On Episode 17 of the SJX Podcast, Brandon has just returned from WatchTime New York, an event that has emerged as the flagship watch fair in the United States since its debut in 2015. SJX shares his hands-on impressions of Breguet’s new ref. 7225, which features the return of the brand’s magnetic pivots and is the highlight of the 250th anniversary releases so far.
We also examine the hamburger-sized 77 mm J. Player & Son ‘hypercomplication’ at Phillips – one of the most complicated and impressive British watches ever made, before wrapping up with a discussion about some of the pieces from JP Morgan’s own collection coming up in the same auction.
While Aubert and Ramel is a new brand, and the Ouréa is a new watch, Thomas Aubert and Alexis Ramel-Sartori aren’t new to independent watchmaking, both having worked for a prominent name in the space. That experience is evident in a strong – and decidedly on-trend – debut that stands out even in a crowded market.
Initial Thoughts
It seems there are many finely decorated time-only watches on the market today; the two contributed to some of the better ones in their earlier careers. Now the pair strike out under their own name, and unsurprisingly, their first watch is quite good. Though the duo seem to know that already, as they have priced it close to, just a little below, leading independents.
The Ouréa’s “scraped” dial brings to mind the wildly successful Chronomètre Artisans from Simon Brette. That probably isn’t coincidental, as the two both worked for Simon Brette. However, I perceive an even stronger, and more general, influence of Greubel Forsey in the Ouréa. It also calls back to Thomas Aubert’s Séléné, winner of last year’s F.P. Journe young talent competition.
The scintillating teal accents, applied by atomic layer deposition, are a nice touch to set the watch apart, and the hands are incredibly well made. Interestingly, the filling in the hands is white lacquer rather than luminous material. That seems like a missed opportunity as the appearance would be nearly identical if it were lumed. It is also a shame that Mr Aubert’s recoiling shooting star from the Séléné doesn’t make an appearance, as it had a lot of charm, though may not be compatible with a stem wind watch; perhaps a shooting star power reserve indicator is in the stars.
Doing a Little More
The newborn brand plans to build twenty watches total, though the first six are already spoken for, as Messrs Aubert and Ramel soft-launched Ouréa on a subscription basis, as is now the norm for new indie brands. Those half-dozen subscription pieces will have platinum cases, as the early buyers took a risk based on nothing but computer renderings, while the following 14 will be titanium.
The pair build most of the movement themselves in their La Chaux-de-Fonds workshop, which is more significant than it sounds at first. Balances, for example, are often left to specialty suppliers like Precision Engineering, Atokalpa, or Feller Pivotages. Instead, Ramel-Sartori opted to make its own balance, even folding its own overcoil hairspring in a similar vein to Voutilainen or Greubel Forsey. And it is quite a sightly balance at that, important as the open dial puts it on prominent display.
While not objectively better in terms of performance, doing these things “in-house” makes the watch more distinct. The screws on the balance rim appear to use the same square head as the screw holding the stud in place, which is a nice touch. It makes the watch more visually cohesive and, presumably, means the watchmaker can use the same tool for both.
Soaring Bridges
The balance and barrel bridges are both titanium with a straight grained finish on the top and a generous specular polishing along the chamfers. Those chamfers are asymmetric and much broader on the side of the bridge facing the wearer.
On close inspection, the highly polished bowel-like surrounds are separate parts, creating a sharp transition that would be difficult to accomplish if it were all one piece.
I suspect use of a metal bushing, rather than a jewel, is a consequence of the bridge material, titanium not being especially conducive to jewelling – though it can be done. On the back, a gold chaton sits between the centre wheel and both escapement jewels and the titanium bridge, while the Incabloc jewels sit inside a subassembly.
The Greubel Forsey influence I observed (or imagined) on the front is stronger on the back, especially with the tripod balance bridge and judicious application of hand anglage.
It uses a bar-style click, which has seen a recent resurgence in popularity, probably in part due to Phillipe Dufour, though Aubert Ramel uses a less common arrangement with the ratchet wheel on top and the click underneath.
That barrel holds a weekend-proof 72-hour mainspring, which isn’t needed in the type of watch, but is a nice amenity – and going the extra mile is something of a theme of this watch.
Key facts and price
Aubert Ramel Ouréa
Diameter: 40.40 mm Height: 11.50 mm Material: 18k yellow gold Crystal: Sapphire Water resistance: 50 m
Movement: Ouréa Features: Hours, minutes. Frequency: 18,000 beats per hour (2.5 Hz) Winding: Manual Power reserve: 72 hours
Strap: Leather
Limited edition: 14 in grade five titanium
Availability: Direct from Aubert and Ramel Price: CHF72,000 (~US$90,000 before taxes and tariffs)
Rolex has just unveiled a fully branded line of accessories for office dwellers, featuring both cufflinks and a genuine Submariner desk clock. The move not only extends the brand’s product range, but reinforces its lifestyle dominance beyond its traditional domain. With its decades-long reputation for precision, quality and retail discipline, Rolex has planted a new flag: high-end accessories built with the same seriousness and iconic design language as its wristwatches.
Initial thoughts
Rolex has earned its dominant position in the Swiss watch industry in large part by taking everything it does very seriously. So it’s not surprising to see that the formal launch of a full line-up of accessories is treated with due seriousness.
This is not the first time that Rolex has offered cufflinks; some references were exhibited at Watches & Wonders this year and have been quietly available for purchase at brand boutiques for some time. But the formal roll-out on the website is a decisive step, and reveals that Rolex wants to give its legions of fans another touchpoint with their favourite brand.
On the other hand, the official desk clock is new and quite surprising in its execution, though perhaps it shouldn’t be. Rendered in a heavy 80 mm stainless steel body with a real Cerachrom ceramic bezel and sapphire crystal, it feels like a true Submariner (albeit one that is not water resistant).
In terms of value, the accessories are expensive in an absolute sense but are priced reasonably enough to remain in short supply. More importantly, the pricing is supported by undeniable quality. The thoughtful movement in the desk clock, in particular, goes far beyond what could have reasonably been expected in both functionality and finishing.
The ultimate desk diver
The big story is the desk clock. A quick Google search reveals hundreds of unofficial Rolex clocks, mostly low quality plastic affairs seeking to replicate the brand’s signature models. In contrast, the new Rolex Submariner deck clock is the real deal, made with utmost care from the same materials as the Submariner wristwatch.
Scaled up to 80 mm, the desk clock is big and heavy, with a stainless steel body, Cerachrom bezel, and sapphire crystal. It’s not water resistant, nor is it a certified chronometer, so the usual ‘Superlative Chronometer’ dial text has been correctly omitted, giving the dial a pleasing degree of simplicity.
A simple quartz clock movement would probably have been enough for most buyers, but Rolex went as far as developing a new Swiss-made quartz cal. 8335. The new calibre appears to be derived from the non-secular cal. 8235, which has powered Datejust-style desk clocks for over a decade, though those were never officially for sale.
A cal. 8235 powered Rolex desk clock given to an employee for 40 years of service in 2010. Image – Sotheby’s
It’s unclear how much, if any, of the movement is built in-house, and it’s more likely that Rolex partnered with a supplier for something like this, but it’s an official Rolex movement, nonetheless.
What’s more, it features a first for the brand: an LCD display. The display itself is located on the movement, visible only when the case back is removed for time and date setting. When the crown is pulled, the LCD comes to life to display the current date, month, and year. That the calendar is pre-programmed secular perpetual calendar functionality, which accounts for leap years and the unusual non-leap year cycles in the distant future.
The movement is finished to a high standard that looks good alongside the brand’s wristwatch movements, with full metal construction and attractive Geneva striping. It’s powered by a pair of lithium CR2477 batteries, but the battery life has not been disclosed. That said, the movement features an end-of-life indicator, common among high-end quartz movements, that changes the behaviour of the seconds hand before the batteries die, giving the owner time to replace them.
If I have to nitpick, the electronic movement could have been endowed with additional functionality, perhaps an alarm – found in Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak desk clocks – linked to the rotating bezel. As it is, the bezel is fixed, and the functionality is limited to just the time and date.
Cufflinks
The formal rollout of the cufflinks collection is comparatively straightforward. Made using the brand’s signature materials like Everose gold, Cerachrom ceramic, and Chromalight lume, the cufflinks are otherwise ordinary in functionality, distinguished only by their materials, colours, and designs.
There are three designs to choose from, and each is available in sold 18k yellow, white, or Everose gold, the brand’s proprietary tarnish-resistant rose gold alloy. The first is the signature crown, the second replicates the hour hand design found on most of the brand’s sport watches, and the third is inspired by the fluted bezel, and features a ceramic inlay of the crown logo.
Interestingly, the ‘hand’ cufflinks are lumed with Chromalight, just like the real thing. At this size, they should glow brightly in low light. That said, the design will pair best with a sport watch with matching hands. Proceed with caution; pairing a sport watch with formal wear is thought to be something of a faux pas among those who pay attention to that sort of thing.
