the range, but also the most collectible.
5935A World Time Flyback Chronograph
Look, I get it, a new Nautilus is a big deal and earlier this week Patek Philippe announced several new examples into the lineup and people are champing at the bit to share their thoughts on the new 5811 and its siblings. As for me, I’m simply thrilled to get to write about what I see as two of the best watches in the recent announcement, the grandly complicated 5204G and the wildly cool 5935G. You can have my spot in the Nautilus line because, if we’re talking about my own joyfully hypothetical buying power, I’m looking for something a bit more interesting. Interesting…and complicated, as this article will focus on two new references from Patek Philippe, the 5204G Split-Seconds Chronograph Perpetual Calendar and the 5935A World Time Flyback Chronograph. Do you remember that “Justification For Higher Education” poster with the big house and the supercars? You could just use a photo of either of these two watches if cars aren’t your thing. Cars are my thing, among many things. Maybe I should have been a doctor, after all.
Starting with the 5204G-001, it is essentially a white gold version of the existing 5204R, which was originally launched 10 years ago, in 2012, but was recently updated with a grey dial in 2021. This new version matches its white precious metal case with an olive green sunburst dial that continues the legacy of QP chronographs like the 2499 and the 5270 by offering the combination and then taking things a step further by featuring a split-seconds function for the chronograph (which is controlled via the button set into the crown). All of that grand complication is powered by the manually-wound CHR 29-535 PS Q and it is tucked inside a case that is only 40mm wide and 14.3mm thick. When you blend the sizing with the less formal dial coloring, the white gold, and the continued inclusion of luminous hands and markers, you get a very soft-spoken, almost unassuming, execution of what is a very (VERY) hardcore piece of watchmaking.
As soon as I started to look over the images of the new 5204G, I found that its general vibe reminded me of another very Grand Complication from Patek, the 5004. Retired in 2011, while the 5004 was made in several different versions over its 15-year life cycle, Patek commemorated the end of production for these Split-Second QP Chronographs by creating fifty examples in steel with gorgeous creamy dials and black dial furniture (I love when Patek does black markers and hands). As the 5204 came into being a year after the 5004 was retired, maybe the new 5204G is one step closer to seeing some version made in steel. While this 5204G is not specifically limited, it’s worth noting that Patek was only producing around twelve 5004s a year back in 2011. Like its rose gold sibling, 5204G has the sort of price that you write on a piece of paper and slide across a table. I suppose the digital equivalence would be for me to omit the price from this sentence and tell you that I’ve included it at the bottom of the article.
If only I were a rich guy – because holy moly – do I like the 5935A. As an extension of my fascination with travel watches, I love the romance of a world timer, especially those of a Cottier-derived nature (I wrote a bit about it here, and more about it in Watches: A Guide by Hodinkee). I know, I know. It’s only full-hour time zones but the idea of the whole world on your wrist has a very old-world charm to it and the new 5935 only amplifies that charm by mixing a steel case with a stunning dial and a special movement. Let’s start with the movement, as it’s the first time that the CH 28-520 HU has been used in a steel watch. You might remember previous and precious outings for this caliber by way of the blue- or green-accented 5930G, and the CH 28-520 HU is notable for its combination of both a traditional world timer (showing instantaneous time and an indication of day/night in 24 time zones) along with a 30-minute flyback chronograph.
For the 5935A, the combination is so well done, especially in terms of how lightly the chronograph treads on an already complicated dial. The sizing is good, too, with the 5935A measuring 41mm wide and 12.75mm thick while housing an automatic movement with two rather useful complications. Then we get to the dial, which is described by Patek Philippe as rose gilt with a carbon motif and charcoal grey accents. Did I mention that I love when Patek Philippe uses black dial furniture? I did, but feel free to add charcoal to that list – the first-gen 5270, the final 5004, Briggs Cunningham’s frankly jaw-dropping 1526. The mix of the rosey dial, the dark and legible markings, and that carbon-effect center finishing, I just love it.
Interestingly, Patek says that the carbon motif is in reference to the ref. 6007 LE from 2020, but let’s not forget 2017’s 5208T-010 for Only Watch (and yes, I had to google that reference), or the unique 5004T (thank you for that one, Ben). With the 5935A carrying a price tag of $63,870, what can I say? A fella can dream, and hope that my meager GME holdings shoot for one of Jupiter’s moons. I’m afraid our own moon simply won’t cut it anymore.
TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 200 Solargraph 40 DLC Carbon Black
TAG Heuer released a slew of new models for Watches & Wonders, including a Superdiver Aquaracer with a Kinnesi movement (more on that later). Their most compelling release may be the most accessible in the solar powered Tag Heuer Aquaracer Pro 200 Solargraph. This is an all-black affair with a trick carbon bezel, efficient solar movement, and trim case dimensions. It also utilizes the best parts of the new Aquaracer design language, with ridged dial and no cyclops. There’s a lot of watch packed into this 40mm, black DLC frame.
TAG Heuer is splitting their Aquaracer family into two different categories, one geared for diving, and one for the outdoors (though they still have perfectly adequate depth ratings). The Solargraph falls into that latter category, relying on sunlight (or any light, really) to charge its battery-less movement, the TH50-00, that was developed by La Joux-Perret for TAG Heuer. This is the first time the brand has used a solar powered movement, and it makes a good deal of sense here. The Tag Heuer Aquaracer Pro 200 Solargraph movement needs just a couple of minutes in the light to properly charge for a day, and about 20 hours worth for a full charge, which will last 6 months. With any regular use this watch should remain in usable condition, assuming you spend any time at all around a light source. This movement also keeps the case ultra wearable and light, which is a welcome move for a watch geared toward outdoor use, whatever that might entail. The steel case is PVD black, hosting a black dial with white hands and hour markers for crisp contrast. There’s not much in the way of color, save for the light blue seconds hand and hour plots. The bezel is carbon with ribbons of lume appearing organically throughout. It’s a great touch on an otherwise straightforward watch and provides a great deal of visual personality in both light and dark settings. A black rubber strap ties everything together and wears quite comfortably, though I reckon all manner of fabric or nylon straps would really sing on this one. We’ll find out once we get our hands on a sample to put through its paces. Outdoors, of course. As for the great re-positioning of the Aquaracer family, I look forward to seeing how both this Tag Heuer Aquaracer Pro 200 Solargraph watch and the Superdiver lay the groundwork for more fleshed out collections of watches. The name will still throw you for a loop, but if we get more general use, simply built outdoor watches like this, I’m all for it.
Richard Mille RM 88 Automatic Tourbillon Smile
Richard Mille has unveiled its latest technical, creative and forward-minded timepiece: the RM 88 Automatic Tourbillon Smiley. The watch, which took three years to develop, celebrates the iconographic Smiley illustration, drawn by Franklin Loufrani over 50 years ago.
The time-teller is decorated with myriad happy micro-sculptures crafted by Olivier Kuhn, including a blossoming flower, warm sunrays, a delectable-looking pineapple, a thriving cactus, a pink flamingo and a bright rainbow. Inside the watch’s white ATX ceramic case, each gold miniature is strategically placed around the central Smiley motif and applicquéd atop an auxiliary baseplate. Notably, the striking Smiley motif, which is micro-blasted and painted yellow gold, is situated above the detailed landscape from atop the motion-work bridge, which features polished anglage and drawn edges.
On the mechanical side, the watch is equipped with the new CRMT7 calibre, a skeletonized automatic tourbillon movement with hour, minute and function displays. The design’s bridges, made of grade 5 titanium, are coated with a complex double PBD coating in black and gold, a finish that also appears on the back of the baseplate. Outside, the crown bears the signature Smiley icon and the caseband appears in red gold.
The RM 88 Automatic Tourbillon Smiley is limited to only 50 units. Take a look at the imaginative timepiece in the gallery above, and learn more on Richard Mille’s website.
Richard Mille RM 88 Tourbillon Smiley. Only $1.2 Million USD. The new Richard Mille RM 88 Automatic Tourbillon Smiley, with its three-dimensional aesthetics and splendid colors, takes on the vivid quality of a waking dream. A playfully colorful, poetic, and lively creation limited to 50 watches.
The playful timepiece is limited to only 50 units. Richard Mille has unveiled its latest technical, creative and forward-minded timepiece: the RM 88 Automatic Tourbillon Smiley. The watch, which took three years to develop, celebrates the iconographic Smiley illustration, drawn by Franklin Loufrani over 50 years ago.
In keeping with watchmaking tradition, all finishing operations on the RM 88 Smiley are carried out by hand. In a manner similar to that of a car’s gearbox, the function indicator allows one to see the winding and hand-setting positions as the crown is pulled out. The active position is indicated via a hand at 3 o’clock.
