Just in time for the St. Valentine’s Day, Blancpain has presented the limited edition Ladybird Ultraplate Saint-Valentin 2016 (Ref. 0063F-1954-63A). Featuring an in-house automatic movement with an exterior design done by something that looks like a team of real professionals, this one may be a little expensive for most of us, but it still is worth every penny.
white gold
Patek Philippe Calatrava Pilot Travel Time (Ref. 5524)
The self-winding Patek Philippe Calatrava Pilot Travel Time (ref. 5524) was first unveiled during the Baselworld 2015 show. Combining in the same package a ‘historic’ dial layout of a 1930s pilot’s watch with a meticulously sculpted white gold body and an in-house self-winding movement that makes one drown in his own saliva, this is one of the most notable timekeepers presented at the trade fair.
Chopard L.U.C Lunar Big Date Redesigned (Ref. 161969-1001)
The stately Chopard L.U.C Lunar Big Date, one of the most striking models in their whole collection, has been slightly face-lifted in early 2014. Although the redesigned model doesn’t offer anything groundbreaking in terms of exterior finish or movement design, it now looks a lot more up-to-date and, well, relevant to the current design trends. Still a tiny bit too big for a modern dress watch, the new accessory nevertheless delivers you an extremely well-balanced combination of functionality and ease of use.
A. Lange & Sohne Richard Lange Perpetual Calendar “Terraluna”
A. Lange & Sohne has presented whole seven new models at the SIHH 2014 event, yet it is the gorgeous Richard Lange Perpetual Calendar “Terraluna” that will possibly get the most attention from both journalists and connoisseurs alike. While most currently available high-end “moon phase” watches are only good for 122 years before they require adjustment by a qualified serviceman, this model will (theoretically) display correct phases of the Moon for whole 1058 years. And the complication looks great, too.
Girard-Perregaux Cat’s Eye High Jewelry Automatic
For the upcoming holiday season, GP has updated its Cat’s Eye line with an admirable Girard-Perregaux Cat’s Eye High Jewelry (ref. 91702B53P7B1-53A) watch. Powered by their in-house Caliber GP03300-0072 self-winding movement and sporting the same 38×33 mm white gold body as the rest of the family, the watch is still slightly larger thanks to an absolutely enormous amount of precious stones decorating it from top to bottom.
IWC Portofino Hand-Wound Big Date Boutique Edition (Refs. IW516102 / IW516101)
IWC has revealed a nice addition to its splendid Portofino range of oversized timekeepers. Always conservative in its approach, extremely reluctant when it comes to evolving its design language, the Swiss watchmaker again brings us a watch that features all the elements that we loved so much in their 2011 IWC Portofino Eight Days that was equipped with the hand-wound Cal. 59210 (Ref. 5101) with only ones mall change: the IWC Portofino Hand-Wound Big Date Boutique Edition (Refs. IW516102 / IW516101) has the original simple calendar display replaced with a lot more appealing Big Date indicator.
Parmigiani Fleurier Bugatti Aerolithe Automatic Chronograph (Ref. PFC329-3400600)
Designed as a tribute to the futuristic 1935 Bugatti Aerolithe Coupe, a legendary vehicle that still serves as a source of inspiration to many industrial designers, the 2013 Parmigiani Fleurier Bugatti Aerolithe (ref. PFC329-3400600) carefully mixes design cues taken from the vintage sports car with their traditional elements producing an object of an almost stunning beauty.
Panerai Radiomir 1940 Chrono Monopulsante 8 Days GMT Oro Bianco (PAM 503)
Panerai has refreshed its 1940 collection. Comprising six new models, the range was officially introduced at the 2013 Watches&Wonders exhibition that has just opened at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre on September 25th and will close on September 28th. The elegant and inconspicuous (well, at least as inconspicuous as a Panerai can be) the new Panerai Radiomir 1940 Chrono Monopulsante 8 Days GMT Oro Bianco (PAM 503) was among those six beautiful timekeepers. So far, thanks to a winning combination of an in-house manually-wound mechanism and surprisingly useful functionality, it looks the most interesting among them.
Patek Philippe Gondolo 8 Days (Ref. 5200G) in White Gold
For a brand of such pedigree, Patek Philippe isn’t especially consistent when it comes to the design of their Gondolo series specifically or rectangular watches in general. The things that they share is an elongated body and, of course, a brilliantly executed mechanism: a Rolls-Royce of a mechanical movement that any wristwatch would be proud to be animated with. Among the three models of the series that are currently present on their corporate website, the 2013 Patek Philippe Gondolo 8 Days (Ref. 5200G) is the most exciting with its finely crafted Art Deco case and deliciously complicated, exquisitely finished movement.
Patek Philippe Calatrava Automatic (Ref. 5227)
Patek Philip‘s classic Calatrava line has just been updated for this year. Featuring a tried and true automatic movement and a body of classic proportions, the new self-winding Patek Philippe Calatrava (Ref. 5227) looks emphatically modest, even in its precious 18-karat rose gold body.