Girard-Perregaux has given its popular Vintage 1945 model a smoked sapphire dial, revealing the mechanics of the oversized date and moon phase of the in-house calibre 3300.

One of Girard-Perregaux‘s signature timepieces, the Vintage 1945 has for the first time a clear sapphire dial, tinted a light grey, that allows a look into the movement. The dial side of the calibre 3300 inside the Vintage 1945 Large Date Moon-Phases is almost entirely exposed, showing off the striped base plate and the gears that drive the big date and moon phase. Notably, the large date display is made up of twin sapphire discs just 0.1 mm high, one for each digit, meaning three pieces of sapphire are used for the dial and date. Even though the date discs are on different levels, the numerals are engraved on the bottom of the upper disc but the top of the lower one, so the date numerals appear to be on the same plane.

The calibre 3300-0105 inside is GP’s workhouse movement, having been in production for over 20 years and supplied to a number of other brands, including MB&F. It is automatic with a power reserve of 46 hours.

Curved on two planes – lengthwise and horizontally – the case measures  36.10 mm long and 35.25 mm wide. The the Vintage 1945 Large Date Moon-Phases costs US$16,000 in steel and $33,800 in rose gold.

Though the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore line is usually about sporty aesthetics, there are exceptions, like the Royal Oak Offshore Tourbillon Chronograph Carbon. Oversized and chunky with a carbon composite case, it looks like the typical Offshore but the movement is special. The calibre 2897 is an automatic chronograph with tourbillon, wound by a peripheral rotor. This movement is not new, but for the first time the winding mechanism has been revealed on the dial.

With a three armed cage and a twin-colour balance wheel, the tourbillon is in the signature style of Renaud & Papi

A cut-out at one o’clock shows the winding gear and the ball bearing for the rotor. And the chapter ring of the dial with the minute markings is actually clear sapphire, revealing the peripheral rotor with its teeth that run all around the edge of the dial.

A typical winding rotor is a semicircular weight that covers half the movement. Here the movement can be admired in its entirety since the oscillating weight is just a slim piece of platinum that sits on the perimeter of the movement.

Constructed in the style typical of Renaud & Papi, the respected movement specialist owned by Audemars Piguet, the movement combines both classical and modern watchmaking. The bridges and chronograph mechanism are reminiscent of old pocket watches, and so is the grande sonnerie style winding click on the barrel.

The case is 44 mm in diameter, and made of carbon composite (essentially strands of carbon fibre mixed with a polymer), while the bezel, pushers and crown are ceramic. And the crown guard and case back are titanium.

Notably, the ceramic is finished to a remarkable degree that only Audemars Piguet has achieved in watchmaking. Unlike most ceramic watches which have a easy to achieve mirror polished surface, the ceramic bezel for example has a brushed top and polished flanks, with a brilliantly sharp edge in between.

With a price tag of US$273,200, this will be made in a limited edition of just 50 watches.

Andy Warhol famously owned a Piaget wristwatch with the Beta 21 quartz movement, inside a stepped case in a shape typical of the seventies. Piaget has remade that distinctive ovoid case with stepped edges as the limited edition Black Tie Vintage Inspiration that will make its official debut at SIHH 2015.

The case is white gold, with a finely stepped bezel that builds upwards to a flat, radially brushed bezel. Similarly brushed is the base of the case band, which accommodates the crown in a recess so as not to spoil the lines of the case. Although it is a chunky timepiece, measuring 45 mm wide and 40 mm long, the case work is eminently detailed and finely executed.

Despite the recognisable seventies form, the Black Tie Vintage Inspiration is a gentleman’s formal dress watch. It only has hour and minutes hands, set against a jet-black onyx stone dial. Inside is the automatic cal. 534P movement that gives the watch the slimness needed for a dress watch.

Limited to just 28 pieces, the Piaget Black Tie Vintage Inspiration is priced at 46,000 Singapore dollars, equivalent to about US$40,000.

Cartier has taken its legendary Crash wristwatch, born of a car crash in sixties London, and equipped it with a skeleton movement inside an enlarged, platinum case. The first of a new line of reimagined historical timepieces, the Crash Skeleton is a limited edition of just 67 pieces.

At SIHH 2015 the most gorgeous iteration of the iconic asymmetric Cartier will make it debut. The Crash Skeleton is identical to the classic Crash wristwatch, the Crash Skeleton is slightly larger than the original, while the 9618 MC movement inside has been skeletonised in an appropriately Dali-esque manner to match the case. Legend has it the original Crash was inspired by a ruined timepiece retrieved from a car crash involving an executive at Cartier London. The impact and heat of the Crash turned what had been an Maxi Oval wristwatch into something straight out of a Salvador Dali painting. Since its creation in 1967 the Crash has barely changed. Though several editions have been made, they were largely identical and made in small quantities. The first 1967 model that was in production for about 20 years, followed by a limited edition from 1991, as well as more recent special order watches; the most recent model being the Crash on a bead bracelet.  But the look and size of the watch has stayed the same, with Cartier resisting making changes to the design, even for custom orders. This has made the Crash the most collectible of contemporary production Cartier watches.

Now for the first time the Crash is being made as a skeleton timepiece. Though true to the original in shape, the Crash Skeleton is 10% larger, measuring 28.15 mm wide and 45.32 mm long (the regular Crash is approximately 23 mm by 38 mm). Though subtle the increase in size is significant, making the Crash Skeleton suitable for men. The strap, however, is narrow, making the watch seem smaller than it actually is. The case is platinum, as is the crown, set with a blue sapphire cabochon. The dense metal gives the watch heft, even though it is modest in size. Importantly, Crash watches in platinum have been rare historically.

Platinum cases take more effort to machine, requiring five to ten times as long to manufacture compared with a gold case. Cartier has done an admirable job in shaping the platinum case in the sinuous lines typical of the Crash.

The base plate of the 9618 MC movement inside forms the dial of the watch, having been open-worked to form Roman numerals that are slightly off-kilter. Not only is it skeletonised, the surface of the base plate is gently curved to conform to the shape of the case. The mineral crystal is also curved on two axes, laterally and vertically. The crystal on the rear, however, being flat, is made of sapphire.

Based on the skeleton movements found in the Santos and Tank Skeleton watches, the 9618 MC movement is manually wound with a three day power reserve. Mechanically the 9618 MC movement is identical to the Cartier’s other time-only skeleton movements, except the gear train and barrels have been rearranged to fit the unusual case shape. 

Only 67 pieces in platinum will be made, with a retail price of 50,000 euros, equivalent to US$62,800. And there will be another 67 pieces in platinum with diamonds on the bezel priced at 85,000 euros, which works out to US$107,000. Despite the eye watering price, the Crash Skeleton will no doubt sell at a brisk pace. And with only 67 pieces for each version, there will be more buyers than watches.

Significantly, the Crash Skeleton is the first in the Fine Watchmaking Heritage line. This will be an annual or biennial limited edition that reworks a notable form timepiece from Cartier’s vast archives. 

A slightly redesigned version of the original RM 33, the new RM 33-01 is still a round, slim automatic wristwatch, but with some variation. Though the case remains round, its details have changed. The lugs are more pronounced and angular, while the dial has italicised hour numerals inspired by a speedometer.

The sub-seconds is at six o’clock, with the date window just beside it. Like in most other Richard Mille watches, the date is comprised of a skeletonised, black date disc against a solid background for legibility.

The movement inside remains the same Vaucher sourced automatic with a micro-rotor in platinum, as well as bridges and the base plate in black coated titanium.

Available in rose or white gold, or titanium, the RM 33-01 has a 45.7 mm diameter case that’s a thin 9.2 mm high. The look is vintage Richard Mille, as is the price. Though it’s not been revealed, the RM 33-01 will cost in the region of US$80,000 to US$100,000, just like its predecessor.

At SIHH 2015 Panerai will unveil the Luminor 1950 3 Days Chrono Flyback Automatic Ceramica, a variation of its Luminor chronograph, in matte black ceramic.

Two years ago Panerai unveiled its P.9100 in-house chronograph movement, a self-winding calibre with a condensed chronograph display featuring just two central hands. First available only in steel or gold, the P.9100 has now made its way into the new Luminor 1950 3 Days Chrono Flyback Automatic Ceramica PAM580 with a black ceramic case. The look of the new chronograph is classic Panerai: the case is matte black ceramic with a 44 mm diameter, while the dial and hands have faux vintage ivory Super Luminova. 

The chronograph has just two hands, both mounted on the central axis of the dial. A blue hands records the elapsed seconds, while the rhodium plated hand just below does the same for the minutes. In addition the chronograph has a flyback function. Constant seconds is displayed in the sub-dial at nine o’clock, with the date just across. A sapphire display back – tinted grey as Panerai has done with other ceramic watches – reveals the P.9100 movement. It has a three day power reserve as well as the usual bells and whistles of a modern chronograph, like a column wheel and vertical clutch.

The price of the Luminor 1950 3 Days Chrono Flyback Automatic Ceramica has yet to be announced, but it will be between US$12,800 and US$30,900, which are the prices of the same model in steel and rose gold respectively. An educated guess would peg it at around US$18,000.

Fondly regarded for its near indestructibility and affordable pricing, the Sinn U1 is the German brand’s signature dive watch. The latest variant of the U1 is the U1-D, a limited edition in grey and khaki with a scratch-resistant Tegiment case.

Matte grey with khaki accents on the hands and bezel, the dial is highly legible even though the hands and markers are black. That only holds true during the day, as it is not luminescent at night.

The grey and khaki colours are attractive and an interesting variation on the faux patina fashionable now. However, the desert warfare theme of the watch – the “D” in the name stands for “Dune” – is at odds with it being a diver’s watch.

Technically the U1-D is identical to the standard model, with the same 44 mm case boasting water resistance to 1000 m, as well as a case and bezel made of the same steel alloy used for submarine hulls. Sinn treats the submarine steel with its proprietary Tegiment process, hardening the upper layer of the metal, making it scratch resistant.

While the typical U1 case has a conventional dark grey steel tone, this has a black hard coating that further improves the wear resistance of the case. Because the steel below has been hardened, the black coating is several times durable than in regular coated timepieces.

Additionally, the movement has been lubricated with Sinn’s proprietary lubricants that remain functional at extreme ends of the temperature scale, allowing the movement to keep good time between – 45 °C and + 80 °C.

The U1-D on the optional rubber strap

Inside is the SW-200 automatic movement, the Sellita clone of the ETA 2824.

The U1-D is supplied on two straps, a brown calf leather and a camouflage pattern Zulu strap. Available as an option at extra cost is the rubber strap found on the regular U1.

The Sinn U1-D is priced at 4800 Singapore dollars, equivalent to US$3840. It is available only from The Hour Glass.

In one of the most anticipated watch sales ever, the Patek Philippe supercomplication made for American collector Henry Graves Jr. was just sold for 20.6 million Swiss francs. With the buyer’s premium the new owner will have to pay 23.2 million francs, or about US$24 million.

The sale took place in a packed room, with luminaries from all corners of watchmaking, including representatives from major brands like Audemars Piguet and Vacheron Constantin, and even Philippe Dufour himself.

Two major personalities in the international watch auction market were competing for the Grave super complication, Aurel Bacs and Claude Sfeir, a Lebanese jeweler who is one of the world’s biggest watch collectors.  They were bidding against each other for the most complicated watch ever made before computers came along. Conceived, manufactured and finished by hand, the Graves supercomplication is a landmark in watchmaking not just for its complexity but for when it was made.

It took several tense minutes for each bid increment with the bidding was in 250,000 franc jumps, though there was some laughter when one of the bidders offered 19,999,000 francs.

Just after the hammer came down, Aurel Bacs (in red tie) rises from his seat to shake hands with Claude Sfeir

When the hammer came down the room broke into sustained applause. The winner was Aurel Bacs, the inimitable former head of watches at Christie’s, and now the key man at the watch department of the rejuvenated Phillips auctioneers.

The US$24 million result makes it the priciest watch ever sold, whether at auction or privately. That’s more than double the US$11 million it last sold for back in 1999.

The Chanel J12-G10 sports a double-loop strap inspired by the British military issue canvas band. Known as the NATO or G10 strap, Chanel has transformed it into a luxury accessory in alligator hide and diamonds.

Finally the day has come when the humble NATO strap, originally a British military watch band, has made it to the big time. Chanel has appropriated the NATO strap and fitted it to one of the most successful ladies’ watches ever, the J12. It made black ceramic watches sexy and fashionable, and is now a timepiece that is significant beyond watchmaking and relentlessly copied. The new J12-G10 will likely result in a dramatic proliferation of NATO straps on all sorts of watches. Also known as the G10 strap after the British military requisition form used to order them (we explain the history of the NATO strap here), the NATO strap was developed some time in the seventies. Its most distinctive feature is the double layer of canvas under the watch, which ensures the watch stays on the wrist even if one spring bar breaks. And this double layer adds thickness and bulk to the watch, giving it a sportier appearance. Originally made of heat-sealed canvas with chromed brass rings, the NATO strap as envisioned by Chanel is in hand-stitched alligator with diamond-set loops.

The J12-G10 watch itself is typical of the Chanel J12 watch. Several models are available, but all have quartz movements inside 33 mm cases, available in black, grey or white ceramic. Various diamond settings are also available. Depending on the model, the loops of the alligator NATO are either steel or white gold.

Prices are 25,000 Singapore dollars for the steel and ceramic models set with round diamonds. The steel and white gold versions are set with baguette diamonds, and priced at 83,600 Singapore dollars.

Additionally, a limited edition of five pieces with a 42 mm white gold case, set with nearly 12 carats of diamonds. The price for this is unavailable but going by precedent expect this to be in the region of US$250,000.

Named after its founder, the Zenith Academy Georges Favre-Jacot is essentially a slimmed down version of Zenith’s top of the line timepiece, the Academy Christophe Colomb Hurricane. The Georges Favre-Jacot limited edition is equipped with a chain-and-fusée mechanism that delivers constant force to the escapement, keeping timekeeping stable throughout its power reserve.

Comprised of a cone with a tiny chain wrapped around it, the chain and fusee system is one of the earliest constant force mechanisms. It uses a chain that wraps itself around the cone as the mainspring winds down, to compensate for the progessively weaker pull of the mainspring. Rarely found in wristwatches due to its complexity and size (the chain and fusee mechanism is made up of 575 individuals parts including the bits of each chain link), the chain and fusee is nonetheless impressive visually. Here it is visible on the upper half of the dial, with twin bridges holding up the barrel and fusee. This is combined with an eggshell texture dial and blued steel hands.

COSC certified, the movement is the El Primero calibre 4810, a variant of the famous 36,000 bph El Primero chronograph movement. Running at the same frequency, the calibre 4810 is hand-wound, with a silicon escape wheel. Aside from hours and minutes, it also displays the power reserve and seconds on the dial.

Presented in a 45 mm rose gold case and limited to 150 pieces, the Academy Georges Favre-Jacot is priced at US$82,700 or €61,500 before taxes.