Already available for pre-order with the first bunch of them expected to be delivered mid-March 2015, the new Chr.Ward C9 Jumping Hour MKIII features a refreshingly new design, which is not just clean and easy to read, but is also extremely refined. It looks like the guys that designed this beautiful timekeeper were in the proverbial “zone”: they did everything right.
jumping hours
DeWitt Classic Jumping Hour in Rose Gold (Ref. CLA.HSA.002/005)
Available both with a creamy white (ref. CLA.HSA.002) and an anthracite black (ref. CLA.HSA.005) dial, the new DeWitt Classic Jumping Hour brings you that familiar exterior with a couple of off-centered dials for minutes and seconds and a small jumping hour aperture. However, while most timekeepers of this kind feature a vertical sub-dials alignment, DeWitt opted for a horizontal one and then decorated the final product with their signature art-deco styling.
A. Lange & Sohne Zeitwerk Handwerkskunst (Ref. 140.048) in Platinum
First unveiled back in 2009, the gorgeous “digital” Zeitwerk has already survived a number of limited editions. Now, the German brand reintroduces the timekeeper as A. Lange & Sohne Zeitwerk Handwerkskunst (Ref. 140.048) adding to the mix a new dial that successfully combines rhodium-plated white gold and their signature “German silver” alloy: the centuries-old mixture of copper, nickel, and zinc that allows you to make a greyish-white metal that is easy to work with and, when finished properly, looks great, too.
Marvin Malton M160 Rectangle Flying Hour
The new Marvin Malton M160 Rectangle Flying Hour (ref. M024.14.41.64) looks great. But why isn’t it powered by a mechanical movement? Perhaps, the answer is that someone at Marvin wants to believe that two quartz calibers are actually better than just one self-winding movement. On the other hand, a pair of quartz calibers plus a mechanical movement (yes, I’m talking about the 2010 Dussert Tri-Zone DW400 GMT) could be even better.
Bvlgari Octo Quadri-Retro Chronograph
With the 2011 Octo Quadri-Retro Chronograph (ref. BGO45BSCLDCHQR) Bulgari keeps on consolidating the legacy of Gerald Genta: an independent brand that they have recently, um, absorbed. This particular model, for example, is a face-lifted and rebadged version of the Gerald Genta Arena Chrono Quattro Retro “wristboard” model that was presented two years at Baselworld 2009 if memory serves me well.
Delaneau Amazone Blueberries 1608
Delaneau, a fashion brand that specializes in ultra-luxury items designed for ladies, is selling its brilliant Amazone Blueberries 1608 one-off. Besides a wonderful mix of materials, textures, and colors, the new timepiece also features a not very common all-digital “interface” on its dial with the usual hour and minute hands replaced with a pair of jumping hours and minutes indicators.
Bulgari Papillon Chronograph in rose gold
Just like the recently unveiled Daniel Roth Grande Lune, the new Bulgari Papillon Chronograph in Rose Gold (ref. BRRP46C14GLCHP) is a refreshed and rebadged version of the original chronograph that was introduced in 2008 by Daniel Roth. If you happened to live under the proverbial rock during the last year, then I have to inform you with the deepest regret that the Italian fashion house finally decided to completely absorb the Swiss-based brand and gradually start selling their iconic models under its own trademark. Well, there goes another legend.
Baume & Mercier William Baume Jumping Hour (ref. M0A08857)
Right in time for the holiday shopping season, Baume & Mercier will hit the stores with a new limited-edition William Baume Jumping Hour (ref. M0A08857, also known as ref. 8857). It is what it is: a dressy automatic watch featuring a not so common jumping hour complication. What’s even more exciting about this timepiece is that this is a true limited-edition model: with just a handful of individually numbered devices to ever be released, there is a good chance that it will become a rarity in no time at all.
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. Although 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.