With its easy to read dial and impeccably finished surfaces, the new Porsche Design Flat Six P’6340 Automatic Chronograph sports an almost flawless design. Its only problem is that it takes only one quick glance to understand what kind of movement is beating inside its generously proportioned stainless steel case.
Revue Thommen Airspeed Instrument RT1920
Revue Thommen has just presented the new Airspeed Instrument RT1920: a new member of its –ahem– controversial Bell & Ross-styled line of “aviators”. As you can see, the guys behind the –ahem– aspiring Swiss-based brand even preserved all four Arabic numerals from the series name, although, apparently for copyright reasons, put them in a slightly different order.
Baume et Mercier William Baume Monopusher Chronograph
Baume et Mercier will soon start selling its limited-edition William Baume Monopusher Chronograph (ref. M0A08802). The new model will be produced in a small lot of only 20 units. Although not as high-ranked in terms of brand value as Cartier, Vacheron Constantin, Jaeger-LeCoultre, or even IWC, Baume amp; Mercier nevertheless enjoys a good reputation as a serious watchmaker that sells a high-quality product, which is not only finely crafted but is also a great pleasure to look at.
A. Lange & Sohne Zeitwerk: the giant leap of time
The German brand has unveiled the revolutionary A. Lange & Sohne Zeitwerk in May 2009. At that time, it was one of their most daring and controversial (as well as immensely beautiful from the point of view of pure engineering) models. Not as deliberately high-tech as some wristwatches made by, say, Louis Moinet -another brand that is known for its audacious approach to industrial design- this “digital” timekeeper attracted a lot of attention even before it went on sale later that year.
Graham Chronofighter Trigger Tourbillograph Havana
The Graham Chronofighter Trigger Tourbillograph Havana (ref. 2TTAR.C01A.C87B) doesn’t make an impression of a particularly elegant timekeeper, but it sure is as easily recognizable as a German luxury car. Regardless of the generation, you can always say which one is a Mercedes and which one is a Bimmer thanks to their signature corporate grilles that evolved through decades while maintaining their core DNA. The design element from Graham is, of course, not as old, but something tells me that this controversial (putting it mildly) trigger-shaped chronograph activator will haunt us for years to come.
Concord C1 Biretrograde Automatic (ref. 0320045)
At the last Baselworld 2009 trade show, Concord has revealed several new models from their C1 family of deliberately rugged timekeepers. Among others, the new collection included an outrageous QuantumGravity, as well as some variations on their more practical C1 Chronograph family. Predictably, they all looked good (or, at least, acceptable for someone who is into this kind of industrial design,) but it was the C1 Biretrograde (ref. 0320045) collection that I liked the most.