As you may have already guessed, the 2011 self-winding Alpina Startimer Pilot Manufacture Aviation is not an ordinary "aviator". The new model not only offers superb legibility both in broad daylight and in total darkness but also features an in-house movement: a rare thing even among relatively expensive timekeepers.
Marking the 150th anniversary of the unification of Italy, Jaeger-LeCoultre issued a limited edition of their iconic Reverso model. The 2011 Grande Reverso Ultra Thin Special Italian Edition will be sold in a limited lot of only 150 pieces. Something tells me that most (if not all) of these wristwatches will go directly to the brand's Italian boutiques, which is a pity, because, you know: collector's value.
This year Blancpain has significantly expanded its Collection Villeret line. The 2011 Villeret Chronographe Monopoussoir Quantieme Complet Collection (refs. 6685-3642-55B in rose gold and 6685-1127-55B in stainless steel) is one of the most beautiful among them featuring a nice take on a centuries-old design of their beautifully finished dials.
Carl F. Bucherer knows a thing or two about how to reach a woman`s heart. Designed for a modern and emancipated lady, the luxury Patravi EvoTec BigDate (ref. 00.10628.03.77.11) offers not only lots of gold and precious stones but also adds to the grand total an in-house automatic movement: something that you don't see that often in this niche where most brands prefer inexpensive quartz engines to true masterpieces of engineering!
Always thought that only Fender can randomly shuffle decks and necks of radically different classic guitars and get away with that? Think again! At Baselworld 2011 trade show Rolex has updated its Daytona collection with the new Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona (ref. 116515LN) model that combines their signature Everose-alloy case with a black Cerachrom ceramic bezel. And, yes: thanks to the winning combination of colors and textures, it does look fantastic!
Armand Nicolet -a Swiss brand that was established more than a hundred years ago, succumbed to the Quartz Crisis back in 1970, and, reborn under a new management, found a profitable niche in making luxury timekeepers powered by NOS (also referred to as "new old stock") mechanical calibers- has officially presented its new range of watches built with modified historic movements inside. The Armand Nicolet L09 in rose gold and DLC titanium (Ref. S619N-BU-G9610) belongs to the new trio of sporty timekeepers that successfully combine their modern exteriors with deliberately archaic mechanisms.
