Tudor launched a pair of dive watches at Baselworld 2012, one of which is the retro styled Heritage Black Bay, ref. 79220R. The other new diver is the 500 m Pelagos in titanium, ref. 25500TN, with self-adjusting dive clasp. Both watches have received lots of positive attention due to their design and price. There was lots of anticipation building up to its release date. Finally the Black Bay is just being delivered now and is already selling briskly, as expected. 

The Tudor Black Bay on the aged leather strap

Unlike most vintage inspired watches, the Black Bay is not a faithful remake of any specific model, rather it has elements from various dive watches from the past. Despite being a mish mash of different models, the result is a compelling buy.

The Black Bay has all the right details that are most attractive in fifties dive watches, the gilt dial. 

The text on the dial is hews to the vintage Tudor diver

And it has Tudor’s trademark snowflake hands, plated in rose gold to match the dial. Together wih the red bezel this is a very distrinctive watch, which is an achievement for a traditional looking dive watch.

The uniquely shaped snowflake hands

Another noteworthy detail is the slightly domed sapphire crystal, hence the slight distortion at the edges when viewed at an angle.

What gives away its modern origins is the red band around the stem of the crown. I don’t like this detail, it is somewhat incongruous with the rest of the watch, though it does not that bothersome since it’s a subtle detail.

The ring around the stem matches the bezel insert

And of course at 41 mm the Black Bay a lot chunkier than its 39 mm predecessors. And on the bracelet – which has solid links and end-links – it feels solid on the wrist.



Like the other models in the Heritage series like the Heritage Advisor alarm, the Black Bay is available with a steel bracelet as well as fabric band (it comes with both), which retails for S$4550, about US$3600. Note that the fabric strap is styled like NATO strap with a loop under the watch, but it is actualy uses the spring bars which run through the band to secure it. 

From left to right: fabric strap, aged leather strap and steel bracelet

The woven fabric band

Another option is the aged leather strap and the fabric band, which is S$4130, approximately US$3260. I instinctively like the bracelet version but the aged leather band really grows on you.



Tudor’s strap supplier did a convincing job of aging the leather

This watch is even more compelling than the Heritage Chronograph “Monte Carlo”, even though it’s a far less accurate historial remake. The Black Bay is well priced and a strong design, proving that the Monte Carlo was not a one hit wonder and that Tudor is on the right track. Enjoy the rest of the photos.

– SJX

The Tudor rose logo on the crown

This is significant news for fans of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, especially since 2012 is the 40th anniversary of the Royal Oak. A unique, 41 mm titanium Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Skeleton will be auctioned in Singapore on 1 Sep 2012, with proceeds going to charity. This unique watch uses the skeletonised 2139 movement like the regular Royal Oak Skeleton but with big differences in the case.

The case is titanium and 41 mm, with cermet bezel, as well as pink gold hands and indices. In contrast the regular version is 39 mm in steel or gold.

All proceeds will go to Kidz Horizon, a charity that helps children with chronic or terminal illnesses.

The watch was donated by the family of the late collector Duncan Wang, the third annual charity watch auction his family is supporting. Last year’s watch was a unique Lange Zeitwerk with a grey dial. For more information on the sale and how to participate, get in touch with Kidz Horizon.

– SJX

The unique Patek Philippe 5131J “View of the City of Geneva” just hammered for CHF1 million, with proceeds going to a Swiss charity. The cloisonne dial depicts the Old Town of the city.

According to Patek it was bought by a Swiss client of the brand. For a closer, critical look at the regular version of the world time, look no further.

– SJX

C3H5N3O9 is a fresh brand with an interesting background, timepiece and distribution plan. It was created by Maximilian Büsser and Serge Kriknoff of MB&F (Mr Kriknoff is CEO of MB&F) along with Martin Frei and Felix Baumgartner of Urwerk. Think of it as combining MB&F’s marketing and communication prowess with Urwerk’s accomplished nerdy DNA.

The brand’s name is the chemical formula for nitroglycerine, which the brand explains as “Many of the most reactive (and most exciting) chemical reactions derive from combining seemingly innocuous ingredients.” In addition, the brand says “C3H5N3O9 is an experimental platform, not a luxury brand.” Those are the ambitions of C3H5N3O9; “concept” and “experimental” brands command a premium. And the reactive and exciting result of that partnership is the ZR012, or C3H5N3O9 ZR012 to give the watch it’s full name. Inspired by a Wankel engine, it is an intriguing and attractive looking watch. The concept was created by Martin and Felix at Urwerk, then developed by Urwerk constructor Cyrano Devanthey.

Based on a Wankel engine, the time display comprises twin discs shaped similar to a Releaux triangle, one each for hours and minutes. And they turn in a similar fashion to the rotor in a Wankel engine.



Wankel engine animation from Wikipedia



Then Max Busser and Serge Kriknoff, together with frequent MB&F designer Eric Giroud, created the case. There are definitely shades of the MB&F HM4 Thunderbolt in the lugs.

The case, which is zirconium, measures 55 mm by 44 mm without lugs. This is limited to 12 pieces in zirconium, with another 12 pieces in red gold next year.



What is especially interesting is the fact that C3H5N3O9 will bypass traditional retail channels, instead it will be sold online via the C3H5N3O9 website. The price is CHF110,000, with a deposit of CHF33,000 required. There are several reasons I can imagine for this, including ensuring the price is kept to retail (discounting is bad for brand equity).  Big brands are all cutting their distribution network, and it takes a brave independent to do so. But given the small scale of production, relatively accessible price, and the brand names behind C3H5N3O9, I reckon it will sell. As for the brand name, I expect no one will remember it exactly but everyone will know the brand with the long chemical formula name. – SJX

Richard Mille RM027 tourbillon

Barely a day after it was stolen, Rafael Nadal’s $500,000, ultra-light Richard Mille RM027 tourbillon has been recovered, according to the Daily Telegraph.

Nadal was in Paris for the French Open, which he won, and he lost the watch, on loan from Richard Mille, after the championship match.

It turns out the culprit was a hotel barman who was arrested after police tracked his keycard access into Nadal’s room.  The thief then led police to the stolen RM027 which he had hidden along a railway track.

– SJX

Antiquorum in New York just sold a Lange Tourbillon Pour le Mérite in yellow gold for US$188,500 inclusive of buyer’s premium. That is a extremely strong result for the PLM, especially in yellow gold, which is the most common of the series. And this coming several months after record prices for a unique platinum PLM with salmon dial and the unique 36 mm PLM in platinum.

Lange Pour le Merite tourbillon in yellow gold Photo courtesy Antiquorum

Lange prices were pretty soft on the secondary market after the aftermath of the recession in 2009 to 2010, but began to firm up last year. I reckon they will continue to climb gradually, especially for the important models like certain limited editions, Datograph and Lange 1. 

– SJX

This year, the 40th anniversary of the Royal Oak and a year after Gerald Genta’s passing, sees the redesign of the Royal Oak Extra Thin Selfwinding (ref. 15202), more commonly known as the “Jumbo”, reverting back to almost its original form as penned by Gerald Genta in 1972. Iconic and legendary are overused terms, I am guilty of using them loosely too, but they are undeniably true for the Royal Oak Jumbo.

I am very lucky to have one of the new ref. 15202 Jumbos for a week and I love it. The loan is for a review upcoming in The Peak magazine; last year I got the Millenary 4101.

The new Jumbo is virtually identical to the original. Several notable changes have been made, however, one being the dark blue date wheel that matches the dial colour instead of the original white.

Another is the see-through case back (though the case remains monocoque with the movement coming out the front).

But the most important change is the clasp. For the first time in its 40 year history the Jumbo has a double fold clasp, which means it sits much better on smaller wrists. I used to own a 1980s Royal Oak Jumbo – a beautiful timepiece – but the clasp would not centre on my wrist. The double fold clasp is an enormous and landmark achievement.



All the changes are improvements, and everything else remains the same classic Royal Oak – the beautifully finished 39 mm case, the petit tapisserie dial and of course the movement.



Inside sits the same ultra-thin cal. 2121 automatic movement, a wonderfully conceived movement that was a big deal when it was first unveiled. The finishing here seems better than on AP watches of the past, even compared to cal. 2121 of earlier years. For instance the anglage was mirror polished and rounded, while in the past I recall Royal Oak anglage looked stamped. Also new is the styling of the rotor, which now reflects the Royal Oak shape as well as the dial guilloche motif. The old style “AP” rotor is still attractive though it hadn’t changed in years and looked very eighties so this is not a bad thing.

This is a perfectly proportioned timepiece and proof that good things really stand the test of time. The Royal Oak ref. 15202 retails for 28,800 Singapore dollars or US$22,700.

A more detailed review, by myself and another collector, will be published in The Peak Selections: Timepieces in August. It will be sent to all The Peak subscribers and will also be available at newsstands and bookstores in Singapore.

– SJX  

Named after a Japanese client who suggested it, the Shimoda is Speake-Marin’s distinctive and now discontinued one-hand watch. The monkey is executed in the Japanese lacquer technique known as maki-e (meaning “sprinkled picture), which comprises urushi lacquer with gold dust. It was painted by maki-e artistan Yamazaki Mushu.

Circling the maki-e dial centre is a grand feu enamel chapter ring with the numerals 2,4, 8 and 10 in Chinese characters. “I don’t want to clutter the watch with too many numbers on the dial, the basic Shimoda has too many in my opinion”, the owner explains. Becase most watches have 12, 3, 6 and 9, the owner chose this uncommon combination of hour indices.

In addition, this watch has a sandblasted yellow gold case, and I believe it is the only Shimoda with this matte case finish. It results in an unusual but very attractive watch. Another watch from yet another English independent depicted another zodiac animal will be shown here soon. – SJX

Unique Patek Philippe 5131J for Children Action

Tomorrow in Geneva Christie’s a piece unique Patek Philippe ref. 5131J cloisonne dial world time will go under the hammer. Unlike the regular 5131J which has a cloisonne map, this depicts the Old Town of Geneva and the Jet d’Eau. “Geneva” is also highlighted in blue on the cities disc to remind the wearer what city it depicts; like on the regular 5131J the bezel is engraved “Geneva” just to be sure. 

Proceeds will go to Swiss charity Children Action – bids can be submitted with this form (PDF). The regular versions of the 5131 go for USD120,000 and up (retail is merely half that), so don’t expect this to go cheaply. A worthy cause indeed but I am not a fan of this watch – here’s why.

– SJX

The Jaeger-LeCoultre Gyrotourbillon 1 with retrograde perpetual calendar and equation of time was launched in 2004 and is JLC’s most important complication. Not just for its inherent technical qualities but also because it put JLC on th map as a haute horlogerie brand, and not just a haute horlogerie movement maker.

Since then JLC has created other super complications like the Duomètre à Sphérotourbillon launched at SIHH 2012, but none have the cachet of the Gyrotourbillon. In fact, the Gyrotourbillon is the most important JLC complication of the last decade in my humble opinion.

This is demonstrated by the fact that the Gyrotourbillon sells for handsome sums at auction, practically at its original street price, which is extremely unusual for an exotic complication that isn’t a Patek.

Perhaps one reason is that the Gyrotourbillon is limited and numbered as such, in both the Gyrotourbillon 1 and Reverso Gyrotourbillon 2 variants. The Spherotourbillon on the other hand is only limited for the platinum case version while the rose gold is regular production.

But one has to remember also that at the time of its launch in 2004, the Gyrotourbillon was one of the few multi-axis tourbillons available, with the only other alternatives being Greubel Forsey and Franck Muller. And 2004 was also before the epidemic proliferation of tourbillons in the middle part of the last decade. So it was much easier for the Gyrotourbillon to establish itself as an important watch of the time.

Pictured here is the original platinum, 75 piece limited edition Gyrotourbillon of 2004. More recently the final 30 pieces of the Gyrotourbillon 1 are being delivered with an openworked dial and rose gold case.

Enjoy the photos.

– SJX

The finishing on the later Gyrotourbillons appear better than on this early piece, unsurprising given the progress of JLC finishing in general

The bridges are German silver and have the characteristic yellowish hue of the uncoated alloy

The spherical titanium tourbillon cage

Notice the laser cut dimples in the bottom of the balance for poising

A detail I particularly love is the sapphire cover on the barrel