The first watch revealed from Panerai’s SIHH 2014 line is the Luminor 1950 Left-handed 3 Days PAM557, equipped with the in-house P.3000 movement.

The Luminor 1950 Left-handed 3 Days PAM00557 has a 47 mm steel case and a Plexiglas crystal, making it essentially a destro (or left-handed) version of the Panerai PAM372. Though most Panerai watches have the crown on the right, some of the thirties originals made for the Italian navy were made with the crown on the left for left-handed marine commandos.  It has the same dial details as the PAM372: a sandwich construction (the dial has cut-outs and a plate covered in luminous paint below) as well as engraved text.

The new PAM557 uses the P.3000 movement, which is hand-wound with double barrels and a three day power reserve. It is delivered with a rubber strap as well as a spare Plexiglas crystal. The PAM557 will retail for €8200 (~US$11,100) before taxes with delivery around middle of 2014.

At Baselworld 2013 Omega unveiled the Seamaster Aqua Terra >15,000 Gauss, a landmark in magnetism resistant watchmaking. We see how it compares to the most famous antimagnetic watch of all, the Rolex Milgauss.

Launched earlier this year at Baselworld, the Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra >15,000 Gauss is a breakthrough in the battle against the malign influence of magnetism in watches. Instead of using the traditional solution of a soft iron cage to insulate the movement against magnetism, Omega used non-magnetic materials for vital components of the movement, like the hairspring and escapement. This pits the Omega against the Rolex Milgauss. There are other antimagnetic watches available (IWC, Panerai and Seiko are notable candidates), each with their own merits, but the Milgauss is certainly the most well known. Here the Aqua Terra >15,000 Gauss goes head to head with the Rolex Milgauss 116400GV, fitted with the distinctive green tinted crystal. But note that the Omega is a brand piece sample from the boutique, while the Rolex has been worn often for several years. Technically, the Omega demonstrates significantly more innovation than the Rolex. It offers a comprehensive, though not new, solution to the issue of magnetism. The Rolex, on the other hand, sticks to the tried and tested solution of a soft iron cage.

While the Omega is magnetism to over 15,000 Gauss, the Rolex clocks in at about 1000 Gauss (hence the name which is derived from the French phrase mille gauss, which translates as “thousand gauss”). That is a reflection of the sophisticated engineering found in the Omega, but not significant in practice.

That’s because the average person’s exposure to magnetic fields is negligible. According to the World Health Organisation, the household appliance with the greatest magnetic field strength is a hair dryer, and it amounts to about 20 Gauss at the upper limit. The Omega does have one major practical advantage over the Rolex, and that is the date window at three o’clock. In terms of exterior fit and finish, the Omega has a superior case but the Rolex offers a far better bracelet. The Omega case has a more complex form with its curved lyre lugs, and also has both brushed and polished surfaces. 

The Omega has brushed sides and lugs, with a broad polished bevel running the length of the case.

In contrast, the Rolex has a mirror polish throughout, albeit one that is beautifully applied. It is all rounded and smooth, almost pebble like. Notably the Rolex case will make it easier to refinish the case while retaining the original look and feel.

The Omega bracelet, however, is simplistic and its greatest let-down. Embossed with the Omega logo, the clasp has a double fold deployant with two push buttons for unlocking it. The set-up works fine, but is not particularly compelling or solid.

Omega (left) and Rolex

But the Rolex clasp, decorated with the five-pointed crown in relief, in particularly is a amazing piece of engineering. The buckle is spring-loaded and a joy to use. And the blades of the clasp are substantial. This gets top marks.

Though the bracelet is not the most visible part of the overall watch, its weight and feel are important in lending the watch a sense of quality and heft. The Rolex bracelet accomplishes this brilliantly.

In terms of dial and hands, both watches do very well. The printing on both dials is crisp and sharp.

The Omega scores better in terms of the indices and hands, which are diamond cut, giving them razor sharp edges. This admirable detail is not apparent from a distance, but it gives the dial a greater feel of quality when examined up close.

That being said, the yellow and black seconds hand of the Omega is not finished, with the uneven paint job visible on the underside of the hand.

In terms of price, the Omega costs about a fifth less than the Rolex. In Singapore, the Omega retails for S$8550 (~US$6800) including 7% tax. The Rolex Milgauss 116400GV retails for S$10,710 (~US$8550), while the version with a clear crystal (ref. 116400) retails for slightly less at S$10,020. While it is clear that the Omega is the better value proposition, it is not the unanimous winner because of its bracelet. While the Rolex does not compare so well overall, its superb bracelet, seemingly a minor difference, gives it a stronger feel of quality – it feels like something expensive. So the Omega emerges victorious, but by a slim margin. – SJX Thanks to LZY for the loan of the Rolex.

IWC has just premièred the first in a series of short videos explaining important complications in watchmaking. The first is dedicated to the tourbillon. Presented by the curator of the IWC museum, David Seyffer, the video outlines the tourbillon of IWC. Short but informative, it looks at the flying tourbillon developed by IWC specifically, and not about the complication in general. – SJX

A year ago H. Moser & Cie. was acquired by MELB Holding, a holding company run by Georges-Henri Meylan, formerly the CEO of Audemars Piguet, and Bill Muirhead, who had the top finance job at Breguet before the Swatch Group takeover. MELB Holding also owns Hautlence, another independent brand in financial distress. Moser is a respected maker of innovative, concise timepieces, most notably the Perpetual 1, but was struggling financially.

Founded in 2006 with the backing of Swiss dental implant heir Thomas Straumann, Moser was not particularly profitable for Straumann. Bloomberg reported in February this year that Moser had cost Straumann over SFr100 million, or about US$110 million. MELB Holding now has majority control of the brand, with Straumann retaining a minority stake.

In April 2013, Georges-Henri Meylan’s son, Edouard, was appointed CEO of H. Moser, and tasked with turning it around. Some of the changes are already obvious, including the new “Very Rare” campaign. We spoke with him about the brand’s turnaround, and his plans for the future, including a tantalising hint about a possible in-house chronograph. Here are excerpts from the interview, edited for clarity and length.

SJX: Can you explain why your family decided to acquire H. Moser?

Edouard Meylan (EM): The brand has a great story and amazing products. And we have access to Precision Engineering [the sister company of H. Moser which makes hairsprings and escapement components]. At Schaffhausen we produce hairsprings and escapements for some of the biggest brands. We can do main plates, wheels, bridges, screws, pretty much everything except sapphire crystals and jewels.

SJX: Is H. Moser the first step in a larger plan to build a group of independent or niche brands? MELB also owns Hautlence.

EM: Our goal is to be independent and to build a group of independent brands. We want to grow the group and that’s why Moser was so interesting for us.

Edouard Meylan

SJX: So tell us what’s new with Moser since the takeover.

EM: New energy, new faces, new people, new ideas, but the same collection [of watches]. We are not changing the line-up, but streamlining it, and being better in terms of quality and finishing.

SJX: Tell us a little about the H. Moser’s situation when you took over.

EM: It made losses every year, significant losses, though less than what people usually say. Mr Straumann decided it could not continue like this, so it was either turn it off or sell it. This year we halved those losses, and next year we will halve them again, and then we break even if everything goes well. H. Moser has amazing products but were being sold at a price that was not competitive. The products, because of the volume and complexity, and the production processes, were costing way too much money. Most of the parts were very expensive compared to the competition. Our movements were expensive, because they used expensive parts and took very long to assemble – the perpetual calendar movement took 50 hours.

SJX: So what has been done to fix that?

EM: We started by focusing on production and quality. Take for example the Perpetual 1. We changed about 40 parts in the construction of the perpetual calendar. In the past each part of the mechanism would have to be manually adapted during assembly, now they fit perfectly. We also had to strengthen the date discs of the perpetual calendar [which are made of brass], because they tended to touch each other [and get stuck]. So we devised a metal coating which strengthens the discs by four times. We used to produce 10 pieces a month, now we can do more than 20. Why? Because we reduced the assembly time from 50 hours to 25 hours.

The movement of the Perpetual 1 Golden Edition

SJX: Now that the nuts and bolts have been sorted out, what is occupying your time?

EM: A lot about brand vision. For me, the brand is known by a small group of individuals, people who love watches. What we’re lacking is a strong vision for the brand. That is something we need to communicate. We need a new image for this brand. Now we can invest in marketing because if there is more demand then we have more capacity and the quality.

SJX: You mentioned pricing earlier. Do you have plans to raise the prices of H. Moser watches? One of their selling points has always been the reasonable value proposition.

EM: No, we raised prices last year, and are not planning to further out. The challenge is to go further down in cost without compromising quality. In fact, by increasing production efficiency, we increase quality at the same time because reliability increases.

SJX: On the subject of reliability, certain H. Moser watches had reliability problems early on. Have those been solved?

EM: Yes. That’s why in the beginning we focused on production and quality, to make sure that what we sell is not going to come back. I want to make sure that everything which leaves the factory is top quality.

SJX: What’s H. Moser’s production like now?

EM: A bit more than a thousand. We need to double to make it sustainable, and we have plans to go beyond that.

SJX: But the plan is to stick to the current philosophy of quality, in-house movements regardless of production figures?

EM: We want to stick to manufacture movements. As you know with manufacture movements, with the kind of volumes we do, we cannot go further down in price. There’s economy of scales kicking in at about a thousand movements, but for the same movement. At the moment we do a thousand watches, but with six different movements. We can leverage on our movements because they are now mature. In the longer term, we want to have more competitive prices for our movements, and to offer different versions of our movements to wider markets. For example, the Moser version of the movement has a modular escapement running at 2.5 Hz. We could have something using the same main plate but with an integrated escapement and 4 Hz for other brands.

H. Moser’s interchangeable escapement, which can be swapped out during servicing for one that’s freshly overhauled and regulated

SJX: The Perpetual 1 movement was developed jointly with Andreas Strehler. Is development done in-house now?

EM: Now we develop internally, we have our own constructor. We have strong expertise in-house. The person who developed [the perpetual] with Strehler and assembled the first protoypes, he’s our master watchmaker. He was the one leading the re-engineering team. We also play around with friends of ours. For example, we’re pretty close to David Candaux [formerly a constructor at Jaeger-LeCoultre], he is a friend, in fact he went to school with my sister. He’s someone we’re exploring things with.

The Perpetual 1 Golden Edition

SJX: Can you give us a peek at what Moser has in store for the future?

EM: We could play with materials, functional materials. I don’t want to work with steel but we could use titanium or carbon fibre, because it brings lightness and resistance. Steel is just to reduce the price, and as you know, our movements are expensive. I prefer to put it a bit higher, but with materials that bring more value. What Richard Mille is doing, for example, is inspirational.

A striking Moser prototype with a red dial

SJX: You used to have some palladium cased watches. Whatever happened to those?

EM: We are stopping with that material. Because palladium was not perceived by clients as a noble material, but it was high cost.

SJX: Can we expect some radical new products from Moser in time to come?

EM: Talking pieces? Definitely. I believe that’s a way to make statements about where you want to go. But I don’t want to be seen as a niche brand. We’re not going to make a crazy watch, we need to make something that adds value to the brand, something that explains what we want to do in terms of functions.

SJX: Any hints on what that is?

EM: We’re working on two things. One is a talking piece, it’s not a revolution, and a new product line with new case design. For the future, one thing I want is a chronograph. But it has to be a Moser chronograph. It has to something special, something different. It would be elegant, yet bring innovations, with smart functions. The watch must have subtle details, with ingenious functions like our perpetual calendar.

Curated by Apple design guru Jony Ive and industrial design superstar Marc Newson, the (RED) auction was the brainchild of Bono, and intended to benefit The Global Fund. Most of the 43 lots on sale were unique or special items, individually selected by Ive and Newson. They including two timepieces from Jaeger-LeCoultre, which has previously collaborated with Newson in creating a series of Atmos clocks.

Amongst the most valuable items was the Marc Newson Atmos 561 clock by Jaeger-LeCoultre, which sold for US$425,000. Housed in clear Baccarat crystal shaped like a ice cube, the Newson Atmos was customised by Newson himself. The red accents and lettering made it distinct and unique from the regular, limited edition series.

And the Jaeger-LeCoultre Memovox Tribute to Deep Sea alarm watch with a red dial sold for an equally astounding US$365,000. This wristwatch is actually the first in a series of three, hence numbered 01/03, with the other two owned by Ive and Newson.

Amongst the other top lots were US$1.93 million for a white and red Steinway grand piano, and US$1.81 million for a unique Leica M rangefinder.

And the solid rose gold Apple earbuds sold for US$461,000. Such prices are reflective of the power of the celebrities behind the auction, and hardly reflective of the brands themselves. The same JLC timepieces put in a watch-only auction would struggle to achieve a fraction of the rich results. That being said, (RED) was for a good cause. The rest of the results are available from Sotheby’s.

Silence is no longer golden

Sitting just across from the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella and a stone’s throw from the main railway station of Florence, the Hotel L’Orologio is a luxe, boutique hotel owned by Sandro Fratini, a businessman whose forebears founded Italian clothing company Rifle, best known for its jeans. His passion is watch collecting, and the Hotel L’O’ is an embodiment of that. Specifically, the Hotel L’Orologio is a reflection of a love for twentieth century wristwatches from the most eminent brands like Patek Philippe and Rolex.

Step into the lobby and the horological theme is immediately apparent. There is an enormous Vacheron Constantin clock on the wall, as well as display cases filled with watch paraphernalia.

A working model showing the mechanics of a watch movement

And the bookshelves in the lounge are stocked with what else but watch books and auction catalogues.

All the walls, even the stairwells, are decorated with watch-related photos and prints, including a room lined with portraits of historical figures and modern day celebrities with their watches, mainly Rolex but with a handful of other makes.

Framed Rolex silk scarves

A photo of Rolex bracelets

The watch theme is all encompassing and complete. Even the glass doors to the bar have Rolex Explorer II door handles. Most of the china in the dining room is likewise watch-themed. Even the taps in the room bathrooms are shaped like Rolex Oyster screw-down crowns.

The doors leading to the bar

Each floor is dedicated to a particular brand, namely Patek Philippe, Rolex and Vacheron Constantin, which are the owner’s favourites. Patek Philippe, however, gets two floors, since it is Patek.

The Rolex floor

In the lift lobby of the Vacheron Constantin floor

Besides the brand-themed decor on each floor, each of the 54 rooms is named after a notable watch of the brand, for instance room 213 is named after the Rolex ref. 6084 “Drago” with a cloisonné enamel dial depicting a dragon. And the interior of each room is decorated with prints of the watch it is named after.

The Rolex ref. 6084 with enamel dial

All the major vintage timepieces have their own room. The Vacheron Constantin ref. 4764 “Cioccolatone” is one example, and of course the Patek Philippe ref. 2499.

The nightly rates for the Hotel L’Orologio are in the region of €300-400. They are pricey but par for the course for a boutique hotel of this standard in Florence.  – SJX

A view of the Piazza Santa Maria Novella from the top floor of the hotel

There is a subtle irony in using multiple world time clocks to display world times

The title of the light automatic chronograph in the world now belongs to Zenith, with its new El Primero Lightweight. Cased in aluminium and carbon fibre, the major components of the El Primero movement are all titanium.

Zenith recently announced its entry into the world of ultra-light sports watches, the El Primero Lightweight. The use of aluminium, carbon fibre and titanium has shaved off the ounces, giving the watch head a weight of 42.68 g. Despite its diameter of 45 mm, the case is feather light. It is composed primarily of two materials: ceramised aluminium and carbon fibre (or more accurately carbon fibre reinforced polymer).  Ceramised aluminium is basically aluminium with a thin ceramic coating, created by subjecting the aluminium to an electrochemical surface treatment which creates an oxide coating on the metal. This is similar to the material Panerai terms composite.

The inner case and basic structure of the outer case is made of ceramised aluminium, and then carbon fibre is layered on the outside. And the lugs are hollowed out, to reduce the material necessary to the bare minimum.

In addition to the aluminium and ceramic case body, the bezel and case back of the El Primero Lightweight are carbon fibre, while the crown and pushers are PVD coated titanium.

Similarly, the movement has been modified to minimise its weight. All the large components of the movement, namely the bridges and the base plate, are made of titanium, not a common material for movements. Like other Zenith watches the movement is finished, but not elaborately so, with the titanium parts being evenly sandblasted and the steel chronograph levers brushed.

And the chronograph wheel, escape wheel and pallet fork are in silicon (though this is the case for the regular Striking 10th movements as well). The result is a movement which weighs about a quarter less than the regular version, weighing in at 15.45 g.

The silicon chronograph wheel in green

The movement is no ordinary El Primero, instead this is a variant of the Striking 10th calibre which measures up to a tenth of a second.  The central red seconds hand makes one revolution every 10 seconds, a feat possible thanks to the 36,000 bph of the escapement. That frequency translates into 10 oscillations per second (36,000 per hour, 600 per minute and 10 per second).

Though the El Primero is still highly regarded, and rightly so, some 44 years after its introduction, it lacks much of the technology available in rival movements. Zenith has done a superb job in rejuvenating the calibre, but at heart it is still an old workhorse. Weight too has been shaved off the dial, with most of it removed, leaving just the chronograph sub-dials and chapter ring. Even the date disc is open-worked. But the dial still retains the classic Zenith aesthetic, with the tri-colour sub-dials. 

Though attractive and distinctive, the sub-dials overlap, which means they cannot be read at certain times. The blue seconds sub-dial for example is obscured between 30 and 45 seconds. Zenith fixed that problem with the new Rainbow chronograph, but unfortunately it is still apparent here.

In terms of weight the Zenith is middle of the pack. At just over 40 g sans strap, and nearly 74 g with the Nomex-covered rubber strap, it is heavier than the 55 g F. P. Journe Centigraphe Sport and it cannot hold a feather to the featherweight Richard Mille RM027-01 which weighs just 13 g without the band.  But as ultra-light watches go, the Zenith is modest. Retailing for US$22,000 in the United States and S$27,300 in Singapore with 7% tax, it is a fraction of the competition. The El Primero Lightweight is a limited edition of 100 pieces. – SJX

The particular type of ceramic used for the Dark Side of the Moon is zirconium dioxide (ZrO2). Though the case is ceramic, it is finished just like a metal alloy case, with both polished and brushed surfaces. And the dial is made from the same material, but is mirror finished, resulting in a deep, glossy black.

These photos from Omega illustrate the step-by-step processes necessary to make each of the ceramic components of the Dark Side of the Moon.

Case production

The process starts with raw zirconium dioxide pellets

The large disc-shaped initial case form is then sintered: baked in several stages inside an oven at 1400 degrees Celsius, shrinking it to the correct size

The case is then milled with diamond-tipped tools to create the case details

Subsequently it is tumble polished with alumina granules

A polishing wheel with diamond paste is then used to get the brushed finish on the case side and lugs

Finally each case is inspected manually

The bezel, produced in a process just like the case, is also laser engraved with the tachymetre scale; the same is done for the case back

The engraved text on the bezel and back is then metallised, giving it a silver tone which contrasts with the black ceramic

Dial production

The dial is made of a thin ceramic plate which has to be the exact same shade of black as the ceramic case

The ink for the dial printing is transferred into an image carrier

The tampon picks up the ink and prints it on the dial

The 18k white gold indices are attached by hand

Each index is then filled with Super Luminova by hand, using a small syringe-like device

Remember to check out our hands-on with the Speedmaster Dark Side of the Moon for close-ups of the timepiece.

– SJX

A impressive line-up of timepieces has been put together for the upcoming Christie’s “Important Watches” sale on 27 November in Hong Kong. The range is diverse, with plenty of the usual suspects. But a couple of timepieces stand out, including the Patek Philippe refs. 3970 and 5050 with Breguet numerals. Also notable is a pair of pocket watches from Thomas Engels, a little known independent watchmaker. Here are a couple of highlights from the sale, starting with something special for the ladies.

Lot 2373 – Cartier Crash limited edition

Estimate HK$320,000 – HK$480,000 (US$41,470 – $US62,205)

A limited edition version of Cartier’s instantly recognisable Crash timepiece. Few ladies’ timepieces have achieved iconic status, but the Crash is certainly one of them. This particular version is in the white and set with diamonds.  Unlike most Crash watches seen recently at auction, which are special orders, this is a limited edition of 50 pieces and numbered 06/50. The edition was made to mark the 2006 reopening of the Cartier boutique at 13 Rue de la Paix in Paris. And then we have a few special Patek Philippe timepieces, out of the dozens and dozens which dominate the sale. And several of them sport Breguet numerals, which are often a good thing.

Lot 2493 – Patek Philippe ref. 5004A

Estimate HK$2,400,000 – HK$4,000,000 (US$311,025 – US$518,375)

The Patek Philippe ref. 5004A, a perpetual calendar split seconds chronograph in steel. The last 50 of the Lemania-based CHR 27-70 Q movements were put in steel cases, with the same 37 mm diameter as the precious metal versions. The watches were allocated to important clients of Patek Philippe, with delivery of the model still ongoing. Aside from the steel case, this is distinguished by the baton indices similar to those on the ref. 3970, whereas the typical ref. 5004 has Arabic numerals. As an indication how dear this watch will be, the estimate is nearly double that of the platinum ref. 5004P in the same sale.

Lot 2657 – Patek Philippe ref. 3970G with black dial and Breguet numerals

Estimate HK$1,200,000 – HK$2,000,000 (US$155,513 – US$259,188)

Lot 2660 – Patek Philippe ref. 3970P with salmon dial and Breguet numerals

Estimate HK$1,280,000 – HK$2,400,000 (US$165,880 – US$311,025)

Lot 2663 – Patek Philippe ref. 3970J with champagne dial and Breguet numerals

Estimate HK$960,000 – HK$1,400,000 (US$124,410 – US$181,431)

Lot 2666 – Patek Philippe ref. 3970R with silver dial and Breguet numerals

Estimate HK$1,200,000 – HK$2,000,000 (US$155,513 – US$259,188)

Created as a set of four towards at end of the production run of the ref. 3970, these watches are have Breguet numerals and hands, giving them a strikingly different – and far more attractive – look than the typical ref. 3970. The platinum and yellow gold versions are especially beautiful.  This quartet is presented in a wooden box for four timepieces, which is a separate lot in the auction. There is no information on how many sets were produced, but several sets exist.

Lot 2505 – Patek Philippe ref. 5050J with grey dial and Breguet numerals

Estimate HK$640,000 – HK$960,000 (US$82,940 – US$124,410)

More Breguet numeral goodness from Patek Philippe. Sold in 2010, this was part of a series of ref. 5050 watches fitted with Breguet numerals and hands made for special clients of Patek Philippe. These were made long after the ref. 5050 was discontinued in 2002. More than one dial colour was available, with another version being yellow gold with a black dial.

Lot 2543 – Richard Mille RM012 “Tube Tourbillon”

Estimate HK$2,400,000 – HK$4,000,000 (US$311,025 – US$518,375)

One of the most beautiful Richard Mille timepieces ever made, the RM012 movement has tubes in place of bridges, giving it an airy, architectural form. Made in a limited edition of 30 pieces, it was unbelievably (and unreasonably) expensive when new. And we conclude with some strong value propositions from independent watchmakers.

Lot 2522 – Daniel Roth Papillon

Estimate HK$40,000 – HK$60,000 (US$5,184 – US$7,776)

Arguably the most recognisable timepiece from what was once a leading independent watchmaker. Designed by Daniel Roth himself while he was still with the company in the late nineties, the Papillon is a jump hours with wandering minutes, which is actually a variation of the same Maltese cross mechanism used in the AP Starwheel and Urwerk 103. It is a modest but elegant display inside the double ellipse case that was Daniel Roth’s trademark.

Lot 2879 – Roger Dubuis Sympathie perpetual calendar chronograph

HK$160,000 – HK$240,000 (US$20,735 – US$31,103)

Another form watch from another independent of the same period. A signature timepiece from the early (and glorious) days of Roger Dubuis in the distinctive Sympathie case. Using a Lemania 2310 base with a bi-retrograde perpetual calendar module designed by Mr Dubuis, the Sympathie is a beautiful timepiece, and importantly offers significant value for money. But the perpetual calendar mechanism, primarily because of the retrograde displays, is delicate and expensive to repair.

Lot 2849 – Thomas Engel chronometer pocket watch with day of week, power reserve and thermometer

HK$64,000 – HK$96,000 (US$8,294 – US$12,441)

Lot 2848 – Thomas Engel pocket watch with tourbillon and power reserve, with COSC certification

HK$320,000 – HK$480,000 (US$41,470 – US$62,205)

A chemist noted for his work in plastics and polymers, Professor Thomas Engel was also a watch collector and scholar of Breguet, having published a book on the French horologist. He is not widely known but was an accomplished watchmaker, having made high quality pocket watches from the seventies to eighties, with various functions and complications, but all in the Breguet style with guilloche dial and pomme hands.  All of Engel’s pocket watch used the Zenith 5011K observatory chronometer movement (most recently found in the enormous Zenith Aeronef Type 20), which he modified and finished. His tourbillon pocket watches contain the Zenith movement as well, with the tourbillon regulator made by independent watchmaker Richard Daners.  Both of these pocket watches are examples of high quality, classical horology for comparatively little money. The auction will take place on 27 November 2013 at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre, with viewings taking place in the week before that. The rest of the catalogue is available on-line at Christie’s. – SJX

At SIHH 2014 Cartier will unveil the latest version of its classic Tortue model in two sizes for ladies, both equipped with manufacture movements.

Tortue Medium Model in rose gold

The Tortue, which is French for “tortoise”, has been a key case form for Cartier since its introduction in 1912. It has been refreshed over the years, and the latest revamp streamlines and slims down the design, making it both formal and feminine. Not only is the new Tortue smaller and thinner, it is also simpler. The time display has only the bare minimum necessary, only hour and minute hands. And while all the current Tortue models, like the Tortue XL with big date launched earlier this year, have Breguet hands, the new Tortue has simpler sword hands. 

The Tortue XL with Breguet hands

The new Tortue is available in two sizes, with the larger being the Medium Model, which measures 31 mm by 39mm and is equipped with the ultra-thin Piaget cal. 430P.

Tortue Watch Medium Model in white gold with diamonds

And the Tortue Watch Small Model has the venerable Jaeger-LeCoultre cal. 846 inside. This one is 24 mm wide and 30 mm long.

Tortue Watch Small Model in pink gold with diamonds

Both models are available in white or pink gold, with the options of a diamond set case, either on strap or a matching gold bracelet. The price has yet to be announced, a good comparison is the Santos Dumont Large Model which uses the same 430 MC movement as the medium Tortue. In pink gold, the Santos Dumont retails for US$17,300, and the version with diamonds is US$45,100, so expect the Tortue Medium Model to be in the same ballpark, and the small model to be less. – SJX